Local Loft

Local Loft Episode 373

'Autumn is royal, while Spring is clown." (XTC-Season Cycle-1986)
As the weather warms up, and daylight sticks around for an extra hour before an almost 8 pm sunset, choosing which Chicagoland area bands to check out in numerous shows and venues, can like a circus at any time of year, be a real juggling act.
With every listen to each Local Loft, you'll find out how to best balance your time, by discovering which Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop band has staying power. Which one's music leaves a good lashing impression.
With a 22-year proven track record, veteran Rockford hard rockers Solar put an indelible image in your ears and especially your subconscious. mostly, it's the powerful, and intimate vocal style of Stephanie Jennings. But also, an exquisite duo singing harmony of Stepanie and husband/guitarist Brad Jennings. Solar will release Frantically Calm, their fourth studio album, this Saturday, March 29th.  They'll play the whole thing at their hometown release show at Whiskey's Roadhouse, with Convoy and Wunderlich. Stephanie joins me with all the details of the new album, including an exclusive to Local Loft spin of the first single, the title track.
With a name like King's X, the late 90s/early 2000's power metal trio lead by Doug Pinnick can be considered underground Rock Royalty. Progressive power pop band BlockChain Coalition is looking to leave a huge lasting impression on new and old fans, as they co headline with the veteran rockers in McHenry during Fourth Of July weekend. I've got the scoop.
As one singer silently (Dan Hardman, with very little announcement he was departing the band) rocked out of metalcore quintet A Silent Truth, word got around loud and clear that another screamed his way in to fill the vacancy. They made their return at a west suburban hybrid metal/punk venue, which would be forever silent, as the COVID lockdowns quieted down, Brauerhouse in Lombard. We mosh and body surf our way back eight years ago.
Fire up your device of choice, and spring into total pogo action with the blooming like a rose original Chicagoland original music soundtrack of.
Solar-Frantically Calm
Solar-Deep Within
Wunderlich-Shiver
Yakuza-Capricorn Rising
Gilded Cages-Something For Nothing 
Dee Jay Nelson & Sheer Velocity-Gas Can Vapors
BlockChain Coalition-All That I've Known
Automatic Monster-Tormenta
Convoy-Nuthin' Left
A Silent Truth (interview from Brauerhouse in Lombard-3/17/18 Local Loft Episode 78)
A Silent Truth-Voiceless
A Silent Truth-Chemical

Local Loft Episode 372

Here it comes....wait for it
The post St. Patrick's Day hangover is about to kick in. Before you reach for Tylenol or Tums, crank up this music cure. It'll soothe what pains you. 
The homegrown remedy of original Chicagoland Metal, Punk, Alternative Rock and Power Pop is all mixed up and ready to permeate your senses. You'll be bowled over by the awesome distinctive power of sound, whether or not your play a game of ten pin pickup. Joliet hardcore progressive Punk rockers Prison City Brigade will live up to the Prison in their name. They will be getting inmates in a Michigan Correctional Facility pogoing to the max this June. Singer/Guitarist/Founder Eddie Cavanaugh , and new drummer Jose Possum Gastelum join me before they downsize to a duo for a Saturday Night gig with Second City Seance and Steve's In The Band at Tivoli Bowl in Downer's Grove.
It's Good To Be King, sang the late great Tom Petty, 31 years ago on his debut solo album, Wildflowers. Veteran Chicago singer guitarist Kevin Lee is certainly a Rock Royalty performer, not just him, his longtime band, The Kings. They blast back into the rock mainstream with explosive new single, which has Kevin emulating the raspy, drawl of TP, to a certain degree.
If you aren't rocked good and hard by A.D.D. blame it on your short attention span.  The powerhouse quintet from Lockport returns and won't stand accused when the Blame is assigned for their first new original single in ten years. I've got the scoop on it and where and when in the Joliet region it will be played live on stage.
Punch Cabbie laid down a fist pumping suds soaked pre–St. Patrick's Day night of shenanigans, as the Chicago melodic hard rockers played Brauerhouse in Lombard nine years ago this week. We rock back to it.
Go ahead! Play a mean air shillelagh as you jig dance like a drunk Leprechaun to the original Chicagoland music of:
Prison City Brigade-Mirror Games
Prison City Brigade-One Shot
Steve's In The Band (SITB)-Ten (live at Tivoli Bowl, Downers Grove-3/15/25)
Kevin Lee & The Kings-Bulletproof
The Shades (featuring Kevin Lee-1980)-Saturday Night
Wolfdozier-Down Home (live from Game on Bar & Grill, Peotone-March 2025)
Valla & The Villains-Born Below
A.D.D.-Open Your Eyes
Pure Intention-Psychiatry Kills
Punch Cabbie (live from Brauerhouse in Lombard 3/14/16 Local Loft Episode 20)
Punch Cabbie-Introspection
Punch Cabbie-Vitriol

Local Loft Episode 371

"There ain't gonna be no argument, there ain't gonna be no sentiment....R U Ready To Rock!!!' (Cockney Rejects-1980)
Well of course you are. We'll rock around Chi-town and the surrounding suburbs. By walking feet, car, bus or train. This podcast is the music journey, that lets us reach the destination. From Berwyn to Downers Grove. From Jefferson Park to Joliet. The trip is about to commence in the original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop scene. Buckle up! it's gonna be an ultra-fast mosh filled ride.
Our first stop is Tivoli Bowl in downtown Downers' Grove. Downhill Runner has upped thier lineup two a foursome. Their music style has toughened up from melodic punk pop to aggressive thrash metal on a pair of self-titled EPs that follow up thier full length 2019 debut album, Rebel Radio. I talk with them before they slalom their way onto the Tivoli Bowl Underground Lounge stage to get a Sunday night packed house pogoing through the gutter ball ridden lanes.
Misfire incinerates the cyberwaves with a new scorching single and music video clip. Kankakee musician/guitarist and singer Michael Rockert gives you the best makeup free hard rock not totally Alive experience because you wanted the best. 
Things around the world would soon get Real Bad Real Fast, as venues all over the U.S.A. would be instantly closed as lockdowns went into enforcement signal the scary start of the Covid 19 pandemic. One last rocking weekend was spread less at The Outtaspace in Berwyn, five years ago this week. We rock back to it.
Spring ahead to the mosh pit or dance floor of choice and get a groove on to this original Chicago area music playlist:
Downhill Runner-Eighteen
Downhill Runner-Walk Away
S.I.T.B. (Steve's In The Band)-Walking Away
Misfire-We Went Through Hell
Levels Of Anger-Seventh Son
The Horrids-Live Free Die Young
Super 88-For God And Country
Michael Rockert-Devil Can't Catch Me
Prison City Brigade-Living In The Wake
Real Bad Real Fast (interview from The Outtapace in Berwyn-3/14/20 Local Loft Episode 121)
Real Bad Real Fast-Comin' In Hot
Real Bad Real Fast-Ronan Farrow
"Now for ten years we've been on our own" (American Pie-Don McLean-1972)
On March 11th, 2015, Local Loft kicked off. We'll keep on spotlighting those who rock the Chicagoland area's origianl metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop scene. There's so much more to discover. Thanks to all the bands who supply the tuneage and make it rock!

Local Loft Episode 370

To pogo or to headbang!
Whichever way you get your groove on, you need original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop to groove along with. We supply the heavily distorted, slam dancing power chords and backbeats that move your vey well being.
You just can't take the Rock out of Rockford.  The city at the very border between Illinois and Wisconsin may best known for Cheap Trick, but the Forest City is rich with bands and artists of so many genres.  WIMP! crosses the line between non anarchic punk and power pop. Fronted by singer/guitarist Kevin Kalen, the four piece is a kind of family affair. Kevin's daughter Cheyenne contributing a melodic vocal edge. Kevin himself brings a hybrid of genre experience from the veteran journeyman power pop band Mono ever-changing Stereo. I talk with Kevin, whose musical approach is not limited in an all ages one man show gig at Tivoli Bowl in Downers Grove. its along for a futuristic pogo hop is Space Age Zeros, who rock up a storm with a honorable tribute to a women's touch of the ever-changing Chicago Weather Picture.
You wouldn't expect a Rock and Religion connection in the dark and Hellfire imagery of Legions Of Raum. The four-man Chicago Hardcore Metal band radically shifts away from Satanic images of death and doom on it's first new album in nine years. I've got the redeeming return.
Royally leaving a lasting legendary impression on the soon to be permanently shut down Brauerhouse In Lombard, Kevin Lee and The Kings hold court with another hard driving gig, five years ago this week. We rock back to the last time I would pogo and headbang at the soon to be renamed then completely closed venue.
The original Metal, Punk, Alternative Rock and Power Pop of the Chicagoland area strikes again without the impact of a shimmering-colored bowling ball crushing it: On the musical scorecard:
Space Age Zeros- Calling You In Love (Live from The Punk Pop Matinee at Tivoli Bowl Downers Grove-3/2/25)
WIMP!-Black Sheep
WIMP!-Suitcase
Legions Of Raum-Atonement
EvIl Incarnate-Hear Them Scream
13th & East-Digital Wreckage
Showoff-The Day You Left
Highway Junk-Modern Animals
Downhill Runner-Walk Away
Kevin Lee And The Kings (interview from Brauerhouse In Lombard 3/7/20 Local Loft Episode 120)
Kevin Lee And The Kings-How It Feels
Kevin Lee And The Kings-On Top Of The World
 

Local Loft Episode 369

"Seasons change with the scenery." (Simon & Garfunkel-1966)
Music also changes, regardless of the season. The changes are mostly noticeable. From an aggressive thrash metal style to a more progressive melodic one, especially in the vocals. Wings Of Severance radicall changes their sound on Elysium, an epic, almost eight minute single, which the Fox Lake four-piece metal band puts much less emphasis on an unclean angey singing delivery, which was greatly emphasized on the band's full length debut album, Welcome The Afterlife, which they released in August 2017. Singer Ian Borcher joins me to talk about the drastic change in direction as they play The Vixen in McHenry this Saturday, March 1st, with Atlanta Is Burning, Bless The Martyr, Bury Your Past, and From Ashes To Embers.
Space Age Zeros will have the roof and rafters Throb Throb-ing at Tivoli Bowl in Downers Grove for Punk Pop Matinee this Sunday, March 2nd. The Channahon based punk pop band may just bring along a heroic legendary Chicago Puunk Singer, Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun, who supplied a duo vocal on a track of Strange New World, Space Age Zero's second full length album.
Wire in Berwyn would soon be unplugged from the Chicagoland area's original music scene, permanently, due to the financial strain of the COVID 19 Pandemic. Not before Burned In Effigy fired up a blistering live set. We rock back to it, the last official show at Wire, five years ago this week.
Plug in to an ever productive ever-productive Chicago  area Metal, Punk, Alternative Rock and Power Pop playlist. Those generating tuneage are:
Wings Of Severance-Elysium
Wings Of Severance-Saints In Arms
Atlanta Is Burning-Atlanta Is Burning
Space Age Zeros-No More Heros (with Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun)
Naked Raygun-Those Who Move
Wimp!-Rehab
Showoff-Misery
Off Broadway-Time Wounds All Heals
James The Boneless-Satan's Kitty
Burned In Effigy (interview from Wire In Berwyn Local Loft Episode 119 2/25/20)
Burned In Effigy-Jupiter
Burned In Effigy-Hades
 

Local Loft Episode 368

"To repaint Summer...they're closing Winter Down." (Season Cycle-XTC,1986)
With original Chicago area Metal, Punk, Alternative Rock and Power Pop featuring lyrical and musical images of of fire, flowers and the Solar radiation of the Sun, Old Man Winter's icy grip will loosen by cranking up the soundtrack of LL #368. Flowersatherfeet presents a pastoral mixture of heavy rock guitar and the passionate vocals of singer Ivory Flores. This hybrid Alternative rock band has just released it's full-length debut album, Elegy on Valentines Day (2-14-25). Ivory and  guitarist Rob Biskoski join me to talk about the lyrical and music content of the debut record, which ranges from a emotionally painful drug addiction to bitter relationships.
Rockford based veteran hard rock band Solar will fire up their fifth studio album, Frantically Calm on March 29th, with a release show in their native forest city. Calidius Timebomb lay a sonic blast of psychedelic punk rock at the next edition of Punk Rock Tacos, Friday in Villa Park. BlockChain Coalition strike a pose with supermodels in an untruthfully sexy new music video.
When she first layed her fiery grunt filled vocal style on us, Holly Smith (Warbrigade) was frontwoman of In 2 The Inferno, who rocked live in our Kat 105.5 studio thirteen years ago this week. We rock back to the first time Holly blazed a trail for prominent Chicago area female rock singers to follow.
Fire up your device of choice for a sizzling soundtrack of original Chicago area music. Simmering in the furthest reach of cyberspace this time around is:
Flowersatherfeet-Dopamine
Flowersatherfeet-Fade
Solar-Here We Are
Bless The Martyr-Bury Your Past
Wings Of Severance-Elysium
BlockChain Coalition-Dirty Little Liar
Calidius Timebomb-Mosquito
In 2 The Inferno (interview in The Kat 105.5 studio-2/16/12)
In 2 The Inferno-Further From The Sun
In 2 The Inferno-Follow
In 2 The Inferno-To The City

Local Loft Episode 367

"What the hell is wrong with me. I'm not who I want to be. I tried spot cream an' I tried it all. I'm crawling up the wall...What's My Name!!!" (The Clash-1977)
Sometimes , one note is all it takes to identify your favorite band or artist. Sometimes, you instantly recognize a face. On this edition of Local Loft, you'll just have to listen closely and carefully to recognize up and coming acts in the original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop scene. 
It won't be easy to recognize a band with a backwards, unscrambled name. Luck of the Irish can help a lot. Yhprum (EE-frum) is a traditional Irish last name backwards. This Emo/Punk Pop band from Crystal Lake moves greatly forward in their eclectic mix of progressive rock and melodic punk pop. I talk with guitarist Rob Napz about the band's debut self-titled EP, which contains a Say No to Drugs anthem, whose lyrics hit close to home, where the substance abuse of   a fellow band member is concerned.
M & R Rush give equal opportunity to a band member's sibling, helping the veteran Roseland Chicago neighborhood group add a women's touch to its classic late 70s, early 80s brand of arena rock in a new reworking of one of their most romantic ballads.
Fist To The Sky unexpectedly (and without any heads up announcements) punch their way back onto local stages, including W.C. Social Club in West Chicago. While Chainwax talks about the cinematic guest appearance of a punchy Brad Pitt in their new recent music video, grunting clean metal singer Rob Peto exploded onto The Kat 105.5 airwaves with his first band Dark Entropy, thirteen years ago this week. We rock back to it.   
Slip into this heavy accumulation of original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop by gripping your subconscious around the sonically detailed soundtrack of:
Yhprum-Drugs
Yhprum-Cliche's
Shoes-Now And Then (B-side of original Elektra U.S. vinyl 45 of Too Late-released 2-3-80)
Hyperbubble-Will You Spin for Me? (featuring Jeff Murphy of Shoes on backing vocals)
Material Issue-Chance Of A Lifetime
Chainwax-Proven Devotion
Fist To The Sky-Untitled
M & R Rush-Loved By You (new 2025 digital single, featuring Kristen McFarlane)
Dave Bellah-Pictures Of The Past
Dark Entropy (interview in The Kat 105.5 studio-2/13/12)
Dark Entropy-Fear
Dark Entropy-Enlisted In Suicide
Dark Entropy-Sins Of Our Fathers
 

Local Loft Episode 366

"What do you call that noise that you put on?"
             "THIS IS POP!' (XTC-1978)
Not completely, it's hard rock with a Top 40 edge. Pop Killers is the newest journey of an almost two-decade music career for Holly Smith. Known professionally as Holly Warbrigade, this prominent female rock singer, who began her music journey in the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago with In 2 The Inferno, then cruised on into a role as frontwoman for Hot Dang, a four piece band who mixed doom metal power chords with a bluesy groove and Holly's grunting lead vocal, now combines upbeat and hip hop style spoken word rap singing with crunchy ear bleeding loud guitar riffs. I catch up with Holly for the first time in seven years, as Pop Killers keeps a pre–Grammy Awards crowd awestruck by heavy rock recreations of the contemporary work of Katy Perry, Nikii Manaj, Lady Gaga and more at The Forge in Joliet. We also catch up with hardcore turned progressive Joliet Punk band Prison City Brigade, co headlining the same show.
Yhprum combines 70s Progressive Rock with 60s British Invasion Power Pop (Kinks) and 90s Britpop (Blur). A cut from their debut EP, and Space Age Zeros strike out on a journey to get a legendary Downer's Grove bowling alley pogoing and not doing a 7-10 split on March 2nd.
Dark Passenger was the beginning of a metal voyage for singer Corey James. He ventured into The Kat 105.5 studio as the trip began thirteen years ago this week.
Killer tuneage which will have your device of choice Taylor made for you to Swiftly reach for the volume knob to crank to the max:
Hot Dang-Remember This
Hot Dang-Snake Eyes
Prison City Brigade-Open Ended
Yhprum-Drugs
VCTMS-snuff.tape (Featuring Paleface Swiss)
Wimp!-Little Heart
Space Age Zeros-Jet Lagged
Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club-Gear Up 4 Good Times
BlockChain Coalition-Fooled Again
Dark Passenger (interview in The Kat 105.5 studio-2/2/12)
Dark Passenger-Shattered
Dark Passenger-War Inside
Dark Passenger-The Horror

Local Loft Episode 365

M.I. (musical intelligence) it's a lot smarter than A.I. 
While much of the world is getting over obsessed with artificial Intelligence and losing their minds over the shutdown of TikTok. Local loft connects with mostly good old-fashioned tech (CDs, Vinyl LPs, and natural, not synthetic, sound). You'll hear guitar amps buzzing, mics feeding back and no drum machines, just real wooden sticks hitting snares and bass drums. It's all part of the equation that adds up to another original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop playlist.
No schmaltzy tales of broken romance and painful bombastic soap opera style breakups in the music of Second City Seance. The Chicago punk pop trio relays stories of a un romantic relationship with bosses and an even bigger hate for the scary, filthy mode of transportation that takes one to their job of choice, on their recent single, Hardly Working Title. I talk with bassist/singer Brittany Hanks, Guitarist Jeremy Handel and drummer Caleb Hansen, right before they get a Saturday Night packed crowd pogoing at Soundgrowler Brewing in Tinley Park.
M & R Rush has focused on a love affair with the city whose heritage Rock radio stations, embraced the band's homegrown Arena Rock sound (The Loop FM 98, in their case). But Romantic Love (American Style) does occasionally get covered. It will in their new digital single, out on February 7th. You may have heard this one before. As it's one of seven re-recorded songs the Chicago Roseland Neighborhood band is re introducing to new and old fans.
As the year 2020 moved toward a nationwide lockdown due to the lethal virus COVID 19 spreading fast and furious all over the world, Wire In Berwyn, a few weeks before it would close permanently, not being able to financially survive as the pandemic raged, shone it sage spotlight on the eclectic progressive hard rock band Skylight Cinema. The live action gig, with no accompanying background movies to illustrate the music and lyrics rocked Wire five years ago this week. We rock back to it.
Local Loft once again summons, with no paranormal cameo appearances, these spiritually uplifting original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop bands and artists:
Second City Seance-Hardly Working Title
Second City Seance-Red Ribbon
Spare Change-I Hate C.T.A.
The Oozin Aaahs-The Oozin Aaahs
Claw Toe-Vampire
M & R Rush-Loved By You
The Kind-Loved By You (1982-From The Kind self-titled debut album, original 360 Records vinyl LP pressing)
John David Daily-Somewhere On The Other Side
Redneck Remedy-I Can't Let It Go
Skylight Cinema (interview from Wire in Berwyn 1/26/20 Local Loft Episode 118)
Skylight Cinema-Don't Faze Me
Skylight Cinema-Turn Me Golden

Local Loft Episode 364

Chill out!...while you heat up your device of choice.
The Chicagoland area's original metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop scene never knows when to cool down. It's always active. And Local Loft is firing up another music packed edition.
Punk rock doesn't always focus on love, but when it does, it's not always a happy ending. The Ugly Lovers label themselves a disappointment rock band. The outcome of a serious relationship is bound to leave either the man or women shaking their head in disgust, or something, more fatal. That's the lyrical twist on the Chicago band's fourth EP, You Should Have Killed Me. I talk with singer Joe Bates and guitarist Nick Opus, before they get un disappointed fans pogoing when they play Soundgrowler Brewing in Tinley Park, this Saturday, January 25th with Second City Seance and Size 5's. 
Emperors And Elephants got Twins Peaks of high wattage speakers trembling with their heavy rock cover of Chris Isaak's sultry Top 10 1989 hit, made famous in the second not so provocative David Lynch film, Wild At Heart. To honor Lynch, who passed away at age 78 last Wednesday, I offer up E and E's hard hitting cover. Pezband's mid to late 70s blend of power pop and bubblegum will surprisingly be sweetened again in newly remixed and remastered reissues of their four albums from 1977-79. 
Central Disorder brought masses of headbanging fans to order, six years ago this week with a release show for their new debut full length CD, Eradication. I talked with singer and founder Rob Peto. We rock back to the mosh party at Cheers Pub in Midlothian.
Scare frostbite threats shitless by cranking up:
The Ugly Lovers-White Lies
The Ugly Lovers-You Should Have Killed Me
Second City Seance-Vampire Song
Glasshouse Owl-The Divide
The Last Great Riot-That Damn Rightwood Park Ice Slide Story
Emperors And Elephants-Wicked Game
Convoy-Almost Lost My Mind
Trouble-The Tempter
Pezband-Baby, It's Cold outside (original 1977 Pezband self-titled album version)
Central Disorder (Rob Peto interview from Cheers Pub in Midlothian Local Loft Episode 94-1/19/19)
Central Disorder-Consumed
Central Disorder-No Salvation