‘We’d play for a frozen burrito’: post-rockers Tortoise on the changing face of Chicago, Steve Albini and their new-gen fans

Informed by everything from jungle to Krautrock and musique concrète, Tortoise broke new ground 30 years ago. Returning after nine years away, ‘it’s a different world’, they say‘You guys would freak out if you drove down Grand Avenue now,” says Tortoise multi-instrumentalist Dan Bitney. These days, this major Chicago thoroughfare is looking pretty bougie. “Expensive flower stores, bakeries, cafes. Back when we were there, it was empty streets, motorcycle gangs.” He shakes his head at his expat bandmates. “It’s a different world, you know?”At the dawn of the 1990s, Chicago was down on its luck. A long depression and a declining manufacturing sector had left parts of the city a ghost town – not great conditions if you wanted to open an expensive flower store, but a pretty great place to start a band. It was 1991 when bassist Doug McCombs and drummer John Herndon moved into a 40,000 sq ft warehouse space off Grand Avenue. The pair had started Tortoise the year before, initially conceiving the project as a freelance rhythm section in the vein of reggae duo Sly and Robbie. “The idea was we’d play with our friends – like session musicians, except not getting paid,” says McCombs. Continue reading...

Comments

Culture

Sabrina Carpenter fans react after singer ‘doubled down’ on dropping F-word during SNL performance

Independent

Comments

Similar News

‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ Review: Maternal Duress

The Virtuosic Maternal Freakout of “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”

Keira Knightley teases what role she’d like in Bend It Like Beckham sequel

Strictly Come Dancing is more open than ever this year – but I’d love to see Vicky Pattison win

Steve Coogan reveals ‘undignified’ way he’d kill Alan Partridge

'I was mortified': The star Graham Norton forgot he'd met

Wayne Rooney says he'd be dead if it wasn't for wife Coleen

The Hack is TV dynamite – you’d expect nothing less from the makers of Adolescence

I never thought I’d find a Patricia Lockwood novel so boring

Whoopi Goldberg slams Jimmy Kimmel suspension on The View after rumors they’d been ‘silenced’ by ABC

Whoopi Goldberg slams Jimmy Kimmel suspension on The View after rumors they’d been ‘silenced’ by ABC

‘The police watched it to catch criminals who’d jumped bail’: how we made The Hitman and Her

Strictly Star quits OnlyFans after being ‘reminded of a talent they’d neglected’

Heartbreaking reason Stephen Graham said he’d be ‘dead’ if not for his wife Hannah Walters

Limitation review – bloodshed and chaos of Georgia’s coup d’etat comes alive from the archive

Strictly star Dani Dyer on why she'd like to pull dad Danny up on the dancefloor

The Newsreader review – if this powerful Aussie drama were a US show, it’d be a smash hit

Culture

Sabrina Carpenter fans react after singer ‘doubled down’ on dropping F-word during SNL performance

Harry Potter star turns down Celebrity Traitors after ‘never watching’ show

Loose Women star pulled from BBC radio show after ‘bullying claims’

Louvre Closed After Thieves Steal ‘Priceless’ Jewels in Brazen Daylight Robbery

Alexander Skarsgård hailed as ‘icon’ after sporting backless halterneck on red carpet

BBC airs ‘clanger’ of a mistake during reporting of Lady Annabel Goldsmith’s death

Sci-fi series with near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score launches for free

Why the numbers 6-7 are driving math teachers up the wall

Once revoked for 'indecency,' the British Library reinstates Oscar Wilde's library card

Josh O’Connor: ‘Filming period romance with Paul Mescal deepened our relationship’

Strictly fans claim star was ‘undermarked’ despite slipping during performance

Sunday Puzzle: Anagrams from a hotel room

Book Review: ‘Shattered Dreams, Infinite Hope,’ by Brandon M. Terry

Book Review: ‘Every Day Is Sunday,’ by Ken Belson

Three Women in Alaska Collaborate on an Exhibit About Climate Change

Pink Floyd star David Gilmour says Roger Waters reunion is impossible

Sam Rivers death: Limp Bizkit bassist dies, aged 48

Strictly star hits back at claims he ‘shouldn’t be allowed’ to compete

Limp Bizkit bassist dies aged 48, band says

The Celebrity Traitors cast are closer to each other than you might think

Michael J Fox says co-star ‘created friction’ on set of Back to the Future

‘Netflix thriller fans are furious I haven’t won an award – but I’m relieved’

Limp Bizkit star Sam Rivers dies aged 48 as band pays tribute to ‘true legend’

I was a busker living in my van – now I’m selling out the Royal Albert Hall

‘People aren’t ready for it’: How Paddington the Musical took the world’s favourite bear and put him on stage

Cameron Crowe on music, movies and the tragedy that shaped him: ‘I thought writing about it would cause too much pain’

‘Am I going to heaven, chat?’: SNL’s Trump stops by teen podcast to ramble about No Kings, war and George Santos

The Traitors and Celebrity Traitors: a blagger's guide to the BBC TV show everyone's watching

A thrilling tale of skulduggery and spies

Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers dies aged 48

The 15 most terrifying horror films set at Halloween and where to watch them

'You can't fake being a rock star': Springsteen biopic explores his inner demons and childhood trauma

Why I fell in love with a book called I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki

Will giving up his titles really make much difference for Andrew?

Grand Theft Auto made him a legend. His latest game was a disaster

Mystery deepens after missing schoolgirl found dead in pop star D4vd's Tesla

Mick Jagger and Janet Jackson lead guests at London’s answer to the Met Gala

Strictly Come Dancing’s Ellie Goldstein is bringing the joy we all need right now

Actor Alexander Skarsgard says Pillion script ‘stood out’ among others

ITV star confirms exit after 36 years as part of huge daytime shake-up

You can now binge all 6 episodes of Dutch thriller that ‘keeps you guessing’ for free

Comedy and chemistry come naturally to Nobody Wants This's Justine Lupe

Strictly 2025 leaderboard: Scores from week four of BBC series

Paul Mescal says admiration for Josh O’Connor ‘extended tenfold’ on new film

Strictly’s Katya Jones fires back at judge to defend Lewis Cope against ‘harsh’ comments

Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman and Dave Arch recreate Coldplay kiss-cam moment

John Cusack says Trump should ‘go to hell!’ at ‘No Kings’ protest in Chicago

Dianne Buswell supported by Strictly Come Dancing fans after debunking health speculation

Kylie Jenner says she’s not ‘Adele or anything’ as she launches music career

David Attenborough Becomes Oldest Daytime Emmy Winner at 99

Aziz Ansari hopes to finish movie suspended over Bill Murray misconduct allegations

Trump’s Pentagon rattled by ‘woke garbage’ Netflix series with huge Rotten Tomatoes score

Socialite Lady Annabel Goldsmith remembered as 'irreplaceable' after death

'Wait Wait' for October 18, 2025: With Anna Kendrick, Jeff Gordon, Jan Jensen, and more!

Alison Rose, The New Yorker’s Femme Fatale, Dies at 81

Daytime Emmys 2025 full winners list: General Hospital sweeps with seven awards and Drew Barrymore scores first win

Channing Tatum left confused over Strictly star Dianne Buswell’s pregnancy on One Show

The Traitors unmasked: How deception rules the Scottish castle game

‘Masterpiece’ thriller starring Denzel Washington is now streaming on Amazon Prime

You can watch Emma Stone’s new movie for free – but only if you shave your head