November 30, 2013 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #185)

9:00 AM Donny Hathaway • Jealous Guy • Never My Love: The Anthology • Rhino

9:05 AM Tennis • Cured of Youth • Small Sound EP • Communion

9:08 AM Azita • Just Joker Blues • Life on the Fly • Drag City

9:14 AM Shearwater • A Wake For The Minotaur • Fellow Travelers • Sub Pop

9:18 AM Porter Wagoner • Eat, Drink and Be Merry (For Tomorrow You'll Cry) • The Essential Porter Wagoner • RCA

9:20 AM Renee-Louise Carafice • (I'm Your) Bodhisattva • Tells You to Fight • Monkey

9:25 AM China Crisis • African and White • Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain • Virgin

9:29 AM Black Milk • Interpret Sabotage (featuring Mel) • No Poison, No Paradise • Fat Beats

9:32 AM James Blake • I Mind • James Blake • ATLAS

9:37 AM Jack White • On and On and On • Blunderbuss • Columbia

9:41 AM Marcos Valle • Garra • Garra • Light In The Attic

9:43 AM Ryan Hemsworth • One For Me (Feat. Tinashe) • Guilt Trips • Last Gang

9:49 AM Cate Le Bon • Mug Museum • Mug Museum • Wichita

9:53 AM The Green Pajamas • Laura Silver Bell • In A Glass Darkly • Hidden Agenda

9:58 AM The Green River Boys & Glen Campbell • Lonesome Jailhouse Blues • Big Bluegrass Special • Capitol

10:01 AM Cheap Trick • Say Goodbye • Cheap Trick • Red Ant

10:03 AM La Luz • Big Big Blood • It's Alive • Hardly Art

10:06 AM Franz Ferdinand • Right Action • Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action • Domino

10:12 AM Danny Brown • Break It (Go) • Old • Fool's Gold

10:15 AM The Suburbs • Love Is The Law • Love Is The Law • Mercury

10:20 AM The Strokes • Juicebox • First Impressions of Earth • RCA

10:24 AM The Marshall Tucker Band • I'll Be Loving You • Together Forever • Capricorn

10:30 AM Russian Circles • Memorial • Memorial • Sargent House

10:33 AM Xiu Xiu • Cumberland Gap • Dear God, I Hate Myself • Kill Rock Stars

10:37 AM Annie • Songs Remind Me Of You • Don't Stop • Smalltown Supersound

10:41 AM Wooden Shjips • Ghouls • Back to Land • Thrill Jockey

10:45 AM 13th Floor Elevators • She Lives (In a Time of Her Own) • I've Always Been Here Before • Shout Factory

10:49 AM Uh Bones • Drink To Sleep • Drink To Sleep single • self-released

10:53 AM Sebastien Grainger • Waking Up Dead • Yours to Discover • Last Gang

10:56 AM Shinehead • The Real Rock • The Real Rock • Elektra

11:01 AM Pet Shop Boys • Vocal • Electric • x2

11:07 AM Orchestra of Spheres • Aby • Vibration Animal Sex Brain Music • Fire

11:10 AM The Ettes • I Stayed Too Late • Wicked Will • Krian

11:14 AM Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings • Ain't No Chimneys In The Projects • Stranger to My Happiness • Daptone

11:16 AM Mega City Four • Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely • On Another Planet • Black & Noir

11:19 AM Son Volt • Drown • Trace • Warner Bros.

11:24 AM The Who • Out In the Streets • My Generation • MCA

11:27 AM The Martha's Vineyard Ferries • Parachute • Mass. Grave • Kiam

11:30 AM Ghostface Killah • Troublemakers (featuring Raekwon, Method Man & Redman) • Apollo Kids • Def Jam

11:35 AM Best of Seven • Baby Loves You • A Tribute to E'Nuff Z'Nuff • CD Smash

11:39 AM The Jesus and Mary Chain • You Trip Me Up • Psychocandy • Blanco y Negro

11:41 AM Daedelus • Tiptoes • Drown Out • anticon.

11:47 AM The Gories • Thunderbird Esq. • The Shaw Tapes: Live in Detroit 5/27/88 • Third Man

11:50 AM MC5 • Over and Over • High Time • Rhino

11:55 AM Red Red Meat • Oxtail • Bunny Gets Paid • Sub Pop

November 23, 2013 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #184)

9:02 AM Alexander Spence • Little Hands • Oar • Sundazed

9:05 AM Juana Molina • Final Feliz • Wed 21 • Crammed Discs

9:09 AM A Hawk And A Hacksaw • Pastelka on the Train • Darkness at Noon • Leaf

9:15 AM Howe Gelb • The 3 Deaths of Lucky • The Coincidentalist • New West

9:19 AM Queen • Who Needs You • News Of The World • Elektra

9:22 AM The Bees • I Really Need Love • Every Step's A Yes • Fiction

9:29 AM Michael Nesmith • Some of Shelley's Blues • Live at The Britt Festival • Pacific Arts

9:32 AM Aaron Freeman • Nature Man • Gener's Gone: The Final Demo Recordings of Gene Ween (2009-2011) EP • self-released

9:35 AM Sam Cooke • Nobody Knows The Troubles I've Seen • Night Beat • RCA

9:39 AM The Go-Betweens • The Wrong Road • Liberty Belle And The Black Diamond Express • Beggars Banquet

9:43 AM The xx • Our Song • Coexist • Young Turks

9:46 AM Jonwayne • Find Me in the Future • Rap Album One • Stones Throw

9:50 AM Minor Alps • Radio Static • Get There • Barsuk

9:53 AM Allá • Tu Vida! • Es Tiempo • Crammed Discs

9:56 AM Bongwater • Love Life • Rutles Highway Revisted • Shimmy Disc

10:01 AM Garbage • Not My Idea • Garbage • Almo

10:05 AM YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN • Windflower • UZU • Suicide Squeeze

10:08 AM Cornershop • Beacon Radio 303 (featuring Rajwant) • Urban Turban • Ample Play

10:14 AM White Denim • New Blue Feeling • Corsicana Lemonade • Downtown

10:17 AM Rose Elinor Dougall • Future Vanishes • Futures Vanishes EP • You

10:21 AM Art Ensemble Of Chicago • Nonaah • Fanfare For The Warriors • Atlantic

10:28 AM Anna Calvi • One Breath • One Breath • Domino

10:33 AM SEACATS • Wrecked • SEACATS • Fin

10:37 AM Frank Black & the Catholics • Six-Sixty-Six • Frank Black & the Catholics • Spin Art

10:41 AM The Roots • The Day (featuring Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash) • How I Got Over • Def Jam

10:45 AM Ian Dury & The Blockheads • Uncoolohol • Laughter • Stiff

10:48 AM The Lemons • My Candy Girl • Hello, We're The Lemons • Tripp Tapes

10:51 AM Blasted Diplomats • When The Ship Goes Down • Blasted Diplomats • BLVD

10:54 AM The Zombies • Just Out Of Reach • Zombie Heaven • Big Beat

10:55 AM Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3 • Freak Star • ...tick...tick...tick • Down There

11:01 AM Urge Overkill • Ticket To LA • Americruiser • Touch and Go

11:03 AM Melt-Banana • Zero • fetch • A-Zap

11:07 AM Armando • Downfall • Can You Jack? Chicago Acid And Experimental House 1985-95 • Soul Jazz

11:13 AM Bardo Pond • Taste • Peace on Venus • Fire

11:18 AM Bee Gees • Idea • Idea • Atco

11:21 AM Them Crooked Vultures • Scumbag Blues • Them Crooked Vultures • DGC

11:27 AM Tal National • Zigda • Kaani • FatCat

11:32 AM The Selecter • On My Radio • Too Much Pressure • Chrysalis

11:35 AM Cloud Nothings • Nothing's Wrong • Cloud Nothings • Carpark

11:38 AM The Sherbs • Back to Zero • The Skill • Festival

11:43 AM Sebastien Tellier • Adieu • Confection • Record Makers

11:45 AM The Lambrettas • Cortinas • Da-a-a-ance • Sanctuary

11:49 AM Fake Limbs • Dr. Detroit • The Power of Patrician Upbringing • BLVD

11:53 AM Leatherface • Winsome, Losesome • The Last • BYO

11:56 AM Amanda Palmer • Astronaut (A Short History Of Nearly Nothing) • Who Killed Amanda Palmer • Roadrunner

November 16, 2013 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #183)

9:02 AM The Beatles • I'll Follow The Sun • On Air -- Live at the BBC Volume 2 • Apple

9:04 AM Midlake • Aurora Gone • Antiphon • ATO

9:09 AM Seu Jorge • Don't • Cru • Wrasswer

9:14 AM Elf Power • Chromosome Blues • Sunlight on the Moon • Orange Twin

9:17 AM Dolly Parton • Mission Chapel Memories • Touch Your Woman • RCA

9:20 AM John Coltrane • Say It (Over And Over Again) • Ballads • Impulse!

9:27 AM Justin Roberts • What the Stork Sent • Lullaby • Carpet Square

9:31 AM Solomon Burke • Today Is Your Birthday • The Definition Of Soul • Pointblank

9:34 AM Harm Wülf • Spectrum Blues • There's Honey In the Soil So We Wait for the Till • Deathwish Inc

9:39 AM Blood Orange • No Right Thing • Cupid Deluxe • Domino

9:43 AM Wailing Souls • Run Dem Down • Firehouse Rock • Greensleeves

9:47 AM Kelly Hogan • Sleeper Awake • I Like to Keep Myself in Pain • ANTI-

9:52 AM Jan & Dean • Batman • Jan & Dean Meet Batman • Liberty

9:54 AM Julie Meckler • Me and the Waves • Queenshead • self-released

9:58 AM Peaking Lights • Synthy • 936 • Not Not Fun

10:02 AM Madness • One Step Beyond • One Step Beyond • Sire

10:04 AM Earl Sweatshirt • Sasquatch (featuring Tyler the Creator) • Doris • Tan Cressida

10:07 AM Bat For Lashes • Glass • Two Suns • Astralwerks

10:13 AM Advance Base • Either You Love Me or I Don't Love You • Tomorrow's Homes Today EP • Orindal

10:16 AM Pete and the Pirates • Cold Black Kitty • One Thousand Pictures • Stolen

10:19 AM Modest Mouse • One Chance • Good News For People Who Love Bad News • Epic

10:23 AM Sing-Sing • I Do • And I • Aerial

10:27 AM RJD2 • It All Came To Me In a Dream (feat. Blueprint) • More Is Than Isn't • RJ's Electrical Connections

10:30 AM Eurythmics • Fame • Touch • RCA

10:35 AM The Hollies • On A Carousel • The 30th Anniversary Collection • EMI

10:38 AM Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. • Hiding • The Speed of Things • Warner Bros

10:41 AM Ari Brown • Two Gun V • Live At The Green Mill • Delmark

10:50 AM Arcade Fire • You Already Know • Reflektor • Merge

10:54 AM Derek And The Dominoes • I Looked Away • Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs • Polydor

10:57 AM The Dismemberment Plan • Girl O' Clock • Emergency & I • DeSoto

11:01 AM The Last • I Don't Know What to Say • Danger • End Sounds

11:03 AM Hank 3 • The Outdoor Plan • Brothers of the 4x4 • Hank 3

11:07 AM Thom Yorke • Harrowdown Hill • The Eraser • XL

11:14 AM M.I.A. • Know It Ain't Right • Matangi • N.E.E.T.

11:18 AM Spirit • Topanga Windows • Spirit • Ode

11:21 AM Echo & the Bunnymen • The Killing Moon • Ocean Rain • Warner Bros.

11:28 AM Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs • Kid • Under The Covers, Vol. 3 • Shout Factory

11:31 AM Of Montreal • Raindrop In My Skull • Lousy with Sylvianbriar • Polyvinyl

11:34 AM Chance the Rapper • NaNa (featuring Action Bronson) • Acid Rap • self-released

11:38 AM Buzzcocks • Promises • Singles Going Steady • I.R.S.

11:40 AM Beastmilk • Death Reflects Us • Climax • Magic Bullet

11:43 AM The Dambuilders • Smell • Encendedor • Eastwest

11:48 AM Pelican • The Cliff • Forever Becoming • Southern Lord

11:52 AM Samantha 7 • Hanging Onto Jane • Samantha 7 • Portrait

11:54 AM Outer Minds • Footsteps Part II • Outer Minds • Southpaw

November 9, 2013 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #182)

9:00 AM Lily & Madeleine • Come To Me • Lily & Madeleine • Asthmatic Kitty

9:03 AM Johnny Cash • Rosanna's Going Wild • The Legend • Columbia/Legacy

9:05 AM Fabie Anstee Trio (feat. Rob McDougle) • That's Just Fine • Home • self-released

9:12 AM Son Lux • Easy • Lanterns • Joyful Noise

9:15 AM Hollie Cook • Milk And Honey • Hollie Cook • Mr. Bongo

9:19 AM Wilco • Hell Is Chrome • A Ghost Is Born • Nonesuch

9:25 AM The Alan Parsons Project • Time • Turn Of A Friendly Card • Arista

9:30 AM Psapp • Wet Salt • What Makes Us Glow • The state51 Conspiracy

9:33 AM Quantic & Alice Russell with the Combo Bárbaro • Road to Islay • Look Around the Corner • Tru Thoughts

9:38 AM Neil Young • Deep Forbidden Lake • Decade • Reprise

9:42 AM The Trolleyvox • How You Gonna Get There • Leap of Folly • Groove Disques

9:46 AM Kwes. • Rollerblades • ilp • Warp

9:51 AM Moonface • Everyone Is Noah, Everyone Is The Ark • Julia With Blue Jeans On • Jagjaguwar

9:55 AM Eleanor Friedberger • One-Month Marathon • Last Summer • Merge

9:58 AM Andrea Perry • My Lover Said • Four • self-released

10:01 AM Lee Ranaldo and The Dust • Last Night On Earth • Last Night On Earth • Matador

10:06 AM Diane Coffee • WWWoman • My Friend Fish • Western Vinyl

10:09 AM Kill The Vultures • Sick Days Are Upon Us • Kill The Vultures • Jib Door

10:16 AM La Luz • Big Big Blood • It's Alive • Hardly Art

10:19 AM The English Beat • Twist And Crawl • I Just Can't Stop It • Go Feet

10:21 AM Nothing Painted Blue • Sorely Tempted • Emotional Discipline • Scat

10:25 AM Polly Scattergood • Falling • Arrows • Mute

10:30 AM Black Hearted Brother • (I Don't Mean To) Wonder • Stars Are Our Home • Slumberland

10:34 AM Otter Petter • Torch • Nice Night For A Knife Fight • self-released

10:38 AM The James Gang • Midnight Man • Thirds • ABC

10:41 AM Sky Ferreira • You're Not The One • Night Time, My Time • Capitol

10:45 AM Gamelan Son of Lion • D.N.A. • The Complete Gamelan In the New World • Locust

10:50 AM Cults • No Hope • Static • Columbia

10:53 AM Margarita Sierra • Cha Cha Twist • Chicas! Spanish Female Singers 1962/1974 • Vampisoul

10:55 AM The Decemberists • Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect • Castaways and Cutouts • Kill Rock Stars

11:01 AM The Strypes • Blue Collar Jane • Snapshot • Virgin

11:04 AM Neo Boys • Dirty White Lies • Sooner or Later • K

11:06 AM Mike Reed's People, Places & Things • Wilbur's Tune • Proliferation • 482 Music

11:13 AM Darkside • Paper Trails • Psychic • Other People

11:17 AM Beastie Boys • Time To Build • To the 5 Boroughs • Capitol

11:20 AM Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band • Zig Zag Wanderer • Safe As Milk • Buddha

11:24 AM Mudhoney • We Had Love • Set It On Fire! • Dog Meat

11:29 AM Parquet Courts • You've Got Me Wonderin' Now • Tally All The Things That You Broke EP • What's Your Rupture?

11:32 AM The Afro Soul-Tet • Mozamba • Afrodesia • Luv N' Haight

11:35 AM The Dickies • Fan Mail • Dawn Of The Dickies • A & M

11:38 AM DJ Rashad • I'm Too Hi (featuring Earl) • Double Cup • Hyperdub

11:42 AM Cold Cave • Love Comes Close • Love Comes Close • Matador

11:47 AM Robert Pollard • Tonight's The Rodeo • Tonight's The Rodeo single • GBV Inc.

11:49 AM The Long Ryders • 10-5-60 • 10-5-60 • PVC

11:52 AM Mount Eerie • Clear Moon • Clear Moon • P.W. Elverum & Sun

November 2, 2013 CHIRP Radio Show -- The Sparks-travaganza (Show #181)

On November 6 and 7 of this week, Sparks will be playing Chicago. The last time they played here? In 1983. I was there for that show (opening for Rick Springfield) and they were well on their way to becoming my all-time favorite band. In honor of their long awaited return to Chicago, I decided to turn this week's show into a Sparks-travaganza. So I deviated a bit from CHIRP's format, while still playing plenty of new and local music, to play Sparks tunes, covers of Sparks tunes and other songs that somehow related to Sparks. It was a blast and I can't wait, after traveling to New York City, London and Los Angeles to see them, to only have to take the el to see them this time. I have added annotations to explain how many of these songs were connected to Sparks.

9:01 AM Neko Case • Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth • Middle Cyclone • ANTI- (Sparks cover of tune from Propaganda album)

9:03 AM Sparks • My Other Voice • No. 1 In Heaven • Elektra

9:08 AM Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin • Ms. Dot • Fly By Wire • Polyvinyl

9:12 AM Cameron McGill • Everybody Hold On • Gallows Ettiquette • Post-Important

9:15 AM The Go-Go's • Yes Or No • Talk Show • I.R.S. (Go-Go's guitarist Jane Wiedlin, who dueted with Sparks on their minor hit Cool Places, co-wrote this song with Ron and Russell Mael)

9:20 AM The Equals • The Skies Above • Baby Come Back • RCA (request)

9:24 AM R. Stevie Moore • Fletcher Honorama • The Future Is Worse Than The Past • Megaphon (Cover of song on Sparks' debut album and my favorite song from that album)


9:27 AM The Futureheads • The No. 1 Song In Heaven • Rant • Nul (A capella cover of Sparks' influential electro-disco hit from 1979)

9:31 AM Botany • Simple Creatures With Ryat • Lava Diviner (Truestory) • Western Vinyl

9:37 AM Earle Mankey • Mau Mau • Earle Mankey • Frigidisk (Solo song from original member of Halfnelson/Sparks, who went on to become an engineer and producer of lots of cool records)

9:40 AM The Beach Boys • Roller Skating Child • Love You • Brother (Engineered by that Earle Mankey fellow)

9:43 AM Mickey & The Soul Generation • Football • Iron Leg: The Complete Mickey & The Soul Generation • Cali-Tex

9:48 AM Mark Lanegan • You Only Live Twice • Imitations • Vagrant

9:51 AM Sparks • Suburban Homeboy • Lil' Beethoven • Palm Pictures (Played a b-side version with Ron Mael narrating the lyrics over the music and backing vocals)

9:55 AM Telex • Sigmund Freud's Party • Sex • PVC (Belgian synth-pop band, Ron and Russell Mael wrote the lyrics)


9:57 AM Hollows • Up & Down • Vulture • Trouble In Mind

10:02 AM The Dirtbombs • Sherlock Holmes • We Have You Surrounded • In the Red (Detroit garage band covers track from Sparks' Angst In My Pants, the Sparks album I've played more than any other)

10:05 AM Sparks • Girl From Germany • A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing • Bearsville

10:08 AM Elsinore • Life Inside An Elephant • PUSH/PULL • Parasol

10:14 AM William Steffey • Belfast • Belfast single • Aquariphone

10:18 AM Martin Gordon • Hit Him On The Head (With a Hammer) • The Baboon In The Basement • Radiant Future (Gordon played bass on Sparks' classic Kimono My House album. He went on to form Jet and Radio Stars, play scad of sessions, and eventually make witty power pop solo records)

10:21 AM Ra Ra Riot • Saccharin and the War • Boy • Barsuk (cover of song from eponymous debut of Halfnelson...who soon changed their name to Sparks, and the Halfnelson debut was reissued as Sparks' eponymous debut)

10:27 AM Big Hello • In My Mind • Orange Album • Break-Up! (This Chicago band featured Brad Elvis and Chloe Orwell, now of The Handcuffs. Brad is a major Sparks fan and wrote the lyrics to this track, which name checks Ron and Russell Mael)

10:30 AM William Onyeabor • Fantastic Man • World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who is William Onyeabor? • Luaka Bop

10:34 AM Hilly Michaels • Russian Girls • Lumia • Warner Bros. (Hilly played drums on Sparks' Big Beat album and made two fizzy power pop records in the '80s, though this is more of a synth-pop number)

10:39 AM Sparks • At Home, At Work, At Play • Two Hands One Mouth Live In Europe • Lil' Beethoven

10:43 AM Sara Savery • Sonoe • The Diver • DPC

10:46 AM Christopher Milk • The Tough Kids • Some People Will Drink Anything • Reprise (Surly Ralph and John Mendelssohn from this band were early members of the forerunner of Sparks, Halfnelson, leaving before the sole Halfnelson album. Mendelssohn went on to write for Creem Magazine, among other things)

10:50 AM Poliça • Matty • Shulamith • Mom + Pop

10:55 AM Gemma Ray • How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall? • Island Fire • Bronze Riot (Contemporary British singer-songwriter covered two Sparks tunes on a 45 that were appended as bonus tracks to this CD. This song was originally on the 2002 Sparks album Lil' Beethoven, which re-established them a significant artistic force)

11:00 AM Sparks • Tips For Teens • Whomp That Sucker • RCA (This is the first Sparks song I ever heard. I was hooked right away)

11:04 AM 20/20 • Yellow Pills • 20/20 • Portrait (One of my all-time favorite songs, this power pop classic was produced by original Sparks member Earle Mankey)

11:08 AM Boldy James • Bold • My 1st Chemistry Set • Decon

11:13 AM Dean Wareham • Air • Emancipated Hearts EP • Sonic Cathedral

11:16 AM Siouxsie & The Banshees • This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us • Through The Looking Glass • Geffen (The legendary post-punk goth band did a nice job covering Sparks' first big hit single in the UK, and still the song that is their calling card)

11:19 AM NOMO • Nu Tones • New Tones • Ubiquity

11:25 AM Mark Burgess and Yves Altana • Moon Over Kentucky • Sin • Dead Dead Good (Burgess is the lead singer for the great British post-punk band The Chameleons. This is a cover of a song off of Sparks' first masterpiece, their second album, A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing)

11:29 AM The Electric Peanut Butter Company • Mono Man • Trans-Atlantic Psych Classics Vol. 2 • Ubiquity

11:31 AM Gleaming Spires • A Christian Girl's Problems • Walk On Well Lighted Streets • PVC (The four members of Gleaming Spires also played in Sparks from 1981 through 1984)

11:36 AM Cave • Shikaakwa • Threace • Drag City

11:41 AM Jet • It Would Be Good • Jet • CBS (Fans of Sparks' glam rock era material would probably also like Jet. Former Sparks bass player Martin Gordon wrote the tunes for Jet and, of course, played bass)

11:43 AM Cockeyed Ghost • I Wish I Was A Girl • The Scapegoat Factory • Big Deal (Original Sparks member Earle Mankey engineered this track from a swell L.A. power pop band)

11:49 AM Sparks • Amateur Hour • Kimono My House • Island (Second smash hit from Sparks' breakthrough album)

11:52 AM Epicycle • Residential Area • You're Not Gonna Get It: 1978-81 • HoZac

11:55 AM The Quick • My Purgatory Years • Mondo Deco • Mercury (This L.A. band really, really tried hard to sound like Sparks. No wonder they got original Sparks member Earle Mankey to co-produce the record with legendary crackpot and Runaways svengali Kim Fowley)