CHIRP: The Chicago Independent Radio Project

David Staples writes

CHIRP Radio Best of 2011 (David Staples)

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

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

1. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient (Secretly Canadian)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Springsteen, Dylan, Petty are the common comparisons.. but with a hypnotic bend. Roadtrip music that makes you drive faster.. be safe, use cruise control instead. (Fav song.. Come to the City)
2. Wye Oak – Civilian (Merge)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Dynamic…Loud when it needs to be, Hushy when it feels right to be hushy… and Jenn Wasner’s smoky voice! It’s all so haunting and mesmerizing. (Fav song.. Holy Holy)
3. I Break Horses – Hearts (Bella Union)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Vocal effects and pedal tapping… hypnotic shoegaze rotates around from time to time even now… (Fav song.. Hearts)
4. Panda Bear – Tomboy (Paw Tracks)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Like a psychedelic Brian Wilson. Best enjoyed alone with headphones and ice cream. (Fav song.. Alsatian Darn)
5. Low – C’Mon (Sub Pop)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Their 9th album and I’m still enthralled. Minimalist royalty in the music world. Also one of the least depressing of their body of work. (Fav song.. Witches)
6. Lumerians – Transmallinia (Knitting Factory)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Garage psyche from the Bay Area that sounds like it could have come from the 60’s. Heavy and droney with African percussion, this album would go great with oil-wheel projector visual effects.. and a mean case of the munchies.. (Fav song.. Melting Space)
7. Tennis – Cape Dory (Fat Possum)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Released way back in January, it shoulda been the soundtrack to summer. Created by a husband/wife team from Colorado about the romance of boats, sailing, beaches, sand… Gorgeous album indeed! (Fav Song.. Baltimore)
8. National Skyline – Primitive Parade (Hype Music)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Synth rich, ethereal, warm, emotional guitar driven electronica created by Jeff Dimpsey (ex Hum). It’s a fine follow-up to 2009’s Bliss & Death (I’m not counting the film soundtrack material in between). My single favorite song of the year is Dream Like Me, and it’s on this album. (of course, favorite songs change places with each other like popcorn in a popper, but as of this writing….)
9. Cross Record – Magnetic Current (Another New Calligraphy)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   A lo-fi collection of delicate, beautiful and haunting songs. This album stopped me in my tracks. Pull the covers up and stay inside today. Hope ya like clarinets. (Fav song.. Black Cat)
10. White Hills – H-p1 (Thrill Jockey)
    BUY: Insound / iTunes
    Loud, loud, loud psychedelic free-form space-rock that drones you into hypnosis, but in a scary way. It’s as unnerving as it is addictive as it is intense. I would walk about with this on my iPod and occasionally find myself looking over my shoulder, worried about what’s behind me. I suppose I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a twelve foot praying mantis looming over me, holding a boom box over its head like John Cusack. Ok, surprised isn’t the right word. (Fav song.. Paradise)

Honorable Mentions

• Yuck – Yuck (Fat Possum)
  
  Implodes – Black Earth (Kranky)
  
  Wooden Shjips – West (Thrill Jockey)
  
  Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo (Matador)