Current musical obsessions of Chances Dances cofounder Latham Zearfoss, artist and educator Jen Delos Reyes, and Reader music listings coordinator Salem Collo-Julin
Tag: Vol. 48 No. 26
Issue of Apr. 4 – 10, 2019
Posted inArts & Culture
In declining the Whitney Biennial, Chicago artist Michael Rakowitz offers the ultimate form of art criticism
How do we hold corporatized institutions accountable for the decisions they make?
Posted inFilm
Movie Tuesday: It’s all about Hungary
The country’s filmmaking history is nearly as old and as varied as that of cinema itself.
Posted inNews & Politics
Cupcake electioneering hits Uptown
In the final days of his re-election fight, Alderman James Cappleman tries to sweeten the deal for voters.
Posted inMusic
Tennyson’s mellow electronica flows on Different Water
Five years ago, Canadian brother-sister duo Tennyson were often seen as a prodigy act. Keyboardist and producer Luke Pretty was 17 when the group began to tour and record; drummer Tess Pretty was only 15. Now that they’re 22 and 20, respectively, their performance is less of a novelty, but they retain the same charm. […]
Posted inMusic
Chicago workhorse drummer Tommy Carroll moves towards pop on Listening
Chicago drummer Tommy Carroll first came to prominence as a skateboarder in the late aughts. Blind since he was two years old, he picked up the sport in third grade, and by age 15 his skills and dedication had caught the attention of Tony Hawk, who traveled to Glenview in 2008 to skate with him. But […]
Posted inMusic
Low-key prog hero Adrian Belew performs hits from his massive catalog
When it comes to conversations about the best guitar players of all time, rock fans typically mention the likes of Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix long before the thought of little old Adrian Belew crosses their minds. That’s a shame, because the unassuming shredder has one of the most mind-bending discographies in music history. Belew […]
Posted inMusic
Avey Tare blends nostalgia and the wisdom of age on Cows on Hourglass Pond
Visual art and multimedia forays, including—album covers, music videos, merch designs, stage productions—are a big part of Animal Collective’s distinct flavor, so it makes sense that for his new solo album, Cows on Hourglass Pond, core member Avey Tare (the pseudonym of David Michael Portner) would incorporate some extramusical creative flourishes. By the album’s release […]
Posted inMusic
Bronx rapper Kemba won’t be boxed in
Bronx rapper Kemba opens his self-released 2016 album, Negus, with a plea: “Don’t call it political / Please don’t deem this lyrical / These are negro spirituals.” Kemba, who’d previously recorded and performed under the name YC the Cynic, understands how easily his patient, contemplative songs can be pigeonholed as “conscious hip-hop,” but anyone who’d […]
Posted inMusic
The Goddamn Gallows blur roots, punk, cabaret, and metal into infectious good times
Born in Michigan and raised on the road, the Goddamn Gallows had a four-year gap between The Maker and last year’s The Trial. The somewhat nomadic existence of this raw and boisterous band might account for that—they’ve moved from Michigan to Portland to California, and their members are currently scattered in cities all over the […]
Posted inMusic
Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason serves up the band’s deep cuts with Saucerful of Secrets
If you’re a fan of Pink Floyd’s most iconic albums, such as Animals and The Wall, you may have plunked down some cash to see Roger Waters in his solo show or caught David Gilmour the last time he was in town. But if you’ve got an appetite for Floyd’s early trippy material, drummer Nick […]
Posted inMusic
Mdou Moctar is ready to rock
The story of Mdou Moctar’s early years reads like show-business boilerplate. Growing up in a conservative rural town in central Niger, he had neither money nor parental permission to buy a guitar, so he scavenged items such as bits of wood and bicycle brake cables until he had enough parts to build his own. Moctar […]
Posted inMusic
Futuristic J-pop trio Perfume breathe of fresh air to the U.S. tour circuit
Perfume have been at the top of the Japanese pop scene for more than a decade, so it’s easy to forget that the trio, which formed in Hiroshima in 2000, had been on the verge of quitting after a number of their mid-aughts singles didn’t perform up to the expectations of their record label. But […]
Posted inMusic
Ex Hex’s glammy power-pop smolders on It’s Real
On Ex Hex’s 2014 debut, Rips, guitarist-vocalist Mary Timony of D.C. postpunk royalty Helium and Autoclave went pop in a new trio. On the brand-new It’s Real (Merge), Timony and company rein it in and slow it down. The first album’s power pop was rooted in a frantic, nervous vibe and proved the band geniuses […]
Posted inMusic
As Hand Habits, Meg Duffy searches for clarity with Placeholder
Singer-songwriter Meg Duffy started the intimate Hand Habits project in their native upstate New York in the early 2010s, but largely put the project on pause after moving to Los Angeles and linking up with Kevin Morby as a session and touring guitarist. Taking a break seemed to serve Duffy well, or at least helped […]