Local Loft

Local Loft Episode 285

The following program is brought to you.. IN LIVING STEREO.
Actually, in this day and age of overhyped modern technology, it's living surround sound. So psych yourself up to be surrounded by a multichannel soundtrack of original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop. How much of discrete sound field it comes with depends on what kind of state-of-the-art car stereo or home theatre receiver you feed it through.
Vaudeviliens have been a regular headliner at Merchant Street Musicfest, Kankakee's Woodstcok (Its humungous Summer live music extravaganza) since 2012. They return to wow a hill stage crowd with another blast of high energy Foo Fighters ish rock. Singer and founder Jeff Julian joins me to preview their July 29th set.
Cliff Johnson was the distinctive voice of Off Broadway. But, he didn't lay the legendary Oak Park band's mix of power pop & arena rock on audiences by himself. I have a rare cut of guitarist Rob Harding taking the vocal mic.
Lockport power rockers A.D.D. will out rock the criminal presence of Wes Scantlin & Puddle Of Mudd Thursday in Addison. 80 Proof Preacher got a big following of punk disciples as they rocked live at Wire in Berwyn five years ago this week. We rock back to it.
No more leftover 4th of July fireworks will follow a sonic blast of original Chicagoland rock. So crank it up and feel the recoil of:
Vaudeviliens-When Will Then Be Now?... Soon
Vaudeviliens-SWP #1
Shaper-Robot Pirate Ninja
Off Broadway-Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart
Black & Blonde (featuring Cliff Johnson)-Stay in Time (1992)
Tyre Fyre-Illuminati
Oracles-New Tattoo
Heartsfield -(with Jim Peterik)-Lost In A Daze Dream
Of Wolves-Legal Lies
A.D.D.-Open Your Eyes
Glasshouse Owl-The Divide
80 Proof Preacher (interview from Wire In Berwyn-7/14/18 Local Loft Episode 83)
80 Proof Preacher-Them
80 Proof Preacher-Butthurt

Local Loft Episode 284

Freedom, there ain't no f*%#ing freedom!
We'll, that's not 100 % true. you always have the independence to choose what music is an important part of your life. You have the freedom to choose all year long, not just on the 4th of July, So turn it up & create the sonic blast that will explode speakers, if nothing else. There's a lot of sonic power in the original metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop soundtrack. Every episode of this podcast which extensively covers the scene ignites an explosive music soundtrack.
Music & food is sometimes a nutritious combination. It always is at ever Punk Rock Tacos. Preying on the stage at the 31st edition, Saturday, July 8th, at Cemitas Poblanas in Villa Park is  The Larvettes.  The 4-man Chicago garage punk band will supply a punchy mix of incomparable harmony vocals& melodic guitar chords as a headliner. Bob Towne & Chip Medema join me to preview the upcoming show.
Bullet To The Heart sinks their teeth (actually fangs) into a few big live gigs, opening for Gemini Syndrome, this Sunday at Top Fuel Saloon in Braidwood, & as opener for legendary 80s shredder Yngwie Malmsteen on the west coast & south in late August. I've got the new vampirish single whose music video has the band evoking a gothic Dracula scenario.
Audacity, from the northwest suburban Roselle area, had every right to have the nerve to win over followers of Kat 105.5 listeners when they dropped by our studios to ignite a pre Fourth of July hardcore metal sonic blast on our local show Homegrown Tones, ten years ago this week on Independence Day 2013. We rock back to it.
Leave the sonic music explosions to the professional air personality, as I fire up a booming set of tuneage from:
The Larvettes-Before You Come In
The Larvettes-Happy Go Lucky Times
Conciencia Total-Mexico Despierta
The Kind-Bad Dream
Off Broadway-U.S. Girls (Live at Fitzgeralds in Berwyn-1997)
Bullet to The Heart-Revenant
The Everscathed- The Dark Comes To Life
Survivor-Summer Nights (1981 45 RPM radio edit vinyl pressing)
Shoes-Now And Then (1979 45 rpm pressing)
Awdacity (interview in The Kat 10.5 studio-7/4/13)
Awdacity-Origins Of Extinction
Awdacity-Anthem Of The Fallen
 
 

Local loft Episode 283

Are you Funky or Punky?
We've got examples of both, in just one band. As we pogo our way through the wide map of original Chicago area Metal, Punk, Alternative Rock & Power Pop, Oracles combines a old school blues & 70s funk with the class of CBGB's punk rock legends with a trashy ultra-fast sound.  With the seductive, intimate vocals of Ms. Lynch & the gritty, but grungy guitar work of Rev. Dracula, who is actually Mike Allen. Mike as kept this winning combination going for 12 years, ever since he was singer * front man of Cutthroat Split Tail. Mike will talk to me about the highly danceable nature of Gitcha, Gitcha, the just released debut album of Oracles.
Teaching the Foo Fighters how to rock out with a very aggressive Punk swagger, Naked Raygun gets a heartfelt tribute album by many of the Chicago area's up and coming punk bands. I preview the salute compilation record for late longtime bassist Pierre Kezdy, to be released July 28th.
Futuristic & fierce, Orion Nine is truly a one-of-a-kind progressive Metal act. Seven years ago this week, I talked with singer & founder Frank Horvath, who pulled double duty, throwing the biggest local outdoor metal concert fest, Revival.
Feel the sonic recoil, without lighting a pre Fourth of July fuse, as you blast the smoking original Chicagoland Metal, Punk, Alternative rock & Power Pop of:
x.Oracles.x-Summer
x.Oracles.x-Viagra Song
Cutthroat Split Tail-Chicago
Grey Trash Aliens-Punk Rock Girl
Naked Raygun-Amishes
Fire Follows-Finally Home
Violet Kill-Shattered
Sarah Longfield-Paradoxos
Crusadist-The Unholy Grail
Orion Nine (Frank Horvath interview at Brauerhouse in Lombard-7/1/16 Local Loft Episode 29)
Orion Nine-Kiss The Sun
Orion Nine-Rick & Burt-The Muscatine Incident
Horvath-Magnus Prime
 

Local Loft Episode 282

It's almost summertime, & the taco eating will be easy.
So will be finding the appropriate original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop band that will supply the groove to help you work off a hearty meal of ground beef & hard shells. The Neighborhood Threat won't instigate a riot, but they will incite you to slam dance to work off the crunchy dinner meal with punchy punk tunes. The four-piece Southwest Side Chicago band plays Punk Rock Tacos in Villa Park July 8th.
Punching their way like transparent ghosts through a luminescent gothic nighttime setting of a new music video, Joliet's Beneath The Hollow bask in the glow of another person's misery. I talk to singer Jesse DeGroot for the first time in 11 years. about the making of their new EP, Misery Loves You, released this Friday, June 23rd.
Aeraco didn't totally resurrect the punchy power metal groove of Pantera. They came very close in bringing back the dominant mid 90s period when metal reigned supreme, in rocking Reggie's Music Joint, six years ago this week. We rock back to when I first discovered a blazing debut in the making.
Spring into another action packed, summer of original Chicago metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop, by firing up your mobile or PC device with the burning sounds of:
Beneath The Hollow-Misery Loves You
Beneath The Hollow-Our Own Hell
Bless The Martyr-The Deep End
Repentance-Blood On The Floor
Burned In Effigy-Doomsayer
Dead Living-Smoking Gun
The Neighborhood Threat-Vixen
Blockchain Coalition-Walked This Road
Phosphene-Michael
Aeraco (Interview from Reggie's Music Joint-6/22/17 Local Loft Episode 61)
Aeraco-Baptized By Fire
Aerco-This Life

Local Loft Episode 281

Radio, someone still loves you.
 
Even though it's not as diverse & unrestricted as in the 60s through the early 90s, radio can still be used an educational & entertaining experience to discover new music & learn about new artists. Too bad there's no simple way to make conventional radio great again. Which is where this independent podcast steps in. Go ahead & discover & learn about the new original diverse soundtrack of Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop. You have the freedom to choose your favorites, you won't be spoon fed & brain controlled. 
Metal heads, this one's mostly for you. Four Horsemyn feel your frustration. Being controlled by media over brash politics, & even brasher, destructive pandemic period. The four-piece Southwest side Chicago band touches on both issues in their second full length album, The Cost Of War. Singer Nick Smoots joins me to talk about how their soon to be released third album doesn't tread in the same political water as the second, as they let the frustration spew during a three-band punk gig Friday night at Brauerhouse in Lombard.
Jolet's Beneath The Hollow develop luminescent x-ray vision on their colorful new music video. It's a new miserable but totally rocking experience. Ralph Covert sets a lot of good (not Bad) Examples of putting on a big children's rock show at the legendary Ravinia.
 
Oblivion Zero of downstate Pontiac will be set sailing for future worlds unknown, opening for Powerman 5000, July 16th at Top Fuel Saloon in Braidwood. Five years ago this week, they rocked their way into a not so space aged future at The Forge in Joliet. We rock back to that.
 
Are you moshing comfortably? Pump up the volume & a naked blood pumping fist of hand skin to:
Four Horsemyn-Chipper
Four Horsemyn-Unhinged
The G.M.O's- You Suck! 20
Ravensthorne-Lust For A Vampire
Witchcross-Mistress Of Darkness
Beneath the Hollow-Misery Loves You
3 Years Hollow-The Other Side (featuring Morgan Rose of Sevendust)
The Bad Examples-Sammy The Dog Has Learned To Play Trombone
Ralph Covert & The Bad Examples-Church Of Rock N Roll Guitar
Oblivion Zero (Interview from The Forge in Joliet-6/13/18 Local Loft Episode 82)
Oblivion Zero-Catalyst
Oblivion Zero-Daylight

Local Loft Episode 280

"It's what you do in between the records that counts most".
Superjock Larry Lujack once said that during a TV interview in the mid 80s. I've always followed that advice as a method of doing good radio as an air personality for 30 years. I also apply it to every episode of this weekly journey into the Chicagoland area's original metal, punk. alternative rock & power pop scene. My compelling trivia & interviews are not, however, the reason you listen. But it adds to the compelling & rocking content of the records. Yes, even music on digital files, just like physical CDs, vinyl LPs or cassette tapes are records. And we've got a whole more to spin in this next hour & a half.
You'll hear the story of how a near death experience, led to a positive outcome to go out and captivate fans of Bullet To The Heart.  Singer Audrey Queen & drummer Draven D.C. again join me as this dark, yet powerful melodic hard rock band will captivate fans of a forgotten 80s legendary guitar shredder, Yngwie Malmsteen, as they open for his summer tour in August. They will rock The Forge in Joliet this Thursday night before that, with songs from their third EP, Death, Oddities & Romance.
You'll hear it first, on how the trio who provided complete support to any local metal band, The Chicago Metal Alliance, will return to give more for the first time in seven years. There's also the sexiest band on the planet, I Love Rich, who won't resort to NC-17 rated debauchery to exude their sex appeal when they play Livewire Lounge Thursday night.
There will be bands who play the numbers game (4 Without & !3-Monsters). Both featured two of the most prominent female singers in the Chicago area, Jana Vox & Deb Sonzo. It all adds up to comprehensive & extensive coverage of a Chicagoland music scene that's always growing, thriving & rocking. 
You'll be swooning to the grooves, with no margin of a big June losing streak, as you groove to the winning combination sound of:
Bullet To The Heart-Post Mortem
Bullet To The Heart-Graveyard Lovers
Hostages-Rot
Oblivion Zero-Death Of Me (featuring Joe Focht of Consume The Divide)
Dust Biters-This Was A Love Song
I Love Rich-Rock N Roll Is Gonna Burn
Spare Change-Crash & Burn
Simplistic Urge-The Reluctant Hero
Fool's Brew-The Parade
Voodoo Monkey Child-Eyes Of Love
4 Without-Sweet Bite
13-Monsters (Interview from Wire In Berwyn Local Loft Episode 60-6/9/17)
!3-Monsters-Overlook
!3-Monsters-Water's Edge

Local Loft Episode 279

The wild, the local, & the ageless. Experience & seniority play a big role in shaping & creating the soundtrack of original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop scene that rocks this last episode of the 270's on Local Loft.
In a music, film acting, political, & book writing career of almost five decades, Pete Berwick has done it all, but especially music. Pete combines a hard hitting, brash punk sound with outlaw country & 70s style blues based Southern Rock. He's an influencer & one who has been influenced. The legendary cult forgotten biker bar rock band The Boyzz (From Illinois) was a huge influence on his rock swagger. So big that he wrote a comprehensive tall all biography on them. Pete joins me to extensively share his storied music career (including selections from his seventh album The Damage Is Done) , & his real-life experiences on The Boyzz that got the book written.
 Chicago punk band the Handcuffs can't unchain the spooky surroundings of Halloween, at the start of June, as they come alive & unleash a famous monster at a headlining gig, Friday night at Liar's Club. While swamp rockers Convoy truck onto Brauerhouse in Lombard for a Saturday night high beer raising bash.
Combining a fierce angry screaming vocal style with a laid back, intimate & melodic vocal delivery made Genotype singer Kadie Kirby a force in the local Chicagoland metal scene. She unleashed her dual personality on listeners of The Kat 105.5 in the Joliet & Kankakee region, ten years ago this week, before screaming the rafters off of Bada Brew in Crest Hill at the first ever Queens Of Metal thrown by Chicago Metal Alliance. We rock back to it.
Keep both hands of the cyber reigns. You'll buck along with fists high in the air, & headbang severe enough to slice thin air in two, as you pump up the volume to:
Pete Berwick-Finger Down My Throat
Pete Berwick-Timeclock On The Wall
The Boyzz- Too Wild To Tame (from original 1978 Too Wild To Tame LP pressing)
Chains Over Razors-Broken Home
Convoy-Hero
The Handcuffs-Big Fat Mouth Shut
Complacent-Hostile
Genotype (Kadie Kirby interview in The Kat 105.5 studio-5/30/13)
Genotype-Screaming Yellow Sunset
Genotype-Oblivion

Local Loft Episode 278

Metal soldiers of Chicagoland, we honor you. Not just this upcoming Memorial Day Weekend, but every time you fire up this episode. The Chicago area's original metal scene rules the roost on episode 278. Even forgotten 80's metal guitar shredding gods who were once a Rising Force will be be  linked to the Chicago band who features the reigning queen of goth rock.
Indign brings a sheer sonic wall of penetrating ear exploding guitars, combined with clean melodic & unclean angry grunt filles vocals. They join Consume The Divide, Atlanta Is Burning, & The Righteous & Few Saturday night at Brauerhouse in Lombard. Guitarist Manny Canchola joins me to get you psyched to trade headbangs to the extreme.
Bullet To The Heart is already a Rising Force of Goth Rock supremacy, the Chicago melodic metal band, featuring singer Audrey Queen, now goes back to the future, in co headlining with the MTV decade's premier guitar shredder Yngwie Malmsteen on a summer tour. I have details.
Veteran Cow Punk singer Pete Berwick of McHenry County will soon tell fans of legendary Chicago biker rock band The Boyzz From Illinois how he came to write the first official biography of the band, while showcasing his own ragged, ass kicking brand of outlaw country laced rock. I have a track from his new full length album The Damage Is Done. And another opportunity to soak your subconscious in a forgotten thrash metal band from the new home of hardcore  metal, Kankakee, Beneath Ancient Waters, who couldn't stay afloat in the original scene for very long. We rock back ten years ago this week when they made Kat 105.5 listeners drown in their mixture of fast pile driving punk drums & melodic hard 90s style grunge rock.
Fully locked & loaded is this heave barrage of original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop:
Indign-Son Of Ares
Indign-Acheron Falls (River Of Woe)
The Righteous And Few-Wasting Away
Darker Than Fiction-The Count
Consume The Divide-The Hunt
Pete Berwick-You'll Get Used To It
The Boyzz-Back To Kansas
Bullet To The Heart-Black Widow
Ignescent-Resist
Beneath Ancient Waters (interview in The Kat 105.5 studio-5/23/13)
Beneath Ancient Waters-Dear Maria
Beneath Ancient Waters-Foreverlong
 

Local Loft Episode 277

It's the Mother Lode of all music intensive podcasts. Certainly, there is a load of new original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop that you can gift wrap & have the woman who brought you on this planet open & enjoy on her special day. But the whole family can enjoy any time of year.
As singer & frontman of Joliet based metal act Skull King, Nick DiNardo exuded a wide range of singing style, from angry hardcore to melodic hard rock. After that band's short run, he radically changed his style to solo acoustic blues rock. Now he rocks hard & furious again as singer of the Algonquin based True Love Devil. Nick & the full band join, as they look for worldwide headbanging love, by rocking a Thursday night crowd at Live Wire Lounge in Jefferson Park with Chokesetter & Her Worse Nightmare.
When veteran power rock singer Tony Engel formed Block Chain Coalition with his ex Veilside drummer Ron Thomas earlier this year, those already used to the science fiction atmosphere & fiery guitar shredding of the progressive metal duo GraveReign wondered if they were no more. Now both forces that drove that band to rock hard, are teaming up to write the first new song of future follow-up album to BCC's debut The New Normal, including local master shredder David Demon Shankle, formerly of forgotten 80s fantasy metal band, Manowar. I've got the scoop.
The most unique African American rock band to blend hardcore punk & late 70s urban funk & rap, Chicago's Blackmarket Democracy got an overwhelming amount of votes that they rocked the roof off the former Nite Cap in Portage Park when they headlined live seven years ago this week. We rock back to when I introduced them to Local Loft listeners worldwide.
Along with these, you've struck the motherlode of a family friendly, energy rich soundtrack, by cramming your ears full of the sounds from:
True Love Devil-One Last Breath
Skull King-Seperate Ways
Chokesetter- WorldEater
Her Worst Nightmare-Betray The Victor
Speedpvssy-Funeral Bells In Hell
Football Head-Snowball
Seldom Told-Medicine Man
Block Chain Coalition-Never Really Meant To Say Goodbye
GraveReign-The Reckoning
Blackmarket Democracy (Interview from Nite Cap, Portage Park 5/16/16 Local Loft Episode 25)
Blackmarket Democracy-Buckshot Republic
Blackmarket Democracy-Fragile

Local Loft Episode 276

You ain't seen nothing like it, since coronation day.....a royal pain in the ass PC freezup!
I had a prepared text that I just typed out here around 15 minutes ago, but half assed computer technology wiped it out on purpose. 
This Episode has non bombastic, non pompous parades of Skull Kings & drama queens (at least a flashback of the former & a mention of the latter as a brief lead singing slot of the former's former hair metal band)
So, as brief as I can write,
With songs devoted to classic cars of award-winning serial killer film directors, Chicago power trio Goatbelly is hoping to avoid a negative connection from The Party Of No, as they co headline with their rock nemesis, The Lunatic's Fringe, Thursday Night at The Forge In Joliet. Singer Otis Tapper & bassist Ryan Worthy join me to preview the gig with songs from their soon to be released self-titled debut album, released on May 20th.
Berwyn Punk rockers Acton's Dictum serve up a new non ground beef groove filled black vinyl platter, the first on a new label of the scrumptious monthly gathering, Punk Rock Tacos, Friday in Villa Park. I've got a preview. 
Joliet metal singer Nick DiNardo didn't get the royal treatment as frontman of Skull King in 2011, even though we welcomed him like a metal monarch when he & the band appeared in our Kat 105.5 studio. 5 years after they ended their reign of rock, Nick did a complete turnaround as a solo acoustic blues rocker. He's getting heavy again with True Love Devil. They will generate a mosh pit fit for princes of darkness, May 18th at Livewire Lounge. I have their new single.
Dean Leo's singing career recalls the days King Charlie tied the knot with Princess Di. He (Dean) has been in 80s hair bands but has displayed his multi range vocals in Endgame. They made their stage debut six years ago this week at Star Bar in Chicago Ridge. We rock back to it.
Along with these, you're getting the uncrowned king of every Chicago mosh pit treatment, as you accept the formal invitation to rock supreme by cranking up:
Goatbelly-Delta 88
Goatbelly-Avias A
The Lunatic's Fringe-By Hook Or By Crook
Dead Freddie-Double Handle
Acton's Dictum-May 26th
Pete Berwick-Renegade
The Boyzz-Hoochie Koochie (original 1978 Too Wild To Tame LP pressing)
True Love Devil-One Last Breath
Skull King-Never
Endgame (interview from Star Bar in Chicago Ridge Local Loft Episode 58 5/6/17)
Endgame-Withered
Endgame-Haunted