There are currently 1241 performances in our database. Go ahead and search through the famous, not-so-famous, and yet-to-be-famous artists that have passed through the Airplay studios. You can also browse a complete list of old performances HERE. And if you missed it the first time, you can request any set to be replayed over the air!

Performances 1-100 (of 1241)
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James Falzone Saturday, August 29, 2009 Return visit from this Chicago clarinetist/composer which resulted in an in-depth interview on a wide range of topics and a guest dj set. Falzone's group KLANG had just released an album called Tea Music on his on Allos Documents label that features excellent local talent in the likes of Jason Adasiewicz (vibes), Jason Roebke (bass), and Tim Daisy (drums). The conversation touched on Falzone projects, old and new, as well as thoughts on past great jazz heroes like Jimmy Giuffre, whose 1950's small groups Falzone cites as an inspiration for tunes on the new disc. The group KLANG went on to play a Benny Goodman tribute at the Chicago Jazz Festival the following weeek.

Interviewer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
TRS-80 Saturday, August 22, 2009

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
We Will Eat Rats To Survive Saturday, August 15, 2009

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Javelin Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
John Statz and Jeremiah Nelson Friday, July 31, 2009

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MP3 (192K)
Jeff Marx, Alex Wing, & Dushun Mosely Saturday, July 18, 2009

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MP3 (192K)
Daniel Levin, Tim Daisy, & Jeb Bishop Friday, July 17, 2009

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MP3 (192K)
Box of Baby Birds Saturday, July 11, 2009

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MP3 (192K)
Jasper TX and Anduin Monday, July 06, 2009

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Cosio Saturday, June 27, 2009

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MP3 (192K)
Gregg Kowalsky Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Our Brother The Native Friday, June 05, 2009

Engineer: Christian Gero

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MP3 (192K)
Animal Hospital Thursday, May 28, 2009

Engineer: Adam Clark

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MP3 (192K)
Gino Robair Friday, May 22, 2009

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Gino Robair with Andrew Royal Friday, May 22, 2009

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Cars on Mars Saturday, May 09, 2009 Cars on Mars is Jon, Anthony, Clark and Dana. The boys are on their first tour away from the East Coast, which is powered by gasoline, indie music, vocal harmonies and good buds. Formed in March of '08, Cars on Mars transcends genres with songs woven from folk in indie fashion.

Engineers: Dave Sumberg & Christian Gero

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MP3 (192K)
Zip-Tie Handcuffs Saturday, May 09, 2009 Zip-Tie Handcuffs is a punk rockin' band out of Boston, MA coming through the Midwest to tear things up. Influenced by artists from Hendrix to The Descendants, Zip Tie Handcuffs plays their own type of punk rock. The group was formed by Matt Ford after a recording project for a class at the Art Institute in Boston. Joined by Ian on guitar/bass and Max on drums, the trio continued to write, record and perform new material.

Engineers: Dave Sumberg & Christian Gero

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MP3 (192K)
The Injured Parties Saturday, May 09, 2009 Chicago poet and songwriter Larry O. Dean is back this week on Airplay after several years, this time fronting his solid indie-pop power trio, The Injured Parties. Back at the turn of the millennium, Airplay presented two of his other talented Chicago pop bands, Post Office and The Me Decade. The Injured Parties have been playing for a few years now, but they're just about to release their debut record, Fun With A Purpose, which will be available this summer. Check out this performance to hear songs from the new disc.

Engineer: Christian Gero

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MP3 (192K)
Ajilvsga with Mike Weis Sunday, May 03, 2009  
Darling Saturday, May 02, 2009 Described as "Neil Young meets Television," Darling channels both folky harmonies and new wave guitar riffs to create a fun yet aggressive blend of music. Darling's songs feature a variety of different styles; while some songs have crunchy power chords, others may focus on ambient soundscapes. Darling resides and continues to play in the Chicago area. Darling played the Hideout later that night.

Engineer: Sam Wadsworth

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MP3 (192K)
Brighten Up Saturday, May 02, 2009 Brighten Up have surged onto the Chicago music scene in the last year. This local duo consists of Dan Smith and Justin Bean, who between the two of them loop together a whole lot of electronics, dreamy vocals, and pulsing percussion. Each part churns together hypnotically, reminiscent of Brian Eno's ambient work and minimalist rhythms. You could categorize them as soft noise, but there's a real versatility to their sound--some tracks are more electronica-esque, some more noisy or shoegazy. But on each track, the rich, dreamy washes of electroacoustics cohere to characteristize that Brighten Up sound. Both introspective AND danceable. What more could you want?

Engineer: Sam Wadsworth

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MP3 (192K)
Love of Everything Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Engineer: Lucas Segall

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MP3 (192K)
Jimmy Bennington's Color and Sound Saturday, April 25, 2009 Jimmy Bennington's Colour and Sound is him along with Fred Jackson (as,ss), Jeff Marx (ts,ss) and Mike Staron (b). Led by master drummer, Jimmy Bennington, a Chicago transplant from from Texas, by way of the west coast, and former drum tech for legendary drummer Elvin Jones, this quartet specializes in a solid mix of a adventurous post-bop and all-out free jazz. This will be the third time Bennington has found himself in our studios; previously it was a duo with clarinet giant Perry Robinson and a trio with Ben Boye and Dan Thatcher. Bennington's live sets are often spacious and evocative with the energy narrowly focused like a beam of light. Colour and sound indeed. Check out the band Sundays at 8pm at the Morseland.

Engineers: Lori Crasnic & Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Neal Morgan Friday, April 17, 2009 You don't find one-man singer-drummer lo-fi indie rock very often. But Neal Morgan makes it work. Formerly a member of Nevada City, CA based Golden Shoulders, Morgan has since moved to Portland and gone solo. He played material from new release "Drum and Voice Record" in studio last week after a show at the Hideout. He croons simply and sweetly, reminiscent of indie rock, folk, and some sort of unidentifiable spiritual, singing about idiosyncratic subjects like the inner lives of slave whales. But when Morgan begins to drum, he manages to combine brash virtuosity with delicate subtlety. This set involved a number of extended techniques on percussion, from muted cymbals, to rim clicks, to bent pitches on toms. Make sure to keep an eye pealed for the release of "Drum and Voice Record." -AC

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Conductive Alliance Saturday, April 11, 2009 With this set, Conductive Alliance returned to Airplay for the third time. This all-acoustic Chicago group of two guitars, upright bass, and percussion produces a lush orchestration, interlocking and warm riffs, and deftly shifting meters that hint at nostalgia. This is a true Chicago group, with the same ear for the minimal, the sparse, and the hypnotically repetitive as Town and Country. And few can produce odd meters so natural and flowing. Conductive Alliance's finger-picking, harmonics, bowed bass, and hand-drumming on doumbek, produce a sense of wonder that accompanies such a uniquely rich soundworld. -AC

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Shalloboi Saturday, April 11, 2009 It's difficult to box Shalloboi in. Chicago locals Shalloboi employ, viola, violin, guitar, cello, drums, and breathy male and female vocals to create an engaged and open feel. The minimal density and movement of the music provides opportunity to listen to the rich tones of this unique instrumentation, which produces feelings of relaxation and expansion. Their fifth and latest album, "Down to Sleep," produced many of its sounds "with the use of large spaces serving as echo chambers (i.e. stairwells and large empty spaces in the congress theater)" (according to the website), and successfully employs a number of strikingly elegant string lines. Their latest in the works vinyl-only EP seeks to be the most minimal, most condensed approach the band has taken yet.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Wasteland Jazz Unit Friday, April 10, 2009 These 4 artists came and played a set before their quasi-secret show at the Mopery and it was as if a party of experimental music was in progress. They all improvised 15 to 20 minutes sets, each as like as chalk and cheese from each other: Wasteland Jazz Unit went first and played horns aggressively, erratically, in a duet, to the point that we almost turned down the volume for fear of hearing loss (we didn't). Three Legged Race's set was electronically generated noise, with contact mics changing pitches and even some minimal melodies. And, C Spencer Yeh double-handedly played the violin, switching from harsh to strident to intermittent plucking and back again. We kinda felt guilty for being the only people there to see them, so make sure you listen to this!

Engineers: Adam Clark & Lori Crasnic

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MP3 (192K)
Three Legged Race Friday, April 10, 2009 These 4 artists came and played a set before their quasi-secret show at the Mopery and it was as if a party of experimental music was in progress. They all improvised 15 to 20 minutes sets, each as like as chalk and cheese from each other: Wasteland Jazz Unit went first and played horns aggressively, erratically, in a duet, to the point that we almost turned down the volume for fear of hearing loss (we didn't). Three Legged Race's set was electronically generated noise, with contact mics changing pitches and even some minimal melodies. And, C Spencer Yeh double-handedly played the violin, switching from harsh to strident to intermittent plucking and back again. We kinda felt guilty for being the only people there to see them, so make sure you listen to this!

Engineers: Adam Clark & Lori Crasnic

Listen:
MP3 (192K)
Burning Star Core Friday, April 10, 2009 These 4 artists came and played a set before their quasi-secret show at the Mopery and it was as if a party of experimental music was in progress. They all improvised 15 to 20 minutes sets, each as like as chalk and cheese from each other: Wasteland Jazz Unit went first and played horns aggressively, erratically, in a duet, to the point that we almost turned down the volume for fear of hearing loss (we didn't). Three Legged Race's set was electronically generated noise, with contact mics changing pitches and even some minimal melodies. And, C Spencer Yeh double-handedly played the violin, switching from harsh to strident to intermittent plucking and back again. We kinda felt guilty for being the only people there to see them, so make sure you listen to this!

Engineers: Adam Clark & Lori Crasnic

Listen:
MP3 (192K)
Leslie Thursday, April 09, 2009 Rock trio from Charleston, South Carolina. Even though this was a stripped down, all-acoustic session, these songs are giant, stadium-sized monsters and you can definitely tell how sweet Leslie's live concert is. Currently, the band is on tour all over the country supporting The Rebel Souls EP, a recent 4-track nugget delivery device with a blues rock sound so classic it reminds of Raw Sienna Savoy Brown or a Zeppelinian roots fest. Sadler Vaden's guitar must have taken a pounding during this short set and I can't imagine Jonathan Carman's tamborine hand was feeling too nice either. Yowzah.

Engineer: Sam Wadsworth

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MP3 (192K)
The Enright House Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Engineer: Trevor Ewen

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MP3 (192K)
Eyesearsnose Monday, April 06, 2009 A brand new one recorded from burgeoning Chicago noise-pop group Eyesearsnose. With fuzzed out bass and crazy, warped vocals, Eyesearsnose has an undeniable attraction to the glimmer of freakout nonsense. Yet their songs are still accessible, even singable. There's a certain charming unpredictability and quaint midwestern swagger to these guys because, simply put, they're just less interested in quibbling over notes and song structure than your average pop band. Eyesearsnose has the spark of a creative uprising and we expect good things.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Polite Sleeper Sunday, April 05, 2009 Brooklyn trio Polite Sleeper came to Airplay for the first time with some good indie folk that will be great for your Saturday afternoon. Acoustic guitar, narrative singing, organ and subtle, driving drumming combine in an impeccably clean combination of sound. Electric piano and accordion also make their own appearances, considerably diversifying a more traditional folk instrumentation. Some great punk drumming near the end. Overall though, this is good music for sitting by the riverside.

Engineer: Sam Wadsworth

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MP3 (192K)
Efterklang Sunday, April 05, 2009 For this set, we packed an 8-piece band in our recording studio, jumped over cables for about 2 hours and drank a lot of coffee. The subsequent recording turned out to be 3 pop-oriented, orchestral songs full of harmonies, backed by bursting drum beats, horns and electronics. Efterklang began their music-making career in 2000 in Copenhagen and have since released 2 albums, the latest of which, Parades, is exactly what its name implies, provided the make-up of the parade would be musically inclined danish equivalents of civil-war bears and toy soldiers. Mermaids and vikings perhaps?

Engineers: Lori Crasnic & Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Jenny Gillespie Saturday, April 04, 2009 Singer-songwriter from Chicago performing on guitar and keyboards. An emotionally-driven and thoughtful musical session.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Garotas Suecas Wednesday, April 01, 2009 Far from all the reverb, lo-fi sounds of the current string of indie-popular bands, Garotas Suecas play soulfully fresh sounding rock you actually have fun dancing to. After all, they are Brazilians. Acute, colorful guitars, playful keyboards and tambourines in the background, sometimes accompanied by trumpets and harmonicas, and silly (we assume..) Portuguese lyrics. Hint: their name translates into Swedish Girls and they have songs called Code Dynamite and Cool Cool, but that's really all we could understand. That said, you know a band is good when you make an ass of yourself by singing/mumbling along in a poor accent.

Engineers: Lucas Segall & Sam Wadsworth

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MP3 (192K)
Uncle Woody Sullender Saturday, March 28, 2009 This New York artist/dj/professor came to Airplay with an arsenal of instruments and instrument-manipulation devices. His specialty is the banjo, but don't think traditional banjo: Sullender has worked with composers such as Pauline Oliveros, Maryanne Amacher or members of the Vandermark 5 - noise and free jazz often take the lead in his music. Preview his music on his website or listen to his Airplay performance during which he organized some more sounds in the holistic, experimental style he's known for.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Wiley and the Checkmates Saturday, March 28, 2009 Herbert Wiley formed the Checkmates in 1960 and the group began performing on the chitlin’ circuit as a marquee act and playing behind soul legends like Otis Clay, Percy Sledge, and Syl Johnson. After a dozen years with the Checkmates, Wiley quit music to run the family business and raise a family. In 2002, Wiley was inspired to reform the Checkmates after watching an Oxford punk band rehearse in a local storefront. Wiley brought together local gospel, jazz, and rock musicians and fashioned a modern take on the sound of the original Checkmates.

Engineer: Lori Crasnic

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MP3 (192K)
Tirra Lirra Saturday, March 21, 2009 For the first time on the show, a criminally under-heard group from Chicago, Tirra Lirra. This band's impressive live show is a sort of practiced ascension to Nirvana, expansive and engorged psychedelic rock and tribalistic improvisational jamming. While they approach the core of each song with a familiar song structure, the calmative effluvia of singer-keyboardist Hank Henry's vocals and the cascading lyrical repetition on most tracks launches each one into a floating, dream-like adventure. But not every song is an 8 minute space fest, and having zeroed the electronic manipulation on some tracks down to a minimum, that is how Tirra Lirra expose their musicianship and craft; simple, pastoral, textural.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
So Percussion Wednesday, March 18, 2009 So Percussion is a NYC classical percussion quartet out to prove the versatility of percussive sounds. In additional to the more traditional snare, tom, suspended cymbal, and bass drum combination, their performance this week featured toy piano, miniature organ, amplified thumbharp, cowbells, a Sierra Nevada bottle, a clogging shoe, tapes, LPs, contact mic, crotales, melodica, paper shredding, and even an electric razor pressed onto snare. These often light and interlocking percussion parts, in conjunction with recorded speech samples, produce a lush and exciting new sound environment for the classical and percussion worlds. And they have a series of commissions to prove it, ranging from David Lang and Paul Lansky, to Steve Reich or Fred Frith. Check out their CDs So Percussion, Amid the Noise, or their rendition of a Steve Reich classic, "Drumming" on their website.

Engineers: Adam Clark and Lori Crasnic

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MP3 (192K)
Junkyard Soul Saturday, March 14, 2009 Chicago cool-funk 5-piece. More interested in developing a solid groove than tearing the roof off the mother, Junkyard Soul places a high premium on the nuances of bluesy soloing rather than noodling around like a middling jam band. While some tracks lay back and let you just feel it, other edgier ones do a good job of showing off the band's dexterity and virtuosity.

Engineer: Trevor Ewen

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MP3 (192K)
Theresa Andersson Friday, March 13, 2009 Fun mini set from multi-instrumentalist and one-woman-band Theresa Andersson. Born in Sweden, transplanted to New Orleans, her recording debut was dixieland, but later she transitioned to pop and blues-rock. Her live set gives you a grin to watch--live sampling and loopy loop overdubbing creating a series of quirky pop nuggets. Not unlike the YouTube viral video of her playing "Na Na Na" in her own kitchen, most of Andersson's 3rd album Hummingbird, Go! was recorded in just that way. She's already got a pretty big following, so we expect you'll be hearing quite a bit more from Ms. Andersson in years to come.

Engineer: Sam Wadsworth

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MP3 (192K)
Doppler Shift Sunday, March 08, 2009 More than an hour of performance and interview with Chicago quartet Doppler Shift who brought with them a selection of action-packed, high-spirited jams. Featuring some intense, Squarepusher-esque drumming from former Airplay guest Dave Marsalek, Doppler Shift also forgoes any chordal instrument preferring instead the highly asymmetrical horn duo of Ray Pandocchi's clean, tight tenor sax riffs and and Brian Niebuhr's heavily distorted and manipulated trumpet blasts. Rounding out the quartet is Jon Marchese on bass with some waist-deep grooves allowing for an audacious instrumental blend of jazz, funk, and rock.

Engineer and Interviewer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
John Statz and Justin Jahnke Sunday, March 08, 2009 Back-to-back performances from Airplay regular John Statz from Madison, WI and Justin Jahnke (of Flame Shark) both on acoustic guitars and voice. These were on-the-fly performance/interviews done in our Interview Studio--the beginning of the recording is missing--but you should appreciate them for their spontaneity and freshness. Thanks for John for setting this up.

Engineer/Interviewer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Flame Shark Sunday, March 08, 2009 Really solid performance from this Chicago band playing as an acoustic 3-piece. Country-tinged rock and pop songs with great 3-part harmonies. They were on their way down to New Orleans to record a new album.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Illusion of Safety Saturday, March 07, 2009 Airplay is very pleased to welcome back to the show after 8 years, pioneering sound artist from Chicago, Illusion Of Safety. A project of Dan Burke since the early 80s (before Airplay even had live performances) Illusion of Safety has consistently tested and ruptured the boundaries of dark electronic, concrete, electro-acoustic, noise, and ambient music, tackling innumerable record concepts and media forms. A dozen musicians have past through the ranks of IOS including the likes of Jim O'Rourke, Thymme Jones, and Mark Klein, however this performance features a double-set and interview with Burke flying solo.

Engineers: Mike Corsa and Lori Crasnic

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MP3 (192K)
Xela with Mike Weis Saturday, February 28, 2009 For this performance, we proudly welcomed UK ambient sound artist and Type Records owner Xela in collaboration with former Airplay guest and Zelienople drummer Mike Weis. There's no doubt in our minds that Xela's dense drones and haunting soundscapes melds beautifully with the textural percussion playing of Mike Weis, whose previous performances on Airplay were the very definitions of nuance and subtlety manifested in sound. State-side performances from Xela are an uncommon treat, so indulge by checking out this set.

Engineer: Lori Crasnic

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MP3 (192K)
dd/mm/yyyy Friday, February 27, 2009 Toronto-based dd/mm/yyyy claim they "don't have a name and there is no wrong way to say DD/MM/YYYY. 'Day Month Year', 'Demon Theatre', 'Dave Munthier', and the actual date (e.g. 31/10/2009) are all acceptable." Regardless what you call them, we really dug their unique sound that no one seems quite sure how to describe (though "spaz-math rock" comes the closest). They just released a new full-length Black Square on the Canadian label We Are Busy Bodies.

Engineer: Lucas Segall

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MP3 (192K)
Sean M Whelan Sunday, February 22, 2009 Australian poet and all-around swell guy Sean M. Whelan stopped by during Phoneathon to discuss poetry, music and film and do some readings. We got him to read from his newest collection of works Tattooing the Surface of the Moon (Small Change Press) and an amazing piece about singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Sean was on tour in the US and Canada with Emilie Zoey Baker who had unfortunately fallen ill, and couldn't join us on the airwaves. They both performed that night, however, at 'cago slam homebase, The Green Mill. There were technical difficulties with the recording of this interview, so only a portion of it is available...

Interviewers: Aaron Kuper and Priya Malhotra

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MP3 (128K)
Little Women Monday, February 16, 2009 Little Women returned after just a year to WNUR's airwaves for another mind-boggling free-thrash apocalypse. Brooklyn's Little Women, like Ettrick or Painkiller, combines the harshest elements from death-metal and free jazz into a cantankerous new third stream. They're not all free thrash though--some sections churn out jagged repetitions in unusual beat grooves, while others sigh and fade into nothingness. Their idiosyncratic structures loosely direct the energetic swirl of alto sax, tenor, electric guitar and drums that provides their piercing sound. Namely they're not afraid of a little song structure, since they know they'll burn it in a pile of reedy dissonance anyway. Even in composed sections, their spontaneity bursts at the seams. And when Little Women leaves their structure, watch out--no one else shrieks harder. Not for the faint of ears. Check out their groundbreaking "Teeth" on CD or LP.

Engineer: Lucas Segall

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MP3 (128K)
Grandchildren Monday, February 16, 2009 Hailing from Philly, Grandchildren's indie-rock-tronica will keep your spirits up. On each track, Grandchildren combines electric & acoustic guitar, bass, electronics, synth, drums and drum machine in quick, syncopated rhythms to cohere in an intricately poppy, ebullient whole. With the addition of their ethereal group vocals, which are reminiscent of a more serious Animal Collective, there's no doubt that Grandchildren take the cake as one of the more lush and joyful bands out there. A lot of hope, a lot of good feeling. Check out their latest, the Cold Warrior EP.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Rad Racket Monday, February 16, 2009 The aptly-named Rad Racket, hailing from Philadelphia, used to be known as “Red Rocket”; no doubt conflicts from another band or the copyright holder of that name led to the change, but based on the metaphor alone, the change is for the best. Even better is the fact that the band is now named after probably the best tennis game made for the NES system, a game in which you win the round if you hit one of the rats that infest the playing court. Veterans of a legendary West Philly house venue, the Danger Danger Gallery, Rad Racket stopped by WNUR while taking their angular, energetic indie rock across the nation on tour with fellow Philadelphians Grandchildren. -C.T. Heaney
Read the whole review here.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (192K)
Kaspar Hauser Saturday, February 14, 2009 Bluesy Chicago rock band returned to Airplay as an acoustic duo this time, which offered up a nice contrast to their last performance of hard-hitting midwestern indie-rock. Frontman Thomas Comerford's distilled vocals lend a simple, no-bs clarity to the band's overall attitude: rough and unrefined and totally unapologetic about it. They've got nice backing vocals too. Kaspar Hauser had a new record coming out called The Sons

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Musée Mécanique Sunday, February 08, 2009 Portland based Musée Mécanique came by our studio with an acoustic set of their unique brand of folk-pop. Named after a San Fransisco museum of antique arcade games, Musée Mécanique recently released their debut full-length "Hold This Ghost". Their sound has been described by XLR8R as "A layered, delicate take on folk, meticulously arranged with an ear for atmosphere and texture, with surprises unfolding every moment."

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Our Brother The Native Saturday, February 07, 2009 FatCat Records (Sigur Ros, Black Dice, Mum) darlings Our Brother the Native challenges typical conventions of post-rock, blending it with freak folk, experimental, and electro-acoustic to create haunting, ethereal hymns. Their most recent effort Parting Marrows has been described by CMU Music Daily as, "a genuinely out of the ordinary piece of music that brims with personality." Although still a fairly young band, Our Brother the Native is already carving a niche out for themselves within their scene, having toured Europe with friends Animal Collective and currently planning a nationwide tour this summer.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Thin Hymns Saturday, January 31, 2009 "Thin Hymns seem set on dismantling the expected trajectory of "song", stirring together snippets that deceive gullible ears into believing that a coherent whole will arrive. It's an aesthetic with precedents, combining Robert Pollard's attention-deficit-disorder with Chicago post-rock experimentation, and serves as proof positive that old ideas can be refashioned and fused in intriguing new ways." --C.T. Heaney. Read the whole review here.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
A Tundra Saturday, January 24, 2009 Quirky indie-rock band from Chicago who made their 3rd appearance on the show. A Tundra's angular, off-kilter guitar and keyboard phrasing plus odd, tactical drumming create the perfect playground to release their bodacious independent spirit and strange sense of humor. We really liked there 2007 debut full length on Static Station called Man or Woman, Laughing or Crying because the tracks were less song and more mini-adventure. They had a brand new 7" coming out called the What Are You? Looking At EP and it was available at their record release show at the Empty Bottle that Tuesday.

Engineer: Lucas Segall

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MP3 (128K)
Bee vs. Moth Thursday, January 15, 2009 Bee vs. Moth, as their website states, is a multiple-genre, weirdo instrumental rock band from Austin, Texas. They aim to bravely explore the little-traveled and oft-neglected territory between Ornette Coleman's doom metal band and Mr. Rogers' dude ranch. As their friends put it, "You guys sound like Sonic Youth meets the Tijuana Brass."

Engineer: Lucas Segall

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MP3 (128K)
Vox Arcana Saturday, January 10, 2009 Although each has played at WNUR on numerous occasions in the past, this was the first time the members of the relatively new trio Vox Arcana collaborated together on our airwaves in what turned out to be a stellar performance and interview. Vox Arcana had a new self-titled album out that's heavy on the composition, despite these musicians' capacity for exploration in improvised music. In perfect balance, Tim Daisy, Chicago percussionist, leads the group on drums and marimba with Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello counterpoised by James Falzone on clarinet to round out the group. Daisy acknowledges American composers of the 20th century like Cage and Feldman as a main influence for this project as well as early AACM pioneers like Braxton and Leroy Jenkins. The effect is impressive and dynamic; with this album alone, Daisy has introduced a rich and wholly original sonic vernacular.

Engineer: Lucas Segall

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MP3 (128K)
Box of Baby Birds Wednesday, January 07, 2009 Gary and Dan of Chicago's Box of Baby Birds came in for an acoustic set of beautiful chamber-pop. Their debut, self-released album is lush and multi-layered, incorporating sweeping string arrangements, delicate harmonies and the occasional harmonica and southern twang. This live performance featured a more stripped-down version of those songs, yet maintained the serene ebb and flow captured so nicely on the disc.

Engineer: Lucas Segall

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MP3 (128K)
Hybrid Frecuency Tuesday, January 06, 2009 Yecid Ortega originally hails from Bogota, Colombia. Perhaps that's where he picked up the sharp-clean style of making noise he deftly played last Tuesday in the studio. A simple and delectable mix of close-mouthed spoken word and harsh sound replication comes before the second part of the performance in which he uses more traditional distortion and circuit bending techniques, finally ending with what could be termed as musique concrete, without the pretentiousness it sometimes involves. Two distinct directions broken up in 3 different parts of the performance evolve and succeed one another to form surprising effects that retrospectively you realize fit perfectly. For more than just noise fans!

Engineer: Adam Clark

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MP3 (128K)
L'Altra Saturday, December 13, 2008 Chicago indie-pop group fronted by dual vocalists Joseph Costa and Lindsay Anderson returned to the Airplay Show after 6 years for a set of deeply appealing and intimate music. Many of their songs are launch on a bold yet controlled trajectory, tempered by ethereal moments steeped heavily in instrumental and emotional concentration. Compositionally elegant and undiluted music.

Engineers: Mike Corsa & Lori Crasnic

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MP3 (128K)
Maps & Atlases Sunday, December 07, 2008 Hailing from our home Chicago, Maps and Atlases are a four piece math rock group whose unique sound is blended with virtuosic instrumental playing and warm, pop-ornamented vocals. Guitarist, Erin Elders, told Guitar Player magazine in an interview that, "Our [Maps and Atlases] goal was to put existing technical elements in a new context, and create something artistically unique, but still accessible." And surely enough, Maps and Atlases have showed consistently that they are able to broaden the horizons of the genre while still working off the influences of bands such as Don Caballero. This year, with the help of Sargent House Records, Maps and Atlases have released and distributed their 5-song EP entitled "You, Me, and the Mountain."

Engineers: David Sumberg & Christian Gero

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MP3 (128K)
Conductive Alliance Thursday, December 04, 2008 Return visit by this Chicago quintet whose work encompasses a broad range of musical influences ranging from minimalist classical to the folk infused stylings of African Kora music. They've released a couple self-titled EPs on Reformer Records since forming in 2007, primarily acoustical, yet sonically adventurous nonetheless.

Engineer: Adam Clark

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MP3 (128K)
Pizza Box Saturday, November 29, 2008 Live in-studio performance by local duo Pizza Box. Consisting of Matt Weir and Jason Hallen (formerly Osama bin Ladies) we looked forward to witnessing an excessive yet well-orchestrated assemblage of loop-loop-looping gadgetry and noisy distorted vocalizations. This was a fun one for sure. No recordings or shows to speak of (yet), but expect big things...

Engineer: Lori Crasnic

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The Golden Sores Tuesday, November 25, 2008 Don't be put off by the biblical reference in the name, the Golden Sores remind more of a Sangha gathering than the mayhem of the Middle Ages. The drone duo from Chicago play two long pieces of hazy guitar sounds, high frequency buzzing, metallic echoing and sonic reverberation that will make you stagger in circles, even if you're sitting down.

Engineers: Lori Crasnic and Adam Clark

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MP3 (128K)
Douglas Ferguson Saturday, November 22, 2008 [Excerpted from C.T. Heaney's review. Read the whole thing on our blog.] An experimental musician now based out of Austin, Texas who releases his atmospheric soundscapes on his own label, Distillery Records. Ferguson's guitar constructions feature windswept, reverberating textures which are no doubt influenced in part by the arid desolation of his native Texas . . . [He] stands behind an assemblage of wires and tubes, a graveyard of analog audio technology Frankensteined together and resuscitated into a living whirlwind of sound. He carries a guitar, but does not pick or strum in the conventional manner of innumerable singer/songwriters of generations past and present; rather than playing it, he seems to be mining it, scratching, flicking and beating it in search of something undiscovered . . .

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie Tuesday, November 18, 2008 Minneapolis space-rock band To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie wowed us last year with their debut full length album The Patron on Kranky Records, which got listed as WNUR's #4 album of 2007. We were very pleased to welcome them in for this performance on their extra day in Chicago during their fall tour. And a great, spacey performance it was. Not unlike the rippling waves or tides in and out, the undulating atmospheric lines of Mark McGee weave a lush sonic fabric. Paired with Jehna Wilhelm's ethereal washed-out vocals, the result is spacey and intense. This deliberate and simple combination survives brilliantly without a shard of excess.

Engineer: Sam Wadsworth

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Death Factory Tuesday, November 18, 2008 Michael Krause has been combining drones, with static, with oscillations, with electronic signals, with manipulations of old radio and tv sound excerpts about nuclear weapons - for quite some time now. Under the name of Death Factory, this Chicago artist fills noise venues with harsh dissonances and feedback. Grim but well constructed. For the Airplay show he further enhances the sound with the help of Right Eye Rita's sparsely distributed violin improvisations.

Engineers: Lori Crasnic & Adam Clark

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MP3 (128K)
Nathan Xander Saturday, November 15, 2008 Return visit from this Chicago songwriter who is ditching the band this time and playing all by his lonesome. WNUR's C. T. Heaney wrote a great review of Xander's Swifty, Surely mini-lp from last year (read it on our blog) and we're pleased to welcome him back for this performance.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Kinetic Stereokids Friday, November 14, 2008 On-the-rise, young trio with members from Flint, MI and Chicago who create dark, hypnotic indie-pop with hiphop beats and ambient soundscapes. It's not uncommon for artists mixing electric and acoustic to try to get their electronic sounds to imitate the acoustic ones while still maintaining a sonic distinction. The Stereokids take this a step further by making their acoustic parts sound like the electriconic ones, the very ones that are performing the mimicry. Also, there's a nice sense of orchestral control the band wields over their electric grooves and beats that's perhaps more nuanced than that of the band's less successful peers. An example of this is seen in the percussionist, who uses brushes as he joins in the fray instead of banging away with drumsticks like his fuse-jamband drummer nemesis. Overall, they are a cool live band.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
The Fake Fictions Saturday, November 08, 2008 They are Chicago's own jangle pop band and they can make you dance, swirling or stomping, on every-single-damn song. On "Krakatoa", their latest album (which you can actually stream on their web), Nick and Sarah still friskily alternate when singing about silly, but important stuff like lasers, coffee, soirées and somewhat evil volcanoes, while Ben holds the beat tight!

Engineer: Lori Crasnic

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MP3 (128K)
A Light Sleeper Saturday, November 08, 2008 Return performance by this chamber-rock group from Chicago. Their sound is minimalistic in overall design like one of our other Chicago faves, Town & Country, but there exists a stark, mathy Slint-like complexity too. Minimal like you need to round everything up to make it whole; yet there's an overlapping, overlooping circular fluidity in the inner-workings that's delightfully involved. A quandary for sure. This will be their third performance on Airplay in as many years, but having since added a third bandmember, they should be prepped for the tertiary level of expectation. Check out their website to obtain a copy of their hand-packaged compact disc.

Engineer: Sam Wadsworth

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MP3 (128K)
Marnie Stern Monday, November 03, 2008 Her first record, "In Advance of the Broken Arm" made her a superstar among art-rockers and noise-rockers alike. Greek mythology, diamond ceilings and grapefruits were all drowned out in Marnie's high-pitches and finger-tapping. This year, her second album "This is It.." has more of the same stuff going on, except layered on higher speeds. When she came on Monday, she gave us a taste of what it means to be a guitar goddess.

Engineer: Sam Wadsworth

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MP3 (128K)
Blueberry Fist Saturday, October 11, 2008 New indie rock band from Chicago stopped by WNUR's studios to lay down some live tracks for the first time. The band's explosive, anthemic pop-punk songs suggest an auspicious start and I think we'll be hearing more good things in the near future. Blueberry Fist will kick off a mini midwest tour in early '09 ending up back in Chicago with a show at Union Rock Yards.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Mississippi Gabe Carter Saturday, October 11, 2008 A little piece of the Mississippi Delta right here in Chicago and on your airwaves. Gabe Carter returned to the Airplay Show for a solo set you can simply drown in. Simple, honest lyrics sung waaay back on the beat and a deep raw twang on the electric guitar. Really nice short set that left us wanting more. Check out his album Midnight Dream available on CD Baby.

Engineer: David Sumberg

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MP3 (128K)
John Statz Friday, October 10, 2008 A great songwriter and a swell guy. He's also one of the hardest working musicians to cross our path. Case in point: John's from Madison, WI and this is his 4th visit to WNUR in just over 1 year. He says he's a history buff and there's no doubt it comes out in his songs (WWI being a topic for example) which is just one more reason his music is genuine Americana. Like in the past, this set finds John on solo guitar and vocals.

Engineer: Sam Wadsworth

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MP3 (128K)
The Suite Unraveling Saturday, October 04, 2008 Composer and guitarist Lily Maase in close collaboration with her bandmates: saxophonists Evan Smith and Peter Van Huffel, bassist Matt Wigton and drummer Fred Kennedy. The resulting music is lively and danceable, raw yet intimate, and leaps easily from jazz to indie rock to the avant garde without losing its own sense of style.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
357 Ensemble Saturday, October 04, 2008 Nick Anaya (sax and percussion), Chris Dammann (contrabass), and Dylan Andrews (percussion) came in for a solid session of anything-goes jazz and improv.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Chester Saturday, October 04, 2008 Solid performance from this loud, rockin band with ties to Northwestern University. They organized a free show of other NU bands to play Bill's Blues in Evanston.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Chicago Calling Festival Radio Broadcast Thursday, October 02, 2008 WNUR participated again in the annual Chicago Calling festival put on each fall.

The evening featured live audio/visual connections between WNUR and Mills College (Oakland, CA) and Richmond, Virginia. The complete line-up was:

performers at WNUR:
Renée Baker - violin
Taalib-Din Ziyad - vocals
Ben Boye - harmonium
Jon Godston - soprano saxophone
Saalik Ziyad - vocals
Joel Wanek - upright bass
Fred Jackson - saxophone
Joshua Manchester - drums
Dan Godston - trumpet
Ritwik Banerji - saxophone

performers at Mills College:
Christopher M. Skebo - trumpet
Karl A. D. Evangelista - electric guitar
David Harrison Horton - poetry
Jason Hoopes - upright bass
Akiko Hatakeyama - flute
Tomás Diaz - electric guitar
Curtis McKinney - upright bass
Alex Vittum - drum set
Jordan Glenn - percussion

performers in Richmond, VA:
JC Kuhl - tenor saxophone

Engineers: Sam Wadsworth, Lucas Segall, and Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Zelienople Wednesday, October 01, 2008 A WNUR favorite makes it's way back into our studios for the nth time. Zelienople plays minimal "rock" music that's heavy on the drones and atmospheric washes of sound. A great set as always.

Engineers: Christian Gero and David Sumberg

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MP3 (128K)
Svarte Greiner Wednesday, October 01, 2008 Solo project by Norwegian guitarist and sound artist Erik K. Skodvin. This featured some very familiar ambient sounds mixed with stuff you've never heard before. We think he used a really old hearing aid as a contact microphone on the head of his table-top guitar. Awesome!

Engineers: Christian Gero and David Sumberg

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MP3 (128K)
Charlotte Hug & Fred Lonberg-Holm Sunday, September 28, 2008 Third visit by swiss violist Charlotte Hug performing duet with local free-improv champion Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello. They played three sets of wide ranging, emotional sound that stretched the limits of string playing.

Engineer: Lucas Segall

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MP3 (128K)
Joe Scott Saturday, September 27, 2008 Thick, undulating rhythms and ambiance performed by multi-instrumentalists Joe Scott and Brant Mccrea of Chicago. Nice set. Joe expressed his appreciation for WNUR and we express our appreciation for Joe.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
3rd Time's A Charm Saturday, September 27, 2008 Local up-and-comers play a loud set of pop punk and rock.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
La Brecha Friday, September 26, 2008 Rock en Español made possible by WNUR's El Zilencio.

Engineer: Mike Corsa
Howling Poppies Tuesday, September 23, 2008 Indie-pop trio from Chicago with ties to NU. Nice harmonies and semi-Weezer-like nerd angst lyrics.

Engineer: Adam Clark

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MP3 (128K)
Jayme Stone and Mansa Sissoko Tuesday, September 23, 2008 Broadcast of WNUR's Continental Drift program in conjunction with the World Music Festival 2008. Canadian Juno Award winning accomplished banjoist Jayme Stone together with Malian griot singer and kora (string instrument from West Africa similar to the harp or lute) player Mansa Sissoko build a boundary-crossing musical bridge from Africa to Appalachia. Combined, the two make music that’s “difficult to describe, but easy to love” – says the Canadian Broadcasting Company Radio. Musically, they track down the untold branches of roots music, while planting new musical seeds along the way. -World Music Festival 2008
Alex Cuba Monday, September 22, 2008 Broadcast of WNUR's Continental Drift program in conjunction with the World Music Festival 2008. An excellent performance and interview with award winning, Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Cuba. His soulful jazz and pop tunes caress your earhole and give you one final definitive reason you should have paid more attention en clase española. Cuba tours like a mo-fo, but mostly in Canada right now.
The Names That Spell Saturday, September 20, 2008 Self-proclaimed "off-pop" band from Chicago spun a well-crafted matrix of intricate beats, clever lyrics, and uncommon instrumentation. Nice uke and proggy hibberty jibberty.

Engineer: Adam Clark

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MP3 (128K)
Cordero Saturday, September 20, 2008 Cool set from Brooklyn rock band that sings in English and en Español. They were in town playing at the World Music Festival and they had just released de donde eres on chicago's Bloodshot Records.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Crystal Gravy Saturday, September 13, 2008 Super-solid, Headhunting funk band from Chicago that played an enormous set that tore the roof off the sucker and gave up the funk. Check out the nice Fela Kuti insert.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Tomorrow Music Orchestra Sunday, September 07, 2008 Creative orchestra music from this ever-exciting large ensemble from Chicago led by bassist and composer Matthew Golombisky. This was their 5th live performance on WNUR and they marked the occasion by eating cake (actually, it was Matthew's birthday...)

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Facing Winter Saturday, September 06, 2008 Heartfelt acoustic pop from this Chicago based group.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Origin of Animal Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Well conceived and multifaceted octet performance from this Chicago-based collective. Lots of jazz and improv mixed in with pre-composed pieces performed on 2 celli, 2 drumkits, bass, keys, (s)ax, and vox.

Engineer: Adam Clark

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MP3 (128K)
New Ghosts Monday, August 18, 2008 Cool Chicago rock band that achieves a big, full sound while maintaining a plaintive, free space.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Jennifer Peterson Saturday, August 16, 2008 Sophisticated solo set from this Chicago singer-songwriter.

Engineer: Mike Corsa

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MP3 (128K)
Nave Saturday, August 09, 2008 Large and classy Chicago ensemble who played a mix of Pop, Rock, Soul, Jazz, R&B

Engineers: Mike Corsa & Adam Clark

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MP3 (128K)
Good Old Fashioned Sinners Saturday, August 09, 2008 Darkish, noisy-at-times, psych band from Chicago brought to our attention by WNUR's Rock Show. Nice instrumentation, electronical and acoustical, and a weird sense of humor.

Engineer: Adam Clark

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MP3 (128K)
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