Best Albums: Lana Del Rey, Boris, Venetian Snares, Austra, The Austerity Program
Lana Del Rey: Ultraviolence
Boris: Noise
Venetian Snares: My Love Is a Bulldozer
Austra: Habitat
The Austerity Program: Beyond Calculation
Best Albums: Jack White, Trap Them, Clipping, Sole & DJ Pain 1
Jack White: Lazaretto
Trap Them: Blissfucker
Clipping: Clppng
Sole & DJ Pain 1: Death Drive
Best Albums: Sage Francis, King Buzzo, Helms Alee / Young Widows, Fucked Up
Sage Francis: Copper Gone
King Buzzo: This Machine Kills Artists
Helms Alee / Young Widows: Split 12″
Fucked Up: Glass Boys
Best Albums: Marty Friedman, Watter, Son Lux, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Hundred Waters
Marty Friedman: Inferno
Watter: This World
Son Lux: Alternate Worlds
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80: A Long Way to the Beginning
Hundred Waters: The Moon Rang Like a Bell
Best Albums: Godswounds, Killer Be Killed, Emma Ruth Rundle, Trans Am, Le Butcherettes, Yann Tiersen
Godswounds: Death to the Babyboomers
Killer Be Killed: s/t
Emma Ruth Rundle: Some Heavy Ocean
Trans Am: Volume X
Le Butcherettes: Cry Is for the Flies
Yann Tiersen: ∞ (Infinity)
Photos: Haim & Tennis @ The Riviera Theatre (Chicago), 5/17/14
The Californian sisters who comprise the rising, eponymous Haim played a sold-out show in Chicago last Saturday night with husband-and-wife duo Tennis in tow.
Photos: Queens of the Stone Age & Chelsea Wolfe @ Aragon Ballroom (Chicago), 5/9/14
Queens of the Stone Age rocked through the second of two sold-out shows at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom last Friday night.
Best Albums: The Roots, Young Widows, Little Dragon, Tobacco
The Roots: …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
Young Widows: Easy Pain
Little Dragon: Nabuma Rubberband
Tobacco: Ultima II Massage
Album Stream: Godswounds’ Death to the Babyboomers
A heart-racing synthesis of heavy metal, horns, and videogame scores, Godswounds’ debut album is half psychedelic trip, half nutty science experiment gone right.
Best Albums: Rodrigo y Gabriela, Pixies, Eyvind Kang / John Zorn, Damon Albarn, Floor, Wovenhand
Rodrigo y Gabriela: 9 Dead Alive
Pixies: Indie Cindy
Eyvind Kang / John Zorn: Alastor: The Book of Angels, Vol. 21
Damon Albarn: Everyday Robots
Floor: Oblation
Wovenhand: Refractory Obdurate
Photos: The Knife @ Aragon Ballroom (Chicago), 4/13/14
Swedish electro-pop duo The Knife (comprised of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer) brought their Shaking The Habitual tour to Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom Wednesday night, and with it a troupe of vocalists and choreographers clad in matching satin jumpsuits.
Video Premiere: Silver Snakes’ “Grey Wolf Wild”
Playing a heavy, emotionally charged blend of indie rock and post-hardcore, Silver Snakes premieres a video for “Grey Wolf Wild,” a live performance drenched in saturated colors.