OCCUPY CHICAGO CHARGES DROPPED!

In a major embarrassment for the Chicago mayor’s office, all the charges against Occupy Chicago were dropped a few minutes ago.  The opinion has not been released yet, but it reportedly upholds the fundamental first amendment right to free speech and assembly as trumping the Chicago Park District ordinances about closing hours.  I attended the hearing on Chicago Occupy last spring, and the judge seemed to dismiss the constitutional arguments as nothing but “interesting theories.”  Meanwhile, the Occupy Chicago protestors who had been arrested, handcuffed, fingerprinted, and compelled to post bail were prohibited from travelling outside the state of Illinois while their case was pending.

Critical Inquiry will be hosting further comments on this development as the opinion becomes available.   WJTM

Radio Zero: MGMT, Oracular Spectacular

MGMT, Oracular Spectacular [Columbia, 2007]

Steeped in technicolor synths and sputtering drum machines, samples bits of Pink Floyd, starry eyed 70s soul, 80s pinging textures and beats, and a healthy dose of Flaming Lips-style quirkiness courtesy of producer Dave Fridmann. . . sometimes dragged down by horrid lyrical platitudes. . . and while this could be way worse, it could also be way better. Try 1, 2, 4, 5.

Radio Zero: Teengenerate, Get Action!

Teengenerate, Get Action! (Crypt, 1995)—

Their usual greatness, treble-blaring garage-punk with an emphasis on the “punk”; barely-controlled guitar blasts powered by barreling drums and a singer who sounds like he’s just had major dental surgery and the anaesthetic is wearing off. Try 1, 2, 3, 7, 17.