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Mike Nikolich DJ Profile

I host The Friday Spin from noon to 3 pm CST every Friday afternoon. My show is an eclectic mix of new and old indie, world, alternative, punk, rock, jazz, prog, ambient, blues, soul, artist interviews, and anything else that tickles my fancy. If you enjoy Chicago blues, listen to the "Pre-Happy Hour Blues" at 1:55 pm, plus "Cover 3" at 2:25 pm, featuring one obscure original and three cool covers of songs you may or may not recognize. My show also features concert news, Rock & Roll birthdays, and plenty of music trivia. Oh yeah, and I love to play your requests, so submit them to via any of CHIRP's social media channels, my Facebook page ("@mikenikolich") or dj@chirpradio.org. If I can't work your request into today's show, I will do my best to get it on the air the following week.

Check out Mike's two most recent shows below:

Mike Nikolich's Playlists

8/8 - 11pm hour
Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex album artwork 11:32pm Steven Wilson Rock Bottom The Harmony Codex (Virgin)
Buy Steven Wilson The Harmony Codex at Reckless Records Buy Steven Wilson at iTunes Buy Steven Wilson The Harmony Codex at eMusic Add to Collection
klark sound - What Is Music album artwork 11:30pm klark sound Fury What Is Music (Public Access Group)
Buy klark sound What Is Music at Reckless Records Buy klark sound at iTunes Buy klark sound What Is Music at eMusic Add to Collection
Tommy Tutone - Tommy Tutone album artwork 11:25pm Tommy Tutone Cheap Date Tommy Tutone (Columbia)
Buy Tommy Tutone Tommy Tutone at Reckless Records Buy Tommy Tutone at iTunes Buy Tommy Tutone Tommy Tutone at eMusic Add to Collection
11:19pm Rodrigo Amarante Tao Drama (Polyvinyl)
Buy Rodrigo Amarante Drama at Reckless Records Buy Rodrigo Amarante at iTunes Buy Rodrigo Amarante Drama at eMusic Add to Collection
Liana Flores - Flower of the Soul album artwork 11:18pm Liana Flores I wish for the rain Flower of the Soul (Verve)
Buy Liana Flores Flower of the Soul at Reckless Records Buy Liana Flores at iTunes Buy Liana Flores Flower of the Soul at eMusic Add to Collection
11:06pm Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials Hold That Train Alligator Records 45th Anniversary Collection (Alligator)
Buy Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials Alligator Records 45th Anniversary Collection at Reckless Records Buy Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials at iTunes Buy Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials Alligator Records 45th Anniversary Collection at eMusic Add to Collection
Bo Diddley - I 11:05pm Bo Diddley Local Down Home Special I'm a Man: The Chess Masters, 1955-1958 (Hip-O Select)
Buy Bo Diddley I'm a Man: The Chess Masters, 1955-1958 at Reckless Records Buy Bo Diddley at iTunes Buy Bo Diddley I'm a Man: The Chess Masters, 1955-1958 at eMusic Add to Collection
John Lee Hooker - His Best Chess Sides album artwork 11:02pm John Lee Hooker Mad Man Blues His Best Chess Sides (Chess)
Buy John Lee Hooker His Best Chess Sides at Reckless Records Buy John Lee Hooker at iTunes Buy John Lee Hooker His Best Chess Sides at eMusic Add to Collection
Muddy Waters - The Chess Box album artwork 11:01pm Muddy Waters Local Smokestack Lightnin' The Chess Box (MCA/Chess)
Buy Muddy Waters The Chess Box at Reckless Records Buy Muddy Waters at iTunes Buy Muddy Waters The Chess Box at eMusic Add to Collection
Lupe Fiasco - Samurai album artwork 11:00pm Lupe Fiasco Local No. 1 Headband Samurai (1st and 15th Too/Thirty Tigers)
Buy Lupe Fiasco Samurai at Reckless Records Buy Lupe Fiasco at iTunes Buy Lupe Fiasco Samurai at eMusic Add to Collection
8/8 - 10pm hour
10:50pm Joe Di Zillo Local One Way Love Bringing It Back (self-released)
Buy Joe Di Zillo Bringing It Back at Reckless Records Buy Joe Di Zillo at iTunes Buy Joe Di Zillo Bringing It Back at eMusic Add to Collection
Redd Kross - Redd Kross album artwork 10:48pm Redd Kross Stunt Queen Redd Kross (In the Red)
Buy Redd Kross Redd Kross at Reckless Records Buy Redd Kross at iTunes Buy Redd Kross Redd Kross at eMusic Add to Collection
Chilliwack - Dreams, Dreams, Dreams album artwork 10:42pm Chilliwack Fly At Night Dreams, Dreams, Dreams (Mushroom)
Track Notes: One of Canada's great treasures, and one of the great unknown bands in the rest of the world. This is an album I bought for a quarter when I was a poor college student. Buy Chilliwack Dreams, Dreams, Dreams at Reckless Records Buy Chilliwack at iTunes Buy Chilliwack Dreams, Dreams, Dreams at eMusic Add to Collection
Young Magic - Still Life album artwork 10:36pm Young Magic Valhalla Still Life (Carpark)
Buy Young Magic Still Life at Reckless Records Buy Young Magic at iTunes Buy Young Magic Still Life at eMusic Add to Collection
Why? - The Well I Fell Into album artwork 10:34pm Why? Sin Imperial The Well I Fell Into (Waterlines)
Buy Why? The Well I Fell Into at Reckless Records Buy Why? at iTunes Buy Why? The Well I Fell Into at eMusic Add to Collection
Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band - Sonbonbela album artwork 10:30pm Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band Afro Mandingo Sonbonbela (Sublime Frequencies)
Buy Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band Sonbonbela at Reckless Records Buy Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band at iTunes Buy Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band Sonbonbela at eMusic Add to Collection
KOKOKO! - BUTU album artwork 10:22pm KOKOKO! Mokili BUTU (Transgressive/PIAS)
Buy KOKOKO! BUTU at Reckless Records Buy KOKOKO! at iTunes Buy KOKOKO! BUTU at eMusic Add to Collection
Panda Riot - Extra Cosmic album artwork 10:17pm Panda Riot Local Technicolor Extra Cosmic (self-released)
Buy Panda Riot Extra Cosmic at Reckless Records Buy Panda Riot at iTunes Buy Panda Riot Extra Cosmic at eMusic Add to Collection
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - So Divided album artwork 10:08pm ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Stand In Silence So Divided (Interscope)
Buy ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead So Divided at Reckless Records Buy ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead at iTunes Buy ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead So Divided at eMusic Add to Collection
Bow & Spear - Bad at Fun album artwork 10:03pm Bow & Spear Local Cool Vibes Bad at Fun (What’s For Breakfast?)
Track Notes: Bow & Spear and Panda Rioat are at Cobra Lounge Friday at 7 pm. Buy Bow & Spear Bad at Fun at Reckless Records Buy Bow & Spear at iTunes Buy Bow & Spear Bad at Fun at eMusic Add to Collection
7/12 - 2pm hour
2:55pm Bleach Party Local Glamour of Old California Single (Self-released)
Buy Bleach Party Single at Reckless Records Buy Bleach Party at iTunes Buy Bleach Party Single at eMusic Add to Collection
Yes - The New Age of Atlantic album artwork 2:45pm Yes America The New Age of Atlantic (Atlantic)
Track Notes: This was an unreleased bonus track for Yes that originally appeared on an Atlantic Records sampler in 1972. You heard the scratchy vinyl version. Buy Yes The New Age of Atlantic at Reckless Records Buy Yes at iTunes Buy Yes The New Age of Atlantic at eMusic Add to Collection
2:39pm The Stranglers Walk On By Black and White (A&M)
Track Notes: If I had to pick one cover to listen to on permanent repeat, this Burt Bacharach cover of Dionne Warwick's hit does the trick. This is the song that started "Cover 3" on my show. Buy The Stranglers Black and White at Reckless Records Buy The Stranglers at iTunes Buy The Stranglers Black and White at eMusic Add to Collection
2:31pm Wilson Pickett Fire & Water 1970 (Warner Music Group)
Track Notes: This was Wilson Pickett's cover of the title track from Free's third LP. Paul Rodgers is a huge fan of Pickett. Imagine the thrill of seeing one of idols record a chart-topping cover (it reached the top 5 in the US R&B charts). Buy Wilson Pickett 1970 at Reckless Records Buy Wilson Pickett at iTunes Buy Wilson Pickett 1970 at eMusic Add to Collection
The System - Sweat album artwork 2:27pm The System You Are In My System Sweat (Mirage)
Track Notes: Big hit for Robert Palmer; not so much for The System, true one-hit wonders.... Buy The System Sweat at Reckless Records Buy The System at iTunes Buy The System Sweat at eMusic Add to Collection
Custard Flux - Einsteinium Delirium album artwork 2:22pm Custard Flux Time for Me to Go Einsteinium Delirium (self-released)
Buy Custard Flux Einsteinium Delirium at Reckless Records Buy Custard Flux at iTunes Buy Custard Flux Einsteinium Delirium at eMusic Add to Collection
Guided by Voices - Strut of Kings album artwork 2:21pm Guided by Voices This Will Go On Strut of Kings (GBV Inc.)
Buy Guided by Voices Strut of Kings at Reckless Records Buy Guided by Voices at iTunes Buy Guided by Voices Strut of Kings at eMusic Add to Collection
Raveena - Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain album artwork 2:17pm Raveena Smile For Me Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain (Empire)
Buy Raveena Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain at Reckless Records Buy Raveena at iTunes Buy Raveena Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain at eMusic Add to Collection
Big Joe Williams - Nine String Guitar Blues album artwork 2:09pm Big Joe Williams I Got the Best King Biscuit Nine String Guitar Blues (Bluebird)
Track Notes: Shout out to Makenna Eldridge from the Chicago History Museum, who curated an exhibit at the museum called "Electric Chicago Blues." She took Susan and me on a private tour of the exhibit and then DJ'd with me at CHIRP, where she recommended all of the artists and songs for me to play. That hooked me! Buy Big Joe Williams Nine String Guitar Blues at Reckless Records Buy Big Joe Williams at iTunes Buy Big Joe Williams Nine String Guitar Blues at eMusic Add to Collection
2:03pm Carey Bell Local I Got a Rich Man's Woman Alligator Records—50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin' Music (Alligator)
Buy Carey Bell Alligator Records—50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin' Music at Reckless Records Buy Carey Bell at iTunes Buy Carey Bell Alligator Records—50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin' Music at eMusic Add to Collection
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