For those weary about a combination lecture/performance, fret not: Dolby and his band will embark on a proper US tour in 2012, including a few festival dates (Lollapalooza, anyone?). more ›

One of our more memorable concert experiences was seeing Sweden's The Soundtrack Of Our Lives at Double Door years ago and witnessing the bearish frontman Ebbot Lundberg actually get everyone to lay down on the floor and then jump up dancing Isley Bros-Shout stylee. The feat was amazing because (a) in that moment we realized that Lundberg had the kind of charisma that is so mesmerizing you can't help but fall obediently under his thrall and (b) Double Door's floor was filthy and people didn't care a whit, thus really underscoring point (a). more ›

It's looking to be a heavy week for literary events in Chicago. So strap on your reading glasses and peruse the events on our radar that we think it worthwhile to check out. more ›

Dick Prall and Clip Art are both criminally overlooked in discussions of the Chicago music scene. Prall has put in long years churning out tunes tat are consistently winners and even though Clip Art is relatively new to the scene, there’s an underlying history of equally strong musical compositions in the group’s primary DNA. Tonight, the two bands are playing together at Martyrs' so this is an excellent time for you to get acquainted with both. more ›

Those musical chameleons in Tributosaurus are tapping into the dark side with their gig tomorrow night at Martyr's. They'll be channeling the deep dark sludge of Black Sabbath. They're promising to keep the mimicry limited to the Ozzy years (before he was neutered by Sharon), when Ozzy was more petty thief and punk than Prince of Darkness, Tony Iommi's handmade fingertips (he lost his in a sheet metal press accident) kept slipping off, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward made for a rhythm section worthy of starting a war, and the group was coked to the gills making songs like "Spiral Architect," "Into the Void," and "Sweet Leaf." They'll also dip their toes into the wading pool of the Ronnie James Dio Sabbath years, but the "Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi" era is being rightfully ignored. more ›

In the music world a band can take a gimmick and either beat it to death or be very successful with it. KISS, as an example, does both. more ›

Get in touch with what's going on in the Chicago literary scene this week. more ›

Sunday July 25, The Burlington, 3425 W. Fullerton Ave., free more ›

Every so often we get wind of an unsigned band that has us scratching our heads with a puzzled gaze. Formed in Abilene and now residing in Austin, Texas, The Rocketboys have a sound as expansive as the open road and lyrics deep as a Southwest sunrise. more ›

We don't know quite to aptly describe the performance by our pals Terrible Spaceship. They seem to nail it best when they call themselves, "multimedia ambient synthetic horror pop." Featuring members of Clip Art, Bumpus, and Grammar, their unique mix of audio and video is a surreal experience but also a hell of a good time. And you're in luck because they're bringing the show to Martyr's tonight giving you a great way to kick off your Rocktober. They're playing along with the aptly named Lowdown Brass Band and the piano-pop trio Lying Delilah. It's an eclectic mix but all three bands are worth the trip up Lincoln Avenue. more ›

We've fallen in love with The Moth and its regular podcast -- discovered through its being featured on This American Life a few times -- and are excited to see they're kicking off a regular StorySLAM in Chicago, beginning with tonight's event at Martyr's. more ›

Lauren Zettler fits nicely into what you wold expect from a folky singer-songwriter whose promo material displays a cute girl sporting a comfy looking flannel shirt. But something about the first track on her EP On Your Back Porch caught us off guard. "I Don't Blame You" starts off pleasantly, Zettler's voice has enough character to sweetly stand out without resorting to any vocal trickery, and we gave into it's simplicity. It was precisely at the point where we were approaching a complacent lull that the song suddenly breaks and surges along a series of amped hand-claps and rolling distorted guitars. more ›

Terrible Spaceship may be, ahem, flying under the radar for most Chicago music fans, but they've caught the attention of some movers and shakers in recent months with their stage show. Elaborate and experimental sonic orchestrations accompany the big-screen projection of leader Travis Chandler's film clip mashup whims with startling creativity and just enough self-awareness to walk the better side of kitsch. more ›

In keeping with our celebration of National Poetry Month, we're featuring a band called Ode. If you haven't had the chance to see this local group, go to Uncommon Ground on Devon tomorrow night and give them a shot. more ›

It would be easy to start a review for The Heartless Bastard's new album The Mountain with a metaphor like "with this album, the band scales new heights!" but that simply isn't true. Instead the album finds the band exploring new territory and employing a new sort of balancing act as they continue their development. more ›

Chicago has proven itself as a relatively fertile breeding ground for a number of orch-pop leaning combos. Grammar is one of the newer additions to the city's pop canon, but if their new EP and recent live shows are any indication they have the potential to grow into kings (and queen) of that particular scene. more ›

Chances are you've spotted the work of Bucktown photographer Jim Newberry before -- while reading about your favorite Chicago band in Spin or Rolling Stone, or catching up on the Trib. Newberry took some time out from shooting household names to answer a few questions for us. You can catch him in person tonight, actually, when he appears with several other artists Martyr's for Pecha Kucha Night: an evening by, of and for creatives. more ›

I think the title of this post says it all, don't you? more ›

It's been a season of milestones for the city-sponsored music festivals. Today marks the 10th anniversary of the World Music Festival. What started out as a small festival centered in Chicago's notable places for international music has evolved into a city-wide event, with artists performing throughout the city limits. WMF highlights Chicago's reputation as a city of neighborhoods. In incorporating most of the major club venues, WMF also does more to shine a positive spotlight on our vibrant music club scene in one week than venue owners often do themselves. Only the ongoing resistance to the promoters ordinance can unite club owners as well. more ›

We really liked last year's Niggy Tardust disc Saul Williams put out. Here's what we said about it: more ›

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