Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesFriday MP3 Shuffle: Happy Birthday Martin Chambers Edition

[Photo from Fanphobia.net]

It’s once again time to give the drummer some as we wish Happy Birthday to Martin Chambers of The Pretenders. Chambers gave up his job as a driving instructor in London upon meeting with singer Chrissie Hynde, a transplant from Akron, OH working at the music paper NME, and forming a new group that instantly clicked as soon as he got behind the skins. As a Punk-flavored Rock band with the Pop skills to appeal to general audiences with songs like “Brass in Pocket,” “Message of Love,” and “Talk of the Town,” The Pretenders were perfect for the first wave of bands that provided MTV with sound and pictures.

However, the group was twice struck by tragedy early on as guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bass player Pete Farndon both died of drug overdoses as the band was approaching the top of its game. Nonetheless, a brief late ’80s-early ‘90s hiatus from the group notwithstanding, Chambers has kept the faith and helped keep the band going with Hynde all these years. Give the man props by pressing the “shuffle” button on your MP3 player and sharing the first 10 songs you hear…

1. Cut Copy – The Twilight (Bright Like Neon Love): Typically Strutting Dance Floor Pop

2. Saint Etienne – Wilson (Foxbase Alpha): Groovy, Laid-Back Transition Track with Samples

3. Tortoise – Ry Cooder (Tortoise): Airy, Measured, Abstract Bass-Funk-Rock

4. Milosh – Hear in You (Jet Lag): Muted, Stripped-Down RnB Computer Love from the Not-To-Distant Future

5. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Gypsy Eyes (Electric Ladyland]): Firey guitar Rock (as if you didn't know) with an urgent pace and Mod rhythm

6. Future Bible Heroes – Digging My Own Grave (Partygoing): 21st Century existential crooning over a Dr. Who backdrop

7. John Coltrane – Cousin Mary (Giant Steps): Building a bridge from the '50s to the '60s with sheets of sound (Don't forget, the Chicago Jazz Festival is this weekend!)

8. Moon Duo – Free the Skull (Shadow of the Sun): Crunchy, hazy, mid-tempo shoe-gazing Rock for head-bobbing

9. Aaron Neville – Tell It Like It Is : The biggest hit from the NOLA R&B tenor wonder; slow-dance with your sweetie with this one

10. Interpol – My Desire (El Pintor): Driving yet surprisingly bouncy exercise in focused Post-Punky forcefulness

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