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The CHIRP Blog
Dave Rooney writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2019: Dave Rooney
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Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2019. Our first list is from DJ Dave Rooney. Completing my first, full year as a sub-DJ with CHIRP, I offer these ten, enjoyable masterworks to consider as your own (big thanks to the diligent CHIRP Music Department, who put most of this music in front of me). Truth told: part of why I joined CHIRP was to reclaim what Neko Case referred to as that teenage feeling. Stuff we played this year might just as easily fitted on my mix tapes from 1982 (time permitting). Black Marble even released a single that shared the same title with a song I penned back then. Assuredly, their song was much better… Essentially, though, the following LPs were the true, long-players. |
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writes@CHIRPRadio (Week of November 25)
EVENTS
- Saturday, November 30: Join CHIRP at Made in Chicago: Winter Edition
- Monday, December 2: CHIRP Radio and Chicago Film Society present a screening of Drumline at the Music Box Theatre
NEW MEDIA
Dan Oberbruner writesGoon Rocks the Empty Bottle This Thursday!
Los Angeles "grunge-gaze" rockers Goon bring their heavy, melodic sound to the Empty Bottle on Thursday, November 21
image from Partisan Records
Goon's latest album, Heaven Is Humming, plays like an ode to all the best parts of '90s alt-rock. There's Pixies/Breeders-style heavy weirdness on tracks like opener "F Jam" or "Critter." Nirvana riffs lead jammers like "Datura" or "Northern Saturn." And when the guitars aren't chugging, lurching or jangling over bombastic drums and bass, singer Kenny Becker retreats to a quieter, more contemplative space a la Elliott Smith on "Snoqualmie" or closer "CCLL." Bits of field recordings and pre-programmed Casio beats round out the lo-fi soundscape.
KSanders writesOutside and Inside: “Paradise Hills”
writte by Kyle Sanders
"We are our best when we are ourselves."
So says The Duchess, the flamboyant headmistress (played by Milla Jovovich doing her best "June Cleaver dressed as Effie Trinket") of the mysterious Paradise Hills, a school for the "not like other girls" girls. Yet this quote contradicts her maddening methods meant to help rebellious young women become the spitting image of perfection (or at least to disapproving families or impending husbands).
It's a quote the film should have listened to a bit more closely, as Paradise Hills does not seem to know its true self and therefore, is not quite the best its concept sets out to be.
The film opens with a sweeping bird's eye view shot of new bride Uma (Emma Roberts), serenading her husband with a song at their wedding reception. The film establishes the lavish world Uma lives in with the help of some impressively elaborate costumes and props (we see a floating car driving off from the festivities straight out of Back to the Futu
re: Part II) but it's unclear if this is some sort of dystopian future or not-of-this-planet fantasy.
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writes@CHIRPRadio (Week of November 11)
EVENTS
- Wednesday November 13th: CHIRP Radio presents the "Cents for Causes" fundraiser at District Brew Yards. Every ounce of beer poured will generate 10 cents for the station!
- Thursday November 14th: CHIRP Radio and Amazon Studios Present Honey Boy at ArcLight Cinema
NEW MEDIA
- Mic Reed talks with Mat Kerekes
- Shawna Kaiser greets November with a trip Around Town