Though you wouldn't think it at first, the ninth annual Chirp Record Fair is truly a feast for the senses. The smell of freshly dusted off vinyl, the sound of a polka band echoing through the gymnasium, the sweet taste of carrot cake from the Heartland Cafe, the touch of the needle as it gently presses against the groove of an LP and, of course, the sight of hundreds of vinyl-heads searching for that ever so coveted and rare Sonic Youth seven inch. Everything about the Chirp fair speaks to independence, local and a little off the map. more ›

Things are finally picking up in terms of spring weather, so why not get out of there and spread some literary goodness around? more ›

The early 90's Riot Grrrl movement in Los Angeles and Minneapolis proved concretely that even though we like to paint our nails and smell nice, sometimes a girl just needs to rock. Girls Rock! Chicago camps are a non-profit organization offering area young ladies the opportunity explore self-expression through traditionally rock-oriented instruments and arrangements. It's a killer concept and one we wish had existed in suburban Wisconsin when we were slogging through our formative years. more ›

What a way to wind up the work week. Help those last few minutes slip by with this video mash-up of our very own Blue Ribbon Glee Club's rendition of "Waiting Room" over some archival live footage of Fugazi. It's actually kind of hypnotic, no? more ›

Welcome to the second full work-week of 2008. If yours is going anything like ours, the term "hump day" doesn't even make you crack a smile. Here's (hopefully) some motivation to get you to the weekend: more ›