Local Loft

Local Loft Episode 318

Well, look what I've saved for a psychopathic plunge of weather day and night. 
Bringing the rock thunder and lightning. Generating a significant robust accumulation of original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop.
Loud and high energy enough to scare away a tornadic onslaught of funnel clouds from Mother Nature's psychosis, Shitizen brings a fast and furious barrage of hardcore punk to The Outtaspace  In Berwyn. I talk with singer Claudia Guajardo, and guitarist Jerm, Bassist ET and Drummer Josh, as they headline a triple threat of Chicago area Punk that also includes a technological threat to an uninvited killer virus from Kenosha, Wisconsin's Anti Anything, and a non-hemorrhaging life changing talked up by Brainbleed.
Frankfort's Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club takes no prisoners in headlining the annual International Pop Overthrow a second time in April. I've got a preview. 
13 years ago, John David Daily was rocking hard and loud enough to make cows headbang, as singer and founder of the heaviest band in Kankakee, Redneck Remedy. Nowadays, John can get folks two steppin' and moshing equally as a solo Country Blues Rock singer. And he'll pick up a bigger fan base, as local headliner for a June Country music fest in the Kankakee town of Bradley. I've got the scoop, plus a Southern Rock change of music direction for John.
Two years before Wire in Berwyn could no longer win the financial fight against the COVID Pandemic, Fist To the Sky supplied the hard rock punch that kept many in the crowd from putting up their dukes to trade knuckles on black and blue skin. We rock back to the Chicago power metal band's last live gig, six years ago this week.
Face will melt, faster a one day only rapid freeze up ice covered pavement, when you generate the heat of the sonic power of original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop, by pumping up the volume to:
Shitizen-Piss Bomb
Shitizen-Make It Smell (from the split 7' vinyl EP Hold the Ketchup)
Anti Everything-Nuke The Virus
BlockChain Coalition-Hold On
Bullet To The Heart-Death By The Sea
Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club-Remind Me Of Summer
Surf Candy-Jailhouse Hoedown
John David Daily-The Games You Play
Redneck Remedy-Dead And Still Boozin'
Pale Horseman-Grigori
Infamous Martyrs-Something's Wrong
Fist To The Sky (Interview From Wire In Berwyn Local Loft Episode 75 2/24/18)
Fist To The Sky-Count Your Blessings
Fist To The Sky-Another Lesson Learned

Local Loft Episode 317

" And I wanna move the town to the Clash City Rockers."(Joe Strummer-1978)
 
Any city around the world will definitely be moved to mosh and headbang supreme by discovering the rich original talent in the city of Chicago and surrounding suburbs in the metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop scene. Just hit play here and motivate yourself to dig the thunderous rhythms being laid down.
 
Doom Metal really began as Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut album on February 13th, 1970. Unto The Earth (from Naperville and Aurora) like Sabbath combines extensive instrumental intros and jams with morbid lyrics of horse-riding witches who burn victims at the stake and judgement day. Singer and bassist Simeon Papacostas and guitarist Michael Yoseida join me, as they co headline with Black Road and Pale Horseman, March 2nd at Soundgrowler Brewing in Tinley Park.
Former Boyzz (from Illinois) Micheal Tafoya invites you to boogie 70s biker band style with a side of beef at the former Brauerhouse in Lombard, as he becomes the first act of original Chicagoland music to play at the newly named venue.
A name change (and several calendar and clock changes) let Joliet Hardcore metal band Orinoco do a radical change from their progressive science fiction past as Axis Of Time. The Kat 1055 air studio is where the transformation took place 12 years ago this week. We rock back to it.
Get cyberspace in a severe state of mosh insanity, by cranking up the original Chicagoland tones of:
Unto The Earth-It Is A Good Day To Die
Unto The Earth-Demons Of Destruction
Black Road-End Of Man
x.Oracles.X-Underground
Shitizen-Toxic Vibe
Tafoya-Boogie With Me
Alborn-Learn To Live
Wicked Deception-Dogs Of War
Goatbelly-Black Ship
Orinoco (interview in The Kat 105.5 studio-2/23/12)
Orinoco-The Antagonist
Orinoco-Seize The Day
Axis Of Time- The Walking Dead

Local Loft Episode 316

All Super Bowled out?
Make a Swift swipe or click of your device of choice, and treat yourself to an all around, all time frame, not just halftime, music extravaganza. It's a winning combination of original Chicago area metal, alternative rock, punk & power pop you can listen to during any period of overtime or downtime.
Joliet based Goth Industrial Rock band Programmable Animal made themselves known by a in studio visit to The Kat 105.5 in Spring 2014. They rock heavier and less electronic with their full-length album One Step To Hell, Singer and frontman Anthony Drepsea joins me as they open for national sci fi industrial national powerhouse act Powerman 5000, March 9th at The Forge In Joliet.
The news keeps getting bigger for BlockChain Coalition, as they live out a  younger man's dream of drummer Ron Thomas, in opening for forgotten early 90s Hair Band Mr. Big at Des Plaines Theatre this Friday, February 16th. I've got the exclusive.
Chicago's Blues music scene comes together to pay tribute to Ken Zimmerman, who gave legends and up and comers of the genre a place to jam in the Western Chicago suburb of Berwyn at his Harlem Avenue Lounge. A tribute concert is planned for Monday, February 12th at Fitzgeralds in Berwyn. I'll have the scoop on it.
Nowadays he recreates the big hits of the Big 80s as guitarist of M 80s. Five years ago this week, New Lenox based singer and guitarist Dave Bellah laid a set of fresh original fiery tunes from his debut solo CD, Think Outside The Burning Box, on a big crowd at Brauerhouse in Lombard. We rock back to it. 
Kick up a rocking great party time, without a football or Lombardi Trophy.  The original Chicagoland music stage is set for you:
Programmable Animal-Pills
Programmable Animal-One Step To Hell
Ministry-Thieves
BlockChain Coalition-Walked This Road
In Europe Without A Jacket-Pure Velocity
Heartsfield-One Word
Material Issue-International Pop Overthrow
Kharma-Paper Gangster
Party Rice-Better Off Dead
The Steepwater Band-All The Way To Nowhere
Dreadwolf-Kneel
Dave Bellah (Interview from Brauerhouse In Lombard (2/13/19 Local Loft Episode 95)
Dave Bellah-Pictures Of The Past
Dave Bellah-Say What You Gotta Say

Local Loft Episode 315

"Say we can, say we will." (Echo & The Bunnymen-1983)
 
Bands & artists in the original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop scene, YES, YOU CAN be discovered around the world. The cyberwaves are free and many have the freedom to rock out to your music with every new episode. 
 
For 42 editions, Punk Rock Tacos has triggered a musical hunger that needs to be nourished. Berwyn Punk band Acton's Dictum expanded on their experience of playing the food and music extravaganza by becoming the first Chicago area act to sign with the new record label that bears the name of the fest. Absolute Corruption is actually their second full length album. With lyrics about the joys and cons of drinking too many Dollar Beers and giving a middle finger to a stressful workday. as well as violent Covid Pandemic protest marches, they have a lot to vent. Singer Cactus Matt joins me as they rock Reggie's Rock Club Friday February 16th.
Female fronted Chicago punk pop band Sex Dream gets their chance to take a bite out the opportunity to rock Punk Rock Tacos 42, this Friday at Cemitas Poblanas in Villa Park. And they just might kill off thigs that bite necks and suck blood, if they live out the story of their new music video for the single Spike (in classic Buffy The Vampire Slayer fashion).
It's been almost seven years since we last heard new music form Joliet's Vaudevilens.  The alternative power pop band, led by Jeff Julian will enlighten the Local Loft cyberwaves with the new advance single from their sixth upcoming album Lights Out, due out April 8th.
An award-winning performance (not Grammy) came from a shred master, Tony Raygor, whose Joliet old school thrash metal band Deadman's Hand rocked with a new singer, Laurence Dutch DeVris at Bada Brew in Crest Hill's local music showcase, seven years ago this week. We rock back to it.
Crank it up....and feel the crunch! As you munch on your snack of choice, your appetite for original Chicago area metal, punk & alternative rock will be fully nourished by:
Acton's Dictum-Dollar Beers
Acton's Dictum-May 26th
Sex Dream-Spike
Aweful-Life You Knew
Vaudevileins-Erase The Truth
Poundcake-The Botanist
Blockchain Coalition-All That I've Known
DSG/David Shankle Group-Asylum God
Full Of Moxie-Take Me Home
Dead And Buried-Perpetual Suffering
Deadman's Hand (Interview from Bada Brew in Crest Hill-2/4/17 Local Loft Episode 49)
Deadman's Hand-Deep
Deadman's Hand-Call Me A Saint

Local Loft Episode 314

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

Local Loft Episode 313

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

Local Loft Episode 312

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
 

Local Loft Episode 311

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

Local Loft Episode 310

"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

Local Loft Episode 309 Year In Review 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)