Champaign Is Also A Band
One songwriter, one song. Podcast about stories & songs of Champaign-Urbana music. In each episode Sven sits down with a person from the C-U music scene to hear the story & the background of a favorite song they’ve written.
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Episodes
Friday Dec 18, 2020
Friday Dec 18, 2020
Every great episode needs a sequel, EP51 is no exception. Consider this bonus material from part 1.
We talk about Sven finding joy in hip hop, recording an upcoming album, supporting artists, AMS' family history in CU, all the CU hip hop connections he's made, and finally what makes a good scene!
BONUS SONG: "Half (a Life)" from the upcoming album: Strange Days, Stranger Tomorrows
Photo by: Yevgeniya Mazur
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Sven zooms with AMS. the Nerd King to talk about Grecian Myth, the "keys" to happiness, why you can't say the word "bear," and a very special teacher from Hyde Park who was a powerful influence on AMS' voice.
SONG: SisyphusALBUM: The Over/Under EPLyrics by AMS. Produced by SAMIYAM. Turntablism by DJ RTST. Recorded at Soapbox Music in Chicago, IL.
BANDS: Boombap Savant and FUTURE CULT LEADERS OF AMERICA, aka FCLA.
Favorite Treat: OJ - plain and simple
Photo: Sarah Larson
REFS:
SAMIYAM.
Sev Seveer
Sisyphus
Hades
Tantalus (the pear guy)
Ad infinitum
Helping Verb
Breath Control
Metronome
Metalhead
Post-Punk [Genre]
Post-Hardcore [Genre]
HipHop [Genre]
Jazz [Genre]
Motown [Genre]
Funk [Genre]
Soul [Genre]
Classic Rock [Genre]
Psychedelic Rock [Genre]
Universal Zulu Nation [Group]
Metallica [Band]
4 Elements of HipHop
Graff Artist
Breakdancing
Rawkus Records - Soundbombing II
Company Flow [Group]
"Patriotism" [Song]
National Honor Society
Scholastic Bowl
Footwork battles
Breaking Battles
Martin Luther
"Sin Boldly"
Water into wine miracle.
Windmills - Don Quixote
Roman Catholic Church
Latin Mass
Boy Scouts of America
Cursive [Band]
"Art is Hard" [song]
Blunderbuss
Mad Libs
Igneous
Eagle Scout
Capcom
Mega Man
Yellow Devil
Saying the word "Bear"
Making a custom keyboard
Through hole soldering
Chase Baby (EP38 and BEP09)
"Lifelines" Feat. AMS the Nerd King
The Dissociation EP - Chase Baby
Friday Nov 27, 2020
Friday Nov 27, 2020
In this episode Sven zooms with Em Baker of Plike. Find out what recording in a car, a washing machine, and the opening scene in "The Fifth Element" all have to do with her music and collaboration with Yellow Belly.
SONG: Sanity Meter (feat. Yellow Belly)
ALBUM: Soteria
BANDS: Alison Layne (Alice in Chains cover band), Bishop Buzzkill, Plike, Wire & Wasteland, Acting for Cameras
FAVORITE TREAT: toss-up between a pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food and a chocolate martini!
Photo Credit: Andres Morales-Torres | AMT Photoworks
REFS
Hellblade [Game] (Senua's Sacrifice)
Yellow Belly [Band]
WitchHouse [Genre]
ChipTune [Genre]
Synth-Pop [Genre]
Pink Floyd [Band]
Dub Step [Genre]
Portishead [Band]
The Fifth Element [Movie]
PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)
Aphex Twin [Band]
The Crystal Method [Band]
Spotify
Myspace
Decatur, IL
DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)
90s Daughter
Jupiter's
The Canopy Club
EDM
VNV Nation [Band]
Paul Oakenfold
NES (Nintendo Entertainment System)
Mass Effect [Game Series]
Star Wars [Movie Series]
Commander Shepard [Character]
Sony
VO (Voice-over)
Mark Hamill
Silent Hill
Oculus Rift
Aliens [Movie]
Ripley [Character]
Alien Isolation [Game]
Play Station
Untitled Goose Game
The Three Stooges
Asheville, NC
Friday Nov 06, 2020
Friday Nov 06, 2020
Even in the middle of a pandemic, music is still happening and being released. Sven zooms with former guest Kelsey Sharp (EP6) to talk about releasing an EP in the middle of a pandemic and what goes into each of the four songs on her EP.
You can find "W.W.L.D." available now!
EP cover art and episode cover by: Big E
Friday Oct 30, 2020
Friday Oct 30, 2020
Sven zooms with Jemma and Alaina from Familiar Ghosts to talk about their song "Bury Me Alive." Tune in to find out what Starbucks, Google Docs, and Edgar Allan Poe have in common, where the name Familiar Ghosts comes from, and what paint is better: acrylic or oil.
SONG: Bury Me Alive
ALBUM: Daydreams & Nightmares (releases 12/21/20
BANDS: Familiar Ghosts (Formally the Killer Coven)
Favorite Treats:
Jemma: Chai latte & bear claws
Alaina: Moscow Mule & banana bread
Photo Credit: Tim Allen
Refs:
Starbucks
Emoting
Rebranding
Indie folk
Indie rock
Queen(esque) [band]
Chord Structure
Key
Killer Coven [band]
Hands of Fate
Elton John
The Star [Song]
Google Docs
Pop Music
Ballad
Sipyard
NOLA's Rock Bar (Formally Blackbird Urbana)
90's Daughter [Band]
Overworry [Band]
Ingrid Michaelson [Musician]
AJR [Band]
Acrylic Paint
Oil Paint
Watercolors
Tarot
Astrology
Midnight Sun [book]
Midnight Sun [Definition]
Stephanie Myer [author]
Edgar Allan Poe
Pompous
The High Priestess [Tarot Card]
The Star [Tarot Card]
Friday Oct 09, 2020
Friday Oct 09, 2020
CW: Mentions misogyny, r*pe, abuse, assault, and people being shitty humans.Sven zooms with Dexter Anodyne, a musician in Springfield, IL. Hear the question that Sven is glad he asked, Dexter's favorite venue in Springfield, and her favorite non-musical things.
SONG: Brink of Summer
ALBUM: Weeping Venus
BANDS: Greenhouse Opera
FAVORITE TREAT: Sushi
Photo Credit: Dexter Anodyne
REFS:
Synthesizer
Psychedelic Music
Tool [Band]
Radiohead [Band]
Aesthetic(s)
Nirvana
Heaven
Björk Guðmundsdóttir [Musician]
Beatles [Band]
Looping
Buzz Bomb Brewing Company [Venue]
Vincent Sebastian [Musician]
Interference [Album]
Ricki Marvel [Musician]
Intersectionality
Intersectional Feminism
Blacksheep Cafe [Venue]
Dumb Records [Venue]
Bermuda Triangle [Band]
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook
Influencer
Bandcamp
Springfield, IL
Peoria, IL
Elitism
Australian Shepard
Lady Gaga
Friday Sep 25, 2020
Friday Sep 25, 2020
Sven zooms with Keegan in his home in Bloomington, Indiana to talk about his song "Loose Ends." Tune in to find out about the beginning of Ghoul Jr., what the CU Music scene could do better, and Keegan's favorite non-musical thing(s). Trust me, this episode sounds much better than sleeping in together...
SONG: Loose Ends
ALBUM: EP
BANDS: Ghoul Jr./Solo
FAVORITE TREAT: Iced Coffee
Photo Credit: Veronica Mullen
REFS:
Reis Desantis (Bonus EP 3 "We Are Family")
Southtown Sound - Springfield, IL [Illinois Times article]
Black Sheep Cafe (closed)
Black Sheep Festival
Deadbeat Boyfriend [Song]
My Sibella [Song]
Blips and Chitz [DIY Venue]
Bloomington, IN
Danville, IL
Decatur, IL
217 Strikes Back [FB Photos - V Mullen Media]
Lucid [Band]
CLAW - Champaign Ladies Amateur Wrestling
Ghost Planet [DIY Venue]
Pity Sex [Band]
Yuck [Band]
Nectar [Band] - (Episode 4)
Data Waves [Band] - (Episode 40)
Blockhouse Bar [Venue]
The Bishop [Venue]
The Bluebird [Venue]
The Canopy Club [Venue]
Rose Bowl Tavern [Venue]
Jaws [Movie]
Study on Green Space and Mental Health
Chinese Evergreen - (Aglaonema Commutatum)
Plant Mode
SvenStock
Friday Sep 11, 2020
Friday Sep 11, 2020
In this episode Sven zooms with Lola Honeye about her favorite song: "Dreams." Find out how this song got started, her favorite place to sing, and why tacos are the greatest.
SONG: Dreams
Sofar Sounds Video of Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkczp0UFbhc
BANDS: New Souls, Mother Nature, Restore, Code Red, Unfamiliar Vibes, Affinity
FAVORITE TREAT: Peach Tea (HOT), Rainbow Goldfish
Photo Credit: Boots HowardREFS:
Jill Scott
TheGr8Thinkas
PlainRo/Ro Marsalis
Rokmore
Klevah
Columbia University
'Michael" Mike Ingram (The Last Champaign County Recorder)
Kayla Brown
Dr. Owens
Cirque du Soleil
Summer Camp Music Festival
Watson's Shack & Rail
Juke Joint
The Canopy Club
Young the Giant
Dr. Seuss
"Iron sharpens iron" - Proverbs 27:17
Henry Miller
List of Banned Books
Equilibrium
Friday Aug 28, 2020
Friday Aug 28, 2020
CW: anxiety and mental health
Even in the middle of a pandemic, music is still happening and being released. Sven zooms with former guest Chase Scott (EP38) of Chase Baby & Trouble Chasin' to talk about releasing an album in the middle of a pandemic and what goes into each of the four songs on his EP.
Today (August 28th) Chase Baby released "The Dissociation EP" You can find it here on all platforms: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/chasebaby/the-dissociation-ep
EP cover art and episode cover by Boots Howard
Friday Aug 14, 2020
Friday Aug 14, 2020
Even in the middle of a pandemic, music is still happening and being recorded. Sven zooms with former guest Mike Carpenter (EP37) of Decadents and the podcast "The 200 Level" to talk about making an album in the middle of a pandemic, recording partially at Perennial Sound Studio with Ryan Groff (EP35) and the challenges of staying true to the band's sound, but at the same time exploring new sounds. The result is Decadents' 4th album "Fever Dreams" set to be released August 21st! You can find it here when it drops: https://decadents.bandcamp.com/