AltWeeklies Wire
Bang! Bang!'s Former Frontpeople Leap into Uncharted Waters as My Gold Masknew
Late last year Bang! Bang! just sort of fizzled out; after nearly a year of inactivity, they got together for one final show this past August. In the interim, Gretta Rochelle and Jack Armondo had formed a new band by the name of My Gold Mask. They released an album this past spring, and then got married in June.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
11-09-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Bang! Bang!, My Gold Mask
The Ponys Ride Againnew
Why did one of Chicago's best-loved garage bands disappear at their peak? And after two years, what's bringing them back?
Chicago Reader |
Brian Costello |
11-02-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Ponys
Electronic Duo Gatekeeper Looks to the Classic Slasher Film Soundtrack for Inspirationnew
All the flavors of synthesizer on Optimus Maximus evoke the heyday of the slasher flick in the late 70s and early 80s, when masked maniacs roamed shadowy streets, Ouija boards not only worked but inevitably summoned nameless evils, and vividly red fake blood was spilled by the gallon.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
10-19-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Chrissy Murderbot Has Dance Music in His DNAnew
Under that plaid blazer is one of the midwest's sharpest dance-music vectors.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
08-24-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Chrissy Murderbot, dance music
The Passion of David Bazannew
At the Cornerstone Christian rock festival, a fallen evangelical returns to sing about why he broke up with God.
Chicago Reader |
Jessica Hopper |
08-03-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
MC Zulu's Space Dancehallnew
Zulu works on Planet Lazer Bass, but he lives right here in Chicago.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
11-24-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Pianist Michiel Braam Drafts Chicagoans into His Long-Running 'Anti-Orchestra'new
On Friday his long-running large group, Bik Bent Braam will play music from its gloriously rambunctious new album, Extremen, but with one big twist: Braam will fill out the roster of 13 musicians with ten local improvisers -- the first time he's ever performed the band's repertoire with anyone but the musicians for whom he wrote it.
Chicago Reader |
Neil Tesser |
11-10-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Jazz Trumpeter Amir ElSaffar Builds a Bridge to Iraqnew
ElSaffar's suite Two Rivers forges a singular fusion of jazz and Iraqi classical music -- and reconciles his roots in the process.
Chicago Reader |
Peter Margasak |
08-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Velva's Multimedia Geekfest Bends More than Circuitsnew
Velva's work displays both a geek's love for technology and for tearing technology up and making something else out of it. That something in this case is songs that pile up glitchy beats, circuit-bent-toy sounds, eight-bit-video-game noises, and customized analog synth guitars (including the "space axe" and "guitari").
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
08-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Prairie Spies Put Fun Firstnew
The Chicago band makes music for the best possible reason -- and you can hear it on Surplus Enjoyment.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
07-21-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Could Alla be a Mexican Os Mutantes?new
After seven years and $40,000, the Ledezma brothers unveil a masterpiece of Mexican-American psych pop.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
06-16-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Voyage of Walter Meegonew
Sure, they just moved to LA, but it's their new full-length debut that's really gonna take them places.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
06-02-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Voyager, Walter Meego
Psych Freaks Indian Jewelry Are Out Therenew
The band is a total aesthetic package, and I can see how a photo shoot would rank higher for them than an interview. Words are words and whatever, but dressing up like a militant cult member is performance art. And when they do it, at least, it's a show worth seeing.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
05-05-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Free Gold!, Indian Jewelry
A New Roommatenew
Kent Lambert's one-man tech-pop project has been transformed by his time in Chicago.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
04-14-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Roommate, We Were Enchanted
The Strangeness of Singernew
Members of U.S. Maple, the 90 Day Men, and Town and Country form an antisupergroup.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
02-25-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: singer, Unhistories
