Episodes
Episodes
Monday Jan 29, 2024
Local Loft Episode 314
Monday Jan 29, 2024
Monday Jan 29, 2024
Like the coldest Winter chill (Alice in Chains 1995)
Chilling out for you doesn't always mean rest and relaxation. Sometimes you need to let loose and get into a adrenaline rush to keep up with the heavy fast and furious groove of the original Chicagoland metal, pink, alternative rock and power pop. Go ahead and sweat it. Local Loft has the kickin' soundtrack to get your mosh filled groove on.
It's a mostly punky groove this tome around. Leading off with the South Side Chicago hardcore punk act Brainbleed. This four-piece kicks it loud and proud in your face on Saturday, February 24th with Shitizen and x.Oracles.x at The Outtaspace In Berwyn with hard hitting songs about sex offenders getting caught in the act via the almighty I Phone and a romantic relationship with a bitter cold unfriendly climax. Guitarist Jim of Brainbleed joins me to preview the end of February show.
Brauerhouse in Lombard never turned a cold shoulder and promising Chicago area original music acts, until new owners came in. What went wrong? It was a dishonest past of the previous owner which made the state of the double stage bar and rock venue spin out of control. I have a update for a future update which doesn't bode well for original local music to be featured. While 13 Monsters scares up another return gig this Friday at Burlington Bar.
With a name of Speaking With Ghosts, you'd expect crowds to be scared away, but the four-man Chicago metalcore band had a big crowd brave a snowy night at Wire in Berwyn seven years ago this week. We rock back to it.
Rock with your shadow in unison, and there will be an early Spring (in your mosh and pogo moves) with original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop from:
BrainBleed-Setback
BrainBleed -Something's Gotta Change
x.Oracles.x-Mean Mama From Outer Space
Dave Bellah-Pictures Of The Past
Lever-Lay Low (Shouting Distance)
Solar-Deep Within
Let Them Fight-In The Hole
13-Monsters-Perfectly Imperfect
James The Boneless-Kenny Says
Speaking With Ghosts (Interview from Wire in Berwyn-1/22/17 Local Loft Episode 48)
Speaking With Ghosts-The Departure
Speaking With Ghosts-The Boy Who Lived
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Local Loft Episode 313
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Monday Jan 22, 2024
More than just faces will be melted when you crank this up.
With a round of psychotic freezing rain on the way for Monday, January 22nd. heat up your device of choice and fire it up. Another blazing round of original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop is served up piping hot. Pump up the volume and feel the burn.
By Groundhog Day, you won't care if a pointless beaver like rat sees his shadow. Not when you're rocking too hard to feel Winter's bone chilling wrath. You'll mosh Old Man Winter into a pit of retreat at WC Social Club in West Chicago. Nocturnally generating a seismic groove is Now It's Dark. From Rockford, this four-piece melodic metal band will supply a mosh frenzy filled groove and music Notes Of Agony (the name of their full-length debut album). They're joined by blue collar swamp metal rockers Convoy, Let Them Fight & Solar. Singer and bassist of Now It's Dark, Frost Tayla, joins me to psych you up for the show, as we rock our way into an early Spring.
When we last heard from 13-Monsters, they were tearing it up onstage at Wire in Berwyn, in pre-Covid pandemic times (2017). Female frontwoman extraordinaire Deb Sonzo, and guitarist Jamie Rhiani return with another new lineup, Friday, January 26th at Underground Lounge. I've scared up all the details on the gig.
Mother Nature's Ice Age wrath was rocked away in the heated confines of Reggie's Rock Club. The frostbite inducing wind chills were rocked off by all who witnessed Threatening The Order. The 4-piece metal band from the southwest suburb of Chicago Ridge featured the fiery yet intimate vocal of Melissa Radice. They were in the heat of battle at Empire Productions Battle Of The Bands monthly competition, eight years ago this week. We rock back to it.
Pump up the volume and fool Ma Nature into early retirement with the face melting rock power of:
Now It's Dark-Alien
Now It's Dark-Notes Of Agony
Convoy-Whiskey Sour
13-Monsters-The Bessemer Process (live at Cairo Bar in West Chicago}
BloomSwitch-Psychosomatical
Extraction Point-Best Served Cold (with Holly Smith of Pop Killers)
North-Genocidal World
Threatening The Order (interview from Reggie's Rock Club-1/17/16 Local Loft Episode 47)
Threatening The Order-Soul Inside
Threatening The Order-Something To Prove
Monday Jan 15, 2024
Local Loft Episode 312
Monday Jan 15, 2024
Monday Jan 15, 2024
Chill Out!
Mother Nature has taken that advice too seriously in the second weekend of January 2024, with an ugly onslaught of snow, and -20 to -40 wind chills. Northwest Indiana's Eyes Of Anguish will de-ice your frozen brain tissue, with a sonic assault of hardcore and melodic metal, as they rock The Quarry Ballroom Live this Saturday, January 20th. But it won't be a total defrosting. Their new single, Glaciers, puts a reinforcing deep freeze back in, but lyrical isolation is more serious. Singer Joey Wise, guitarist David Fishel & drummer Eric Yakovetz join me to preview the upcoming gig.
Winter's wrath was no match for a promising Chicago female fronted rock band ten years ago this week. Phosphene braved a wicked combo of gusty winds and blowing snow to journey down to the Kat 105.5 studio in Kankakee to share a heartwarming silence breaking unplugged rendition of their radio friendly melodic hard rock. M & R Rush won't strut like a Stray Cat with their newest single, which aims to leave no town, small or big, un rocked. Read all about them and then get signed proof of witness the definitive story of the Boyzz from Illinois from one of the band's original members at a special book signing in the Illinois Rock Museum in Joliet this coming weekend.
Central Disorder had a packed crowd of headbangers in order five years ago this week, debuting their new full-length album, Eradication, at Sullivan's Pub in Midlothian. We rock back to it.
Rock away the coldest winter chill and snow on its back side, with the original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop inside you and within you. Including:
Eyes Of Anguish-Glaciers
Eyes Of Anguish-Suffering
My Own Fate-Hypocrite
M & R Rush-Rock This Town
Tafoya-Long Time Ago
Aweful-Beware
Mustard Men-Baby, You're As Cold As Ice
Ricky Liontones Review-3 Strikes
Solution Unsatisfactory-Criticisms
BlockChain Coalition- Caught In The Undertow
Phosphene-Break the Silence (Live acoustic in The Kat 105.5 studio-1/14/14)
Central Disorder (Rob Peto interview at Sullivan's Pub in Midlothian-1/19/19)
Central Disorder-Consumed
Central Disorder-No Salvation
Monday Jan 08, 2024
Local Loft Episode 311
Monday Jan 08, 2024
Monday Jan 08, 2024
Save it for a snowy day
One is finally here. But every episode brings the most accurate forecast of a extremely heavy accumulation of original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop with no relying on iffy computer models or overblown blown predictions from so called expert Chicago TV meteorologists.
Prepare yourself for an onslaught of metal in your face at the birthday bash for he who brought hardcore and thrash metal to the radio masses 30 years ago. Scott Davidson has kept Rebel Radio up and rocking on various low AM and FM frequencies since 1994. As he turns another year older, five Chicago area bands kickstart the celebration, including Repentance. The north side Chicago based band has had a lot to celebrate in the last four months. Their second full length album, The Process Of Human Demise, is getting rave review from major national websites like Revolver. Guitarist Shaun Glass joins me, as Repentance rocks a packed crowd into a moshing frenzy, along with Indign, Burned In Effigy, and The Suffering, featuring the birthday host of honor on drums, Friday night, January 26th at Reggie's
It's been a long time (6 years) since Holly Smith rocked all over Chicagoland as one of the most prominent and powerful female singers with her band Hot Dang. Holly is back, and with a new familiar pop direction. South of Chicago is the direction you want to head to read more about the legendary biker rock band, The Boyzz From Illinois. You can get their tell all biography from writer Pete Berwick at The Illinois Rock Museum, and One Of The Boyzz will be on hand to sign your copy. Find out who as they help you shuffle onward to a Good Life ahead.
Rocking eye rubbing ear hairs in Southwest Suburban Midlothian 7 years ago this week, Jeni Imparato let us all know the powerhouse rock band Phosphene she fronted had more to come following a self-titled second album in 2015 that was a major success. We caught up with her keeping her intimate, powerful singing voice alive in the cover band Chix, Pix and Stix.
Crank this up, and bury the ear-splitting sound of your snowblower as these Chicago original bands pile up on the cyberwaves:
Repentance-Down In The Water
Repentance-The Process Of Human Demise
Burned In Effigy-Artorias
Hot Dang-Pacific Coast Highway
Stab.Twist.Pull -(featuring Holly Smith) Won Love
The Boyzz- Dianne Part 2/Good Life Shuffle
The Steepwater Band-The Stars Look Good Tonight
Jeni Imparato (interview from Sullivan's Pub, Midlothian 1/12/17 Local Loft Episode 47)
Phosphene-Break The Silence (acoustic in The Kat 105.5 studio 1/14/14)
Phosphene-Damaged
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
Local Loft Episode 310
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
"24 and there's so much more." (Neil Young-Old Man 1972).
Neil wasn't singing about the year of 2024, but there's so much more original Chicagoland metal, punk & alternative rock & power pop. Not just new music, but new territories where the music is created.
We've been across the Illinois/Indiana state line before but have never heard anything coming out of the land of The Fighting Irish. from South Bend, Indiana, Jammie Bosstel fronts both Praise The Fallen & Bosstel. While PTF has a radio friendly, melodic hard rock sound, Bostell gets more electronic, even industrial. Bostell is looking to head North to Norridge and open for ex Saving Abel singer Scott Austin. Jammie joins me with PTF's New single about self-motivation helping one to move in a new direction, and a new Bostell track of not letting social media rule your life.
Fresh off being named Best Chicagoland Alternative Rock band of 2023 on Local Loft Episode 309 Year in Review, Carrying Torches doesn't take a holiday in putting forth a new single fir the new year. It's about Unusually shutting oneself out from the world and sinking into your own isolated one. I'll spin it.
They could have duked it out head-to-head with the giants of Pop Punk (Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World). Rematch from Chicago's North side never got the chance, as they never had another chance to rock Wire In Berwyn live, like 5 years ago this week. We rock back to it.
Rock in the new of 2024 with fresh, brand spanking new original Chicago rock. Your ears will ring like a historic liberty bell to the chiming guitar sounds of:
Praise The Fallen-Changes
Bosstel-A World Out Of View
Let Them Fight-Down Inside
Carrying Torches-Unusual
Shoes-Burned Out Love
Repentance-Buried By Fear
The Suffering-The Experiment Has Failed
Snuffed-Flock
Heet Deth-Big Bang Boom
Rematch (interview from Wire in Berwyn-1/5/19 Local Loft Episode 94)
Rematch-Face To Face
Rematch-Chicago
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
Local Loft Episode 309 Year In Review 2023
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
Nobody's naughty on this list!
I've checked it over once, twice, three zillion times, no maybe. It is very difficult to narrow down to final tallies , but 2023 sure had so many standout bands & songs in the Chicagoland area's ever strong and growing original rock music scene. Debate and disagree all you want, but a list is just an opinionated thing. Along with those who earned top prizes, a few more who need to be applauded for their music creativity and efforts.
And the well-deserved honors in Chicagoland's original metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop scene go to:
Surf Candy-Fall (Best 2023 original Chicago area newcomer band)
True Love Devil-Bullet Down
Of Wolves-Jesus Jihad (Best 2023 original Chicago area metal album/band-Balance)
Acton's Dictum-Back To Rehab (Best 2023 original Chicago area punk album-Absolute Corruption)
x.Oracles.x-Viagra Song (best 2023 original Chicago area live show-Punk Rock Tacos 33-8/11/23)
The Lunatic's Fringe-Let The Fringe Begin (from Celebration, 9/30/23 The Forge Joliet)
Shoes -Tomorrow Night (best 2023 Chicago area comeback band) (live from the Third Annual Illinois Rock Museum on Rt. 66 V.I.P. Concert-9/16/23)
Phil Angotti ,Ralph Covert, Shoes, Cliff Johnson-Stay In Time (from the Third Annual Illinois Induction V.I.P. Concert Rock Museum on Rt. 66 9/12/23)
Aweful-New Moon (best 2023 Chicago area Rock album-Aweful Self titled, and best 2023 Chicago area rock band)
Carrying Torches-Snow Angel (best 2023 original Chicago area alternative rock band
BlockChain Coalition-Step On A Rocket (best 2023 original Chicago area rock album-The New Normal)
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Local Loft Episode308
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Monday Dec 18, 2023
"Another stupid Christmas song...I think I'll have another beer." (The Business,-Bollocks To Christmas, 1981)
O.K. then, how about the 90-minute gift of many un stupid non-Christmas songs. Another soundtrack of original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock, and power pop. There will be at least one Xmas tune in there, that you haven't heard in ages, and it will rock.
Before you get ready for a bloody good time this Saturday at Macabre's Holiday Of Horror, which will scare up a huge gift of Chicago area metal live on two stages at Reggie's Rock Club and Music Joint, Nequient will give you Nightmares before Xmas with tales of heart wrench drives in intense rain storms and city killers. They are one of nine bands on the bill. Drummer Chris Avergin joins me with a spoiler of their upcoming set at HOH 23.
More spoiler alert news for you fans of the power metal duo GraveReign. They haven't called it quits. Is new music forthcoming in the new year 2024 from Tony Engel and guitar shred demon David Shankle. Open up this podcast before next Monday and find out.
Off Broadway rock ON at their home away from home, Fitzgeralds in Berwyn this Thursday. The spirit of their legendary frontman Cliff Johnson will reveal himself in new singer Jim Cunningham.
Not only a gifted drummer with his first band, Delightful Downfall, Steve Eldridge is a top-notch producer, and has expanded his music vision as lead singer and guitarist of Qualia. He revealed the new band five years ago this week at Wire in Berwyn's annual holiday charity show, 20 Bands Of Christmas. We rock back to when I introduced Qualia to Local Loft listeners worldwide.
One last chance to cheat and open the gift of original Chicago area music before Santa's big delivery day on December 25th. Go ahead, tear into:
Nequient-Death Bridge
Nequient-Golden Age Of The Grift
Macabre-Your Window Is Open
Pete Berwick-Outsider
The Boyzz-Shady Lady (original 1978 Too Wild To Tame Epic vinyl LP cut)
Wings Of Destiny- (featuring David Shankle) Ride The Dragon
GraveReign-No More Yesterdays
Odonrot-Colors Of War
Bones-Blood Lust
Cliff Johnson-Stay In Time (acoustic version)
Shoes-This Christmas
Qualia (interview from Wire in Berwyn 12/22/18 Local Loft Episode 92)
Qualia-Relapse
Qualia-Savage
Monday Dec 11, 2023
Local Loft Episode 307
Monday Dec 11, 2023
Monday Dec 11, 2023
"The new groups are not concerned with what there is to be learned" (Joe Strummer 1978)
I can't totally agree with Strummer here. Many Chicago area original metal, punk & alternative rock bands are serious in learning and growing their music future. Bands who constantly experiment with different styles and even genres. Their plenty of examples of learning something new, especially Through N Through. The four man hardcore metal band from Chicago's Little Village is learning to mix progressive metal of the 70s and 80s with a fierce aggressive nu metal groove. It not just unclean vocals, there are moments of melodic progressive hard rock like Savatage. Guitarist Reuben Garza joins me as Through N Through gets ready for to give an unwrapped gift of hard-hitting metal with gory (yet funny) images, as they co headline Holiday Of Horror, hosted as always by the masters of murder metal, Macabre, Saturday, December 23rd at Reggie's Rock Club & Music Joint.
Aweful rocks through the looking glass in a new psychedelic music video take on a classic Disney fairytale. While Downhill Runner rocks, not skis, through a delicious mound of tortilla shelled ground beef at a pre-Christmas edition of Punk Rock Tacos in Villa Park this Friday.
There won't be mountains of snow this Xmas, seven years ago this week, there was a heave accumulation outside Wire in Berwyn, and five Chicagoland metal acts piled up inside, including Road's End. The ethnic metal act from the north Side brought a Polish touch (but not bilingual) to their music. We rock back to it.
Go ahead and snoop, peruse this advanced holiday gift of original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop. The unwrapping includes:
Through N Though-I.C.E. Breaker
Through N Through-Scarface
Macabre-The Big Bad Wolf
Aweful-Just Like Me
The Kozmic Kicks-Love The Insane
Michael Riser-Ride (Live in the Kat 105.5 studio 6/16/11)
M & R Rush-Heavy Metal Christmas
Heartsfield-(featuring Jim Peterik) Lost In A Daze Dream
The Ides Of March-Sharing Christmas
Downhill Runner-Euthanasia
Material Issue-Merry Christmas Will Do
Road's End (interview form Wire in Berwyn Local Loft Episode 45 12/10/16)
Road's End-The Descent
Road's End-S-21
Monday Dec 04, 2023
Local Loft Episode 306
Monday Dec 04, 2023
Monday Dec 04, 2023
"We don't get no volume control, we don't get no soul." (The Stiffs-1981)
You have total control over the loudness of the music. I have complete control over the size of the volume of original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop. You crank it up, I'll pump up the tunage.
It will get very loud with the angst fueled aggressive hardcore metal of Chicago's 1837 (ETS). They'll supply the ear exploding thunderous songs about teeth eating nightmares & long lost & forgotten family relations. Singer Calvin Spooner & guitarist/co-founder Josue Nieves join me to talk about their new single Obsolete Man.
Chicago punk pop band Lifting Curses makes a soul sacrifice for a heart healthy romance in their new single. Also, a Christmas throwback that knows no calendar restrictions from the late great king of power pop, Cliff Johnson.
Jetpack Audible did their best to not drown out a crowd of strike determined bowlers, as they rocked Tivoli Bowl, around the corner from the historic movie/ concert theatre in Downers Grove five years ago this week with mixture of modern Punk Pop & 70s stoner rock. We rock back to it.
Unwrapped & unrestricted by the number of plays you get for it on your device of choice. We give you the gift of original Chicago area rock from:
1837-Obsolete Man
1837-32 Counts
Through N Through-Unstoppable
Lifting Curses-Heartscrossed
Prison City Brigade-Shitty Presents
T.D. Clark-Not So Silent Night
Cliff Johnson & Mimi Betinis-Christmas Everyday
Daywalker-Exit Wounds
Of Wolves-Clear Cutting/Bloodshed/Heart To Hand
Counterpunch-Guardrails
Much The Same-Wish
Jetpack Audible (interview from Tivoli Bowl, Downers Grove Local Loft Episode 91 12/5/18)
Jetpack Audible-Reaper
Jetpack Audible-#3
Monday Nov 27, 2023
Local Loft Episode 305
Monday Nov 27, 2023
Monday Nov 27, 2023
Are you full yet?
The answer to this is always NEVER! when it comes to getting your weekly fill of original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop. Indulge all you want with every listen.
Get a bloating earful of progressive metal from across the Illinois/Indiana border. Chasing Allura has gotten recognition opening for Powerman 5000 and Texas Hippie Coalition on national tours last years. They co headline with Chicago's Eyes Of Anguish January 20th at The Quarry Ballroom in Thornton. Singer Eric Marvel joins me with songs featuring tales of corrupt political leader who treat voters like traitors for speaking their own opinions.
Death Pop Radio will rock you away from a stare of Cardiac Arrest with another ticker pulsing tune off their second full length album Medieval Electric, when they co-headline with Block Chain Coalition, Saturday at MT Barrels in Schaumburg. Check your pulse if your head's not banging and toes aren't tapping to it.
Biker brawn and beauty. Angelina Van Arden combined both as the ultra-sexy biker leather clad singer of Devil's In Angels. I introduced her balls out lovely rock personality to Kat 105.5 listeners 10 years ago this week. We rock back to it.
No leftovers here, just fresh new tunage from around the ever-delectable Chicago music scene.
Chasing Allura-Run For Your Life
Chasing Allura-Treason
My Own Fate-Babylon
Vyals (featuring Louise Post of Veruca Salt)-Widow
Veruca Salt-Disinherit
4Without-Tonight
Solar-Depths Of Division (featuring Kevin James of Marks Of Gray)
Death Pop Radio-Rapid Heartbeat
BlockChain Coalition-Hold On
Angelina Van Arden (interview in The Kat 105.5 studio-11/28/13)
Devils In Angels-Hot Summer Days
Devils In Angels-Save Me
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