Post-everything fusion band Je’raf celebrate their debut album, Nicky Flowers resuscitates a Morrissey-tweaking all-synth Smiths cover project, and more.
Tag: Blacker Face
Drummer Jeremy Cunningham releases a dense but delicate jazz record to honor his late brother
Drummer Jeremy Cunningham releases a dense but delicate jazz record to honor his late brother; the Black, Brown, and Indigenous Crew rocks the Vaginal Davis exhibit at the Art Institute; and more.
Ian’s Party starts the year off right with three days of local bands
Since debuting in 2008, Ian’s Party has evolved from its humble suburban punk origins into an annual Wicker Park-based mini fest showcasing underground Chicago artists (though there are always a few acts from the greater midwest thrown in for good measure). Over the years it’s grown in ambition and in its commitment to inclusivity and […]
Blacker Face power up the protest on Distinctive Juju
Blacker Face are the kind of band I point to when other people claim there’s a lack of poetry in contemporary punk rock. Equal parts X-Ray Spex and Mr. Bungle, the Chicago group have been working over the past few years toward making a soundtrack for the builders of tomorrow’s movements. “Parade,” off the new […]
DIY rockers Guerilla Toss blend whimsy and profundity on Twisted Crystal
Guerilla Toss are down with the Grateful Dead. In an impassioned Facebook post from July 2015, the New York-based band threw laurels upon a group they called “the first ‘DIY’ band,” noting that the Dead used harsh noise in the 1960s and brandished modular synthesizers throughout the ’70s. Like the Dead, Guerilla Toss combine a […]
Tara Terra front woman Emily Blue drops a newly expanded solo synth-pop EP
Tara Terra front woman Emily Blue drops a newly expanded solo synth-pop EP, singer-songwriter Marian Runk celebrates a vivid, folky debut album, and more.
Punk’s not dead—and it’s not white either
The Black, Brown, and Indigenous Crew Punk Fest connects underground music with radical politics to make a community with room for everyone.
Electronic musician Angel Marcloid drops a new collage barrage as Fire-Toolz
Electronic musician Angel Marcloid drops a new collage barrage as Fire-Toolz, Groove Cafe releases a compilation to benefit rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico, and more.
In their words: How the folks at Fed Up Fest help keep queer punk a ‘community of care’
Everything about this year’s Fed Up Fest—the bystander intervention training, the panel discussions on aging in punk, the frenzied yet thoughtful music—manifested the spirit of resistance, hope, and direct action.
Frontwoman Fest keeps fighting for a feminist future in Chicago’s music scene
The third annual Frontwoman Fest takes over the Burlington on Saturday with 16 acts that embody the diverse talents of the city’s female and female-identified musicians.