Hear my delightful music selections every Friday night on Chicago’s own CHIRP Radio, from 8 – 10 pm Central time.  It’s awesome.

9:55 PM Jakob Olausson Keep the Sky from Falling from Morning & Sunrise (De Stijl)
9:51 PM The Dresden Dolls Ultima Esperanza from No, Virginia (Roadrunner)
9:47 PM Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse Grim Augury from Dark Night Of The Soul (EMI)
9:44 PM John K. Samson Highway 1 West from Provincial (Anti/Epitaph)
9:38 PM Anson Krekeler Orange Coastline from Orange Coastline (self-released)
9:33 PM Abalone Dots Over Georgia from Traveler (RCA)
9:29 PM Joe Pug Nation of Heat from Nation of Heat EP (self-released)
9:25 PM Cloudbirds Soak’d from Cloudbirds (Movings)
9:21 PM The Decemberists Rox In The Box from The King Is Dead (Capitol)
9:17 PM Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings How Long Do I Have to Wait for You from The World of Daptone Records (Daptone)
9:13 PM Blanche Garbage Picker from If We Can’t Trust the Doctors (V2)
9:09 PM Puerto Muerto Drumming For Pistols from Drumming For Pistols (Fire)
9:06 PM Laura Gibson La Grande from La Grande (Barsuk)
9:02 PM Martha Wainwright When The Day Is Short from Martha Wainwright (Zoe)
8:58 PM Paper Route Tearing The House Down from Paper Route EP (Drama Club)
8:55 PM Nada Surf Waiting for Something from The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy (Barsuk)
8:50 PM Tortoise & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy Daniel (Elton John) from The Brave and the Bold (Overcoat)
8:44 PM Gemma Hayes Horses from The Roads Don’t Love You (Source UK)
8:41 PM Over the Rhine I’m on a Roll from The Trumpet Child (Great Speckled Dog)
8:37 PM First Aid Kit Emmylou from The Lion’s Roar (Wichita)
8:33 PM Mutts Blind Truth from Pray for Rain (8eat8)
8:30 PM Neil Young Only Love Can Break Your Heart from After The Goldrush (Reprise)
8:27 PM Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah Lake Shore Drive from Lake Shore Drive (Quicksilver)
8:22 PM New Buffalo On Sunday from The Last Beautiful Day (Arts & Crafts)
8:18 PM Nerissa & Katryna Nields Haven’t I Been Good from This Town is Wrong (Zoe)
8:15 PM Sandro Perri Impossible Spaces from Impossible Spaces (Constellation)
8:10 PM Lonely Drifter Karen Ready to Fall from Fall of Spring (Crammed Discs)
8:07 PM Kathleen Edwards Sidecar from Voyageur (MapleMusic)
8:03 PM Cate Le Bon Puts Me to Work from Cyrk (The Control Group)
8:01 PM Hannah Georgas Chit Chat from This Is Good (Hidden Pony)

Related posts:

1. CHIRP Playlist: Friday, January 20, 2012
2. CHIRP Playlist: Friday, January 13, 2012
3. CHIRP Playlist: Friday, January 6, 2012

Friday was a long, weird day. I retaliated by taking it easy on ye olde internet radio. Lots of banjo and alt-country and songs that I love. Oh yeah, and the Muppets. Thanks to everyone who tuned in. It’s always fun for me to get requests from people who I don’t know.

I’ll be back next week with a whole slew of un-holiday songs on Christmas Eve Eve.

9:52 PM Tycho Dive from Dive (Ghostly International)
9:49 PM Sufjan Stevens All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands from Seven Swans (Asthmatic Kitty)
9:43 PM Thea Gilmore Razor Valentine from Avalanche (Compass)
9:40 PM Rilo Kiley More Adventurous from More Adventurous
9:38 PM Sea Lions I Don’t Wanna Go Out from Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid to Ask (Slumberland)
9:34 PM Korallreven Pago Pago from An Album by Korallreven (Acephale)
9:28 PM The Milk Carton Kids Michigan from Prologue (self-released)
9:26 PM Gillian Welch I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll from Time (The Revelator) (Acony Records)
9:21 PM Fruit Bats Shivering Fawn from Tripper (Sub Pop)
9:19 PM Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová Leave from The Swell Season (Overcoat)
9:15 PM Orchestra of Spheres There is No No from Nonagonic Now (Fire)
9:08 PM David Bowie All The Madmen from The Man Who Sold the World (Mercury)
9:04 PM Ivan & Alyosha Glorify from Fathers Be Kind EP (Missing Piece)
9:00 PM Mutts Real Bright from Pray for Rain (8eat8)
8:57 PM Edith Frost Wonder Wonder from Wonder Wonder (Drag City)
8:50 PM Kate Bush Wild Man from 50 Words for Snow (ANTI-)
8:45 PM Luke Roberts Epcot Women from Big Bells and Dime Songs (Thrill Jockey)
8:41 PM Joe Pug Nobody’s Man from Nation of Heat EP (self-released)
8:38 PM Townes Van Zandt St. John The Gambler from Our Mother The Mountain (Tomato)
8:33 PM The Muppets Rainbow Connection from The Muppets (Original Soundtrack) (Disney)
8:28 PM Noam Pikelny Charlie’s Song from In the Maze (Compass)
8:26 PM Kathleen Edwards Sidecar from Voyageur (MapleMusic)
8:22 PM Death Cab for Cutie The Sound of Settling from Transatlanticism (Barsuk)
8:18 PM Robert Pollard In a Circle from The Kids Eat It Up: The Best of Robert Pollard (2010-2011) (Guided By Voices Inc.)
8:14 PM Elvis Perkins Doomsday from Elvis Perkins In Dearland (XL)
8:09 PM Thomas Comerford Sugar Baby from Archive + Spiral (Spacesuit)
8:05 PM A Girl Called Eddy Girls Can Really Tear You Up Inside from A Girl Called Eddy (ANTI-)
8:01 PM The Decemberists Los Angeles, I’m Yours from Her Majesty the Decemberists (Kill Rock Stars)

Related posts:

1. CHIRP Playlist: Friday, December 9, 2011
2. CHIRP Playlist: Friday, December 23, 2011
3. CHIRP Playlist: Friday, December 30, 2011

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)

Related posts:

1. CHIRP Playlist: Saturday, November 5, 2011
2. CHIRP Playlist: Saturday, October 1, 2011
3. CHIRP Playlist: Friday, November 18, 2011

I’ll be occupying the Friday 8-10 pm Central slot through the end of the year, so you can hear me on a regular basis on CHIRP Radio. It’ll be great.

9:58 PM Rainer Maria Long Knives from Long Knives Drawn (Polyvinyl)
9:54 PM The Unsettlers Red to Black from The Unsettlers (self-released)
9:50 PM Los Campesinos! Hello Sadness from Hello Sadness (Arts & Crafts)
9:46 PM M. Ward Sweethearts On Parade from Transistor Radio (Merge)
9:42 PM The Decemberists Foregone from Long Live the King EP (Capitol)
9:37 PM Andrew Bird Opposite Day from Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs (Righteous Babe)
9:33 PM Ani DiFranco Swim from Educated Guess (Righteous Babe)
9:28 PM Kathleen Edwards Chameleon Comedian from Voyageur (MapleMusic)
9:24 PM A.A. Bondy American Hearts from American Hearts (Fat Possum)
9:19 PM Aterciopelados Gozo Poderoso from Gozo Poderoso (RCA)
9:13 PM The Lijadu Sisters Danger from Danger (Knitting Factory)
9:08 PM Bon Iver Skinny Love from For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
9:01 PM Thomas Comerford Gravity from Archive + Spiral (Spacesuit)
8:57 PM The Hold Steady Party Pit from Boys and Girls In America (Vagrant)
8:53 PM Breakers Broken Last Man on the Planet from Reset (self-released)
8:50 PM Mayer Hawthorne Stick Around from How Do You Do (Universal)
8:46 PM Sensation Junkies Olalla from Once for the Money (Sarathan Records)
8:41 PM Owen The Armoire from Ghost Town (Polyvinyl)
8:36 PM Okkervil River The War Criminal Rises and Speaks from Down The River Of Golden Dreams
8:32 PM Sarah Jarosz Run Away from Follow Me Down (Sugar Hill)
8:28 PM Darren Johnston’s Gone to Chicago Love Call from The Big Lift (Porto Franco)
8:21 PM Angie Aparo Wonderland from The American (Melisma)
8:17 PM Crooked Fingers The Counterfeiter from Breaks in the Armor (Merge)
8:13 PM The New Pornographers Myriad Harbour from Challengers (Matador)
8:08 PM Cass McCombs Love Thine Enemy from Humor Risk (Domino)
8:05 PM Brandi Carlile Follow from Brandi Carlile (Red Ink Records)

Related posts:

1. CHIRP Playlist: Friday, December 23, 2011
2. CHIRP Playlist: Friday, December 9, 2011
3. CHIRP Playlist: Friday, November 25, 2011

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)

Related posts:

1. CHIRP Playlist: Saturday, October 8, 2011
2. CHIRP Playlist: Saturday, November 26, 2011
3. CHIRP Playlist: Saturday, October 22, 2011

It looks like the heat wave has snapped (for now), so maybe it’s time for me to come out of hibernation.  I’m planning on checking out Cass McCombs at Schubas tomorrow night, and there are a few weekend shows that look mighty tempting.

Monday, July 25
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Rachel Ries; Millennium Park. 6:30 pm, free
The Decemberists, The Head and the Heart; the Aragon. 7:30 pm, $30
Cass McCombs, Lower Dens; Hideout. 9 pm, $15

Tuesday, July 26
Cass McCombs, Lower Dens; Schubas. 8 pm, $15
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists; Fireside Bowl (2646-48 W Fullerton). 8 pm, $10

Wednesday, July 27
Little Tybee, Good Evening; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $8

Thursday, July 28
Shawn Mullins; SPACE. 8 pm, $24-40
Ben Ripani, The Down Feathers, Jackie Myers Band, Brett Randell and Kole; Martyrs. 8 pm, $8
Band of Heathens, Musikanto; Schubas. 9 pm, $10

Friday, July 29
Heartless Bastards; Schubas. 7:30 pm, $15
Chris Smither; SPACE. 8 pm, $22-34
William Elliott Whitmore, Cloudbirds; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $15

Saturday, July 30
JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, Lou Pride; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-22
The Flat Five, ft. Kelly Hogan, Nora O’Connor, Scott Ligon, Casey McDonough and Alex Hall; Old Town School of Folk Music. 8 pm, $15
Death Ships, Like Pioneers, Blasted Diplomats; Schubas. 10 pm, $8

Sunday, July 31
Danielia Cotton, Jeffrey David; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-22

Related posts:

1. This Week in Great Music: 7/19 – 7/25
2. This Week in Great Music: 1/3 – 1/9
3. This Week in Great Music: 7/12 – 7/18

If you’ve been following along here, you’ll know that I am a huge fan of random road trips to far-flung places, all in pursuit of Good Music.  It’s a trait also found in my partner-in-musical-crime, Mel, given her many reports from Places Where She Does Not Live.  Granted, I don’t always go through with my wacky road trip plans, but I like to plan them out anyway.  This year, I’m contemplating a trip out west for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival (in Telluride, Colorado), which just announced its full 4-day line-up.  Telluride is in its 38th year, if my math is correct, and in addition to a whole host of amazing musicians, they also offer workshops, songwriter/performer competitions, special intimate late-night concerts, and family-oriented areas on the festival grounds.

Tickets are on sale now.  4-day passes will set you back $185, and single day passes are available for $65.

Watch out, Colorado, you may be getting a Midwestern visitor.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

• Telluride House Band featuring Sam, Béla, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan & Stuart
• Sarah McLachlan
• Steve Earle & the Dukes
• Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
• Cornmeal
• The Head and The Heart
• Tim O’Brien & Kevin Burke

Friday, June 17, 2011

• Railroad Earth
• Béla Fleck & the Flecktones (The Original Line-Up)
• Emmylou Harris
• Trampled by Turtles
• Jerry Douglas featuring Omar Hakim & Viktor Krauss
• The Infamous Stringdusters
• Chris Thile & Michael Daves
• Joe Pug

Saturday, June 18, 2011

• Old Crow Medicine Show
• Sam Bush Band
• The Decemberists
• Yonder Mountain String Band
• Tim O’Brien Band
• Emmitt-Nershi Band
• Nora Jane Struthers & the Bootleggers

Sunday, June 19, 2011

• Robert Plant & Band of Joy
• Mumford & Sons
• Punch Brothers
• Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
• Abigail Washburn
• Edgar Meyer 
• Darrell Scott & Friends Father’s Day Gospel Hour

Related posts:

1. This Week in Great Music: 6/20 – 6/26
2. Newport Folk Festival: July 30 – August 1
3. Awesome Summer Festival Alert

Now that I’ve found a more reliable place for you to stream my delightful mixes, I’ll be resuming my monthly mix of awesome songs.  Here’s January’s.  It’s even on time, too.

Bundle up and stay warm in all this snow, my Midwestern friends. Listen to my ten songs on repeat while you watch the snow fall.

Related posts:

1. January in Musical Review
2. News & Links – January 12
3. News & Links – January 15

Friday and Saturday are full of great shows that have been awful to choose between. If only we could all split ourselves into multiples.

Monday, January 31
Todd Carey, Bascom Hill, The Heyday; Schubas. 8 pm, $6

Tuesday, February 1
Shelby Lynne, Derek Nelson; SPACE. 8 pm, $27-40
Scott Lucas and the Married Men, Kevin Tihista’s Red Terror; Schubas. 8 pm, $8

Wednesday, February 2
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, The Opposition Party; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $22

Thursday, February 3
Tina Dico; Schubas. 8 pm, $12-14
Greensky Bluegrass; Double Door. 8 pm, $10-12

Friday, February 4
The Decemberists, Wye Oak; the Riviera. 7:30 pm, sold out
Trina Hamlin, Keri Noble; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-20
Talib Kweli, Que Billah; The Shrine (2109 S Wabash). 9 pm, $25-35
My Brightest Diamond, Cloudbirds; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $14

Saturday, February 5
Sahara Smith, Liza Day; Schubas. 7 pm, $10
The Giving Tree Band, Hoots and Hellmouth; Mayne Stage. 8 pm, $15
Fitz and the Tantrums, JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, The Right Now, Soul Summit DJs; Metro. 9 pm, $14
Retribution Gospel Choir, Peter Wolf Crier, Zeus; Schubas. 10:30 pm, $12

Sunday, February 6
Meh.

Related posts:

1. This Week in Great Music: 9/6 – 9/12
2. This Week in Great Music: 11/8 – 11/14
3. This Week in Great Music: 3/7 – 3/13

With my feed reader at 1000+ unread posts (thanks a lot, busy work week and unexpected out-of-country trip), I might as well just claim defeat and start from scratch, but not before compiling some things that have caught my eye.

First up, Cover Me posted a bunch of covers of Lady Gaga songs.  And if there’s anything I love in music, it’s non-pop covers of pop songs.  The post kicks off with Corey TuT‘s awesome cover of “Bad Romance” — if you don’t want to download, check out a hilarious video of the song on Youtube.  Additional songs will be posted via Twitter later today.  I can’t wait!

Related posts:

1. News & Links – February 25
2. News & Links – January 27
3. News & Links – January 12