Local Loft

Local Loft Episode 264

A win, win situation, not just September through February, but all year long. The roster of original Chicagoland & Illinois Alternative Rock, Punk, Metal & Power Pop contains most valuable players, those songs that form a lasting impression not just by one or two spectacular plays. When it's all over, you're rewarded with music you'll enjoy a lifetime.
The Feral Ghosts have a dark, gloomy progressive metal sound that goes back to when Bauhaus first reigned as kings of Goth Rock> The North side Chicago trio will play for the rewards of important food and shelter for needy kittens, Saturday, February 18th at Soundgrowler Brewing in Tinley Park. All three members join me to preview the Feed The Beasts fundraiser.
Kankakee's Carrying Torches has a distinctive shifting sound that burns a lasting impression in the back of your mind.  The unpredictable nature of their music makes them the biggest alternative rock band in the Southland's region. Next month, they'll reveal a melodic side of that is all big action and talk about their constantly changing style will be little but widespread. I've got all the details about a new single they'll talk up big at an upcoming homecoming release show.
For four years shy of a decade, Fist To The Sky had a punchy, fiery melodic hard rock sound that got away with murder, at least with the name of their singer. Mickey Murder and the band pumped their hard rock groove on stage one last time, five years ago this week at Wire in Berwyn. I was an ear witness to it. We rock back to it.
Along with these, you're hearing the victorious sound of original Chicagoland music that wins over your ears mind, heart and senses to its captivating melody and rhythm, as your pump up the volume and pump your fist in the air to:
The Feral Ghosts-Stranger
The Feral Ghosts-Nosfa
Blackcat Manor-Hammerclaw
Lifting Curses-2minutesunderwater
Boybrain-Scabs
From Ashes To Embers-The Masquerade
A Silent Truth-Voiceless
Carrying Torches-Wake Me Up
The Shiv-Short Order Crook
Fist To The Sky (interview from Wire in Berwyn 2/18/18 Local Loft Episode 75)
Fist To The Sky-Count Your Blessings
Fist To The Sky-Another Lesson Learned
 
 

Local Loft Episode 263

A full plate of original Chicagoland punk, metal, alternative rock, progressive rock & power pop, with a side of ketchup colored vinyl. Dig in.
On the music menu for this weekend, the annual Sounds Of The Street fest invades Reggie's Rock Club & Music Joint. Chicago is well represented by veteran & new undiscovered Punk bands. Squared Off has been speaking their political minds since 1996. From Anti Trump bashing to past mis treatment of Chicago police & firemen, they let the music venom fly. They play Saturday, February 11th. Singer and original founder Jose (Hoser) Villarreal joins me to get you all pumped up for two days of intense hardcore live punk. Shitizen adds a women's touch to the mostly male dominated mosh pit surroundings. I talk with singer Claudia Guajardo.
Convoy beats the daily clock by churning out another advance single ahead of the mid-March release of their long awaited fourth album, Some Gave All For Rock N Roll. A timeless track of out-of-date old school romance follows one of a lost parental love gone AWOL.
Breaking though language barriers and rocking through world boundaries, 4Without put themselves on the Chicago map with a stellar show at the legendary Metro seven years ago this week. Led by the precocious and versatile singer Jana Vox, they made a permanent mark with a performance that inspired a generation of rockers to follow. We rock back to it.
Along with these, you're craving a colorful rainbow of bountiful genres, by sinking your ears into:
Squared Off-Mutiny On Lasalle Street
Squared Off-Glory Days
The Decayed-The Dream Is Dead/A Better Way
Convoy-Just In Time
Heartsfield-Here I Am
Ignescent-Resist
Bullet To the Heart-Revenant
Striadum-Forsaken Flesh
Careless Sanctions-Cognitive Ability
Shitizen-Toxic Vibes
2 Minute Minor-Life Goes By
4Without (Interview at Metro 2/6/16 Local Loft Episode 18)
4Without-Kill Him First
4Without-Tonight

Local Loft Episode 262

Laugh without a tear, cold without the warmth. Some things go well without sharing the spotlight of life with others. Instrumental original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop doesn't need vocals to hook music fans. A great example is the totally chock filled melodic hard jazz rock fusion of Coyote Man. This Southwest suburban Chicago region trio has never felt the urgent need to hire a totally effective singer to draw huge crowds to their free form hard rock. Drummer Ian Wheeler joins me to psych crowds up as they rock the roof off a house filled with juiced up mostly Irish fans, St. Patick's Day night, March 17th at G Man Tavern, five minutes from historic Wrigley Field.
Since 1996, Chicago punk band Squared Off huge crowds pogo their bad times and desperate situations away. They're going to rock the rafters of Reggies off its foundations at the second annual Sounds of the Street Fest. February 10th & 11th at Reggies. I've got the details.
For the first time in their almost three decade run, Joliet's Dead Man's Hand adds a woman's touch to its lineup. Seven years ago this week, Laurence Dutch Devries was manning the vocal mic. He, along with award winning guitar shredder Tony Raygor fired up a subzero chilled crowd at the annual local metal showcase at Bada Brew in Crest Hill. We rock back to it.
In addition, you're rocking the shadowy hairs off a pesky unwelcomed ground hog rodent, as you blast old man winter's wrinkled wrath away with the sonic heat soundwaves of:
Coyote Man-Worthy Adversary
Coyote Man-Reaches Of The Universe
Sons Of Ra-Too Something For Someone
Squared Off-Agents Of Chaos
Fear City-Rats
Some Years later-In This Moment
The Feral Ghosts-Stranger
5 Step Drop-Solitude
Hi-Fi Superstar-So Into You
DeadMan's Hand (interview from Bada Brew, Crest Hill 2/4/17 Local Loft Episode 49)
DeadMan's Hand-Deep
DeadMan's Hand-Call Me A Saint

Local Loft Episode 261

Crunch on this! Your hunger for a nutritious podcast platter of original Chicagoland metal. punk, alternative rock and power pop is about to be fed. You'll hear it, if not smell or taste it. 
A good hearty meal and a full menu of music always go hand in hand at Punk Rock Tacos. Death in Memphis won't be travelling a long distance to rock you while that delicious concoction of hard shells, tortillas and ground beef slides down your throat to your stomach. Working double duty to whet your punk rock appetite is Steve Custer. He not only plays in Death in Memphis, but Space Age Zeros. Both bands join four others in the 22nd edition at Cemitas Poblanas in Villa Park, Friday, February 10th. Steve joins me to talk about it with scrumptious music selections from both bands.
If a liquid diet is for you, you can wash down the classic progressive metal sound of Plainfield's Endgame with a side of brand-new IPA. I'll spoil the secret identity of the beer, which a big Southland's rock radio station is helping to serve up Friday at Metal Monkey Brewing in Romeoville.
Threatening The Order posed a big threat to Mother Nature's plans to inflict sever frostbite on many Chicago local metal fans. The searing vocals of singer Melissa Radice fire up and warmed up the crowd at Reggie's seven years ago this week. We rock back to that.
In addition, you're lighting a sonic rock fire under the ass of the ice-cold psychotic Chicago winter wind as you whip it up to the red-hot sounds of:
Death And Memphis- X And Y
Space Age Zeros-Wishing Well
Tone Zone Skam-Skanky
Bumsy & The Moochers-Hey Margarita
Just A Mess-Surrounded By Wolves
Coyote Man-Worthy Adversary
Endgame-See How We Run
Thirty Pieces-Gun The Motor Super Soldier
Michael Rockert-After All These Years
Suckerpunch -(featuring Michael Rockert) Man Of The Hour
Threatening The Order (interview from Reggie's Rock Club Local Loft Episode 17 1/21/16)
Threatening The Order-Soul Inside
Threatening The Order-Something To Prove

Local Loft Episode 260

Festivals...for the most of us. There are far more of them in the Chicago area than just that overhyped Lolla thing in late summer. This coming week alone, two big ones in particular including Forever Deaf Fest at Beat Kitchen. We Killed The Lion, who captivated a worldwide Local Loft listening audience in 2022, being named Best Chicago Area Rock album with Boogie Shoe Blues, is one of over fifteen acts playing Saturday & Sunday. I'll give you the rundown.
Progressive Alternative Rock Trio Silvertone mixes hard edged 90s Grunge and free form Jam Band Jazz Rock. They will blow minds and maybe even column speakers, Co headlining two shows this and next week, January 19th at Reed's Local in Avondale, and January 29th at Liar's Club. I talk with singer Zach Gray and Drummer Tyler Crady.
Rebel Radio kept the Metal alive and kicking as grunge was all the rage starting 29 years ago at a low frequency AM radio station in Northbrook. Founder and head DJ Scott Davidson gets the ball crushing birthday salute show at Brauerhouse In Lombard this Saturday the 21st. Progressive metal act Aftermath will be one of four to rock the roof off, along with Davidson's own band The Suffering. I've got the scoop.
No one was even taking a five-minute nap at the annual Snuz Fest, five years ago this week at the former Wire in Berwyn. Guardrail had everyone pogoing till they hit the rafters. We rock back to when I talked to them before they raised all adrenaline levels past the breaking point.
Along with these, you're kicking the big chill of another Chicago winter to the heated curb by firing up the original Chicagoland metal, punk, and alternative rock soundtrack of:
Silvertone-Expectations
Silvertone-Lost On You
Bad Chemicals-It's Not San Andrea's Fault
Ricky Liontones-Dreamsicle
Cuddle Riot-The Storm
Aftermath-No Time To Waste
Misfire-No Offense
Sweet Cobra-Melted
We Killed The Lion-Rocket
Guardrail (Interview at Snuz Fest, Wire in Berwyn 1/20/18 Local Loft Episode 74)
Guardrail-2006
Guardrail-You're Fired
 

Local Loft Episode 259

Getting this podcast to air normally is a labor of love. This time it was a labor of frustration due to aggravating laptop disc cleanup crap. But here it is, another unlimited supply of original Chicagoland metal punk, alternative rock & power pop.  Not even half assed so-called state of the art technology can slow down the adrenaline rush of cranking up this tuneage.
On the local metal front, Chicago's Stolen Sun has a case of lead singer moonlighting. Thier new singer, Anthony Thomas also screams out his rage in Rose Of Demise. I talk with Stolen Sun guitarist Cooper Kleinke about the unique singing nature of Anthoiny, who you can hear in your face Saturday, January 21st at Brauerhouse in Lombard. and with Rose Of Demise, in the Southwest Suburb of Summit at Exit Saloon on Friday the 20th.
Evolving out of the remains of one of the biggest power pop bands of the early to mid 80s, The Romantics, The Handcuffs sound nothing like the Detroit act who gave the world What I Like About You, Original Romantic's drummer Brad Elvis has molded the new band into a hybrid of Texas bar blues, & 70s British Glam Rock. They play Reggies on Thursday January, 12th. A sexy struttin' blues rocker from The Handcuffs is one of many tunes they'll play as they co-headline with Vortis.
Dreams do sometimes come true. Not so, if you're an up-and-coming Joliet, trying to get their own superstar rock festival like Sleaze attempted nine years ago this week. Singer and founder Isaac Hare dropped by the Kat 105.5 studio in hopes of getting radio promotion and exposure for the event that never was. We rock back to it.
Along with these, the new year's soundtrack is exploding with excessive rock recoil in both eardrums as you groove to:
Stolen Sun-Cruel Joke
Stolen Sun-The Hound
From Ashes To Embers-A Lesson In Tragedy
The Handcuffs-Pretty Pretty
Vortis-Crisis
Convoy-Father
The King's Rising-Cain And Abel
Superkick-Tom's My Only Friend
Lever-Don't Wait For Me
Rose Of Demise-Jane Doe
Her Worst Nightmare-When The Lights Go Out
Sleeze (Isaac Hare interview in The Kat 105.5 studio-1/9/14)
Sleeze-Love To Hate
Sleeze-Hail To The Thief
  

Local Loft Episode 258

I've made a list....and checked it way more than twice. 
2022 was way more active in terms of live shows & new original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop music made. A three-day concert festival raised a lot of money to help well known venues close to debt because the ongoing Covid pandemic. Major summer events returned for the first time in two years since the lockdowns and cancellations took hold in the darkest grip of the virus in 2020. And a Chicago rock legend couldn't Stay In Time to keep rocking because time ran out on his living years. The music rocked through any major obstacle in its way.
We rock back through the last 12 months with a feeling of pure musical satisfaction, and a very promising optimism for 2023.
And the 2022 Year in Review soundtrack is:
Convoy-Father (new single-released 12-24-22)
Tafoya- (Best 2022 Chicago area rock comeback-Michael Tafoya) Boogie With Me (2022 Freedom album remake)
Won't Stay Dead- (Best Chicago area 2022 Punk band) Somebody Put A Cross On My Head (And It Burns)
The Righteous And Few -(Best 2022 Chicago area Alternative Rock Band) Wasting Away
Whut?-(Best 2022 Chicago area metal album-No Hope, No Soul) One Choice
Endgame-(Best 2022 Chicago area metal band) Broken
Pale Horseman-(Best 2022 Chicago area live show, Save The Rock Fest) Vimanas (featuring Suzi Uzi)
We Killed The Lion-(Best 2022 Chicago area rock album, Boogie Shoe Blues) Pick Me Up
Cliff Johnson-Stay In Time (acoustic demo)
Off Broadway-Full Moon Turn My Head Around (Live at Fitzgeralds, Berwyn 2002)
The Outfit-(Mike Gorman interview Local Loft Episode 224 5/2/22)
The Outfit-Monster
The Outfit-Viking

Local Loft Episode 257

Here it is again, the annual Christmas rush, and the overhyped start of the most heart wrenching, stressful season of them all, winter. Pay no attention to those scary Winter Storm Warnings & Winter Weather Advisories while you're locked in to rocking out to a widespread accumulation of original Chicagoland & Illinois metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop. It's a gift of music well deserved any time of year.
No Jethro Tull in Jethro Tull. And NO Eugiene Grey in Lombard based alternative band Eugiene Grey & The Bad Habits...well that's what I thought. Singer Patrick Goray (phonetic pronunciation sounds like grey! or gray!) proves me wrong. So what's the self-secret behind the band's name? He calls in to tell me. It's no secret that this band's 90s style grunge is somewhere between 70s Kiss style hard rock, and 90s Pearl Jam. They will join veteran swamp rockers Convoy in a post Xmas gig, Friday, December 30th at Brauerhouse in their native Lombard. 
There's something Dead-ly to the free form nature of Progressive hard rockers Wild Jesus & The Devil's Lettuce, who'll be Truckin' (Hint, Hint) to Liar's Club for a pre-Christmas show with Chicago doom metal band Wizzo (sounding more like Alice in Chains than Alice Cooper) Wednesday night.
Relatively unknown but starting to become one of the significant holiday music benefit events in the Chicago area, 20 Bands of Christmas at the former Wire in Berwyn showcased many different artists and genres. Six years ago this week, metalcore was front and center stage with Aurora's Known By Numbers. We rock back to that gifted night. 
In addition, you're leaving out a nourishing music plate for a jolly old white bearded bowl full of jelly toy giver to rock out of his red suit and boots to by cranking up:
Eugiene Grey & The Bad Habits-Eight46
Eugiene Grey & The Bad Habits -Altered Beings
Convoy-Knocked Down
Wizzo-Hollow Earth
Wild Jesus & The Devil's Lettuce-Dragon Acid
M & R Rush-Bring Some Love
M & R Rush-Heavy Metal Christmas
Known By Numbers (interview from 20 Bands of Christmas at Wire In Berwyn Local Loft Episode 46 12/22/16)
Known By Numbers-Aphex
Known By Numbers-Cracks

Local Loft Episode 256

For your records. Your personal collection of records (maybe not physical vinyl LPs, but just data records you keep of your favorite original local Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop bands & artists. The artist info, and songs here will most likely build into a growing music collection. One listen, and you'll want these in your music library, especially if you're a metal fan.
It will be a Merry Christmas to all, and to all a fright night, if you head over to Reggies on December 23rd for Macabre's annual Holiday Of Horrors. Not just the masters of murder metal, whose grim scary tales of mass murderers named Bundy, Speck & Dahmer will have you longing for visions of sugarplums to dance away the mental images of blood & decapitation. Beyond Deth will have you wishing for ripping open red wrapping paper on gifts under the tree to replace the bloody imaging of ripping hearts from chests. Beyond Deth singer Jon Corston joins me to preview their haunting gig with Macabre, Maggot Twat, Inner Decay & more the day before Christmas Eve.
A legendary singer/ band founder of the 70s U.K. Punk scene, rocks with Local H frontman Scott Lucas, & many other at a special Toy Drive benefit gig, this Saturday at Liar's Club. I have the scoop on it. And Chicago Punk trio Pegboy gets back together for this, to continue their over three decade run, which they have outlived the only band that matters and the leather jacket New York legends who started punk rock as we know it.
Singing a far less heavy set of tunes than when he was guitarist and frontman of Kankakee's Redneck Remedy, John Daily is following his dream to be the next big Country music artist. Eleven years ago this week, he rocked audiences extremely hard with new exclusive Redneck Remedy tunes, which the band unleashed on Kat 105.5 listeners. We rock back to the band's second in studio visit to The Kat studios and airwaves.
Along with that, you're cranking up an intense original Chicago rock soundtrack so loud, your house chimney will disintegrate before Santa squeezes his fat figure down it. It includes:
Beyond Deth-Macabre Delights
Beyond Deth-Accept Your Fate
Macabre-Richard Speck Grew Big Breasts
Without Waves- Sleep Deep
Inner Decay-Viral Death
Vaudevileins-Merry Christmas Will Do
Shoes-This Christmas
No Dead Heroes-Power Machine
Pegboy-Time Again
City Ca$h- Save Some Trouble
John David Daily-Pinebox
Redneck Remedy (Interview in The Kat 105.5 studio-12/11/11)
Redneck Remedy-When It Rains, It Pours
Redneck Remedy-Bid U Farewell
 

Local Loft Episode 255

Lots of presents in this podcast. As in present and accounted for. The roll call is the playlist. But every artist represented in the original Chicago area & Illinois metal, punk, alternative rock, & power pop scene figures into the gift of music that's given to you just by listening in every week.
Solar beams their way onto our cyberwaves from the Northwest Stateline region. The Rockford based band features the powerful, heartfelt singing of Stephanie Jennings. She joins me to share her gifted singing voice, which will captivate audiences (with a bluesy & intense mixture of power chords & hardcore metal) who'll see her and the band rock with Convoy, this Saturday at Big Basin Saloon in Channahon.
Veteran guitar shredder T.D. Clark of Aurora works vocals (not his own) into a new Christmas album Under Your Tree ,while one of the Boyzz from Illinoiz, Michael Tafoya, won't unwrap his past tuneage once again, in a pre-holiday gig with guitar virtuoso Gary Hoey, Thursday  night at Reggie's.
Tis the season for charitable gift giving. It was this week in 2017, when the annual 20 Bands Of Christmas was on at Wire in Berwyn. BringThe Fallout was hoping their gift of dark gothic hardcore metal would be widely accepted by a packed audience. We rock back to the mostly incognito five-man group of masked singers.
Along with all these, your mistle toe won't have any trouble shedding a few pounds of pine needles, as your ear lobes are pierced by the wax cleaning loudness of:
Solar-Depths Of Division (with Kevin James of Marks Of Gray)
Solar-Resilient
Marks Of Gray-Broken Bricks
Convoy-Silver Tongue Devil
Eugiene Grey & The Bad Habits-Eight46
T.D. Clark- Ho Ho Ho It's Christmas
Prison City Brigade-Shitty Presents
Nystrodamus-Even The Scale
Tafoya-Life
Bring The Fallout (Interview from Wire in Berwyn-12/28/17 Local Loft Episode 73)
Bring The Fallout-Blaak Army
Bring The Fallout-The Wise Words of Mr. Blaak