Joe Meno's 10 favorite songs by Chicago bands, Chicago Tribune. December 6, 2008
1. Naked Raygun "Wonder Beer": An existential rave-up from Chicago's legendary hardcore outfit. I can't hear it today without imagining the sound of clippers being used to shave someone's head.
2. Big Black "Bad Penny": Steve Albini's noise-core explosion still sounds frighteningly avant-garde.
3. REO Speedwagon "I Can't Fight this Feeling": The rumor was the drummer went to my high school: this is perfect music for pinning on a corsage.
4. Scotland Yard Gospel Choir "Tear Down the Opera House": This song mentions riding to work on the downtown Brown Line, with a massive chorus worthy of the Clash.
5. Cheap Trick "I Want You to Want Me": There is something about the live version of this song that outshines almost
every other live recording by anyone, ever: you can practically feel the crowd shoving you from behind, singing along.
6. Watchers: "Blik 'Em" -- Soul- and dub-inspired post-core with keyboards and handclaps. I have no idea what this song is about but I shout the words out loud every time anyway.
7. 1900s "Bring the Good Boys Home": An anti-war protest song more infectious than most radio pop hits.
8. Baby Teeth "Celebrity Wedding": Baby Teeth has more talent than any other working Chicago band at the moment: I
can't understand why they are not incredibly famous.
9. Coctails "Cadali": I don't know any other song that makes such effective use of a French horn; lush and absolutely brilliant mid-'90s art rock.
10. Vandermark 5 "Sthlm": If anyone thinks jazz is dead, they better listen to this song. Somehow Ken Vandermark instills this number with so much verve and rage, it makes most "rock" songs sound weak. There is one word to describe Ken Vandermark: genius.