May 13, 2014
This installment of Notes From The Jazz Underground features the playlist based on the Februrary 14th show.The Valentine's Day show wasn't exactly about love, in fact it wasn't necessarily about anything.NFTJU host Paul Abella interviewed Shawn Maxwell about his new band -- a 10 piece band with two bassists, two french horns, two saxophones...
May 12, 2014
The unlikely pairing of Aimee Mann and Ted Leo -- now collectively known as The Both -- brought their tour to Chicago's Metro on Saturday night. The set included tunes from the duo's debut album, as well as a tender take on Mann's Academy Award nominated "Save Me".YouTuber Sojahsey1 was on hand to document...
May 12, 2014
Words: Alex WoodPhotos: Alex Wood & Tom HarmonEdward David Andersons album release show at Martyrs' was about more than his new full-length, Lies & Wishes. It felt like an odd family reunion, old friends gathering together joyously to see Anderson perform with a band after years of patiently waiting.Yet perhaps the most joyous member...
May 9, 2014
Words / Photos: Alex WoodWoods headlining show at the Subterranean was a sort of psychedelic extravaganza, a night full of flangers, phasers, reverb and guitar effects.Local opener Bike Cop sounded as many young psych bands do, using barre-chords to churn out simplistic garage-rock riffs, songs stretching out horizontally for minutes without changing.The four-piece played...
May 8, 2014
I'm pleased to have so many incredible photography contributors to the site, but I'm going to be frank for a second... With the majority of our coverage leaning towards frumpy, static jambands, geriatric classic rockers and shoe gazing, lo-fi indie bands, every now and then we could use some images to spice things up.Enter...
Apr 25, 2014
This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of Stop Making Sense, easily one of the greatest concert films in history. To celebrate, Chicago Talking Heads Tribute band This Must Be The Band are recreating the film as a live stage act at the Pageant in St. Louis tonight. As a bit of warm-up, and a treat...
Apr 23, 2014
When Alex Wood wrote his review of The Mountain Goat's Saturday night show at Old Town School Of Folk music, he was quite taken by the rarities set that John Darnielle offered to the Chicago crowd.It turns out, he wasn't finished. compiling another full set of deep cuts for the second of two nights...
Apr 21, 2014
So I was having my mind blown just a few blocks north on Clark Street this evening, but damned if Cubby Bear didn't also host quite the throw down as well.I recently came across a full show audio stream and download (via archive.org) of The Mantras set from the evening of March 6th, 2014....
Apr 21, 2014
Words / Photos: Alex WoodJohn Darnielle has released music as The Mountain Goats since 1991, developing his unique brand of songwriting, and with it, a devout fan base. Mountain Goats fans see Darnielle as more than simply the author of the songs they love, the songwriters amiable stage persona and endlessly prolific output sets him up as...
Apr 17, 2014
This installment of Notes From The Jazz Underground features the playlist based on the February 7th, 2014 show.This week's show is (mostly) devoted to live performance. There are lengthy, heady and intense jams from Dave Douglas, Fred Anderson (a Chicago legend, especially in the avant garde scene), Phish, Grant Green and Frank Zappa.The show...