An original Chicagoland music advisory is now in effect...it will be every time you cast an ear or two toward this podcast guide to the metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop scene.

The twelve months of 2024 were certainly an ultra active period. From Shitizen making the masses pogo at The Outtapace in Berwyn at the end of February, to the smorgasbord of bands who not only fit the punk genre at the six Punk Rock Tacos outdoor shows. The roar of hardcore (Metal that is (at Hell Over Midway) and Vaudevileins lighting up the stage at Roxy in Lockport last April during their Lights Out album release show. It's now time to jump right in and start up another dozen of months of rocking, moshing, pogoing and making music history. Unlimited will all be captured in cyberspace within the confines of sixty to ninety minutes.

Tony D's in Elmwood Park becomes Mosh Central . The pit will be opened Saturday, January 11th. Atlanta Is Burning fires up a smokin' great time you will, frankly, give a damn about. Chicago melodic hard rockers Alog The Parallel join in with a timely extension of the middle finger to an returning political leader. I talk with singer and founder Mike Przewoznik, guitarist Steven Floro and the rest of ATP before they help form a parallel line of raucous headbangers.

Pat Catalano shreds his way back into a diverse Chicago metal scene with his first new original material in almost fifteen years. The wonderful world of Punk Rock Tacos features a slight resurrection of the spread of winter circulating diseases you won't catch, but the crunchy and punchy grunge rock sound will be contagious once it is spread by Black Cat Heart Attack and You Died at the first PRT show, Friday night, January 10th at Cemitas Poblanas in Villa Park.

Their name certainly didn't apply to the venue to which they suppled a punchy, upbeat night of punk pop. Chicago's Rematch did a one and done gig six years ago this week at Wire in Berwyn. Two more years would rock on before the final closing bell rang on that venue. We rock back to Rematch's one and only time to unite the pogoing masses.

Here's to another year filled with the original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop soundtrack of a lifetime. It begins with:

Along The Parallel-USA Inc.

Along The Parallel-Lost

Atlanta Is Burning-Linchi

Stolen Sun-Into The Void (music video version)

The Fiction We Create-The Void's Calling

The Pat Catalano Project-The Man From The Past

Dead Living-How Do You Get To Neverland?

You Died-Armoured Core

Black Cat Heart Attack-Terminal Unease

Rematch (interview from Wire in Berwyn 1/6/19 Local Loft Episode 93)

Rematch-Face To Face

Rematch-Chicago

Ring out the old.... Rock in the new.

The 2024 Chicagoland original music scene had its ups and downs. Sad that the active year in Chicago area music ends with the closing of the Outtaspace in Berwyn. The second major venue shutdown in four years, following the closing of Wire in 2020, due to the financial failure from the COVID pandemic. The Outtaspace is going out with a big drum bang from Brad Elvis, drummer of Chicago diverse garage band the Handcuffs. I talk with Brad and guitarist/ singer Chloe Orwell after they rocked a full house one last time at The Outtaspace..

There's plenty of lasts on this final Local Loft of 2024. The final decisions will be given. Year In Review 2024 spotlights the excellence in original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop. Sure, this final playlist will be debatable, It's only opinion. Don't read past this point if you don't want the surprise spoiled.

And the honors go to:

The Handcuffs-Big Fat Mouth Shut

The Handcuffs-The End Of The Party

Colleen Wild & The Haunted (Best 2024 Chicagoland Area Original Music Scene Newcomer)-Haunted

Repentance (Best 2024 Original Chicagoland Metal Album-The Process Of Human Demise)-The Process Of Human Demise

Redneck Remedy (Best 2024 Original Chicagoland Comeback-When It Rains, It Pours (live from Kankakee Estival Festival, Bird Park, Kankakee-9/23/24)

Shaper (Best 2024 Original Alternative Rock Album-Live At Third City Sound)-Task Paralysis

Carrying Torches (Best 2024 Original Chicagoland Alternative Rock Band)-Good In Blue

13-Monsters-Hang Around (Live At Punk Rock Tacos 54-8/10/24 Best 2024 Original Chicagoland Live Show Cemitas Poblanas, Villa Park)

Acton's Dictum (Best Original 2024 Chicagoland Punk Band)-What You Despise

Vaudevileins (Best 2024 Original Chicagoland Rock Album, Lights Out)-Cut From You

Tear this open!!!!

If you need a little Christmas, right this very minute, you'll get little snippets. It's the gift of original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop that always gives and knows no season. It's a playlist that's been made and checked more than twice. Still, there will be some naughty mixed in with the nice tunes in the scene.

The naughty will be inflicted on you by a would be Satan. If I Were the Devil from Tinley Park will get Devil Horns Hand Signs flying in the air with their dark, sinister hardcore metal style. The band, fronted by singer Chris Melendez, fired up a blazing just shy of an hour long set at Soundgrowler Brewing in their home city. I talk to Chris about how authentic of Satanic worship they preach in their music.

Zombified Shock Rocker David Bates once played the role of a monstrous minister in the Meet Mister Scratch music video. He now gets into almost complete politician persona for the new single from Sinister Fate. But he's not completely giving up a good brain devouring, morbid scare. I have the new single.

We don't totally spend the days before Xmas in Hell, as we head upwards to get a heartwarming, joyous spirit of Christmas from veteran power pop trio Material Issue.

We gave them the gift of kudos, as they tore through a explosive set like Xmas gift wrap, during their debut performance at Holiday Of Horror, the annual festively gruesome local metal bash thrown by veteran murder metal trio, Macabre. Extraction Point earned their best original Chicago area Metal album Local Loft 2019 Year In Review honor. We rock back to it from Reggie's Music Joint in Chicago's South Loop.

Crank it up, and every creature all through your house, or car, or wherever, will be stirring to the original Chicagoland music soundtrack of:

If I Were The Devil-Allegiance To Fire

If I Were The Devil-Hark The Herald

Satan's Hallow-Satan's Hallow

Sinister Fate-Believe

Imminent Terror-Victims

Material Issue-Merry Christmas Will Do

Mimi Betinis-A Christmas Song

Bear Mace-Hibernation-Destroyed By Bears

Bloodletter-This House, A Tomb

Extraction Point (interview from Reggie's Music Joint !2/22/19 Local Loft Episode 117)

Extraction Point-Purification Through Hatred

Extraction Point-Mindsnap

It's beginning to look a lot like....HALLOWEEN!

As you or your kids, get ready to be nestled all sung in your beds. playing this pre-Christmas gift of original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop soundtrack will get visions of blood devouring monsters dancing in your heads.

If your kids are asking Santa for monsters under the tree, The Ooozin' Ahhhs will scare up a good time, especially after midnight. And your young ones may get so scared they won't miss the gift wrap tearing experience on Christmas Day, because it will be too frightening to sleep. I packed plenty of courage for a pre-show interview with this unique and cinematic band as they haunted the stage at The Outtaspace in Berwyn for a Saturday night fright fest with a gruesome music soundtrack. Many Chicago music fans will be scared away from The Outtaspace after New Year's Eve, as the eclectic music and art venue shuts its doors for good.

Kankakee's premiere alternative rock band Carrying Torches have a shocking and scary, but corny twist to the music video of a colorful new single. I'll give you the sound that you can build your own nightmares around.

Twas' a time in the not-too-distant past, that an unlimited number of drummers drumming was part of a true love of original Chicago area metal and punk. There was music in abundance at the 20 Bands Of Christmas. The sonic gift made Christmas Tree lights explode at Wire in Berwyn. We rock back to the final ten times two lineup, featuring the futuristic hardcore metal of Bring The Fallout, seven years ago this week.

Go ahead, have a snooping peek and unwrap (with your ears) this cool yule playlist:

The Oozin' Ahhs-Riboflavin Flavored, Non-Carbonated, Polyunsaturated Blood

The Oozin' Ahhhs- The Screamin' Meemies From Planet X

Sinister Fate-Drop Dead Gorgeous

Carrying Torches-Good In Blue

Mustard Men-Children Of The Corn

Nucleus-Inculcate

Macabre-Dracula

Shoes-This Christmas

BlockChain Coalition-Silent Night (Reimagined)

Bring The Fallout (interview at The 20 Bands Of Christmas Wire In Berwyn 12/22/17 Local Loft Episode 73)

Bring The Fallout-Blaak Army

Bring The Fallout-The Wise Words Of Mr. Blaak

Are we there yet?

Almost. The huge Christmas gift giving extravaganza is just two weeks from this coming Friday. There's still plenty of time to give the gift of music. Local Loft doesn't just d o that in abundance on December 25th. Another music intensive episode means there's more original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop. all of it won't fit under even the most ginormous evergreen tree in the universe.

For admission price of an unwrapped toy to needy children, The Rock N Roll Circus Sideshow gave a triple gift of live local Chicagoland music. Calidius Timebomb had an added gift of rants over a diverse mix of rebellious punk and progressive Southern Rock. I talk to drummer Paul Schmidt as they exploded with a sonic punch onstage at Goat Village in Norridge, along with the intimate psychedelic alternative rock of 13- Monsters & The Turdles.

Kankakee Alternative Rock act Carrying Torches have a corny field day on the set of the music video for their upcoming new single Good In Blue. The late great King of Power Pop Cliff Johnson makes Christmas a real family affair, with his own special collaboration with longtime songwriting friend Mimi Betinis. It's a holiday memory that knows no calendar boundaries.

On a night where snow knew no accumulation limitations, the bilingual 4-man Chicago rock band Road's End drifted onto the stage of Wire in Berwyn with no strong wind gust assistance. We rock back to the beginning and end all show at the soon to be shut for good venue.

Just push play and you are there, with the awesome rock power to gift yourself with an original Chicago music soundtrack which will accumulate in your ear lobes.

Calidius Timebomb-What They Want (live from The Rock N Roll Circus Sideshow, Goat Village, Norrifge-12/7/24)

Calidius Timebomb-Revelations

13-Monsters-Staying At Home (Where It's Safe)

Veneficium-Beauty In A Casket

Bible Of The Devil-The Downtown Boogie

Carrying Torches-Unusual

The Turdles-Walking Around

Space Age Zeros (With Naked Raygun singer Jeff Pezzati)

Cliff Johnson & Mimi Betinis-Christmas Everyday

Road's End (interview form Wire in Berwyn-12/12/16 Local Loft Episode 45)

Road's End- The Descent

Road's End- S-21

Here we gift again!

The Christmas holiday season is the biggest for giving the gift of music. Nowadays it not really physically wrapping that long wanted vinyl LP, cassette or CD. It could simply be putting a treasured Spotify gift card or I Tunes download card into a festive stocking or crudely wrapping that cheap MP 3 player under the tree.

No matter the season, Local Loft unwraps new original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop, and we keep giving it to you all year long.

Metal is so many different varieties. Mostly hardcore intense metal dominates, with unclean vocals and ultra fast guitar & drum grooves. Old school traditional metal has not been put to rest. Heroine Sentinel rocks in this fashion. The 4-man band from Chicago's South Side combines a clear, high pitched vocal wail with a lightning-fast guitar chord and percussion rhythm. I talk with bassist Jose Salazar as they get ready to unite metal fans old and young at Soundgrowler Brewing in Tinley Park, Saturday, December 21st.

With well over 1 million cover versions, the traditional Christmas Carol Silent Night has even gone through a rapid-fire punk interpretation by Los Angeles veteran punk band The Dickies in1978. BlockChain Coalition rewrites history with a totally new recreation, different chord structure and vocal style from singer Tony Engel. They're sure to bust it out at BCC's last show of 2024, This Saturday, December 7th at Basecamp Pub & Eatery in Lisle.

Coming off one of the longest holiday celebrations of all time, Thanksgiving, you got in at least four off days of needed rest & relaxation. The Chicago alternative band Off Days rocked through a non-stop mixture of 60s psychedelic rock & 80s new wave. As, five years ago this week, they played live at a venue whose off days would be permanent, in 2020, being financially unable to rock on, hurt greatly by the COVID lockdown, Wire in Berwyn. We rock back to it.

Let your ears, if not you gift opening hands, tear through this merry lineup of original Chicago rock. The unraveling includes:

Heroine Sentinel-Debt Slave (live from Live Wire Lounge in Jefferson Park-8/24)

If I Were The Devil-Traitor To The Cross

BlockChain Coalition-Silent Night (A reimagination by BlockChain Coalition)

M & R Rush-Heavy Metal Christmas

Jungle Rot- Genocidal Imperium

Whut?-One Choice

Sweetie-Showgirl

Vortis-Crisis

Calidus Timebomb-Final Pill

!3-Monsters-Hang Around (Live From punk Rock Tacos 52-8/10/24 Cemitas Poblanas, Villa Park Local Loft Episode 341)

The Off Days (interview from Wire in Berwyn-12/5/19 Local Loft Episode 116)

The Off Days-Junkie Girl

The Off Days-Kiss Of Death

Over the ears and through the gums

The nourishing original soundtrack of Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop goes great with a seven-course turkey meal or a late-night snack. And you'll be giving great thanks to the bands and artists who cook up the sweet sounds your ears and mind digests.

You most likely have seen the PSA commercials. "This is your brain on drugs.....Any questions!" Lombard singer and guitarist James Farber found a painful answer to the questions, but didn't use brain power quick enough to prevent a devastating loss to a part of his body after a substance experiment. He did turn the hurtful incident into a soulful punk band, James The Boneless. I talk with James about his band's upcoming release show for their debut album, X Rays. Friday, November 6th at Liar's Club. This is not music your cat will rock out to. Especially a track about Satan Worshippers and mistreatment of the felines.

After a very nondestructive stage debut, seven years ago at Krew Rock Lounge in Berwyn, The Crystal Lake four-man melodic progressive metal band Wrecked return with their second full length album, Sleeping With Knives. I've got the nightmarish title track that will cut a headbanging groove throughout the cyberwaves.

Vaudevilens recreates the bright melodic hard rock sound of their new full-length album Lights Out in the second of two studios where it was recorded. I'll get you the top tapping (if not tap dancing) details on when the four-piece led by singer & guitarist Jeff Julian lights up the stage at Joliet's Third City Sound this Saturday.

Sometimes when you sing for your supper, the results are more nourishing than the meal the music accompanies. The Chicago veteran hard rock band Lynch provided a ear watering (if not mouthwatering) treat with a Thanksgiving night jam plugged in from The Kat 105.5 on air studio fourteen years ago this week. We rock back to it.

No turkeys, just choice cuts of original Chicago area music. The menu to savor includes:

James The Boneless-Wide Awake

James The Boneless-Satan's Kitty

Take The Reins-Last Stop Motel

Wrecked-Sleeping With Knives

Testimony-Spectral Thoughts

Idol Throne-The Last Voyage

Prison City Brigade-Shitty Presents

Terminus Victor-When You're Not Invited

Vaudeviliens-Wide Awake

Lynch (in The Kat 105.5 studio-11/25/10 aired on Thanksgiving Night)

Lynch-M.A.D.

Lynch-Anymore

Lynch-Sister Mary

Streaming is the new radio

So this is best way I know how to recreate my music intensive (and trivia intensive) period as an on air personality. Bringing you the widest variety of original Chicagoland metal, pink, alternative rock and power pop. It's not all about me, it's all about the music. I will entertain you between songs, so you get a complete and detailed background of the bands and artists that will enhance and educate you as to what oyu're listening.

Some acts are familiar. Sons Of Ra is nothing new. I first introduced you to this eclectic rock/jazz fusion trio in August 2017. At that time, they focused on a heavy instrumental guitar sound from founder Erik Oldman. On Tropic Of Cancer, their fifth EP and second full length album, the music takes a diverse turn to feature tenor sax, synths, flutes and violins. It's tropical and new age, and that distinctive power metal guitar riffing is still there. I talk with Erik and bassist/sax player Keith Wakefield. as they present a two-man version of the new record at The Outtaspace in Berwyn.

Panic in the subway. More like pogoing. A haunting but totally hip rocking image is presented by bluesy old school hard rockers The Midnight Calls, in their new single and music video that has them rocking away danger and leaving the indelible facial image of singer Taran DePablos.

Making the rafters of Brauerhouse In Lombard Vibrate, Chicago Punk trio Voice Of Addiction creates the seismic tremors on their own five years ago this week. Eleven years ago, they did it as an up and coming opening act for the legendary U.K. punk band The Vibrators as they reunited to rock Brauerhouse. We rock back to it.

Crank up this original Chicago area music soundtrack, and watch the wall plaster disintegrate!

Sons Of Ra-Tropic Of Cancer 1

Erik Oldman & Keith Wakefield (Sons Of Ra)-Sleep (Live at The Outtaspace In Berwyn-11/16/24)

Beneath The Stares-Guilty Bystander

The Midnight Calls-Since I've Been Thinking

E'nuff Z'nuff-Heaven Or Hell

Trail Of Entrails-Rot In The Cellar

Desecrated-Desecrated

Vang!-Inappropriate Mannequins

Aweful-Time

Voice Of Addiction (interview from Brauerhouse In Lombard-11/20/19 Local Loft Episode 115)

Voice Of Addiction-Eraser

Voice Of Addiction-Rustbelt