The following week The Nightwatchman better known as Tom Morello takes over two days at Schubas with his version of folky political songs. If that’s not your style Morello’s former Audioslave singer, Chris Cornell, is back this time at the Congress Theater. If you missed his Metro appearance a few months ago do yourself a favor and do not make the same mistake.
The summer is also about festivals and July has it’s share of them. Pitchforth Music Festival is back again this year with everyone from Cat Power, Iron & Wine, Yoko Ono, Sonic Youth and Of Montreal. If you can’t make Lollapalooza than do yourself a favor and make sure to at least check out this one out in Union Park.
If that’s not your style then how about dressing all in black and heading out to Tinley Park for the Family Values Tour? One again Korn is headlining and bringing Evanescence and a slew of bands that will ensure whiplash by the end of the night.
The following weekend you can head right back to First Midwest Bank Amphitheater for the always entertaining Vans Warped Tour now in its thirteenth year. The usual suspects are here like Bad Religion, New Found Glory along with the new crop of up and comers as well.
Also keep an eye and ear open for The Decemberists on the 18th at Millennium Park, Travis at the Vic Theater on the 21st and Incubus at Charter One on the 25th.
On the CD front we have a few to look forward starting with today. Velvet Revolver’s long anticipated ”Libertad” finally arrives in store. It’s about time Weiland, Slash and the boys did a follow-up to their 2004 “Contrand” CD. If you liked the first one then I hear you are gonna go crazy over this one. It’s gotten a lot of great press and I can’t wait until they make their way back to Chicago later this year.
On the 10th, two bands that have recently reunited are dropping their new CDs and are out to prove that we should still care.
First up is of course Chicago’s own Billy Corgan and along with drummer Jimmy Chamberlain are back under the marquee, Smashing Pumpkins. The jury is still out whether this will feel like the Pumpkins or just Zwan Part Deux! For what it’s worth I hope so. I’ve been a big fan of Corgan and the Pumpkins and they have proven to the world that great music can come out of another city other than L.A. or New York.
Another band that recently reunited and who played the Coachella Music Festival a few month’s back is the 80’s hit makers, Crowed House. I’ve always been a fan of singer-songwriter Neil Finn ever since his days fronting Spit Enz. It’s their first album since 1993 and Finn has always proven himself as a great singer and knows his way around a harmony and a hook. Let’s hope “Time on Earth” is worth the time to listen.
Just fresh from the Fergie tour we find the California band Rooney dropping their follow-up to their 2003 self-titled album. It’s been a long road for this band that should have released their follow-up in the spring of 2005. But the lost album “The Kids After Sunset” never surfaced perhaps due to switching labels. Regardless, the L.A. 5-piece is back with “Calling The World.” They almost stole the show from Fergie recently at the House of Blues and they are worth a listen if you are a fan of bands like The Cars or Weezer.
On the 24th Prince officially releases his new CD, “Planet Earth” to record stores around the world. There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the album after it was announced his royal purpleness would release the album free in a UK national newspaper called “The Mail on Sunday.” Time will tell if this will actually happen but has created a lot of backlash with music distributors. Regardless, you never know what is up Prince’s sleeves and there is a big rumor that a reunion with Wendy and Lisa is featured on the new album.
Last but not lease on the 31st we have Chicago’s Common dropping his new release entitled, “Finding Forever.” His seventh album’s title Common has stated is about that forever music that lives on, well, forever like the songs of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Kanye West once again pops up as producer and has special guests vocals from D’Angelo and flavor of the month, Lily Allen. I love Common’s style and you can’t argue his ambition.
So there you have it for July, but don’t take my advice go out there and explore your own musical taste and let me know what I missed.
* Photo of The Police by JASON SQUIRES
• Random Noise appears monthly, exclusively in Lumino Magazine.
Powered by AkoComment 2.0!
