A bout a year ago, Lifeguard had an epiphany. They’d been hammering away on a 10-minute noise suite in their hometown of Chicago, layering waves of improvised cacophony into a fearsome slab of sound that they hoped would anchor their full-length debut. Then they realized they didn’t need it. “We …
Read More »Chicago's Michelada Fest Cancels 2025 Edition Over Artist Visa 'Uncertainty' Under Trump
Michelada Fest is canceling its 2025 edition. On Tuesday, the Chicago-based festival, scheduled for mid-July, announced it will not go forward with its event due to visa issues affecting Mexican corrido artists under the Trump administration. “Due to the uncertainty surrounding artist visas and the rapidly changing political climate, we’re …
Read More »Lifeguard Reveal Debut Album, Summer Tour
Get ready to dive into this summer with Lifeguard. The Chicago punk/experimental rock trio announced today that their full-length debut, Ripped and Torn, will arrive June 6 through Matador Records. The album follows several years of rapidly rising buzz for Lifeguard, starting when all three of its members were still …
Read More »Drill Pioneer Young Chop Is Back on Some 'Cool Shit'
When I open my Zoom session with Chicago producer Young Chop, his display photo is a picture of him shirtless, flashing a wad of cash. “Boy, that ain’t never your Zoom picture!” his manager Jessie “Jay Boogie” Green jokes. Chop flashes a beaming grin when he turns his camera on, …
Read More »How Horsegirl Opened Up Their World
H ere they come now, bustling down the street in Brooklyn, three young musicians wrapped in winter coats and chatting animatedly among themselves as they approach the diner on the corner. It’s a chilly Friday in December, just a couple of degrees above freezing, but that’s nothing for this trio …
Read More »Horsegirl Reveal New Album Coming in 2025
Horsegirl are riding back into town in 2025. The indie trio announced today that their second LP, Phonetics On and On, will be released on Feb. 14, 2025, via Matador Records. This is terrific news for anyone who likes unusual guitar tones and sneakily catchy DIY songcraft. Formed when singer-guitarists …
Read More »Chief Keef Documentary to Follow Rapper's Rise, Hiatus, and Return to Chicago
A new documentary following Chief Keef, who exploded onto the rap scene as a teenage prodigy and personified Chicago drill, will chronicle his work and impact on the music industry, according to Variety. Kenya Barris‘ Khalabo Ink Society will collaborate with multi-media company Lyrical Lemonade and Cole Bennett, who is …
Read More »Florida Was Their Home. Anti-Trans Laws Led Them to Flee
I n early March of last year, Casey was nearly done with her opening shift at a McDonald’s in DeLand, Florida, when she saw an alert pop up on her screen. It was a text from a friend with reports of a new proposed state law, an early draft of …
Read More »Yvette Nicole Brown, Dean Norris, More Celebs Hit DNC. We're Along for the Ride
CHICAGO – As political leaders have been campaigning for the Democratic Party and its nominees throughout the week, a contingent of Hollywood stars are making the case for the importance of funding the arts and the efficacy of the arts at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. They’re here with …
Read More »Primarily Peaceful Protests Mark Opening of Democratic National Convention
CHICAGO — The first major protest during the Democratic National Convention on Monday was primarily a peaceful one as more than 200 coalitions, according to organizers, gathered at Union Park, blocks away from the United Center where major events for the DNC are taking place this week. The goal, according …
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