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Craig Reptile: Your Sunday Sonic Sundowner writesIn Rotation: In Tall Buildings
In Tall Buildings is the nom de plume of Erik Hall, a Chicago singer-songwriter who has just released his second album, Driver on Western Vinyl. At the center is still Hall’s smooth, folksy tenor, laden with echo and delivering his winsome and winning melodies, but the sound is less bare bones than on his eponymous debut, released in 2010 by Whistler.
Driver brims with additional electronic effects and sports a more lush layering of musical richness, but the arrangements are never busy enough to distract from the solidness of songs. During a particularly rhythmically intricate number, Hall sings that “it’s unmistakeable, I understand, the sea will take a toll, when you hit land.” The world-weariness of his delivery blends well with the recurrent lyrical motif of the world’s eroding effect on humanity, but let’s hope this young talent doesn’t let the world wear him down too much.
Driver does pack a speedier, more linear punch where its predecessor was content with a more leisurely stroll through a foggier forest. His debut was so good, it's just great to hear Hall on record again, and if anything Driver is even better.
"The Way to a Monster's Lair" featuring Matt Ulery (bass) and Quin Kirchner (drums)
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesCHIRP Radio’s Spring Fundraising Campaign Starts Today!
Spring is a time to get things started again. It’s a time of renewal and growth, not just for the trees and animals, but us humans as we emerge from our caves and bask in the sunshine. Time to refresh, reconnect, and keep being awesome.
Here at CHIRP Radio, our two part-timers and 200+ volunteers have been as busy as ever. CHIRP Radio is a solid and still-growing presence in the Chicago media landscape. And soon we will be transmitting over the airwaves as we build a broadcast tower and set up our signal on 107.1 FM later this year.
Surfing up and down the dial, it may seem like corporate media conglomerates have won the battle for control of the airwaves, especially in big cities. But look closer, and you’ll see stations like CHIRP Radio are keeping the faith with the independent spirit that saved music from the tentacles of Big Business. We’re helping to keep radio local, eclectic, and personal, the way it was created and the way it’s meant to be.
For all of us, running this station is a labor of love. But along with that are operational matters to take care of. Therefore, it’s time for the CHIPR Radio Spring Fundraising Drive, a time when we ask you to help us sustain our efforts through your donations. Your tax deductible contribution will help us cover the costs that come with running a radio station, which include rent, utilities, and audio streaming.
This Spring’s drive starts Monday, March 16th and wraps up on Friday the 27th. We’ve set a goal of $15,000. There are some great gifts for folks who contribute at different levels. You can even become a Sustaining Member with your yearly, quarterly or monthly contributions.
Help us start off the year the right way. Give today! And THANK YOU for your support!
Tyler Clark presents: Local Mythologies writesCHIRP Battle of the Bands 2015: Round One, Part Two
Welcome to the part two of the opening round of the 2015 CHIRP Battle of the Bands. For an explanation about the project and methodology, or to see part one, click here. Voting for Round One closes at 6pm on Tuesday, March 17, so be a good Chicagoan and vote early and often.
Mike Bennett writesFriday MP3 Shuffle - Happy Birthday Sly Stone Edition
[originally published March 2013]
By the age 11, Sylvester Stone had mastered piano, guitar, bass and drums. All the better to eventually lead a large band that mixed soul, rock, pop and funk in the most sublime combination. He got the nickname Sly in grade school (after a classmate misspelled his name as Slyvester), and grew up to be a popular DJ in San Francisco. He went on to produce The Beau Brummels, The Mojo Men and Grace Slick’s first band, The Great Society. Finally, he formed one of the greatest bands in American history, Sly and the Family Stone.
Over the course of six albums and many singles, Sly Stone and his band showed incredible breadth, putting out classic after classic. Of course, Sly is a recluse and eccentric now, but his legacy is staggering. Let’s pay tribute to the legend by sharing the first 10 songs that come up on your iPod or MP3 player.
Tyler Clark presents: Local Mythologies writesCHIRP Battle of the Bands 2015: Round One, Part One
Spring is here. The birds are back, the snow is melting, and, in gymnasiums from Greensboro to Anaheim, college basketball teams are fulfilling their destinies. It's NCAA tournament time again, the most wonderful time of the year for fans of basketball and bracket-based competition alike. Here at CHIRP, we fall into both categories, which got us thinking: what would a tournament of current Chicago bands look like? After a little thinking, we came up with this: