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The CHIRP Blog
SKaiser writesAWOFINC
The work of Kenneth Wesbrooks in the Chicago community resounds in what holds the word together; unity. For over two decades, as the founder and chairman of A Work of Faith Ministries, Inc. (AWOFINC), he’s led a resourceful mission to meet the needs of families by empowering community members to “take back the village”.
It seems nothing can shake Wesbrooks’ vision. In a time when violence in the city can feel insurmountable he stands in the strength of people coming together, trusting in one another, creating relationships, and building success stories from the inside out.
When asked if he feels discouraged by one of the recent most violent weekends this summer, he said, “We partner our efforts with other organizations. We see violence as the primary symptom to greater community issues, such as housing or unemployment, and we reach out to organizations like Cure Violence who employ resources specific to gang-related violence.”
SKaiser writes@CHIRPRadio (Week of August 27)
NEW MEDIA
- Jessi DiBartolomeo sits down with local R&B artist Jordanna to talk about the DIY scene in Chicago
- Rediscovering Our Record Collections: Learning to Lean In to Liz Phair by Bobby Evers
- Mike Nikolich writes I Lost Control Celebrates 10th Anniversary at CHIRP Night at the Whistler!
- Share your view around town with Viewfinder! by Shawna Kaiser
TOP OF THE CHIRP CHARTS
1. OHMME – Parts (Joyful Noise)
2. Ethers – Ethers (Trouble in Mind)
3. Blizzard Babies – Missing Time (Don Giovanni)
SKaiser writesviewfinder
“Your opinion is your opinion, your perception is your perception–do not confuse them with ‘facts’ or ‘truth.’ Wars have been fought and millions have been killed because of the inability of men to understand the idea that everybody has a different viewpoint.” -John Moore
A young woman leaves her home country to live and work abroad for twelve months. It's her first time living in a foreign country alone and she feels out of place. For three months she finds her way making friends, learning the culture, language, exploring new foods, music, and traveling to neighboring towns. It's only when she reaches a city rich in history and war, told stories from a grieving generation of those lost, decades earlier, that she realizes she always understood the people in this strange and unfamiliar place. She deeply felt the undeniable human connection that was written long before she ever arrived.
A beautiful thing happens when we can bridge differences by sharing stories that resound with all of us.
What we see every day is framed within our perceptions. Perceptions built over the course of every day living, of the people in our lives, experiences in our community, and ourselves fitting amongst all of it. What is around you and how do you interpret it's meaning?
We want to see your perception through the lens of your eye. Bring us all the odd things, all the weird, can't look away, inspiring things. You're going to your favorite show and see something only you can understand, take out your camera (phone), shoot and send to skaiser@chirpradio.org
Are you aware of what's around you? Tell the story of your perception through photos.
Photos by Shawna Kaiser at the Out of Chicago Photography Conference
Mike Nikolich writesI Lost Control Celebrates 10th Anniversary at CHIRP Night at The Whistler!
Bassist Tina L. Sunny, guitarist Toby Tennent, drummer Chris Bijalba and lead vocalist/guitarist Steve Anderson are I Lost Control.
Chicago rock fans are in for a treat Wednesday, August 22, when I Lost Control and The Thin Cherries perform at CHIRP Night at The Whistler. Tickets are free but you will need to RSVP to this 21+ show, which begins at 8:30 p.m.
I Lost Control is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Bandmates Steve “Stevo” Anderson and Toby Tennent met at an Old Town School of Folk Music graduation show, and they’ve been playing together ever since.
Stevo, who hosts “The Friday Afternoon Happy Hour” on CHIRP Radio-107.1 FM, is the lead singer and guitarist, while Brit ex-pat Tennent handles lead guitar. Bassist Tina L. Sunny and drummer Chris Bijalba complete the quartet.
The band will premiere its new single “Vigil” at the Whistler. The song, which was recorded at the band’s studio just down the hall from CHIRP, features a catchy bass line and the jangly guitars that are a hallmark of the band’s sound.
Bobby Evers writesRediscovering our Record Collections: Learning To Lean In to Liz Phair
by Bobby Evers
The early oughts was a tumultuous time. George W Bush was president, we were gearing up for a second concurrent war, and all the best celebrities were picking sides. The internet was democratizing music scenes in ways that were still new and hard to predict, showcasing indie artists in Omaha and the Pacific Northwest, and music fans primary concern was coolness and authenticity. After 10 years of releasing increasingly top 40ish albums, Liz Phair, a once powerful indie artist going full-blown mainstream pop was most certainly not cool.
And the critics were the first to let us know. In their album review, PopMatters called her a "soon-to-be-has-been," writing: " this once-adored darling of indie rock is a mere shadow of her former self.... The resulting album, Liz Phair, is a highly overproduced, shallow, soulless, confused, pop-by-numbers disaster that betrays everything the woman stood for a decade ago, and most heinously, betrays all her original fans."
In the Pitchfork review, the author eviscerates her eloquently with: "It's sad that an artist as groundbreaking as Phair would be reduced to cheap publicity stunts and hyper-commercialized teen-pop. But then, this is "the album she has always wanted to make"-- one in which all of her quirks and limitations are absorbed into well-tested clichés, and ultimately, one that may as well not even exist."
Both writers are male. Both call her different forms of shallow, vain, degrading, vapid.
But now that we live in an age where pop artists like Beyonce, Kesha, Taylor Swift, and Carly Rae Jepsen are celebrated for their strengths and contributions, and their albums are evaluated and debated as works of pop art, I think it's time to take a second look at Liz Phair's 2003 self-titled album, that brought her so much scorn. It brought her both top 40 success, getting airplay on my hometown radio station, and also lost her her entire fanbase.