A little historical perspective never hurt anyone, and we're especially big fans of the photographic kind. more ›

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The Fiery Furnaces have been a much discussed Chicago export over the last few years, but we admit they never really charmed us. We found their material a tad too unwieldy and impenetrable, and when they came out with that album narrated by their grandmother we were ready to just completely write them off. more ›

As we near the end of November and look to the winter, the on-sale listings begin to look a bit spare; only the hardiest of souls venture into a Chicago winter. The California band Curtains records for the Sufjantastic label Asthmatic Kitty. And while its sound resembles the delicate folk of his records, that’s like saying Rivers Cuomo and Ira Glass resemble each other because they both favor heavy glasses and sweaters. Curtains favors spare... more ›

When we head out of the Chicagoist offices tonight, we’re totally taking a disco nap. There’s just too much going on this weekend. First, if you’re not getting enough “playful sex” in your life then allow us to recommend Asobi Seksu. No, it’s not the name of a boner pill, it’s an indie rock band from NYC with a name that’s colloquial Japanese for the above. If you like Sonic Youth but wish they were... more ›

Our search for fine British plays continued on the North Side where we took in a timely neighborhood drama and a comic slice of life. Osama the Hero, Dog & Pony Theatre “We do what we’re told, told to do.” – Peter Gabriel A community on edge from a terrorist threat and a fear mongering media goes ballistic when a bomb detonates in Mark’s (Brian Rickel) garage, killing his wife. Gary (Jarrett Sleeper), an awkward... more ›

John Cusack is undoubtedly one of Chicagoist's favorite hometown boys. (Well, maybe this would be a more appropriate distinction for the non-existent Evanstonist, but we'll count it anyway.) And his quintessential performances � the ones that really feature his trademark endearing, heart-broken, obsessive compulsive sensitive guys � come in High Fidelity's Rob Gordon and Rob's predecessor, Say Anything's Lloyd Dobler. In fact, that whole film is nicely summed up by its tagline, "To know Lloyd Dobler is to love him. Diane Court is about to know Lloyd Dobler." more ›