When the word “academic” is applied to jazz, it’s not necessarily a compliment. But these three players, all of whom teach at universities, make music that could keep you at school till the sun comes up. The success of General Semantics, the debut album by Northern Illinois University’s Geof Bradfield (tenor and soprano saxophones, bass […]
Tag: Vol. 50 No. 1
Issue of Oct. 1 – 14, 2020
Posted inArts & Culture
After the shutdown, Lips is unsealed
Fire, break-ins, and COVID: the Motor Row drag palace has had a bumpy first year.
Posted inMusic
Hardcore, metal, and punk bands unite for Shut It Down: Benefit for the Movement for Black Lives
When Racetraitor formed in Chicago in the mid-90s, their uncompromisingly antiracist politics weren’t always warmly received in the hardcore scene, but after their breakup in 1999 their influence continued to spread (especially once drummer Andy Hurley joined occasional Racetraitor bassist Pete Wentz in Fall Out Boy in 2003). More than a decade later, the burgeoning […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The view from the middle
Eula Biss’s new book looks at the omnipresence of money in our lives, from the perspective of an artist who has made it to the middle class.
Posted inFilm
Broaden your horizons with the Chicago Latino Film Festival
The virtual version of the 36th annual fest allows for more cinematic exploration.
Posted inMusic
Napalm Death call for empathy and action in a troubled world on Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism
Two days after the 2016 election, when I caught a package tour headlined by British-American grindcore pioneers Napalm Death, the night seemed to encompass the best and worst of the moment: After witnessing a presidential candidate openly lean into hate and emerge victorious, the sound of hundreds of people belting out “Nazi Punks Fuck Off” […]
Posted inMusic
In 1995, Gillette and 20 Fingers were the rulers of the dance floor
The Gillette and 20 Fingers hit “Short Dick Man” taps into a universal truth: pissing off jerks by insulting their penises is fun.
Posted inMusic
Zora Jones’s Ten Billion Angels is an electronic fantasy inspired by tentacle porn
Born in Austria, based in Spain, and inspired by Chicago footwork and UK instrumental grime, Zora Jones has been making music for a decade but only just released her debut album, Ten Billion Angels (Fractal Fantasy). Its music is glossy, sensual, and alluring in its artificiality, and it pairs nicely with the cover art—a digitally […]
Posted inMusic
Chicago rapper Judy infuses austere beats with bursts of color on Ard Bet
Wicker Park rapper Judy knows that with the right delivery, his subtle groans can be just as compelling as his lyrics. On “Inside Grey,” from his new Ard Bet (Wing Hoe), his words slide out of his mouth with the battered weariness of a twentysomething who’s lost count of the number of late nights he’s […]
Posted inCity Life
Benefits, Cold Waves, and makeup
Upcoming events and distractions from our listings coordinator
Posted inFood & Drink
Ethan Lim’s seven-course Cambodian ode to mom and dad is live
Family Meal @hermosachicago is the chef’s next step toward a culinary Khmerica.