Home

Meet The DJs

Dee Titel

Fridays, 6PM

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Dee got her first taste of local radio djing at 91.7 WSUM Madison. Her career as a Food Scientist brought her to Chicago and the plethora of live music in the city never ceases to amaze her. Dee’s musical expertise resides mainly with the funk, but she also has a sweet spot for European electronic and gospel Sundays. During the week she can be found in the airport traveling the country for work, while weekends include concerts, hanging in Noble Square, and lots of booze.

Read more and see Dee Titel's recent playlists

In The News

• Podcasts
• Web Reporting

More news from CHIRP

New Library Additons

Every week we do our best to add a wide range of music to our library, from the newest local releases to lost gems from the archives. Here’s a list of what we’ve recently added.

• Boogie Down Productions By All Means Necessary (Jive)
  Initially comprised of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock, Boogie Down Productions was a major mover and shaker in mid to late-‘80s hip hop. Referencing Malcolm X in the cover art and the title, By All Means Necessary (1988), BDP’s second album, marked the group’s move to socially conscious lyricism following the murder of DJ Scott La Rock. Minimalist production creates space for KRS-One’s topical and relevant rhymes that touch on government corruption, safe sex, and the hip hop industry. As one of the earliest examples of politically conscious hip hop, this album is not to be missed.
• Low Skies The Bed (Flameshovel)
  With The Bed, Chicago band Low Skies released their debut record, an album steeped in atmosphere and emotion that has been described as “the soundtrack for a post-apocalyptic world, one that seduces you into thinking the worst is over.” Founded in 2000 by drummer Jason Creps and guitarist Christopher Salveter, Low Skies later released I Have Been to Beautiful Places (2004) and All the Love I Could Find (2006), both on Flameshovel, and in 2007, Salveter would go on to form Judson Claiborne.
• Talk Talk Spirit of Eden (EMI)
  The fourth album from English new-romantic-turned-post-rock band Talk Talk landed them in hot water with their label, EMI, who felt that the record wasn’t commercially viable and unsuccessfully tried to make the band change some of its content. The recording of Spirit of Eden was key to the band’s creative process: harnessing early digital recording techniques, Talk Talk was free to improvise, much the way a jazz band would, and assemble songs later as they saw fit. Cited by many as a forerunner to bands like Sigur Ros, Mogwai, and Radiohead, Spirit of Eden epitomized the sound of doing things differently in 1988.
• Tortoise Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey)
  Released in 2009, Tortoise continued their private brand, if you will, of instrumental post-rock with their first LP in five years. A diverse album to be sure, Tortoise moves through thick beats, over-modulated synths, plucky strings, Wilhelm screams, and the occasional jazz structure. Critical reception of this album was virtually the definition of mixed, mostly because hopes were so high and Tortoise has been known to break boundaries. Listen closely, abandon preconceptions, and you will be rewarded.
• ESG A South Bronx Story (Soul Jazz)
  ESG (Emerald, Sapphire and Gold) have gone through several incarnations, one of which played its “final show” at Chicago’s Abbey Pub in 2007. Originally comprised of three Scroggins sisters and two of their friends, ESG used polyrhythms to create infectious beats that have been sampled by some of the biggest names in hip hop. A South Bronx Story compiles much of the band’s best work from 1981-1991, an excellent starting point for anyone looking to get into a band that didn’t just mix genres, but existed altogether between them.

These are just a few. Check out our full list.

New Podcasts

Generation X in Cinema Split Reel

How has Generation X been defined in film over the past few decades, from the landmark John Hughes films of the ’80s through the “slacker” movies of the ’90s and beyond? What distinct qualities do Gen X films possess which differentiate them from those of previous (and later) generations? My guest is Christina Lee, lecturer at the Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia, and the author of the recent book Screening Generation X: The Politics and Popular Memory of Youth in Contemporary Cinema. Read more…

Download this episode

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir Interview

On June 19th, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir will be performing for their Comeback Show at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave. This is a rescheduling of their record release show, which was to happen in the fall of 2009. Right after leaving Chicago for tour in support of their latest album …And The Horse You Rode In On, on Bloodshot Records, the rear tire of their van blew out in Northeast Indiana, and the ensuing accident left the three main members with severe injuries. I sat down with Elia Einhorn, Mary Ralph and Mark Yoshizumi to reflect on the near-death experience, their recovery, how life-threatening injuries have changed their lives. Read more…

Download this episode

Browse and Subscribe to Podcasts