AltWeeklies Wire
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Synergizes Itselfnew
Marketing its music through its own label, the symphony adds value with a new kind of lecture series.
Chicago Reader |
Deanna Isaacs |
09-29-2008 |
Music
How Kid Rock's Rejection of iTunes Let Others Beat Him on the Charts with His Own Songnew
The Hit Masters' version of "All Summer Long" reached number five on the iTunes single-song sales chart. By the end of the week it had outstripped Kid Rock's version on Billboard's Hot 100, peaking at number 19 while the original was at number 25.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
09-22-2008 |
Music
How Sonny Rollins Defeated Heroinnew
In his six-decade career, the legendary saxophonist has claimed many a triumph. But his greatest may have come in the 1950s, during a quiet period in Chicago.
Chicago Reader |
Neil Tesser |
09-02-2008 |
Music
How Technology is Turning the Tables on the Westernization of Popnew
The exchange of musical ideas between the West and the rest of the world is evolving into a genuine conversation, and that can only be an improvement. The internet may be giving the music industry all kinds of fits, but it's pretty great for the health of music itself.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
07-28-2008 |
Music
The Man Who Makes the Pitchfork Music Festival Happennew
Mike Reed's best known as the guy who assembles indie rock's favorite festival, but in his spare time he performs miracles for the local jazz scene.
Chicago Reader |
Peter Margasak |
07-21-2008 |
Music
Running Out of Retronew
Enjoy the '90s revival while you can--the space-time continuum is about to collapse.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
07-14-2008 |
Music
Major Labels Could Learn a Thing or Two About File-Sharing from Lil Waynenew
Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III, which came out June 10 on Universal subsidiary Cash Money, was one of the most anticipated albums of 2008, even though the sheer amount of material Wayne has already released in the past year -- including dozens of web-only tracks and several album-length mix tapes -- threatened to try his fans' patience as well as overload their hard drives.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
06-24-2008 |
Music
Why Jim DeRogatis Pleaded the Fifth in the R. Kelly Trialnew
What possible crime could the Chicago Sun-Times music critic have been concealing when he repeatedly -- 15 times in all -- answered questions put to him in court by invoking his constitutional protection against self-incrimination?
Chicago Reader |
Michael Miner |
06-16-2008 |
Music
Tags: journalism, media, Chicago, law, courts, R. Kelly, Fifth Amendment, Jim DeRogatis, reporter's privilege
Chicago's 'Hipster Rap' Scene Attracts the Inevitable Backlashnew
Most criticism of hipster rap only goes clothes deep, and even for relatively philosophical haters like Unkut.com's Robbie Ettelson, the sight of a rapper in anything but baggy jeans and a hoodie seems to trigger homosexual panic.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
06-10-2008 |
Music
Columbia College's Student-Run Record Label is Actually Run by Studentsnew
The music industry has changed a lot since 1982, when Polygram chairman Irwin Steinberg and Down Beat publisher Chuck Suber started AEMMP Records, a student-run label at Columbia College that doubles as a music-business prep course.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
05-19-2008 |
Music
The Music Industry's Format Warsnew
CD sales are down, vinyl and download sales are up, and record labels are doing the math.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
04-28-2008 |
Music
Better at Video Games than Piano?new
It could be your ticket to a career in music.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
04-21-2008 |
Music
The Web Makes the Fan Remix an Integral Tool for Artistsnew
People have been taking their favorite songs into their own hands for ages, and the especially devoted go so far as to remix them or make videos for them. But until recently, these labors of love couldn't reach more than a niche audience of dedicated music geeks, in large part due to the dim view artists and rights holders have historically taken of unlicensed releases.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
04-07-2008 |
Music
Would You Give This Man a Record Label?new
Hiring celebrity blogger Perez Hilton as an A&R man might not be such a terrible idea after all.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
03-17-2008 |
Music
Giving It Away Can Paynew
RCRD LBL lets advertisers support the artists so consumers don't have to.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
03-03-2008 |
Music
