WBEZ's Live Music Thursday

Since they started, Chicago's Empires have been committed to a DIY approach to music. That, and their hard work ethic has nurtured their impressive output of anthemic rock albums. It's these factors that have been the key to the band's steady climb to success.

Chicago's four piece dance-punk band Bring Your Ray Gun always brings the party you can't miss. This week on Live Music Thursday, Chicago Singles Club presents Bring Your Ray Gun at The Empty Bottle where they perform their track ‘Break It Off.'

After a few years on break exploring other projects, Austin rock band Spoon is back. This week on Live Music Thursday, Spoon performs ‘Rainy Taxi' from their 2014 critically acclaimed album They Want My Soul.

In June of 2014, Spencer Tweedy (drums) joined his father Jeff Tweedy and company to create their new musical endeavor simply titled Tweedy.

Seasoned musicians Aimee Mann and Ted Leo started playing as The Both in 2013. The duo is a match made in heaven complete with rock and roll harmonies. This week on Live Music Thursday, The Both perform ‘No Sir' on Sound Opinions.

Folk and indie rock singer and guitarist Angel Olsen has an impressive résumé, having worked with Bonnie “Prince” Billy and The Cairo Gang and collaborated with Tim Kinsella (Cap'n Jazz) and LeRoy Bach (Wilco). Her haunting voice and poetic lyrics fill the room and stick with you.

Based in New Orleans, Benjamin Booker is the next big artist you need to know. He plays a raw blend of garage rock, blues, and soul. This week on Live Music Thursday, Benjamin Booker performs 'Have You Seen My Son?' from his self-titled album on Sound Opinions.

Kelis performs her song Jerk Ribs from the album Food on Sound Opinions. This is episode one of season three of the Live Music Thursday podcast.

M&O, AKA Milo and Otis, from Chicago, Illinois play fresh R&B that's been appropriately called “Adventure Soul.” This week on Live Music Thursday, M&O performs ‘Jimmy Savannah' from their album Almost Us on Vocalo's Live from Studio 10.

Pelican is a post-metal band from Des Plaines, Illinois.

Secret Colours is a local Chicago music collective that has its roots in rock. Since they formed in 2010, not only have there been changes to the individuals involved with the collective, but their music has also evolved, branching out from their roots to develop more creative and unique sounds.

New Orleans' musician Allen Toussaint has been an influential figure as a pianist and vocalist, composer, arranger, and record producer. Since the 60's, he has written hits for New Orleans R&B artists, as well as songs popularized by artists such as The Rolling Stone, Otis Redding, and The Who.

Rodrigo y Gabriela are a duo from Mexico City who have been performing together since 2001. Rodrigo y Gabriela bring together elements of nuevo flamenco, jazz, and metal on classical guitars. The duo demonstrates hypnotizing finger work for Sound Opinions at Goose Island Barrel House.

George Evelyn has been making music as Nightmares On Wax for 25 years. As one of the creators of trip-hop, he knows how to create a very specific vibe. He brought that vibe to WBEZ's studios last winter for a High Fidelity Music Series concert.

The Melbourne, Australia band Courtney Barnett and the Courtney Barnetts performed their first show in the United States in 2014 at WBEZ's studios for a High Fidelity Music Series show.

In the season two premiere of Live Music Thursday, we present the hip-hop fantasy supergroup Deltron 3030 (including Del The Funky Homosapien, Dan The Automator and Kid Koala) performing their song "City Rising From The Ashes" in a session for Sound Opinions.

Spencer Krug performed 'Barbarian' and 'Barbarian II' from his new Moonface album, "Julia with Blue Jeans On" in WBEZ's studios recently.

Spencer Krug performed the title track off his new Moonface album, "Julia with Blue Jeans On" in WBEZ's studios recently. Jesse Menendez of Vocalo joined him for a short interview before Spencer played our Steinway grand piano.

The New York post-punk band brought their hook-filled tunes to Lincoln Hall this summer for a special Sound Opinions taping. Here's an extended version of their hit single "Stoned and Starving".

Minnesotan singer-songwriter Caroline Smith recently brought her soulful sounds to WBEZ's Morning Shift. Here she's joined by her band The Good Night Sleeps for the Muscle Shoals-sounding song "Half About Being A Woman."

Tal National is a band from Niamey, the capital of Niger. Their music combines Saharan and West African sounds with upbeat guitars. The band's newest album, Kaani, is a combination of original compositions and new arrangements of traditional West African folk music.

A few months back the Colombian "electro tropical" band Bomba Estéreo performed an acoustic set for WBEZ's High Fidelity Music Series. Here's a captivating version of their single "Pa' Respirar."

Ben Sollee is a cellist from Kentucky with a special gift for translating his instrument into a rock style like Ben Folds or Andrew Bird. He performed in the WBEZ studios in the most recent season of our High Fidelity Music Series. This is his single, "Unfinished."

This week's podcast features the ssssounds of Ssssnake, aka former Chicagoan Noah Tabakin. His old band, Dead Rider, is on the harsher, and at times scarier tip.

The exciting new band Savages perform live at Lincoln Hall in Chicago for Sound Opinions. The entire session will be available to watch soon, but enjoy this performance of the song "Shut Up" now.

As Arcade Fire prep their new album for release, we revisit the band's visit to Sound Opinions with this performance of "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)."

Rockford's finest visited the WBEZ studios to talk about the 35th anniversary of their landmark album "Live at Budokan" on Sound Opinions. Hear the conversation with Cheap Trick on this week's episode of Sound Opinions. For now, enjoy this video of the band performing their classic hit, "Surrender."

Caroline Rose of Burlington, Vermont performs America Religious from the album of the same name.

The trip-hop/reggae/soul of Wild Belle is back for another week on the Live Music Thursday podcast. This song didn't make it into their episode of Sound Opinions, but it's a soulful rave-up that will stop you in your tracks. This is "Another Girl."

By popular demand, here's another video from Kurt Vile's recent Sound Opinions session. This is his hit single from Smoke Ring For My Halo- Baby's Arms.

At the core of Wild Belle's breezy pop and trip hop is an intense bond between brother-sister musicians Elliot and Natalie Bergman. That's front and center on this performance of their song "Love Like This" from the band's Sound Opinions session.

Another song from the Chicago post-punk soul band's High Fidelity Music Series show. This week we bring you a track from the just-released album, Howl- "Before You Die."

The Chicago post-punk soul band performed in WBEZ's High Fidelity Music Series in December. Though they made their name covering Wilco's "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart," the group is really at its best in party mode.

The legendary British troubadour was on WBEZ's Afternoon Shift recently and appropriately performed "Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key" from his collaboration with Wilco, Mermaid Avenue.

When you have Mucca Pazza performing, it's a special occasion. When the sprawling marching band performed on The Morning Shift, we asked them to stick around and play a song in our public studio for the denizens of Navy Pier.

Philly's favorite son wears his psychedelic troubadour hat for this solo performance of the song "Never Run Away" from his new album, Wakin On A Pretty Daze, on this week's Sound Opinions.

The Decemberists' side project perform their song Do You Believe? for the first time in concert. It was part of "The Storm In The Barn," a project commissioned by the Oregon Children's Theater.

Jacco Gardner performed yesterday on the Morning Shift. Here's the baroque pop by way of the Netherlands on “Clear The Air.”

Portland's Black Prairie performed in our studios a few months ago for our High Fidelity members. This song came midway in the set and features beautiful harmony vocals and a nice use of the zither.

This week on the podcast we bring you another song from our Black Prairie concert. This time the rootsy, homespun side project of The Decemberists perform their original tune, "Rock of Ages."

Members of Black Prairie may be more well-known for their work with other projects (The Decemberist, Portlandia), but they certainly seem most comfortable playing the rootsy, homespun tunes of their side project.

The legendary power pop band The dB's are on Sound Opinions this week. For their session they played a number of songs from their recent release, but closed things out with this version of "Neverland" from the 1982 album "Repercussion."

Prolific California garage-rocker Ty Segall and his band were on Sound Opinions a few months back. Here's one of the best songs from their performance, recorded in front of a live audience at Chicago's Lincoln Hall.

Our High Fidelity Music Series was lucky to have Cloud Nothings perform for us last fall. Here's their single, "Fall In."

This weekend Aimee Mann is the guest on Sound Opinions. What better song to share on the Thursday that Oscar nominations are announced than her own nominated song, Save Me from the Magnolia soundtrack? None better, I say.

Another great video from Lydia Loveless' Sound Opinions session. This one is the song about a stalker that she imagines in alt-country hero Steve Earle.

There's a chance that Ohio native Lydia Loveless could have been the next Carrie Underwood. That's what the producer of her first album, The Only Man.

R&B maverick Van Hunt brought his band into our studios recently and did a scorching set of five songs mostly from his recent "What Were You Hoping For?" album. This video is of a B-side from that album, "The Savage, Sincere L of P."

Monday on Eight Forty-Eight we were joined by Chris Salveter and Ryan Boyles of the indie folk four-piece, Judson Claiborne, before the band set out on their East Coast tour.

As summer peeks around the corner, I can't think of a more fitting song to listen to than The Shins' "New Slang." Even if it doesn't change your life, maybe it'll change your summer. Here's James Mercer performing the song on Sound Opinions.