Makeshift Mid-Year Top 20 of 2014

Okay, we're now midway through the year, I've listened to about 65 to 70 new releases, so why not quickly rank them? It's a conversation starter, if nothing else. This is just a list, with only a comment here or there.

1. St. Vincent -- St. Vincent
2. Teleman -- Breakfast
3. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 -- A Long Way to the Beginning

June 28, 2014 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #210)

Off next week, back on July 12. 2014

9:01 AM Eno • Hyde • DBF • High Life • Warp

9:05 AM The Beach Boys • Let Us Go On This Way • Love You • Brother

9:07 AM 555 • Lovejoy Comet • Nine Gates • Moon Glyph

June 21, 2014 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #209)

Today, I paid tribute to Casey Kasem. With the exception of 15 rotation songs and one other tune, this show was littered with Top 40 hits, all but two from the '70s. Casey and '70s Top 40 radio shaped me as both a DJ and a music listener. He was an inspiration who entertained me for years, and I'm very happy with how this show came off. Thanks to all who listened.

9:04 AM Marvin Gaye • The End Of Our Road • M.P.G. •Motown

9:06 AM Pablo Cruise • Whatcha Gonna Do • A Place In The Sun • A & M

9:10 AM Ed Schrader's Music Beat • Pantomime Jack •Party Jail • Infinity Cat

June 14, 2014 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #208)

9:00 AM De La Soul • D.A.I.S.Y. Age • 3 Feet High and Rising• Tommy Boy

9:05 AM The Rascals • My World • Once Upon A Dream •Atlantic

9:08 AM Alice Boman • Skiss 2 • EP II • The Control Group

June 7, 2014 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #207)

On today's show I paid tribute to Doc Neeson, lead singer of the great Australian band The Angels, who passed away from brain cancer earlier this week.

9:01 AM Lee Fields • Magnolia • Emma Jean • Truth and Soul

9:04 AM Thomas Comerford • Target • II • self-released

9:08 AM The Monkees • The Door Into Summer • Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. • Rhino

May 24, 2014 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show # 206)

9:02 AM Prefab Sprout • List of Impossible Things • Crimson/Red • Icebreaker

9:05 AM Ramona Lisa • Avenues • Arcadia • Terrible

9:08 AM Jason Moran • Wig Wise • Facing Left • Blue Note

To Create You Must Destroy: The Ricketts' Plan to Save Wrigley Field By Drastically Changing It

The charm of Wrigley Field has been a marketing tool for decades, well before I was born. Phillip K. Wrigley knew there was something different and he made it a selling point for his team.

Of course, considering how the Cubs performed after the late '30s, the ballpark was often the only thing worth coming for during a long stretch of lean years. It became even a larger factor when the Cubs games started to go national over WGN-TV. In the early '80s, the Cubs snagged Harry Caray after the White Sox dumped him. Say what you will about Caray, but he was one of the greatest salesman for baseball ever, and The Friendly Confines were perfect for his pitches. Caray extolled the charms of Wrigley. And one of those charms was that fans could sit and watch the games from the rooftops of the apartment buildings along Sheffield and Waveland Avenues.