I like bands who experiment, expand, who are always trying something new. My favorite artists—David Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson, the Beatles, the Who—did this; every album presented [view more]

Andrew Bird is preparing to hit the road next week, serenading Conan O'Brien and the TV viewing public on July 7th before embarking on a summer tour that will see him supporting the likes of such indie rock stalwarts as Death Cab for Cutie and The Decemberists, as well as headlining stops with Ra Ra Riot and Heartless Bastards rounding out [view more]

It must be Summertime in Chicago. Why? Because there are 97 festivals in every part of town every single weekend. Taste of Randolph, Taste of Chicago, Taste of whatever, something something Block Party… you get the idea. But besides the ToC, the two big boys are Lollapalooza and the Pitchfork Music Festival.

Unlike Lolla, [view more]

Even the most die-hard fans thought it was done – game over. On April 20, 2002, Alice In Chains singer Layne Staley's remains were found by his parents and police after an anonymous tip that the singer had been unreachable for an alarmingly long period of time. After his remains were examined, it was concluded that Staley had been [view more]

Ever have one of those moments when you thought you heard something but, because the context and surroundings in which you heard it just seemed so far off, your brain recoiled and you disregarded it as being a figment of your imagination? Listening to The Birth is something like that. Walking in, you know that Stardeath And White [view more]

PJ Harvey and John Parish took the stage in grand style with Harvey appearing barefoot in a flowing black gown and the band wearing dark suits and hats. The stage was set with the drums and keyboards to the right and left respectively leaving a large open area in the center for Harvey to dance around during the performance. This tour is not [view more]