Various Artists Future Soundtrack for America (Barsuk) Pity the young Republican who aspires to hipness. The nation might be evenly polarized, but the rock community, particularly the indie fac...

Ricky FantéRewind (Virgin) Ricky Fanté makes soul music, nothing "neo" about it: just sweet, buttery, Stax-sounding soul that's wholesome as a plate of hotcakes. No hip-hop flourishes, no Pr...

• A hearty congratulations to Sharon Graf, assistant professor of ethnomusicology at the University of Illinois at Springfield, on capturing first prize at the Illinois State Old-Time Fiddle Cha...

Doug Hilsinger and Caroleen Beatty Brian Eno's Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) (DBK Works) Thirty years after Brian Eno released his second solo album, Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), m...

• PENNY LANE, Springfield's only surviving store that was once called a headshop, sponsors a free outdoor concert on Sunday, Sept. 12, at Douglas Park. The concert, which began as a tribute to J...

This weekend, 16 bands and more than 1,000 people are expected to travel to a field outside the small town of Beecher City to enjoy some of the area's finest rock music. It's the sixth year for...

Various Artists Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo (Or) Tribute compilations are tricky bastards. Given the regrettably narrow and highly specialized tastes of most music fa...

The Naysayer Kitten Time (Red Panda Records) As anyone who has ever sobbed into soft, forgiving feline fur can tell you, there's nothing like a cat when it comes to free therapy. Take it from An...