Songs of the Week CHICAGO - Editors Pick
“as satisfying as depressing those pumps on the Reebok’s”
STEPHEN:
"Rush Hour Traffic" -- The Cool Kids
The only shoes I wanted in 1991 were Reebok Pumps. A couple kids, both of whom happened to be naturally athletic, owned pairs and would routinely pump up during recess. At the time I didn't know that good genes were more to blame for athletic talent than footwear, so logic dictated that the only reason I couldn't blast a kick ball halfway across the playground was that you couldn't pump up Cons. If only this song had been there when I needed it in first grade. Every horn hit on the track is as satisfying as depressing those pumps on the Reebok's. When the guitars kick in it's like getting a Spaulding just handed to you. Home fucking run. You could walk around the bases at that point, which is what makes the hook so satisfying. Slow and deliberate, like kicking everyone's ass in a sport that you sucked at.
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CARRIE:
"Twenty Three" -- California Wives
Listening to this song is like having your memories of past lives play in the future. The vocals, antique and browning around the edges, are laid on top of digital blankets of Tron pattern. I like how layered it is, folding over on itself gently, pushing depth.
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REYNA:
“The Argument” – The Sea and Cake
This is a great driving song. It sounds like the road under tires and light strobing through the windshield and into your eyes underneath a stretch of tree-shaded road on a sunny day. Swish swish swish. Clank clank clank. Tap tap tap. Fade on 'til the summertime. I've got to go.
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JOHN:
"Shadow Box" -- The Ponys
The Ponys are straight out of Chicago and have a sturdy Midwest beef to their music. I love their hidden hook infused rock sound with all the bluster of a local band going for broke. When I first heard them I was falling in love, sometimes that is the worst time to find a band. Sometimes that is the only time to find a band. Shadow Box caught my ear from a DVD about destruction or something curated by the bass player from Shellac. It grabbed me by the balls and danced my sack into a funky groove. When I need a sloppy good time, I turn back to their first record, Celebration Castle.
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SHENYAH:
"People Power" -- White Mystery
I was completely charmed by White Mystery when I went to see them perform at a little dive bar recently. Before this brother/ sister duo even took the stage, a buoyant energy filled the place. Although I wasn't familiar with them, they were pretty easy to spot with their wild red locks bouncing through the crowd, greeting their friends and fans, taking photos, toasting...smiley. I liked them before I even heard their primitive garage band sound. Once I did, I felt like a fire cracker! The energy of this band is pretty exuberant!
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