AltWeeklies Wire
Kanye West Experiences '808s and Heartbreak'new
West's major achievement here is not in the moments of significant pop-song creativity, but rather the response he's able to get from his listener, the lasting effect that, if previously pondered, seemed a substantially distant possibility.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
12-03-2008 |
Reviews
Austin's The Sword Worships the 'Gods of the Earth'new
When a band titles its debut Age of Winters and follows it up with a record called Gods of the Earth, the road's pretty much been paved for the kind of meal you're to be served. The dueling guitars, meaty, brimming with confidence, attack from all sides.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
11-05-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Gods of the Earth, The Sword
Crooked Fingers' Eric Bachmann Talks 'Forfeit/Fortune'new
Bachmann decided to release Forfeit/Fortune himself, and while he is using internet outlets such as iTunes, the record's only available at specifically chosen indie retailers, not the big-box stores the masses might look to first. He insists he's just being practical.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
10-08-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Crooked Fingers, Forfeit/Fortune
Portland's Talkdemonic Gets Darkernew
The easiest way to take the pressure of writing a catchy hook off of yourself is to not write any hooks at all. Talkdemonic has crafted three records of short, punchy songs, most of them under three minutes, that almost never feature repeating parts.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
10-01-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Talkdemonic, Eyes at Half Mast
Maps & Atlases Finally Give Us More Songsnew
When Maps & Atlases' Tree, Swallows, Houses EP broke in 2006, it felt as if the band was taunting you, that the math-rock wizardry was almost antagonistic in its assault.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
09-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Kid Sister, the New Queen of Hip-Hop?new
With only a minute amount of material actually released, the buzz around this potential new queen of hip-hop is so overwhelming that when her mug graced the cover of URB this summer the immediate gut reaction was "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense," and not "Wait, she doesn't even have a record yet!"
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
07-30-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Bound Stems Returns with 'The Family Afloat'new
In nearly direct opposition to its sprawling predecessor, the ten-song album is just a lightning flash instead of the whole damn thunderstorm, and, while the group still crafts songs filled with unexpected left turns, each song, as catchy as the next, boasts a newfound confidence.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
07-09-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Icy Demons Chills with Some 'Miami Ice'new
A psycho funk-jazz dance party warped together with a collection of keyboards, guitars, bass, energetic drums and elusive, sharply goofy vocals (the lyric "You better buy a breath mint with that last dime" makes an appearance), Icy Demons perplexes.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
07-02-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Icy Demons, Miami Ice
Stephanie Kuehnert on Her Debut Novel, 'I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone'new
Everyone wants to be a rock star. Kuehnert’s protagonist and narrator, Emily Black, is no different. Living in a tiny town in Wisconsin, left alone with her father as an infant when her mother hit the road following her own rock-star dreams, Emily's now your favorite teenager, much cooler than you were when you were there, the dark hair, the red lipstick and the witty asides and retorts all part of the angst-ridden fireball.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
07-02-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
The Dials Toss More into the Petri Dishnew
Amoeba Amore not only builds on the band's previous work, but across-the-board boasts the band's best work, each song a fist, some of them featuring colossal crescendos of multiple vocal parts, thrilling moments that overwhelm with jarring conviction.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
06-25-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Amoeba Amore, The Dials
Defender Side Project Alla Releases Album in Spanishnew
It took four years to complete the band's debut, Es Tiempo, perhaps because Jorge Ledezma set his goals high when the band was born.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
06-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
M83 Looks to the 1980s for Inspirationnew
Saturdays=Youth finds Anthony Gonzalez venturing deeper into the pop realm, even stating openly that this collection of songs are a celebration of his teenage years.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
05-28-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: M83, Saturdays=Youth
The Long Blondes are More Than Just Clothesnew
"It wasn't our intention to make a dark record. We maybe got a little bit annoyed with the press from the first album, who compared us to the Fifties and Sixties girl groups, [talked about] the fashion ... we wanted to get away from that, be recognized for musical achievement rather than the fact that some of us like to dress up pretty."
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
05-21-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: couples, The Long Blondes
The 45 Acts Who Rock Chicago's Music Worldnew
How do you size up a musician's creativity, let alone rank it above another's? As we dare take on this task every two years, many factors come into play: cultural relevance, invention, influence on other musicians and the rest of the industry, but also what moves and excites us personally.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch and Duke Shin |
05-07-2008 |
Music
Tags: Chicago
Sybris Returns with 'Into the Trees'new
After a long break that involved some touring and a patient writing period, the Chicago band is back with a more riotous affair.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
05-07-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Into the Trees, Sybris
