The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day by the British and that pretty much describes the mood around my house this year. We were all jacked up on candy, making trips to the fridge hoping each time that something good would magically appear besides yesterday’s leftovers. Throughout the day, I would catch one of us conducting a thorough scan of the tree, just in case there was one more present that we had somehow overlooked. It was definitely the anticlimax of Christmas, we were stepping on each others toes, snappy, and just plain pathetic to look at. Yep, I could definitely see a full fledged fight breaking out any minute.

About the time I was planning my escape route, I got a text from none other than The HB, herself. I instantly perked up when I saw those words I have learned to love to read, “Check your email!!!”. Whoo hoo! I knew what that meant…All my wishing on that tree had paid off!

After going through 24 hours of (present) withdrawals, there was no way I was rushing this baby. Uh uh, but I immediately took a quick peek! My face broke out in the biggest shit eating grin you ever did see when I read the attachment “Deluxe Edition”. Oh yeah, that girl knows me well!

After a quick download of The Aesthetic’s “I Am (Deluxe Edition)”, I quickly sampled each song. This is what I consider to be my appetizer/wine tasting session. What popped in my ears was the upbeat, very fast driving “Sinking In” that dared me not to jump up and start dancing around. Continue Reading

The Barcait Couture came together roughly 3 years ago. After a few small tweaks, including a name change, The ExoSkeleton was born last fall. Winning the Congress Theater Battle of the Bands, playing venues such as The Bottom Lounge, Beat Kitchen and The Metro, this band is quickly making a name for themselves. I recently sat down with Vinny(vox) and Jason(drums) to find out what their music is all about, their creative process, and exactly what they are bringing to the music scene in Chicago. Continue Reading

Today, I found out that Imperial Sons is very close to deadline on their Kickstarter goal. For anyone who doesn’t know, Kickstarter is an innovative new program to fund creative projects. Kickstarter is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully-funded or no money changes hands. Imperial Sons have a goal of $2500 and are just $1185 short. This money once raised will put them in the studio to record an EP.  With the deadline looming, we are trying to get as many people to help out as possible. Check out their video below, and read on for details on how you can be part of their EP.

You can pledge any amount, from one dollar up to thousands of dollars towards this project on Kickstarter! Any pledge that is $15 or greater, will receive a 1st edition copy of the Imperial Sons EP along with a signed poster by the band! Any pledge that is $50 or greater will receive a personal HUG from each member. What are you waiting for??

Grab your card and help out a deserving local artist defray some of the cost of going into the studio. For more information, check out this  link.

In a scene that is literally bursting at the seams with local talent, The Action Blast is making their own waves. They have shared the bill with The Sleeping, Greek Fire, Am Taxi, 30 Seconds To Mars, Seether, Papa Roach, and just recently finished touring with RED. Playing to sold out crowds at The Metro, House of Blues and The Bottom Lounge in Chicago is just the beginning for this band. Continue Reading

Limitless, Ambient, Dreamy, Experimental, Structure less, Progressive; These are all words that Goodbye Good Sense used to describe their music when asked what a new listener could expect when playing their CD for the first time. I sat down with Brandon, Jason, and Jon on a dreary Sunday afternoon. Dan joined us via speakerphone. Continue Reading

Everyone knows I am always looking for something new to listen to. Today I want to talk a little bit about  those bands that accost you as you’re leaving a venue. You know exactly what I’m talking about, the musician who has the look of determination in his eyes, trying so hard just to get someone to listen to their music. They have free disks, stickers and fliers. If they can get just one new fan, the night was a success. Maybe that one  listener will turn into a future ticket sale, maybe they’ll buy some kind of merch to support said band, maybe they will do something as simple as telling a friend who could tell another friend and so on and so forth. Continue Reading