Chris was interviewed by Steve Edwards on WBEZ’s “Afternoon Shift” in Chicago.
Listen to the interview online

On Monday, March 5 at 2 PM, Chris will appear on NPR’s The Afternoon Shift with Steve Edwards and other guests, discussing Chicago music in the 80s. (Listen)

There’s more talk of Chicago music in the 80s on Tuesday, March 6 at 6 PM, when Chris will appear with DJ Frankie Knuckles and Santiago Durango at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art as part of the Chicago Sounds in the 80s program, hosted by Jim Derogatos and Greg Kot.

Later on Tuesday night, at 10 PM on WXRT, Chris will be speaking with Jon Langford and playing selections from Artificial Madness and various Ministry/Cocks tracks, as well as some old Scottish post punk classics. (Listen)

Show up or tune in to find out what Chris has to say!

If you haven’t bought “Artificial Madness” yet, what are you waiting for? Your fellow CC fans are giving the album five stars. Buy it at Amazon.com or iTunes. In the meanwhile, download “Compatibility” from Epitonic for free!

And if you’re in Chicago on Tuesday, February 21, get tickets to see Chris perform tracks from “Artificial Madness” live — he’s opening for Zola Jesus at Lincoln Hall!

The next giveaway kicks off on Valentine’s Day, so be sure to follow Chris on Facebook or Twitter!

Happy new year! If you haven’t yet, rock in the new year with this recording of Chris’s live performance of Artificial Madness back in December at The Hideout.

Artificial Madness – Live at The Hideout

Chris has been rocking in the new year by writing new material. We’ll post more news about that as it becomes available.

If you’re following Chris on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll know about the contest to win a copy of the new album. Congratulations to the winners: Chris Matheson, Robert Henry, and Christopher Jacobson.

Want to win a copy of Ed Royal, Chris’s first novel? Check back next month!

Chris and his band put on a fabulous show at The Hideout last week. More footage will be coming, but check out this video of Classically Wounded or this photo gallery. If you have any footage of the show, post a link here or on Facebook!

In anticipation of the show, Time Out Chicago ran a concert preview and interview by Areif Sless-Kitain. The Chicago Tribune also ran a story, Chris Connelly keeps on searching for more blank canvases to explore.

Update: Time Out Chicago also named “Artificial Madness” as one of their top albums of 2011!

More blogs are reviewing “Artificial Madness” as well. Check out this review at Dawn of the Deaf and an interview at Chaos Control Digizine.

If you’re enjoying “Artificial Madness”, be sure to rate it on Amazon or iTunes!

The music press and Connelly fans alike are loving Artificial Madness! Check out these album reviews — and if you’ve posted a review anywhere, let us know in the comments!

• Artificial Madness Brings Connelly Back at Liquid [Hip]
• Artificial Madness: Chris Connelly, Part I at Twisted Peppermint
• Chris Connelly’s Artifical Madness by David Musto, Chicago Indie Rock Examiner
• Metal Monday Volume 44 Pop Blerd

If you haven’t picked up Artificial Madness yet and want a chance to win a copy, join Chris on the social web — like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter! Once Chris gets to 3,000 Facebook likes and 1,000 Twitter followers, we’ll be randomly awarding fans and followers copies of the new album or Chris’s first work of fiction, Ed Royal. Tell your friends and let’s get those numbers up!

Are you ready for Artificial Madness? It’s out today on Relapse Records! Run out to your favorite record store to buy it or order it online from Relapse Records, iTunes (Deluxe edition), or Amazon.com!

In honor of Chris’s new release, and just to catch up with the “Web 2.0” world, we’ve also redesigned the site. It should play nicely with all of your various web-enabled devices and features helpful pointers to Chris on Facebook and Twitter. We welcome your feedback and hope you enjoy the new site!

In the ramp-up for Chris’s new release, he’s been busy writing and talking about his new album and music history…

Over at Decibel, Chris has composed a new set of confessions: Confessions of a Hysterical Music Addict 1975, detailing the record shops he frequented growing up in Edinburgh.

Continuing his reflections back, Chris contributed to An oral history of Chicago’s metal scene, part 3: the ’90s for the A.V. Club. (The A.V. Club also listed The Episodes at number 20 on their list of unconventional recording spaces.)

And don’t miss this track-by-track overview of Artificial Madness over at Alarm Press!

News via Glide Magazine:

This fall, Meshell Ndegeocello will return with her latest record Weather, out November 8th on Naïve in the U.S…. The album also features all-star collaborations with the likes of Chris Connelly (ex-Revolting Cocks, Ministry), Benji Hughes, and Joe Henry.

On Friday, July 8, Chris and Paul Barker will be guests on Sound Opinions as they look back on the legacy of WaxTrax Records. Check the web site to find out when the show airs in your region. The show will also be online to listen to on the 11th!

Update: If you missed the show, you can read the show notes and download an MP3 on the Sound Opinions web site!

Originally posted on July 4.