"Hanging On" by Active Child

Active Child, aka electronic musician Pat Gross, made quite a splash last year, and for good reason. This is just one example of what he does: stretched-out, romantic synth lines and guitar plucks combine with vocals that emulate '70s Soul. It's groovy and mellow, good for slow dancing or spacing out when you're alone but thinking about romance.

Great New Music: Week of February 27

Here's a list of some of the new albums that have been added to the CHIRP Radio library this week:

• Shook by Algiers (Matador) - A fiery and explosive collection of collaborations and genre combinations (electronic, funk, garage rock, gospel, hip hop, post-punk, soul, and more)
• I don't Wanna Be Too Cool by Kate Fagan (Captured Tracks) - Recorded in Chicago in the late '70s, spiky and socially-conscious New Wave
• Cellular Raymond by Cel Ray (Self-Released) - Energetic punk from Chicago definitely influenced by first-wave DIY bands like Sex Pistols
• Should've Learned by Now by Lucero (Liberty & Lament/Thirty Tigers) - Loud, driving modern country with a lot on its mind
• Mainstream Disco Funk (WEWANTSOUNDS) - More tremendous music from producer Bob Shad's vault of '70s delights
• Travel by The Necks (Northern Spy) - Hypnotic and very cool long-form ambient-ish jazzy pieces from an Australian trio

Listen to my radio show on Sundays from 2:00pm-4:00pm Central Time to hear songs from these and other great records!

"Heaven's on Fire" by The Radio Dept.

The introductory interview snippet reminds me of many a conversation I had on campus back when so many things were so obvious. Then the music kicks in - tin whistle keyboards tooting out a hooky melody, backed by an upbeat, groovy rhythm section of guitar, bass, drums and piano. The vocal sounds like it's being broadcast over an old-timey transistor radio. It's main hook, "One look at you, and heaven's on fire," isn't the least bit ironic.

This song reminds me of the best of New Wave pop. It's light, but not vapid; It's a confection you can send to your honey, or enjoy on your own, appreciating the reminder that romance isn't dead.

Remembering “Friday”

[Written sometime in the 2010s'...]

Last month marked the third anniversary of the release of a song called “Friday” by a singer named Rebecca Black. For a brief time, this track was the epitome of Talked About Bad Music. Make no mistake, the world is full of crappy music. But, like millions of other Internet users at the time, I had to give a listen to and take a look at the song to see what all the fuss was about.

Great New Music: Week of February 20, 2023

Here's a list of some of the new albums that have been added to the CHIRP Radio library this week:

• Barefoot on Diamond Road by Amber Arcades (Fire)
• Cool Down by Bridal Party (Self-Released)
• M E D I A by Cor de Lux (Self-Released)
• The Berlin Session by Dur-Dur Band Int. (Out Here)
• Moments of Clarity by Narrow Head (Run For Cover)
• Scrap Metal Vol. 2 (compilation) (RidingEasy)

Listen to my radio show on Sundays from 2:00pm-4:00pm Central Time to hear songs from these and other great records!

"Sad Days, Lonely Nights" by James Blood Ulmer

Whenever I want to feel like a real bad-ass, like a main character in a ’70s Blaxploitation pic or an early Scorsese film, all I need to do is play this song on my headphones while I’m walking down the street.

This is a bumping guitar, bass, and harmonica riff with soul and ‘60s psychedelic flavors mixed in. But Ulmer’s gravel-road voice never let’s you forget that this is the blues. The sound is relentless and cuts right to the bone. It’s a great song to clear your head and rev your engines at the same time.

"The Isles" by Little Comets

A few days ago I re-watched The Filth and the Fury, a fantastic documentary about the rise and fall of the Sex Pistols. One thing I like about it is how it's not just about the band, but about the place and time.

England in the late 1970s was the perfect kind of economically chaotic and politically stagnant environment that would make public unrest and the rise of a band like the Sex Pistols inevitable. (Another film about this time period I recommend is Shane Meadows' This is England).

It's now 30 years later, and there are still people in the UK struggling at the bottom, despite Tony Blair's best efforts to have the world see otherwise. This video from the band Little Comets focuses on England's lower classes, often letting the subject faces do the talking without saying words.

The music isn't nearly as nihilistic as what Johnny Rotten and Steve Jones created decades ago, but the sentiment is similar. The video and song's vibe is energetic but woozy and on the brink, much like the economy of every Western country in the 21st century.


Little Comets - 'The Isles' from Agile Films on Vimeo.

Great New Music: Week of February 13, 2023

Here's a list of some of the new albums that have been added to the CHIRP Radio library this week:

• Taken By Force by CIVIC (ATO)
• Extra Life by Crushed (Self-Released)
• Today My Friend You Drunk the Venom by The Drin (Feel It)
• Moon Is by Heavy Blanket (Outer Battery)
• WOW by Kate NV (RVNG Intl)
• Raven by Kelela (Warp)
• Otherwise by Nolen Sellwood (New Folk)
• Attack - Sustain - Decay by Star Collector (Self-Released)
• Stella Kola by Stella Kola (Fountain Flight)
• Fishing for Accidents by Wax Tailor (LAB'ORATOIRE)

Listen to my radio show on Sundays from 2:00pm-4:00pm Central Time to hear songs from these and other great records.

“Marathon” by Tennis

A keyboard lays down a sparse, bouncy melody line single while the lead vocalist (through a lo-fi mike) sings about a trip to the seaside. Bursts of noise add melodic punctuation to the grooviness, like waves crashing onto the shore.

“Lucky 1” by Avey Tare

This song came from one of my favorite albums of the year, Down There by Amimal Collective member Avey Tare. Over the past five years I’ve become a diehard Animal Collective fan. I feel like I now know what devotees of Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa have been experiencing these past decades when they gush about their favorite artists only to me met with stares or grimaces.

The band members have moved their sound in an ever-slightly more pop-oriented direction, which is one reason Merriweather Post Pavilion was such a hit in 2009 (the other reasons being that it’s just a brilliant record). This group of musicians is endlessly talented and innovative, together or solo, as Avey Tare proves on “Lucky 1” where he conjures a psychedelic funkiness without using any percussion.

“For the Summer” by Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs

I’m not a huge fan of contemporary country, but there are some songs from the genre I think are top notch. This track from Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs has a contemporary country arrangement with a pop music feel, although the music and lyrics are far more mature than anything that passes for pop music nowadays.

It’s not the first song to explore loneliness and forgiveness, but the sentiment (brought across by LaMontagne’s strong yet world-weary vocals) gives it an uncommon depth of feeling. This would be a good song to take on the road, when it’s time to thing about lost loves.

"Rose Garden" by Shad

This track is a throwback to the days when wordplay ruled and rappers could sample with impunity. The hook is fantastic, and it definitely fits in with the socially-conscious style of hip-hop that has maintained through the years of gangsters and bling.

"May I Walk With You?" by Star Slinger

A very cool song, and a very cool and unique concept for a video. I like the way the rhythm of the images compliments the track perfectly.

"The Hundred in the Hands" by Commotion

It's too bad there's no broadcast music video station like MTV anymore. There's so much good stuff out there that deserves attention, like this video from Commotion. It's an excellent visual accompaniment to this fiery, alt-'80s dance track.

"Still Sound" by Toro y Moi

With its smooth mix of ‘70s FM radio pop and space rock, this track is groovy and easy on the ears.

"Mr. Joy" by Paul Bley

Graceful, Bill Evans-like melodic piano lines meet hard-bop funkiness in this beautiful 1968 track from Paul Bley.

"You Make Me Smile" by Aloe Blacc

A smooth dose of old-school RnB with an optimistic theme that hasn’t been present in black pop music since the 1960s-70s. They don’t really make ‘em like this anymore, which is too bad for music in general.

“Just Stay” by Balam Acab

Here’s another track by Balam Acab that provides an immersive, “underwater with an 808” listening experience. I’ve become a fan of Ambient music in the last couple of years, and this artist is one is one of the better recent musicians I’ve heard in this genre.

(original audio source courtesy of Stereogum.)

"Wasting Time" by Reading Rainbow

A delicious slice of garage-pop that's pitch-perfect for summertime. It's been a while since I've heard a song I can do the twist to. This kind of fun, energetic sound seems to be in short supply in today's pop music.

"Chimicum Rain" by Linda Perhacs

This blast from the past (1970, to be exact) sounds like a pleasant-enough acoustic folk track, all hushed introspection via voice and guitar, until the chorus, where the singer's overdubbed voice cascades in a shimmering waterfall of sound. Just beautiful.