Chicago Sound Check

The sounds & sights of Chicago and suburban music // Powered by the Daily Herald

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

Fresh tracks: ONELIFE, Adela’s, Jacks & Atoms, Better Love, the Locomotion Sessions and much more

By Sound Check 3 days ago

Sound check: JORDY, Louis the Child, Night Spice and more

By Brian Shamie 6 days ago

Midcentury Llama feels grateful to release a new single ‘November’ in time for Thanksgiving

By Dave Oberhelman 2 weeks ago

Micky Dolenz carries on The Monkees’ legacy of fun with two suburban shows this weekend

By Brian Shamie 2 weeks ago

Sound check: Rockabilly in Lombard, Better Than Ezra streaming

By Brian Shamie 2 weeks ago

Matt Derda & the High Watts trace band’s evolution with new EP ‘You Didn’t Know?’

By Brian Shamie 3 weeks ago

Fresh Tracks: Primal Moon, Glory Days, Friday Pilots Club, I Ya Toyah, Redfield, Billy Ghost, emi be like, Marcus Bailey and more

By Sound Check 4 weeks ago

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.