Viktor the cat, photo via Mikhail Galin's Facebook pageIn a week (month? year? years? has it always been this bad?!) of garbage news, one story rose up to save us all Read More

Sheez, it is cold in Chicago.I'm not really complaining, since the freeze is something you just grow used to around these parts. However we usually have a little more time to ease into it, a… Read More

Continuing the trend of current bands paying tribute to their '80s indie rock idols, and then recruiting their '80s indie rock idols to participate in some manner in that tribute, The Get Up… Read More

"Welcome to my island—I hope you survive!"When I was a kid my family would watch The Love Boat, and to my little brain the biggest draw there was the celebrity quests and the fact… Read More

I've really been enjoying the Watchmen television series, and think it's done a fabulous job of treating the source material with respect while building exciting new tales from the original… Read More

In Chicago we had the season of "fall" last for, oh, a few days before we got buried in snow all day Halloween. Yesterday was downright frigid and right now the temperature is in the teens… Read More

When I saw Beach Slang play a last-minute show at Liar's Club in late 2016, James Alex busted out "Bastards Of Young" (among a bevy of other covers) and admitted that his outfit could easil… Read More

How has no one else (that I've seen, yet) not used that headline for their news pieces on the latest video from The Raconteurs? Seems like a miss to me. The video was filmed at the Wisconsin… Read More

Photo by Vanessa CastroAccording to the band, Guerilla Toss' new EP What Would The Odd Do? was driven by singer/bandleader Kassie Carlson's recovery from opioid addiction and open heart surg… Read More

My dad would have been 75-years-old today.On this day I always revisit the thoughts my brother Sean put together for my dad's funeral 15 years ago. Wow, that seems like forever ago, but at t… Read More

R.E.M. photo by Jim CohenI could've sworn it was an R.E.M. "anniversary" release years ago triggered a salty post from me years ago, but no amount of digging through my own archives or the p… Read More

This is what happens when you post every single weekday for over 16 years and then switch to sporadic updates. That regular posting schedule, putting something up no matter what, helped keep… Read More

There is no hidden meaning to this photo. It is just a random shot that's been sitting on my phone and I have had no idea where to use it, so here seemed as good a place as any.I was at the… Read More

"I see you!"I am slacking this week, but for once I have an excellent reason—I started a new job Monday![Insert cheers, crowds doing the wave ‘round and ‘round a massive st… Read More

Photo by me.This is what procrastination looks like.* There's a show preview I've had percolating n my head that I keep putting off, and there's a show review that I have tons of notes on bu… Read More

Les Savy Fav played the Frenchkiss Records 20th anniversary party over the weekend, and to promote it the band got together to play "Let's Get Out Of Here" on Late Night With Seth Meyers. Wh… Read More

I admit I went back and forth with that headline. The joke was just too easy, so I hope you'll forgive me.So, People Years. The four gents in the band are based in Birmingham, Alabama a… Read More

Photo by Beth Eisgrau-Heller/KEXPWe were trying to remember a show from last winter we were both at, and K kept telling me, "You know their name. They're your favorite band! You played them… Read More

I just saw the new Todd Phillips movie Joker, and I have thoughts, but I'm not going to share them right now.* But it did get me to thinking about what people expect when they encounter the… Read More

My Hood Internet buds have resurfaced from their hiatus (not like neither has been musically active at all under other guises, but THN is obvs their most famous face) with a video of 50 song… Read More

Gotta be honest, these folks do look like they know how to have a good time!Just a quick hit of musical dopamine for you today. Flamingods' "Paradise Drive" off this year's Levitation is an… Read More

In case you missed it, THIS happened last week and every time I look at it a smile crosses my face. Via @hallandoatesoffical.You would think I'd have tons of free time to write since I'm sti… Read More

Every scene has 'em: the bands that quietly put out music that's much better than lotsa stuff in the same genre that gets widespread acclaim. They clearly just enjoy creating and while they'… Read More

Wrapping things up for this podcast week is a crossover episode between one of my longtime favorites Switched On Pop, and another fantastic podcast unbeknownst to me until this week called O… Read More

This week I've been primarily focusing on music podcasts, but now it's time for something a little different. And in Illinois, this topic has been all over the media, so the timing of this r… Read More

Let's file this one under kismet.* But first, the beginning.I've loved Jellyfish since I first saw the video for "The King Is Half-Undressed" and then staked my record store for the cassette… Read More

O.K., I swear I didn't plan this when I decided this would be podcast week (more on the reason for that here) but the timing is perfect!I was introduced to the Dig Me Out podcast years ago… Read More

As I've been searching for a new job over the last couple of weeks, I've managed to catch up with all my regular podcast subscriptions, so I started hunting for new shows to listen to while… Read More

Hahahaha, talk about speaking too soon. Today's weather was the exact opposite of yesterday's—it was sunny and beautiful and I walked miles and miles outside to take it all in.* While… Read More

Yesterday was Labor Day and the weather was lovely. But it was also the "unofficial" end of the summer and it appears Mother Nature wanted to make that crystal clear by delivering dreary, ra… Read More

Brat Curse's sophomore full-length got a lot of play by me earlier this summer and then got displaced by the realities of currently being unemployed and a bunch of other stuff.* I had put th… Read More

Photo via Carly Rae Jepsen's InstagramIt's a rainy, dreary day in Chicago. The good news is that means my call to wait until today to water the plants at K's house while she's out of town wa… Read More

I've been marinating on a piece about music festivals—primarily Lollapalooza—and wondering where most of them go from here. I've been thinking about artistic choices made by fest… Read More

The Lilacs. Still busy rocking. Still playing clubs with static, single-color stage lights.Ken Kurson and David Levinsky form the core of The Lilacs, a Chicago power-pop band releasing their… Read More

Photo by DaraChicago has been lucky this summer. We're closing in on the tail-end of August so I feel secure I'm not going to jinx us too thoroughly with this observation. While much of the… Read More

Hey-o! I'm still here! I promise! Just been a busy stretch for me. But that means I have cool music piling up I need to tell you about soon, huh? I'll leave out any personal update for now… Read More

Yes, I am a David Bowie superfan, but that’s not why I’m sharing this. It’s a perfectly serviceable cover of “Heroes.” Which coming from a band including all th… Read More

You had to see this coming.Ashley O (a.k.a., duh, Miley Cyrus) proves just how pop Trent Reznor really is. And I don't mean that as some snide aside. The fact Reznor writes such great hooks… Read More

Check out the animated chart tracking the growth (and shrinkage) of various social networks over the since ye olde Internet days of 2003. I had kinda forgotten about Google Buzz—even… Read More

I’m passing up the chance to see Charly Bliss later this week—believe me, you don’t know how painful the decision was, but it’s only because The Breeders are playing… Read More

Photo by Liesa ColeChattanooga's Kerchief is built around the vision of core songwriter and guitarist Britt Hill. Kerchief's debut Machines And Animals is a pleasant listen, but feels a tad… Read More

I decided it was time to break out of the house for once and actually made the solo trek over to a street festival to check out a few bands. After a month of rarely venturing out I decided i… Read More

I love Sleater-Kinney when they're creating walls of sound (The Woods was a masterpiece) but holy heck did the news that St. Vincent was producing their new album got me really excited. And… Read More

Photo by Ruth BowkerUsually when something shows up in my inbox saying this is the first release from a band in almost 30 years, and I’ve never heard of the group, my expectations are… Read More

Richard Lowenstein directed just about every INXS video you are familiar with (I think he actually handled every one between 1984 and 1993, but please correct me if I'm wrong) as well as 2 M… Read More

Lizzy Farrall may have grown up in "a rural village in North Wales," but there is nothing remote or pastoral about her sound. On the Barbados EP, Farrall is swinging for the pop bleachers, w… Read More

Hey ya’ll, it’s the first Monday in June! Gotcher summer plans all in place? Have you already been living it up and enjoying all this awesome weather?!Yeah, neither have I.I swea… Read More

This is another in a continuing series of "JESUS CHRIST I'M GETTING SO OLD' posts. The one bright side to these posts is hearing all my friends echo the same refrain. The funny thing about g… Read More

I think I've looked at this cursor blink a couple hundred times a I sit here in the early morning light trying to figure out what I want to say as a cat's light snores make their way through… Read More

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Photo by Sam KeelerThe Ritualists mixes early Cult with early Suede. At least that's what I'm hearing in the first couple of seconds I started testing out. On their new album Painted People… Read More

Here's a shocking answer to the question posited above—not much!Aside from daily trips to the gym and the store I stayed in for most of the weekend. I did venture out to watch a matine… Read More

It's common knowledge that I think Bowie's time in Tin Machine is seriously underrated. The first album from the band is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year (I still remember picking… Read More

Photo by Cliff MontgomeryEvery once in a while a line from a band's PR-approved biography absolutely nails what to expect from them, and in the case of Gygax that line is, "drenched in influ… Read More

So let's untangle that faux equation of a headline and clarify that Radar State is made up of The Get Up Kids’ Matt Pryor and Jim Suptic, Josh Berwanger of The Anniversary (who I just… Read More

I swear I actually started writing up my favorite albums of 2018 post. It's not done yet, but at least I got around to it. At this rate The Wrens will have a new album before I end up recapp… Read More

Photo by Stacee SledgeI admit I haven’t seen Rachel Lichtman in quite a few years—she left Chicago for warmer, Western climes a while ago—but I’ve really been enjoyin… Read More

I’ve listened to more new music this month than I did January through April combined. I liken the feeling to getting your appetite back after you've been rundown with a long illness th… Read More

The Flaming Lips in 1999 looking almost presentable!Most of you probably didn't hear The Soft Bulletin the day it came out, since the May 17, 1999 release date was for the UK version (the US… Read More

Photo by Atiba JeffersonI know it’s gonna sound blasphemous, but I was never a huge American Football fan. That's probably got more to do with timing than anything else since they seem… Read More

Photo by Eleanor PetryDude York's new album Falling isn't out until July 26, so you'll have to wait until closer to that date for my full review. What I will say is that the band continues t… Read More

Photo by Anthony FloresGet A Life is the one-person band conceived by Chase DeMaster, and his debut This Band Could Be Your Life Or Debt is a lo-fi but engaging listen. Apparently the first… Read More

Watching a late night host prove to his writers that a bit isn't going to work has never been funnier.[h/t Slate] Read More

Walking Bicycles disappeared from the Chicago scene for five years before returning with last month’s Chooch. In the world of independent rock and/or roll that is an eon and a half. So… Read More

Jackson Wargo of Snowball iiIt's been two years since Snowball ii last released an album, so the arrival of the Eaton Super 10 EP is quite welcome. The Los Angeles-based group is led by&nbsp&hell…Read More

Photo by Mason FaireyI think for the rest of the week I'm going to highlight songs or albums that are setting my mood on "summer."I got a text from a friend yesterday asking if I'd heard of… Read More

Clearly I have decided not to shutter the site. After getting feedback from friends and readers I think it's time to ramp things up again and return to your regularly scheduled weekday posti… Read More

I previewed Partner's EP and their upcoming show at The Hideout this Sunday evening. If you need a pick-me-up like I do (or are just in the mood for some dang fine hooks) then you should che… Read More

After way more than a decade of regular posting clearly I've hit a wall.* It's obvious the last year had a profound effect on me as far as what I want to share. Do I keep this going or is it… Read More

I am so in love with this video Read More

Post Child just released a new single, and it's far dreamier than their previous work. The Chicago band tends to specialize in large, fuzzed out guitar pop, but "Simulation" sees them in a f… Read More

Is it depression if you brought the misery onto yourself?Maybe? I dunno.What I do know is that I’ve been deeply sad for quite a while. I enjoy people’s company, and there are cer… Read More

The person across the aisle from me on the train this morning was splayed out, snoozing across both seats they were on. At first I thought they were just being rude, until they moved their h… Read More

Love In October continues the trend of Sweden kicking out sparkling and infectious music. The two brothers at the core of the group, Erik  and Kent Widman, relocated to the states in th… Read More

Somehow the Grammys did not completely suck this year. I know! How did that happen! And this duet between St. Vincent and Dua Lipa was easily the highlight. Snippets of this were all over Tw… Read More

Photo Credit: Ebru YildizCharly Bliss just announced their new album Young Enough is coming out in May! I've been a huge fan of the band since I first saw them (opening for Veruca Salt, I th… Read More

Hey there. Hi there. How are you? I'm good, thanks for asking.Well, as good as a guy can be in the middle of winter with almost no sunshine. But hey, I survived the polar vortex, so that's s… Read More

This short film by Keiichi Matsuda explores just how integrated we will become with tech in the future. It's not a good direction for the human race. The short posits that as we become… Read More

Well, this is certainly one of the more interesting interpretations of Blur's "Song 2" I've ever heard. Let's hear it for old tech![h/t Boing Boing] Read More

Photo by Pamela LittkyWith each album, Cherry Glazerr strips away more of the L.A. grit that abraded earlier releases and replaces it with another layer of refined pop. So what started as a… Read More

The drink of champions?It's been weeks and I just want to stop coughing.I want my voice back.I want to stop alternating between feeling feverish and feeling chills all over my body.I want to… Read More

This year has been, um, interesting. I dated a lot of of very cool, very smart people. Exes of mine were kind enough to take me in as I tried to sort though everything. Heck, the girl I lost… Read More

The Dandy Warhols are releasing Why You So Crazy on January 25, and today they released the latest video from the new album. "Motor City Steel" is a jaunty little number that will have you h… Read More

I don't know what rabbit hole Kip fell down in order to come across this, but holy cow.From what I can tell this dude is an L.A. comedian/actor, but I suspect he's being totally sincere here… Read More

Meg Myers was unknown to me until I was listening to a recent All Songs Considered, and the track they played, "Tear Me To Pieces," really grabbed me. So I went to check out her album Take M… Read More

Oh the joys of cartoon clip art. I used Strip Generator to make this. It's awfully glitchy but if you're looking for something goofy to play with, have at it! I obviously opted for the minim… Read More

So I did something crazy during the holiday break. On Christmas Eve, at the last second, I decided to buy a ticket and go to the Dominican Republic for a few days. My family wasn't doing a h… Read More

I've been pretty quiet around here this week, huh? I think it probably has something to do with the fact I was sort of dreading this day. It's the anniversary of my ex-wife filing for divorc… Read More

I came across a press release from the Department of Homeland Security a few days ago that was posted on December 12. It was astoundingly poorly written, and completely different in tone tha… Read More

Anyone else out there have a nagging cough / cold that sticks around for weeks and just won't go away? What makes it even more fun? I work over 60 stories up in the Sears Tower, and that mea… Read More

I'm not generally a fan of vertical video, but I'm certainly a fan of this one! Read More

I stumbled across the TV series version of Get Shorty last night, something I didn't even know existed, and decided to give it a try. And now I'm hooked. I've never read the book, so the '90… Read More

It was kind of an up and down weekend for me, but it ended well with a fundraiser last night that was also one of my favorite shows of the year. I was even home by a reasonable time! The eve… Read More

Action packed weekend! Parties! Shows! Old friends! New friends! Birthdays! Tree trimming! Yowza! Read More

Let’s dig into some more ridiculously hook-filled rock and/or roll today, shall we? Seattle’s Ruler is let by Matt Batey, and he’s clearly a man who never met a hook he did… Read More

Do you remember Tsar? Probably not. They had a brief but super promising career in then early aughts where all signs pointed to massive stardom. But, like many other bands, it simply wasn&rs&hell…Read More

Check out my review of Peter Bjorn and John's new album Darker Days (and preview of tonight's show at Lincoln Hall). Then go get some tickets to catch them on tour! Read More

Looks like the gears over at Chicagoist are grinding again! Chance the Rapper debuted "Chicagoist TV" over the weekend. And no, I don't know any behind the scenes knowledge of this, but I'm… Read More

Happy Friday! Read More

I’m still having a hard time writing. Personal writing that is.* I think it’s just after months of emotional depletion, it’s going to take a while for the juices to fill up… Read More