Our Thoughts On Beyoncé Sampling Audio From Challenger Shuttle Tragedy For New Song!

Well, it seems that Queen B has gotten herself in a bit of hot water for a sample that appears on her new album.  In the video for her new song, "XO", the untouchable superstar chose to include a sample of dialogue - "Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation.  Obviously a major malfunction." - taken from the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986.

Beyoncé, in a statement (that, much like her songs, she did not write), said:

"My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the Challenger disaster. The song 'XO' was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones and to remind us that unexpected things happen, so love and appreciate every minute that you have with those who mean the most to you."

Uh, what?  Wait, there's more: 

"The songwriters included the audio in tribute to the unselfish work of the Challenger crew with hope that they will never be forgotten."

Now, we at The Shit speak fluent Bullshit and are more than happy to interpret Beyoncé's actual statement before her PR hack tweaked it:  

"Yo, yo, yo, back it up, I'm just the singer.  As ya'll can imagine, my beautiful life keeps me quite busy so it's redonkulous to expect me to be in the studio for the entire recording process.  The truth is, I can barely be bothered to stick around long enough to cut my vocals before jetting off to Dubai or Cuba or some other beautiful place.  

As for the use of the sample from the Challenger tragedy, I have no idea who chose to use the sample, nor do I really care.  Again, I am beautiful, my life is beautiful, and everything about the song in question is beautiful so the folks who died in the Challenger tragedy should be honored to be associated with something so beautiful."

While we are certainly open to having a little fun at Queen B's expense, the underlying truth is that the use of such a sample was done with willful intent and ignorance of how tragic that event remains.  Just because it happened 27 years ago, when Beyoncé was 5 years old, doesn't make it any less of a national tragedy and should be treated with a modicum of respect.

Ultimately, this falls on Beyoncé's shoulders because her name is on the album.  She dropped the ball by either a) not knowing the source of the sample, or b) not caring.  Whatever blowback she receives as a result is fully deserved.

Of course, if it's attention she is after..."Mission accomplished."

Still, we at The Shit can't help wonder...was the sample properly cleared with NASA in advance of the song's release?

Perfect Gift For The Musician In Your Life: White Castle Slider-Scented Candle!

While not technically a musical gift, let's face it, more than a few musicians have graced the hallowed halls of White Castle, usually at 3 A.M. and more than likely after a gig at Abbey Pub or Reggie's.

Hence, it only makes sense that the White Castle Slider-Scented Candle would make a great gift for the musician, or local music fan, in your life.

Here's the best part: 100% of net proceeds from the sale of these limited-edition candles will be donated directly to the charity Autism Speaks.

Order today, as supplies are limited!

BUY NOW!

Five-Minute Record Reviews: King Crimson, "Anchorman 2" Vinyl, Visage, John Cougar Mellencamp, and Acoustic Scorpions?!

John Mellencamp - 1978 - 2012

Those Mellencamp fans with $135 burning a hole in their pants will wanna belly-up to this 19 CD career-spanning compilation that contains newly remastered versions of all of his "proper" solo albums (in other words, no MainMan stuff) and a decent helping of rarities (although not enough to satiate the hardcore fans, apparently).  Our fave surprise: how great that Falling From Grace CD sounds today.  Wow.

Visage - Hearts And Knives

This came out last spring, but I'm just now spinning it.  Did you even know Visage had started making new music again?  Me neither.  I'll admit that I never gave the whole Steve Strange thing much thought or attention back in the day, but this is a pretty swingin' album.  Imagine Culture Club and Banarama joining forces to rid the world of frowns.  Best track: "Shameless Fashion".

King Crimson - USA (40th Anniversary Re-Issue)

I wish all artists would approach their re-issues with as much attention-to-detail as Fripp does presenting three different Hi-Resolution Stereo mixes of the album.  The exhaustive liner notes will make for weeks of tasty toilet reading (wait, that came out wrong!)  To our ears, Fripp's genius was in being at least fifteen years ahead of his time at all times and essentially creating the blue-print for angular, post-punk guitar.  As far as live albums go, this is one that never seems to get mentioned when folks start name-checking great live albums.  The truth is there are maybe five really great live albums EVER.  This is one of them.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues ON VINYL!!

Okay, I'm not reviewing this one so much as mentioning the fact that this cheeky soundtrack album is available on VINYL! Can you believe that?  It gets better, they want $60.47 for it on Amazon.  There are some funny Burgundy tracks and a mix of soft-rock radio favorites (like Jay Ferguson's "Thunder Island" and England Dan and John Ford Coley's "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight)".  "Muskrat Love" was a bit much, though.  Nice to see John Waite's "Change" featured prominently.

Scorpions - MTV Unplugged


This album is not for the faint of heart.  A once-proud German metal band with arena-size hooks reduces their sound to second-rate Vegas lounge act.  Two CD's worth of this demolition of their own material.  Ugh.

Our Thoughts On The Passing Of Radio Legend Larry Lujack!

Larry Lujack passed away last night.  Another legend stolen from us by cancer.  Uncle Lar, as he was affectionately known during is WLS heyday, was 73.  It would be at this point that we'd include a few YouTube clips, a SoundCloud link or two, obligatorily reminding us all of Lujack's greatness, but, unfortunately, I can't.

I can't because Lujack's greatness walked the earth like a cranky, cowboy boots-wearing giant at a time before every two-bit overnight radio show on the planet was immediately available as a podcast.

If it had, I guarantee ol' "Superjock" would be revered the world over for his cantankerous wit and propensity for the perverse.  Can you imagine grabbing the latest "Animal Stories" or the "Cheap Trashy Show Biz Report" as a podcast every day?  Holy shit, today's brain couldn't hold that much funny after years of going entire seasons of "Saturday Night Live" without laughing.

To those who have no idea who I'm talking about, imagine matching the greatest radio voice in the world to the last guy on the planet who should have one and you might get an idea of just what it was that made the man so great.  He and Tommy were "WKRP In Cincinnati" before there was such a thing.

As a kid, I would step onto the school bus most mornings miserable that another fine day was about to be ruined by forced schooling and, within minutes, Uncle Lar and his faithful sidekick "Little Tommy", would have the entire bus laughing.

Some of it might be out there - there's an "Animal Stories" CD from back in the day selling for $60 on Amazon - but most of it remains stored only in the heads and hearts of the millions of schoolkids within earshot of WLS in the '70s and '80s.

Thank you and goodbye, Mr. Lujack.

You were already missed.

Anybody Catch Hank & The Cupcakes On The Jimmy Lloyd Show?

The thing I love about music is that you can be the biggest music geek in the world, convince yourself that you've got your finger on the pulse, and still be completely unaware of a great band like Hank and Cupcakes.

Of course, that would mean that you missed out on their completely inspired cover of Joy Division's "She's Out Of Control" (which appeared on our "Friday the 13th playlist" just a few days ago), their magnificent debut album, Naked, and perhaps even their recent appearance on "The Jimmy Lloyd Songwriter Showcase", wherein the duo announced their presence with all the confidence of Michael Jordan unleashing a jumper at the buzzer.

In less than five minutes, bassist Ariel "Hank" Scherbacovsky lays down the groove while his wife, singer Sagit "Cupcakes" Shir, chews up the scenery while wrapping her confident, rock-steady voice around "Countdown", a new song from their as-yet-unfinished second album.

In a musical age where public meltdowns and topless tweets have become commonplace replacements for talent, it's refreshing to see a female performer just shut up and sing like a canary, joyously immersing herself in song.

Those who investigate further and check out the duo's mesmerizing full-length, Naked, will be taken by the album's genre-hopping breadth, from oonce-oonce dance numbers to 80's inspired funk pop and beyond.  Every track on the album simply jumps out of the grooves, making it ten times more muscially challenging and satisfying than any current platters from Kanye, Miley, or Lady Gaga.

Let's all make a resolution to no longer tolerate the tabloid crap that passes for popular music these days and make Hank and Cupcakes the new mainstream in 2014.

The first step, of course, is for you to get Naked.

Country Music Legend Ray Price Clings To Life At His Texas Home!

It's an absolute shame to watch country music turn into the Stepford Wife hair metal travesty that it has become while a stone-cold legend like Ray Price clings to life after a lengthy fight against pancreatic cancer.
Do you think Keith Urban has the foggiest idea who Ray Price is and what he accomplished as one of country music's most dependable artists, scoring hits like "Heartaches By The Number', "Crazy Arms", and "Release Me" in a career that spanned seven decades.

That's right, SEVEN decades.

Back in the 70's, country music was about outlaws, hard-living, and love-gone-wrong, with Price's rich, soulful baritone becoming as familiar as an old friend.  With contemporaries WIllie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash, Price enjoyed a resurgence in the 1970's that included six Top 10 country albums and four #1 country singles, "For The Good Times", "I Won't Mention It Again", "She's Got To Be A Saint", and "You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me".

Of course, Price who was heavily criticized by old school country fans for bringing a pop sheen to his music during that period, but listening to those songs today only reveals how ahead of his time Price had been to bring such an accessible and timeless sound to his music.

In 1980, he released the album San Antonio Rose with Willie Nelson and reached #3 on the country charts. It would be the last time he'd reach the Top 10 until 2007's Last of The Breed, which he recorded with Nelson and Merle Haggard.

As we bid a tearful farewell to one of country music's last remaining pioneers, the genre seems to lose that much more touch with its roots and become something completely unrecognizable.  In a country music scene led by the otherwise forgettable contributions of Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, and Garth Brooks, it's sad to realize that one of the last living giants of the genre has sung his final note.

The Shit Playlist: Friday The 13th Edition!

When another "Friday The 13th" rolls around, like it has today, I think of Jason in his hockey mask and all those half-assed sequels that drove the whole franchise into the ground.  Making it worse, enough time has passed that the hipsters are  now looking back for nosalgic reasons and finding that what truly crappy twenty years ago is downright genius by today's standards.  Come back, you hockey-mask-wearing freak, all is forgiven.

Not so fast.

Since a lot of radio stations and rock clubs view Friday the 13th as  "Halloween"-lite, be prepared to hear all of the usual "scary" Alice Cooper, Kiss, Rob Zombie, and Black Sabbath tunes.  All of those tunes are fine, but I truly resent that metal is the go-to music for every scary movie from "Friday the 13th" on.  Naturally, any kids cavorting at a lake with beers stolen from Daddy's fridge is gonna be jamming Krokus, right?

Wrong.



The next time you see Jason lurking behind a tree, ready to rip the arms off of the star quarterback and his cheerleader girlfriend, mute the flick, and play Joy Division's "She's Lost Control".  The brutal, unvarnished growl of Peter Hook's bass against Stephen Morris's robotic thrash will have the hairs on the back of your neck on full-alert.  Bernard Sumner's guitar traces the jagged grooves, cutting jagged lines into a once pristine canvas now ravaged by the unspeakable darkness of man.

And then comes The Voice.

My first thought when I hear Ian Curtis sing is "This guy saw something deeply unsettling and he was trying to warn us."  Having witnessed something first-hand that would turn the hair white, his voice shivers with fear and bravery and determination.  Scares the shit out of me because it's not a "slasher flick" kind of fear, it's deeper.  You can't see this one and it's on you before you can react.   Add in some subtle nuances of deceit and misdirection, where nothing can be taken at face value, and you have a complete mind-fuck going on here.


Gary Numan's "Are 'Friends' Electric?" is the next logical step in redefining the stigma surrounding Friday the 13th.  I find it funny that the song begins with the line "It's cold outside" because listening to Gary Numan albums has always made me feel cold, as if the temperature of the entire room just dipped.  Numan's merely talking to himself, noticing the man outside smoking the cigarette.  Hey, what;'s so scary ablout that, we think?  Uh, what would you be feeling if you noticed a strange man waiting outside your home smoking a cigarette.  You chalk it up as a coincidence, but, for crying out loud, he's staring right at you.

Brrrr.

If a few friends are bound and determined to get together in celebration of the day, again, resist the urge to watch a "Friday The 13th" movie.  Try a slyly genius flick like "Blow Up" instead and prepare for those who've never seen it to have their minds blown, if for no other scene than where the Yardbirds (with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page) are tearing into "Stroll On" in front of a zombified audience while David Hemmings wanders among them.  Having unwittingly photographed a murder and afraid for his life, director Michelangelo Antonioni's ability to create a further sense of alienation and disconnection is unsettling in its genius.


Speaking of unsettling, remember when Split Enz played the short-lived sketch comedy show "Fridays"?  Of course you don't.  Thanks to YouTube, we can now watch Neil Finn and Company's alien country band as if performing on "Hee Haw".  Would that have been freaky or what?

It's that odd juxtaposition of "one of these things is not like the other" that drives the song "Dirge" by Death In Vegas, with an almost alien female "la la la" set on an infinite loop adding a superior counterwight to the fittingly dirge-like groove that fills the mind with a sense of unease only to recede.  In that moment, you exhale, take in new oxygen because you know it's coming again to take you.

And then comes Julee Cruise's masterful "Rockin' Back Inside My Heart", with its porcelain refrain gliding effortlessly over ice that would crack beneath the weight of anything else.  Written by David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti for the Twin Peaks TV series, the song invites you in with the lightness of a hushed kiss.  You want to trust that the ice will hold your weight, eager to touch the beautiful apparition reaching out to yoiu.  You know you shouldn't go, but then you realize you're already halfway there, standing in the middle of a frozen lake and she is gone.

Is it Saturday the 14th yet?

Song Of The Day: Smoke Off Vinyl "Shindig"!

Chicago is a unique musical town in that on any given night, whether it be June or January, there are literally a thousand bands going for broke in some dive bar or rehearsal space within the city limits.  Sadly, most of it is heard by only the makers of said music, a chosen few family and friends, and whatever bar staff happen to be on-duty at the time.

One thinks of all the bands whose spirit was broken by the walls of indifference, the drudgery of being a band in a city with more bands than alley rats, all fighting for crumbs while a chosen few get a majority of the pie.

No other band symbolizes the plight of undiscovered greatness than Smoke Off Vinyl and their staggeringly awesome tune "Shindig", performed here at the late great Cal's Liquors.

Those wanting to hear more should check out S.O.V.'s Bandcamp page.

Five Cool Christmas Gift Ideas For The Guitarist In Your Life!

Sun Records Guitar Fly Swatter

There are no two words more packed with old school coolness than "Sun Records" so what better way to slay the hipster in your life than with this super-cool Sun Records fly swatter?  Did we mention it was only $3.95?  How awesome is that?  This guitar-shaped chunk of plastic packs enough punch to send any flying pest within arm's reach to an early grave, but something tells me few people will actually use this for that.

Nanoblock Electric Guitar

Who doesn't love Nanoblocks?  The company's new line of challenging 3-D block puzzles now come in a variety of guitar shapes.  Price: $12.  Psst, they also have a drum set puzzle, which is awesome.

Guitar-Shaped Cutting Board

We know more than a few musicians who really cook, but for that special musician who can actually cook in the kitchen, what cooler thing to add to their chef arsenal than this guitar-shaped bamboo cutting board. We actually find the neck of the guitar to be perfect for our hands, giving us just the leverage and mobility we need when chopping Ramen.  Ha ha, sigh.

Multi-Colored Guitar Light Set

These are awesome and perfect for the holidays, but, let's face it, the cool part is you can leave these lights up year-round, which means you never have to take 'em down.  Win/win.

Metal Guitar Desk Fan

This one's kinda kitschy and is definitely for the "price is no object" crowd at $60.  Having said this, it is quite eye-catching and bound to be a conversation-starter.  The power of the fan itself is a step up from that which you'd find in most traditional desktop computers.

Today In Music, December 4, 1971: A Tale Of Two Tragic Ditties!

On this date in 1971, during a performance by Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention, the Montreaux Casino in Switzerland burned to the ground after a member of the audience fired a flare gun, which then led the venue's rattan ceiling to catch fire.  Deep Purple had rented the casino, which was to be closed for the season following the Sappa performance, in order to record their new album with the use of the Rolling Stones' Mobile Studio.

With the entire casino destroyed in the fire, Deep Purple were left without a place to record.  After a week's search, they managed to rent the Montreaux Grand Hotel and were finally able to begin recording sessions for that would be their most successful album, Machine Head.

The fire that destroyed the casino would later be immortalized in the song "Smoke On The Water", which would become the biggest hit of their career.

On the same day, a song about a different tragedy - the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper in 1959 - entered the U.S. singles chart.  The song, "American Pie" by Don McLean, had a running length of 8:33, which required it to be split into two four-minute halves and filled both sides of the 7" single.

Despite the running length, radio programmers added the song to heavy rotation and played the song in its entirety.  The song's popularity was such that the single would spend four weeks at #1 in early 1972 and become the biggest hit single of McLean's career.

Despite admitting that the song was inspired by his childhood grief over Buddy Holly's death, the lyrics' cryptic nature have been the subject of much speculation over the years.  When a journalist asked him what the song meant, McLean snappily replied, "It means I don't ever have to work again if I don't want to."

The Top 23 Bands To See On New Year's Eve In Chicago!

Now, before I roll out this year's definitive list of Top 23 Bands To See On New Year's Eve In Chicago, I just want to say that I'm really, really disappointed to see how many venues are making the shift to DJ's rather than live bands.  

Yes, DJ's have always been a part of New Year's Eve, but it now appears that they're the rock stars and the bands that made the very music they spin are relegated to the sidelines on the most prosperous night of the year for many a musician.

Having said that, did you know that Cheech & Chong are playing the Chicago Theatre with War on New Year's Eve?  Your first reaction might be a visible wince, but think about it, how bad can it be and you know you'll laugh your ass off at something! 

Before I let you guys get to the actual article, I would suggest anyone who loves music, but hates going out on New Year's Eve, I would respectfully point you in the direction of Robbie Fulk's annual pre-NYE gig, which always put Robbie in an interesting mood.  He's a cantankerous old git jammed into the body of an ageless Opie Taylor, his innocent cheeks still aching to be pinched, so if the monologues between songs start to last longer than the songs, you may find yourself chuckling more than you would have at any ten Cheech & Chong shows.

Without further adieu, here's that list I promised you, with pithy comments as deemed necessary:

Robbie Fulks Raps Up 2013 @ Fitzgerald's Dec 28 ($20)

Like I said, Robbie's a one-of-a-kind performer.  A good time will most certainly be had by all with a pulse.

Crowbar @ Cobra Lounge ($40-50)

Old school metal bar bringing you the very definition of old-school metal with these New Orleans sludge merchants, who just so happen to be celebrating their 25th Anniversary!

Los Lobos @ City Winery (two shows, tickets $85-$175)

These guys just keep on keeping on, don't they?  And they have a helluva lot more original members than the BoDeans, whom I'll be talking about further down this list.

Black Joe Lewis @ Metro ($60)

You know, you could go for Black Joe Lewis, or you could go simply to relish the decades of blood, sweat and tears spilled within the dank stone walls of this alternative music mecca.  Listen closely and you can still hear the Smashing Pumpkins opening for everyone because Shanahan was managing them.  The history of the place is staggering.  Black Joe Lewis are cool, too.  Consider it a $60 donation to the cause.

Dessa @ Schubas ($30 in adv/$35 day of show)
Pickwick @ Lincoln Hall ($30 in adv/$35 day of show)

Bernie Worrell Orchestra @ Reggie's Music Joint (FREE)

This is awesome, but how is such a thing possible?  Either the fine folks at Reggie's are saying "thank you" to their devoted patrons by treating them to a free show by this funk legend who, need I remind you, is a member of Parliament-Funkadelic AND the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, or Bernie lost a bet.  If it sounds weird to you that Bernie and his orchestra are performing for free while the metal band in the main venue is charging $25 at the door, you are not alone.

Death @ Reggie's Rock Club ($20 in adv/$25 day of show)

This semi-legendary metal band, minus orchestra, will be playing the big room at Reggies and charging $25 at the door while stone-cold funk legend Bernie Worrell plays for free in the small room.  Death are great and I urge anyone who loves a riveting story to check out the band's documentary (viewable above in its entirety).

"BWEEEEE!!"

Flosstradamus @ Riviera ($60)

Based on their seemingly non-stop tweeting, how do J2K and Autobot find the time to actually perform?  If you haven't seen these guys and are skeptical of DJ shows, these cats will change your mind.  Chicago's own.

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe @ Park West ($45)
Zedd, Monsta, Nick Thayer @ Aragon ($42)
Tributosaurus as Chicago @ Martyrs ($50)
Mucca Pazza @ Double Door ($25-$28)

Cheech & Chong, War @ Chicago Theatre ($59.50-89.50)

Mentioned above, this is such a guaranteed good time.  The worst that could happen is that you get bored and leave early.  For the rest of your life, whenever anybody mentions Cheech & Chong, you get to brag about seeing them on New Year's Eve.  Complete strangers will stand in slack-jawed awe of your understated bad-assery.  Win/win.

7th Heaven @ Hyatt Regency O'Hare
Bella Cane @ Austin's Fuel Room
Becca Kaufman Orchestra @ Fitzgerald's ($30)
Gramatik @ Auditorium Theatre ($30.50-100.50)

Sons Of The Silent Age (playing the songs of David Bowie) @ Mayne Stage ($25-$35)

Wanna see a new bunch of Bowie snobs get their minds blown off?  Wonder what former Ministry/Revco singer Chris Connelly is up to these days?  Do you adore Shirley Manson from Garbage? If you answered yes to one or all questions, there's no better place for you to be on New years Eve than Mayne Stage to see this magnificent Bowie tribute band.  Connelly's admiration for the music of the Thin White Duke is evident in every aspect of the performance and his crack band is with him every step of the way.

"Why does everybody keep requesting 'Flirting With Disaster'?!"

BoDeans @ Copernicus Center ($49.50/$59.50)

This one will probably be packed thanks to decades of XRT airplay, but these guys look more like Molly Hatchet every time I see them (check out the bass player).  The guy in the headband is the sole remaining original member, take it for what you will.

Motion City Soundtrack @ Bottom Lounge ($45)
Henhouse Prowlers @ Red Line Tap ($20)

Roky Erickson @ Beat Kitchen ($30)

Yes, you read that correctly, the legendary (and certifiably mad) Roky Erickson is set to perform at the Beat Kitchen.  It might be a total trainwreck, but as I said concerning Cheech & Chong, for the rest of your life, you get to brag about seeig Roky Erickson.  There are quite a few people who will be impressed by that, none of them women, of course.  Worth mentioning that he plays the night before for ten bucks less.

Superchunk Returns With The Most Awesome Video EVER (Of The Week)!

Let's face it, there are few bands who've been around since 1989 that still have their integrity intact, but the Chapel Hill foursome Superchunk are, indeed, one of those bands.  The brand new video for the single "Void, from their tenth album, I Hate Music, is further proof of their greatness.

Without dropping any spoilers, the video follows the trials and tribulations of four older dudes attending a local rock show.  Of course, those looking to live this video for themselves may wish to catch Superchunk when they come to town January 18th for a gig at Metro as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows Festival.