Reading Week is here and, as the inevitable finals loom nearer and nearer with every hour wasted, that means this blog goes on its summer vacation so the authors don’t fail their tests. Where will you ever get your music news and witty analysis now? Oh wait, sigh.
But before we all lock ourselves [...]

If you stayed inside finishing off that handle of vodka during Common’s performance on Dillo Day, you missed his freestyle rap about Northwestern. Some good soul went ahead and filmed the rap, then slapped it up on YouTube.

Pretty neat, and always a good time seeing a celebrity wearing an NU sweatshirt. Some of [...]

One editor for this influential music media source talks about its growth and goals.

A lot of great music exists out there. But NBN can’t devote a slot to every CD that hits shelves, especially for bands you may have never heard of. So, that’s where we come in. British band Cajun Dance Party serves up a debut album and an excuse to talk about the state of music [...]

The fact that the yuppie-tastic realm of Evanston only has one “American-style” chain restaurant in town comes as a big shock. Since no one has sprung for a Ruby Tuesday anywhere in town, the one source us hungry students have for obnoxiously sized burgers and things coated in exotic “buffalo” sauce is Chili’s. [...]

A&O and Niteskool keep bringing great acts blah blah blah… true, but sometimes your conventional concert can get stale, and you start craving something different. Enter WNUR and Block Cinema’s Sonic Celluloid, an event where musical artists perform live music accompanying silent films. The show goes down May 22, 8 p.m. at Block. [...]

Kermit the Frog always seemed a little melancholy, especially when he sang “Rainbow Connection.” But the amphibious puppet never came off this emo. We’ve featured sad Kermit before, but he’s starred in a whole lot more videos than I thought. His latest work is a cover of Elliott Smith’s “Needle in the [...]

A lot of great music exists out there. But NBN can’t devote a slot to every CD that hits shelves, especially for bands you may have never heard of. So, that’s where we come in. Los Angeles buzz band No Age go under the microscope today.
The No Age T-shirt offers some insight into the [...]

Photo by Charlie is here on Flickr.

The musically themed fun continues on Cute Animal Blog, as today we present photos of squirrels playing Photoshopped instruments. You can view the entire collection here.
Also, shout out to Aubrey Blanche for keying me onto this.

Elbowing your way to the front is painful and rude. Here’s how to really attend a concert.

Enjoy music, art or theater? How about circuses? Looptopia brings it all in one 14-hour bash.

Disclaimer: I detest coffee. Not caffeine, mind you: I drink enough Diet Coke on a daily basis to fill the SPAC swimming pools. I just hate the taste of coffee. I don’t care how much caramel, whipped cream or PCP you throw on top of the brew, you’d have to load me [...]

Hint: The last seven words of this article are “You don’t have to go to college.”

A lot of great music exists out there. But NBN can’t devote a slot to every CD that hits shelves, especially for bands you may have never heard of. So, that’s where we come in. Today, we check out soulfoul crooner Jamie Lidell and his most-accessible album to date.
The first song on [...]

Show of the Week
Foals, April 26, 9:30 p.m. at Subterranean

The latest British buzz band to get decent hype Stateside (I saw their album Antidotes at Borders, that’s pretty solid), Foals merge the stiff leanings of math rock with more free-form jazz, creating a tightly-knit guitar sound capable of bursting off in any direction at any [...]