Category: ESSENTIAL NEW MUSIC

In every local music scene, there’s a person who knows. They know the tunes, the sounds and the ways to

Stepping forward while looking back, Parquet Courts push musical boundaries while still retaining a sense of identity on Sympathy For

Freedom, Kris Kristofferson once wrote, is just another word for nothing left to lose. Rhyton’s singer and string-bender, Dave Shuford,

When Bob Dylan hit the New York folk music scene, he found that one singer stood out from all the

A survey of “what’s in your bag” record-store interviews is bound to reveal that most music lovers nowadays like more

There’s no shortage of music documentaries that leave way too much in; how many hours do you really want to

If you name your country band Tobacco City, you’re duty bound to play some songs about bad decisions. The Chicago

The title is a bit of a dare. Can you find the one note that Bill Nace plays? Good luck.

“Fantas” originally appeared on Caterina Barbieri’s 2019 LP, Ecstatic Computation, as a cascade of tone-bursts that bounced, Superball style, away

There’s been no shortage of records whose making reflects our times. Performed alone or cobbled together via file sharing, their

There’s a lot to be said about William Parker. He’s a peerless double bassist, a culture-spanning multi-instrumentalist, an ambitious composer,

Anyone who’s not only been making albums for more than 20 years, but ones that stack up awards in his

Eleventh Dream Day knows a few things about staying the distance. The Chicago-based combo includes two members—vocalist/guitarist Rick Rizzo and

Rock ‘n’ roll has a long history of being demanding. “Gimme some good times,” beseeched Lou Reed. “Gimme danger,” snarled