I was flipping through Chicago radio stations the other day and twice came upon Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen” in the period of 30 minutes. That’s just ridiculous. Surprisingly, one of the accused wasn’t WXRT, which I rail on quite often because supposedly they’re cool and eclectic but really aren’t. Sure, they have a fine alternative HD feed but unless you own one of those radios or aren’t too far from the source you ain’t hearing that music. Point is, that should be their No. 1 music feed and what they currently provide on 93.1 should be the “No. 2” station. But HD radio is for another discussion. Bad, Chicago radio, bad. Sometimes I even think the small, NWI station Z107.1 is more eclectic.…
Essays, Interviews, Observations, Pop Culture, Stories, and other Dodginess
Posts from the “music” Category
Shameless on Showtime is one of the best things on TV right now. Season 2 kicks off Sunday. This isn’t your Phantom of the Opera’s Emmy Rossum. She doesn’t sing in this show. Not when the opening credits feature her on the toilet. Emmy’s Fiona Gallagher is a the kind of Chicago/Irish gal who isn’t afraid to eat an Al’s Italian Beef in a fancy hotel and say “I think I just came” when it appears on her plate. One of the best songs of 2011 is a gem that is rarely heard in the states (and definitely not in Chicago – ‘xrt you suck – or Northwest Indiana). In fact, you rarely hear this great band at all around here. I’m talking about…
Sears takes stock dump. Closing stores. So according to the article in the Chicago Tribune and most other media outlets Sears stock took a major dump and the Illinois-based company is closing over 100 stores. When I was a teen I worked in a Sears, in Calumet City, Ill. (near the Indiana border). What a bunch of tossers I dealt with – and I’m not talking about customers. For awhile I worked in the paint department with a chap named Wayne who looked like a cross between a mentally-disabled Roy Scheider and a blank-staring Woody Allen. Wayne had issues. He thought dogs were speaking to him. He said, “Liffey, dogs talk to me.” Our co-worker Grace, a middle-aged Mexican woman, didn’t help matters (and…
The Dodgy 