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The CHIRP Blog
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Beck
When Beck Hansen first arrived on the scene, he got attention for his slacker anthem “Loser” and some charming low-fi folk albums. Early on, he seemed like a novelty and footnote in the annals of alt-rock. Of course, that’s not how things played out. Instead, Beck turned out to be an innovator and terrific showman, who is now an elder statesmen, of sorts, in the indie rock world. Who would have dreamed that he would someday produce a Thurston Moore record? If any artist would appreciate a birthday shuffle, it would be Beck, who has mashed together so many styles over his career. So grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.
- Best Kissers In The World — Miss Teen U.S.A. (Been There): This Washington state band had a minor radio hit with this chunky slice of power pop that was tailor made for alt-rock radio. Throw in a clever video and the foundation for success seemed to be all set. But the band was never able to follow this up and the lead singer later went solo and made a country record. Well, they’ll always have this song, which still sounds swell.
- Frank Sinatra — It Happened In Monterey (Classic Sinatra): A smooth, happy little ditty sung impeccably by Ol’ Blue Eyes. His phrasing is the key to his greatness as a singer.
- Iron & Wine — Teeth In The Grass (Our Endless Numbered Days): This swampy folk-blues tune foreshadowed the direction that Sam Beam has taken on subsequent Iron & Wine records. His whispery vocals work well with the sinister vibe of the music. He has since added more percussion and layers to this type of song, but this recording shows they are absolutely necessary.
- Ron Sexsmith — Riverbed (Whereabouts): The clear highlight of Sexsmith’s fine Whereabouts album. This song sounds like a classic that could have been written decades beforehand. The melody is so simple and evokes the past. The lyrics are typically economical and perfect for his sensitive reading.
- The Monkees — Shades Of Grey (Headquarters): Headquarters is the album where The Monkees totally controlled everything. They did the lion’s share of the playing and picked all the material. It is one of their two true classic albums (the other being Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones). This shows what great ears they had, as it is an excellent Goffin-King ballad with a rousing chorus. Peter Tork gets a rare vocal showcase, handling the second verse with an aching, vulnerable performance. The orchestration is just the cherry on top of a true Monkees’ gem.
- The Commodores — Slippery When Wet (The Best of The Commodores): For the first few years of their career, The Commodores concocted some fine funk numbers. This song is akin to The Ohio Players, with a little deep soul thrown in. Yes, Lionel Richie could get funky, just listen to this.
- Geminis — A Friend Of Mine (Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found): This Rhino four CD box set is just wall to wall great pop and R & B. This is more on the R & B side and a great tune.
- The White Stripes — Effect & Cause (Icky Thump): A jocular acoustic blues tune from Jack and Meg White. I love how Jack clearly loves the classic American music forms but is not afraid to have fun with them. Would love to hear a medley of this and Van Halen’s “Could This Be Magic?”.
- Jim Basnight — Tonight (We Rocked & Rolled): Basnight led some great bands during the ’70s and ’80s out in the Pacific Northwest. He specialized in jangly power pop that compared favorably to Dwight Twilley and Tom Petty. This number is particularly Petty-ish.
- Big Joe Turner — Flip, Flop And Fly (Loud, Fast and Out of Control): One of the kings of jump blues, along with Louis Jordan. This song is pretty darned similar to Turner’s best known tune, “Shake, Rattle & Roll”. That’s not a problem, as Turner’s presence is so commanding, the music swings, and you can hear the beginnings of rock ‘n’ roll.
Karin Fjellman writesTonight! CHIRP presents a screening of “Who Took The Bomp? Le Tigre On Tour”
Please join CHIRP for a free screening of “Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre On Tour!”
Tonight at 8pm, the Bottom Lounge will host this exciting event — DJs Pippi Redstocking and Lucy Flawless will spin before and after the screening, and local feminist organizations Girls Rock! Chicago, Chicago Women’s Health Center and Planned Parenthood Illinois will be there with information on hand. The film will be screened at 8:45pm.
WHO TOOK THE BOMP? LE TIGRE ON TOUR follows iconic feminist electronic band Le Tigre on their 2004-2005 international tour across four continents and through ten countries. Supported by a community of devoted fans and led by outspoken Riot Grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill), Le Tigre confronts sexism and homophobia in the music industry while tearing up the stage via performance art poetics, no-holds-barred lyrics, punk rock ethos, and whip-smart wit in this edgy and entertaining documentary. Directed by Kerthy Fix (STRANGE POWERS: STEPHIN MERRITT AND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS), WHO TOOK THE BOMP? LE TIGRE ON TOUR features never before seen live performances, archival interviews, and revealing backstage footage with these trail-blazing artists.
Screening of Who Took The Bomp? Le Tigre On Tour
Bottom Lounge
No cover
21+
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesCHIRP Radio Reading List (7/7/11 Ed.)
Why did SACD, DVD-A, and Blu-ray fail as surround-sound music formats?
How is music helping to continue breaking down racial barriers in South Africa?
What’s up with the Alternative music scene in Austria?
How did the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds weaponize cinema?
How cool is it that Pitchfork is having a music festival in Paris?
What are the kids who were photographed for classic album covers doing now?
Why WOULDN’T you take real estate advice from Vanilla Ice?
The Reading List is a collection of interesting, important, and thought-provoking articles about music from around the Web. Click here to suggest an article.
(LISTEN to CHIRP Radio.)
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesThis Week With CHIRP Radio (Week of July 4, 2011)
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Thursday, July 7
CHIRP Radio is proud to present a screening of Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre On Tour, a film that follows iconic feminist electronic band Le Tigre on their 2004-2005 international tour across four continents and through ten countries.
Supported by a community of devoted fans and led by outspoken Riot Grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill), Le Tigre confronts sexism and homophobia in the music industry while tearing up the stage via performance art poetics, no-holds-barred lyrics, punk rock ethos, and whip-smart wit in this edgy and entertaining documentary.
Directed by Kerthy Fix (Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and The Magnetic Fields), Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre On Tourfeatures never before seen live performances, archival interviews, and revealing backstage footage with these trail-blazing artists. The screening will be followed by sets from CHIRP Radio DJs, and our most admired feminist organizations, Girls Rock! Chicago and Chicago Women’s Health Center, will be there with information on hand!Bottom Lounge / 8:00pm / 21+ / No Cover
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Saturday and Sunday, July 9 & 10
The Old Town School of Folk Music presents the 14th Annual Chicago Folk & Roots Festival, a two-day summertime celebration with a spectacular array of music and dance performances, workshops, children’s activities, and an assortment of locally owned food, drink, and retail vendors!
Featured performers include quintessential Texas blues rocker Delbert McClinton, Louisiana’s favorite Cajun sons Lost Bayou Ramblers, Austin’s rockabilly queen Rosie Flores, New Orleans brass band sensation Glen David Andrews, Tuareg guitar great Bombino, the Congolese rumba-meets-hip hop-soul sounds of Baloji, and salsa and Latin jazz sensations Maraca!
The festival also includes a Kids Tent, an interactive Dance Tent, the faculty showcase at the Staff Stage, and open, participatory jams at the Gazebo. Join us for one of the most anticipated neighborhood events of the summer!
Wells Park (Lincoln @ Montrose) / 12:00pm to 9:30pm / $10 donation requested / All Ages
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Debbie Harry Edition
She was the ultimate Creem Dream, a punk rock pinup who fronted the band that became the most commercially successful of all the artists from the CBGB’s scene from the mid-to-late ’70s. Debbie Harry was a fantastic front woman, who could do whatever a song needed, whether it was singing like an angel or dishing out New York attitude. In many ways, she was an actress and vocalist at the same time. So it’s no surprise that she also starred on the big screen, most memorably in John Waters’ classic Hairspray. While interviews during Blondie’s heyday suggested she would retire while young, she’s still out there, singing the classics and fun new songs. In honor of Ms. Harry, please grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.
- Janelle Monae — Faster (The ArchAndroid): One thing I love about this 2010 release, my favorite of that year, is how Monae made a true album. No, I don’t fully fathom the concept, but I love the diversity of songs and how she mixes in very accessible songs with weirder stuff. This song sits somewhere in the middle, as it percolates on a bouncy rhythm, but isn’t classically pop, although it’s not particularly difficult to get into. This is kind of a space age Motown song and a good track.
- Homeboy Sandman — Core Rhythm (The Good Sun): Apparently when Homeboy Sandman isn’t rapping, he’s a school teacher in New York City. That makes sense with his literate lyrics. I like Sandman’s flow, which is sometimes staccato, a bit like Eminem, and other times reminds me a bit of K-oS. The beats are pretty straightforward. This song is a short instrumental, with a bit of an ambient feel.
- XTC — Ballet For a Rainy Day (Skylarking): It’s hard to add much to the scads of praise XTC has received for this amazing psychedelic-pop song cycle. Andy Partridge was at the top of his game. This languid song is pretty Beatle-y, with a pure Swindonian flavor. I particularly enjoy Prairie Prince’s drumming, with seems a bit Ringo inspired.
- Wreckless Eric — Waxworks (Greatest Stiffs): While best known for his pop smash (way belatedly) “(I’d Go The) Whole Wide World”, Eric Goulding wasn’t just pop tunes, a la Nick Lowe and Ian Dury. Some of his material is a bit more rooted in blues and garage rock, though not quite as heavy. This song works off a variation on a blues progression and Eric harangues in his reedy voice.
- Astrid — Horror Movies (Play Dead): This Scottish pop band had a happy sound that reminded me a little bit of bands like Aztec Camera and The Housemartins, though a little bit more power poppy than either of those bands. This song comes close to glammy bubble gum, as the singer details all the spooky things he sees which leads into a bouncy handclapping chorus.
- Owsley — Coming Up Roses (Owsley): Will Owsley was a talented power pop singer who made his living playing guitar for others, including Amy Grant. Tragically, he killed himself a year or two ago. It’s a shame, as his debut album was fantastic — he sounded like he had the potential for a breakthrough like Matthew Sweet. His songs touched upon all of the ’60s classics, especially The Beatles, but done in a contemporary sound with a real emotional investment in his material. This song has some psychedelic touches and real sense of wistfulness that cuts pretty deeply.
- Rockfour — In A Blink (One Fantastic Day): This a band that I thought had a chance for stardom. While the garage rock revival was going on, they went for a more straight on psychedelic sound. Their music incorporated everything from The Move to early Pink Floyd to Genesis to varying degrees, they were outstanding players and had a charismatic frontman, who had a great voice. While the music was clearly retro, there was an aspect that I could hear appealing to a fan of Radiohead’s The Bends. This is a very representative song, with squalls of guitar, piledriving drumming and haunting vocals.
- Blitzen Trapper — Love U (Furr): While this band’s bread-and-butter is catchy, melodic folk based songs, they like to try on some other styles. This is fuzzy blues rock trip that may be inspired a bit by John Lennon. I like these detours that break up the smoother stuff.
- Sweet — Call Me (Cut Above The Rest): The lead track from the legendary glam band’s first album as a trio, as they kicked out Brian Connolly due to alcohol related issues. Having moved away from heavy rock on their successful Level Headed record, the band continued mixing pure pop with a few rock efforts. This Steve Priest tune is a silly tune about getting a massage from a sexy gal. It’s hard to gather from the lyrics whether more is going on. But this is a catchy, fun song.
- Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark — Messages (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark): One thing I love about the early OMD albums is that they mix dark, brooding Velvet Underground inspired electronic numbers with pure pop songs. But they still find layers and textures with their array of keyboards that add unsettling undercurrents to the bouncy tunes, as demonstrated on this classic song.