My Thirteen Favorite bands that hail from Chicago, Illinois. Listed here in alphabetical order.
1. ALKALINE TRIO
Formed in 1996 in the McHenry neighborhood, a suburb on the northwestern side of Chicago.
Links:
Official Website. MySpace page. Wiki article. Twitter page. Facebook page.
Essential Albums:
From Here to Infirmary (2000). Split with Hot Water Music (2002). Good Mourning (2003). Crimson (2005). This Addiction (2010).
2. BIG BLACK
Formed in 1981 in Evanston by singer/guitarist Steve Albini and former Naked
Raygun alumnus Santiago Durango and Jeff Pezzati.
Links:
Last.fm page. Wikipedia article.
Essential Albums:
Songs About Fucking (1987). Pigpile (1992).
3. DAN VAPID & THE CHEATS
Formed in 2011 by former Screeching Weasel guitarist/bassist Dan Vapid.
Links:
Official Website. Wikipedia article. Facebook page. Twitter page.
Essential Albums:
Dan Vapid and the Cheats. Two.
4. THE JESUS LIZARD
Technically, this shouldn’t be on this list as the band originally formed in
1987 in Austin but they did relocate to Chicago in 1989 and are pretty influential as far as Chicago rock goes.
Links:
MySpace page. Wikipedia article.
Essential Albums:
Pure (1989). Head (1990). Goat (1991).
5. THE METHADONES
Formed in 1993 by the aforementioned Dan Vapid.
Links:
MySpace page. Wikipedia article.
Essential Albums:
Ill At Ease (2001). The Methadones (2010).
6. MINISTRY
Formed in 1981, it was originally a synth pop band but quickly changed pace and turned into one of the pioneers of the American industrial music movement.
Links:
Official Website. Wikipedia article. Facebook page.
Essential Albums:
The Land of Rape and Honey (1988). The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989). In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up (1990). Psalm 69 (1992).
7. NAKED RAYGUN
Highly influential punk rock band that formed in 1980.
Links:
Official website. MySpace. Last.fm. Facebook. Twitter. Wikipedia article.
Essential Albums:
Basement Sreams (1983). All Rise (1986). Jettison (1989). Raygun Naked Raygun (1990).
8. PEGBOY
Formed in 1990 by former Naked Raygun guitarist John Haggerty.
Links:
Facebook. Myspace. Last.fm. All Music. Wikipedia article.
Essential Albums:
Three-Chord Monte (1990). Strong Reaction (1991). Fore (1993).
9. RISE AGAINST
Punk rock band formed in 1999.
Links:
Official website. Facebook page. MySpace page. Twitter page. Last.fm page.
Wikipedia article.
Essential Albums:
Appeal to Reason (2008). Endgame (2011). Long Forgotten Songs (2013).
10. RIVERDALES
Punk rock band formed in 1994 by members of Screeching Weasel.
Links:
MySpace page. Wikipedia article. Facebook page. MySpace page.
Essential Albums:
Riverdales (1995). Phase 3 (2003).
11. SCREECHING WEASEL
Formed in 1986 in the Prospect Heights neighborhood.
Links:
Official website. Facebook page. Twitter page. Wikipedia article.
Essential Albums:
Boogadaboogadaboogada (1988). My Brain Hurts (1991). Anthem for a New Tomorrow (1993). Bark Like a Dog (1996).
12. SMOKING POPES
Formed in 1991 in the Lake of the Hills neighborhood of northwestern Chicago.
Links:
Official Website. Wiki article. Twitter page. Facebook page.
Essential Albums:
Get Fired (1993). Born to Quit (1995). Destination Failure (1997). Stay Down (2008). This Is Only a Test (2011).
13. VERUCA SALT
Alternative rock band that formed in 1993.
Links:
Official website. Facebook page. All Music page. Wikipedia article.
Essential Albums:
American Thighs (1994). Blow It Out Your Ass It’s Veruca Salt (1996). Eight Arms to Hold You (1997).
Otter Limits 