The CHIRP Blog
If George Harrison was The Quiet Beatle, what would you call John Deacon? The Mute Queen? The Stay in the Background Queen? Of course, with two large personalities in Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, and a guitar god in Brian May, there simply wasn’t room for much more than a bass player who could hold the fort, and Deacon did that and then some. Not only did he keep up with all of Queen’s various styles, he set some too, hanging out with Chic during some down time, and then whipping up “Another One Bites the Dust”, he also wrote such beloved Queen songs as “Spread Your Wings” and “You’re My Best Friend”, while remaining perhaps the dweebiest rock star of all-time. So please celebrate Deacon’s b-day by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
- Curve — Ice That Melts The Tips (Doppelganger): Curve melded throbbing post-punk inspired dance music with Toni Halliday’s chilly/sexy vocals and prickly guitars to make music heavy on atmosphere. Luckily, they did a good job translating the groove into catchy songs with just enough melody to cut through the dense soundscape. I think this is one Curve’s better songs.
- Teacher’s Edition — I Wanna Be Loved (In Perfect Harmony: Sweet Soul Groups 1968-1977): A wonderful soul song with simple lyrics and an enduring melody. This group, who issued a couple of singles in the early ’70s, got the backing of the renowned Hi Records rhythm section, giving it a certain simmering funk groove, but the performance is more in line with classic Philadelphia vocal groups. Elvis Costello recognized the greatness of the song, and covered it on his Goodbye Cruel World album.
- Alexander O’Neal — Fake (Greatest Hits): O’Neal was the lead singer for the band Flight Tyme, a Minneapolis R & B/funk outfit. Then Prince booted him, replaced him with Morris Day, and rechristened the band as The Time. Meanwhile, O’Neal went on to have a pretty nice solo career. He isn’t quite the personality that Day was (but who is?), but he has a powerful voice, well-suited to sing the big choruses of his best tunes. This was his biggest hit and the only one to really impact the pop charts. This is a fine slice of ’80s R & B.
- Outkast — Behold a Lady (Speakerboxx/The Love Below): A really nice piece of electrofunk from Andre 3000’s half of Outkast’s smash hit double CD. Mr. Benjamin was clearly influenced by Prince and the sounds of the early to mid-‘80s on this fun tune.
- The Finn Brothers — Only Talking Sense (Finn): The opening cut from this gem of a record from Tim and Neil Finn. This project was put off when songs these Kiwi brothers had worked on formed the bulk of Crowded House’s Woodface album. On this second try, they conjured up a batch of songs as strong as that Crowded House classic. This is one of Neil’s songs, and it fits in well with the intelligent guitar pop he’s been doing since forming Crowded House. But the backing is less dense, the percussion is low key but very creative and Tim is an excellent backing vocalist. And album worth seeking out.
- Gene Chandler — Rainbow (Beg, Scream & Shout): My iPod is feeling soulful today. Although this is from a Rhino collection of ’60s soul, this number from Mr. “Duke of Earl” is a bit more in line with the ’50s scene from where he came. This is a gospel drenched number that finds Chandler moving closer to deep soul.
- Paul Kelly & The Messengers — Adelaide (Gossip): The first album from Paul Kelly is classic Australian music. Heck, this song is named after an Aussie city. Kelly’s music fell somewhere between folky singer-songwriter and pub rockers like Graham Parker. This is a typically warm number with literate lyrics and an engaged performance. Kelly will be in Chicago in September.
- Crowded House — Archer’s Arrows (Intriguer): The two post-reunion albums don’t quite retain the amazing quality of the band’s first four albums, but Neil Finn is such a good songwriter, that the hooks eventually sink in. This is a very typical Finn composition, with moody verses opening up into a winning chorus, with a great melodic hook that takes the song back into the next verse. A very strong song.
- Ken Stringfellow — Down Like Me (Touched): This is from the first solo album of one of the two voices behind The Posies. This song has a mid-tempo country pop vibe, accentuated by the pedal steel guitar. Both of Stringfellow’s solo releases are full of terrific songs, and, of course, the vocals are very strong.
- The Screaming Blue Messiahs — Someone To Talk To (Gun Shy): A sadly forgotten band. The Messiahs mixed a bit of blues and old rock with a more sleek pub and punk rock inspired vibe to come up with some great aggressive guitar rock songs. They benefited from the strong presence of guitarist/front man Bill Carter, whose lyrics sometimes seemed improvised, as his powerful voice rode over the strong riffs and grooves he and the rhythm section put down. This song stitches together a few simple musical ideas, building up to Carter passionately growling out the title in the chorus.
It’s time for another CHIRP Night at the Whistler! This evening’s fundraising get-together features the fiery psych-punk of Chicago’s own Vee Dee! CHIRP DJs will be spinning between bands, and a percentage of the bar sales will benefit CHIRP Radio.
We’ll also be selling raffle tickets for great prizes throughout the night. Come out and join us for a great night of music!
The Whistler / 2421 N. Milwaukee / 9:30pm -2:00am / No Cover / 21+
He came from Oklahoma to Bakersfield, California, added a bigger beat to honky-tonk music, and became one of the biggest stars in country music history. Buck Owens picked great material, could pen a decent tune himself, and was blessed with an awesome band, The Buckaroos, led by the incomparable Don Rich on lead guitar. Owens dominated the country charts in the ’60s, as sometimes his A-sides would hit number one, only to be supplanted by the B-sides. He once had a letter printed in a trade magazine, apologizing for edging too much towards rock ‘n’ roll, and then turned around and released a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis”. And, of course, he was covered by The Beatles, who did his classic “Act Naturally”. His influence lived on, touching Dwight Yoakam and others. Let’s all salute the man with the red, white and blue guitar by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
- Arcwelder — You (Pull): This Minneapolis trio played an awesome blend of melodic guitar rock, somewhat in the vein of bands like Husker Du, blended with some noise rock and post-punk rhythms. Throw in some great harmony vocals, and you have one hell of a band. This song relies on a circular guitar riff and creative drumming, with an explosive instrumental breakdown.
- Eagles Of Death Metal — I’m Your Torpedo (Heart On): Some EODM songs are funky ’70s drenched hard rock. But sometimes, inevitably, they edge a bit more towards the sounds of Queens Of The Stone Age. This song is one of those numbers. However, the instrumental approach is different. The Eagles’ songs are often centered on the rhythms, and this is no exception. The repetitive rhythm on this song verges on Krautrock, connecting the dots from Neu to Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult on a pretty exciting track.
- Tom Verlaine — The Scientist Writes A Letter (Flash Light): A contemplative song from the great Television guitarist. Keyboards actually dominate this song and the hook of the song is a pretty keyboard line that punctuates every verse of the song. One of Verlaine’s best solo tracks, which is saying something, because all of his solo albums are worthwhile.
- The White Stripes — The Air Through My Fingers (Elephant): This song really swings. Yes, Meg White’s drumming is simple but it doesn’t get in the way of the blues riff that first is played on the guitar and then gets a funkier treatment on the electric piano. Jack White is typically playful on this fun number.
- LCD Soundsystem — Drunk Girls (This Is Happening): A straightforward rock number with a bit of a Bowie sound, and James Murphy’s sense of humor. I know some folks think that each LCD album got weaker, but I like them all pretty much equally. I hope Murphy reconsiders his decision to retire the band.
- Joyride — 1, 2, 3 Red Light (Right To Chews: Bubblegum Classics Revisited): I don’t recall much about Joyride, but they do a real nice job on this cover of the oldie from The 1910 Fruitgum Company (who were represented in last week’s shuffle). This is one of my favorite bubblegum songs, as it is so innocent, but it’s about a horny guy who wants to go further with his girl, but she won’t let him.
- Starflyer 59 — Teens In Love (I Am The Portuguese Blues): This ostensibly Christian rock band takes a slightly different approach with each album. This album was a rocker. This song sports a chunky riff that could have come from a Lenny Kravitz record. The loud guitars contrast with the solid melody and soothing vocals. Might be the best song on a good album.
- Frisbie — Pick A Flower (Period): The forgotten second album from this wonderful Chicago band. The circumstances of the record, which came out in a limited pressing, are unusual. The band’s original drummer, Zack Kantor, had to leave the band due to mental health issues. Kantor wrote a significant percentage of the band’s songs, and this album, recorded by the band as a trio (Steve Frisbie and Liam Davis on vocals and acoustic guitars, Eddie Carlson on bass), recorded a batch of those songs at a show at Fitzgerald’s. While the band might not think the recordings as ideal, Kantor was a great songwriter, performances are heartfelt, making for a resonant effort. This song has a bit of an R & B undercurrent with an unusual ascending melody in the chorus.
- Robyn Hitchcock — You’ve Got A Sweet Mouth On You, Baby (Jewels For Sophia): A whimsical talking blues which shows the inlluence of early Dylan. Hitchcock gives a low key performance and it’s obvious that he’s having fun on this simple song.
- The La De Das — How Is The Air Up There? (Nuggets II): A garage rock classic. This song is basically electrified folk rock with a modified Bo Diddley beat underneath and a great chorus to shout along with. Fits well between the early Rolling Stones and The Seeds.
Judson Claiborne has two albums to its credit, and its understated folk rock has only gotten better. Mystical observations of the world co-mingle with warbly, weary vocals reminiscent of Tim Rutili (Califone, Red Red Meat) to leave a heart-shaped imprint in your ears. Judson Claiborne answered some questions for CHIRP in anticipation of their upcoming Coach House Sounds session, available at www.coachhousesounds.com on August 16th, 2011. Hear preview tracks all week on CHIPRadio.org and download the session next week!
1. What the dumbest thing you’ve ever done in a basement?
I tried to slow dance with a security guard in the basement of the Saint Louis Art Museum while on LSD. It was the Ancient Egypt exhibit maybe? I was wearing headphones, listening to Dead Can Dance’s Into the Labyrinth on the walkman. She was a good sport about it, I think.
*2. Can you tell me about one time when you realized this was YOUR city? *
While living in Seattle last fall and winter, trying to find a hot dog without cream cheese all over it. I’m serious.
3. Describe a scenario where Judson Claiborne could be someone’s life coach and the top 2 life lessons you’d teach them.
To quote one of my favorite bank robbers – “spirit ain’t spit without exercise”. You can’t expect to survive life’s gravity or steal a hundred thousand dollars without dancing around or riding your bike everyday. Also, it’s a real good idea to say hello and nod to people on the street. Get to know your neighbors and ask them to tell you their stories. I’d give this advice to anybody, any ol’ time.
4. Tell me about your CHS session—what did you like about it? Was there anything that surprised you or was spontaneous that came out in the recording?
It was nice running into The Eternals on the way out of their session. It was our first time recording with The Reverend Jacob F. Ross, our new guitar player, so that was some nice nervous excitement to play with. There are polaroids all over the place down there of bands who’ve done CHS sessions previously. I imagined these bands recording, then being blasted into outer space. “What will outer space feel like?”, I wondered. Am I in outer space?
5. What’s happening? What are your current/upcoming shows or releases?
My band and I are working on a new record. We’re doing a little bit of everything right now. Just spent two days out at Key Club Recording Company in Benton Harbor, MI with our Engineer Tim Iseler and his new life partner in crime, Marketa Irglova. She sang some amazing harmonies on a couple of songs we’re working on and made a mean home made Tomato Cream Soup. Still plenty of writing to do, we’re planning for a spring 2013 release. Been thinking / reading about successful bank robbers and whirling dervishes. In other news, I’m playing a really interesting music festival here in Chicago on Aug 13 called Found Sound . It’s a site specific series of performances in Ukrainian Village. You grab a map and bike around to experience shows in garages, backyards, or the Duk’s hot dog stand patio, which is where I’m playing. Also finishing up a residency at Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar in Bridgeport on Aug 14..
CHIRP Radio is an all-volunteer effort. We would like to introduce you to some of the people who make the station what it is!
Blake Burkhart was born in Chicago, raised in the nearby suburbs to the North and now is a member of the Ukrainian Village community. He studied Documentary Filmmaking at Columbia College Chicago for undergrad and graduated in 2008.
Aside from his day-to-day grind, Blake does freelance Video and Photo projects for clients (mostly Chicagoland artists/bands), and sometimes purely to entertain himself. He is most at home behind the lens of a camera and now has plans to take on more projects than ever before in the coming months. He’s somewhat handy with a bass, shaky with a guitar, and is now attempting to learn the drums (slowly but surely….very slowly).
Blake has been a CHIRP volunteer since February 2011. He has enjoyed every second of his involvement from handing out fliers and telling nice Chicagoans what CHIRP is all about, to conducting interviews for the guest department including: Cut Copy, Architecture in Helsinki, Battles and Art Brut. He has also done photo work for CHIRP and is in the early stages of some CHIRP-related video projects.
He has just started DJ training, and is thrilled at the prospect of gracing the CHIRP airwaves one day soon. Blake will continue to tell anyone who will listen that joining CHIRP easily ranks among the best decisions of his life and he has high hopes for his future involvement with the best radio station in the world.