The communal traditions of folk music encourage musicians to play together in the most casual settings—a common repertoire can erase the issues of learning a song so that singers and players can instantly focus on melding their talents. Such gatherings can lead to more sustained partnerships, which is certainly the case with I’m With Her, […]
Tag: Vol. 47 No. 21
Issue of Mar. 1 – 7, 2018
Posted inMusic
Chicago experimental ensemble Aperiodic will illustrate key threads in a new book by new-music scholar Jennie Gottschalk
Since 2010 this invaluable Chicago ensemble directed by composer Nomi Epstein has been the city’s most stalwart advocate for post-John Cage experimental music, working at various times with text scores, indeterminacy, and other open-ended modes of composition. For this unusual concert Aperiodic joins new-music scholar Jennie Gottschalk to illustrate some of the threads from her […]
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Rap instigator Tyler, the Creator shows he’s more than you think he is on Flower Boy
After Tyler, the Creator dropped his fourth solo record, Flower Boy (Columbia), in July it quickly became cliche to describe it as his “mature album.” Granted, Tyler and his pals in the Odd Future collective made an indelible impression on music culture when they broke out in 2011—and his presence as a violently foul-mouthed miscreant […]
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Tune-Yards stumbles with political outreach on its new record, while Sudan Archives keeps its music intimate
Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards walks the walk when it comes to advocacy and political awareness. In 2015 she started the Water Fountain, an organization that raises funds for antipollution and clean water efforts around the world. She’s also the host of C.L.A.W. (Collaborative Legions of Artful Womxn), a radio program that champions the work of […]
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Techno producer Maayan Nidam makes minimal music with muscle
Throughout the years, Israeli techno producer Maayan Nidam—who’s been based in Berlin since 2004—has juggled a variety of pseudonyms, including Laverne Radix, Miss Fitz, and Spunky Brewster, along with collaborative musical projects, such as Mara Trax, the Waves & Us, and the Kicks. These various names and configurations have given her flexibility in terms of […]
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Celebrated Ligeti interpreter Pierre-Laurent Aimard concludes the University of Chicago’s season-long celebration of the 20th-century composer
The University of Chicago’s concert series has distinguished itself with a season-long celebration of Hungarian composer György Ligeti, one of the most formidable voices of 20th-century music. That series concludes this weekend with a solo recital by French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard—one of the greatest exponents of Ligeti’s music—performing all three books of his Etudes for […]
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Greek death-metal band Septicflesh may have added clean strings, but their music remains as septic as ever
After a four-year hiatus between 2003 and 2007, Greek death-metal band Septic Flesh returned to the scene with a one-word name and a new, refined sound. Three members of the band—bassist-vocalist Spiros Antoniou, multi-instrumentalist Christos Antoniou, and drummer Fotis Benardo—had stayed active during those years as the Devilworx, in which they honed a sweeping symphonic […]
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Nearly 25 years after their debut, Low are still doing more with less
The phrase “glacial pace” could have been invented solely to describe Low, a trio from Duluth, Minnesota, who specialize in slow-burning minimalism. It’s the kind of aesthetic that would have grown old after a few years for most bands, but after nearly a quarter of a century together Low instead continue to expand their boundaries […]
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Pop auteur Miguel steps toward overt political songwriting without sacrificing sexiness on War & Leisure
On his fourth album, December’s War & Leisure (ByStorm/RCA), California pop auteur Miguel wants you to know that politics and the state of the world are front and center in his mind (hey, look, the word “war” is even in the title!). But Miguel’s best political statements are similar to any of the other messages […]
Posted inBlogs
The Moonlighter fills Logan Square’s burger and sports bar gap—and it’s surprisingly pleasant
The Scofflaw Group’s latest venture is a casual neighborhood bar with a killer patio.
Posted inBlogs
Attorney and former Playboy model Corri Fetman calls out ‘body-shaming’ attack ad in judicial campaign
A Facebook video mocks Fetman for bodybuilding, calls her a “poser.”