The term “world music” has never been adequate to the task we’ve set it—even in its most benign reading, it implies a division between the listener and the rest of […]
Author Archives: Mark Guarino
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The Chicago Soul Jazz Collective refreshes the sounds of the city’s postbop era
Since 2018, the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective has made waves in town by resurrecting the stylish grooves of the postbop era, which began in the late 1950s—nationally, the sound was […]
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Pravda Records goes the distance
Beginning with Napster and continuing through Spotify, the nemeses of independent record labels have been legion over the past few decades. The deaths of brick-and-mortar retail chains, including Tower and […]
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Wilco’s folk-driven double album Cruel Country gives long time fans something fresh to love
In 1997, Wilco’s double album Being There became a fundamental pivot for the Chicago band in a decade filled with triumphs. Twenty-five years later, those songs live on in the […]
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Beau O’Reilly keeps the folk cabaret alive
The email Paul Finkelman received last month from Beau O’Reilly read simply, “Can your car fit a piano? . . . Please advise.” The answer was obviously no. Finkelman owned […]
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Bloodshot Records is bought by Exceleration Music
Update 6:22 PM Fri 10/22: This story has been changed to add a comment from Bloodshot Records cofounder Nan Warshaw. Bloodshot Records, the Chicago record label that launched the alternative-country […]
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Chuck Prophet’s songwriting keeps getting better
Update 8/10: Chuck Prophet’s SPACE concert in August has been postponed till March 17, 2022. The FitzGerald’s show in October is still scheduled to proceed. If the best parts of […]
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Dennis J. Leise grows his own
Dennis J. Leise’s Indiana farm doesn’t just produce food—it’s also the wellspring for his smart, witty country and rockabilly tunes.
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Chicago’s Thomas Comerford assembles a cast of local musicians for an album of beguiling country
Chicago has its share of bands playing country or alternative country, but Thomas Comerford’s lonesome sound is in a category of its own. Comerford straddles the singer-songwriter era of the […]
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Josh Caterer reinvents standards with a new band in The Hideout Sessions
Don’t let the live vibe fool you—The Hideout Sessions features no cheering, no clapping, and no cries for “Freebird.” Josh Caterer, lead singer of the Smoking Popes for 30 years, […]
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Azita has more to say and more ways to say it
For Glen Echo, Azita Youssefi’s first album in more than eight years, she played and recorded every instrument herself.
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Rest in peace to Chicago drummer Joe Camarillo
Beloved drummer and collaborator extraordinaire Joe Camarillo built a long resumé, which includes decades playing with the Waco Brothers and Hushdrops.
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Will Bloodshot Records stay in the saddle?
Internal strife, unpaid royalties, and the looming possibility of a sale have forced venerable Chicago indie Bloodshot Records to a crossroads.
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Judson Claiborne confront humanity’s downfall with beautiful songs on When a Man Loves an Omen
When humanity’s ship goes down due to a global pandemic, vulture capitalism, and corrupt politics, the band picking and singing the final notes will be Chicago’s Judson Claiborne. So this […]
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Disharmony at the Old Town School
The Old Town School’s new union fears the administration is treating teachers like commodities, not inspirations.