Tyler Clark presents: Local Mythologies writesTop Five Music Stories: January 2015

At the end of every month, we here at the Top Five take stock of the music news that mattered most to us during the preceding 30-odd days. Without further preamble, here are our five favorite stories from January 2015.
 

1) They Might Be Giants and Jens Lekman Write One Song A Week for a Year (Sadly, Not Together).

What began its existence as "a regular phone call to Brooklyn" is back for the internet age: They Might Be Giants have officially resurrected Dial-A-Song, their old-school song distribution service and perhaps the finest use of answering machine technology ever produced. To celebrate, they're releasing a new song every week for 2015, releasing tracks on Tuesdays via the website above and (for old time's sake) a toll-free telephone call to (844) 387-6962. It's the same idea that drives Jens Lekman's Postcard project, which finds the singer penning weekly pop correspondences from Sweden while taking breaks from work on his new album. Whether you're a fan of oddball pop or looking to correct a Swedish wistfulness deficiency, you now have something to set your calendars by. 

2) Daniel Knox Slow-Burns Through Inaugual CHIRP Factory Session

When we're not making great radio, we here at CHIRP like to kick back in the sweet industrial digs of our old-fashioned factory space in North Center. Earlier this month, we invited some friends to join us; during the inaugural CHIRP Factory Session, Chicago singer-songwriter Daniel Knox and his band set up camp for a quick live session of songs from his upcoming self-titled record. Knox's whiskey-soaked Americana was right at home in the building's blue-collar interior, bouncing off of the radiators and squat support columns in search of a breakroom confessional or two. More Factory Sessions will follow as the year progresses, but they've already got a hard act to follow.

3) Run The Jewels Appear Everywhere, Have the Most Fun

What would you do if your latest album nabbed the top spot on most critics' year-end lists while simultaneously adding a voice to the national conversation on race, unrest, and the possibility of revolution? If you're El-P and Killer Mike, the answer is "have some motherfucking fun." The Run The Jewels duo was everywhere this month: spitting truths on Conan, getting homage'd by Marvel, and even curing teen girls' angst as part of Rookie's Ask A Grown series. Oh, they also confirmed that progress is underway on Meow The Jewels, their upcoming all-cat remix of Run The Jewels 2 featuring a cameo by none other than reigning internet cat monarch Lil' Bub. If you could trade lives with anybody this year, you might consider one of these guys.

4) Björk Fights Leak, Adds to Most Epic January Release Schedule in Years

It was all over in seven days: Björk's ninth studio record, Vulnicura, was announced, leaked, and rush-released in the time it takes most people to finish off leftovers. The surprise release added to a January already blessed with an embarrassment of riches; try finding time for it between spins of a legendary reunion record (Sleater-Kinney's No Cities to Love), new tricks from indie-rock staples (Belle and Sebastian's Girls In Peacetime Want to Dance, Panda Bear's Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper), and exciting debuts (self-titled efforts from Natalie Prass and Viet Cong). At press time, attempts to pause time and allow everyone to catch up on this glut of great tunes have proven unsuccessful, so you're on your own.

comments powered by Disqus