CHIRP: The Chicago Independent Radio Project

Michael Bennett writes

Friday iPod/MP3 Shuffle -- Happy Birthday Ian Curtis Edition

He is, perhaps, the most influential vocalist of the post-punk movement. He was the charismatic,deep voiced frontman of Joy Division, the Manchester band whose rhythmic sound carved out a distinctive niche in the British indie scene. Ian Curtis is also, of course, a tragic figure, a smart young man with problems (such as managing his epilepsy that inspired his unique stage mannerisms) who ultimately ended it all way too soon. In honor of Curtis, please get your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle, and share the first 10 songs that come up:

1. Tune-yards — Es-so (WHOKILL): The second Tuneyards album fits in well with some other dissonant groups of this era, but also brings back memories of Talking Heads, Electric Guitars and other post-punk bands. Mixing some African rhythms with basic blues (at times) and creative production and amazing vocals, this is one of the more distinct albums of the year. Merrill Garbus is a one heck of a talent. This song kind of comes from the same place as Micachu, but from a totally different direction.
2. Pernice Brothers — Snow (Discover A Lovelier You): A fairly rocking Pernice Brothers tune, thanks to the sharp guitar playing of Peyton Pinkerton. Indeed, this is one of the more driving Pernice tunes, with Joe’s poetic lyrics coming off dramatically with the clipped rhythm and loud guitar sounds.
3. Superdrag — Wrong vs. Right Doesn’t Matter (Head Trip In Every Key): Superdrag’s second album is a hidden gem. It’s hard edged power pop in the vein of early Cheap Trick, but with a sound that was heavy enough to fit in well with the alt-rock of the era. This was the follow up to the surprise success of the band’s debut (which featured “Sucked Out”), and the album stiffed, perhaps due to the lack of an obvious single. This is a shame, as it’s full of great songs, like this heavy Beatle-y number.
4. Malachai — How Long (Malachai): This duo comes up with a great mix of ’60s psychedelia with hints of trip-hop (Geoff Barrow of Portishead is a mentor) and other sounds. The result is something that might appeal to fans of bands like The Bees and Gomez, or people who wish Badly Drawn Boy had more energy. These guys have strong melodies, arrange their songs well, and don’t let anything overstay its welcome.
5. Peter Gabriel — A Wonderful Day In A One-Way World (Peter Gabriel): A playful reggae accented track from PG’s second album. This song mixes the slight reggae feel with an art-pop tune that is somewhere between Gabriel’s prior work in Genesis and art-pop like John Cale and Brian Eno.
6. Peggy Lee — I’m Gonna Go Fishin’ (Miss Peggy Lee): A very cool jazz tune with the impeccably cool Miss Lee, who added lyrics to music Duke Ellington wrote for the movie Anatomy Of A Murder. The song is centered on a Latin piano part with bongos and Lee’s sharp phrasing. The song emphasizes rhythm over melody, and Peggy sings accordingly. There is a slightly atonal horn section that chimes in — this was pretty edgy for it’s time, I would guess.
7. The Smugglers — Invitation Only (In The Hall Of Fame): An early tune from the great Vancouver pop-punk band. The guitars ring out while Grant Lawrence sings the offbeat lyrics. The chorus is super catchy.
8. Edwyn Collins — Bored (Losing Sleep): Collins’ comeback last year from two strokes is one of the best music stories in recent memory. Not only can he sing again, his writing is still sharp. Working with a variety of other Scottish rockers, this album seems to consolidate all of Collins’ strengths dating back to his days in Orange Juice. This song works off a simple guitar riff with the direct lyrics that Collins now uses to accommodate his disability due to the stroke.
9. Radiohead — Give Up The Ghost (The King Of Limbs): While the latest Radiohead may not measure up to prior albums, this just shows how incredible their body of work has been. That being said, there are some fine songs on the album, such as this fairly straightforward tune. It really is focused on Thom Yorke’s vocals, with some sweeping faux strings. This is a bit reminiscent of The Bends era, but stripped down.
10. They Might Be Giants — Absolutely Bill’s Mood (They Might Be Giants): They may be mainstream now, but always remember how weird They Might Be Giants were at the beginning. Eugene Chadbourne plays a sinister lead guitar on this John Flansburgh tune. This is an ominous pop tune with a clipped rhythm and a deceptively strong melody.