Clik here to view.
The Marías are back and dreamier than ever on Superclean, Vol. II
The songs of the Marías’ have a laid-back vibe, but every guitar riff in their songs feels like it was precisely placed in an artfully curated sonic atmosphere that calls to mind grainy films from the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Leftover Crack and Negative Approach turn the floor of the Metro into a...
You know what sounds like a terrifyingly wild idea? Pack the Metro full of the rabid Leftover Crack and Negative Approach fans, set them up in the middle of the venue’s floor, and let ’er rip.…
View ArticleClik here to view.
Chicago ska trailblazers Heavy Manners honor original bassist and scene hero...
In the early 80s, Chicago ska group Heavy Manners were an anomaly. Ska wouldn’t completely catch on in the midwest till the genre’s successful third wave in the 90s, but Heavy Manners helped plant...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Helio Sequence celebrate ten years of experimental pop with a deluxe...
Helio Sequence, formed in 1999 by Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel, in Beaverton, Oregon, have spent the last two decades pushing the boundaries of indie-pop. The duo’s first handful of releases...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tropa Magica take their hybrid psychedelic cumbia punk to new heights
In 2012, brothers David and Rene Pacheco emerged from East Los Angeles with Thee Commons, a band that blended elements of cumbia, chicha, surf, punk, psych, and more. Despite having all the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Dead South champion old-fashioned sounds through new-fangled means
Don’t let the name fool you—the Dead South are actually from the far north. Regina, Saskatchewan, to be exact.…
View ArticleClik here to view.
Russian Circles lead a night that shows Chicago’s got a lot of heavy music to...
Following two sold-out stints at the Empty Bottle earlier this year, hometown “instru-metal” heroes Russian Circles reward their local legions once more with this Metro date the day after...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bros do Prose brings hip-hop to Neverland in Peter Pan
The two-person cast plays a multitude of characters with infinite energy. After the bows and applause on the night I attended this two-actor rendition of J.M. Barrie's classic story, a little girl in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Drab Majesty welcomes you to a gloriously morbid future
Drab Majesty makes cool synth-pop for androgynous alien vampires and elaborate, moping androids. Deb Demure (aka Andrew Clinco) refers to his music as "tragic wave,” and it’s clear that he's inspired...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Experimental songwriter Jarboe fuses subversion, devotion, and ritual
Singer-songwriter, keyboardist, and composer Jarboe first drew national attention in the mid-80s as a member of Swans, remaining the only consistent member other than the group’s founder Michael Gira...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Floorplan bring their blend of house and gospel to the native home of those...
As an original member of politically progressive electronic group Underground Resistance, Robert Hood helped make techno one of Detroit’s biggest exports during the late 80s. But in 1992, he set off...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Exploratory Baltimore duo Wume find a stronger voice on Towards the Shadow
The debut full-length album of exploratory Baltimore duo Wume, 2015’s Maintain (Ehse), only sparingly features lyrics, and live the duo of drummer/vocalist April Camlin and keyboardist Albert Schatz...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Amber Liu redefines herself from K-pop idol to solo artist
Amber Liu’s tomboy fashion and tattoos have made her stand out among her peers in the crowded K-pop market, but they pale in comparison to the force of her personality. Liu is most known for being a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
JD McPherson returns to his rockabilly and R&B roots on Socks
JD McPherson originally busted out on the scene in 2010 with his single "North Side Gal." The lead track of his debut album, Signs & Signifiers, which was produced in Chicago by bassist/guitarist...
View ArticleClik here to view.
H.E.R.'s healing R&B will soothe you regardless of whether you know who she...
In September 2016, RCA released H.E.R. Volume 1, the debut EP from an R&B singer whose stage name, H.E.R., is an acronym for Having Everything Revealed. She didn’t offer clues to her identity in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Local new music ensemble Aperiodic looks within for new material
Since 2010, Aperiodic has enriched Chicago’s new music scene by performing new and rarely heard work by composers who augment their prescribed sounds with indeterminate events and collaborative...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Beijing-based duo brings minimalist rock to the Hideout
Take a choppy rhythm, sustain it past the point of comfort, and, if you must put something on top, keep it simple. If the Velvet Underground, the Monks, Neu, and the Fall haven’t already proved the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Makaya McCraven showcases jazz's bright contemporary scenes throughout...
At 35, Chicago jazz drummer, producer, and bandleader Makaya McCraven possesses the wisdom of a musician twice his age. In a July interview with Passion of the Weiss, McCraven shared the thoughtful...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Parquet Courts enter their woke funk-punk phase, and it's great
Parquet Courts are one of the most reliable names in indie rock. The Brooklyn four-piece band releases new material every year like clockwork, and most of it falls into their signature airtight, wiry...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Steadfast Tin Soldier brings us hope, gratitude, and magic
The enchanting Christmas pantomime is masterfully crafted for play and wonder. Many of the memorable experiences created by Lookingglass over the years have been triumphs of imaginative and physical...
View Article