CHIRP: The Chicago Independent Radio Project

Dustin Drase writes

Chris Siuty's top ten of 2008

2008, the year that was….and technically still is! Throughout the month of December, CHIRP will be posting our favorites from 2008 each and every weekday for your nostalgic pleasure. It may even lead you to find some new favorites before the year is done.

First up is a list of top ten records from our mega talented head engineer Chris Siuty

Read on to see his picks

1. Dillinger Four – C I V A L W A R – Fat Wreck

The band that everyone likes finally puts out their highly anticipated follow up to their 2002 release, “Situationist Comedy.” With this collection of their trademark hybrid of punk and hardcore, they bring us songs about being frustrated with the current state of the country, music and other trademark D4 topics. Holy crap, there’s a really positive song too, which is pretty new to these guys, so combine all that and you have my favorite album of 2008.

2. Off With Their Heads – From the Bottom – No Idea Records

Coming from the same scene that gave us the Dillinger Four and Rivithead, comes Minneapolis Minnesota’s Off With Their Heads. This, their second album, is the follow up to 2006’s Hospitals. Dark pop punk songs that appear to be amateur psycho-therapy for primary song writer, Ryan Young.

3. Lemuria – Get Better – Asian Man

Being sent to the pop-punk ghetto by indie snobs who are far more interested in flash-in-the-pan techno, snubbed by kids who misinterporate emo as girl pants and make up, we find Lemuria being punk rock’s most darling secret. Drawing influence from roots indie rock like the Lemonheads and Husker Du, as well as 90’s icons such as Superchunk and Velocity Girl, Lemuria find themselves too honest for emo and not hip enough for indie rock. This record lives in heavy rotation for me.

4. Chronic Seizure – Ancient Wounds – No Way Records

Leading the way for a revival of bare bones fast hardcore, Chronic Seizure has become one of the most imitated bands I’ve ever heard. Unfortunately, none of their clones are anywhere close to as good as Chronic Seizure. Made up of Chicago punk/hardcore veterans, you have ex-/current members of Ambition Mission, Thin the Heard, Rat Bastards, the Mushuganas as well as many others I’m forgetting. These guys are the foundation of a new wave of American hardcore that doesn’t involve break downs or spin kicks.

5. Brokedowns – Six Songs – Cassette Deck

The best thing going in Illinois right now. Seriously. Fight me.

6. Sass Dragons – Bonkaroo! – Johann’s Face Records

Another Chicago release. Remember in high school, those dudes everyone said were on drugs and had drinking problems and there were always rumors about them being high in school? They didn’t hang out with the smug pretty-boy punk rockers with the fancy hair cuts, but instead they wore long coats and had dirty, stringy hair and commonly smelled of stale beer and cigarettes? That’s who these guys are. This will make you think of twenty or thirty shirtless dudes in a basement screaming along while spilling Old Style tall boys on one another.

7. The Darvocets – …Are New Wave – Fashionable Idiots Records

Quirky punk, similar to various “Killed By Death,” or “Blood Stains” style bands, as well as the Crucifucks, early Butthole Surfers and the Mentally Ill. The Darvocets have put out one of the most genre bending punk records I’ve heard in a while; writing songs about time travel, Big Foot, anti-gravity devices and man-made viruses.

8. Vacation Bible School – Unlucky – Cassette Deck

Staples of the Chicago pop punk scene finally put out a follow up to their 2002 release, “In Defense of Myself.” Eight songs of quality, FYP meets the Vindictives meets ever band Aaron Cometbus has ever been in goodness. Solid dudes, solid band, solid songs. Hunt this down.

9. The Gaslight Anthem – The 59 Sound – Sideonedummy

I was going to place this higher on the list, but really, looking back at this year, the above records logged much more time on my turntable than this one did. That’s not to say that this is a bad record, because it’s far from it. This was my album of the year for about a week solid (then that damn Dillinger Four album came out and shot it all to hell). Springsteen influenced punk, with a solid foundation in early 90’s indie rock. If you like Springsteen’s “Born to Run” album, but don’t want to admit it to your friends, you may want to consider giving this a listen. Some of these songs will kill you over and over again. I promise.

10. Daily Void – Identification Code: 5271-4984853784-06564 – Dead Beat Records

Ex members of Chicago’s Functional Blackouts. Was it possible for the FB’s to get any weirder? Probably not, because they called it a day and started a band that is infinitely more fucked up than it’s previous incarnation could ever imagine. They’re still garagey, I think, but there’s a lot more flirtation with death rock and noise punk and although this could possibly spell “art school asshole,” that’s not the case here. Solid record.

Honorable Mentions –

Kim Phuc – Wormwood Star b/w Freak Out the Squares 7” – Criminal IQ Records

Jetty Boys – S/T – Rally Records

Methadones/Copyrights split LP