Fellow Mike Keneally freaks rejoice: there’s a surprise release on the horizon! April 9, 2013, brings the release of Wing Beat Elastic, a disc of demos, “remixes” and outtakes You May Also Like: Mike Keneally, “Draconian Blump” from ‘Nonkertompf’ (1999): One Track Mind How Mike Keneally’s Comeback on ‘The UniverseRead More

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. You May Also Like: Chicago, “Questions 67 & 68” from Chicago TransitRead More

Here’s a band so obscure and long forgotten that even the most voracious vinyl collector probably isn’t even aware of their existence. Formed in 1980, the Pencils featured singer and guitarist Tony Skeggs, singer and bassist Den Pugsley, keyboardist Rick Birmingham and drummer Andy Wells. You May Also Like: TheRead More

Don’t cry, indeed. For Ben Sidran — producer of Van Morrison and Rickie Lee Jones, co-writer of “Space Cowboy” with Steve Miller, sessions man with the Rolling Stones, NPR radio voice — being a hipster seems like such an effortless thing. You May Also Like: Jeff Berlin, Ben Sidran, JeffRead More

I’m a sucker for the storyteller. Sure, the swinging hooks and catchy riffs are great, but for all the various attributes that make an artist or band stand out, the bard card is generally what lures me into month-long catalog benders. You May Also Like: ‘Memories of a White Magician’Read More