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Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2022. Our next list is from volunteer Stephen Perkins.
2022 has been an exciting year both for the debut of recorded material and live concerts from both new and so-called legacy acts.
With CHIRP once again being at the forefront of creating community in and around Chicago and music, many of us have enjoyed a welcome respite after almost two years of Covidity in 2020 and 2021 dampened our spirits to varying degrees. I ventured out to a larger extent and had the opportunity to see acts including Kraftwerk, Moderat, Adia Victoria, Oh Sees, Amyl and the Sniffers, Blondie, The Damned, Deadmau5, L7 and countless others and Pitchfork where Dry Cleaning stole the show.
Made of the Earth by Nightshift (Trouble in the Mind)
A Scottish, avant-pop unit, Nightshift has dropped Made of the Earth. Nightshift features Eothen Stearn (2 Ply and Difficult), Chris White (Spinning Coin), Andrew Doig aka Robert Sotelo of Order of the Toad and Georgia Harris (Slippy & Pelvis). Their sound can be described as hypnotic, polyrhythmic, emotive, and at times noisy, while the themes that they address are humanistic while embracing an optimistic and utopian view, as they explore confusion and the absurdities of life.
Whisper Swish by Flex TMG (Domestic Departure)
Out of Oakland, Whisper is the debut album from Flex TMG -- Hannah D'amato from Fake Fruit and Rob Miller of Blues Lawyer. -- a mutant disco duo. The music reveals fuzzed-out bass lines accompanied by synth. beats that will make you want to get up and move.
Cyclorama by Ariel Zetina (Local Action)
Local DJ and transwoman of color Ariel Zetina has dropped her debut album, a melange of techno and electro cuts. Pull the rip cord and enjoy the bangers on this one. Cyclorama is a fun and stimulating album to listen to and learn from, and is one of the better techno, house, dance, and electronic albums of the year.
Confusion Is My Name by James Marlon Magas (Midwich)
Local, electronic music composer and musician, James Marlon Magas delivers a collection of noise-pop, psychedelic, and lounge music with a heavy nod to utilizing analog synths and cacophonic guitar riffs. Love the creativity and imagination on display here and is definitely one of my favorites of 2022.
Was It Ever Real by The Soft Pink Truth (Thrill Jockey)
A collection of house and disco songs by DJ Drew Daniel from the experimental, electronic music duo Matmos. The EP opens with "Is It Gonna Get Any Deeper Than This? (Dark Room Mix) (1), an a captivating deep house cut with its swirling synth lines, pulsating beat in the 2nd half of the song, vocals drenched in reverb, and the sounds of rain at the end blending both dance and ambiance. It is clearly one of my favorite songs of the year.
All of Us Flames by Ezra Furman (Anti-)
The 6th solo album and the final part of a trilogy released by Ezra Furman, a transgender artist who grew up in Evanston and now makes her home in Boston where she is enrolled in rabbinical school. Fans of Furman will immediately recognize the in-your-face, hold nothing back style that she is known for while singing a mix of rock, pop, and folk tunes. All of Us Flames is a splendid take on the importance of making connections, building relationships and creating community in a world where people are increasingly alienated and isolated.
Vermilion by Mortitat (Self-Released)
If you're looking for something different, perhaps more innovative and unique, then you'll want to get off the music merry-go-round with local band Mortitat and their new release Vermillon, a collection of "avant pop" and art rock tunes. I love how this album meanders down different creative paths laying bare a wondrous music landscape that is quite remarkable.
Morir y Renacer by Conjunto Primitivo (Chicago Research)
The debut album from the Chicago duo Ana Belen Garcia Higgins and Cesar Robles Santacruz, which features an experimental blend of guarachero (a genre that orginated in Cuba and has evolved to fuse technobanda, electro and techno) reggaeton, techno, industrial, synth pop & cumbia. Conjunto Primitivo have been able to combine traditional Latin music with industrial and electronic sounds to create a distinctive and unique delivery here. It's definitely worth the listen.
Gabriels by Bloodline EP (Parlophone)
Bold. Powerful. Arresting. Captivating. -- "Rhonda cleaned the floors. Four kids she bore. Sweet as candy rain. Ain't had to work no days. Paid with her fears, but every bill got paid. Even beauty fades away. It's the bloodline. This thing came before you. Bloodline. Silver linings live in clouds. Just like demons use the clouds. Both rights can bestow. Truth is, you are always alone. Tears in your hands. Things you lost before you began. Your ancestors' blood felt the soil and sand."
Topical Dancer by Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul (DEEWEE/Because)
Topical Dancer caught my attention at the beginning of the year. You'll hear a fusion of house, techno, funk, disco, post-punk, and experimental on this album along with 4 languages --- English, French, Dutch, and Creole. The album succeeds in blending humor, protest, and dance and is something to behold.
Honorable Mentions
Other standouts from 2022 include: Cave World (Viagra Boys); 89 (Charlie Gabriel -- Anyone this age who is still making good music deserves to be on the list, especially if they are members of the Preservation Hall Band); Black Radio III (Robert Glasper); Laminated Skies (Raw Poetic and Damu the Fudgemonk); The Management of Forest Affairs (Hollow Frames); Let the Festivities Begin (Los Bitchos); Reeling (The Mysterines); Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento (Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento); 11 5 18 2 5 18 (Yann Tiersen); Stumpwork (Dry Cleaning); Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (Kendrick Lamar); Wet Leg (Wet Leg); Brooklyn to Brookin (Scone Cash Players); Motte (Cold + Liquid); Born Pink (Black Pink)
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