It's been pouring and thundering and lightning for hours now, so of course all I can think of is how many times I need to check the basement because I'm so paranoid of flooding. Usually I wo… Read More

I've seen a number of aggro posts on the Facebooks and Twitters recently and it reminded me of one main thing.I hate fighting.When I was security at bars I got punched in the face a few time… Read More

I have good days and bad days. Some days are easier than others, and some are harder. I’ve stopped fretting about it because the traumas I’ve gone through over the last 5 months… Read More

Photo by Gael HerreraFAN is the one-man band helmed by Meric Long, who you might recognize from his other band The Dodos. And while his new project shares many of his The Dodos' melodic meth… Read More

Photo by Shervin LainezThe new Speedy Ortiz LP is out today and it is something you should not sleep on. The band has tightened their sound and kicked up the melodies, and you can definitely… Read More

Kylie Minogue stopped by Seth Meyers' show last night and I somehow missed it despite watching Late Night just about every night. But I haven't been sleeping the best this week, so lately I'… Read More

Still under construction but getting there. :)Once you get over the initial paralyzing fear you’ll be alone for forever and ever, dating in your 40s is actually much different than I e… Read More

"Erasure" is one of my favorite songs off the new Superchunk album, What A Time To Be Alive. I'm honestly a little surprised it wan't the first single! But now it's out and the band has rele… Read More

This photo is almost a decade old, who knows who is still even in the band at this point!The Idle Hands are from Ireland but now based in Minneapolis. I was introduced to them years ago by m… Read More

I was able to do something nice for a close friend that has been really supportive of me the last few months. They've been there every single time I needed them so I has happy to have a chan… Read More

Photo by Pooneh GhanaI was gonna write something in a more personal vein today, and while it wasn't a bummer topic, it was a little more serious than today's lovely weather deserves. Then I… Read More

It's gonna finally be warm outside today! So let's break out some beach pop!I was digging through the bill VARSITY is playing on at The Empty Bottle for their record release show Friday, and… Read More

Things have finally been going well in my personal life lately, but this unending winter is still taxing me emotionally. So the timing of this music video couldn't be more perfect. Chip twee… Read More

Photo by Simon EmmettSome days I just don't know what to write, especially since I've made the conscious effort to let a lot of things that had been weighing on my just float away. So i… Read More

Good times. Good hangs. Lots of music and good people. After the last couple of weeks this weekend was exactly what I needed. Thank you to everyone I ran into or talked with. I don't even ca… Read More

Photo by John ErhardtThe new Wussy album just sort of chugs pleasantly along for the most part. It's made for nice background music at work. I've never seen them live but I can envision… Read More

Here's a blast from their past. Review to come on Third Coast Review. I've seen this band so many times—from their first U.S. tour with a show at Double Door (with The Webb Brothers op… Read More

I mean, how could I live without little Pickle?! Read More

This weekend was particularly taxing in ways I'm actually not going to go into (gasp!) but my friend Marcus recommended I check out The Aces, figuring that might cheer me up ... and he was r… Read More

Home warranties are great for major mechanical breakdowns (like a furnace) but not for emergencies (like needed to immediately change your locks or getting a plumber out to stop your basemen… Read More

I can't even tell you how much of a healing tonic Sloan's 12 has been over the last month or so, and you can finally hear the whole thing! Go snag yourself a copy and thank me later! Read More

I have a cough that I just haven't been able to ditch, so matter how much Theraflu I take.It also means I've been tossing and turning and unable to sleep and probably spending a little too m… Read More

Oh my gosh, blast from the past! Read More

I love this song but if I ever saw that many Scotts I'd freak out. One is plenty. (I kid, dude.)Was trying to find the late night talk show performance of this with Wes on guitar but can't s… Read More

Can't wait to see these dudes in June Read More

Short answer, no, of course not.Have I been around forever? Did I start "blogging" in 1995? When I started at Edelman did they put me on the "millennial team" not realizing I had probably 20… Read More

Today is probably the last time I'll see my gym. Sadly LSF Verge, formerly Cheetah Gym, closes their doors at the end of the month. It's a huge bummer, and even though there were some rocky… Read More

Usually I don’t go for kitschy covers as a promotional tactic, but this version of Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You" by Toronto’s Little Junior is an exception. It’s d… Read More

I had forgotten how much I love this song. Crank it up and transport yourself to 1993. Also, am I crazy or is Liz Phair in this video as well and I just never noticed it before? Read More

The By Gods recently rolled through town, and I didn't even realize they had put out another album late last year! If you're a fan of heavy, melodic rock and/or roll, you'll really like this… Read More

I had bought her the 30th anniversary edition of INXS' Kick for her birthday. It was an import, so I'd pre-ordered it months before, but had already moved out before I could give it to her… Read More

I'm in a bad mood today. I'm under the weather. The divorce settlement went from cruising to rocky. I'm now avoiding rock shows because I don't want awkward encounters with a woman I know. M… Read More

Well, this hit my inbox at the perfect time! It’s a beautiful, sunny day in Chicago and this track “Milwaukee” is perfect listing. And hey, if it’s not sunny wherever… Read More

I can't remember how I stumbled across Saturna. It was probably when I got their excellent single "Pop Rocks" off one of Largehearted Boy's daily downloads a decade plus ago. Unbeknownst to… Read More

Whoops. Took me a while to get to this, huh?Not only is March almost over, but I listened to a pitifully small amount of new music last month. February was rough—especially that whole… Read More

Seeing Stefon on SNL this weekend was slightly bittersweet. He was my ex and mine's favorite character so seeing him reminds me of her. At the same time the segment was so laugh-so-hard-unti… Read More

Pat Smear and Dave Grohl do exactly what the title of this video suggests: they drive around and check out a bunch of David Bowie's haunts around L.A. I guess this ran on Playboy's website a… Read More

I don’t know what’s up with me; I slept really poorly last night. And I even made a concerted effort to get to bed early since I’ve been fighting a nagging low level cold a… Read More

I keep worrying I’m going to have a heart attack and no one will realize it for days since I live alone. Any time my chest tightens I’m convinced it’s time, which of course… Read More

I can still play this album over and over again and never get tired of it. I remember seeing them open for Jesus Jones, running into the bass player at the bar after their set and telling hi… Read More

So Mich blocked me across her social media a while ago, which is totally understandable if a bit unnerving. But then yesterday I realized someone else I had been close to unfollowed me acros… Read More

So two years ago I was outside Double Door and completely passed out on the sidewalk. In retrospect it was probably a mixture of not eating and getting too little sleep. The staff was awesom… Read More

My number of Last.fm listens to Sloan's new album 12 is almost embarrassing. Let's just say I have been listening to it A LOT. And now, luckily for you, they're released three of the album's… Read More

Wilder Maker's new album Zion isn't out until July, which is a shame since it seems like the perfect soundtrack for that gently gliding of Spring into Summer. The airy and buoyant melodies r… Read More

Superchunk's new album What A Time To Be Alive is absolutely fantastic. If you haven't listened to it yet, their new video should convince you to dive deeper in a minute and a half Read More

My writing can hurt people and that makes me feel terrible. Long ago I stopped writing negative music reviews—aside from the occasional high profile major releases—because I thin… Read More

Tonight Archie Powell & The Exports (who for some reason in my head I always call Dirty Mike and the boys, not because they do questionable things in people's cars, but because they are… Read More

It's a dreary day, I've got a couple things on my mind, and I'm a little bummed I'll be missing the Chicago Media Bowling League playoffs tonight. So I've been trying to figure out what to w… Read More

It's been a really weird last couple of days, but in a really good way. Oddly for me, it's nothing I can really talk about right now—I know the irony in that statement coming from a gu… Read More

So my basement has been torn apart, but at least all the flood damage has been taken care of and anything that could mold or cause further damage has been torn out. Insurance is all lined up… Read More

I am so excited for everyone to hear this album when it comes out in April! Read More

The new Andrew W.K. album You're Not Alone is truly amazing. It is huge. It is loud. It is metal. It is pop. It is really long. It is the perfect length. It is the kind of album that if you'… Read More

Photo via the Michael Hutchence Facebook pageI had no idea a cover of INXS' "Never tear Us Apart" by Bishop Briggs was on the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack. It's just as over-the-top and bom… Read More

There are things I want to write about right now but won't. Let's just say I had a really amazing weekend.In celebration of that, let's just kick it to motherfucking eleven with this tune Read More

In the never ending drama that is my now wrecked basement it turns out everything has to be torn out. Due to the way the previous owners did their renovations, the bathroom is unsalvageable… Read More

This video from Lucius' forthcoming album NUDES is just what I needed today. If you're stressed out or need a quick breather, hit play on their Tame Impala cover.I still can’t believe… Read More

Ugh.Got back from taping a podcast last night to find all the water that had been pimped out of the basement had returned. I can't tell you how depressing that was.Today has been a game of c… Read More

Oh the joys of being a homeowner. I got home to discover my basement was under 4-5 inches of water, so I immediately called the first name I could find online and got some folks out to start… Read More

This will be a very exciting post.I've now chipped the same front tooth 3 times in the last 2 months. I feel like it's just trying to escape by this point! Once was in my sleep, the next as… Read More

I'm a charming dude. I'm disliked by many, but when you get me one on one I'll always win you over.It's just a fact.A few months ago I walked into a bar where every girl hated me. Thought I… Read More

What a weird weekend. Photogal was awesome and checked in on me daily. I went to a punk rock show and got caught off guard. I got my front tooth chipped by a pitbull headbutt. I made plans t… Read More

Was it April? The first time I met the girl whose name rhymes with Michelle? Actually no, it was a decade before, although neither of us realized it.*By the way, Illinois is a no fault state… Read More

I hadn't slept upstairs since, what, November? October? Things were strained, so I spent time on both the first floor and basement couches. Mainly because I had insomnia, so would watch TV u… Read More

L.A. trio Moaning have been around for a decade but are just now finally releasing their self-titled full length debut. It's a taut collection that mixes shoegaze noise with hooks galore and… Read More

We never “celebrated” Valentine’s Day, but every year I’d “surprise” her with reservations to her favorite sushi restaurant. Tonight will be the first tim… Read More

Young JesusA few months ago I was watching a friend's band at Quenchers, and ran across Young Jesus. Their publicist had sent me their record a while before, and I listened to it, took some… Read More

When I started dating Mich I had a two bedroom across from Humboldt Park that was pretty sparsely furnished. A futon on the floor and a dresser in the bedroom, and a couch and a couple chair… Read More

Was it April? The first time I met the girl whose name rhymes with Michelle? Actually no, it was a decade before, although neither of us realized it.By the way, Illinois is a no fault state… Read More

I recently bought a Chromecast and fell into a rabbit hole of watching music videos on YouTube on a big screen. First, I was stunned that it’s been so long since a laptop has been my p… Read More

There are a ton of new releases tomorrow, but there are a few on the list that have already risen above the bunch, so if you’re looking for recommendations on what to stream of buy fir… Read More

The news actually broke Monday, but I've been a little distracted so am only getting to write about it now—Sloan is back this spring with their twelfth release, creatively titled 12! T… Read More

So some of the most traumatic things we can go through are getting married, buying a house, losing a job, and getting divorced, and I’ve had all those things happen in the last 2 1/2 y… Read More

I've always loved this song but I don't think I ever really listened to it until recently. Since becoming single I've noticed I hear lyrics more than I have for decades. The tune is so uplif… Read More

Photo by Travis Wiens. Yup, it’s February, but with the demise of Chicagoist I felt no need to rush this list. And then I felt no need to really expound on each choice. So I was l… Read More

The post you've all been waiting for.It's been 20 years since I was single. There was a period Photogal and I were apart in the early aughts, but we were still hanging out all the time so I… Read More

New year, new music! Sometimes I’m not sure why I still am taking in so much new music since I’m not constantly pumping out Chicagoist content, but then I look back through the p… Read More

Terry Gilliam's cut-out animation for Monty Python were often highlights of quirky, absurdist humor, marked by his distinct visual style and the simple yet elegant style of filming different… Read More

News that Supergrass' Gaz Coombes is releasing a new album is always well received by me. I love Supergrass—and they are one of the few bands I like that I never got a chance to see du… Read More

I'm literally crying right now.Why, you ask?Because I can't even handle how many people have reached out to me. I've run solo for a very long time, and I'm overwhelmed by how many friends ha… Read More

There was a recent personal relationship where I kept mentally fighting with another dude for getting in the way of my happiness. Everything that went wrong was his fault, in my mind.It wasn… Read More

So, I'm only a couple days into this whole trying to stay positive in my social media posts thing, and I can already tell you it really triggers a shift in thinking. When you come acros… Read More

I remember watching the first episode of Breaking Bad the night it aired and was instantly hooked. It then developed into a show that I shared with my companion at the time on a religious ba… Read More

Hockey Dad’s new album Blend Inn reminds me of the kind of music Q magazine would write about in the late’s 90s or early aughts. The thing about Q was, sometimes their descriptio… Read More

Can you believe this adorable picture of Pickle the Kitten is from 9 years ago?!I had a really good weekend. Aside from running some errands and then hanging out with an old friend from high… Read More

Big Sur at The Burlington, photo by meI was watching Big Sur at The Burlington* last night when I suddenly felt, well, not really good. Fast forward to me taking an Uber home instead of the… Read More

Calamity the Kid's debut  Late Bloomer EP is out next month, and the LA trio released the first single from it, "American Muscle." It's a stomping look at the darker side of America tod… Read More

Amazing Read More

I took down a bunch of photos from the walls this weekend and replaced them with concert shots and tour posters. I meant to do it weeks ago but just never got around to it. It definitely hel… Read More

Got out of town over the weekend to visit an old friend from college and spent pretty much the whole weekend watching Hulu and Netflix in their house. Sometimes distance and doing nothing is… Read More

The core of Paradise is married couple Tamar Berk and Steve Denekas. They live in Portland, but back in the early aughts I used to book Tamar’s band Starball. I didn’t even know… Read More

You gotta love the old school stylee promo photo.D. Crane of BOAT and Charles Bert of Math & Physics Club (MAPC) make up the core of Seattle's Unlikely Friends. As a side project Unlikel… Read More

Was it just two years ago? It simultaneously feels like yesterday and like forever ago. I woke up to a phone packed with messages sent throughout the night and to a close friend reaching out… Read More

Oh wow, I remember listening to this on the radio when it happened. I think XRT broadcast it live? There was a radio in Photogal's kitchen, back when she lived near Grand and Western, and we… Read More

Marriage + Cancer, photo from their Facebook pageIf Jesus Lizard and In Utero-era Nirvana had a baby it would sound an awful lot like Marriage + Cancer. This quartet from Portland makes… Read More

The one, the only—Betty the Beagle.This is always a rough day for me. I can't believe it's been five years ago today  since I lost my little girl Read More

The Cabin Fever, photo by AmeliaLyonThe Cabin Fever are out of LA but their moody tunes feel more like they sprang from some Midwest forest that just happened to have been plopped down in th… Read More

I had a lot going on in December—between work, the holidays, and all that stuff—so I guess it’s not surprising I listened to so little new music last month.I’ll inclu… Read More

Only three days in and already 2018 is shaping up to be even worse than 2017? Some of it is external, but some of it is just based on poor choices I made. It's the latter part that stings mo… Read More

It's my first day back at work after the holiday break and it's pretty quiet around these parts. I'm sure some folks are still on vacation, but the negative degree weather outside probably h… Read More

I’ve been going though a lot lately I’m not comfortable sharing on social media, which given my 20+ years of digital TMI is kind of ironic. But I have been deeply touched by how… Read More