Monday, March 18, 2024

Incoming


Best wishes for success to The Who on its all-star charity event Teenage Cancer Trust At The Royal Albert Hall in London. It kicked off today with The Who with Orchestra And Very Special Guests Squeeze, and those two stellar acts will return on Wednesday. The Teenage Cancer Trust will run through March 24; the other scheduled performers are Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds With Very Special Guests Blossoms; Young Fathers Plus Special Guests (TBD); The Chemical Brothers Plus DJ Paul Holroyd; and Ovation, which is described as A Celebration Of 24 Years Of Gigs For Teenage  Cancer Trust With: Roger Daltrey, Kelly Jones, Robert Plant With Saving Grace, Pete Townshend, Eddie Vedder, and Paul Weller. See the official website for full schedule information. There are all kinds of really cool merch, including t-shirts and prints, for those who can’t make the trip to London but would love to support this worthy cause.

A recent post on the official Facebook page for The Smithereens calls out CHICAGO AREA FANS with an announcement of a free concert at this year’s Prairie Fest in Wood Dale, IL on June 28. Since the passing of the supremely talented and amazingly friendly Pat DiNizio, The Smithereens have used either Robin Wilson from Gin Blossoms or Marshall Crenshaw as their guest lead vocalist. There’s no mention of which will be with The Smithereens in Wood Dale. The event’s official Facebook page promises four days (June 27 – 30) of live music, carnival rides, and food and drinks, but doesn’t list any of the performers yet. No doubt, we’ll get more details in the coming weeks.


Sleater-Kinney have a concert coming up this Thursday night at the Riviera Theater on Chicago’s north side. The duo of Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker will no doubt be performing songs from their latest album, the emotionally charged Little Rope. Chicago Sun-Times writer Joshua M. Miller interviewed Tucker for an article that appeared in yesterday’s issue.


There will be an all-star tribute to Sinead O’Connor and Shane McGowan of The Pogues at Carnegie Hall in New York this Wednesday. David Gray, Cat Power, Glen Hansard, Amanda Palmer, and Dropkick Murphys have been confirmed as taking part, and other acts are expected to join in.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Slumgullion


Late last month, FitzGerald’s in Berwyn released the schedule for its July 3 – 6 American Music Festival (The Jayhawks, Old 97’s, Robert Randolph Band, and Marcia Ball are among the performers) and now a few more Chicago area festivals are revealing their lineups.

The Out Of Space Skokie event will be held at a new location closer to downtown Skokie this year since its usual spot at the Canal Shores Golf Course is being renovated. The event runs July 26 –28 and will feature Courtney Barnett and Bob Mould; Thee Sacred Souls and St. Paul & The Broken Bones; and Guster and The Lone Bellow with Devon Gilfillian. Headliners for The Millennium Park 20th Anniversary Celebration taking place July 18 – 21in downtown Chicago will include actor-musician Common; Fruko y Sus Tesos; the Grant Park Orchestra; and The S&S Chicago Experience.


Pitchfork Music Festival, which takes place July 19 – 21 in Union Park, will offer Black Pumas, Carly Rae Jepsen, Alanis Morissette, and Brittany Howard, along with several other acts. The Ravinia Festival in Highland Park will present James Taylor; Robert Plant And Alison Krauss; Michael Franti And Spearhead; Kurt Elling; Roger Daltry; Daryl Hall and Elvis Costello; Norah Jones; Gipsy Kings; Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls; The Roots; Crowded House; and several other shows from April through September.


Hello and welcome to The Kooks, who are in town tonight at the Riviera Theatre. The concert is part of their current 16-city tour, which has brought them to America for the first time in quite a while. The shows will celebrate the 15th anniversary of The Kooks’ debut release Inside In Inside Out.


“This Time Tomorrow,” the third single from Tall Poppy Syndrome, became available to download today on Bandcamp. It’s an energetic and faithful rendition of a vintage album track by The Kinks, given new life by music veterans Vince Melouney from The Bee Gees; Clem Burke from Blondie; guitarist Jonathan Lea from The Jigsaw Seen and singer Paul Kopf and bassist Alec Palao of Strangers In A Strange Land. An instrumental version is included with the download.


Chicago’s only performers of 21st Century Druid Music, whitewolfsonicprincess will have guitarist Rich Poston as their special guest when they headline a triple bill with The Lady Parts and John Ballantyne’s Crazy Heart tonight at Montrose Saloon. The music starts at 8:30 pm.


U2 fans can hear a recording of the final performance of the band’s U2:UV Achtung Baby, Live at Sphere series in Las Vegas via U2 X-Radio at SiriusXM. The concert starts at 8:00 pm ET and will be preceded by an interview with the band members starting at 7:00 pm. You can turn on a few strobe lights but it probably won’t fully capture the experience of actually being at Sphere.


Tickets went on sale this morning for Wilco and special guest singer-songwriter Cut Worms, AKA Max Clarke, at The Salt Shed in Chicago on June 14. Wilco will most likely feature songs from their 2023 album Cousin, as well as previous gems such as “Random Name Generator,” “You And I,” and “You Never Know.”


The Sound And Vision exhibit, which features artwork by well-know artist-musicians, opens tomorrow and will run through April 21 at Mad.Kat Gallery in Rancho Mirage, CA. Participants include Joan Baez, Jon Langford, Penelope Houston, Juliana Hatfield, and Steve Wynn.


The Soul Brunch Presented By Puresoul series continues at City Winery Chicago this Sunday with Stevie Wonder, Wonders Of Motown.


The combination Trouser Press 50th Birthday Party And Zip It Up! The Best of Trouser Press Magazine 1974-1984 Book Launch takes place tomorrow at the Bowery Electric venue in New York. Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey from The dB’s will be on hand to perform, along with The Shirt Event featuring Dennis Diken from The Smithereens; the Washington, DC alt rock band Dot Dash; and DJ Steve Reynolds. Zip It Up! is now available on the Trouser Press Books website.


Scott Ligon and Casey McDonough, recently described on Facebook as “2/4ths of NRBQ 

or 2/5ths of The Flat Five,” will perform as a duo tonight at Goldy’s in Forest Park. The music starts at 8:00 pm.


A new and ambitious version of the song “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)” from Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler’s 1983 soundtrack album was released today. Several well-respected musicians, calling themselves Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes, joined him on the recording. The list includes Jeff Beck (his last recording); Roger Daltry (playing harmonica) and Pete Townshend; Sheryl Crow; Ry Cooder; drummers Ringo Starr and Zak Starkey; Sting; David Gilmour; Joan Armatrading; Peter Frampton; Buddy Guy; John Sebastian; Keith Urban; Steve Cropper; Ronnie Wood; Joan Jett; Nile Rodgers; Albert Lee; Dave Mason; Rick Nielsen; Orianthi; Bruce Springsteen; Susan Tedeschi and Dereck Trucks; Joe Walsh; and Mike Ruthereford. The all-star version of “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)” will benefit The Who’s Teenage Cancer Fund and is available from Mark Knopfler’s official online store, and other sites.


EXPO CHGO - The International Exposition Of Contemporary and Modern Art, will be held on Navy Pier from April 11 through April 14.


Graham Nash is having a splendid time touring in the land down under, judging from a recent Facebook post proclaiming, “Cheers, Adelaide! We’re having a blast out here and loving your enthusiasm!” He’ll finish up on March 27 with a gig at the Twin Towns Showroom in Tweed Heads, AU.


The documentary Live At Mr. Kelly’s will have a screening on March 25 at Hideout Inn on Chicago’s north side. Mr. Kelly’s was a well-known night club in Chicago’s Rush Street area that featured acts that were some of the most popular performers during the 1950s and 1960s; such as Barbra Streisand, Richard Pryor, Bob Newhart, Bette Midler and Steve Martin. The event at Hideout Inn will also offer a live performance by Paris Schutz on piano. The music starts at 7:00 pm, and the documentary will begin at 7:40. Tickets are $12 in advance.


Matthew Sweet is set to go back on tour with Debbi Peterson from The Bangles again, starting in Madison,WI on April 4. They’ll be in Chicago the next day for a concert at Metro on the north side. Other stops include Pittsburgh, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York , and Washington, D.C.


My city was rocked. The Pretenders’ US Tour 2024 will include a stop at the Chicago Theatre on July 26. The other American cities being visited by Chrissie Hynde and company are New York, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle. 


Sting has an upcoming tour that will bring him to Chicago for shows at the Auditorium Theatre on October 28 and 29. He’ll also visit Toronto, Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn, and other locations.


Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Lael Neale will kick off a west coast mini tour this Thursday with a show at Soda Bar in San Diego. Other stops include Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. After a short rest, Neale will travel to the east coast for eight gigs. 


007 Science: Inventing The World Of James Bond, a new exhibit that views the popular spy movies from an intellectual but still fun perspective, opened recently at Chicago’s Museum Of Science And Industry, and will run through October 27.


There will be an all-star tribute to Sinead O’Connor and Shane McGowan of The Pogues at Carnegie Hall in New York on March 20. David Gray, Cat Power, Glen Hansard, Amanda Palmer, and Dropkick Murphys have been confirmed as taking part, and other acts are expected to take part.


The Time Machine - A Tribute To The ‘80s recently opened at the Black Ensemble Theatre and will run through April 14. BET is well known for its musical salutes, and this latest one has a sci-fi twist involving a high school senior who travels back to the era when Prince, Sheila E., Al B. Sure, Keith Sweat, and LL Cool J. ruled the charts. The Time Machine - A Tribute To The ’80s is written and directed by Daryl D. Brooks. Black Ensemble Theatre is located at 4450 N. Clark Street on Chicago’s north side.


Congratulations to Elton John and Bernie Taupin on being awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. They’ll be honored during a tribute concert being held in Washington, D.C. on March 20.


Dolph Chaney And The Phins will likely perform the catchy “Californiagain” single from Chaney’s latest album Mug during a free show at 5:30 next Saturday, March 23 at Cary’s Lounge at 2251 W. Devon in Chicago. Opening act The Dry Look will kick things off at 4:00 pm. 


Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side has a potent four-act showcase up next Saturday, March 23, featuring Thrift Store Halo, French Casino, The Unswept, and 90s Steve.


The Chicago Film Society will present a screening of director Frank Borzage’s 1920 drama Humoresque on March 24 at The Music Box Theatre. It will be preceded by director Fred Guiol’s 1928 20-minute film The Boy Friend. Both films with have live piano accompaniment by musician/comedic performer David Drazin. The Music Box Theatre is located at 3733 N. Southport Avenue in Chicago. David and I were both members of the Famous In The Future comedy group, so I may be a bit biased. But I’m pretty sure you’ll be impressed with how well he coordinates his playing with what’s being shown on the screen.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Incoming - Performances


The Pretenders have just announced the dates for their US Tour 2024, and it includes a stop at the Chicago Theatre on July 26. Along with all those hits from the band’s lengthy career, their latest effort, Relentless, has several songs that would be great to hear live. When I saw Chrissie Hynde perform a terrific solo show at the Chicago Theatre some years back, the venue announced beforehand that she definitely didn’t want audience members taking photos. As usual, several gits kept snapping shots throughout the concert even after they had been scolded by the ushers. Fortunately, Hynde was a class act, and simply sarcastically thanked the losers for complying with her request.

EXPO ’76, the Chicago club scene veterans who perform an amazing range of cover tunes with a lot of humor, will rerun to familiar ground for a free show at Simon’s Tavern in Andersonville tomorrow night at 8:00 pm.


While listening to Annalisa on WXRT today, I heard her mention that Sting has an upcoming tour that will bring him to Chicago for shows at the Auditorium Theatre on October 28 and 29. He’ll also visit Toronto, Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn, and other locations.


I should have mentioned in my comments about WXRT in yesterday’s post that Annalisa does the late morning/early afternoon shift and Marty Lennartz handles the early morning hours. They both do a fine job.


Los Angeles-based indie rock singer-songwriter Lael Neale will kick off a west coast mini tour this Thursday with a show at Soda Bar in San Diego. Other stops include Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. After a short rest, Neale will travel to the east coast for eight gigs. She’ll be drawing from the two albums and several singles she’s released since 2020. Sadly, nothing for those of us in the middle of the country.


The Soul Brunch Presented By Puresoul series continues at City Winery Chicago this Sunday with Stevie Wonder, Wonders Of Motown.


Matthew Sweet is set to go back on tour with Debbi Peterson from The Bangles again, starting in Madison,WI on April 4. They’ll be in Chicago the next day for a concert at Metro on the north side. Other stops include Pittsburgh, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York , and Washington, D.C.


CHIRP Radio’s next First Time reader event takes place tomorrow night at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue with actor and vocalist Andrew Sa from The Cosmic Country Showcase.

 

The rock and roll world has been shaken by the passing of Eric Carmen from The Raspberries and Karl Wallinger from World Party and The Waterboys. There were several posts across social media thanking these performers for the great music and creative inspiration they brought to us. Rock In Paradise, Eric and Karl. 

Monday, March 11, 2024

Incoming


You can hear songs from this and other R.E.M. albums tomorrow night.


R.E.M.: The IRS Years - It Crawled From The South, a tribute show featuring several Chicago area musicians, returns to Montrose Saloon tomorrow night. Brian Krumm, J. Niimi, Mike Conroy, Niko Twistaction, Tony Long, Brian Krumm, Brian Stout, Erica Loftus, Pierce Crask, Phil Yates, Danny Higgins, Eric Chial, Rick Nitz, Jason Wade, Carey Anne Farrell, Chris Dorff, Scott and Odie, Vini Bruckert and Taylor Morse will provide hours of mysterious jangling. The event starts at 7:00 pm; Montrose Saloon is located at 2933 W. Montrose on Chicago’s north side.


If you’re ready for another R.E.M. tribute next month (and who wouldn’t be?) Dead Letter Office will share an evening with The B-52’s tribute act Planet Claire at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue on April 5.


Chicago FM station WXRT surprised its loyal fans today by announcing via social media and its XRT VIP Mail email that veteran radio personality Andy Chanley will take over its 3:00 to 7:00 pm slot. Chanley was well known in Los Angeles for his work as Music Director and Afternoon Drive host at KCSN. His arrival at WXRT pushes Ryan Arnold to 7:00 pm to midnight; and as far as I can tell, sends Emma Mac to weekends. Chanley certainly seems qualified and I wish him the best, but I’ll miss Emma Mac. I first discovered her during the pre-pandemic days when I got up at 4:45 am to get ready for work and caught the last 45 minutes of her overnight show. (My best friend in the whole world Lin Brehmer took over at 5:30 am.) Mac more recently worked the 8:00 pm to midnight shift, with Don Davis and Lara Mondae covering the overnight hours, and she comes across as friendly, hip, and knowledgeable. 


WXRT’s other weekend personalities are Terri Hemmert, Frank E. Lee, Don Davis, and Johnny Mars, all of whom have been known to fill in when the one of the weekday hosts goes on vacation. Along with Mac, they give WXRT just about the strongest bench in radio.


Chicago’s only performers of 21st Century Druid Music, whitewolfsonicprincess, will have guitarist Rich Poston as their special guest when they headline a triple bill with The Lady Parts and John Ballantyne’s Crazy Heart this Friday evening at Montrose Saloon.


The combination Trouser Press 50th Birthday Party And Zip It Up! The Best of Trouser Press Magazine 1974-1984 Book Launch takes place this Saturday at the Bowery Electric venue in New York. Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey from The dB’s will be on hand to perform, along with The Shirt Event featuring Dennis Diken from The Smithereens; the Washington, DC alt rock band Dot Dash; and DJ Steve Reynolds. The event is two days after Zip It Up! becomes available on Trouser Press Books website.


Scott Ligon and Casey McDonough from The Flat Five, a Chicago-based super group that describes its music as “twisted sunshine pop,” will perform as a duo this Friday nigh at Goldy’s in Forest Park. Each of these guys has a long history of performing with several well-known bands.

Friday, March 8, 2024

Slumgullion


The combination Trouser Press 50th Birthday Party And Zip It Up! The Best of Trouser Press Magazine 1974-1984 Book Launch takes place at the Bowery Electric venue in New York on Saturday, March 16. Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey from The dB’s will be on hand to perform, along with The Shirt Event featuring Dennis Diken from The Smithereens; the Washington, DC alt rock band Dot Dash; and DJ Steve Reynolds.

The event is two days after Zip It Up! becomes available on the Trouser Press Books website. The book features original articles about several iconic acts, including Small Faces, Syd Barrett, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, Todd Rundgren, Ray Davies, Cheap Trick, T. Rex, Bryan Ferry, Kate Bush, Peter Tosh, Graham Parker, Ramones, The Go-Go’s, X, The Clash, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, The Cure, U2, Joan Armatrading, Human League, Joan Jett, and Eddy Grant.

Cosmic Bull, a Chicago band whose members have loads of experience on the local scene, will hold a release party for their debut full-length album Band Substances at 12:00 am tonight at Gallery Cabaret. The first single from the album is “Once the Dust Settles.”


The Time Machine - A Tribute To The ‘80s recently opened at the Black Ensemble Theatre and will run through April 14. BET is well known for its musical salutes, and this latest one has a sci-fi twist involving a high school senior who travels back to the era when Prince, Sheila E., Al B. Sure, Keith Sweat, and LL Cool J. ruled the charts. The Time Machine - A Tribute To The ’80s is written and directed by Daryl D. Brooks. Black Ensemble Theatre is located at 4450 N. Clark Street on Chicago’s north side.


007 Science: Inventing The World Of James Bond, a new exhibit that views the popular spy movies from an intellectual but still fun perspective, opened yesterday at Chicago’s Museum Of Science And Industry, and will run through October 27. As Chicago Sun-Times staff reporter Sophie Sherry noted in yesterday’s edition, “The exhibit features 13 vehicles and over 90 artifacts from the Bond films.”


Energetic rockers The Telepaths will open for DubbleBubble — an offshoot of the band Triple— at Sovereign Liquors tonight. Sovereign Liquors is located at 6202 N. Broadway on Chicago's north side. The music starts at 7:45.


As noted by the always informative Joe Marchese on The Second Disc website, a Best Of  Bruce Springsteen collection in CD, vinyl, and digital formats will arrive on April 19. The CD and 2-LP versions will offer 18 tracks, while the digital will boast 31. I’ll leave it to Marchese to explain the reasoning behind that decision.


SXSW started today and will run through March 16 in Austin, TX. The annual festival celebrates creativity in all its numerous forms and from various countries. This year’s music acts include The Black Keys, STRFKR, Blondshell, and Thee Sacred Souls; there will be film and TV screenings, and comedy shows as well.


The Chicago venue Hideout Inn will hold its Annual SXSW Send-Off via an all day party tomorrow. The event will feature performances by Reilly Downes, Waco Brothers, Smushie, Astrachan, Cabeza De Chivo and Samuel Aaron. Doors open at 2:00 pm and the music starts an hour later.

 

Tall Poppy Syndrome, which brings together music veterans Vince Melouney from The Bee Gees; Clem Burke from Blondie; guitarist Jonathan Lea from The Jigsaw Seen and singer Paul Kopf and bassist Alec Palao of Strangers In A Strange Land, continues to have a blast covering vintage rock songs. The band’s third single comes out March 22, and it’s a catchy rendition of “This Time Tomorrow” from The Kinks’ 1970 Lola Versus Powerman album.


Singer-songwriter-author Michael McDermott will continue his three-day run at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights with performances tonight and tomorrow night. McDermott has several albums to choose material from, including his 2022 effort St. Paul’s Boulevard.


The Collective, the second solo effort from Sonic Youth singer-guitarist Kim Gordon came out today. The American leg of The Collective Tour includes a Chicago stop on June 8.


R.E.M.: The IRS Years - From The South, a tribute show featuring several Chicago area musicians, returns to Montrose Saloon this Tuesday, March 12. Brian Krumm, J. Niimi, Mike Conroy, Niko Twistaction, Tony Long, Brian Krumm, Brian Stout, Erica Loftus, Pierce Crask, Phil Yates, Danny Higgins, EC, Rick Nitz, Jason Wade, Carey Anne Farrell, Chris Dorff, Scott and Odie, Vini Bruckert and Taylor Morse will be providing the mysterious jangling. The event starts at 7:00 pm.


Director Sam Mendes has an ambitious plan to create a series of four biopics about The Beatles. One for each member. And have all four ready to screen in 2027. Coyle notes that the recent biopics about Queen, Elton John, and Elvis Presley were box office successes. No word yet on when auditions to portray John, Paul, George, and Ringo will take place.


Sonic45, sports broadcaster/musician Len Kasper’s atmospheric and often eerie alt rock band featuring Chicago music scene veterans Matt Spiegel (also a sportscaster); Liam Davis; Gerald Dowd; and Dag Juhlin, has finished recording its second full-length album. According a Bandcamp email from the group, the sophomore effort will likely be be released this summer. The first single, “You And I Are Stereo,” will be released exclusively on Bandcamp on April 5.


A Gibson Garage recently had its grand opening in England. The American-based guitar manufacturer now has a 4,500 square feet store on Eastcastle Street in London. The only other Guitar Garage is located in Nashville, TN.


Staged in partnership with local radio station 90.9 WDCB, the annual Jazz Thaw will take place across 13 locations around Oak Park’s downtown area tomorrow and Sunday. Performers include guitarist Tony Richards; the Barry Winograd Duo; Chris Greene Quartet; Sueños Latin Jazz; The New Deal; Abigail Riccards Quartet; and the Crystal Rebone Duo. Other Jazz Thaw events include a Jazz Tour involving over 10 locations and a Jazz Brunch.

 

An army of well-respected musicians calling themselves Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes have recorded a new version of  “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)” from the Dire Straits guitarist’s 1983 soundtrack album. The song will be available on March 15 and will benefit The Who’s Teenage Cancer Fund. Pre-order from Mark Knopfler’s official online store. 


That’ll Be The Day he honors three 1960s music icons. Phil Angotti And Friends (Casey McDonough, Marc Edelstein and Jason Batchko) will perform their favorite tunes by Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley at City Winery Chicago this Sunday at noon. Later that day, Angotti will cover the Another Side Of Bob Dylan album and other Dylan tunes at Robert’s Westside in Forest Park.


Congratulations to Elton John and Bernie Taupin on being awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. They’ll be honored during a tribute concert being held in Washington, D.C. on March 20.


Chicago filmmaker Michael Smith’s latest effort Handle With Care will have its Illinois premiere at the Afterimage Film Festival being held on the weekend of April 12 – 14 at Charlestowne 18 Cinema in St. Charles.


The Sound And Vision exhibit, which features artwork by well-know artist-musicians, will run from March 16 through April 21 at Mad.Kat Gallery in Rancho Mirage, CA. Participants include Joan Baez, Jon Langford, Penelope Houston, Juliana Hatfield, and Steve Wynn.


Congratulations to Tributosaurus on selling out its tribute to Electric Light Orchestra tomorrow night at Theater On The Lake. To those lucky enough to have tickets, enjoy all that strange magic.


The Kooks’ current 16-city tour, which brings them to America for the first time in quite a while, includes a stop at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on March 15. The shows will celebrate the 15th anniversary of The Kooks’ debut release Inside In Inside Out, and feature the band performing the entire album.


Metro manager Joe Shanahan will be spinning records tomorrow afternoon at the All Vinyl 45 Party taking place at the nearby GMan Tavern from 3:00 to 7:00 pm. A Facebook post promises Punk/Funk/Soul And A Splash Of Disco. GMan Tavern is in Wrigleyville at 3740 N. Clark.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Incoming


Photo from Sonic45 Bandcamp page.

Sonic45, sports broadcaster/musician Len Kasper’s atmospheric and often eerie alt rock band featuring Chicago music scene veterans Matt Spiegel (also a sportscaster); Liam Davis; Gerald Dowd; and Dag Juhlin, has finished recording its second full-length album. According a Bandcamp email from the group, the sophomore effort is due out this summer. The first single, “You And I Are Stereo,” will be released exclusively via Bandcamp on April 5. Hopefully, the new album results in some live gigs. I saw Sonic45 blow the audience away during a performance promoting their debut Space And Time at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights a few years back.


Energetic rockers The Telepaths will open for DubbleBubble at Sovereign Liquors tomorrow night. This is the first I’ve heard of DubbleBubble, but apparently it’s an offshoot of the band Triple that plays “low-volume/kinda slowed down versions” of Triple songs. Sovereign Liquors is located at 6202 N. Broadway on Chicago's north side. The music starts at 7:45.


Staged in partnership with local radio station 90.9 WDCB, the annual Jazz Thaw event will take place across 13 locations around Oak Park’s downtown area this Saturday and Sunday. Performers include guitarist Tony Richards; the Barry Winograd Duo; Chris Greene Quartet; Sueños Latin Jazz; The New Deal; Abigail Riccards Quartet; and the Crystal Rebone Duo. Other Jazz Thaw events include a Jazz tour involving over 10 locations and a Jazz Brunch. See the official website for the full schedule. 

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

The Sound He Appears To Make


The Collective, the second solo effort from Sonic Youth singer-guitarist Kim Gordon will be released two days from now. The short film co-directed by Gordon and Vice Cooler for the hard-edged “Cosmic Orgasm”, now available to watch on YouTube, might make you dizzy if you watch it. The American leg of The Collective Tour includes a stop in Chicago on June 8.

Lead vocalist-sax player Chloe F. Orwell and drummer Brad Elvis from The Handcuffs recently announced via a Facebook post that the Chicago-based indie rock band is about to begin a hiatus from live performances. That time will be well spent recording material for the group’s fifth album. Two of the new songs will be be included on the vinyl re-release of its critically acclaimed 2022 album Burn The Rails due out this summer. The Facebook post noted the re-released album will be “complete with beautiful artwork, cool photos and a gatefold sleeve. The design is very old school so you can study the LP sleeve’s photos and artwork as you listen.


Chloe F. Orwell contributed some saxophone playing to the upcoming Old Sky New album by singer-guitarist Rachel Drew. Like The Handcuffs, Drew’s a popular performer on the Chicago club scene. Catchy songs on Old Sky New, such as “If My Heart Was Made For You” and “Summer’s Over” seamlessly blend folk, rock, and occasionally a bit of funk, while her vocals are consistently engaging. The official release show is March 28 at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn.


As noted by the always informative Joe Marchese on The Second Disc website, a Best Of  Bruce Springsteen collection in CD, vinyl, and digital formats will arrive on April 19. The CD and 2-LP versions will offer 18 tracks, while the digital will boast 31. I’ll leave it to Marchese to explain the reasoning behind that decision. The Second Disc is a great resource for upcoming releases.


The recently released Gold Control is the fourth album by Toronto-based singer-songwriter Jeen since her self titled debut came out in 2020. Backed by lead guitarist Ian Blurton, drummer Stephan Sczcesniak, and bassist Ben O’Brien, Jeen plays rhythm guitar and synth on 10 tracks that explore complex emotions. She’s at her best on the energetic “Just Shadows,” “Good Omens,” “So What,” and “Give Myself Away,” but the slower material is well-crafted enough to remain engaging. 


Singer-guitarist Steve Dawson has drawn critical acclaim for his work with the alt rock/Americana band Dolly Varden he fronts with his wife Diane Christiansen, as well as for his other band Funeral Bonsai Wedding. His solo efforts, such as the 2021 At The Bottom Of A Canyon In The Branches Of A Tree, have also been impressive. Dawson played almost all the instruments on it himself, but his upcoming album Ghosts was definitely more of a collaboration. According to a recent post on his Facebook page, several Chicago musicians helped out, including Alton Smith, Diane Christiansen, Gerald Dowd, Brian Wilkie, John Abbey, Chris Greene, Tommi Zender, Ingrid Graudins, and John Moore. Ghosts is due out June 7 on Pravda Records.

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