Step into a realm where the music takes center stage and vinyl records reign supreme.Introducing Both Sides Now: A CHIRP Vinyl Listening Bar -- a monthly oasis for music aficionados and introverts alike. Nestled in the cozy upstairs room of Schubas Tavern, this unique event happens every first Wednesday of the month.
Join us upstairs at Schubas! The decks start spinning at 7:30pm.
This month's menu comes from CHIRP volunteer Brian McDonnell: "Worth the Wait".
"These three albums embody the idea that patience is a virtue. Time is, of course, no guarantee of quality but for these records (representing 14-, 21- and 22-year gaps), the time was indeed well spent. Each has its own story to account for the decades between releases, but all share in the delight they delivered to their fans, both old and new."
My Bloody Valentine – m b v (2013)
Released 21 years after 1991’s genre-defining Loveless, m b v was announced in a surprise Facebook post on February 2nd, 2013, and released to the public only a few hours later via the band’s website. Much of the material was recorded in the mid-’90s with a hopeful release date in 1998. These hopes were short-lived after the band’s complete break-up in 1997. Even after reuniting in 2007, fans would need to wait another 6 years for the fated third album. Those fans were well rewarded though with an album that at once recaptures enough of the magic from its famous predecessor to make it seem that no time passed at all, while at the same time going in new directions to prove that this isn’t just Loveless Part II.
D’Angelo and the Vanguard – Black Messiah (2014)
The success of 2000’s Voodoo played a major role in what would be the 14-year process of creating Black Messiah. The turn-of-millennium record (with its famous “Untitled (How Does it Feel)” music video) had elevated D’Angelo to a sex symbol, something he felt deeply uncomfortable with as it emphasized his appearance over the music. This, along with a desire for complete creative control over the next record, contributed to personal struggles and the alienation of many of his collaborators, significantly delaying the album’s production. By 2011, D’Angelo had overcome many of those struggles and reunited with his collaborators, Questlove and Pino Palladino among others. Originally slated for release in 2015, Black Messiah saw a surprise release on December 15th, 2014 in response to protests stemming from the decisions in the killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. As it turns out, shifting the release of an album that’s been 14-years in-the-making up a few months imposes no ill-effects as its arrival was met with universal praise. It’s fitting that the opening track is titled “Ain’t That Easy” because that’s exactly how D’Angelo makes it look here, even if we know it wasn’t always easy getting there.
Hum – Inlet (2020)
In a 2011 interview with Champaign-Urbana magazine Smile Politely, Hum’s lead singer Matt Talbott was asked about the band’s legacy, to which he replied: “I don’t think our legacy is too far reaching. But we do have a core group of fans that still seem to love our music and our occasional live performances.” It had been 13 years since the release of 1998’s Downward is Heavenward and 16 years since the surprise success of 1995’s You’d Prefer an Astronaut, the latter propelling the Champaign alt-rock band to national recognition with appearances on MTV and The Howard Stern Show, so you could be forgiven for believing that Hum the band was content to just reunify every few years to play fan favorites for the rest of their days. But during one such reunion in 2016 they started to write new songs and in a surprise release in 2020 those songs became Inlet. While not quite the same decades-long sustained effort as the previous two entries on this list, Inlet was no less impactful or impressive. Not only were those diehard fans validated, but a whole new generation of fans could learn what made Hum special.
CHIRP Radio 107.1FM: chirpradio.org
Event Venue
Schubas Tavern, 3159 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657-3226, United States,Chicago, Illinois
Tickets
