Upon entering Mojoes of Joliet on December 5th, I approached the stage to find pop/rock six-piece Rodeo Ruby Love opening the night with confidence to a full house. With catchy hooks and feel-good tracks that make you want to shuffle your feet, I highly recommend looking them up and giving them a listen. Check out their songs "Secrets" and "A Small House in the City." Reel Big Fish, the always-entertaining and very fashionable ska vets, put on a high energy performance leaving the crowd sweaty and exhausted after non-stop dancing. With a set-list comprised of hits like "Trendy," [...]
That's right, my friends, RFC is now taking applications! As I'm sure you've noticed, the site has been at somewhat of a standstill lately and as your new fearless leader, I am prepared to change that! However, I can't do this by myself, so I'm reaching out to you, RFC's faithful readers, for help. I'm looking to recruit at least 10 (maybe more) new contributors for the site. As far as requirements go, all I ask is that you have an understanding of the genre you want to write about and an excellent grasp of [...]
Hey! Remember that time I went on tour with my good friend Josh LaMore ?! Well, it just so happens that on that same tour, Josh was in the process of recording his super awesome new live album! "Sara, that tour was like...a long time ago...why have we not heard this live album yet?" SHUT UP I'M GETTING TO THAT. Josh just released his new live album, "Live 2011", on November 1st! The album features 9 live performances from Josh's "Out Like a Lamb" tour and let me just tell you, I think it's pretty great. [...]
Chicago's very own Into It. Over It. opened up at the Bottom Lounge Wednesday, October 26 th , impressing the crowd with not only his lovely acoustics, but also his humorous stories. With honest lyrics centered on such themes as the one who got away and various US cities, Evan Thomas Weiss is certainly making a name for himself with what is considered his most successful project to date. Be sure to check out his latest release, his debut LP, Proper. Oh, and did I mention that he has a cat named Chicken-Hawk? What's not to love about this guy? [...]
Judge me all you want, but I will never deny my love for Evanescence . Since the first time I heard their hit single "Bring Me to Life", I've been hooked. The band's debut studio album, Fallen , is one of my personal favorite albums of all time and I have reason to believe that won't change any time soon. Shortly after their 2006 album, The Open Door, was released, the band went on hiatus until their newest self titled album was released on October 11 th . Although Evanescence has [...]
It's October which means two things for the windy city of Chicago: first, the nights are beginning to get pretty f***in' cold! and second, Riot Fest 2011 is upon us. Opening up Wednesday at the Bottom Lounge and closing the weekend Sunday at AAA, fans are able to gather for five nights of great music and better beer. With a diverse line-up including Chicago natives Smoking Popes and billboard chart-toppers Weezer, fans of all ages are drawn to this tour. Other venues taking part of the festivities include Congress Theater, Double [...]
Ever since I was given the opportunity to hang out with them on the 2011 Vans Warped Tour, hip-hop duo Grieves and Budo have been somewhat of an obsession of mine. Their Rhymesayers Entertainment debut release Together/Apart quickly made it into my every day music rotation and I have reason to believe it's there to stay. The Seattle-based pair consists of Benjamin Laub (Grieves) and producer and multi-instrumentalist Budo, (who apparently does not have a real name). The two began working together toward the end of 2008 and Together/Apart began [...]
I read somewhere on the vast internet that someone stole one of my wedding ideas. They had Jens Lekman play at their wedding. If you haven't heard the Swedish crooner you will have to take my word for it, Jens Lekman is the ultimate romanitc performer any soon to be married couple could hire. The Swedish heartthrobe exraordinaire will woo every man's girlfriend, and maybe a few men on Monday night at Lincoln Hall . Even with his romantic, old-school, and at many times self-deprecating lyrics, [...]
Nevermind that the blogosphere's up-and-coming buzzed Twin Sister are opening, but Linlcon Hall will be housing four British lads Saturday evening for some fine indie rock. Wild Beasts ' Hayden Thorpe holds a falsetto that teeters along the edges of dream pop and indie rock. Think Bloc Party mixed with Penguin Prison , stripped of electronic or synthesized beats and supported by a much more lush, natural sound. Their latest album, Smother , was released last May as the follow-up to their Mercury Prize-nominated album, Two Dancers . Twin Sister [...]
Andrew Jackson Jihad 's newest release Knife Man is social commentary at its finest, combining tragically honest lyrics with fast paced instrumentals, inviting listeners to dance and sing along to the beauty of destruction. Many competing sounds make up this album, including simple stripped down tracks like "Free Bird" (no, not the one you're thinking), and expanding to more full sounding songs such as "No One." Knife Man features something for everyone, with tracks resembling those of gloomy underground British rock groups and others more closely related to good 'ole country tunes [...]
So summer is over and we're all going through the fall-is-too-short-winter-don't -come blues. But put down that Pumpkin Spice Mocha-Latte no foam and winter sweater, we've got the remedy for you. LA based band, Fool's Gold is just what you need to shake your way into a happy fall. What started out as the side-project for Luke Top and Lewis Pesacov is now a tight knit band of five. After their self-titled debut in 2009, Fool's Gold diligently toured numerous cities and played festivals such as Glastonbury and Austin CIty Limits before releasing their sophomore LP, [...]
I bet you're sitting there in your chair, or standing if you're in one of those progressive-thinking workplaces...or a bouncy ball, thinking, "You know what? I would like a classy, relaxed evening of just pure good music. So much that I'd like to bring my friends to. The kind of evening that would leave everyone in awe of both my fine taste in music and the sheer fact we live in a great city." Well. That day is upon you, my friend! Saturday, September 17th brings Dark Dark Dark down from their homes in Minneapolis to ease you [...]
Since I finally have a reliable computer and have settled into my new apartment, it seems like it's a pretty good time for me to start writing about music and stuff again! Now, I know what you're probably thinking: "Man, I really wish I had some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups right about now". As awesome as that would be, it is completely irrelevant to anything I just said. Moving on. Recently, via email, a Chicago based band by the name of Victorian Halls was brought to my attention. I feel like I've probably heard of these guys before, [...]
Who has two thumbs and finally has a reliable computer again?! This girl, that's who. You know what that means? It means that I am finally going to tell you all about The Dear Hunter 's show in DeKalb on July 23rd! This show was an amazing experience for me. It was part of TDH's first headlining tour and I'm so beyond thrilled that I was able to be there to hear some of the most beautiful music I've ever listened to performed live. While The Dear Hunter was obviously my reasoning [...]
Friday night the Congress Theater is going to bring the dance party. HARD Fest will take over and with the beats, the lights, the smoke will bring sweaty, writhing bodies. Digitalism , Jack Beats , Destructo and Alex Zelenka are guaranteed to not only keep you moving and grooving, but to blow your mind. This is the second year HARD Fest graces Chicago with it's electronic and spellbinding music. With a plethora of drum and bass, electro-pop and hard core dance music, the Congress Theater will be all [...]
Since the release of Damnesia , Alkaline Trio's eighth studio release, I anxiously awaited the 15 th anniversary tour to hit Chicago. When the day of the show finally arrived, my friend Sean (front man of local favorites Egon's Unicat ) and I hit the road not entirely sure of what we were in for.. The ride up was about as exciting as any other trip involving those particular stretches of I-80 and I-55, traffic wasn't too terrible until we hit Lake shore Drive. [...]
With Lollapalooza taking over the city of Chicago for the annual 3 day music festival there are multiple times to see your favorite artists perform. Several artists playing the festival are also playing after-party shows and meet and greets. For hip-hop fans you are in luck. The Minneapolis hip-hop group and Rhymesayers artists, Atmosphere will be performing at The Metro along with making an appearance at Lollapalooza on Saturday. It's been three years since Atmosphere put out their album, [...]
For the past six or so years, the Vans Warped Tour has been one of the most highly anticipated events of my entire summer. It is one of few events where fans of metal, ska, pop, and even hip-hop can all come together and form a group with a passion for music that is not readily seen in many other places. Although each person attends Warped Tour to see different bands, we are all united there for the same reason; to spend an entire day outside in the blistering heat listening to some of the worlds most talented [...]
So did you hear the one about how Taylor Swift covered "White Blank Page" by Mumford & Sons on BBC Radio and totally killed it? Not to knock the original, because M&S really brought the drama on this one. Mumford & Sons - White Blank Page But in all honesty, after hearing Swift sing it with her soft, quavering vocals over guitars and banjo, I'm inclined to say it sounds fit for her, and I think reveals a side of her musicianship that people haven't heard much of. [...]
I don't know if you know who Chris Bathgate is but you should. You see, I have the unfair advantage of being born and bred right in Bathgate's own backyard (The backyard of southeast Michigan, that is; not his literal backyard although that would have been weird, right guys?) so it's only natural that I adore the Ann Arbor darling as much as I do. The love for Bathgate, however, is not situational. No matter where you're from, Bathgate's darkly haunting folk tunes are sure to strike a chord of emotional resonance with you. [...]
Radio Free Chicago
The Kills on Letterman (Video)
Download: James Blake Live Album (Unofficial)
My Funny Valentines
Lana Del Rey - Without You (Kill Paris Remix) [Dubstep]
