What's a panel discussion of Public Enemy's classic 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back without Public Enemy frontman Chuck D? Fortunately, we won't have to find out, since the outspoken PE figurehead will now join Bomb Squad members Hank and Keith Shocklee, PE "media assassin" Harry Allen, and scholar/filmmaker Kembrew McLeod in a discussion of the landmark record at the Chicago Cultural Center's Claudia Cassidy Theater on Thursday, July 17.

As previously reported, this is just one of many events leading up to this year's Pitchfork Music Festival, which takes place July 18-20 at Chicago's Union Park. The Pitchfork Music Festival is hosting the panel along with the Future of Music Coalition. read more

What do terrorists and telco execs have in common? They hate us for our freedoms, naturally. And they especially hate our freedom to roam the verdant grasslands of the Internet as freely as the majestic bison once wandered the fruited plains of the West. A group of mostly-indie rockers from the Future of Music Coalition agree, and they're releasing a benefit CD later this month to help fund the Coalition's campaign for a neutral 'Net. read more