CHIRP: The Chicago Independent Radio Project

Caitlin Lavin writes

CHIRP Radio Best of 2011 (Caitlin Lavin)

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

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

• Belong – Common Era (kranky)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Considering where you read the reviews for this release (ahem, Pitchfork) This was one of the most underrated releases of the year. This album features some of the best elements of 1980’s shoegaze, synth-pop and noise from the echoed drums of Jesus & Mary Chain to the lurking bass lines of early Cure
• Earth Girl Helen Brown – Story of an Earth Girl (Forest Family)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  A side project of Sonny “and the Sunsets” Smith, set up as a guise of unearthed recordings from “Earth Girl” Helen Brown, a girl who grew up in a cult outside of Athens, GA, that was recorded in the early ’90s. Featuring SF mainstays Kelley Stoltz, John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees and Grace Cooper of the Sandwitches as Helen – it’s beach Pop w/ the dark humor story-telling one has come to expect From Sonny & the gang.
• Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – Soul Time! (Daptone)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Ms. Jones and her guys squeak another record in at the end of the year to again make my top list! (Even though I’m sure they didn’t have me in mind.) Yet again, I am floored by sultry soul revival from this group, but this time there is much added funk to the mix. I don’t think there is anything this group can do wrong.
• Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread (Drag City)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  The garage-pop master from San Francisco is back again, this time with is first full length from Drag City. While last year’s “Melted” had lean, economical fuzz-pop; this record invokes the likes of John Lennon and Marc Bolan to create a cleaner sound while still maintaining his punk intensity.
• Mikal Cronin – self-titled (Trouble In Mind)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  It might be a little unfair to cast Mikal Cronin under the shadow of his colleague Ty Segall by calling this his debut self-release as the “Melted of 2011,” but the comparison is apt, and by no means negative. Full of layered garage pop tunes with sunny Beach-boy esque harmonies. Please keep releasing records like this, I just eat it up.
• Shabazz Palaces – Black Up (Sub Pop)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  WHAT?! A hip-hop record on Caitlin’s Top Ten list? Why, yes. This record, thanks to the influence of my boyfriend and CHIRP radio helped me to expand my mind a bit and let me know that – hey, remember you like hip hop? “Clear some space out so we can space out”
• Shannon & the Clams – Sleep Talk (1-2-3-4 Go!)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  I think I can honestly say this was my favorite record of the year. or at least it’s the record that received the most spins from me. Do you remember that scene Back to the Future, when Marty McFly plays “Johnny B. Goode” at the 1950’s prom, and then ends up tearing up the stage? Take that image, mix it with a little bit of Ramones, Ronnie Spector and Beth Ditto – you get a sense of what Shannon & the Clams are all about.
• Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler/The Dream (In the Red)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  This SF group is one of my favorites over the past couple years, but their prolific recording doesn’t always rub me the right way – case in point, “Castlemania” from earlier this year. Carrion Crawler/The Dream is different, it encapsulates the band’s live sound – which is I’m glad to know they realize that’s the best part about them. Killer intensity, rockin’ sound.
• tUnE-yArDs – W H O K I L L (4AD)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Merrill and the gang deserve to have much praise of their record this year. It is eccentric, funky, soulful and downright infectious. Their penchant for face paint is also delightful.
• Wild Flag – Wild Flag (Merge)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  My most anticipated record of the year turned out to be what I had hoped for, as I was a fan of both Sleater-Kinney and Helium. I first saw Wild Flag this year at the SXSW NPR day party and they rocked my socks off. Pure, fun-loving rock n’ roll.

Honorable Mentions

• Girls Names – Dead To Me (Slumberland)
  Lady Gaga – Born This Way (Interscope)…SERIOUSLY.
  Low – C’mon (Sub Pop)
  Razika – Program 91 (Smalltown Supersound)
  Sex Church – Growing Over (Load)
  JEFF the Brotherhood – We Are the Champions (Infinity Cat)
  Terror Bird – Human Culture (Night People)