psychedelic rock Archives - Chicago Reader

Kikagaku Moyo walking on a nature path together

Japanese psych band Kikagaku Moyo take a farewell tour before an indefinite hiatus

by Steve Krakow May 17, 2022May 10, 2022

Earlier this year, Japanese psych band Kikagaku Moyo announced that they would go on indefinite hiatus following their 2022 tour. It’s always surprising when a successful, globe-trotting band call it a day at the top of their game, and their multitudes of fans got pretty upset in response to the news. Over the past decade, […]

Color image of a hand holding up a smartphone to photograph Cheer-Accident performing on stage in a crowded venue

Music

Chicago underground heroes Cheer-Accident stay joyously weird on their 24th album, Here Comes the Sunset

by Steve Krakow February 15, 2022February 15, 2022

When I moved to the Windy City in 1995, “psychedelic” and “progressive rock” were dirty words associated with patchouli-scented hippies. A few local bands were boldly mining this expansive territory, though, including Sabalon Glitz, Frontier, and Cheer-Accident. Led by drummer, singer, keyboardist, and trumpeter Thymme Jones, Cheer-Accident always put on a thrilling, even hilarious live […]

Neal Francis leaning against a black piano in a brown patchwork leather jacket

Music

Chicago pianist Neal Francis finds time and space on In Plain Sight

by Jamie Ludwig January 6, 2022January 7, 2022

Chicago singer-songwriter Neal Francis isn’t particularly religious, but the church has had a deep impact on his music. As a child piano prodigy, Francis learned to play the pipe organ at the Catholic church he attended with his family, an experience that helped fuel his budding love of performance—since then, he’s sat in with local […]