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The CHIRP Blog
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Kate Pierson Edition
She is half of one of the great vocal duos in rock history. She has duetted with Iggy Pop, backed up R.E.M. and worn some of the bitchingest thrift store threads ever. And Kate Pierson has been a major attraction of one of the ultimate party bands, The B-52’s. No one could have predicted that a group playing parties in Athens, Georgia would not just come up with an indelible dance rock classic in “Rock Lobster” but would eventually conquer the charts with “Roam”. No matter where their music has taken them on record, they have never failed to get people dancing at their concerts. Let’s pay tribute to the great Kate by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Rubbed in Dirt, Dipped in Sugar writesHow Records Are Made
Before we start, I must admit that capturing live sound into the grooves of a durable plastic disc that can withstand thousands of playbacks is still a mind-blowing concept to me.
Over the years, I’ve participated in virtually every aspect of this process, from recording live sessions, to running a record label, organizing and archiving masters, and of course collecting records, yet the details of this process still amaze me.
This short article is meant to shed some light on the mechanics of this transformative process and help illuminate the way that songs find a new home in the bumps and folds of melted and pressed shards of vinyl shrapnel.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Lionel Hampton Edition
Today, let’s pay tribute to a legend who got his start right here in Chicago. Lionel Hampton was born in Louisville 104 years ago, but moved to Chicago as a youngster, where he quickly picked up the xylophone and drums, and started playing in the Chicago Defender Newsboys’ band in his teens. As a young adult, he played vibes with Louis Armstrong in California, and a career was born. Hampton then worked with swing great Benny Goodman before forming his own orchestra, and working with many of the other great players of his time. His music sometimes crossed into R & B. Although his popularity on the charts waned after the ’50s, he kept playing until 1991, for a six decade plus career of excellence. Let’s celebrate Hamp’s birthday by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Shawn Campbell writesCHIRP Celebrates Record Store Day
So…today is Record Store Day, and there are so many things going on at stores in and around the city! How to keep them all straight?
CHIRP Radio has done the legwork so you don’t have to. Here are all the latest details on special events going on at local record stores. We’re not going to tell you who has which RSD releases — you’ll have to check with the stores for that — but we will try to tell you what special events each store has planned.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Al Green Edition
Very few sounds in pop music are as insinuating as the classic sides Al Green recorded for Hi Records back in the early ’70s. Interestingly enough, Green initially tried to follow the soul shouter path of singers like Otis Redding. Thankfully, producer Willie Mitchell instructed Green to dial things down, and with those classic rhythms, Green embarked on making some of the sexiest and most romantic music ever made. From there, Green turned to God, and produced some fine Christian music (like 1978’s The Belle Album), but never lost his soul prowess, as more recent comeback records have shown. Let’s pay tribute to the Reverend Green by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.