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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

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v2

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v1

Sound Check: Surprises of 2019

AUX Favorites of 2019

  • Columns
  • Concerts

Sound check: Ramsey Lewis’ launches new streaming jazz series this week

By Brian Shamie 21 hours ago
  • Features
  • Music

Premiere: Irving Ave’s new indie-pop single ‘Clearly’ an exploration of society, beliefs

By Brian Shamie 6 days ago
  • Columns
  • Concerts

Sound check: Superkick, Jeff Tweedy, Cuban jazz fest streaming

By Brian Shamie 1 week ago
  • Music
  • Videos

Fresh tracks: Beach Bunny, The Bellow & the Whale, Pesto Western, Milk N Cooks and more

By Sound Check 2 weeks ago
  • Columns
  • Concerts

Sound check: Livestream Andrew Salgado, Jimmy Eat World, MLK Day special

By Brian Shamie 2 weeks ago
  • Features

From Lolla to late night: Beach Bunny hits your TV on Kimmel Wednesday

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

Matthew Kopecky heads online for solo debut livestream

By Brian Shamie 2 weeks ago
  • Music
  • Videos

Fresh tracks: Splits, Danny Mazz, Quantum, Four Stars, The Almas and more

By Sound Check 2 weeks ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Discoveries of 2020: The Playlist

By Sound Check 3 weeks ago

Recent features

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

  • Features
  • Music

Premiere: Irving Ave’s new indie-pop single ‘Clearly’ an exploration of society, beliefs

By Brian Shamie 6 days ago
  • Features

From Lolla to late night: Beach Bunny hits your TV on Kimmel Wednesday

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

Matthew Kopecky heads online for solo debut livestream

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

Discoveries of 2020: 8 Chicago, suburban musical acts that made 2020 feel a whole lot better

By Brian Shamie 3 weeks ago
  • Features

Discoveries of 2020: Zach Heckendorf – Max Williams

By Max Williams 3 weeks ago
  • Features
  • Newsletter

Discoveries of 2020: Wyatt Waddell – James VanOsdol

By James VanOsdol 4 weeks ago

The Weekly Column

Sound Check in the Daily Herald

  • Columns
  • Concerts

Sound check: Ramsey Lewis’ launches new streaming jazz series this week

By Brian Shamie 21 hours ago
  • Columns
  • Concerts

Sound check: Superkick, Jeff Tweedy, Cuban jazz fest streaming

By Brian Shamie 1 week ago

In pictures

Bands on stage

  • Galleries

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

By Brian Shamie 5 months ago
  • Galleries

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

By Brian Shamie 6 months ago
  • Galleries

Gallery: I Fight Dragons, Violet Crime, Secret Bad Boy — Lincoln Hall 12/21/19

By Brian Shamie 7 months ago
  • Galleries

Gallery: The Million Reasons, The Footlight District and Bubbles Erotica — Martyrs’ 2/21/20

By Brian Shamie 11 months ago
  • Galleries

Gallery: Gazebo Effect, Capital Soirée — Sleeping Village 2/12/20

By Denis Cheng 11 months ago
  • Galleries

Gallery: The Weekend Run Club, Violet Crime, August Hotel, Splits – Beat Kitchen 2/7/20

By Denis Cheng 12 months ago

Listen up

Local music on Spotify

  • Music
  • Playlists

Discoveries of 2020: The Playlist

By Sound Check 3 weeks ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v7

By Sound Check 4 months ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v6

By Sound Check 5 months ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v5

By Sound Check 7 months ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v4

By Brian Shamie 9 months ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v3

By Brian Shamie 10 months ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v2

By Brian Shamie 12 months ago
  • Playlists

Playlist: Chicago Sound Check 2020.v1

By Brian Shamie 1 year ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Sound Check: Surprises of 2019

By Brian Shamie 1 year ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

AUX Favorites of 2019

By Andy King 1 year ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Holiday Sound Check 2019

By Brian Shamie 1 year ago
  • Playlists

North Coasting 2019

By Neal Zeleznak 1 year ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Chicago Sound Check 2019v6: Trickshooter Social Club

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago
  • Playlists

The Sounds of Homegrown 7

By Sound Check 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Chicago Sound Check 2019v5: The Darling Suns

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago
  • Playlists

Electro Poppin’

By Phillip-Michael Scales 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Chicago Sound Check 2019v4: Violet Crime

By Sound Check 2 years ago
  • Playlists

Slow Sunday

By Phillip-Michael Scales 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Chicago Sound Check 2019v3: Downers Groove

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago
  • Music
  • Playlists

Chicago Sound Check 2019v2: Gazebo Effect

By Brian Shamie 2 years ago

Now hear this

Find something new on our latest playlist

Fresh tracks

New local singles, albums & videos

  • Features
  • Music

Premiere: Irving Ave’s new indie-pop single ‘Clearly’ an exploration of society, beliefs

By Brian Shamie 6 days ago
  • Music
  • Videos

Fresh tracks: Beach Bunny, The Bellow & the Whale, Pesto Western, Milk N Cooks and more

By Sound Check 2 weeks ago
  • Concerts
  • Features
  • Music

Matthew Kopecky heads online for solo debut livestream

By Brian Shamie 2 weeks ago

Podcast corner

Are you a podcast fan? Take some of these local projects out for a spin:

Car Con Carne: Chicago media legend James VanOsdol. Musicians. And meat (and sometimes not-meat). Discussions, performances and good times ensue behind the wheel.

AUX populi podcastAUX Populi: Host Andy King explores how artists of all disciplines on our scene use art to not only express themselves, but also to heal others.

Pop-Punk & Pizza: Jacques LaMore offers hearty conversations with a mix of local acts alongside national touring musicians, often served with a side of pizza.

The Underbelly Hours: Co-hosts Adela Skowronski and Dan Dick give underground artists weekly time on the airwaves of Elmhurst College radio’s WRSE 88.7 FM … also now in podcast form.

Indecent Exposure: Musician and brewmaster Kevin McMahon exposes Chicago and beyond to the best local and national artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, brewers, bands, entrepreneurs and more.

In the Green Room: Performer and host Stephanie Fravel invites guests to discuss their pre-show prep and rituals in a behind-the-scenes look at performing musicians.

Concert highlights

What's going on this week

  • Columns
  • Concerts

Sound check: Ramsey Lewis’ launches new streaming jazz series this week

By Brian Shamie 21 hours ago
  • Columns
  • Concerts

Sound check: Superkick, Jeff Tweedy, Cuban jazz fest streaming

By Brian Shamie 1 week 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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