Lost at E Minor

By Gerry Mak in New Photography on Monday 5 April 2010

Daniel Shea’s lens mostly focuses on the ugly, the forgotten, and not always irredeemable sides of American culture — the decaying neighborhoods of Baltimore, the poor and working class people of his hometown of Chicago, and the devastation of the mining industry in Appalachia. His most recent series, Plume, documents the coal-fired power plants of southeastern Ohio, where smokestacks loom over abandoned towns, generic suburban sprawl, and once idyllic farmland.

Read more (2 comments)

By Gerry Mak in New Art on Thursday 1 April 2010

Chicago-based artist Krista Wortendyke re-assembles pieces of images from video games, war photographs, and movies to create new battle scenes that omit narrative-suggesting elements – thereby leaving no moral context for the viewer — as well as suggesting extreme mediation, with the overlaying squares and rectangles suggesting the pixelation of digital technology.

Read more

By Gerry Mak in New Art on Wednesday 17 March 2010

Chicago-based artist, educator, and Alvin Ailey dancer Nick Cave (not to be confused with the other one) has been wowing people with his amazing Soundsuits for years now. Inspired by African ceremonial costumes, Cave’s pieces fuse sculpture, fashion, and performance.

Read more

By Gerry Mak in New Illustration on Saturday 13 March 2010

Really digging the grotesque, zombie-like sculptures and images of Chicago-based artist Rachel Niffeneggar. The materiality of Niffeneggar’s work is as vital to the interpretation of each piece as the aggregate images, bringing up high-concept ideas that transcend mere horror movie worship.

Read more

By Dave Mata in Cool Travel on Wednesday 24 February 2010

Post 27 is a unique and beautiful space on Chicago Ave in the Ukrainian Village. I first stumbled upon this ‘all things interior’ boutique a few weeks back, helping a friend move a table. Their new website showcases much of their vintage furniture, jewelery, and art that is held within this stunning establishment.

Read more

By Dave Mata in New Events on Friday 19 February 2010

After several years of curating art work at events and bars around town, myself and a few friends decided to get a space of our own. Although our first opening isn’t until this coming weekend, we allowed Ben at RVCA to host an event in our gallery. This is a video from the night featuring [...]

Read more

By Casper Johansson in New Music on Tuesday 9 February 2010

At times floating out of the ether with the familiarity of forgotten Sunday mornings, while at others, pounding out textured, thumping pop, the sound of Chicago band Sonoi might be difficult to describe, but that’s what makes it so interesting. The depth of the band’s sonic palette is evident on their song Sherry Fall [listen [...]

Read more

By Gerry Mak in Video on Wednesday 27 January 2010

I’ve been revisiting the films of Chicago-based animator Jim Trainor lately and hoping he’ll release something new soon. I first saw the above film, The Bats, when I was living in the Windy City almost ten years ago, and it hasn’t lost its charm. Trainor’s main theme is describing animal behaviors via dry narration, drawing [...]

Read more

By Dave Mata in New Music on Wednesday 20 January 2010

Joining the ranks of soul revivalist groups such as El Michels Affair and The Dap Kings are Chicago’s own The Uptown Sound. Fronted by the charismatic JC Brooks, this group channels equal parts grimy garage and butter drenched R&B. Spanish label Vampi Soul released this sharply packaged 45 just a few weeks ago, and neither [...]

Read more

By Casper Johansson in New Music on Thursday 14 January 2010

Legends of the Chicago music scene, The J. Davis Trio’s latest album, These Things Happen, features their edgy blend of hip hop and garage-jazz with big beats. Check out their new single, Breezay, below and download it for free via our Music Download section [psst, it's in the third column]. [audio:http://www.fanaticpromotion.com/projects/jdavistrio/mp3/jdavistrio-breezay.mp3]

Read more

By Dave Mata in New Photography on Thursday 3 December 2009

Blending macro-photography and digital mirroring, Chicago-based photographer Kristin Bruni composes images that are both peculiar and enchanting. The symmetrical abstractions range from intense angular splashes of color, to smooth and tranquil visual landscapes. Having only viewed her portfolio, I was stunned with the magnitude of size and emotional range of her gallery work. Suggestive and elusive is the best way to describe seeing her brilliant work in person. I’ll never look at cabbage, bubbles, or fishing rods the same way again.

Read more (1 comment)

By Dave Mata in Video on Monday 2 November 2009

This band is one of the most promising acts to appear in Chicago in the past few years. Their live shows have set them apart from their stoner-spazz rock counterparts, with an elaborate light set up that they bring to each show. Yes, you see correctly, lead vocalist joe is ‘playing’ the lights. I can’t [...]

Read more

By Dave Mata in New Photography on Tuesday 13 October 2009

Philippine born, Chicago resident, Miriam Fanger is addicted to coffee, and capturing moments that don’t exist with the reality of passing time. The subtle intensity she has, along with a tenacity for shooting, makes her work powerful and moving. Her photos seem to catch all people at a passing instant of vulnerability, and the posture and eyes of her subjects radiate with a chemistry that I rarely see in portraiture.

Read more

By Dave Mata in New Music on Monday 12 October 2009

Anybody could roll down the list of bands that Mexico City’s Carlos Icaza is in, or credit him for his incredible work with the Vampi Soul people, but until you have met this brilliant, record collecting, drum-battering-anomaly in person, you have only read into a small semblance of what Icaza is all about. When I [...]

Read more