Jessica Hopper

Next week Locrian plays its first local show in two years. The dark drone trio is known for its sprawling, atmospheric compositions and sonically lacerating albums that incorporate aspects of...

Jim Magas moved here "back when rent in Chicago was cheaper than in Ann Arbor," in the mid-'90s, after the implosion of his noise-damage outfit Couch. Upon his arrival he...

For James King, the sound of his future is rooted in his past. Born in Chicago to Nigerian parents, King got to know Nigerian culture directly when his family moved...

On Billy Dave Sherman's second album with his orchestral-pop band The Steak House Mints, he not only sings from the perspective of a woman, he channels a prostitute. The group...

Like many great mysteries, this one begins with the extraordinary claims of a strange man. "Every record store like this (Record Dugout) has a character like Joe Lopez," says Numero...

Shana East never meant for things to turn out as they have, but she's glad they did. "I thought that maybe if I was lucky I would get two horns...

Alex Fruchter's website-cum-label, Closed Sessions is a boutique hip-hop endeavor that strays from the traditional model of releasing physical albums and linear promotion. Every track on each of the label's...

Brandon Boom insists they are all just friends. Which is to say that their scene is not really one — it just looks that way from the outside. "We are...

Brandon Boom insists they are all just friends. Which is to say that their scene is not really one — it just looks that way from the outside. "We are...