Category Archives: Best Of

Some other good music from 2012

Posted on January 12, 2013 by

Last week I published my list of the best local releases of 2012. Today I’m writing about a few more that weren’t mentioned then, but were good enough to be cobbled together in a follow up list. I’m not yet … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Of, Tyler Jon Tyler, Wedding Dress | 1 Comment

The best local releases of 2012

Posted on January 3, 2013 by

The year-end albums post, now in its third edition, happens to be the thing I most look forward to writing all year for CT. Perhaps it’s because the other two have been the site’s most-read pieces. By a lot. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Absinthe & The Dirty Floors, Advance Base, Archie Powell & The Exports, Best Of, Cains & Abels, Daylight Robbery, Grandeurs, Mazes, Outer Minds, Pony Trash, Radar Eyes, Suns, Uh Bones | 3 Comments

The best local releases of the year: 2011

Posted on January 6, 2012 by

Hey, 2012! Now’s as good a time as any, I guess, for me to get going on a post I’ve looked forward to writing for a long while. Today, I’m planting myself in a warm room for a few hours … Continue reading →

Posted in APTEKA, Best Of, Elephant Gun, Elsinore, Grandpa vs. Grandma, Little Boy Jr., Minor Characters, Soft Speaker, Sons of the West, The Bears of Blue River, The Singleman Affair | 5 Comments

My favorite sets of the year: 2011

Posted on December 30, 2011 by

As I began compiling a list of my favorite Chicago performances of the year, I noticed a pattern emerge. I’ve picked out seven key nights here, and many of them — four, in fact — made the cut for introducing … Continue reading →

Posted in Alela Diane, Best Of, Breathe Owl Breathe, Elephant Gun, Elsinore, In Tall Buildings, Minor Characters, Rachele Eve, Soft Speaker, Sons of the West, The Parson Red Heads, The Singleman Affair, The Yes Way, UMMA | 2 Comments

Top 5 shows in Chicago in 2010

Posted on January 6, 2011 by

Josh beat me to it by a good month, but I thought: “Well, better late than never.” Here, now, are my favorite shows from the year that was. Please note: I moved here in June, then launched the blog in … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Of, Black Prairie, Canasta, Darling, Elsinore, Eric Hughes, Jonny Rumble, Lincoln Hall, Rachele Eve, Santah, Schubas Tavern, The 1900s, The Bears of Blue River, The Empty Bottle, The Hideout, Tin Tin Can | 8 Comments

Top albums of 2010 (my turn!)

Posted on December 27, 2010 by

Josh had his fun. (Twice). Now it’s my turn to give my take on the best albums of the year. To keep things local, all of ‘em are by bands from Chicago. (Or, as you’ll soon see, bands that live … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Of, California Wives, Canasta, Darling, Elsinore, Eric Hughes, Gold Motel, Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, Santah, The 1900s, Tiny Magnets, Warm Ones | 12 Comments

Top 10 disappointments of 2010

Posted on December 26, 2010 by

No real intro for this one, kids. It makes me sad to think about it for too long… 10. The rise of Nicky Minaj Now, when I first heard her on the Drake album, I thought it was fine. Needed … Continue reading →

Posted in Band of Horses, Best Coast, Best Of, Passion Pit, Reggie's Music Joint, The National, The Thermals, Wilco | Leave a comment

Top 10 Chicago releases

Posted on December 23, 2010 by

So much great stuff going on in Chicago this year that it was actually harder for me to make this list than my normal Top Ten. A good sign for the Chicago music scene and for fans around the world. … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Of, Buddy Guy, California Wives, Chaperone!, Joe Pug, Music Review, Remaindermen, The Autumn Defense, The Congregation, Unicycle Loves You, Volcanoes Make Islands, Welcome To Ashley | 8 Comments

Top ten albums of 2010 (in my humble opinion)

Posted on December 17, 2010 by

This has been a very good year for music. Not a great year. That only happens once in a while. The best I hope for in a year is average, so a good year is a very welcome gift from … Continue reading →

Posted in Avi Buffalo, Best Of, Broken Social Scene, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Josh Ritter, Los Campesinos!, Music Review, Of Montreal, Otis Redding, Stars, The Joy Formidable, The Tallest Man on Earth, Titus Andronicus | Tagged | 1 Comment

Top 5 Shows of 2010 (Terzino Edition)

Posted on December 8, 2010 by

We are quickly approaching the end of 2010 and that can only mean one thing: End-of-year lists!! I’ve always been a big fan of list-making. Every year I put together a list of the top albums and top movies, sometimes … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Of, Josh Ritter, Neutral Uke Hotel, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Titus Andronicus | 10 Comments