There are plenty of bands that wear their influences on their sleeves, to the point where their material could be mistaken for those who influenced them. Sometimes its an intentional homage, other times its accidental

In adding muscular horns to California Transit Authority, Danny Seraphine has fulfilled the promise of one of the best songs on CTA’s hard-grooving new release Sacred Ground: He’s come full circle.

Chicago continues to offer fans unprecedented access into the progress of their long-awaited new project, as co-founding member Robert Lamm posts the step-by-step construction of a track called “Naked in the Garden of Allah.”

Proof positive that Chicago is, at long last, working on some new music arrives via streams of two songs — still in demo form. In fact, these rough cuts don’t even have the band’s fabled horn section yet.

Here’s an exclusive sneak peek at the title track from California Transit Authority’s long-awaited sophomore release, led by Chicago co-founder Danny Seraphine and featuring Marc Bonilla and Tower of Power vocalist Larry Braggs

It’s not just that Chicago doesn’t sound like old Chicago anymore. In fact, nobody does. Or, more correctly, nobody did. What’s left of the original band, having now issued just one original album since 1991, has been supplanted.

The Cash Box Kings reanimate that moment when popular music — both black and white — began to coalesce into the rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic. It’s loud music, fun music, occasionally delving into darker themes, but possessing an impetuous, undeniable rhythm.

California Transit Authority, which boasts a throwback sound to leader Danny Seraphine’s co-founding stint in Chicago, didn’t feature horns at first. But all of that is about to change with its forthcoming new studio effort.

There are as many Christmas music traditions as there are stockings hung with with care. For some, the process of awaiting ole St. Nick requires a classic soundtrack, filled with old favorites. For others, something newer makes sense.

The tireless Bobby Kimball has just returned from a South American tour, and already he’s got plans for another series of concert appearances — this time on the other side of the world.