Your Friday Cage Match: Korean Fried Chicken vs. Nashville Fried Chicken. Discuss.

Blurbed as "one of the most Chicago novels I've ever read" by someone from here, Orner's take on provincialism in writing is, for my money, spot-on. Hear all about it, and subscribe for free to @caropopcast.bsky.social!

As he does in The Gossip Columnist's Daughter, his acclaimed new novel blurring fiction and fact around the 1963 death of Chicago Sun-Times columnist Kup's daughter, author Peter Orner makes every word count in this lively Caropop conversation. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Your Friday Cage Match: Ordinary People vs. Quiz Show. Discuss.

On the new Caropop, @emmaswiftsings.bsky.social digs into her new album, life in Nashville with husband @robynhitchcock.bsky.social, whether their sensibilities rub off on each other and “how art can get us through quite brutal experiences by making them beautiful.” www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: She has recorded her own songs and others'.

I guess the Bears offense needed a Flus shot.

Camper Van Beethoven wraps up its tour (but, we hope, not its history as a live band) with a killer “Telephone Free”-and-then-some concert at @930club.bsky.social. They are great and give me joy, and I’m so appreciative.

Your Friday Cage March: Pfizer vs. Moderna. Discuss.

Whether or not you're going to tonight's Baseball Project/Minus 5 show at Thalia Hall, you'll enjoy the latest Caropop episode with the great Scott McCaughey. What it’s like touring two bands with the same personnel? What happened at that truck stop? www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He'll be in Chicago with two different bands soon.

Congrats to @sashaannsimons.bsky.social, @maryldixon.bsky.social and @pksmid.bsky.social on the launch of "In the Loop" and "Say More" at 9 and 10 a.m., respectively, on @wbez.org. We'll be listening as you rock the morning...

Your Friday Cage Match: Monty Python and the Holy Grail vs. This Is Spinal Tap. Discuss.

Any day you can talk with or listen to Robbie Fulks is a good day. On the new @caropopcast.bsky.social he discusses moving from Chicago to L.A., joining Steve Martin's band and creating his own best music at age 62. Here www.caropop.com/caropopcast/... or on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R7N...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He recently performed on a late-night talk show.

With the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio playing two shows at @evanstonspace.bsky.social tonight, check out my Caropop conversation with Delvon about how he creates his cool, feel-good, Hammond B-3-driven instrumental soul jazz. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

In our continued quest to post Caropop episodes on YouTube, we've added some biggies: Pt. 1 of our conversation last year with Colin Moulding of XTC (www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVwe...) and the one featuring Graham Gouldman of 10cc (www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzEy...) Enjoy--and please subscribe!

Your Friday Cage Match: Argybargy vs. East Side Story. Discuss.

@caropopcast.bsky.social returns with one half of Squeeze's dynamic songwriting duo: @chrisdiffordlyrics.bsky.social. Share away, subscribe and give a little back if you want at caropop.com

When Squeeze's Chris Difford submits lyrics to Glenn Tilbrook, does he suggest a musical direction? Did he know “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)” would be a rocker, “Labelled with Love” a country song? Difford explores their dynamic on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

The August hiatus is over, so it's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He writes lyrics.

Oh, THAT kind of shampoo…

Your Friday Cage Match: "Nashville" vs. "Short Cuts." Discuss.

Any local reviews of Oasis at sold-out Soldier Field last night, first Chicago show in almost 17 years? I see one in Billboard, but that's it so far.

Why “shall be” and not “is”? Does this law take effect sometime in the future?

Your Friday Cage Match: Liam Gallagher vs. Noel Gallagher. Discuss.

Our ongoing quest to post @caropopcast.bsky.social episodes on YouTube continues, this week with one of my favorite conversations featuring the sublime, super insightful Sam Phillips. Please subscribe if you get a chance (the numbers really help) and enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPM4...

When I was a kid at camp, I wrote my name on the cabin wall but disguised it in a nerdy way because I was afraid I’d get in trouble (even though the wall was filled with names).

Your Friday Cage Match: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot vs. A Ghost Is Born. Discuss.

Another outlet for your listening convenience! Go on and share with your friends, subscribe for free, or if you feel like giving something back, donate what you can. Thanks for listening! youtube.com/@caropopcast...

Producer @chriscwiak.bsky.social and I have set up a Caropop YouTube channel and started posting episodes there. The first two feature the late Kinks/Who Producer Shel Talmy and XTC's Dave Gregory. Please subscribe! www.youtube.com/@Caropopcast

WGN Radio referring to "Russiagate" without quotation marks...

Your Friday Cage Match: Any Song Called “Lady” vs. Any Other Song Called “Lady.” Discuss.

At some point I decided the "(Theme from) The Monkees" line "We're just tryin' to be friendly!" is hilarious.

A lot of young women with exotic names are "very curious" whether we know each other because I keep showing up in their Facebook friend recommendations. Crazy!

Your Friday Cage Match: Will Ferrell vs. Adam Sandler. Discuss.

I keep thinking about the Decemberists guitarist scolding Sunday's Out of Space lawn-chair-sitting crowd for being less "vivacious" than the band's Saturday night audience inside a Madison theater. Then again, I've heard worse. What's the most startling on-stage rant you've witnessed?

Another beautiful night of great music in Chicagoland as the Decemberists—with the wonderful Nora O’Connor joining the band just this night!—following Kevin Morby and Craig Finn (this week’s Caropop guest!) to the Out of Space stage in Skokie.

Your Friday Cage Match: "The Velvet Underground & Nico" (first album) vs. "The Velvet Underground" (third album). Discuss.

One of these things is like the other. Craig Finn explains the Randy Newman connection of his new album and much more on the latest Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Did Craig Finn of the Hold Steady ever consider being a fiction writer, poet or journalist instead of applying his storytelling chops solely to music? How does his memory factor into creativity? Talking music with Finn is a lot of fun on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He has a band and solo career.

Your Friday Cage Match: Rushmore vs. The Royal Tenenbaums. Discuss.

Yeah!!!

Bassist Gina Birch, a founding member of the legendary British post-punk band the Raincoats, is "Making Trouble Again" with a new album. On Caropop, the fierce, funny Birch talk explores the intersection of art and the often-troublesome outside world. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: She released her first solo album decades after the debut of her post-punk band.

Technically the first seven Alice Cooper albums should be filed under "A," and the rest should be filed under "C"--except the new one, which should be "A" again. Here's my lively Caropop conversation with Alice Cooper bassist Dennis Dunaway: www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Your Friday Cage Match: "Street Fighting Man" vs. "Honky Tonk Woman." Discuss.

I'm Eighteen and School's Out are still bangers, and the dude who laid down the bass for those and others tells @caropopcast.bsky.social how he feels about the singer taking the band's name and going solo when they were at the height of their powers:

The Alice Cooper band has reunited to record its first album in 52 years, and on the new Caropop, bassist Dennis Dunaway spills what it was like to work together again. Did old tensions resurface? What’s the deal with the band touring or not touring? www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...