We're seeking new members for our 2025 Board of Directors, as well as our founding Associate Board for young professionals 35 and under. Details and application at each of the links above.
The CHIRP Blog
Tyler Clark presents: Local Mythologies writesTop Five Music Stories: February 2015
At the end of every month, we here at the Top Five take stock of the music news that mattered most to us during the preceding 30-odd days. Without further preamble, here are our five favorite stories from February 2015.
1) Jimmy Kimmel Gives Us The Mash-Ups We Never Knew We Needed
On February's four Mondays, Jimmy Kimmel turned the musical spot on his show into #MashUpMonday, inviting bands from opposite ends of the musical spectrum in for a little collaboration. The pairings ranged from complimentary (If you gave them enough beard, modern-day Weezer could easily pass for their counterparts in Z.Z. Top) to genuinely surprising (Kenny G. and Warren G.? Which one's supposed to be the nostalgia act here?). my personal favorite? The team-up between legendary new-wave funk maestro Morris Day and the ladies of Haim, which succeeded in reminding everyone that a) Morris Day is way cooler than Prince would have you believe, and b) it is impossible to hear "Jungle Love" and not dance.
SKaiser writesIt’s a New Year, Volunteer at CHIRP
It's the Year of the Sheep (or goat for all you Cubbies). So bring in good fortune of the Chinese New Year by attending the next CHIRP volunteer orientation meeting. These only come around a few times a year. It's your first step in being part of radio that you love.
NEW VOLUNTEER MEETING - FEBRUARY 2015 (18+)
Wednesday, February 25th | 6:30-8:00 PM
Conrad Sulzer Regional Library (MAP)
4455 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
Photos from Chinese Fine Arts Society New Year Day Celebration at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Bei Dou Martial Arts
Mike Bennett writesFriday MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Graham Lewis Edition
[originally published Feb. 2013]
Today we pay tribute to a member of one of the most influential post-punk bands of all-time, Wire. Graham Lewis has been playing bass for the band since its inception in 1976, and, he’s been typically steady, providing the pulse on so many great recordings. Lewis has been involved in a myriad of side projects, generally in a support role. He’s let his music do the talking, and that alone is worth saluting. So grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.
Tyler Clark presents: Local Mythologies writesTop Five Songs About Chicago Mayors
Chicagoans go to the polls next week, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel is feeling fine. The latest Chicago Tribune poll shows the mayor with a commanding 25-point lead over his nearest challenger, Cook County Commissioner Chuy Garcia. Despite a turbulent four years, Emanuel needs just five more percentage points to avoid a spring run-off and guarantee his second term as mayor. For as polarizing as Emanuel remains, he's yet to inspire the same kind of musical protests (or promotions) like those of his predecessors. We dug through the archives and found five songs about Chicago mayors that capture the conflicts and complexities leading the Second City.
Mike Bennett writesFriday MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Roberta Flack Edition
[originally published in 2012]
Her smooth tones and songs that touched upon jazz, R & B and pop turned her into a star and a major influence on a generation of singers, including Lauryn Hill. And to think, Roberta Flack might not have had a hit record if not for Clint Eastwood. Flack’s debut album came out to nice notices and dismal sales. But the song “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” was used in the movie where Clint plays a DJ — Play Misty For Me — in 1972, which led to it becoming the smash hit that got Flack’s career going. From there, she had other hits, including the massive “Killing Me Softly”, along with some great duets with Donny Hathaway. She’s still active today, having just released an album of Beatles songs that is getting good reviews. Let’s pay tribute to this genre blender by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 tunes that come up.