Critic's Notebook

Cex, Love of Everything

Rjyan Kidwell, a.k.a. Cex, certainly knows how to keep listeners guessing. On his first few records, he adopted a white rapper persona and came across as a wittier and less violent Eminem; he then turned on a dime, picked up a laptop, and became an intelligent dance music composer who...
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Advertising Can't Do It Alone

The challenges facing local news organizations are very real. That's why reader support matters more than ever. If you believe independent journalism matters, make a contribution today and help us reach our summer fundraising goal of $15,000 by August 9.

$15,000

Rjyan Kidwell, a.k.a. Cex, certainly knows how to keep listeners guessing. On his first few records, he adopted a white rapper persona and came across as a wittier and less violent Eminem; he then turned on a dime, picked up a laptop, and became an intelligent dance music composer who toured with the Postal Service and the Super Furry Animals. After taking time off to work on his side project, the bizarre and noisy Sand Cats, Kidwell has returned with a sex-obsessed punk-funk album titled, appropriately, Actual Fucking. Live, Cex never manages to stick to a script, and recent shows have found him nattering on about everything from riding bikes to quitting jobs before playing any actual music. Still, when he finally manages to shut up and play his guitar, the music is mind-blowing. Chicago buzz band Love of Everything, which mixes introspective lyrics and childlike toy instruments, opens the show.

Never miss another concert announcement

Sign up for our free music newsletter. We’ve got the latest on the artists you love.

Loading latest posts...