Black Lips, Vivian Girls, Ty Segall Rock Inaugural Bruise Cruise

The first official act of the Bruise Cruise happened when cruise director Ian Svenonius (Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up, Chain and The Gang) took the stage in an immaculate sherbet-orange suit to open the festivities by invoking the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour. “Never before had a rock band taken its fans on such a journey,” he announced dramatically. "Until now.” Then, while 3,000 miles away from his hometown of San Francisco, which was preparing for its first snowfall in 35 years, Ty Segall stepped onstage and tore into his first song. Before his set concluded, the Bruise Cruise had seen...  read more

Drag City dredges archives for celebration of art and music

[Above: Detail of Emily Price's original embroidery for the cover of Joanna Newsom's The Milk-Eyed Mender.]Launched in 1989 and now home to time-honored, rock-solid acts including the Silver Jews, The Red Krayola, Bonnie “Prince” Billy and comic freak Neil Hamburger, Chicago's Drag City is a label with a distinct personality: Playful, colorful and amorphous, but weary of the pains and struggles of the world that cheery pop music can't mask. In that same vein of duality, Drag City isn't just about music, but also the visual art with which it runs hand in hand: Album covers, show posters, even the...  read more