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Fresh from 2022

Discoveries of 2021: The Playlist

Discoveries from 2021: Some of our favorite releases from the year

Fresh from 2021

Discoveries of 2020: The Playlist

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v7

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v6

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v5

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v4

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v3

  • Concerts

Concerts: The North 41, The Mild West, Joe Piscopo and much more

By Daily Herald 3 days ago
  • Concerts
  • Features

The My Chemical Romance reunion is back on at Riot Fest!

By Caroline Linden 5 days ago
  • Columns
  • Concerts

Sound check: Catch some ’Sunshine’ at Broken Robots release show

By Brian Shamie 6 days ago
  • Music
  • Videos

Fresh tracks: Beach Bunny, Bad Planning, Iris Marlowe, BigKayBeezy, The Thin Cherries, Joe George, Andrew Robert Palmer and more

By Sound Check 1 week ago
  • Concerts

Concerts: Reilly Downes, Cathy Richardson, Justin Bieber, Aaron Lewis play this week 

By Daily Herald 1 week ago
  • Concerts
  • Features

Rookie, Bitter Jester and more Chicago-area highlights added to Ravinia season

By Brian Shamie 2 weeks ago

Recent features

An in-depth look at the bands, the music and the events you need to know

  • Concerts
  • Features

The My Chemical Romance reunion is back on at Riot Fest!

By Caroline Linden 5 days ago
  • Concerts
  • Features

Rookie, Bitter Jester and more Chicago-area highlights added to Ravinia season

By Brian Shamie 2 weeks ago
  • Concerts
  • Features
  • Music

The Million Reasons explores new musical ground with latest release ‘Haven’

By Brian Shamie 2 weeks ago
  • Features
  • Music
  • Videos

‘Big, loud, emotional stories’: North Shore native Justin Jesso’s new path and NBC’s ‘American Song Contest’

By Brian Shamie 3 weeks ago
  • Concerts
  • Features

Broadway’s Lea Salonga brings her ‘Dream Again Tour’ to Chicago’s Copernicus Center 

By Brian Shamie 4 weeks ago
  • Concerts
  • Features

Singer-songwriter Joe Pug returns to his Chicago musical roots Friday night

By Brian Shamie 1 month ago

The Weekly Column

Sound Check in the Daily Herald

  • Columns
  • Concerts

Sound check: Catch some ’Sunshine’ at Broken Robots release show

By Brian Shamie 6 days ago
  • Columns
  • Concerts

Sound check: Soul Asylum, Dishwalla bring nostalgic faves to the Genesee

By Brian Shamie 2 weeks ago

In pictures

Bands on stage

  • Galleries

Gallery: The Million Reasons – Martyrs’ 4/17/22

By Denis Cheng 4 weeks ago
  • Galleries

Gallery: The Million Reasons — Bottom Lounge 8/20/21

By Neal Zeleznak 9 months ago
  • Galleries

Gallery: Third Step on the Moon & The Throwbacks — 56 Music Fix 8/21/21

By Brian Shamie 9 months ago
  • Galleries

Gallery: Phillip-Michael Scales, Nikki Morgan — Hey Nonny 7/14/21

By Brian Shamie 10 months ago
  • Galleries

Gallery: School of Rock Glenbrook Grand Opening — 8/30/20

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago
  • Galleries

Gallery: Capital Soiree — Jewel-Osco 7/25/2020

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago

Listen up

Local music on Spotify

  • Music
  • Playlists

Fresh from 2022

By Sound Check 3 months ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Discoveries of 2021: The Playlist

By Sound Check 4 months ago
  • Features
  • Music
  • Playlists

Discoveries from 2021: Some of our favorite releases from the year

By Brian Shamie 5 months ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Fresh from 2021

By Sound Check 1 year ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Discoveries of 2020: The Playlist

By Sound Check 1 year ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v7

By Sound Check 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v6

By Sound Check 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v5

By Sound Check 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v4

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v3

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v2

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v1

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Sound Check: Surprises of 2019

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

AUX Favorites of 2019

By Andy King 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Holiday Sound Check 2019

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago
  • Playlists

North Coasting 2019

By Neal Zeleznak 3 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Chicago Sound Check 2019v6: Trickshooter Social Club

By Brian Shamie 3 years ago
  • Playlists

The Sounds of Homegrown 7

By Sound Check 3 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Chicago Sound Check 2019v5: The Darling Suns

By Brian Shamie 3 years ago
  • Playlists

Electro Poppin’

By Phillip-Michael Scales 3 years ago

Now hear this

Recent releases from the Chicago scene

Fresh tracks

New local singles, albums & videos

  • Music
  • Videos

Fresh tracks: Beach Bunny, Bad Planning, Iris Marlowe, BigKayBeezy, The Thin Cherries, Joe George, Andrew Robert Palmer and more

By Sound Check 1 week ago
  • Concerts
  • Features
  • Music

The Million Reasons explores new musical ground with latest release ‘Haven’

By Brian Shamie 2 weeks ago
  • Features
  • Music
  • Videos

‘Big, loud, emotional stories’: North Shore native Justin Jesso’s new path and NBC’s ‘American Song Contest’

By Brian Shamie 3 weeks ago

Concert highlights

What's going on this week

  • Concerts

Concerts: The North 41, The Mild West, Joe Piscopo and much more

By Daily Herald 3 days ago
  • Concerts
  • Features

The My Chemical Romance reunion is back on at Riot Fest!

By Caroline Linden 5 days ago

About Sound Check

The who, what, when and where of the Chicago and suburban music scene. Chicago Sound Check is a collaborative look by Daily Herald local music writer Brian Shamie and concert photographers Neal Zeleznak and Denis Cheng into the world of up-and-coming musicians working hard to express themselves, entertain others and make their mark.

Find us

Sound Check
c/o Daily Herald
P.O. Box 280
Arlington Heights, IL 60006

Reach us:
soundcheck@dailyherald.com

Still haven’t found what you’re looking for?

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