Best of Chicago 2012: Music & Nightlife 

Drag City Records usually rolls out some good promotional gimmicks every year, though two of its stunts pushing Bonnie "Prince" Billy's Wolf­roy Goes to… Continue

On last year's Disturbing the Air (Drag City), Azita Youssefi completed her transformation from top-shelf noise rocker to poetic singer-songwriter—though she… Continue

Watching local supergroup Football onstage is like watching one of the last couple of cars in a demolition derby, where you know it's… Continue

Singer and guitarist Jim Elkington has been an important figure in the Chicago music scene for years, but lately it seems like he's everywhere.… Continue

When I wrote about the second Lord Mantis full-length, Pervertor (Candlelight), in March, I said that it "puts me in mind of… Continue

Over the past decade or so, it's become a totally acceptable thing for loud rock acts to have only two members—the problem is that… Continue

Isn't everybody's? But here's my case for Incognito. They play good. They know all the songs you want to dance to, plus the… Continue

Following the unexpectedly far-ranging explosion in popularity of local teenage rapper and house arrestee Chief Keef, major labels and publishing houses have descended… Continue

Every rap DJ and producer who works on mix tapes and Internet-giveaway tracks needs a "drop," a sonic signature that alerts listeners to his… Continue

Hands-down my favorite thing to happen in pop culture over the past few years is the rise in popularity of an awesomely crazy conspiracy… Continue

High school suspensions always have a "Think about what you've done" subtext, even if nobody says it out loud. Slapped with a ten-day suspension,… Continue

I considered many candidates for this award, including the comprehensive Bangs & Works compilations from 2010 and 2011, DJ Nate's disjunctive, minimalist 2010… Continue

Running have always had an aesthetic sense more sophisticated than that of a typical noise-punk band. Their J-card in their debut tape had… Continue

Honestly, if Ryan Duggan stole my girlfriend, kicked my dog, and got a job at RedEye hate-blogging about the Reader, I'd still consider… Continue

As much as there is to like about technologies like smartphones and cheap prosumer digital cameras, they've attracted some criticism for enabling the swarms… Continue

Running a DIY venue is a rough business—not only do you always have to try to always avoid the cops (always), but the people… Continue

Chicago sound artist Olivia Block tends to make intricately detailed music that collides field recordings with live instrumentation in unexpected ways, but she… Continue

In a pattern common among artists who run labels, Chicago electronic musician Brian Labycz launched Peira to release one of his own recordings… Continue

Hyde Park resident Jonathan Horwich has only released three titles via International Phonograph since reviving the long-dormant label last year, but in each… Continue

The local rock scene has enjoyed something of a psychedelic renaissance over the past few years, with groups such as Disappears and Cave combining… Continue

It's not easy being an opening act, never mind the first act of a daylong festival bill. That's the challenge that Chrissy Murderbot,… Continue

The Cathedral of the Black Goat took over Cafe Lura (3184 N. Milwaukee) one night in March with an eight-band underground extreme-metal bill… Continue

Given that all five members of Tortoise are known for their expansive listening habits and tendency to exhaustively explore whatever genre currently has their… Continue

Open since October 2011 in the Music Garage and run by industry veteran Victor Salazar, former general manager of the Drum Pad in… Continue

Marc Ruvolo, proprietor of Logan Square's Bucket O'Blood Books and Records, seemed surprised when I found on his shelves a review copy of… Continue

The song closed the show. And did you know about the second verse? The man who danced with his wife turns out to… Continue

There is something conceptually weird about a bunch of tattooed young scenesters with hairstyles that probably don't make sense to anyone over age 40… Continue

During the 80s and 90s, when the Wax Trax label was at the peak of its influence, Chicago was the primary American home for… Continue

For several years Terrell Jones and Joseph "Fresh Goods" Robinson have been throwing parties and one-offs in conjunction with their streetwear brand, Vita Morte.… Continue

It's nice to at least have the option of escape when attending a show with less-than-desirable opening bands (or headliners, for that matter). The… Continue

On Monday and Wednesday nights at Hyde Park's Cove Lounge, you can order an Old Style from a bartender with a very old… Continue

Second Story's reputation preceded it. I'd heard for years about a North Michigan Avenue bar, perhaps mythic, that was proximate to but untouched… Continue