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Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writes@CHIRPRADIO (Week of February 12)
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- Cher Vincent interviews Jackie Venson
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- Clarence and Kevin discuss alternate realities and Calvin & Hobbs while sizing up Season 4 of Black Mirror on The Fourth Wall
Kevin Fullam writesThe Fourth Wall: Black Mirror, Season 4
Welcome to The Fourth Wall, CHIRP's weekly e-conversation on cinema. This week's subject is Season 4 of the Netflix series Black Mirror.
This edition is written by CHIRP Radio volunteers Kevin Fullam and Clarence Ewing.
Kevin:
Here's a thought experiment, Clarence:
Imagine that you're in possession of a super-duper computer that is able to run those "simulated worlds" so often discussed among intelligentsia these days. (Summary: how do we know that we'renot living in a simulated world as opposed to "reality?" Answer: we don't.) You've got a thousand Clarence Ewings floating around in this magic box, all living out variants of your own life. However, here's the twist -- you can somehow drain their resources for your own use. Come down with a kidney problem? You can purchase pristine health at the cost of kidney failure for one of your sims. Short on cash? One of your sims suffers a financial calamity, while you reap the benefits. They won't have any clue as to why it's happening -- after all, bad luck befalls everyone sometimes, right?
Would you want such a device? What are the ethical obligations involved in dealing with these virtual beings? They may not be "real," but life sure does feel real to them... so, does the difference matter?
Mike Nikolich writesCHIRP Welcomes Shredders to to Subterranean on Saturday Feb. 3!
Subterranean
2011 W. North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
17+
Shredders is a hot new Minneapolis hip-hop group featuring rappers P.O.S. (Stefon Alexander), Sims (Andrew Sims) and producers Paper Tiger (John Samels) and Lazebeak (Aaron Mader), a founding member of the Doomtree hip-hop collective.
Inspired by their “Flipping Cars” collaboration, Shredders released a three-track EP earlier in 2017, featuring the party anthem “Cult 45,” which led to the release of the full-length album Dangerous Jumps, which received rave reviews, as well as extensive airplay on CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM. Dangerous Jumps features 12 meticulously-produced tracks that are loaded with hooks, double-time beats and rapid-fire raps.
The evening’s performance will feature DJs P.O.S. and Sims on the raps, and Papes and Beak on the beats. Don’t miss this must-see performance at SubT!
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesClassic Album Sundays Spins Steely Dan’s “Aja” on Sunday Jan. 28!
Classic Album Sundays is back with a listening party featuring Steely Dan's 1977 masterpiece Aja.
Released at a time when Disco, Punk, and Rap were starting to push progressive rock and Laurel Canyon pop off the music front pages, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's masterpiece was a throwback of sorts, relying on almost 40 session musicians and rooted in a Jazz-based sophistication that stood up to the growing DIY cultural attitudes. Read Owen Jones' essay about the album here.
This worldwide event is for music lovers to gather in various cities and have a group listening experience of the greatest albums of all time. The Chicago edition of CAS takes place Sunday, January 28th from 5:30pm – 8:30pm at Saturday Audio Exchange, 1021 W Belmont Avenue, Chicago IL, 60647. Tickets are $5 in advance and can be purchased here.
KSanders writesConcert Review: Passion Pit at the Riviera Theatre (Jan. 17, 2018)
by Kyle Sanders
In between set lists, two songs played over the PA system as stagehands readied the stage for the main attraction: "Black Sun" by Death Cab for Cutie, followed by "Bizarre Love Triangle" from New Order.
It wasn't the smoothest transition between songs, as neither sound entirely similar, but I commented to my fellow concertgoer that perhaps this was the ultimate definition of Passion Pit's music: indie pop's melancholic lyrics infused with '80s synthesizers.
It's not a bad thing--in fact, I'd say it perfectly encapsulates the era in which the indietronica band from Cambridge debuted on radio stations, right along the likes of similar artists such as MGMT, Grizzly Bear, Arctic Monkeys, and Franz Ferdinand. It was during the latter half of the 2000's when college radio received a big push thanks to the likes of iTunes and YouTube.
Sure, the lyrics of Millennial angst resonate with the young crowd, but there's a not-so-subtle hint of nostalgic familiarity that Generation Xers can relate to as well. As I looked around the venue, staring at concertgoers both young and old, it seemed to make sense.