It’s a political movie but not a preachy one. It’s set in the now. And it’s both an entertainment and something much more. A reminder that the good fight can seem endless, unsustainable, but always remains essential to our humanity. A few words about "One Battle After Another": tinyurl.com/meufdcsr

Indie rock, we hardly knew you. Where it started and where it went. We talk with @chrisdeville.bsky.social, author of "Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion," on @soundopinions.bsky.social. Some spiel here: bit.ly/4gOQufk The show: bit.ly/3IIqp4G

How many recognized @jimmykimmel.com's opening line was a tribute to Jack Paar? "As I was saying before I was interrupted," was Paar's opener upon his return after walking off the Tonight Show for 7 weeks in 1960 when NBC censors cut a joke about a water closet (bathroom). youtu.be/c1tjh_ZO_tY?...

Excited and honored to be the guest on today's @soundopinions.bsky.social discussing my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS and 21st century indie rock with living legends @gregkot.bsky.social and @jimderogatis.bsky.social. Check it out at the link / wherever you get your pods: www.soundopinions.org/show/1034

50th anniversary of a classic, from Mapplethorpe's cover shot to Patti's startling declaration of intent in the LP's first line. And then there's "Birdland," in which Smith pleads, “Please, take me up.” How did we get here? And how do we get the hell out? @soundopinions.bsky.social: bit.ly/3Vl7T5h

Redford was terrific in so many potent movies. My faves include "Three Days of the Condor, "Sneakers" and "Quiz Show." But nothing tops "All the President's Men." For us journalism students of a certain vintage, this movie helped point the way forward.

What the hell is "dad rock" anyway? Niko Stratis opens doors with some new perspective on how this maligned genre can change lives, as it did hers. bit.ly/4gg7Jpe

Latin jazz legend Eddie Palmieri is gone, but his music still cooks. What a life, what a career. A few words about the master on @soundopinions.bsky.social: bit.ly/46jVZPj

Looking forward to the conversation with @bobmouldmusic.bsky.social, followed by his solo electric set at @oldtownschool.bsky.social. Oct. 5. Ticket info here: oldtownschool.org/concerts/202...

It's all happening. And couldn't be more timely.

If you write about music, consider this

It was a true pleasure to discuss That Gun In Your Hand with two writers I've long admired, @jimderogatis.bsky.social and @gregkot.bsky.social for @soundopinions.bsky.social Have a listen 🔽 www.soundopinions.org/show/1031 @anvilpress.bsky.social @asterismbooks.bsky.social

It's a solar-powered @soundopinions.bsky.social this week, as ace journalist/activist @billmckibben.bsky.social returns to the show. As Bill says: “Renewable energy has suddenly become the obvious, cost-efficient choice… a very big and hopeful thing.” We provide the soundtrack. More: bit.ly/47BspGj

Thanks to the No Wristbands podcast for this interview with @soundopinions.bsky.social in which we covered everything from music journalism in a one-of-a-kind scene to our divergent takes on Chicago pizza. shorturl.at/AyrXG

Reconnected with my old Trib colleague Ken Wilson at the Bucktown Arts Fest in Holstein Park. Ken illustrated my Trib articles in the pre-digital era. I bought his mixed-media collage of Lou Reed and found a perfect home for it in my office. Check out Ken's music-centric work at Kawcuts.com.

Donny Hathaway is long gone, but he made one of the greatest live LPs of all time. I've returned to it again in recent days, inspired by "Twisted Melodies," a one-man play written and performed by Chicagoan Kelvin Roston Jr. More here on @soundopinions.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/32xptrhn

Swing, blues, a little bit of Ramsey Lewis, a dash of Beatles, a jaunt down Route 66 -- it was all on the menu. Guitar mainstay Joel Paterson with his trio on the Fitzgerald's patio this week dipping into what must be a miles-long repertoire. shorturl.at/15iKD

You'll hear these three people on @soundopinions.bsky.social this week. One of them is really good at playing a guitar, singing and writing songs steeped in blues, soul and country. Check out @valeriejune.bsky.social here: www.soundopinions.org/show/1029

Our pool party with Swamp Dogg on @soundopinions.bsky.social. The documentary is great. Our conversation with the man himself was something else. You will be entertained: www.soundopinions.org/show/1026

Salute to Eddie Palmieri (RIP), who turned salsa into an international sound with this meld of jazz and Afro-Cuban groove in 1965 and countless classic albums and performances ever since. www.youtube.com/watch?v=snUV...

I reconnected with Alejandro Escovedo last month when he played a Chicago festival. He's persevered through trying times and lived to sing about it, and his performance brought me back to a song he recorded 25 years ago about holding onto your vision no matter what gets in the way: bit.ly/3Utrn7v

What's not to love about Swamp Dogg ? His wild origin tale (yes, acid was involved), his laugh-out-loud story-telling, his no-genre-can-contain-him ambition? I spiel about the subject of one of our all-time favorite @soundopinions.bsky.social interviews: bit.ly/3IX1A4S

Horsegirl "on a stage meant for 300": The three musicians understand the value of space, what it means to let an arrangement breathe. As a result, what they do actually play sounds bigger, more intense. The review + video: shorturl.at/3otTs

Latest round of "Buried Treasures" on @soundopinions.bsky.social. Dero's picks are 1-5, mine are 6-10. Check 'em out, and give a listen: bit.ly/40AjAIo

Jim and Greg return mid-summer with a fresh batch of "Buried Treasures." From indie rock and doom metal to funk and chamber music, these are hidden gems worth your ears. Discover your next favorite track: bit.ly/40AjAIo

Public Enemy know what's up.

Whenever the five members of Eleventh Dream Day get together to play, it’s like they’re picking up the conversation where it left off last time, no matter how long ago that might have been. It’s a rare thing to witness. And it happened again last night. The review+video+pix: shorturl.at/eqcv6

An appreciation of the mighty Oz on @soundopinions.bsky.social: shorturl.at/zC7V6

It's the 100th anniversary year for the King of Zydeco. We clear some room on the dancefloor to pay tribute on @soundopinions.bsky.social : bit.ly/40whhpJ

Ozzy Osbourne is gone. That he made it to his 76th birthday likely surprised even him, because he always knew he was living on borrowed time. He and his Black Sabbath bandmates came from nothing, and become the most celebrated metal band ever. Some words about the wizardry of Oz: shorturl.at/0DqM4

It was a gorgeous summer night Monday that brought Joe Bataan, the voice of Nuyorican soul, and Novos Baianos, the avatars of Brazilian Tropicalia, to the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. A few words about a historic show in Chicago: shorturl.at/2lpbJ

Donny Hathaway is the soul giant who got away, a supremely gifted artist whose short career was racked by mental illness yet produced transcendent music. A new iteration of the play "Twisted Melodies" is a one-man tour de force that reminds us of Hathaway's triumph and tragedy. tinyurl.com/2s5acr3a

Music memoirs usually ain't all that, a series of VH1 "Behind the Music" cliches. A rare recent exception is “The Upcycled Self" by Tariq Trotter, aka Roots MC Black Thought. We interviewed him on @soundopinions.bsky.social + a few more thoughts on one of my fave hip-hop artists: bit.ly/498B0gL

He was 74 going on 44 and played like it Sunday at the Square Roots Festival across the street from the Old Town School of a Folk Music. My review + video of the mighty Alejandro Escovedo: shorturl.at/OgVlJ

The Mekons are all over Chicago this weekend. Three shows in two days. It’s a rare opportunity to see one of the longest-running bands from the punk era. And not just any band, but one that reframes protest music as a kind of joyful screw-you to the powers that be. Review + video: shorturl.at/LDPIp

Lifers, indeed. Local H has been bringing it for decades. With Scott Lucas at the helm from the start, the band's always been about two human beings making a big noise, with a measure of poignance and a dash of innovation. We tip our hat on @soundopinions.bsky.social: soundopinions.org/show/1023

Big news! Our album Mourners has made it to the podium. A huge thank you to @gregkot.bsky.social and Sound Opinions for naming it one of the best three albums of the year (so far). What can we say? Hooray!

New piece from me on Mavis Staples for the fab Columbus, Ohio, news weekly @matternews.bsky.social, edited by @andydowning33.bsky.social. Mavis turns 86 on Thursday. shorturl.at/dzQST

Big thanks to @gregkot.bsky.social at @soundopinions.bsky.social of Chicago for including Bowerbirds and Blue Things in his top 5 albums of 2025 so far! @shelfliferecords.bandcamp.com @spinoutnuggets.bsky.social www.soundopinions.org/show/1022?fb...

When I once suggested to Mavis Staples that new generations of her listeners might be unaware of her history as a civil-rights activist, she nodded. “People forget the history or some don’t know it at all,” she said. “That’s why I have to be the history.” New from @gregkot.bsky.social now at Matter

You won't have your names when you ride the big airplane/ All they will call you will be "deportees" -- "Plane Wreck at Los Gatos" Woody Guthrie wrote this song in 1948. Dylan & Baez performed it during the 1976 Rolling Thunder Revue. More relevant than ever in 2025. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBE-...

My favorite LPs of the year so far. My list, Dero's list, etc: @soundopinions.bsky.social soundopinions.org/show/1022

A song for today. www.youtube.com/watch?v=siiN...

Some words about young Sylvester Stewart the student and young Sly Stone the visionary who walked it like he talked it about racial harmony: bit.ly/45KEeZR

What’s the worst band name you’ve ever heard? Jim and Greg talk with writer Kyle Ryan about "Band Name Bureau", a collection of hilariously bad, weird, and regrettable band names. Starting as a fun project at "The A.V. Club," it’s now a beloved newsletter and social media archive: bit.ly/3G0AaKf

Sly and the Family Stone sounded fresh in 1973, and they still do. Sly is gone, but the music will outlive us all. We pay tribute to a great one on @soundopinions.bsky.social this week. Listen now: bit.ly/43HBIC1

Spent Saturday afternoon visiting our old 'hood for the 75th annual Old Town Art Fair. Picked up a print of this beautiful James Baldwin portrait by Kentucky artist Kenneth Lewis. Seemed fitting. Kenneth's at the art fair again today or you can contact him here: shorturl.at/I2fd4

I’ve been on a Tropicalia bender lately after viewing "I’m Still Here," a 2024 movie about the fascist oppression of Brazil in the '60s & ‘70s. Tropicalia was protest music that arose in opposition, and it fills the soundtrack, including a track by the great Tom Zé. More here: tinyurl.com/cn5xdc4t

Amid a world of hurt in his life, Brian Wilson (RIP) gave us music that feels like it will endure for future generations to marvel. Wilson was often his own harshest critic, but one year in particular made him realize he could do "something good." Read on: tinyurl.com/5h7tuchp

Sly Stone (RIP) had it all and then self-destructed. It's tough not to lament the wasted years. But the nearly unparallelled streak of genius that he unfurled in 1967-1975 towers above all the pain and regret. Looking back on the Grant Park concert that wasn't and more: tinyurl.com/3pjdcapv