Monday, May 20 2013
Tree - “The King” (MP3/stream)
Chicago rapper/producer Tree flips a sample of the Elvis classic "Can't Help Falling in Love" and makes the track his own with his gruff, elastic vocal delivery and alternately tough and clever lyricism.
Friday, April 26 2013
All That Turns to Gold: The Post-Punk Alchemy of My Gold Mask!
Chicago's artfully embellished trio My Gold Mask deliver style, panache, and otherworldy grooves with eerie ease.
Tuesday, January 22 2013
Chicago—The Other Black Renaissance
The biggest difference between the Black Chicago Renaissance and the Harlem Renaissance is brand awareness. The fact is, from roughly the early ‘30s to the ‘50s, Chicago was black America’s most fruitful cultural capitol.
Wednesday, July 25 2012
Taking It All In: The Pitchfork Music Festival 2012 (Friday)
The first day of Pitchfork delivered a broad sampling of genres from art rock to hip-hop and was capped by a surprisingly muscular set from Feist.
Thursday, November 3 2011
‘Maxwell Street Blues’ Is a Toe-Tapping Time Capsule
Viewing Maxwell Street Blues paradoxically stirs simultaneous emotions of melancholy and elation. Much like what happens when singing the blues.
Tuesday, November 1 2011
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or Shame?
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recently announced its 15 nominees for its 2012 induction class. Once again, that means the blogosphere is abuzz with complaints about the Hall's irrelevancy. Are they legitimate?
Friday, October 21 2011
Lollapalooza 1991: The Underground As a Community
Originally conceived of as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction, Lollapalooza turned into something even grander: Woodstock for Gen X.
Monday, October 10 2011
Evolution Calling: Tool - “Third Eye”
A gargantuan track closes out the Ænima album and gives millions an introduction to a comedic icon.
Monday, October 3 2011
Evolution Calling: Tool - “(-) Ions”
You're almost done with Ænima. Just two more songs to go. And one of them sounds like listening to a bug zapper for four minutes. But skipping the track will feel like a betrayal to a ferociously ambitious album.
