It's a Big Weekend for Andy Cirzan Fans!

Around this time each year, the hosts of WBEZ-FM's nationally syndicated Sound Opinions show set aside an entire program to celebrate the season with their very own Kris Kringle, the one and only Andy Cirzan. By day, Cirzan is vice president of Jam Productions, one of the country's leading independent concert promoters. After hours, however, he becomes the jolly DJ LoFi, one of the country's preeminent collectors of offbeat and unusual Christmas music. This guy's been sending around dazzling holiday mixes for a good 20 years longer than I have, and they're chock full of delightful tunes you've almost certainly never heard before.

Andy's latest mix is called Space Age Santa Sounds, it's made up of the most interesting tracks from his 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 compilations, and it's available as a free download, below. You'll also find a link to Andy's annual Sound Opinions Holiday Extravaganza, which is trying something different this year. Rather than playing tracks from Andy's latest mix, this year's show offers a whole separate batch of slightly more mainstream holiday fare in a show they're calling "Rock 'n Pop Xmas." The show features Christmas music from The Beatles, The Kinks, The Band, Lou Reed and more, along with lively commentary from Andy and hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot, two of the sharpest and most insightful pop music writers in the nation. Be sure to grab both the latest Andy Cirzan mix and this weekend's Sound Opinions broadcast. And don't delay! Like Christmas, these treats won't last forever.






Download Andy's Latest Mix, Space Age Santa Sounds

Download or Hear this Week's Sound Opinions Holiday Show, featuring Andy Cirzan

Don't Miss Andy Cirzan's Annual Sound Opinions Holiday Spectacular Next Weekend

Andy Cirzan

Just as children can't wait for Christmas morning, most serious fans of alternative holiday music count the days until Andy Cirzan's annual appearance on Chicago Public Radio's Sound Opinions show each December. Good news: The waiting ends next weekend! By day, Cirzan is vice president of Jam Productions, perhaps the largest independent concert promoter in the country. After hours, however, he becomes Carlos Danger – no, wait . . . that's not right. He becomes DJ LoFi, one of the world's most respected collectors of lesser known Christmas records and holiday ephemera. He's been the star of the Sound Opinions holiday spectacular since before I caught the holiday music bug, and it's always a fun broadcast. Not only do listeners get to hear selected tracks from Cirzan's latest holiday mix, but the entire compilation is typically posted on the Sound Opinions website. The holiday show is scheduled for next weekend, so be sure to give a listen.

Sound Opinions airs Friday night at 8 PM CST and Saturday morning at 11 AM CST on Chicago's WBEZ-FM. It is also syndicated on stations across the country and via the internet. For information about how and when you can catch the broadcast, visit the Sound Opinions website.

Don't Miss Andy Cirzan's Annual Visit to Sound Opinions Next Weekend

Andy's Holiday Mix for 2012

The alternative holiday music community has been rapidly gaining strength over the past five or ten years, and so long as corporate radio and the mass market media titans continue to force feed us the same dozen or so holiday chestnuts each year, you can bet that increasing numbers of listeners will take off on their own to see what the wide open skies of the internet have to offer. Like any pioneer movement, this community has its trailblazers and inspirational figures, several of whom have been collecting offbeat holiday records for years. One of the true pioneers of this genre is Andy Cirzan.  An executive for one of the country's leading concert promoters, Andy’s been sending his annual holiday mix to friends and business associates for more than 20 years, and his product rarely disappoints.  Happily for us, Andy is the featured guest around this time each year for a special holiday edition of Sound Opinions, the Chicago Public Radio rock music talk show hosted each weekend by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. Andy serves as Sound Opinions’ very own Kris Kringle, playing selections from his latest holiday CD, and discussing his collection and holiday music in general. This is one show I look forward to all year, which is why I wanted to mention it here.  The Sound Opinions Holiday Spectacular airs next Saturday, December 15 on stations across the country and is also available via podcast. Check the Sound Opinions website for details.

Andy Cirzan Plays Santa on Sound Opinions this Saturday

December, as you might imagine, is a pretty awesome month for Christmas music enthusiasts. For one thing, it’s the one month each year when we can safely acknowledge our interest in seasonal music. Playing "Jingle Bells" in May rarely goes over well. It’s also a great time to expand our collections. Not only does December bring new releases from some of the world's biggest entertainers, but literally hundreds of new tracks from struggling and independent artists are made available for little or no cost via the internet. Of course, this is also the season when folks like me circulate their “Christmas comps” – mix tapes of myriad styles and sensibilities. In the few short years I’ve been following holiday music, I’ve already developed a list of favorite collectors whose mixes I especially enjoy, and at or near the top of my list is Andy Cirzan. An executive for one of the country's leading concert promoters, Andy’s been sending his annual mix to friends and business associates for more than 20 years, and his product rarely disappoints.  Happily for us, Andy’s also the featured guest this time each year for a special holiday edition of Sound Opinions, the Chicago Public Radio rock music talk show hosted each weekend by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. Andy serves as Sound Opinions’ very own Kris Kringle, playing selections from his latest holiday CD, and discussing his collection and holiday music in general. This is one show I look forward to all year, which is why I wanted to mention it here.  The Sound Opinions Holiday Spectacular airs this Saturday, December 16 on stations across the country and is also available via podcast. Check the Sound Opinions website for details.