THE SOUND OF FAILURE IS SILENCE/ THE DEMOCRATS ARE OFF AND RUNNING/ WHILE AMERICA’S BIG CITIES UNDER SEIGE ARE NOT WORTHY OF A MENTION.BOB ANGONEon August 22, 2020 at 6:16 pm

JUST SAYIN

THE SOUND OF FAILURE IS SILENCE/ THE DEMOCRATS ARE OFF AND RUNNING/ WHILE AMERICA’S BIG CITIES UNDER SEIGE ARE NOT WORTHY OF A MENTION.

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THE SOUND OF FAILURE IS SILENCE/ THE DEMOCRATS ARE OFF AND RUNNING/ WHILE AMERICA’S BIG CITIES UNDER SEIGE ARE NOT WORTHY OF A MENTION.BOB ANGONEon August 22, 2020 at 6:16 pm Read More »

Game Post 8/22Sean Hollandon August 22, 2020 at 10:04 pm

Cubs Den

Game Post 8/22

Game Post 8/22Sean Hollandon August 22, 2020 at 10:04 pm Read More »

One to Forget–White Sox 10 Cubs 1Mike Bangharton August 22, 2020 at 3:46 am

Cubs Den

One to Forget–White Sox 10 Cubs 1

One to Forget–White Sox 10 Cubs 1Mike Bangharton August 22, 2020 at 3:46 am Read More »

Ganser lift the spirits of the extremely online with Just Look at That SkyLeor Galilon August 21, 2020 at 7:35 pm

Pandemic life leaves a lot to be desired, but I’m especially unenthused about the extra time I spend on social media for work and . . . well, not pleasure, but to connect with people I care about but can’t physically be around. Doomscrolling creates an anxiety-provoking feedback loop: though I continue to click out of a desire to feel more engaged with my communities, I inevitably feel more isolated the more I partake in it. Chicago postpunk four-piece Ganser capture this hard-to-pin-down ambient stress on “Bags for Life,” though the song’s intensifying rhythmic throb and anthemic sweep are far more pleasurable than an evening wasted on Twitter. The song closes their new second album, Just Look at That Sky (Felte), where Ganser expertly survey our modern stasis with their prismatic approach to postpunk: they evoke its chilling minimalism with bone-dry guitar lines, and pay deference to pop with robust, hulking rhythms. Sometimes, such as on the menacing ripper “Self Service,” they do both at once. Ganser’s lead singers, bassist Alicia Gaines and keyboardist Nadia Garofalo, intensify the mood of every song with the nuances in their voices–which also suggest secrets buried in each melody, waiting to be unlocked through repeated listens. v

Ganser lift the spirits of the extremely online with Just Look at That SkyLeor Galilon August 21, 2020 at 7:35 pm Read More »

Matmos have 99 collaborators but a bore ain’t oneSalem Collo-Julinon August 21, 2020 at 10:00 pm

Baltimore experimental electronic duo Matmos have released a steady stream of albums over their 25 years, many of which feature guest artists, but on the new The Consuming Flame: Open Exercises in Group Form they’ve brought in enough collaborators to fill a house party. They made the album in part from submissions by 99 musicians Matmos had invited to send virtually any sound recording of their choice, as long as it had a tempo of 99 beats per minute. Founding members Drew Daniel and M.C. Schmidt processed and integrated those recordings into a sound collage that somewhat resembles Matmos’s original music: a glorious collection of sound arcs that tangle with EDM, make pit stops in plunderphonics, and sometimes even include serene moments of melody. The Consuming Flame could present an endurance challenge for even the most ardent Matmos fans, given that it runs three hours in its entirety. The album is being released as a three-CD set and a 44-track streamable digital album, but savvy listeners will want to pick up the physical version, since it comes with a two-by-three-foot color poster that lists the complicated timeline of the incorporated submissions, complete with notes and timestamps. Matmos’s guests span a number of scenes: they include Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, Pig Destroyer’s Blake Harrison, electronic artists J. Lesser and Vicki Bennett, and students from a Sound as Music course that Schmidt taught at the defunct San Francisco Art Institute. Matmos already welcomed found sound and aural experimentation, but with The Consuming Flame they’ve truly embraced the principles of making music with others. v

Matmos have 99 collaborators but a bore ain’t oneSalem Collo-Julinon August 21, 2020 at 10:00 pm Read More »

This Chicago-Based, Social Good Platform Just LaunchedBrian Lendinoon August 21, 2020 at 1:58 pm

Who here has come across a cause they felt was worth their time or money or both? OK, now who here has donated money or volunteered time to said cause, felt super good about themselves after but then never did it again.

It’s okay to admit that. We have all done it in some fashion. There’s a new platform here to provide a clear shift and improvement to those one-off moments and it’s called Selfless. Selfless’s goal is clear. It aims to create a genuine connection between organizations and individuals looking to do some good through strategic community interaction and digital storytelling updates.

Photo Credit: Selfless

It’s technologically with the times. It’s personalized. And most importantly, it’s completely centered around social responsibility. This three-step approach to making a difference is making waves not only here in Chicago and San Francisco, where the startup is based out of, but everywhere in the United States as social justice and community responsibility initiatives have come to the forefront of the national conversation.

The platform is split into two types of users: Allies and Receivers.

Allies are everyday individuals. That can be you yourself, a small community group, or even a large corporation looking for a longstanding relationship with a receiver. A receiver is qualified as any nonprofit, a homeless shelter, nursing home, or peer community organization. It’s the relationship-building aspect of Selfless that gives receivers the passionate and targeted allies who really want to make a difference, and allies the type of platform that allows them to actively see updates on how their contributions are making a real difference in the community.

The idea comes from co-founders Amar Shah and Rubini Naidu, the lifeblood of which has been growing for the past four years. Rubini has always been enthralled by the impact of storytelling and its ability to empathize, strengthen, and expunge stereotypes. Prior to Selfless, Naidu was a Fulbright Scholar in India studying decolonization of international development through storytelling. She has been ideating Selfless with the sole goal of creating a platform that fosters ongoing relationships under this very premise. Amar Shah is a former monk who at one point spent two years undergoing rigorous spiritual training in Trinidad and Tobago. Upon completion of that, he spent two weeks in India to regain touch with his homeland and that is where he and Rubini connected.

Selfless as an application is an amalgamation of applications you are already familiar with. Shah quips in a company press release, “It’s as simple as sending a snap on Snapchat!” But the end game is simple: making human connection. Allies can record a short, selfie-style video talking about their personal goals, whether they would like to lend their time and skills or simply engage through transparent donating. Conversely, receivers can better articulate their needs through similar short, informal videos.

When goals of allies match with the needs of a receiver, the platform performs an ‘Act of Good’, tailored specifically to these characteristics. These acts can be performed in person at a local opportunity or virtually adhering to the current landscape of quarantine and social distancing guidelines. It’s the human-to-human connection that fortifies the relationship for both the ally and receiver as both can see the impact of their action through community video calls and visual storytelling updates.

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The value of that goes far beyond a simple one-off donation to your local food bank (though there is tremendous value in doing this, as well).

Have you been searching far and wide for your opportunity to become better invested in your community? Selfless is it. It’s the platform that allows you to invest your time, money, and emotion, into bettering the lives of people within your own community. To get started on your journey to matching up and performing your own Act of Good, download the Selfless app now and record your own video of how you want to, or need, help in your community.

Follow them on Instagram at @getselfless and visit their website via the link here.

At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.

Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!

Featured Image Credit: Selfless

Chicago Bulls Draft: Top 3 realistic options at no. 4 pickRyan Heckmanon August 21, 2020 at 12:00 pm

Chicago Bulls (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

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The Chicago Bulls came away with the no. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery.

What a night it was for the Chicago Bulls. Finally, fans had something to cheer about. Well, actually, you could argue it’s been a few months of excitement.

The Bulls landed the fourth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but that came after Jim Boylen was recently fired and in the same year that both John Paxson and Gar Forman were relieved of their duties within the organization.

So, you could say that Bulls fans have had one heck of a year, despite the pandemic.

Going into Thursday night’s Draft Lottery, the Bulls’ most likely outcome was falling to the seventh or eighth pick overall. In total, they had a 32 percent chance at a top-4 pick, and that’s exactly what they ended up with.

This year’s class is an intriguing one, because the collegiate class is a whole lot less exciting than recent years. There are a few international prospects which could fascinate some general managers, and Arturas Karnisovas just might be one of them.

Karnisovas came to the Bulls from the Denver Nuggets, where he specialized in international scouting. He did, after all, have a hand in the Nuggets drafting Nikola Jokic. If he could help the Bulls find a similar player in terms of impact, fans would be thrilled.

But, at no. 4, no one really knows what will happen. There are arguably three or four premier players in this draft, including James Wiseman, LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards.

However, because of this class not necessarily boasting a true superstar, it’s going to be difficult to predict just where each team goes. Where the Bulls stand, there are three particular players to keep an eye on.

Next: 1: Isaac Okoro

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Chicago Bulls Draft: Top 3 realistic options at no. 4 pickRyan Heckmanon August 21, 2020 at 12:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Blackhawks: Coaching/management changes are a mustVincent Pariseon August 21, 2020 at 1:00 pm

The Chicago Blackhawks definitely need a change at the coaching/management positions.

It was really fun to watch the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Edmonton Oilers in the play-in round. The Oilers are a much better team but Chicago prevailed and took advantage of the opportunity that the circumstances gave to them. Well, they were humbled fast when they were matched up against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the playoffs. There are still a lot of things to address about the offseason but it is clear that they need to make some big changes.

There are changes that need to be made on the ice but the big changes need to come in the coaching and management positions. The Blackhawks need to fire Stan Bowman. He has been a guy that they need to get rid of for a few years now and not doing it has caused them to be in the position that they are currently in. He has made bad trades, been bad at drafting and developing, and making the wrong moves in pretty much everything else related to hockey ops.

One of Stan’s biggest mistakes that he has ever made was the firing of Joel Quenneville. He let that guy (the greatest coach of all time) go in favor of Jeremy Colliton. Well, Colliton is bad at his job. Nobody is saying he can’t ever grow into a good coach but he is not good right now and needs to go. There were so many issues in the regular season that led to them (pre-COVID-19) missing the playoffs and when they were in the playoffs it was even worse.

Colliton took ice away from a guy like Brandon Saad to give John Quenneville minutes. He was awful in that game. He made like one good defensive play and was a disaster with the puck on his stick. After watching that all game, Colliton had him out there down a goal with three minutes left in the third period. That is unacceptable. After the game, when asked about that, Colliton claimed that they have liked Quenneville all year long. They liked him so much that they sent him down after nine NHL games early in the season and he wasn’t back up until the bubble.

This might get worse on the ice before it gets better. It is a shame because the Chicago legends on this team like Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, and Corey Crawford were still so awesome and the second half of their careers are being wasted. Hopefully, they clean the house and are able to turn this around quickly because 2019-20 was pathetic overall.

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Chicago Blackhawks: Coaching/management changes are a mustVincent Pariseon August 21, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Cubs vs. White Sox series has some extra buzzPatrick Sheldonon August 21, 2020 at 5:48 pm

Chicago Cubs (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox square off with renewed energy.

This weekend the Chicago Cubs host the Chicago White Sox for a three-game series at Wrigley Field, though without fans, it really does not matter in terms of home-field advantage. This is a shame because the fans would have been treated to a series re-energized by two teams playing some pretty good baseball.

Unfortunately, mostly for White Sox fans, this has not always been the case. For all of their warts, the Cubs have plugged along pretty consistently and remained competitive. The White Sox, though, have not held up their end of the bargain, which is why this weekend is the first time in a while that both teams square off with winning records.

The Cubs sit in first place in the NL Central with the majors’ third-best record, while the White Sox come in at third in the AL Central but are only two games out (1.5 in the Wild Card race). So when the teams square off tonight, as Jon Lester faces Dallas Keuchel, the games will mean a little more.

As it is, in a 60-game shortened season, every game carries much more significance than in years past. Now add to it the fact that both teams are trying to maintain their position for a playoff spot, and the atmosphere would have been electric for fans.

Imagine the debates in the outfield that would have taken place in earnest over a few adult beverages. Cubs fans ribbing Sox fans for the Fernando Tatis trade, with Sox fans returning the favor by thanking the Cubs for Eloy Jimenez. Those arguments would have crescendoed with a debate over who is the best shortstop in Chicago — Tim Anderson or Javier Baez.

Next: 3 Jose Quintana trade packages with White Sox

So as not to create a war, I will refrain from tackling that question (at least for today) and instead focus on the fact that it’s just another juicy storyline to embrace in this 2020 version of the rivalry. Unfortunately, fans won’t get to experience it live but I encourage you to rib your buddy mercilessly through text, email, or social media. Take advantage of this excitement because it has been a while since it’s existed and it’s no guarantee to be here in the future.

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Cubs vs. White Sox series has some extra buzzPatrick Sheldonon August 21, 2020 at 5:48 pm Read More »