Best Albums: Blueprint, Death, Eels
Blueprint: Respect the Architect
Death: III
Eels: The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett
Photos: The National @ The Chicago Theatre (Chicago), 4/17/14
In continued support of last year’s excellent Trouble Will Find Me, The National played four consecutive shows at The Chicago Theatre last week.
8 awesome album covers from March 2014
We scoured our music library and judged the shit out of last month’s album covers, compiling a list of releases that make us want to click play without even hearing the first track.
Projecting a Spectacle: Candystations’ Deborah Johnson creates electrifying concert experiences
If you’ve been wowed by the projections at a Sufjan Stevens or St. Vincent show in the past few years, then you’ve witnessed the work of visual-performance designer Deborah Johnson, the founder of multidisciplinary New York studio CandyStations.
Q&A: Dropkick Murphys bassist Ken Casey on replicating the original sports pub
A few years after his band re-introduced a battle cry for a World Series-winning franchise, Red Sox super-fan and Dropkick Murphys bassist Ken Casey replicated the original sports pub, McGreevy’s 3rd Base Saloon. Here Casey talks about life as a pub owner with a place in baseball history.
Funny Shit: Q&A with improv comedian/musician Reggie Watts
Improv comedian/musician Reggie Watts talks alien invaders, invisibility cloaks, and the ultimate period piece.
Sloan Wolf & Vice Suicide take over the House of Rock mansion
We sent photographer John Lou Miles to a $20 million mansion in Santa Monica with Sloan Wolf and Vice Suicide. This is what happened.
“Purveyor of Cool” Isle of Man takes on the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques & Garden Fair
The Chicago-based American-heritage shop designs a guy-friendly Men’s Lounge at the event’s preview night, complete with vintage motorcycles.
Best Albums: The Birds of Satan, Lilacs & Champagne, Fucked Up, Pharoahe Monch
The Birds of Satan: s/t
Lilacs & Champagne: Midnight Features Vol. 1: Shower Scene
Fucked Up: Year of the Dragon EP
Pharoahe Monch: PTSD
Photos: Phantogram @ Riviera Theatre (Chicago), 4/10/14
Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, the Greenwich, New York-bred duo known as Phantogram, brought their unique brand of pop to a sold-out crowd at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre Thursday night.
Best Albums: Trollfest, Squarepusher x Z-Machines, The Faint, Off!, Only Lovers Left Alive soundtrack
Trollfest: Kaptein Kaos
Squarepusher x Z-Machines: Music for Robots
The Faint: Doom Abuse
Off!: Wasted Years
Jozem Van Wissem / Sqürl: Only Lovers Left Alive soundtrack
Photos: St. Vincent @ Riviera Theatre (Chicago), 4/5/14
The singer and guitarist brought her striking live show to the Windy City, complete with Talking Heads-like choreography and a tribute to Kurt Cobain.