The Chicago Independent Radio Project is working to secure a broadcast license for a new community radio station in Chicago that is committed to local, independent programming, and generally furthering the causes of localism, diversity, and independence in broadcasting. We are working to convince Congress and the FCC to remove existing barriers to the granting of low power FM radio licenses in urban areas, including Chicago. We hope you'll join the fight.

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Show Spotlight: Deaf Center, Zelienople, Odawas
Posted by Michael A. on September 30, 2008 around 3pm

Deaf Center

This Thursday night is circled on calendars around the country for the undoubtedly entertaining political spectacle that will be the televised Vice Presidential debate. But this is 2008, and we are no longer slaves to the space-time continuum. We have something more practical now: TiVo. And though technology has crumbled one law of physics after another, it has yet to improve upon the experience of a live musical performance. That is why you need to program your VCR… er… DV-R now, so you’ll be free to go to Chicago’s Hideout this Thursday evening instead. It will be a performance too good to experience in any other form than in person.
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Artist Interview: Collections of Colonies of Bees
Posted by Michael A. on April 28, 2008 around 2pm

On March 21st, I went to see Collections of Colonies of Bees perform at the AV-Aerie. I’ve been a fan of the band for some time, though keeping track of their limited releases and off-shoot projects is no simple task – however, their entire discography has recently been made available digitally through drummer Jon Mueller’s DIY label Crouton Music. Behind Mueller and fellow co-founder Chris Rosenau, CoCoB was a Pele side-project that formed as an outlet for the ever-antsy musicians to explore the more experimental and quirky tangents of post-rock. This began the Milwuakee-based band on an interesting evolution that has morphed from exploring the possibilities of folk and bluegrass instrumentation mingling with digital post-production effects to the heavily tinkered, melodically stuttering sound of their 2004 release for Polyvinyl, Customer.
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Artist Interview: School of Language
Posted by Michael A. on April 14, 2008 around 12pm

Last week we introduced the spotlight section by highlighting one of our active members. Along with giving you an inside look at the people who are working hard within our organization, this section will also feature interviews with our favorite artists and industry folk. This week, we are proud to present David Brewis, the clever pop-rock songsmith behind School of Language and one-third of the acclaimed indie/art-rock trio Field Music. Supporting his debut album as School of Language – Sea from Shore released on Chicago’s Thrill Jockey Records in January – we had the opportunity to sit down with Brewis after his in-store performance at Reckless Records. Though exhausted from his rigorous touring schedule and still shaking slightly from the adrenaline induced by his just completed performance, Brewis took on the interview like a pro with poise, sincerity and eloquence. Or perhaps it was just the Sunderland lad’s English accent that disguised any kind of impatience. Either way, we discussed his infectious new album (which very well may be a dark horse contender on many critics’ 2008 year-end lists), striking out from beneath the Field Music shadow, and his future plans as a solo artist.
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CHIRP Member Spotlight: Jenny Lizak
Posted by Michael A. on April 7, 2008 around 8am

To kick off our monthly spotlight on active members of the Chicago Independent Radio Project, we sat down for a conversation with Vice President Jenny Lizak. As well as being the chair of CHIRP’s Legislative Committee, Jenny is the Head Publicist for one of Chicago’s premier independent music venues, the Metro and Smart Bar, and co-anchor of the Women on Women Music Program. In a noisy bagel shop on the north side, we briefly pinned down the ever-busy Jenny on her lunch break to discuss her position with CHIRP, her passion for community radio and her recent trip to Washington, DC on behalf of the organization.
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Friday Night Flights
Posted by Michael A. on March 28, 2008 around 9am

If you are looking for something out of the ordinary to do this Friday night, let me hip you to a few live music events that are a bit off the beaten path here in Chicago.
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Photos by John Schroeder | ©2007-2008 CHIRP