It seems fitting that Aframes Eyewear should sponsor this holiday mix from the frequently bespectacled and always stylish Chicago DJ Matt Roan, eh? If you're looking to inject a little oomph and bounce to the ounce and general get-the-get down into your holiday soiree, Roan's got you covered. Stream or download his entire It's Christmas! mix below! It will get even the Grinchiest of booties out onto the dancelfoor. more ›

Kyle Woods, a.k.a. Kid Color, is a rather prolific DJ. He plays shows on a regular, even constant basis all over Chicago and beyond. His weekly at Smart Bar, Dollar Disco, continues to gain traction as it books bigger and bigger names, including Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem, and Ed Banger founder Busy P. And with all the work Kid Color puts in at the clubs, he manages to find time to work on his ongoing Palette Mix series, of which number five was released today. Per usual, he's put together a quality mix. more ›

We've sort of been waiting for the right moment to write about Supreme Cuts, a local production duo hellbent on re-contextualizing the R&B palette into something a little more club-ready, a little more sultry, and a lot more bass-laden. The reason we haven't is, well, because there isn't much out there on Supreme Cuts, save for a few SoundCloud tracks, some edits, and a fantastic remix of Holy Other's "Touch". But now that they've released a mix for Fader and announced their first live show - which will be at Empty Bottle with oOoOO - we wanted to officially start buzzing on one of Chicago's best new things. more ›

Of all the DJs that call Chicago home, few are as influential and legendary as Derrick Carter. Since the late '80s, Carter has been a defining voice for Chicago house music, and has been key in bringing those sounds to places all over the world. It's no wonder why his name is mentioned on Daft Punk's "Teachers", and it's no wonder why he continues to be prominent in today's club scene. Recently he took a trip to BBC's Radio 1 to perform an Essential Mix and the results are, well, pretty spectacular. more ›

Parallel Thought were such big fans of the Numero Group's first Eccentric Breaks & Beats mix they decided to try crafting their own funky dreamcoat from the threads of the label's catalog. Pop this in your virtual cassette deck and take a slow ride through the twilight underworld Parallel Thought constructs with some of the slinkiest building blocks known to man. more ›

Chicago is looking more like the Scottish moors than the burgeoning spring explosion it should resemble at this time of year, so we consider it perfect timing that this new mix from Matt Roan dropped into our laps this afternoon. Brought to us by Crossfader King, it's a non-stop selection of energetic nu-disco and dance pop that has us inhabiting a happy headspace and threatens to actually get us out from behind our desk and start dancing by the Chicagoist water cooler. Seriously, even the intern is digging this. more ›

Dave Cantor sent us this mix of him digging around his "digital crates" a few weeks ago and we were holding onto it until the time was right. Until the time had arrived that we just couldn't listen to another holiday tune. Until the time that the weather was burrowing into our bones making it impossible to shake of its chill and get comfortable. So NOW is the right time to hit you up with sunshine rhythms to help you remember that now the nights are getting shorter and summer is slowly making its way back to us. more ›

Our inbox got a heaping dose of Moneypenny yesterday as the lovely ladies were giving away a Christmas single and a Christmas mix for free. We can't really endorse the single, which includes a sort of a washed out cover of the Vince Guaraldi Trio's classic "Christmas Time Is Here" and an ill-advised remake of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart, but if you really want to give it a listen for yourself you can grab it here. It's not our thing but, who knows, maybe you'll like it. more ›

It'll be an interesting weather evening, but for the most part the day will be a mix of clouds and sun as clouds slowly but steadily increase throughout the day. On a positive note, highs will creep into the lower 40s today, a bit warmer than usual for this time of year. Overnight, temps will drop to the low-to-mid 30s with rain developing. Of course, with temps at that level it won't just be rain: look for a mix of rain/snow/sleet to develop overnight with most of the sleet mix to the north. Tomorrow could be pretty messy, so keep an eye out. more ›

Bird & Whale continues to curate fine mixes from local luminaries of the music scene, and their latest offering is a incredibly soulful groove laden mix by Tortoise drummer John Herndon. Any concoction that offers a near seamless transition between Devo and Lil Wayne is deliciously deserving of a listen. more ›

Touring with Lupe Fiasco seems to have stimulated the boys in Hey Champ to enter mixtape mode. They've been selling the Jet Set mix on the road in order to feed their Taco Bell Volcano Taco habit, but since they love you they're now giving it away for free. more ›

We understand your needs. Coming into work after a three-day weekend sucks. Even way up here in the Chicagoist offices, our usually rambunctious and festive staff is a tad subdued. Our bellies are still slightly swollen from overcooked burgers and sweaty cans of beer. more ›