The release of a new album from Chicago blog-era rap legends the Cool Kids is a high point in what’s been a banner year for ...

Local horror-punk four-piece Won’t Stay Dead purge their demons through breakneck riffs and passionate harmonies.

An Ayler Xmas Josh Berman (cornet), Dave Rempis (saxophones), Peter Maunu (guitar, violin), Brian Sandstrom (bass, guitar, ...

Since 2018, Little Village band Iron Years have been releasing frigid, danceable postpunk—a sound most associated with its ...

More than 40 years after noisy no-wave band Bag People broke up, Drag City released a collection of their blistering ...

Last month, underground Chicago hip-hop crew Tomorrow Kings dropped their first album in 12 years, Salt, via Swiss label Buenaventura. They clearly took their time with it, and not just because ...

At iO, the Orbit, an "artful, immersive show," experiments with long-form improv in the round that puts vulnerability first.

Midwestern vaudevillian Dennis Scott discusses his early memories of music, his mentor, and the joys of playing during the ...

Moth Cock Tasha’s Hideous Laughter (aka Max Allison and Joey Meland), Naturalblkinvention, Support (aka Nicole Alonso and Melon Sprout), and Paige Naylor open. Tue 12/23, 9 PM, Cole’s Bar, 2338 N.

The incentives in music journalism say it makes economic sense to cover popular artists. But loving music isn’t about making ...

Bylines labeled “Chicago Reader Staff” are used for features that contain nonwritten, nonreported information like listings, ...

The 2026 budget proposes eliminating library vacancies and cutting about half the funds for new materials, security, and custodial services.