NewCity Spins 45

By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 13, 2006 4:07PM

New City’s annual list of "who rocks Chicago" is out with some minor changes for this year.

This roll call appears to be part one of a compendium of Chicago’s finest, with New City calling it “the artist’s edition.” In years past, one list featured performers mingling with more business-minded folks.

You can probably predict most of the top 10 as they’re the usual suspects: Kanye, Common, R. Kelly, Billy Corgan, etc. New City parries the inevitable criticism that they’re hailing artists who no longer live here by noting they “still live and breathe the city through their work.” Rankings were determined “by cultural impact and influence.” Therefore, it's less a look at the artists who are creating the most vital music and entertainment in the city and more of a representation of Chicago’s musical ambassadors to the rest of the world, for better (Common) or worse (Fall Out Boy).

We’re looking forward to part two for a more locally-focused list of club owners, talent buyers and label heads that really make the Chicago scene sing.