Show/Album Review: The Dwarves

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Steve Long

Check out my review of The Dwarves new album The Dwarves Invented Rock n Roll and a review of their recent show in Oklahoma City.

Immature Punk The Dwarves Get Silly in OKC

Dwarves coming to Oklahoma City

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Steve Long

Chicago punk band The Dwarves are coming to Oklahoma this summer with Texas punk band Riverboat Gamblers.

Also on the bill are two local acts, Lotta Tuff and Feel Spectres.

The show is Wednesday, August 6 at the Oklahoma City Farmers Market.

It’s sure to be a great show!

Top 13 Chicago Bands

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Steve Long

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).

Top 6 Chicago Bands

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Steve Long

Back in June 2005 (which wasn’t too long after this blog first started) I did a Top Artists of Chicago list. Well, that was over 7 years ago and now is a good time for an updated list so here it is. The Top 6 Bands from the Chicago area, in descending order of preference:

Smoking Popes
This pop punk band got together in 1991 in Lake in the Hills, a northwestern suburban area outside Chicago, by the Caterer brothers. They eventually broke up in 1999 but reunited in 2005. They have released 6 studio albums, 4 EPs, 2 compilation albums, and 2 live albums.
Favorite Songs:
Not That Kind of Girlfriend. Let Them Die. Rubella. Need You Around. No More Smiles. Megan. Pretty Pathetic. Welcome to Janesville. Stefanie. If You Don’t Care. Wish We Were. This Is Only a Test. Punk Band.
You read about them at the following sites:
Smoking Popes Official Website
Smoking Popes Wiki article
Follow Smoking Popes on Twitter
Like Smoking Popes on Facebook.

Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is a punk rock band that started in 1996 in McHenry, another northwestern suburb on the outskirts of Chicago. Since their time together they have released 8 studio albums, 2 compilation albums, and 3 EPs.
Favorite Songs:
Radio. Private Eye. Queen of Pain. All on Black. Emma. Time to Waste. Mercy Me. Sadie. This Addiction. Dine Dine My Darling. Off the Map.
Read about them at the following sites:
Alkaline Trio Official Website
Alkaline Trio on MySpace
Alkaline Trio Wiki article
Follow Alkaline Trio on Twitter
Like Alkaline Trio on Facebook

Screeching Weasel
Punk rockers Screeching Weasel formed originally in 1986 in Chicago. This band has broken up and reformed several times, having most recently re-formed in 2009. They have released 12 studio albums, 14 EPs, and 4 compilations.
Favorite Songs:
Murder in the Brady House. I Hate Led Zeppelin. Dingbat. Hey Suburbia. Making You Cry. Veronica Hates Me. Cindys on Methadone. The Science of Myth. My Brain Hurts. Automatic Rejector. A New Tomorrow. Cool Kids. First Day of Summer. Your Name is Tattoed On My Heart.
For information about Screeching Weasel, you can go to:
SW Wiki article
SW Official site
Follow SW on Twitter
Like SW on Facebook

Rise Against
This punk rock band formed in 1999 in Chicago. They have released 6 studio albums and 3 EPs.
Favorite Songs:
Collapse. Long Forgotten Sons. Hero of War. Savior. Architects. Make It Stop. Satellite. Broken Mirrors.
More Rise Against info:
Rise Against Wiki article
Rise Against Official site
Follow Rise Against on Twitter
Like Rise Against on Facebook

Big Black
Big Black was, for lack of a better description, an industrial/punk band, that got together in 1981 in Evanston, a Chicago suburb north of the city. It was put together by uber-producer Steve Albini and former Naked Raygun guitarist Santiago Durango. They were only together for 6 years but they were quite an influence on many other bands. They released 2 studio albums, 2 live albums, 2 compilation albums, and 4 EPs.
Favorite Songs:
Jordan, Minnesota. Pigeon Kill. The Power of Independent Trucking. The Model. Bad Penny. L Dopa.
For more info on Big Black, visit the Wiki article about them

Ministry
This band started out in 1981 as a new wave band but eventually progressed into an industrial metal band. It was formed in Chicago by Al Jourgensen. The band disbanded in 2008 but got back together for a reunion in 2011 and released a new album in 2012. They released 12 studio albums, 4 live albums, and 14 compilation/remix albums. They have also released 3 box sets (why a band would need 3 box sets is beyond me though).
Favorite Songs:
Revenge. Everyday is Halloween. Stigmata. Thieves. Burning Inside. So What. NWO. Just One Fix. Jesus Built My Hotrod.
For more info:
Official Ministry site
Ministry Wiki article

Here is a list of honorable mentions. Bands from the Chicago area that I like but not necessarily well enough to make it to a tops list:

Smashing Pumpkins
Naked Raygun
Pegboy
Veruca Salt
The Methadones
The Jesus Lizard

Chicago – Labor Day Weekend

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Steve Long

These are some pictures of my recent visit back to Chicago this weekend. I forgot how much I love that place. I might start reading some more about the local politics from the area my dad is from (Kankakee, IL) and write some stuff about it.