Matthew Sweet Gets Down to Earth

When singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet was preparing for his tour earlier this year, he went to Zion to rehearse at Jeff Murphy’s studio. While there, a friend picked up a copy of the Illinois Entertainer and noticed a review of Sweet’s LP “Earth.” Instead of running over to read the review and gloat, he panicked. “I’m one of those rare people who admits to reading everything written about me,” Sweet says, laughing. “And I get really embarrassed if someone reads something about me and it’s not favorable. Luckily, the review was really nice. It was a nice introduction for me to the Illinois Entertainer as well.”

Tonio K.

Tonio K.’s latest album, “Notes From The Lost Civilization,” is a cohesive collection of songs. Utilizing the talents of his friends Sexton, Peter Case, Billy Vera, Booker T. Jones and T Bone Burnett, Tonio K. takes his music less seriously than critics who’ve at turns dubbed him a poet and a jester. K.’s music falls into a happy medium somewhere between serious art and giddy pop.