Angry Blackmen-Stanley Kubrick

I wrote about Angry Blackmen a little over five years ago. Since then, I’ve had my concerns about them reaching a bigger audience, as the rap market around Chicago is heavily saturated. So, I was very pleased to find out they are finally putting out a full-length and there will be a solid press campaign to get the word out. The first single, “Stanley Kubrick,” … Continue reading Angry Blackmen-Stanley Kubrick

Lauren Anderson-Love Again

As a lifelong fan of the blues, I’m always excited to hear about a new artist. Even if that artist is about a decade into her career, somehow flying under my radar. Lauren Anderson, Chicago native building her career in Nashville, has already received critical acclaim for her last album, Burn It All Down the third record in four years she’s released. Now she’s back … Continue reading Lauren Anderson-Love Again

Yeule at Metro 10/10/23

Yeule is classified by some as an electronic pop music performer. Seeing them live, you’d be hard-pressed to make that case. They played 13 songs on Tuesday night, all of them featuring live drums and guitar. On about half of them there were two guitars. It felt much more like a rock show than a dance club, and the crowd absolutely loved it. I saw … Continue reading Yeule at Metro 10/10/23

Margaret Glaspy at Sleeping Village 10/7/23

Here’s something I didn’t know until very recently: Margaret Glaspy absolutely rips live. You get a sense of it on her records, but until you see her in person, it’s hard to grasp just how hard she goes. When I listen to her songs at home, the focus is always on the words and the melody, but last weekend at Sleeping Village, I saw a … Continue reading Margaret Glaspy at Sleeping Village 10/7/23

Ambar Lucid at Park West 10/6/23

I had to miss Ambar Lucid’s first appearance in Chicago back in July, when she brought the Estrella tour to Lincoln Hall. Fortunately, it was a successful tour that spawned a sequel. Last night I was in the crowd for the final show of Estrella pt 2. The show featured two great openers (Ethan Uno, joined by DJ Daily Double, and MJ Nebreda) that got … Continue reading Ambar Lucid at Park West 10/6/23