By MARK GUARINODespite borrowing its name from a Dylan Thomas story about a plague that renders a village’s inhabitants into zombies, The Horse’s Ha will likely not raise terror levels past yellow. The Chicago duo matches James Elkington of local indie-rockers the Zincs and drummer-guitarist Janet [...]

By MARK GUARINORule #235 when you play in a band that lasts over a decade, not a few years, courtesy of Dan Bitney of Tortoise: “You’re super hip if your band has been around six years – that means you’re probably 26. But once you say [...]

By MARK GUARINOJoe Pug knew changing his last name from Pugliese would not go over well with his Italian grandfather, a first-generation immigrant to the U.S. “I got the big speech from him on that but I think he got over it,” said Pug. “He said [...]

By Mark GuarinoWhen it comes to South Side pride, Nickolas Blazina makes the grade.Lifelong Sox fan? Check.Lives in Bridgeport? Check.Father refuses to take the EL north of Roosevelt Road? Check.But as the lead songwriter and vocalist of up-and-comers State and Madison, Blazina, 24, is well aware [...]