How easily we forget that a band is comprised of many members to make a whole. Though Jim James, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the popular roots-rock group My Morning Jacket, the band would not at all be the same if multi-instrumentalist, Carl Broemel, was not a part of their rich and robust collective. more ›

It’s practically a modern pop-culture pastime to delight in the train wreck that can result when an actor- or model-turned-musician cuts their first album. The track record for such entertainers is spotty at best, so we were tempted to reserve a little cynicism for Karen Elson— (still probably best-known as the flame-haired, ghost white supermodel of things we can’t afford). To do so would have been a bit unfair to Elson, who isn’t really new to the game at all: she's lent her talent to collaborations with Cat Power and Robert Plant, and sings with the cabaret-styled collective she co-founded, The Citizens Band. more ›

My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James took a tumble at a show last night, forcing him to cancel both his Obama benefit at Schubas tonight and the planned My Morning Jacket shows at the Chicago Theatre this week. Hacky sacks will be flown at half mast for the remainder of the day in light of this development. more ›

Remember those My Morning Jacket shows we told you about? Well, we can now tell you that, according to the Chicago Theatre website, tickets will go on sale via Ticketmaster at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 16. So get your mouse clicking finger ready. more ›

Indie rock superstars My Morning Jacket have recently announced a spate of new tour dates ahead of the June 10 release of their new album, Evil Urges. And we're in luck: Jim James and crew are slated to wrap up the tour with two dates at The Chicago Theatre. You just have to be a little patient. While the tour starts in the summer, the Chicago dates don't happen until mid-October. So far, there is no ticket information for the Chicago shows available from the band or Ticketmaster other than the show dates, but several other shows are going on sale in the coming weeks, so we'll keep our eyes peeled and update you when we know. more ›

Lots to rock about over the next few days, from Modest Mouse at the Congress, to Bob Pollard at the Metro, to our beloved Hall & Oates at the UIC Pavilion, but DDaN's gonna keep it live and local this week. more ›

Happy first weekend of September - and happy Labor Day weekend, too, for our American cities! Let's take a look at what's been happening around the Ist-a-verse. The deaths of two firefighters shook Bostonist this week. Boston's firefighters bent over backwards all week long - first, they fought flames pouring from the Boston Tea Party museum, and then a restaurant fire killed two and injured many more. Their efforts make everything else - like Tom... more ›

As time continues counting down towards Lollapalooza, perhaps a little tease about what’s in store will move the decision one way or the other for those who are still on the fence about attending. more ›

For this week’s edition of Empty Out Your Wallet we’ve decided to primarily point you to smaller shows whose tickets are already available for purchase, plus one surprise. We’re always on the side of the little guy (and / or gal) and believe that they are deserving of your pre-show guaranteed dollars as well. Decemberists Alasdair Roberts The Decemberists are this year’s Death Cab For Cutie with a better background in literature and seamanship. We... more ›

As if 130 bands, overpriced food, kids’ shows, an art exhibit, and people watching weren’t enough, Lollapalooza 2006 will serve up afternoons of interactive entertainment on the Mindfield Stage. Good to see three local comedy offerings on the bill but, with all due respect, they’re pretty much the opening act everyone’s sitting through to get to the headliner. To any of our readers coughing up $60 or more just to see Chicago comedy in Grant... more ›

It seems obvious now, but if you were an avid rock music fan in 1992 and someone told you that of the four standard bearers of the Seattle sound (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains whose current Phil Anselmo-William DuVall-fronted incarnation isn’t fooling anyone), Pearl Jam would be the one to survive over a decade later, you would have been forgiven for thinking they were high. Yet all the signs were there. Consider... more ›

It's official - Ray Davies (Kinks) will be back to entertain the masses on the 4th of July during the Taste of Chicago. The others on the bill at the Petrillo Music Shell for Tuesday are Mike Doughty and My Morning Jacket. Still to be announced are the acts for July 6th and 8th, but we do know that if we brave the crowds we will get to see the following: June 30th - Chaka... more ›

Today Bloodshot Records releases a 2-disc set commemorating existing for 11 years and Chicagoist is for one very excited about it. This isn’t the normal run-of-the-mill retrospective that repackages music previously released by the label. The 42 songs on For A Decade of Sin: 11 Years of Bloodshot Records are new and previously unreleased. Sure, the old, reliable Bloodshot artists are there: Bobby Bare, Jr., Waco Brothers, Old 97s, and Kelly Hogan to name a few, but they’ve also added some of the friends they’ve made along the way, such as My Morning Jacket, Mary Lou Lord and the Handsome Family. more ›