CHIRP: The Chicago Independent Radio Project

Jon Schech writes

CHIRP Radio Best of 2011 (Jon Schechinger)

Throughout December CHIRP Radio presents its members’ top albums of 2011. The next list is from Jon Schechinger.

(Click here to get the complete list of CHIRP Radio members’ picks.)

(Albums listed chronologically by release date)

• Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde (Fat Possum)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  I still want to know where they learned those glam rock ethics. I could only hope for more harmonies, a few new stompboxes, and please keep those amazing hooks. Time is on their side.

  
  Songs: “Still New” and “Smile”

• PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (Vagrant)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  This record still haunts me, so I won’t give it up. I was never into PJ until now. Better late than never.

  
  Songs: “The Last Living Rose” and “Hanging In The Wire”

• La Sera – La Sera (Hardly Art)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  How can we control fate so the next album blows us away? Another great debut LP. Very vinyl worthy.

  
  Songs: “Never Come Around” and “Devils Hearts Grow Gold”

• The Feelies – Here Before (Bar None)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  I cannot rave too much about this record without dissing a fair to significant amount of music released in the last five years. Boring or old? no, just good.

  
  Songs: “When You Know” and “Time Is Right”

• Cults – Cults (In the Name of)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  

  
  Songs: “Walk at Night” and “You Know What I Mean”
  
  
  
  
  
  

  and…
  
  
  
  

  The Poison Control Center – Stranger Ballet (Afternoon)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  
  
  Songs: “Porcelain Brain” and “Reoccurring Kind”
  
  
  
  
  

  Two of the most accessibly great pop records of the year released on the same day.

• Wild Flag – Wild Flag (Merge)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  As good as Sleater-Kinney? Yes.

  
  Songs: “Short Version” and “Electric Band”

• Veronica Falls – Veronica Falls (Slumberland)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Formulaic and catchy? No problem. Married types are unattainable. It’s okay.

  
  Songs: “Beachy Head” and “Veronica Falls”

• Dum Dum Girls – Only in Dreams (Sub Pop)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Ambition and song craft kick in the head. This is not selling out, but selling up. Shockingly grower of an album.

  
  Songs: “Heartbeat (Take It Away)” and “In My Head”

• Class Actress – Rapprocher (Carpark)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  A record that makes a case for the eighties retro sound and shockingly delivers.

  
  Songs: “Keep You” and “Weekend”

• Escort – Escort (Escort)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Finally! They released an album!

  
  Songs: “Makeover” and “All That She Is”

Reissue:

• The Beach Boys – Smile (Capitol)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  

Honorable Mentions:

Belong, Blood Pressures, Sucre du Sauvage, Dirty Beaches, Strange Mercy, Mannequin Men. Where Are You?: Rage Against The Machine, Queens of the Stone Age, NOFX, Weezer, The Cure, The Smiths, XTC.