Matthew Kerstein has taken a musical journey from Scotland to Massachusetts without ever leaving the Windy City. The frontman of Brighton, MA is a former founding member of local buzz band Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, which he left to captain this folk-pop outfit that’s making quite a splash itself.
Chicago has the fastest rappers in the world. Really. Local rapper Rebel XD (Seandale Price) recently broke his own Guinness record to nab another authorization by the world-record group as the world’s fastest rapper.
Hundreds of bands will be performing at this year’s Lollapalooza concert festival — why not you?
Hip-hop and indie rock get a lot of attention from Chicago music critics and bloggers, but the city also boasts one of the most active and connected heavy-metal scenes in the country. Here's a look at four hot spots in town where you can feel the noise.
Jim DeRogatis: With nary a word of public notice — and with no public hearings seeking
input from the Chicago music community — the City Council Committee on
License and Consumer Protection today pushed through a new “promoters’ ordinance” that could silence a lot
of concerts in Chicago.
Chicago rapper Common has been tapped to star in the upcoming fourth installment of the ‘Terminator’ series, ‘‘Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins.’’ He will play a freedom fighter named Barnes who is defending the human race against a machine that aims to destroy it.
After more than 12 albums and countless tours, Ministry is allegedly saying farewell. Here is a look at some high points in the band’s career.
Given his lifestyle and dark, decadent image, Al Jourgensen has never exactly seemed like the sporting type. But he is in fact a major Blackhawks fan, and Ministry recently released the single “Keys to the City” to serve as the hockey team’s new anthem.
Five o'clock Friday evening is when most flee their downtown offices for the weekend. After all, who wants to stick around after that grueling work week?
Once again, the opening of this promising venue at its new location at 1375 Lake St. has been pushed back, with Friday's gig by Urge Overkill and Saturday's MU330 show both postponed. (Rescheduled dates to be announced.) Click to read more on DeRo's blog.
As many critics have noted, the new R.E.M. album, “Accelerate,” is short, uptempo and free of fat. The standard version of that disc consists of 11 songs, and it’s about 35 minutes long. Former Chicagoan Chris Mills’ terrific new album, “Living in the Aftermath,” makes an excellent companion piece to “Accelerate,” and it has superior melodies. In 10 original tracks that clock in at 32 minutes, Mills gives the listener hook after hook after hook.
Doug Hoekstra is a singer-songwriter. Strike that; reverse it. He’s more of a songwriter-singer, crafting immensely detailed vignettes that are pure Americana and pairing them with subtly earnest arrangements. But for this Chicago native and Nashville resident, it’s all about the words.
Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland is recording his second solo album with famed Chicago rock producer Steve Albini and plans to release it in November.
Here are the 30 albums by local musicians being played in the terminals at O’Hare and Midway airports:
With a lineup featuring this year’s club up-and-comers — led by by Steve Aoki and Kanye West’s DJ, A-Trak, plus a special appearance by DJ
Autobot of Flosstradamus — Wednesday night's Scream Bloody Murder Tour was surely everything a fan of Chicago’s
trendy new danceable hip-hop could hope for.
After a short hiatus, Chicago native Liz Phair is back with a new record deal
with indie ATO, an in-progress new album and a re-release of
‘‘Guyville,’’ set for June 24. "I can honestly say, for the first time in 15 years, I feel creative," she said when she spoke recently about what’s new and
exciting in her world.
Billy Corgan, leader of the reunited Smashing Pumpkins, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin will be inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk on Wednesday. Corgan and Chamberlin then will be honored by fans with a special ceremony at Guitar Center in Hollywood.
