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The CHIRP Blog
Eddie writesTake Two: “I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor” (Arctic Monkeys Vs. Baby Charles)
by Eddie Sayago
There is a chance that you have come across a song (or two, or so many more) that you enjoy and did not realize that it's either been covered by someone else or is a cover itself. We hope that this series allows you to appreciate both the original and the covers they have inspired, and to seek out and enjoy new music in the process.
The Original: Arctic Monkeys
From the album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006, Domino)
The world (especially music) was very different in 2006 when Arctic Monkeys released their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. YouTube debuted the year before, occupied by abstract and weird humor, home movies, and music videos and live performances. The best selling album of the year was the High School Musical soundtrack. (Olivia Rodrigo, of “Driver’s License” fame and who began her career on a TV series based on the musical, was three years old at the time.)
One of the first music acts to become popular thanks to the Internet (primitive music blogs, Myspace, non-creepy chat rooms, file-sharing sites), Arctic Monkeys were led by Alex Turner, who at age 19 revived a dismal indie rock scene in the U.K. with 13 rambunctious rock songs on Whatever People Say.... Their debut single, “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor,” is a homage to the punk rock of the late 1970s, a short, catchy dance song that can be played at both Sweet Sixteens parties and dive bars where only sixteen people can sit inside.
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (July 3 - July 11)
On the Podcast:
- Mike Nicholich interviews Mars Williams of Liquid Soul
Top of the CHIRP Charts for the week of 7/5/21:
Sault – 'NINE' (Forever Living Originals)
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (June 28 - July 2)
On the Podcast:
- DJ Mick speaks with Layton Wu
On the Podcast:
- Kyle Sanders reviews Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation
- Clarence Ewing reviews the new biopic of The Sparks Brothers
Top of the CHIRP Charts for the week of 6/21/21:
Sleater-Kinney – Path of Wellness (Mom+Pop)
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesYour Favorite Band’s Favorite Band: The Story of Sparks
by Clarence Ewing
As a group of English New Wavers once put it, "It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it." In Pop music, monetary success and flash-in-the-pan stardom is easy. Becoming an influence, not just on other artists but on an entire era, has far more lasting rewards that can’t be measured in dollars.
Very few can make a claim to being an influence in the music galaxy, to being a “musician’s musician.” One undisputed example of this is the band Sparks.
Born and raised in California and originally performing under the name Half Nelson, Russell and Ron Mael knew they would spend their lives in music. An early and beneficial encounter with legendary producer Todd Rundgren focused their sound and gave them the best kind of start to their careers.
Russell handles the vocals, Ron plays the keys and wears the mustache. Despite the vibrant '70s California music scene, the brothers would have to go to Europe to hit their stride, a move that would land them in a bristling stew of Punk, Electronica, New Wave, Post-Punk, and Classical influences.
Through the ensuing decades, using a number of backing musicians, the duo adopted a steady, workmanlike approach to their creativity while remaining consistently inconsistent in the styles of music they created. Having managed to avoid the hedonistic traps and self-destructive pitfalls that doom so many other bands on their journey, Sparks have kept their focus squarely on their music, and that has carried them through over 40 years of collaboration.
KSanders writesTruman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation
by Kyle Sanders
Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation
Directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland
"If you can't be yourself, what's the point of being anything at all?"
You know it's a sign of progress when the sight of another corporate logo splashed in rainbow colors as recognition of Pride month causes one's eyes to roll. In what should be an appreciative acknowledgement of the LGBTQ+ movement, these symbolic messages of love and unity are often seen as a half-assed gimmick meant to make a profit.
As soon as July 1st rolls around, that message is quickly disregarded and it's back to business as usual. While that may be so, it's a huge step forward considering the hostile culture from sixty years ago.
Pride might not have been a thing back then, but Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams didn’t seem to need it. Two of America's greatest writers, they were both openly gay. One was a novelist who dabbled in plays, the other was a playwright who dabbled in novels. Both were raised in the ever-oppressive South where tensions ran high with their ever-repressive fathers. Their greatest works adapted into (somewhat great) films, with characters who were complex, desperate, and flawed. It was only natural that both men would develop a friendship, now documented in Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation.