Music

A strikingly different Heartless Bastards record and the beginning of Women’s History month provide the perfect opportunity to revisit an old, sobering question.

Find out about the best shows around town, and enter to win tickets to see Murder By Death this Saturday.

Caleb Means of New Ruins talks Spiderman and recording techniques with three Champaign-Urbana tots.

The former frontman of the Foremen plays a complex set of left-leaning political satire. But he doesn’t look like a hippie…

This week Erin talks to Parasol and explains why Kool-Aid and conviction are going to save the economy.

Local hip hop artist Agent Mos tells you how to increase your collection of dope independent releases in 15 albums — past and present.

Chicago psych-pop maestros Mazes (offshoots of the 1900s) play their debut show at Canopy Friday night. But it seems like they’ve been here before …

Slump, schlump: New Ruins’ colossal second release demonstrates exponential growth in the tunesmithery and arrangement departments.

In this week’s musical rundown: Sara Bareilles, Elsinore, Mazes, New Ruins, Tractor Kings, Common Loon, Santa … plus free tickets!

Mark Laughlin gets pointers from one of the world’s greatest percussionists, Bolokada Conde, living in our own backyard.

See four bands for five bucks at Mike ‘n Molly’s this Saturday night, including groups from such exotic locales as Sheboygan and Eau Claire.

This North Carolina quintet brings its unique hybrid of traditional West African music and American rhythm and blues to the Cowboy Monkey tonight. And yes, you can dance to it.

Ben Kweller continues to write albums that shouldn’t be great, but somehow are. Zack Adcock can’t explain it, but will keep listening as long as it’s good.

Staunchly independent label Mississippi Records re-issues two records by bands that exemplify the do-it-yourself ethos in the US and UK in the early ’80s.

The veteran crowd-pleasing Chicago ensemble is still able to refresh and rejuvenate, even when working with LeAnn Rimes’ material.

This week: the sounds of West Africa, the return of the Shadow Boxer Collective, Southern rock, and Hot Cops. Plus, a ticket giveaway!

Big Bluestem brings their “Tunes and Songs of Love, Merriment & Mayhem” to the airwaves and the web tonight at 10 p.m.

Brian uses words and images to describe the sounds of Santa’s latest show at Canopy.

William and Cristy are stumped as to why there are so many songs named after Caroline.

The Champaign-Urbana alum brings his latest musical venture, Certain People I Know, to campus tonight as an opener for Smoking Popes. Read on to win tickets!

Two recent releases demonstrate the limited choices available to guitar slingers in the post-ax worship universe.

Unemployed Architects get a dose of the spotlight tonight on WEFT Sessions.

Find out how you can win a pair of tickets to see The Smoking Popes and Robert Nanna at the Courtyard Cafe this Friday.

William Gillespie and Cristy Scoggins share a preview of their show, Rock Geek FM, which airs tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.

Tuesday night in Springfield, Rain played the same Beatles songs they’ve been playing for 35 years. And the boomers ate it right up!

Win tickets to see the one-man soul jam that is Keller Williams.

Nic and Heather Dillon of local group Casados teach you how to mind your manners.

Remembering musical pioneer John Martyn, a peer of Richard Thompson, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and the like.

Master drummer Moussa Bolokada Conde and friends perform West African percussive music.

Bruce Springsteen released his 16th record last week. Zack Adcock thinks The Boss has seen better days.

Jeff Tweedy put on a fantastic show at Foellinger on Saturday night, and Cody Bralts has some fantastic pictures to prove it.

Eureka Brown reveal their madcap mix of Flaming Lips and hip hop tonight on WEFT at 10 p.m.

Find out about the week’s best concerts, plus enter to win a pair of Keller Williams tickets.

Four bands converge on Canopy Club Saturday night, driven by the intensity of their disdain for Jeff Tweedy. Not really, but they thought it would be fun to pretend..

As we anxiously await tomorrow night’s Jeff Tweedy show at Foellinger, a few veterans of the C-U music scene share Tweedy stories. Today’s also your last chance to enter to win a pair of tickets to the sold-out show.

Metal band SunnO)))’s latest release of a live performance in a Norwegian cathedral may be the group’s most compelling and realized recording to date.

This week Brian combines words and images to talk about the sounds of Bloomington-Normal’s best band, Ohtis.

A quick run through early 2009 releases, plus a 2008 straggler, including Bon Iver, Mattias Hellberg, and MV & EE.

Twenty years ago, Ministry released perhaps the best album in its genre. Today, Seth Fein thinks its message is more frightening (and real) than ever.

Leave your ear plugs at home this week. Read on to discover how you can win tickets to the SOLD OUT Jeff Tweedy show this Saturday at Foellinger.

Brian Mertz tells us what record will get even the worst crowd in the world moving, as well as why C-U produces so many successful DJs.

The Great Cover Up played The Highdive three nights over the past week, with 21 bands total. Some played it straight, some camped it up, but a good time was had by all.

Brian talks about the new president, a new direction for his column and the super dreamy Jon Bon Jovi.

As Generation X (reluctantly) braces for the remake of Karate Kid, Seth Fein talks about the best song from the original film, and why it was an on-screen moment that wouldn’t, and couldn’t, be understood by the iPod generation.

Larry Gates spills the beans about oil and hip hop. Despite popular belief, there’s no shortage of either.

The Shadowboxer Collective, a new coalition of local musicians Ryan Groff, Nic Dillon and Cole Rabenort, aims to organize shows with a quieter dynamic in C-U.

Local singer/songwriter Carl Hauck stops by to chat about video games, songwriting and sucking up to Todd Hunter.

When was the last time you went to a concert featuring a percussionist who makes his own bowed gongs? Thought so.