We're seeking new members for our 2025 Board of Directors, as well as our founding Associate Board for young professionals 35 and under. Details and application at each of the links above.
The CHIRP Blog
Ross M: Conceptually Gross writesRediscovering Our Record Collections: Dinosaur Jr.‘s “Bug”
To tell the truth, I have no idea where I picked up this record. In my head it was Mod Lang in Berkeley but I'm not sure in late 1988 I was hip to that little shop. I was doing most of my time loitering in Rasputin's and Amoeba but my brain keeps showing me grabbing this in a smaller shop. I suppose the beauty of memory is how you basically fill in the gaps with whatever and it becomes reality. All I really know is, like so many records bought at the time, I dove in head first based on the cover and label (SST). This was very pre-internet so my research consisted of throwing money at things that looked cool and hoping for the best. This one worked out pretty well.
Background? Sure, I'll tell you a few things. In 1983 (and the tender age of 13) I started smoking a little pot. Also in 1983 I heard Metallica's Kill 'Em All. To say 1983 was a monumental year in my life would be a gross understatement (Bar Mitzvah, anyone?). Merely two years removed from declaring Men At Work's Business As Usual the greatest album of all time, I had found the sound that I would forever chase (listen to "Whiplash" for the perfect distillation of this sound I speak of). Metal would hold my hand through the awkward years but I had a much darker secret...
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writes“M in Ohio” Tells Us Why They listen to CHIRP Radio
"Jennifer, Oh Jenny. Ohhhhhhhh..." --De La Soul
I love music. Flat out - absolutely LOVE music! And not just one type of music, but all types of music. All types, that is, but one. All but top 40. I have scoured the internet radio dial for a station that appeals to my broad music sense. Literally for years. Years and years and years and years. I have found several that I like for their genre, but none that offered a broad eclectic mix. Until I stumbled on CHIRP.
I don't know what it was that caught my eye. I think it was the name. CHIRP. How cool is that? I gave it a try and I was hooked from the first set. Absolutely incredible. It plays all the genres I like to hear and more. Much much more. I have been listening to it religiously ever since. So much so, that I have it streaming into my office so that everyone else can enjoy.
Mind you, most of the people in the office are top 40 listeners. They don't know 98 percent of what is played on your station. I get a kick when I hear - "Hey, I know that song!" or "I haven't heard that for years" or "Wow! I have never heard that song played on the radio." I get an even bigger kick when someone hears a song they like and they walk over to see what song is playing and jots it down. Priceless.
I am not a musical genius. I wish I were. I love all types of music, but I know so little about it. CHIRP allows me to vastly expand my musical horizons. The DJ's are awesome. Extremely knowledgeable and not pretentious. I have learned so much. It has been a real education.
What I Like About CHIRP Radio:
- It is bar none the best radio concept I have ever heard
- It plays all types of music. I mean "ALL.”
- I never know what will be played next. It is one amazing song after another.
- It is live DJ's. Not some canned program or algorithm.
- The DJs are extremely knowledgeable and dog-gone friendly.
- All my requests have been played - no matter how quirky.
- The songs played are clean.
- It gives exposure to some truly incredible local bands.
- The playlists are easy to track and follow.
- It is easy to purchase a song that is played.
*Name withheld by request
(Listeners like M are the reason CHIRP Radio exists. M's donation during our Spring fundraiser is what helps us keep doing what we do. If you like what you hear on CHIRP Radio, consider making a tax-deductible contribution! Your funds go to supporting the day-to-day operations that keep our station live, local, and eclectic. Click here to to make one-time donation or become a sustaining member. Thanks!)
SKaiser writesDark Matter Coffee & The 2015 CHIRP Record Fair
Photos by Christine Connelly & Shawna Kaiser
Music is synonymous with Dark Matter Coffee. Just like CHIRP Radio. So it makes perfect sense for our people to fall in love with their people upon meeting... at Pitchfork nonetheless.
“It’s only natural we collaborate with CHIRP Radio,” Kyle Hodges, Dark Matter Coffee’s Minister of Propaganda said. “We appreciate what CHIRP does in the music community and Chicago in general. We want to support anyway we can.”
The collaboration is next month’s 2015 CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights where Dark Matter Coffee (DMC) is the Exclusive Coffee Partner & Sponsor. Five hundred bags of the exclusive CHIRP blend will hit shelves March 30th at all three DMC locations: The Mothership, Star Lounge, and Osmium.
“The energy and enthusiasm the people at DMC have for their coffee and community is contagious,” Jason Dempsey, Partnerships Director at CHIRP said. “I believe we draw on the same ideas of how to reach people in a very organic way. Talking with Kyle about the history of our organizations, and the paths we’re on, opens my eyes to all the possibilities and opportunities available in our communities.”
Tyler Clark presents: Local Mythologies writesCHIRP Battle of the Bands 2015: Round Two
It's the third Friday in March, and we're nearing the midpoint of the greatest four days in American sports. However, just because we spent all day at work watching the NBA stars (and car dealership owners) of tomorrow battle for the NCAA championship doesn't mean we've forgotten our own barcket. Round Two of the 2015 CHIRP Battle of the Bands begins today, and with it come the results from Round One. Some matchups were close: #2 seed White Mystery eeked out a win against #7 seed Serengeti by only six votes. Others weren't quite nailbiters; thanks to a spirited social media campaign, #8 seed Flesh Panthers toppled Chicago legend and #1 seed Mavis Staples for this round's biggest upset. Fellow #1 seed Kanye West also fell, leaving the Panthers and fellow #8 seeds Modern Vices as our tournament's biggest Cinderellas so far.
How will they fare in Round Two? That's up to you. Voting for Round Two closes at 6pm on Wednesday, March 25. Check out the matchups below, weigh in, and argue your case in the comments section.
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesFriday MP3 Shuffle – Happy Birthday Lee “Scratch” Perry Edition
He didn’t invent Reggae or Dub by himself, but from the fundamental influence he had on the music of his homeland of Jamaica and the world at large, he might as well have. If you’re at all familiar with the unique grooves that poured from the Caribbean islands, chances are you’ve heard Perry’s work. He was a creative force of nature who worked in a truly independent spirit, starting out with Studio One, "The Motown of Jamaica," then building the legendary Black Art studio in his back yard only to burn it down when he could no longer stand the trifling interference of lesser minds (that story may not be true, but it’s too good not to be, so let’s just say it is).
Celebrate the arrival of Spring and the birthday of the ultimate Upsetter by taking your MP3 player, pushing the “shuffle” button, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up: