Music

M83? Too fashionable. Lil Wayne? Too “gangsta.” Vampire Weekend? What’s the point?

From Fleet Foxes to Black Mountain, it’s the best of the best, so sayeth Smile Politely’s music critics.

We run down mp3s from local artists released this year, including The Headlights, Post Historic, Hathaways, and Dr. Doctor.

I Refute Technology, the new EP from Peoria musician Jared Bartman, is an innovative exploration of how far the boundaries of a song can go. It’s important to note that the four track disc, recorded …

A little over two years ago I was working office temp jobs. At one particular job, my temporary co-worker was making nice and asked if I liked music. As the lite-rock station played in the …

Photo by Brittany Pyle With the launch of a long-anticipated new album coming in a few months, Elsinore is off on a quick, pre-holiday eastern tour this week, designed to highlight their progress. Shedding their …

With work, family and stocking up on Five Hour Energy Drinks for finals week, who has the time to find out about the best shows happening in Champaign-Urbana? No need to fear, because the editors …

Last spring, local singer-songwriter Morgan Orion stood in front of a living room filled with friends and supporters while singing his simple but astoundingly honest songs. Since then, he has been frequently playing in various …

Step by step. Heart to heart. Left right left. I’m coming out. I want the world to know: What’s love got to do, got to do with it? Our lips are sealed. I don’t mind …

It’s that time of year again — the end of it. With only a couple weeks left until 2009 takes over, there’s nothing left to do but reflect on the year that was. Oh, and …

The microphone drips with a foul mix of sweat and PBR as it teeters and jolts among a cacophony of cymbals. A crowd of drunken friends scream along with their favorite songs and beat each …

At the somewhat ripe age of 51, I pretty much question continuing my maniacal pursuit of rock music every time I venture out the door to see a show. The first 20-something to step on …

The Fall Semester Showdown begins tonight at Canopy. While checking out the first of three nights of local music at Canopy Club would probably be a good idea, seeing Thursday night’s show would be more …

Local solo artist Anne Clements will perform tonight at 10 p.m. on WEFT Sessions. As always, you can listen the old-fashioned way at 90.1 FM or online at weft.org. After the jump, a lively Q&A …

With work, family and updating twitters, who has the time to find out about the best shows happening in Champaign-Urbana? No need to fear, because the editors here at Smile Politely have taken care of …

In the course of the busy pre-finals music weekend that is coming up, you may have only one opportunity to see painstakingly-recreated Pink Floyd songs. If that’s your bag, then Eclipse, a Nashville-based septet, will …

In the music community, the label Christian Rock seems to be as disliked of a term as “hipster band.” Just as countless artists stress they are more than just a fad created by Pitchfork (Clap …

David Bazan is from the Pacific Northwest, so the little winter squall that delayed his flight’s arrival into Champaign Wednesday night didn’t faze him. Bazan, who will be back in town Saturday night for a …

How often has four dollars provided you with eight hours of entertainment and helped a good cause? Well, tomorrow night at Cowboy Monkey that can be true at the WRFU What Matters benefit. As detailed …

Winning awards is easy. Name an award. An Oscar for best picture, you say? If you want to be taken seriously, you’ve got to give your movie a one word title. Titanic, Gladiator, Braveheart and …

There are some phrases that never lead to anything good, and “cracked skull” is certainly one of them. Fortunately, Nic Dillon of local indie-rock/folk duo Casados is almost fully recovered from injuries he suffered in …

Tonight, local indie pop outfit The Brother Whys is headlining at Canopy Club. Earlier this week, I met with Tom Riordan, lead singer of the quintet, to ask him a few questions shortly after he …

As “one of three million white singer songwriters who play acoustic guitar” (so says his MySpace page), Todd Reese doesn’t have singularity on his side. So he has to battle to rise above the maddening …

With work, the holidays and finals quickly approaching, who has the time to find out about the best shows happening in Champaign-Urbana? No need to fear, because the editors here at Smile Politely have taken …

With the holiday season officially in full swing, and Christmas music and Muzak being played from every speaker system in earshot, I thought it might be worth sharing this tune that I rediscovered over the …

What were you doing ten years ago? I was an 11 year old wearing a “repeat three-peat” Chicago Bulls t-shirt while listening to the Godzilla soundtrack on repeat. From Puff Daddy rapping to Zeppelin to …

Alex Smith of the Normal, Illinois, band Constant Velocity took me out for grilled cheese sandwiches at Sunsinger, where we talked about his new CD, Muttonhead; Eric Clapton; and why he can get a gig …

With work, family and shooting turkeys, who has the time to find out about the best shows happening in Champaign-Urbana? No need to fear, because the editors here at Smile Politely have taken care of …

Kate and James Hathaway, who together comprise the Hathaways, are like two sides of a coin. It’s not that they are complete opposites (this brother and sister duo don’t work off the little bit country, …

Earlier this week, Smile Politely talked to So Long Forgotten. The band has been touring of late but this Sunday night you can see them live at the Canopy Club. Colour Revolt, a guitar-heavy outfit …

Tonight at the Virginia Theatre, turn the clock back to the mid-1800s for “Granny’s Porch: Lincoln and his Music; Melodies that Moved the Man and the Nation.” Get a feel for what Illinois culture was …

Back in 2003, local Parasol-umbrella label Grand Theft Autumn rallied their friends and foes over the years to create a compilation album intriguingly titled Soak Your Shoes in Red Wine, & Strike the Angels Dumb>. …

How is it that two bands that sound so very different can completely suck in equal amounts? One band is from the shiny happy suburbs of Chicago, the other is from decidedly less shiny Kansas …

Dan Hubbard and the Humadors’ self-titled debut album just came out last month, and the band now has a whole mess of tour dates to promote the new disc. The Bloomington-Normal-based band’s Myspace page declares …

After playing the record-release show for their new EP, Baptism, in Mahomet on Saturday night, So Long Forgotten will be featured on WEFT Sessions tonight at 10 p.m. on WEFT–90.1 FM. As always, you can …

With work, family and the Christmas on Mars video game, who has the time to find out about the best shows happening in Champaign-Urbana? No need to fear, because the editors here at Smile Politely …

This just in: The Wu-Tang Clan have been confirmed for a concert at The Canopy on Saturday, Dec. 13. While the lineup will be missing original members Ol’ Dirty Bastard (R.I.P.) and Method Man (who …

Trapped in my own closed-mindedness, I have a narrow view of what space rock is. It has always been early Flaming Lips and bands like Hum singing about Mars or stars or any other easily …

Near the end of my performing career, my band, Absinthe Blind, had the chance to open up for Starlight Mints at The Casbah in San Diego in August of 2003. Naturally, we did the chit …

You’ve been there. You’ve shoved in the fluorescent orange ear plugs, saddled up to a Long Island iced tea, braved the crowds to catch your favorite band and maybe even seen a comedy show or …

Lucky Mulholland, a local four-piece with Bryan Phelps on guitar and vocals, Jackson Keating on bass, Jolee Phelps on keyboards and Theo Long on drums, plays a gig tomorrow night at the Iron Post at …

A couple years ago I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands, Saturday Looks Good to Me, at the Canopy. Their modern take on 1950s pop served a lot of great purposes …

There’s a full slate of tuneful Midwestern rock music on tap at Mike ‘n Molly’s tonight, as Joliet’s Deconstructing Jim are joined by Milwaukee’s Fulbright Scholar and Champaign-Urbana’s Withershins for a 10 p.m. show. Cover …

Angie Heaton has been a part of the Champaign-Urbana music scene since the early ‘90s, when she was a member of Corndolly. Now primarily a solo artist, Heaton will bring her folky sound to WEFT …

With work, family and cursing the cold weather, who has the time to find out about the best shows happening in Champaign-Urbana? No need to fear, because the editors here at Smile Politely have taken …

This year there was an added incentive to join the Big Ten’s only student-run record label, Green Street Records. The selected student bands not only will receive assistance in promotion and booking, but this year …

The sold out crowd at Canopy Club Wednesday night included many people who did not know what to expect when Gregg Gillis took the stage. This was evident when a chant of, “Girl Talk – …

Wilco fans: listen up. Starcourse has announced their first show of the spring semester of 2009: An Evening with Jeff Tweedy. Tickets go on sale soon and a price of $20 for students and $25 …