Chicago's Alternative | Modern Rock | Q101 | 101.1 WKQX

12.18.16 – Alt_Backspace

December 19, 2016 | Web Team

1. Green Day – Hitchin’ A Ride
2. The Smithereens – A Girl Like You
3. Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
4. Live – Pain Lies On The Riverside
5. The Church – Under The Milky Way
6. Soul Coughing – Circles
7. The Smiths – Bigmouth Strikes Again
8. Talk Talk – Talk Talk
9. Blur – Parklife
10. Beck – Where It’s At
11. Split Enz – I Got You
12. Stabbing Westward – Shame

1. Smashing Pumpkins – Mayonnaise (Acoustic)
2. Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax (Come Fighting)
3. Letters To Cleo – Here And Now
4. Nirvana – Polly (Unplugged)
5. Blondie – One Way Or Another
6. Radiohead – Optiomistic
7. Material Issue –Valerie Loves Me
8. Echo & The Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
9. Blink 182 – I Won’t Be Home For Christmas
10. Garbage – I Think I’m Paranoid
11. Paul Westerberg – Dyslexic Heart
12. EMF – Unbelievable

Taking Back Sundays – 12.18.16

December 19, 2016 | Web Team

1. Dashboard Confessional – Vindicated
2. Wheatus – Teenage Dirtbag
3. All-American Rejects – Move Along
4. Brand New – Sic Transit Gloria… Glory Fades
5. Simple Plan – Addicted
6. Story Of The Year – Until The Day I Die
7. Mayday Parade – Three Cheers For Five Years
8. Panic! At The Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies
9. Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Follow You Into The Dark
10. Twenty One Pilots – Cancer
11. Pixies – Where Is My Mind
12. Blink 192 – Stay Together For The Kids
13. Manchester Orchestra – Shake It Out
14. Gym Class Heroes – Cupid’s Chokehold
15. My Chemical Romance – All I Want For Christmas Is You

Joe Buck hints at Retirement

December 19, 2016 | <3 Lauren

Weird how Lou is out “sick” with “food poisoning” today…

I think he heard the news that his arch nemesis Joe Buck is talking about retiring and celebrated himself “sick.”

It won’t be until after the 2019 World Series, more from thescore.com HERE

<3 @laurenoneil

15 Restaurants for Delicious Mac and Cheese in Chicago, Mapped

December 19, 2016 | Marconi🍕

(from chicago.eater.com)

The deep freeze has set in and one of the best ways to cure the winter blues is with a comforting bowl of mac and cheese. This simple yet indulgent classic American dish comes in many forms—from home-style recipes that evoke memories of childhood comfort to creative offerings made with the finest ingredients—and you’ll find them scattered all around Chicago. Hats and gloves are necessities in winter, but a cheesy blanket of goodness definitely isn’t far behind.

As is to be expected, several barbecue restaurants are highlighted on this list because they show their meats and sides equal amounts of love. Other places, like Kuma’s Corner and Hot Chocolate, have long been renowned for their prowess with cheese and noodles and will never let you down. So put down that Kraft box and check out the map below to find the best spots for some tantalizing (and powder-free) mac and cheeses.

(MORE HERE)

Bub City gets my vote. Topped with pork or spicy chipotle-brisket. Kuma’s is a close second with the most creative specialty mac. PIZZA MAC-N-CHEESE!!

Thief Disguises Self With Magic Marker

December 18, 2016 | Eric

Out of the state of Florida….because, of COURSE…the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is on the lookout for a robber from a gas station heist last week…with an amazing disguise:

Yes. The world’s first (?) APB for a man/woman (??) with a magic marker beard (??!?). Clearly, they really needed the cash.

(Original Story: WPLG-TV, Miami)

Take Better Phone Pics In Low Light

December 18, 2016 | Eric

Taking pictures with your phone can be a dicey proposition. They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. But you best believe that in Chicago, that s#%& comes back to bite you.

In all seriousness, taking pics when you are out late at night doesn’t seem to work very well, right? The end result: a lot of bad pictures. But I learned a trick this week…and all you need is to double down on phones! Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you haven’t. But I was like…niiiice.

To illustrate the point, I have contracted our resident 101WKQX model…Kevin. Here’s Kevin in low light, no flash:

Pictures can be hard to see…even blurry. NOW…here is Kevin with the flash enabled:

Better…but the flash makes harsh, whited out subjects….and can shadow things around you.

Here’s the trick: turn the flashlight on one phone and hold it up to light your subjects. With the second phone, take the photo:

Kevin is evenly lit. So is everything surrounding him. Everything is in focus. In short, you will look like a pro photographer.

Speaking of short…I picked up this trick whilst enjoying an Eric holiday tradition…a cocktail at the top of the Hancock. So, if you see the shortest waiter ever pulling this off at the Signature Room at the 96th, tell him Eric sends his regards.

VIDEO: Could you really survive the ‘HOME ALONE’ traps ?

December 18, 2016 | Kevin

The video science wizards of VSauce3 put the bone-crunching booby traps to the test in a viral hit video this week in an actual replica house from the classic 1992 movie ‘Home Alone’ that featured a smart-ass 8 year old fending off burglars on Christmas Eve. The movie had those memorable cartoon violence moments of a paint bucket swinging into Marv’s head, a torch burning Harry’s head, and of course crowbar cracking ribs when they were really aiming for tarantula.

While we are on the topic of ‘Home Alone’ here is our tribute video that we shot at our old studio in the Merch Mart last year. Note: the hat…yes, we got the hat.

Top Christmas TV Commercials…or just the weird ones

December 18, 2016 | Kevin

Christmas is a time of getting together and giving gifts, so maybe it’s unavoidable that some you feel the season in full swing through TV commercials. The always-reliable Yotuber Channel Awesome delivered a delightful yet demented look at 12 christmas commercials that stood the test of time when we’re scrolling through the net look for those ‘member berries.

Warpaint – “Creating Vocals/Working With Producer Flood”

December 17, 2016 | Russell

Warpaint – “New Album Process/Future Goals”

December 17, 2016 | Russell

Warpaint – No Way Out

December 17, 2016 | Russell

Warpaint – New Song

December 17, 2016 | Russell

Scott Darling Gets A New Mask!

December 16, 2016 | Russell

Check out how cool this Winter Classic mask is that Scott Darling got made for the big day! What is your favorite part about it?

Nine Inch Nails make good on their 2016 new music promise

December 16, 2016 | Kevin

Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor tweeted last December about new music coming in 2016, and fans have been clamoring to see if he’ll actually deliver some fresh stuff before the year ends in two weeks. Well today, Reznor came through on his promise. The new NIN EP titled “NOT ACTUAL EVENTS” will come out direct from the band’s website on December 23rd via a digital download and “physical component” according to the band’s official website.

Here is the post detailing ‘NOT ACTUAL EVENTS’ release from NIN.com
THE INTENTION OF THIS RECORD IS FOR IT TO EXIST IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD, JUST LIKE YOU. CHOOSING THIS PACKAGE GETS YOU THE DIGITAL FILES AND WE WILL SHIP THE PROPER PHYSICAL COMPONENT TO YOUR HOUSE FOR YOU TO DEAL WITH, WHILE VERY LIMITED SUPPLIES LAST.

TRACKLIST

01. BRANCHES/BONES
02. DEAR WORLD,
03. SHE’S GONE AWAY
04. THE IDEA OF YOU
05. BURNING BRIGHT (FIELD ON FIRE)

Joining Reznor on this album is his recent collaborator on several film scores, Atticus Ross. The two have been quite complimentary of each other’s dark perspectives on making thought-provoking art, so this should provide some exciting results on the first NIN release since 2013. Ross is now an official member of the band. It’s worth noting the website also notes this new EP will be “unrecognizable” in comparison to Reznor and Ross’s film score work.

And if this news didn’t energize you, NIN is also releasing “definitive editions” of their classic albums on vinyl.

It’s The End Of The Year As We Know It

December 16, 2016 | <3 Lauren

In a lot of aspects, 2016 has been a bastard. These three sum it up nicely.

Try not to suck 2017.

<3 @laurenoneil

3D-printed Adidas 3D Runners

December 16, 2016 | Marconi🍕

(from techcrunch.com)

The 3D Runners aren’t going to change the sneaker world. Not yet, at least. For now, the technology isn’t affordable or scalable enough for the mainstream shoe-buying public. The $333 price tag is simultaneously a nod to the technology that gave the shoes life and a reminder of its still prohibitive nature. But unlike the $700+ self-lacing Nike HyperAdapts that launched earlier this year in limited quantity, the underlying tech on Adidas’ new sneakers feel truly inevitable. (MORE HERE)

These shoes look amazing and everything but seriously WHEN CAN WE MAKE 3D PRINTER PIZZA??? Then I’d have a real reason to need these shoes to run off all the pizza dough.

‘Saved By The Bell’ Pop-Up Announces National Tour While Extending Chicago Run

December 15, 2016 | Marconi🍕

(from chicago.eater.com)

New Year’s Eve was to mark the finale for Saved By The Max, the charming Chicago pop-culture pop-up that debuted in June based on the 1990s NBC show, Saved By The Bell. But here’s a morning announcement: They’re extending the pop-up through May and adding new menu items from chef Brian Fisher, who’s also killing it over at Entente in Lakeview. But the biggest news is that the pop-up will embark on a national tour after Chicago’s run is done. The dates and locations aren’t finalized, but Los Angeles should be an obvious stop.

Organizers Zack Eastman, Derek Berry and Steve Harris have now extended their run twice. Reservations for the Max have been booked solid for most of entire year, and it would seem the last six months have been stuffed with more than enough nostalgic ‘member berries to sate fans of Zack Morris, Mr. Belding and Kelly Kapowski. They’ve had celebrities, like Mario Lopez, stop by. (MORE HERE)

I still haven’t been. I really want to but Lauren told me when she was invited to the media opening night they asked her to check her phone at the door?? IS THAT STILL A THING?? Because…NOPE!! I’m sure it’s awesome though!! Love that it’s been so successful.

‘Super Mario Run’ is available now on iPhone: Is it good?

December 15, 2016 | Kevin

It’s a him, Mario ….on your iPhone! Nintendo released their first official mobile game exclusively today through Apple mobile devices, featuring the plumber like no other, Super Mario.The game is available now on iPhone, iTouch, and iPad. Nintendo will have the game available on Android phones at some point in 2017.

‘Super Mario RUN!’ is a vertical runner game that for a one-time fee of $9.99 has a revamp of all the classic Mario feels of jumping on Koopas and more on your smartphone. The gameplay looks pretty neat, but reviews are not saying it’s the be-all-end-all mobile game some might have expected. The reliable geeks of the Verge have a full review here . They say ‘RUN’ is not just “another automatic runner with a Mushroom Kingdom-themed coat of paint. Part of that is the look — a 2.5D visual style pulled from New Super Mario Bros. — and characters, items, and locations plucked from the NES and SNES era. But just as familiar is the specific sense of movement, the cleverly designed levels, the overall playful nature.Super Mario Run is a small but promising start, which is to say Nintendo, for all its innovations and creativity on its own hardware, is following the mobile gaming playbook to a T.”

IGN plays through it all in this detailed review covering the game play, graphics, and how the game delivers on it’s potential.

The biggest hangup about ‘Super Mario Run’ seems to be that the game is only available when you have an internet connection. IGN News has the info here, wher they explain why this is happening. This may hurt those of you who are careful of their data consumption or those not consistently tethered to a WI-FI network.

A Portable Record Player That Runs Rings Around Your Vinyl

December 14, 2016 | Marconi🍕

(from nme.com)

In the late ’70s, The Walkman made music truly portable. After the slightly wobbly CD equivalent, the Discman, we got Apple’s iPod and ultimate music-on-the-go goodness. Despite attempts with devices like the Sound Burger (watch it in action and want one forever), vinyl has never really been able to nail that freedom and mobility. Until now, that is. (MORE HERE)