Interpol never seemed to suffer much from the endless comparisons made between them and Joy Division—or more pointedly, the contention that they were skinny tie knock-off of Joy Division. Their 2002 debut, Turn On the Bright Lights, proved to be intimate-yet-epic, slightly paranoid, urgent, and was roundly well-received. After Bright Lights, the band’s popularity grew at a steady clip, with a strong sophomore album, buzz-generating features on the TV series The O.C. (and subsequent inclusion on the soundtrack), and a headlining slot at Lollapalooza. Then came the jump to a major-label and with it, the slight turn of a corner, musically. more ›

We loved the new Secret Machines disc, and were fairly certain we'd enjoy their show last week at The Metro. And we were right as we swooned under the narcoleptic fit induced by the band's grandiose guitar stomp overload. more ›

Chicago sure seems conducive to fostering public relationships between critically abrasive duos. We produced one of the most famous teams in movie criticism with Siskel and Ebert, and who can ever forget the headline-shattering team of Marin and Mancow? We think it’s time to add DeRogatis and Kot to that list as well. Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis head up Sound Opinions, what they claim to be the world’s only rock 'n' roll talk show.... more ›

We were gonna start these Decent Days & Nights off Sunday with some dancing at Scissor Sisters, but instead we got our fix of "Desperate Housewives." We guess that everyone is trying to hit the Midwest before the snow starts flying, which may not be that far away, because there are an insane number of great shows happening this week. This week offers something for our ever-changing moods. On Monday, we may feel like being... more ›

The Pixies have added one more date to their stop in Chicago! They'll be at the Aragon Ballroom November 17 with Urge Overkill. The Pixies were already scheduled for November 13-16 before heading to Detroit on the 18, but as far as we know those shows have long since sold out. The Datsuns open on the 13, Secret Machines the 14, the Walkmen the 15, and the Cocktails the 16. more ›

There’s just too much good stuff going on this weekend to sit inside and enjoy the air-conditioning. And most of this good stuff is happening at two places: the Metro and the Music Box. So Chicagoist suggests you just camp out on the North Side for the next few days. Tonight, Metro has the MC5 reunion tour (with Lemonhead Evan Dando thrown in for good measure) and hyped young bands Franz Ferdinand tomorrow (in a sold-out show, sorry procrastinating hipsters) and the Secret Machines on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Music Box – as part of their great Weekend Matinee series – will show Jim Jarmusch’s wonderful Canterbury Tales-inspired Mystery Train on Saturday and Sunday, and play Wes Anderson’s droll, under-appreciated Bottle Rocket tonight and tomorrow at midnight. Trust us, with so much hip music and deadpan comedy, you’ll feel cool enough without your beloved A.C.
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