Maturity within a band doesn't always have to mean the mellow out to the point of complete and utter boredom. In its best manifestation a group can take its original sound and develop it into something more layered, textural and overall, more tantalizing to the ear. Much is the case with British math-rockers The Foals. more ›

Chicagoist recently had a conversation with a friend about our favorite "Christmas albums without Christmas songs," records that remind us of the holiday season without being full of carols and borderline-obnoxious good cheer. Our consensus choice was Richard Hawley's Coles Corner, a sprawling exploration of the warmest, most soothing, and dreamiest echelons of the singer-songwriter tradition. more ›