Band names aren’t designed to be the most literal of descriptors. From Air to Ash, from The Zombies to Zebrahead, group monikers are usually meant to be taken lightly. Short of calling themselves “Some People Who Play Instruments and Sing”, most bands leave quite a bit to the imagination when finally settling upon a group […]
For a moment, Paul Meany is speechless. The Mute Math front man had been talking at a steady clip since hopping on the phone one afternoon in early September. But now, almost a half-hour into the conversation, the verbose singer is at a loss for words. It was a simple inquiry: What’s in store for […]
Auckland, New Zealand, is not really a busy place. But after placing one international phone call to Ruby Suns frontman Ryan McPhun, that perception start to waver. Auckland is the largest city in a country known less for its own geography (off the southeast coast of Australia) than for its fictional location portraying “Middle Earth” […]
Corey Wills is a man who knows what he wants. Since his dance-rock ensemble’s conception in the early half of the decade, the oft-bearded and bespectacled leader of this Chicago outfit has kept that sonic mindset. Although the 27-year-old also splits time as the effects whiz in Chicago buzz band Kid, You’ll Move Mountains, Wills’ […]
There’s at least one “holy shit” moment at every Riverboat Gamblers concert, and the smart bet is that it will come courtesy of frontman Mike Wiebe. One part Iggy Pop contortionist, one part mic-twirling Roger Daltry and one part Eddie Vedder in his rafter-climbing heyday, the long-haired vocalist has made a habit of seemingly risking […]
The designated media area of Lollapalooza is like a circus. Tents line the southwest corner of Chicago’s Grant Park, each one harboring another publication or broadcast outlet. Radio personalities flag down publicists to corral their guests, stick microphones in the musicians’ faces, and start serving up whopping portions of zany shtick before the headsets fully […]
George Orwell didn’t think too highly of the year 1984. Published six months before the English writer’s death, Orwell’s famous novel 1984 remains a prophetic call-to-arms in the arena of modern civilization’s collective social awareness. Orwell’s anti-establishment magnum opus is a cautionary tale of blind acquiescence, with the author’s 1984 portrayed as a restrictive era […]
Secret Machines know a thing or two about side projects. The New York-by-way-of-Texas trio has dealt with them since the band’s conception. In their early years, Secret Machines came together as a temporary offshoot of acts such as Tripping Daisy and Comet. And years later — more than a half-decade into its spacey, long-reaching take […]
It’s difficult to comprehend how certain musicians are still alive. Somehow Keith Richards keeps chugging out guitar riffs. Somehow The Vines’ Craig Nicholls hasn’t fallen to his demise amidst reckless on-stage flailing. And somehow Shaun Ryder — the Happy Mondays’ drug-riddled vocalist and hard-partying leader — has managed to stay alive long enough to keep […]
A lone Dutchman is wandering through Chicago, his sandals strapped tight, a backpack secured with a day’s supply of water, and his eyes fixed on the famous skyline. Surrounded by high-rise buildings, Grant Park itself is one of the city’s most recognizable settings, but also a prime spot to take in the neighboring architecture. Buckingham […]