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CHIRP Playlist: Saturday, November 26, 2011

Sarah — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:32:01 +0000

I filled in for my friend Bobby on the radio yesterday afternoon. It was fun. These are the songs I played.

3:55 PM Neil Young Hitchhiker from Le Noise (Reprise)
3:51 PM Monument Monument Full of Life from Call Off the Roses EP (self-released)
3:48 PM Deer Tick Main Street from Divine Providence (Partisan)
3:42 PM Mirah Cold Cold Water from Advisory Committee (K)
3:38 PM Owen No Language from Ghost Town (Polyvinyl)
3:34 PM Murder By Death Brother (May 23rd) from In Bocca Al Lupo (East West)
3:28 PM Voltaire This Sea from To the Bottom of the Sea (Mars Needs Music)
3:26 PM The Beach Boys Wonderful from The SMiLE Sessions (Capitol)
3:21 PM Great Lake Swimmers Falling into the Sky from Bodies and Minds (Misra)
3:18 PM Shearwater Castaways from The Golden Archipelago (Matador)
3:16 PM Heavy Times Skull Hair from Jacker (HoZac)
3:13 PM The Promise Ring Happiness Is All the Rage from Very Emergency (Jade Tree)
3:08 PM Radiohead No Surprises from OK Computer (Capitol)
3:05 PM Gotye Eyes Wide Open from Making Mirrors (Eleven)
3:00 PM Tycho Coastal Brake from Dive (Ghostly International)
2:57 PM The Gentle Guest Down at the Still from We Are Bound To Save Some Souls Tonight (Amble Down Records)
2:51 PM Dosh Country Road X from Tommy (Anticon)
2:48 PM Netherfriends Chicago, IL from Middle America (Plustapes)
2:43 PM Vandaveer Fistful Of Swoon from Divide & Conquer (Supply and Demand)
2:39 PM Teddy Thompson Delilah from Bella (Verve)
2:36 PM Wilco Jesus, Etc. from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Nonesuch)
2:32 PM Dessa Dixon’s Girl from Castor, the Twin (Doomtree)
2:27 PM The Head and the Heart Lost In My Mind from The Head and the Heart (Sub Pop)
2:23 PM The Decemberists E. Watson from Long Live the King EP (Capitol)
2:19 PM Thao with the Get Down Stay Down Know Better Learn Faster from Know Better Learn Faster (Kill Rock Stars)
2:15 PM Kathleen Edwards Going to Hell from Voyageur (MapleMusic)
2:10 PM Sierra Swan I Will Follow from Girl Who Cried Wolf (Swan World Records)
2:06 PM Peggy Sue Song & Dance from Acrobats (Yep Roc)
2:03 PM A.A. Bondy I Can See The Pines Are Dancing from When the Devil’s Loose (Fat Possum)

CHIRP Playlist: Saturday, November 5, 2011

Sarah — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:24:07 +0000

Two hours, some songs, and a brand new, comfy chair in the studio. It’s like someone heard me whining on Twitter a while ago about the awful chair.

I’ll be back on the air on Saturday, November 26, from 2 to 4 pm, Central time.

1:56 PM Sufjan Stevens All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands from Seven Swans (Asthmatic Kitty)
1:52 PM Res The Hustler from How I Do (MCA)
1:51 PM Malajube Le Blizzard from La Caverne (MB3)
1:45 PM Joshua Radin These Photographs from We Were Here (Columbia)
1:41 PM Murder By Death The Big Sleep from In Bocca Al Lupo (East West)
1:38 PM The Mekons Space in Your Face from Ancient & Modern (Bloodshot)
1:32 PM Eliza Gilkyson Jedidiah 1777 from Paradise Hotel (Red House Records)
1:30 PM Devics Lie to Me from Push the Heart (Filter)
1:25 PM Meg Baird The Finder from Seasons on Earth (Drag City)
1:20 PM Tapes ‘n Tapes Freak Out from Outside (Ibid)
1:17 PM Skybox Fences from Morning After Cuts (self-released)
1:13 PM Phantogram Make a Fist from Nightlife EP (Barsuk)
1:07 PM Brown Bird Bilgewater from Salt for Salt (Supply and Demand)
1:03 PM Tom Waits Satisfied from Bad As Me (ANTI-)
1:01 PM The Highwaymen Highwayman from Highwayman (Columbia)
12:57 PM David Berkeley Chicago from After the Wrecking Ships (Ten Good Records)
12:53 PM Angus & Julia Stone A Book Like This from A Book Like This (Nettwerk)
12:49 PM My Brightest Diamond We Added It Up from All Things Will Unwind (Asthmatic Kitty)
12:42 PM Chris Pureka Hangman from How I Learned to See in the Dark (Sad Rabbit)
12:38 PM Dessa The Chaconne from Castor, the Twin (Doomtree)
12:32 PM The Decemberists This Is Why We Fight from The King Is Dead (Capitol)
12:28 PM Quiet Company Fear & Fallacy, Sitting in a Tree from We Are All Where We Belong (self-released)
12:26 PM JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound I Can See Everything from Want More (Bloodshot)
12:22 PM The Heavy Circles Better from The Heavy Circles (Dynamite Child)
12:16 PM We Were Promised Jetpacks Picture of Health from In the Pit of the Stomach (FatCat)
12:14 PM Meg & Dia Monster from Something Real (Doghouse Records)
12:10 PM M. Ward Sweethearts On Parade from Transistor Radio (Merge)
12:06 PM Cristina Bautista Collector’s Expedition from Gold Parts EP (Local 638)
12:03 PM Neko Case Thrice All American from Furnace Room Lullaby (Bloodshot)
12:00 PM Joe Pug Speak Plainly, Diana from Messenger (Lightning Rod Records)

This Week in Great Music: 10/10 – 10/16

Sarah — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:59:52 +0000

Let’s keep it simple. Do yourself a favor and go see Dessa on Tuesday. She is pretty much totally amazing.

Monday, October 10
Lisa Hannigan, John Smith; Double Door. 8 pm, $15
SIMS, Lazerbeak, Cecil Otter; Bottom Lounge. 9 pm, $10

Tuesday, October 11
Sara Bareilles, Ben Lee, Elizabeth and the Catapult; the Riviera. 7 pm, $26-29
Minus the Bear, The Velvet Teen; Metro. 7:30 pm, $23.50-26
Dessa, Hindi Zahra; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $12

Wednesday, October 12
Portishead, Thought Forms; the Aragon. 7:30 pm, sold out

Thursday, October 13
Las Guitarras de Espana, El Payo, Mehran; Martyrs. 8 pm, $20
Ben Rector, Graham Colton; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $12
Butch Walker and the Black Widows; Double Door. 9 pm, $20-22

Friday, October 14
Neon Indian, Com Truise, Purity Ring; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $15

Saturday, October 15
Portugal. The Man, Alberta Cross; Metro. 9 pm, $20

Sunday, October 16
Meh

CHIRP Playlist: Saturday, October 1, 2011

Sarah — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:23:58 +0000

Thanks to everyone who tuned in to my inaugural (internet) radio adventure on CHIRP Radio. If you’re interested to know what kind of music I play whenever I get three hours behind the controls of Chicago’s best radio station, then read on. I’ll be back on the air on Saturday, October 8th, from 9 am to noon, Central time.

8:56 PM Neil Young Southern Man from After The Goldrush (Reprise)
8:52 PM Jessica Lea Mayfield Blue Skies Again from Tell Me (Nonesuch)
8:51 PM The Jayhawks She Walks in So Many Ways from Mockingbird Time (Rounder)
8:47 PM Tinariwen Tamiditin Tan Ufrawan from Tassili (ANTI-)
8:44 PM Martha Wainwright Jesus and Mary from I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too (Zoe)
8:40 PM Serengeti Flutes from Family & Friends (Anticon)
8:33 PM Andrew Bird Not A Robot, But A Ghost from Noble Beast (Fat Possum)
8:29 PM Brandi Carlile Looking Out from Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony (Columbia)
8:25 PM Milagres Halfway from Glowing Mouth (Kill Rock Stars)
8:20 PM The Bowmans Make It Last from Far From Home (self-released)
8:17 PM Wilco Black Moon from The Whole Love (dBpm)
8:14 PM Justin Townes Earle Poor Fool from Midnight At The Movies (Bloodshot)
8:08 PM Allá Es Tiempo from Es Tiempo (Crammed)
8:04 PM Vienna Teng 1BR/1BA from Dreaming Through the Noise (Zoe)
7:59 PM Active Child Johnny Belinda from You Are All I See (Vagrant)
7:54 PM Gotye Somebody That I Used to Know from Making Mirrors (Ais)
7:52 PM Buffalo Rome Plant White Roses from Obscurities (Merge)
7:45 PM Ohbijou Balikbayan from Metal Meets (Last Gang)
7:41 PM The Avett Brothers The Weight of Lies from Emotionalism (Ramseur Records)
7:37 PM Low Majesty / Magic from C’mon (Sub Pop)
7:33 PM White Mystery Take a Walk from White Mystery (self-released)
7:28 PM Okkervil River Your Past Life as a Blast from I Am Very Far (Jagjaguwar)
7:25 PM Peter Wolf Crier Beach from Garden of Arms (Jagjaguwar)
7:20 PM Booker T. Jones Representing Memphis (featuring Matt Berninger and Sharon Jones) from The Road from Memphis (ANTI-)
7:15 PM Teddy Thompson Separate Ways from Separate Ways (Verve)
7:07 PM Braid Universe or Worse from Closer to Closed EP (Polyvinyl)
7:04 PM St. Vincent Northern Lights from Strange Mercy (4AD)
7:01 PM Anais Mitchell Hades & Persephone from The Brightness (Righteous Babe)
6:57 PM Dessa Into the Spin from A Badly Broken Code (Doomtree)
6:53 PM The Grey Race On the Chin from Give It Love (Unfiltered)
6:51 PM Tom Vek World of Doubt from Leisure Seizure (Co-op)
6:45 PM Nico The Fairest of the Seasons from Chelsea Girl (Polygram)
6:42 PM Laura Marling Rest in the Bed from A Creature I Don’t Know (Ribbon)
6:39 PM Jeff Pianki Missing Parts from Paper Window. (self-released)
6:35 PM Alpha Consumer The Crown Salesman from Kick Drugs out of America (self-released)
6:30 PM A.A. Bondy Surfer King from Believers (Fat Possum)
6:25 PM Dusty Bibles Wintersong from Sinus Rhythm EP (self-released)
6:20 PM April Smith and the Great Picture Show Drop Dead Gorgeous from Songs for a Sinking Ship (self-released)
6:17 PM Beirut Goshen from The Rip Tide (Pompeii)
6:14 PM Neko Case Runnin’ Out of Fools from Blacklisted (Bloodshot)
6:09 PM The Mountain Goats Psalms 40:2 from Life Of The World To Come (4AD)
6:03 PM Girls Just a Song from Father, Son, Holy Ghost (True Panther Sounds)
5:59 PM Ha Ha Tonka Usual Suspects from Death of a Decade (Bloodshot)

Wow, That’s a Good Song: Dessa, “Into the Spin”

Sarah — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:32:58 +0000

I’ve written about Minneapolis-based artist Dessa before, who although part of a hip-hop collective continually defies being placed neatly in any one genre. Her newest video for “Into the Spin” highlights that, with Dessa’s fine voice taking the spotlight over sparse instrumentation and layers of backing vocals.

Dessa “Into The Spin” Music Video from Doomtree Records on Vimeo.

So here we go, back again
Slow climb but quick to descend
Arms out, Arms out
Turn into the spin
It’s lovely and brief
With just gravity and me

Dessa is gearing up to embark on a headlining tour in April and May out west. Tickets are available here. Do yourself a favor and check out her music. Her full-length A Badly Broken Code is phenomenal.

Dessa: Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Store

This Week in Great Music: 11/29 – 12/5

Sarah — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:49:40 +0000

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled blogging! If you’re around this weekend, check out the three-day Chicago Bluegrass and Blues festival, with shows at the Double Door, the Congress Theatre, and Lincoln Hall.

Monday, November 29
Robbie Fulks, Mike Fredrickson; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation

Tuesday, November 30
Sidewalk Chalk, BBU, BXC, Rita J, Kandyce Hogan; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $8
April Smith and the Great Picture Show, Rego; Beat Kitchen. 8 pm, $10

Wednesday, December 1
Jenny Scheinman, Nels Cline, Jim Black, Todd Sickafoose, Nora O’Connor and Friends; SPACE. 8 pm, $25-40
Jon Drake and the Shakes, Curtis Evans and Our Friend Electric; Cafeteria y Restaurante de Pancho (2200 N California). 8 pm, cover

Thursday, December 2
Hoot Night: Feast and Famine (Dag Juhlin, Justin Roberts, Nora O’Connor and Liam Davis, Ingrid Graudins, Phil Angotti, Trinkets of Joy, Tom Dunning and Your Boyfriends); Schubas. 8 pm, $10
Meg and Dia; Beat Kitchen. 8:30 pm, $10-12
Freelance Whales, Miniature Tigers; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $15

Friday, December 3
Maroon 5, Ingrid Michaelson, Ryan Star; Chicago Theatre. 7:30 pm, $55-75
Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, ft. Corey Chisel and the Wandering Sons, Midwest Hype, How Far to Austin, The Right Now, Great Divide; Double Door. 8 pm, $12-15
Doomtree, ft. POS, Dessa, and others; Bottom Lounge. 9 pm, $12

Saturday, December 4
Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, ft. Derek Nelson & the Musicians, the Future Laureates, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, the Shams Band, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and others; Congress Theatre. 1 pm, $35
Vienna Teng; SPACE. 8 pm, $18-28
Delta Spirit; Metro. 9 pm, $16

Sunday, December 5
Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, ft. Mike Mangione & the Union, Daphne Willis, the Skatalites, & others; Lincoln Hall. 6 pm, $15
Broken Bells, Maps and Atlases; the Vic. 7:30 pm, $30

Wow, That’s a Good Song: Dessa, “Dixon’s Girl”

Sarah — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:34:25 +0000

Dessa is part of the Doomtree collective, which is a hip-hop collective out of Minneapolis, which means that if you’re not a hip-hop fan, you may not be familiar with her. But you should, because her music transcends what you may typically think of as hip-hop. She is a poet who performed spoken word pieces before moving into hip-hop, and who also performed with an a cappella group, and a quick trawl through Youtube shows she’s quite capable as a singer. Check her out — I think you’ll be glad you did.

Dessa – “Dixon’s Girl”

Haven’t met so many women in this business that I really like,

But you can hold a little liquor, you can hold the conversation

You can hold your own mic, and,

Even that night, I learned the truth about your man:

You’ve gotta be big to treat pretty girls bad.

Dessa: Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Store