Optometrists beware. "Wood/Water," the latest release from The Promise Ring, is sure to send the emo community scrambling for the thickest prescription glasses in stock. The album features 12 emotive tracks with a subdued blend of rhythmic instrumentals...

America and the world celebrate Walt Disney's 100th birthday this year. With that, the M.O.O.S.E. reflects on his life. Disney was maniacal, controlling, obsessive and vexed for his entire life. And for that, the world forever will be indebted to him....

Sunday night, patrons at The House, 263 E. Lincoln Highway, were served a brimming hot cup of acoustic folk rock. The first taste of the evening gave listeners a hint of Kevin Danzig and Cat Woolley, a musical duo appropriately known as Danzig and Woolley....

"Murder by Numbers" (Warner Bros., R) is as methodical and intense as an Alfred Hitchcock film. The film does more than play "who dunnit" with the audience - it opens the door to the minds of abandoned youth. Two kids systematically plan the demise of...

The freaks and geeks of Illinois flocked to the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont, last Thursday. They journeyed in hopes of finding abject hilarity and obscure comedy. They journeyed in hopes of finding the Kids in the Hall. At the promised...

Bouncing, sleeping, dancing and working each would thrive peacefully when paired with the Sneaker Pimps' new album, "Bloodsport." The offering consists mostly of edgy, beat-driven trip-hop. It never gets too intense or too mellow. The four-man English...

NIU's School of Music Chamber Choir was the only U.S. group selected to perform as part of an international festival in Poland over the weekend, delivering a performance that earned a standing ovation from the crowd. Eric Johnson, director of choral activities,...

What: KnotRadio, an Internet radio station Why: Interactive and independent deejays, plays mostly indie music Where: www.knotradio.org One of the most difficult aspects of being an independent musician is being unknown. Being discovered is just as hard...

DeKalb does not have a reputation for boasting well-known local bands. Local cover bands, maybe, but that's where it ends. Dan Smolla could change that. A DeKalb resident and former NIU student, Smolla's new album, "Hearts in Traffic," is the modern embodiment...

In 1995, the Goo Goo Dolls released "A Boy Named Goo," a mostly pop-punk album reminiscent of the Green Day or Offspring styles of the time. Nestled among the power chords was a track called "Name." The acoustic ballad put the band on the Top 40. Following...

Over the years, the Pacific Northwest has spawned many intriguing, distinct and influential bands: Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Quasi and 764-Hero, to cite a few. After forming in 1995, Washington-based trio 764-Hero quite often has been overlooked in...

PRISM brought out the feathers and cubic zirconium Saturday night to raise money for a good cause. As part of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Awareness Month, PRISM held its sixth annual Gay Jam titled "Episode VI: Return of the Divi." (Divi is plural...