Jim DeRogatis: PopNStuff

Google doodles: Moog or Les Paul, which is cooler?

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:07:00 -0500

If you haven't seen it yet, Google today is honoring the 78th birthday of electronic music pioneer Robert Moog with a playable doodle/theme of his famous Minimoog synthesizer, an instrument that changed the world of popular music every bit as much as the electric guitar.In fact, the last Google

Donna Summer: 1949—2012

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:06:00 -0500

Donna Summer, one of the most successful singers of the 1970s and perhaps the most important female artist in the history of electronic music, died this morning after a battle with cancer.

Mayne Stage builds a musical dream team

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:43:00 -0500

As dream teams go, the crew of Chicago club and concert veterans recently assembled to run the newish Rogers Park venue Mayne Stage rivals even Marvel Comics’ legendary Avengers.

Riot Fest books the Stooges, Elvis Costello, Rise Against and more

Tue, 15 May 2012 07:45:00 -0500

The eighth annual Riot Fest has tapped some of the biggest names yet for its raucous stages. The first round of acts announced by promoters includes Rise Against, Iggy and the Stooges, Elvis Costello, the Offspring, Gogol Bordello and the Jesus and Mary Chain.

Riot Fest takes it outside

Mon, 14 May 2012 06:50:00 -0500

Promoters of the end-of-summer punk-rock blow-out Riot Fest are hoping to expand yet again by taking the festival outdoors to Humboldt Park.

Norah Jones: Still Snorah to me

Thu, 10 May 2012 06:11:00 -0500

Alas, even super-producer Brian Burton cannot animate a corpse. Jones remains painfully bland, contagious and annoying enough even to remove the joys of Burton’s dense, murky sonic swirl.

‘Mad Men’ spotlights the Beatles’ best song

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:49:00 -0500

This blog will leave the TV critiquing to the TV critics, but one thing we can say with certainty is that in its fifth season on AMC, Mad Men is on a roll with its musical selections and cool inside-rock references, from Megan Draper’s performance of “Zou Bisou Bisou” a few weeks back, to t

Santigold gives us a party record for summer 2012

Mon, 07 May 2012 15:43:00 -0500

With her 2008 debut Santogold, the vivacious Santi White earned more than her fair share of comparisons to M.I.A., as if pop might only have room for one high-spirited woman bringing world rhythms into the realm of electronic dance pop.

Damon Albarn: Lost in a prog bog

Thu, 03 May 2012 08:45:00 -0500

I've followed and championed Damon Albarn through all of his many musical journeys. But his new album, Dr. Dee, is a plodding, ponderous, joyless mess.

Bassnectar pumps it up

Wed, 02 May 2012 08:30:00 -0500

The self-released Vava Voom is an impressive example of a talented visionary drawing connections to electronic dance music's past while breaking ground for the future.