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The CHIRP Blog
DJ Mick writesThe CHIRP Radio Interview: DPCD
by CHIRP Radio DJ and Features Co-Director Mick R (Listen to his most recent shows / Read his blog)
DPCD is the name of a sonorous, soft, and elegant folk project that graciously calls Chicago home. The group is lead by Alec Watson, who fills the song’s lyrics with ruminations on connection, compassion, and salvation.
Drawing on his past in the Evangelical Church he has a unique and thoughtful approach to the world, its problems, and the ways that we relate to each other as human beings.
Most striking of all though, is his tenderness of presentation, which can’t help but remind one of Sufjan Stevens, or even Conor Oberst, at his most vulnerable.
Alec and his bandmates will be releasing their debut on October 1, an album conspicuously titled It's Hard for a Rich Man to Enter the Kingdom of God. The album is not shy or penitent about its appeals to spiritualism and mysticism, and neither is Alec himself.
As you will no doubt be able to tell, he’s given his faith a great deal of thought over the years, and at this point in his inquisitive journey, we find him more devoted than ever.
He may not love everything about his past, but understanding how he can transpose what was good about it into a better future for him and others is part of what motivates the project as a whole.
I was able to catch up with Alec to talk about his band and their new record over email. His responses were enlightening and thoughtful in ways that often caught me off guard. You can read his earnest responses to my inquiries below:
Purchase It's Hard for a Rich Man to Enter the Kingdom of God
Brad Morgan writesClean Cut Kid: An Appreciation of Bob Dylan’s Midlife Crisis
by Bradley Morgan
The times they had a-changed when Bob Dylan had entered the MTV era.
Approaching 40, the legendary singer-songwriter’s mark on music and popular culture was already defined and well-documented. Since his early days shuffling between coffee houses and nightclubs around Greenwich Village during the waning days of the American folk music revival during the early 1960s, Dylan had, in the words of his former lover Joan Baez, burst on the scene already a legend.
He very quickly gained prominence providing an integral voice during the Civil Rights movement before almost as swiftly tuning out and plugging in, shocking audiences with an electrically masterful run of generation-defining albums until rampant amphetamine use evaporated his thin, wild mercury sound and he sought peace through marriage and domesticity before losing it all and finding Jesus.
The chameleon-like Dylan had already lived several lifetimes during his two-decade long career so far, and the promise of economic grandiosity and technological innovation within Reagan’s America during the dawn of the 1980s would prove to be an interesting backdrop for the man previously dubbed the voice of his generation to find himself once again.
DJ Mick writesThe CHIRP Radio Interview: NVDO
by CHIRP Radio DJ and Features Co-Director Mick R (Listen to his most recent shows / Read his blog)
It never gets old talking to artists about their music. One of the things that it particularly inspiring about talking with young hip-hop artists in the city is their sheer enthusiasm and will to make things work.
This is no less true for young MC, producer, and entrepreneur, NVDO. Here is a man who appears to have willed his career into existence by pure force of mind.
NVDO just released his debut LP The Waiting Room, an atmospheric outing into the wild world of Chicago trap, with plenty of moody verses and bouncy, bubble busting beats to go around.
NVDO is a passionate producer and his skill and excellence has brought him into the trajectory of a number of the city’s more recent rap icons, including Mick Jenkins, who guests on a number of the tracks.
When NVDO reached out about an interview, of course I said yes. And I’m very glad I did. His commitment to the project is contagious and it was cool to be able to read and reflect on his story. See what he has to say for himself and about himself below:
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (Sep 27 - Oct 3)
Upcoming Events:
- Thursday September 30 - Sunday October 3: CHIRP is a proud media sponsor of The Other Art Fair Chicago at Revel Fulton Market
On the Podcast:
- Mick R interviews Paul and Jon Chicago hardcore band La Armada
On the Blog:
- Mick R interviews Maurice of Chicago band Aight Bet
Top of the CHIRP Charts for the week of 9/20/21:
Bomba Estéreo – Deja (Sony Music Latin)
DJ Mick writesThe CHIRP Radio Interview: Aight Bet
by CHIRP Radio DJ and Features Co-Director Mick R (Listen to his most recent shows / Read his blog)
E-Town Concrete might be officially retired, but we might just have the next best thing brooding and biding their time on the city’s Southside.
Chicago’s Aight Bet, the self-described “hood-core” band, has yet to release a full EP, but their early singles “Accountability” and “Alpha Status” are already showing a tremendous amount of promise.
Rolling through alternating currents of knuckle-sandwich serving, ‘90s metalcore grooves and bum-rushing beats that stomp like a boss, Aight Bet know how to handle themselves in a hardcore and metal scene that boasts such heavyweight brutes as Harm’s Way, La Armada, Kharma, amongst many others.
To get the scoop on this sick ensemble of upstarts, I caught up with bandleader Maurice to give him the chance to introduce his band in his own words. Check out the interview below!
[The following interview was conducted via email on September 9, 2021. It has been edited slightly for the sake of clarity. Photos by Rick Lancaster.]
Who is Aight Bet and how did you all meet?
Aight Bet is a band of musicians with different backgrounds and years of experience. We've all played in different bands and came together because it was destined. Maurice on rap vocals, Calvin on hard Vocals, John on Bass, Jeff on drums, Mike on guitar, and Alex on Guitar.