CHIRP is building an Associate Board for young professionals 35 & under. Interested? Please fill out this form.
The CHIRP Blog
KSanders writesReview: The 53rd Annual Chicago International Film Festival
by Kyle Sanders
Bonjour, my fellow CHIRPers! As we close out the month of October by dressing in costume and raising the dead, we also bid adieu to another year of foreign film viewing at the 53rd annual Chicago International Film Festival! This is my second year reviewing the fest for CHIRP, and this year did not disappoint! From big screen debuts to reflective re-releases, this year's crop of celluloid offered a little something for everyone.
There were special presentations of upcoming mainstream films such as Guillermo Del Toro's fanciful The Shape of Water and Reginald Hudlin's biopic Marshall. Audiences also got a peek at The Square (this year's winner of the Palm d'Or at Cannes) and Call Me By Your Name, both of which are considered early Oscar contenders. There were special tributes to acclaimed performers Vanessa Redgrave, Patrick Stewart, and Alfre Woodard thrown in as well. Finally, there was the presentation of awards, and this year's Golden Hugo award went to the Argentinian film A Sort of Family. All high-profile events were eagerly anticipated, and all the above events I was--naturally--unable to get into (damn you, expensive passes!).
SKaiser writes@CHIRPRadio (Week of October 30)
We're throwing a HUGE party!!! Join us at Dovetail Barrel Loft for our 107.1 Launch Celebration with a special live set by the The Flat Five! Festivities include a silent auction, raffle prizes, and tons of free 107.1FM swag! Your $20 suggested donation provides you with two beer tickets, unlimited food and soft drinks...and of course support of CHIRP's new broadcast operation, yeah!
NEW MEDIA
- The Fourth Wall: The Babadook with Kevin Fullam and Clarence Ewing
- Take Two: "It's My Life" (Talk Talk vs No Doubt) by Clarence Ewing
- Sophie Holtzmann writes Album Review: The Eradicator (S/T)
- Jack Ryan writes An EP For the End of the World
- Amanda Mayo caught up with Swedish rockers INVSN at Riot Fest 2017
- Jack Ryan writes Album Review: "Spitting Image" by The Strypes
Kevin Fullam writesThe Fourth Wall: The Babadook
Welcome to The Fourth Wall, CHIRP's weekly e-conversation on cinema. This week's subject is the psychological horror movie The Babadook.
This edition is written by CHIRP Radio volunteers Kevin Fullam and Clarence Ewing.
Clarence:
Amelia is a young woman whose life is enveloped in tragedy. Seven years ago, her husband died while driving her to the hospital to give birth to their son Samuel. Raising a child alone has meant a lot of stress and sleepless nights. Samuel has always been a handful behavior-wise, but things get even worse when one night he and Amelia find a peculiar book to read for bedtime, The Babadook, about a darkly mysterious figure whose malicious intents directed toward this mother and child are made clear in the nursery rhyme text.
What is this thing? What does it want? And how did that book get in the house? Amelia must figure it all out and do something about it before it’s too late.
Jack Ryan writesAn EP For The End of the World
Despite what your mom and dad may say, there’s no such thing as the “good old days.” Life’s never been perfect. That being said, things in 2017 have definitely been crazier than usual.
When you flip on the news and see the daily doom and gloom report of potential nuclear war with North Korea, Nazis marching in the streets of American cities, President Trump’s bizarre behavior and climate change related destruction in the Caribbean and south American coast, even the most rational person would come to the conclusion that we were living in the end times.
With that being said, here are some songs that would make for a good EP as Rome burns to the ground…
1. “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire (Dunhill, 1965)
For a protest song from 1965, this track seems to be shockingly relevant to the world of today. Combining elements of Dylan-esque folk and the wall of sound from Phil Spector’s renowned “Wrecking Crew”, Barry McGuire’s heartfelt singing about Asia, the Middle East and racism in the USA sounds like he could be talking about ISIS or Kim Jong Un.
It also does a good job of chastising those who would rather ignore the world’s problems rather than work to solve them. The only noticeably dated lyric in “Eve of Destruction” would be the line “You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’,” since it was written before the passing of the 26th amendment.
Before then, under-21-year-olds who didn’t even have any political say where being drafted and sent to die in the jungles of Vietnam. Thank god that doesn’t happen anymore!
Jack Ryan writesAlbum Review: “Spitting Image” by The Strypes
Since they first left their rural birthplace of Cavan, Ireland earlier in this decade, the Strypes have had a lot going for them. Their work is consistently praised by the likes of rock royalty such as Jeff Beck, Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Lenny Kravitz and many others.
They’re gearing up to support Paul Weller and Liam Gallagher for UK dates on their solo tours, and most recently, they’re back with a third studio album Spitting Image, released last June. Although it’s their third studio album, it’s their second record out in the USA due to issues with their previous label that kept their second studio album Little Victories from being made available in America except on Import.