Born In Chicago!

Coming home from a beer and potato chip run I happened to have XRT's "Blues Breakers" tuned into the radio dial.

Lonnie Baker Brooks started running through a version of "Born In Chicago" and it made me think of this similar (but different) song of the same name. 

This album came out when I was a senior in high school.  I used to have it on tape but it hasn't yet surfaced during the Great Cassette Excavation.  

At the moment I can't recall a single other song on the tape but I really dug this bratty take on da blooze.  It wasn't angry enough to be punk but it was also too hip to be hair metal.  

A quick search on the Slammin Watusis turned up this article from 1988 when they first signed to CBS Records.  It mentions going on upcoming tours with The Godfathers and then The Replacements.  Both vastly superior bands to be sure, but you can still give it up for the hometown boys with their hometown pride. 

A Reminder...

So it sounds weird to admit this but I just spent a over month listening to a single cassette in my car.   Over and over, over and over.   

What is weirder is that the tape was Substance - Joy Division's singles collection.  

I don't have anything specific that I need to get across about that tense body of music at the moment, I am just glad to finally be out from under its spell.  

The tape that broke the brown study was a mix that was made for me by G$ back in 1994.  I was living in Iowa City at the time, and G titled one side of the mix - "A Reminder" 

A reminder of what exactly?  Well, since many* of the acts got their start in Chicago, my guess is the motif was to remind me to get my ass back to Chicago at my first opportunity.  

*I can't confirm 100% of the acts - G$ didn't go to a catholic grade school like I did so his penmanship and spelling suffers. 

1) The Stalker - Urge Overkill
2) Out of the Fun (?) - Titanic Love Affair (or maybe Titanic Hoe Affair?)
3) Reap What You Sew (sp) - Otis Rush
4) Walking the Dog - Luther Johnson
5) Crack - Big Black 
6) Vanilla Blue - Naked Raygun
7) Emmeline - Urge Overkill
8) Obscured - Smashing Pumpkins
9) Hello Kitty Kat - Smashing Pumpkins
10) Because - Mere Mortals (?)
11) Kids These Days - Phantom Helmsmen

******

Today, G$ is preparing to move his life to Indianapolis.   Much like Iowa City, it is not that far from Chicago BUT I would like to make him "A Reminder" mix -updated for 2012 - as musical encouragement to visit often.  

So what current Chicago acts would you put on such a mix?

I know one band I would be most excited to share is one that G$ has already prematurely dismissed as being too self indulgent.  He listened to some 30 second snippets on iTunes and came to that snap decision. 

This is not unusual for my friend; he sometimes arbitrates his musical taste like he is a judge on The Gong Show.  You better Wow him before they have to pause for station identification - G$ is a busy man and we have a lotta vinyl to get through before midnight!

But Tight Phantomz worked on this double album for SEVEN YEARS and to my ears it sounds like a cross between Urge Overkill and Modest Mouse.   Lots of beautiful loser swagger as they cross the street from the liquor store back to the home studio for another all night session.  These dudes love the 70s cock rock (and maybe secretively some pockets of 80s hair metal) like I do - unabashedly and with a sense of humor.  

Now granted, 36 songs is a lot to make your way through.  Still, I tried to digest it as an album and I am glad that I did.  

But if you want to know some of my favorite songs I would have to say the following are good representations of the band working their best mojo - give them more than 30 second snippets and their charms will be revealed:

Part One (aka Sides 1 & 2)

Black Seas at the Crib

Seek Thunder 

Kiss Your Way Inside

Waiting For

There Goes My Protege

Kid Crimes 

You're The Diamond

Part Two (aka Sides 3 & 4)

She Talks to Fire

Sickening

Silk Prison

Bondo Cred

Nobody Is Inside

Accidental Girl

Someone Believes In Me Somewhere

And HEY! While writing this post I went hunting for the band's website and discovered they are playing TONIGHT at the Empty Bottle.  

That is too great of a coincidence - this band is notorious for only playing on average twice a year and they played the Bottle on Black Wednesday less than a month ago.   

SO, my loyal readers (all four of you) will be getting a call to see if I can rouse you  for a night of merrymaking before G$ leaves us for Indianapolis. I can guarantee it will be more memorable than a night with the Phantom Helmsmen. 

"If you need a guy,

I gotta guy that repairs heat." -- Serengeti, "Perculators"

Thought of this lyric because my very introductory post earlier this evening was composed while waiting on Joe (from Airflow) to come and fix a gas leak leading to my furnace.

Serengeti took the Saturday Night Live Bears Superfans skit and developed a real, relatable persona. This isn't parody but it is injected with a lot of Chicago humor.

Be forewarned - it is also very catchy. So catchy you might find yourself smiling at the thought of it while handling a stressful situation like no heat on the first seriously cold night of winter.

My brother Ben introduced me to Serengeti's alter ego earlier this year and I remain greatly appreciative.

I will also be greatly appreciative to Joe (from Airflow) once my furnace is safe to run again.