On "You Must Be Out of Your Mind," the lead track on the Magnetic Fields' newest and tenth career release, Stephin Merritt croons aloofly, "You can't go around just saying stuff because it's pretty". Merritt has made a career, and built a public personality, around his curious ability to issue profound truths about the human condition with a bored and flippant demeanor. more ›

Nestled somewhere between U.S. Route 90 and U.S. Route 67, five to fifteen miles east of the sleepy west Texas town of Marfa, occurs a natural phenomena that has been the topic of anecdotes since the 1800's. The Marfa Mystery Lights (also known as 'ghost lights') appear unexplained, a series of multi-colored spheres that hover, shift, merge and then speed away. Unlike the other mysteries of the night sky, the Marfa lights appear at shoulder level, enveloping those lucky enough to be granted the transcendental experience. more ›

With our last stop on our week-long Stay-Home World Tour, we come almost full circle geographically with Tinariwen's performances this weekend at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Tinariwen's members are Tuareg, a Saharan culture which is historically nomadic but whose lives were uprooted during the region's colonization in the late 1800s and the subsequent independence in the 1960s, so the musicians have bounced between points all over north and west Africa, forming up in Algeria and somewhat more officially in a military training camp near Tripoli, Libya. more ›

Non-Western rhythms have throughout music history shown up as influences in the work of American and European artists. The Beatles, Paul Simon, the Rolling Stones and Rusted Root all nodded to worldly locales from India to South Africa, at some point in their careers. Modern indie artists have followed suit, co-opting world music, particularly pan-African influences, in a recent fever that suggests a budding trend. Fool's Gold, jj, Tanlines, The Very Best and Vampire Weekend are some of the forerunners utilizing African percussion and instrumentation to infuse pop/rock with the exotic flavors of faraway lands. more ›

So many albums and so many music careers are marked by "the great buildup." Artists are expected with each new release to top their subsequent and if they should choose to explore new territory, fans expect a logical progression. Much effort goes into the layout of an album's tracklisting, ensuring just right placements to hold attention and provide a crescendo of enthusiasm that peaks at the album's close, enticing you to hit play from the beginning and recreate that rush again and again. It's a rare treat then when you find an artist who goes against this grain and realizes that more powerful than the buildup is the breakdown. more ›

Hayden Thorpe, vocalist for British quartet Wild Beasts shares like territory with Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy) and Antony Hegarty (Antony and the Johnsons). Like Pallett and Hegarty, Thorpe possesses an immediately arresting vocal range that suggests classicism over pop/rock. The countertenor's dramatic baroque falsetto careens across ten tracks of gorgeous guitar-centric melodies on the Wild Beast's sophomore album, 2009's Two Dancers. more ›

Call it fate or label it luck, some musical pairings were just meant to happen. Solo, Jace Clayton (DJ / rupture) and Brooklyn producer Matt Shadetek have always excelled in their respective electronic pursuits. For the Barcelona-bred, now Brooklyn-based Clayton that means broad ranging, world-influenced heavy bass and for Shadetek, the lesser known (but no less talented) name of the duo, it means a career built on genre-shifting instrumentals. The duo have combined talents in the past, but never with the depth and stunning results of their newest effort, the full length mix album, Solar Life Raft. more ›

Back in September we lined up with hundreds of Chicagoans outside the House of Blues for a chance to see Jay-Z's Samsung-hosted elusive free show. And like many of the same people we queued in line with that evening, we went home unable to even make it as far as the venue doors. more ›

Well well, it seems we just settled in on our New Year's Eve show of choice. As an added bonus, it's also an opportunity for local bands to compete to win a set slot and kick off the evening. more ›

Halloweek is here and it's time to throw together your best sexy Daft Punk costume, prepare to arrive at work hung over at least once before the Devil's Day and immerse your ears in the city's vast Halloween-centric music offerings. more ›

Halloween is quickly approaching and next week brings a host of musicians through the city to get your ghoulish weekend kick-started days in advance. more ›

Every so often we get wind of an unsigned band that has us scratching our heads with a puzzled gaze. Formed in Abilene and now residing in Austin, Texas, The Rocketboys have a sound as expansive as the open road and lyrics deep as a Southwest sunrise. more ›

We're just as guilty as the rest of you when it comes to living for the weekend. We have a habit of working hard for the pleasure of playing hard come Friday night. All routines get old after awhile and lately we've found ourselves venturing away from our desks and outside our living rooms on weeknights to partake in the shows that grace our favorite venues on the off evenings. Here's our picks for the week ahead in weeknights. more ›

Chicago's musical landscape is ripe with indie bands who've built their careers and found success and acceptance on the city's streets and stages. There's a certain charm involved in watching a band blossom from obscurity, finding new fans in the faces populating your favorite local haunts and hangouts. Formed in 2007, and with a recent Daytrotter session and a new EP titled Calling You Out to their credit, Chicago indie folk pop act the Netherfriends are one step from full blown notoriety, savoring an endearing balance of critical praise and humble show hustling. more ›

Robin Thicke proved to surprised audiences that a white boy could have soul with his 2006 release, The Evolution of Robin Thicke. This year sees the soul revival in full swing with the addition of Kanye-touted British crooner, Mr. Hudson, and syrup sweet Stones Throw troubadour, Mayer Hawthorne. Hawthorne, and his accompanying band, The Country, play their first Chicago show Saturday night at the Darkroom and here's why we think you should be there. more ›

A thousand might be a little facetious, but between a strong roster of bands playing Ribfest and piles of amazing shows gracing our city's venues this weekend, your options are vast. Here is the weekly rundown of the upcoming shows on sale in the days ahead, and holy crap are there some good ones this week. more ›

'Tis the season of free music in the city, but don't put your wallet in the lockbox for the summer quite yet or you will miss out on these veteran acts gracing two of Chicago's best stages in the coming months. more ›