CHIRP Radio Podcasts

Where: River North “If you’re not getting the opportunities you want, you have to make your own.”

Where: Lincolnwood "We get looked at as a weird people sometimes, but I like being that kind of different."

Whether he's playing DIY house shows or a sold out Beat Kitchen, Alex G has no problem with living in two different worlds at the same time. He talked with Dylan Peterson about how his guitar-based music is heavily influenced by electronic artists like Aphex Twin and The Knife, and told the story of how his sister turned a dream into the album cover for DSU. produced by Dylan Peterson

Where: Little Village "I just think that the best things in life are things you can't see."

Nonesuch Records' Sam Amidon sat down with CHIRP's Amanda Roscoe Mayo before his show with Wilco at the Riviera. He talked about his spin on continuing the traditions of American folk music, not being influenced by The Grateful Dead, and why he decided to cover Mariah Carey. produced by Amanda Roscoe Mayo

Matt Arbogast met up with Katie Owens at The Rocking Horse in Logan Square to discuss his band, The Gunshy. Matt mused about his “grunt purge” vocal style, the band’s proclivity for being unpredictable, and owning his own DIY venue (8AM). The Gunshy play The Beat Kitchen on Saturday, January 24 and are set to release a new 7" in February. Produced by: Emily Osborne

Where: Bucktown "It's really rewarding to see things get a second chance and a new life."

Elizabeth Morris, lead singer of London's Allo Darlin, sat down with CHIRP's Nicole Oppenheim to talk about her recent move to Italy, feeling relaxed enough to make a relaxing album, and being anti-nostalgia. The band's third full-length release, We Come From the Same Place, was released on Slumberland in 2014. produced by Julie Mueller

Contains explicit language Noted by Red Bull as a “renaissance rapper”, ShowYouSuck has raised the bar for live hip-hop performances and is considered a trailblazer for a new era: alternative hip-hop. Born on the west side of Chicago, his early encounters with the Smashing Pumpkins, Anthrax and Slayer left him a devoted rock fan for life. Without access to instruments or others interested in starting a band, Show turned to rap. ShowYouSuck has toured with Yelawolf, Asher Roth and recently performed at Riot Fest here in Chicago. He has worked with Flosstradamus, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire and Doomtree, and is currently gearing up to release his next project, RAD- for updates follow @ShowYouSuck on Twitter! Podcast produced by Dan Epstein and recorded by Meg Ritter Alles

Before DJing for nearly four hours at Smart Bar, Chaz Bundick met up with CHIRP's Dylan Peterson to talk about his new dance music project, Les Sins. Chaz discussed the ways in which Toro y Moi has brought him unprecedented opportunities and life experiences, from DJing at world-renowned night clubs and collaborating with other highly respected artists, to adoring fans coming up to him on the street to tell him about his impact on black culture. His first full-length as Les Sins, Michael is out now via Company Records. produced by Dylan Peterson

Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett sat down with CHIRP's Cher Vincent before playing her fourth Chicago show of 2014 at the Metro. They talked about the non-stop busyness of the last year, playing Toto songs in a cover band, the good thing about getting nervous, and being inspired by Roald Dahl. produced by Jenn Rourke

Recording albums in their underwear with a swarm of mosquitoes, embracing southern culture in America, and aspiring to play the Super Bowl were just a few of the topics discussed between CHIRP's Amanda Roscoe Mayo and The Black Lips' bassist/singer Jared Swilley before the band's show at Thalia Hall with King Khan. The Black Lips seventh full-length album, Underneath the Rainbow was released in 2014 via Vice Records. produced by Amanda Roscoe Mayo

JR Robinson aka Wrekmeister Harmonies sat down with Katie Owens at the Logan Theater to broadly discuss themes examined within his work. In his latest release, JR explored the transformation from lightness to dark, specifically focusing on Truman Capote's interview with Bobby Beausoleil, along with incorporation of a lighthouse and church during the recording process. JR also provided details on his next release which delves into the life and music of 15th century composer, Carlo Gesualdo. Wrekmeister Harmonies released Then It All Came Down on Thrill Jockey on October 29. You can catch Wrekmeister Harmonies perform at the Bohemian National Cemetery this Saturday, Dec. 6. Produced by: Colleen Pellissier

Where: Navy Pier "I wanted to stop the story."

Halloween night at Schubas, CHIRP's Michael Heidemann had the pleasure of sitting down with UK psych-rock band The Wytches. They talked about the forming of the band, explained how visual art contributes to The Wytches' style, and took part in a flurry of podcast-friendly swear words. The band's debut album, Anabel Dream Reader, is out now via Partisan Records. produced by Michael Heidemann