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Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Colin Blunstone Edition
While their time in the spotlight was short lived, The Zombies left behind an impressive legacy of music, from oldies radio staples like “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No” to shoulda been hits like “Whenever You’re Ready” and “I Love You” to the psych-pop masterpiece Odeyssey and Oracle. A key component to their sound was their super talented lead vocalist, Colin Blunstone. Colin had the pipes to pull off R & B and garage rock songs, but he could smooth things out to sing the poppiest of melodies. Just listen to how he handles the breathy verses of “Time of the Season” and comfortably ups the intensity where needed. Blunstone, after a brief foray into selling insurance, had a very nice solo career, and for the past decade or so, he and Rod Argent have been touring in a new lineup of The Zombies. He is truly one of the underrated figures of the British Invasion. Let’s celebrate his birthday by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 tunes that come up.
Jenny Lizak writesCelebrate Pride With These LGBTQ Artists!
by CHIRP DJ Jenny Lizak
Happy Pride Month! Let’s celebrate with these ten songs from LGBTQ musicians…
“Fast Girls” by Sarge: Elizabeth Elmore spins a tale of meeting a girl at a Punk rock show that she can’t stop thinking about.
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“Wut” by Le1f: It’s still not easy being openly gay in the world of Hip-Hop, but Le1f doesn’t pull any punches with this hit.
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“Rebel Girl” by Bikini Kill: It’s rumored that riot grrl Kathleen Hanna wrote this song as a tribute to Joan Jett.
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Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesCHIRP Radio Movie Collection: Trainspotting (1996)
[The CHIRP Radio Movie Collection documents great movies that feature music or musicians.]
Trainspotting (1996)
The Plot: A group of heroin addicts in Scotland tries to make their way in an economically depressed late 1980s UK.
For a few years in the 1990s, “heroin chic” was a thing. The pale, hollow-cheeked look that came from riding the white horse was, in certain circles, considered a desirable image. It represented decadence and fun, regardless of the danger that’s always close behind.
The cinematic expression of this idea is Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting, a film based on a novel by Irvine Welsh. Released two years after Quentin Tarantino’s landmark movie Pulp Fiction, Boyle’s work is similar in its highly stylized mise-en-scène and the characters’ ironic detachment from realities that would be quite different were this a documentary instead of a work of make-believe. Sure, being hooked on smack is bad, but it certainly doesn’t keep the main protagonist (played by Ewan McGregor) from saying a lot of clever things or fooling around with hot young teenagers. Four years after this film’s release, Darren Aronovsky’s Requiem for a Dream, using even more visual flair, would indirectly indict the “addiction as entertainment” sub-genre by presenting drug addiction as closer to what it actually is - terrifying, depressing, and gross without the movie-star chic or uplifting ending.
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesWhat’s Up at CHIRP Radio (Week of June 20)
Upcoming Events
- It’s CHIRP Night at the Whistler featuring the music of Furr and Glyders on Wednesday, June 22nd
- CHIRP Radio is at the Logan Square Arts Festival from Friday, June 24th to Sunday June 26th
- CHIRP spins DJ sets at Ravenswood On Tap at the Empirical Brewery Taproom on Saturday June 25th
- CHIRP helps commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of The Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead during Classic Album Sundays at Transistor in Andersonville on Sunday, June 26th
New Media
- First Time: First Deal with Jenn Gibbons
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Jello Biafra Edition
It’s time to wish Jello Biafra a happy birthday! The loquacious frontman of the Dead Kennedys brought a special wit and incisive commentary to American hardcore punk and has continued to comment on injustice, both as a solo act, and teaming up with others, in groups such as Lard. Who knows, maybe someday Jello will become Mayor of San Francisco. In the meantime, let’s pay tribute to Mr. Biafra by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 tunes that come up.