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Tyler Clark presents: Local Mythologies writesTop Five: East German Bands
This Sunday marks 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, a watershed moment that marked the physical end to a divided city and a symbolic end to the Cold War. Instead of celebrating with yet another spin of David Bowie's Low, I decided to take my headphones to the source. The result? A nearly double-stuffed Top Five of East German bands that helped shape (and reshape) the country during its 41-year existence.
1) Silly
City: East Berlin
Sound Like: Olivia Newton-John being kidnapped and forced to write a Eurovision song
East German Fact: When you're trying to keep the West at bay, start with the language. According to Europopmusic, the band started their life as Familie Silly after East German officials denied their attempt to use an English word for their name.
2) Wolf Biermann
City: East Berlin
Sound Like: The guitar of early Dylan, the populism of Woody Guthrie, the mustache of Sonny Bono
East German Fact: As awareness of Biermann's burgeoning life as a dissident increased in Western folk circles, the singer-songwriter came under close scrutiny from East German officials; according to a 1997 article in German-language publication Cicero, Biermann's declassified Stasi files contained a 20-point plan to smear and discredit his growing reputation.
3) Puhdys
City: Orainenburg
Sound Like: A Sweet album run through Google Translate
East German Fact: Given the country's tenuous position on the world stage (and artists' troubling predisposition toward getting disappeared by unsmiling men in fur-lined overcoats), the East German government was rightly concerned about defection by its popular artists. The leaders made an exception for Puhdys, which, in 1974, became one of a select few bands from East Germany granted permission to tour in Western Europe. They're still around, too.
4) Karat
City: East Berlin
Sound Like: The opening theme to an unmade John Cusack comedy about being an exchange student
East German Fact: Buoyed by the success of their 1982 record Der Blaue Planet and follow-up Die sieben Wunder der Welt, Karat was awarded the National Prize of East Germany in 1984. They became just the second pop band awarded the honor (after Puhdys in 1982).
5) Klaus Renft Combo
City: Leipzig
Sound Like: The German Doobie Brothers
East German Fact: The first banned band on the list, the Klaus Renft Combo was unofficially-officially dissolved by the Stasi after their swamp-rock sound made all the kids start growing out their CCR mustaches. Never fear, though; the band reunited in 1990 after the fall of the GDR.
6) Wutanfall
City: Leipzig
Sounds Like: The punk band that practices in the apartment below you after one too many viewings of The Lives of Others
East German Fact: One of the earliest punk bands in Leipzig, Wutanfall was basically the Minor Threat to L'Attentat's Fugazi. Their repression by Stasi forces had the opposite of the desired effect, drawing attention to the punk cause in the GDR. In English, their name means Tantrum.
7) L'Attentat
City: Leipzig
Sounds Like: A Sex Pistols album taped off of a Soviet radio
East German Fact: Turns out all of those rumors about Stasi members infiltrating punk bands were totally true. At least, that's the case with L'Attentat (or The Assassination), the band formed from the ashes of Wutanfall's breakup. In addition to turning out some capable punk tunes, L'Attentat fell victim to the authorities with the imprisonment of vocalist Bernd Stracke. The person who ratted on him? Guitarist Imad-Abdul Majid, a veteran of the Leipzig punk scene and paid Stasi informant.
8) Feeling B
City: East Berlin
Sounds Like: An unholy marriage between NOFX and the Scorpions
East German Fact: The East German punk scene would go on to influence Western music in unexpected places. For instance: before scoring their crossover hit with 1997's "Du Hast," Rammstein members Paul Landers, Christoph Schneider, and Christoph Lorenz formed the core of Feeling B, a popular outsider band fronted by the much older Aljosha Rompe. Rammstein singer Till Lindemann was also active in the scene, serving as drummer for the Schwerin-based punk band First Arsch.
9) Herbst In Peking
City: East Berlin
Sounds Like: Billy Idol, if Billy Idol cared about democracy and not just hot ladies
East German Fact: Herbst In Peking became one of the final victims of the GDR's government bans, earning one after lead singer Rex Joswig's protest of the Tiananmen Square Massacre at a concert in Brandenburg in 1989. Working in secret (and occasionally on the run), they recorded their biggest hit, "Bakschischrepublik", just before the wall fell. Heard on radios in both halves of German as the nations swept towards reunification, it represented the work and sacrifice of dissident artists throughout the GDR. Also, there's a sax solo.
Trix writesCHIRP Radio welcomes Stephin Merritt to the Old Town School of Folk Music on Saturday Nov. 8th!
CHIRP welcomes a rare solo performance from Stephin Merritt at The Old Town School of Folk Music on November 8th. The prolific songwriter will be performing selections from his back catalogue from the Magnetic Fields as well as solo works.
Merritt’s deep baritone voice sets a somber tone to his direct tongue-and-cheek lyrical style, at least for those in on the joke. With lyrics like “There is no hope of love for me, from here on I go stag / The only girl I'll ever love is Andrew in drag”, no topic is thinly veiled and no venue is off the table, even a mens bathroom. Along with his solo music tour, Merritt is doing a book tour for his recent collaboration with illustrator Roz Chast called 101 Two-Letter Words, a collection of poems and illustrations for each of the 101 two-character phrases permissible in Scrabble. Peter Segal of Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me fame is also sitting down with Merritt on November 7th as a part of the Chicago Humanities Festival.
A limited number of tickets are still available for purchase for $30 at the Old Town School of Folk Music website, show begins with special guest Advance Base at 7pm.
SHROSS writesGlenn Kotche Will Be in Performance at the Old Town School on Friday the 7th!
Chicagoans, rejoice! On Friday, November 7, world-renowned percussionist and composer Glenn Kotche, also known as the drummer behind a little local band called Wilco, will return to the Old Town School of Folk Music for a special performance that will conclude a four-day residency.
In the days leading up to the concert, Kotche will be hosting workshops at the Old Town School that will cover everything from drum technique to his creative process. Attendees can expect to share a varied and intimate experience with this groundbreaking musician. Kotche has collaborated on over 90 records, not including his own accomplishments as a critically acclaimed solo artist. For old fans and new listeners, here’s a tasty clip to tide you over until the big show.
To learn more about Kotche, visit http://glennkotche.com/. Glenn Kotche will be performing in Maurer Hall 11/07 at 8:00PM. For more information regarding tickets, please visit http://www.oldtownschool.org/.
Trix writesCHIRP Radio welcomes Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene to Lincoln Hall on Nov. 5th!
CHIRP radio is proud to present Kevin Drew at Lincoln Hall November 5th supporting his newest solo release, Darlings, which debuted March 18!
While Darlings is not Drew’s first venture into a solo career, it is certainly the most focused, drawing from over a decade of experience as the front man of Broken Social Scene. While there are hints of the Broken Social Scene aesthetic, tracks like “Good Sex” demonstrate Drew’s growth as a songwriter. With his newest endeavor, Drew focused less on big instrumentation and effects, instead producing a simpler sound that allows the audience to focus on the complex, deeply intimate lyrics and hypnotic melodies that are a trademark of Drew’s career.
Purchase tickets in advance for $18 or $20 at the door, doors open at 8, show starts at 9. Drew is supported by Bully.
Mike Bennett writesFriday MP3 Shuffle - Happy Birthday James Williamson Edition
This week, let’s pay tribute to a guitarist who had a major influence on punk rock, James Williamson. He joined The Stooges after their first two albums, when the band needed a jolt of fresh energy. He provided it, co-writing the entire Raw Power album with Iggy Pop, and working with me on other records thereafter. It’s not just punks who worship Williamson — Johnny Marr has cited Williamson as an influence. Williamson is back in the fold, taking the place of the late Ron Asheton in the reunited Stooges. In Williamson’s honor, please take out your iPod/MP3 player, hit shuffle, and share the first ten tunes that come up.
- Fishbone — Everyday Sunshine (The Reality Of My Surroundings): This was an uncharacteristically happy track on the album where Fishbone really went in a more metal influenced direction. This horn driven song was much more in the vein of Sly and the Family Stone and the performance feels like it was recorded live (though I’m sure it’s not the case). This is a very good thing, as Fishbone, at this time, was one of America’s premier rock acts. This song has a great breakdown at the end.
- J. Geils Band — Flamethrower (Freeze Frame): During the ’70s, the J. Geils Band was a smoking R & B band, but in the late ’70s, they started exploring other directions. After some success with a new wave foray on the Love Stinks album, they pushed that angle more on the megahit Freeze Frame album. Although the production is very dated, there are some really good songs on this album. This track is a funkified R & B song with some interesting percussion touches and a great hook. Luther Vandross is among the backing vocalists on the song.
- Oneida — The Winter Shaker (Secret Wars): A great balance of Oneida’s psychedelic and Krautrock influences, with a repetitive clanging psych-guitar part supplemented by the usual precision drumming and droning and oscillating keyboards. Generally, I think of Oneida as Krautrock band that explores different textures within an established style, though their recent instrumental records go way beyond that description. Sadly, their most recent two albums bore me.
- The Isley Brothers — (At Your Best) You Are Love (It’s Your Thing: The Story of the Isley Brothers): A smooth soul ballad from the Isleys. While Smokey Robinson really started the whole Quiet Storm sound, there are some Isley tracks, such as this one, that allow them some claim to helping kick off that trend, for better or for worse.
- Tom Petty — Learning To Fly (Into the Great Wide Open): I’m a gigantic Jeff Lynne fan and I really dig his work with Tom Petty. Yes, Lynne’s production relies a lot on somewhat artificial drum sounds and overly perfect background vocals, but that’s compensated for the great arrangements and how he finds away to get the right elements of a song in the right place. Petty was really on his game when he worked with his fellow Wilbury, and the two albums they collaborated on are among his best.
- Ed Kuepper — Black Ticket Day (The Butterfly Net): Ed Kuepper left The Saints after three albums to lead his own band, The Laughing Clowns. After they played out, he continued to make great solo records. Oddly enough, his records were certainly in the same vein as those The Saints were making at the same time with lead singer Chris Bailey. Not as bluesy, but sophisiticated acoustic rock with a subtle intensity. This song is like a punchier Go-Betweens.
- The Fall — Bound (The Marshall Suite): Mark E. Smith was backed by a great set of musicians on this somewhat wide-ranging Fall release from 1999. This song, but for the cleaner production, sounds like it could have come from an early-‘80s Fall album. Not a great song, but a solid album cut.
- Smokey Robinson & The Miracles — I’ve Been Good To You (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles Anthology): An early song from this seminal Motown song. This sounds more like a ’50s song, like The Drifters or Platters might have done. Of course, it sounds really good.
- The La’s —- Timeless Melody (The La’s): It’s a shame that Lee Mavers, for whatever reason, whether drugs, mental health, whatever, never did anything but create this great record. “There She Goes” is deservedly a Britpop classic, but I think this song is as good, if not better. It lives up its title, as this melody is so fully yearning and a subtle urgency. The relatively harsh guitar break only adds to the intensity.
- The Nils — Scratches and Needles (Green Fields In Daylight): A terrific Canadian punk band who had a sound that seemed to meld The Clash and Husker Du, among others, mixing a large anthemic feel with personal lyrics. So the songs felt big but had an underlying intimacy. This is one of their best.