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The CHIRP Blog
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writes@CHIRPRadio (Week of July 30)
New Media
- Andrew Meriwether chats with Cafe Racer
- Clarence and Kevin discuss the Netflix documentary 13th
- Mike Nikolich interviews CHIRP Night at the Whistler headliner Grumble
Kevin Fullam writesThe Fourth Wall: 13th
Welcome to The Fourth Wall, CHIRP's weekly e-conversation on cinema. This week's subject is the NetFlix documentary 13th.
This edition is written by CHIRP Radio volunteers Kevin Fullam and Clarence Ewing.
Kevin:
Truth can be a murky concept. Truth when it comes to politics? Well, lots of folks might chuckle at that association, right? Back in the '90s, I enjoyed Michael Moore's political documentaries (particularly his first, Roger & Me), until I realized that I was really only getting a slice of the story... namely, the slice that supported his anti-corporate polemics. Moore was a very funny filmmaker in those days, and offered up plenty of clever critiques of American culture in general. Was it fair to call Corporate America on the carpet for its misdeeds? Absolutely. Were the issues discussed in his work much more nuanced than he led people to believe? Again, absolutely .
One complicating factor is that we all bring our own biases and backgrounds into political discussions. My worldview and set of experiences might be dramatically different than someone else's. When it comes to turning a critical eye on a non-political movie like The Rider , this difference may not matter much -- how many of us know anything about horses, rodeo, and living in the Dakotas? But I'm a student of history and government, and thus I'm going to be much more guarded when it comes to political arguments that someone else is selling me.
Mike Nikolich writesGrumble Channels James Seminara’s Storyteller Side
James Seminara will perform at July 25th's CHIRP Night at the Whistler (photo by Nicole Swanson)
If you are a fan of Chicago’s punk/art rock favorites So Pretty, then you already are familiar with bassist James Seminara. But while the band is on hiatus, he has a new project called Grumble, and it presents a totally different side of this talented musician.
Grumble is a lo-fi solo project that features Seminara on guitar and vocals. The eight songs on the new LP, Tough Times on Oakwood, are stripped down and earnest, and anything but dull. According to CHIRP Reviewer Sophie Holtzmann, the album is “funky, folk punk that warrants your full attention, because the songs are just so damn pleasant to listen to both in the musical quality and witty lyricism.”
You can hear Grumble live this Wednesday, July 25 at CHIRP Night at the Whistler. Grumble opens for Good At Bad. The 21+ show is free but RSVPs are encouraged.
I had the chance to share a couple of cold ones with Seminara and discuss what he has planned for the Whistler crowd.
Q Tough Times on Oakwood is a big departure from So Pretty’s two albums. What sparked your inspiration for this album?
A So Pretty is temporarily on hold because one of our two singers, Ashley Holman, is pregnant. I wanted to stay active musically and began writing songs on my guitar. The album chronicles my reflections from living on Oakwood Avenue in my hometown of Ingleside, Illinois.
SKaiser writes@CHIRPRadio (Week of July 23)
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Wednesday, July 25 | 8:30 PM We're excited to welcome Chicago's own Good at Bad and Grumble to the Whistler stage! Remember: every fourth Wednesday of the month is CHIRP Night at the Whistler.
- Weekend of July 27 Join CHIRP at Wicker Park Fest!
NEW MEDIA
- Amanda Roscoe Mayo met up with Ric Wilson to discuss BANBA, his latest project stands for "Black Art Not Bad Art"
- Clarence Ewing shares the World Premiere Video: "Psycho Crush" by Ovef Ow!
- "Urgh! A Music War!" A Movie Review by Kyle Sanders
TOP OF THE CHIRP CHARTS
1. Jimi Tenor – Order of Nothingness (Philophon)
2. Shemekia Copeland – America's Child (Alligator)
3. John Coltrane – Both Directions at Once (Impulse!)
KSanders writesMovie Review: “Urgh! A Music War”
written by Kyle Sanders
Earlier this spring, I got the chance to see Grace Jones: Bloodlight & Bami, a candid look into the artistry and personal life of Grace Jones. While the familial moments show a softer, rarely seen side of the iconoclastic singer, it's the inclusion of her live performances in various cities that really sell the documentary (or should I say, "rockumentary"?) about what drives Jones the most: fusing her striking physicality and unusual vocals into performance art.
It showcases both truth in spectacle and soul, the former being what has often defined Jones throughout her career, the latter rarely ever exposed to the public. In other words, there's a context behind the art--what often drives the performer on the stage is something far more persuasive off of it.
Urgh! A Music War on the other hand, does not appear to have any context. A concert film released in 1982, it features over two dozen musical acts widely ranging from punk to reggae, performing around the globe. The lineup is inconsistently arranged, as each artist/group is given one song to perform, aside from The Police (perhaps the most commercially successful of all the acts), who bookend the film with two songs and an encore performance featuring some of the other featured bands.
As far as rockumentaries go, Urgh! doesn't contribute anything new to the medium. There's nothing historically remarkable as compared to the likes of Woodstock, Gimme Shelter, or Monterey Pop. It doesn't provide enough of a showcase for the actual musicians either, unable to flesh out significant artists such as in Stop Making Sense (Talking Heads) or The Last Waltz (The Band). And as pointed out in Jeff Stafford's Streamline article, even the title is a tad confusing, as the so-called "music war" mentioned would suggest a Battle of the Bands-esque event offering some sort of competitive conquest. And while no particular band or artist comes out solely victorious, Urgh! A Music War does triumph in one particular battlefield: nostalgia.