Local Loft

Local Loft Episode 133

Slowly but surely, life is getting back to pre pandemic normal. A few venues ( Brauerhouse in Lombard,The Forge in Joliet,and WC Social Club in West Chicago) are letting local bands rock the stage with careful precautions. The music these bands release will always be up close and not socially distant. So let the songs of bands in the local Chicagoland area and state of Illinois metal,punk,alt-rock,power pop and prog rock scene penetrate through your senses and tickle your brain,while pulsating through both ear cavities.
 
Longtime Chicago melodic hard rockers Ditchwater return with Never Say Never,their seventh overall album, as they say yes to a return to the local concert stage in West Chicago. You get a double dose of the new record.
Tides Cult scream their way onto a mostly extinct,but not totally dead format,cassette tape, in a special colorful release of their debut EP.
Delightful Downfall stepped up to rock crowds around the Chicago Southland's from 2010 to 2013,when all band members were in their mid teens. Founder and drummer,Steve Eldridge went on to become a producer and front Sky Machine and Qualia. We rock back to August 2010,when I introduced the band to listeners of The Kat 105.5.
Along with these, you're moshing on a headbanging upswing to:
Ditchwater-This Pain
Ditchwater-Hands Held Out
Denial Machine-Whom The Gods Would Destroy
Dark Sun-Devil's Back
Tides Cult-Athame
Too Tough To Die-Undone
Mustard Men-Children Of The Corn
Delightful Downfall(Interview in The Kat 105.5 Studio-8/11/11)
Delightful Downfall-A Better Place
Delightful Downfall-Through It All
Delightful Downfall-Break Me
One Steel Wound-Klepto
 
 
 
 

Local Loft Episode 132

Gender matters, be they male or female, they are rock royalty in the Chicago area and Illinois metal,punk,power pop,alt and prog rock scene. and they get the king and queen treatment on the podcast that rolls out the welcome mat for their new music to be heard and respected.
 
Rockford's Drama Queen, throws back to the mid to late 80s,when hair bands reigned supreme. They may sound like it,but in no way look the same as Poison,Cinderella,Motley Crue and many others who had big mullet hair and eyeshadow. The 4 man band rolls out a new intoxicating dose of power rock, with a sexy, yet swilling video.
 
Even in these times of living cautiously, some are still headed to venues that are slowly reopening to check out live bands. The Forge in Joliet reopens with a fist pumping Pantera tribute. Chicago thrash metal trio Misfire blazes a trail for local headbangers to start a socially distant mosh pit.
 
7 years ago, when all was safe to rock out in mass quantities,Metal Fest was one of the big summer live music events. I rock you back to the August 2013 show at Pickups in Lynwood,when I was a special guest radio MC. and one of the most awesome female singers of any local metal band,showcased her incomparable vocal range at Dame Nation 5 from Reggie's Rock Club, Rosie Walker of False Hope Fades. 
 
Along with these,you're rocking with a tight fist pump,and a tighter face mask to:
 
Drama Queen-Tequila Shelia
Drama Queen-Get Ready For Love
Vile Cynic-Blood Eagle
Misfire-Invisible Enemy
Fierce Atmospheres-Forsaken
Metalfest 2013(Royal Steven Allison interview on The Kat 105.5-8/8/13)
Royal-Perfume
Royal-Morning After Pill
Spinning Red-Stop And Go
Approaching Dawn-Fatalism
Dame Nation 5(Rosie Walker of False Hope Fades interview on The Kat 105.5 8/8/13)
False Hope Fades-Coward
False Hope Fades-Innocence

Local Loft Episode 131

Lolla's doing it, so are many bands and artists worldwide. Going virtual. Local Loft has been the virtual guide to the best original Metal,Punk,Hard Rock,Alt and Prog from all over Chicagoland and Illinois for over five years. If you can't be at a show physically,we'll bring all the pre and in show excitement and fun to you. Via the music that makes the show rock.
 
Chicago Black metal trio Beyond Deth return for the first time in two years with their second EP,Accept Your Fate. More instrumentally driven than their 2018 debut,The Age Of Darkness,they were a regular co-headliner of Macabre's Holiday Of Horror,pre Christmas show at Reggies Rock Club, and hopefully will be again, when it is safe to check out live shows again.
 
Joliet Punk Rockers Prison City Brigade will free themselves from isolation quarantine captivity to headline a gig at WC Social Club in West Chicago. To psych up fans, they outrock Freddie Kruger,slashing their way through his steel bladed fingernail clutches in a brand new music video.  The timing of this coming out is scarily at around the exact time of the passing of John Saxon from the original Nightmare on Elm Street.
 
Plainfield Hair Metal act Down N Dirty supplied a surprising throwback to the days Motley Crue,Cinderella,and Poison rocked the mid to late 80's. Rock back with me to the first day of August, seven years ago, when the band gave the excessive hairspray a break,and got more bluesy and intimate with their sound.
 
Along with this,you're safely letting the brew and tunage permeate the home air with:
 
Beyond Deth-Accept Your Fate
Beyond Deth-Astral Invasion
Luna In Sanguinem-Angel Wings
Seven Years Wasted-Payback
Prison City Brigade-Thing 166
Fool's Brew(Local Loft Episode 32 interview from Star Bar,Chicago Ridge 7/31/16)
Fool's Brew-Lessons
Fool's Brew-The Parade
Down N Dirty(105.5 The Kat Homegrown Tones in studio interview-8/1/13)
Down N Dirty-Devil Inside
Down N Dirty-Diamonds

Local Loft Episode 130

Hear this,metalheads,punks and dames. More of what drives you to rock, even if you can't drive to your favorite venue and be an eye and ear witness to original bands. Virtually asembled is the best and freshest from around Chicagoland and Illinois. From balls out metal to skull bashing punk.
 
Joliet's Gnarcotix goes beyond simply screaming and grunting every lyric. There are some very detailed harmonies here on their new EP, In Spite Of.
 
For the brave rock fan, there are two chances to rock out live in the not so close proximity of other music fans. Including a 26th anniversary of the Chicago radio station that dared to be different,and bring metal to the masses. From far Northeast Illinois,Selfless,and Extraction Point will be two headliners. While Opshional Punks it up at a start of August bash in West Chicago.
 
Dame Nation was the first local live music fest to mostly, but not totally bring local hard rock,metal and punk to the greater city of Chicago area. Deadman's Wake introduced a girl siging force to be reckoned with,Kryssie Ridolphi,who now has become the standout frontwoman for Punk rockers,Evil Engine, I go back to July 2011, as Deadman's Wake gets ready to tear it up at Reggies Rock Club.
 
Habit of Force,did a big 360 in their aggressive brand of Metal,adding a distincitve 70's Southern Country Blues and Boogie Rock sound. Rock back 7 years ago to July 2013,as Rich "Truck" Collins talks to me about the shift in rock direction on their second record, Cleansing of Hands.
 
Along with these,you're virtually setting a local musical triptick with:
 
Gnarcotix-Sleepless Torture
Gnarcotix-In Spite Of
Vile Cynic-As Good As Dead
Selfless-Redeemer
Opshional-Big Brother
Deadmanswake(-7/21/11 interview in The Kat 105.5 studio)
Deadmanswake-Amy
Deadmanswake-Selfish
Deadmanswake-Far Be It From Me
Evil Engine-Radio Coup D'Etat
Habit Of Force (7/25/13 interview with Rich Truck Collins in The Kat 105.5 studio)
Habit of Force-Cleansing of Hands
Habit Of Force-DeathThreat

Local Loft Episode 129

Bishops,Marauders and Screamers. Oh my it's another not too distant breath of local metal,punk,prog rock,alt rock and power pop from around Chicagoland and Illinois.
The term Power Pop was supposedly first made famous by Pete Townsend. But for over 40 years, many Chicago area bands have truly defined the genre. Frankfort's Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club have kept Power Pop alive and kicking for slightly over 5 years. The now 4 man band returns with End Over End.
4 years ago this week, I reintroduced one of the pioneers of Power Pop,Cliff Johnson, again on Local Loft. It was the fourth interview I did with the legendary Off Broadway frontman and singer. He would not totally Look To Tomorrow,but do plenty of looking back,Staying in Time,while reliving the glory days of his biggest band with a new band The Raine. Rock back with me to this week in 2016m when Cliff did a few Quick Turns back to Fitzgeralds in Berwyn, where he almost bugged out (like Mister Moon) from Off Broadway for good in December 2009.
Many of us want to automatically head out to any venue to witness live music again.  A dreaded virus can't stop some from experience the sights and sounds of local rock again. Safely, there is a chance. Extraction Point is headed in the direction of the event which involves a special anniversary for the radio station that boldly went where no other Chicago station would go, in the totally metal program direction. 
Along with these, you're musically vaccinated with a heavy dose of original Chicago and Illinois local music from:
Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club-Burndown At Sundown
Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club-Get Up Get Up
Young Distractions-Only Noise
Cliff Johnson (Local Loft Episode 30,interview at Fitzgeralds on Berwyn-7/9/16)
Cliff Johnson-One,Two,Three
Off Broadway-U.S. Girls
D'Thumbs-Battle Of The Bands
Hot Dang-Remember This
Extraction Point-From The Depths
Mortality Of Man-Mortality Of Man
Marauder-Crush, Kill and Destroy

Local Loft Episode 128

Summer's here,and the time is right for rocking out at home. Some venues are beginning to reopen in the Chicago area under risky circumstances in the psychotic Covid 19 pandemic. I have info, within this new podcast, of a local metal show in Lake Villa. But crowd attendance is iffy or may not be included. No if's and's or but's about getting up close to your computer,phone or device speakers to discover new original music from Chicagoland and Illinois. We keep it mostly metal this time around.
Of Wolves began their metal mixed with Punk and a touch of prog rock assault back in 2012 with the release of their debut EP, Evolve. Almost seven years later,they have put out Balance. Highly political,angry and fierce,the new record speaks volumes. I've got two tracks from it,and we rock backwards to July 2013 when the Oak Lawn based trio,headed by Steve Sherwood (Wolves) first introduced themselves to Kat 1055 listeners. Plus new brash hardcore Metal from Self Imposed Exile,just South of Joliet, and a back to the future moment when venues were safe to rock out in,courtesy of Monk 9.
Along with this, you're shouting out and kicking disease's ass with:
Of Wolves-Balance
Of Wolves-Mens Rea (Izaguf)
Of Wolves (Steve Wolves (Sherwood) interview on The Kat 105.5-7/11/13)
Of Wolves-Red Skins/Buffalo Nickles
Of Wolves-Seal The Deal
Self Imposed Exile-Anchor
Psychomancer-Faded Scars Return To Bleed
Dead And Buried-Perpetual Suffering
Monk 9 (Local Loft Episode 62-Interview from Reggie's Music Joint-7/6/17)
Monk 9-Leave Me Alone
Monk 9-Front Porch

Local Loft Episode 127

Spreading good tunes,not bad worldwide diseases. Great music makes you forget about horrific pandemics, if only for an hour and seven minutes. The curve of local music exposure and close contact goes up big time,with the best new metal,punk,alt-rock,and prog. All bases are covered around greater Chicagoland and Illinois.
Kankakee's Carrying Torches elevates the musical union between rock and romance with their latest track. While Extraction Point hopes to rock away the demons of Covid 19,as they plan to hit the live music stage in July in Joliet. Vile Secretion unleashes their deadly screamo metal at the same upcoming show.
In a bittersweet flashback, former Kankakee Metal act Bleed for the Fallen has the honor of bringing a once legendary radio home for the most ass kicking local hard rock and metal to a close. While Orion Nine fist pumps people up for an outdoor music fest that made Lollapalooza look very tame by comparison.
In addition to these, you're within close headbanging and ear crushing distance of:
Carrying Torches-Higher
Carrying Torches-Computer
Extraction Point-Mindsnap
Vile Secretion-Synthetic Salvation
Redneck Remedy-Bid U Farewell
Bleed For The Fallen (Mike Bass interview on 105.5 The Kat-7/3/14)
Bleed For The Fallen-Chapter 13
Bleed For The Fallen-Brothers In Arms
Orion Nine-(Local Loft Episode 29-7/1/16,Frank Horvath interview from Brauerhouse, Lombard)
Orion Nine-Kiss The Sun
Orion Nine-Rick and Burt-The Muscatine Incident
Horvath-Magnus Prime

Local Loft Episode 126

Remember when we used to go out to Reggies,or The Forge,or Wire,or House of Blues and see kick ass local metal,punk,alt-rock and prog bands rock our asses off. F.U. Covid 19!
Until it's safe to gather and publically check out a Chicago area or Illinois band or solo act, who shows definite signs or makes great strides toward putting out music that rocks a mass audience and goes in a positive direction toward achieving commercial success (or just make music that is an important part of your life), lay back and groove to these totally original sounds.
Dead and Buried rocks away the spread of viral infections and widespread looting destruction with skull shattering hardcore metal. The distinctive full throated scream vocal of Cody Zupan is front and center here.  A voice you instantly recognize if you've heard Purification Through Hatred,the thunderous debut from Extraction Point,or Exploit This, the new EP from Kankakee's Ephinepic. Cody is singer for both,but before he joined either,he fronted D @ B, who unleashe more metal power with a new self-titled EP, thei first in almost five years.
They could've out rocked Motley Crue in the mid 80s Hair Band domination period, Chicago Glam rockers Diamond Rexx mark their 35th anniversary with Psych Ward, their first new record in almost 13 years.
7 years ago,a vicious women's touch was added to the mostly guy Chicago local metal scene. Violet Kill seized the moments and gave the dudes a run for their money. A rock back to June of 2013, when the five girl band had crowds at CMA's Queens of Metal and Bitchfest headbanging and bodysurfing for more. Former VK guitarist Carrie Morse lays down excellent vocal chops fronting Remorse Code today.
Along with these, you're breathing in the fresh deep smell and sound of original Chicagoland and Illinois local music with:
Dead And Buried:Hunting Ground
Dead And Buried-Tyrannical Butchery
God Dementia-Terms Of Existence
Diamond Rexx-Love Is Pain
Hessler-When The Sky Is Black
Seldom Told(105.5 The Kat interview with Mira Faris and Ryan Greer-6/14/14)
Seldom Told-Indivisible
Seldom Told-Reminder
Violet Kill(105.5 The Kat interview with Kait Stone-6/20/13)
Violet Kill-Until The End
Violet Kill-Eye Of The Beholder
Remorse Code-Machine

Local Loft Episode 125

Music soothes the savage looting,rioting beast. Lyrics may be violent and  aggressive, but no one will suffer any physical abuse in listening to the wide variety of hard rock,metal,punk,alt rock and prog from around Chicagoland and Illinois.
I first introduced Chicago's Sawbuck in the Fall of 2017. The 4 piece alt metal band from the city's South Side knows how to survive a violent situation, as they prove with hard hitting, yet heartfelt tunes from their just released self titled debut EP.
The former Chicago Metal Alliance threw three of the biggest gatherings of local Metal, mostly focusing on female talent that could rock, and in most cases, outrock, their male equivalents on stage. We rock back to the first CMA Queens of Metal show at the former Bada Brew in June 2013, and the fourth Legions Massacred By Queens at the ex Bobby McGees in Chicago Ridge. Plus Kankakee's Ephinepic rocks away images and sad truths of a decaying American society.
Along with these, your ear hairs are falling out, but your teeth stay stable to:
Sawbuck-Human Fiasco
Sawbuck-Fade
Red Tongue Ghost-9 Syllable Ritual
Sons Of Ra-Too Something For Someone
Ephinepic-Social Decay
Genotype-(Kadie Kirby Interview-The Kat 105.5 for Queens of Metal at Bada Brew-5/30/13)
Genotype-Screaming Yellow Sunset
Genotype-Oblivion
Bloody Mary-Where Do We Go?
Legions Massacred By Queens 4-(Holly Smith in studio interview at Kat 105.5 6/5/14)
Vicious Attack-Engaged In Genocide
False Hope Fades-Clean
Hot Dang-Polarity

Local Loft Episode 124

Another big slab of original local hard rock,metal,punk,alt and prog from all over Chicagoland and Illinois with enough sonic power to scare away even the most lethal virus germs.
On this edition of Local Loft, Sinister Fate comes slashing through the cyber airwaves,with two new intensely melodic hard rock tunes. David Bates is still the head vocal master,and works his macabre magic on a zombified headbanging audience. It's a scarifying sneak preview of their new EP,Broken Minds,Damaged Hearts which will be a real treat when it is released on Halloween. Also, Dead and Buried wants to put Covid 19 in a grave in Hell, never to wreak havoc again.
Headbanging and fist pumping in Rock and Roll Heaven, one third of the Chicago Metal Alliance gets a beer guzzling,music soaked flashback to one of the greatest live local rock bashes ever thrown. It's another turn to motor down to Star Bar in Chicago Ridge to celebrate the 4th anniversary of the last  Chicago Metal Alliance bash.
Along with these, your ear lobes get thoroughly cleaned and blown out with:
Sinister Fate-Black Flame
Sinister Fate-World In Ruins
Dead and Buried-Violent Pandemic
CMA Final Bash (Local Loft Episode 26-5/21/16 Star Bar Chicago Ridge)
Sinister Fate-The Hunger(with David Bates interview)
Proudest Angel-Whole Again
Wicked Deception-10 Of 1(with Lance Hugelet interview)
Consume The Divide- The Cause( with Dan Hardman and Joe Focht interview)
Impale-Breakfast Of Champions 
Hot Dang-Lifter
Poundcake(5/20/10 The Kat 105.5 studio Homegrown Tones Interview with Evan Moller,Brennan Chouinard,and Jeremy MgGrath)
Poundcake-The Botanist (unplugged in The Kat 105.5 studio)
Poundcake-Jonboat (unplgged in The Kat 105).5 studio