Via Chicago

So.  Here's the deal.  Besides being away for a bit of time, we've been accused (possibly rightly so...) of slagging off on our current hometown of Chicago.  We had a bit of a meltdown on the facebook in regards to our fellow city-folk not showing for a show, and a more recent one-on-one dissent (possibly alcohol-fueled) with one of our favorite local folks in regards to the state of Chicago music, the Blues, in particular.  While we will not apologize for our stance on the current state of Chicago Blues (it sucks), and the current state of Chicago music in general (a faded shadow of it's former glory), we feel we haven't been completely fair in terms of our adopted home-town. It's a pretty great place to be.

So, to follow, and with apologies, we present a little Chicago mix for yr listening pleasure. Some oddities here and there, some tunes you may already  know, a slightly damaged tune by Merle Haggard, and one song (J.T. IV's "Waiting For The CTA") which is a perfect spot-on ode to one of Chicago's greatest triumphs and failures.  If you've been here, that song is your life.

'Course, this is only a small sampling of songs about The City With Big Shoulders, but these are some of our fave raves.

Enjoy.  We'll be back in business before you know it.

Via Chicago (a tribute to Hizzoner, Da Mare)
(mp3 link follows track listing)

1. Wine-O From Chicago (Howard Crockett)
2.  Chicago Breakdown (Doctor Ross)
3. Chicago Bound (Jimmy Rogers)
4. The Sidewalks Of Chicago (Merle Haggard)
5. Slow Down Chicago (Canasta)
6. O'Leary's Cow (Johnny Horton)
7. Chicago (Frank Sinatra)
8. Richard Daley Blues (Scott Dunbar)
9. Waiting For The CTA (J.T. IV)
10. Chicago USA (Sun Ra-Nu Sounds)
11. Chicago Serenade (Jimmy Smith)
12. What Chicago Took From Me (Moe Bandy)
13.  Chicago Now! (The Fall)
14. I Used To Work In Chicago (Tin Ear Tanner)
15. Oh! Chicago (The Yayhoos)
16. The Woman Downstairs (Handsome Family)
17. North To Chicago (Hank Snow)
18. Little Ol Wine Drinker Me (Dean Martin)
19. Chicago Breakdown (John Schooley)
20. Via Chicago (Wilco)

Via Chicago (mp3) 

Thanks for stopping by.

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