Each month, one of CHIRP Radio’s tastemaker DJs curates a selection of vinyl specially designed to make your ears happy. This month’s installment is curated by CHIRP Partnerships Director and author Bradley Morgan:

Face the Music: Masked Melodies

These albums represent more than just the vivace visages that grace their covers. Within their grooves, we come face to face with what comes to define our collective humanity. Each of these albums reveal as much as they conceal, reflecting both what we see clearly and what is obscured even when they are staring right at us. Looking at the faces on the cover, are we looking at someone else or our own reflection? Whether or not what we see is recognizable, the masks that are worn on these sleeves can tell us everything and nothing at all. Often what we see when we gaze into them is projection, not unlike how we incorporate the sounds they make as the soundtracks to our lives. The music that comes from these masks contain multitudes of meanings.

Various Artists – Situation Chicago (2020)

When it comes to masks, what better way to get things started than in the literal sense. As the COVID-19 pandemic devastated our communities, we distanced ourselves by displaying our digital faces even as we hid our real selves behind actual masks. With this, the world revealed its true self while it donned masks as facial protection, ironically unveiling uncomfortable realities about the widening dichotomy within our culture. Compiled and pressed as a fundraiser for Chicago’s independent concert venues shuttered for most of 2020, Situation Chicago is a reminder of how our community can endure through great music amidst tragedy. With a face composed of innumerable particles atop a clean pressed suit, the image juxtaposes normalcy with the raging turmoil that manifested in our minds both as individuals and as members of society.

Laura Nyro – Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (1968)

Though we see her face, Laura Nyro does not look back at the listener. Instead, the twenty-year-old chanteuse stares downward into a middle distance, looking at something we cannot see and perhaps cannot even understand. A Madonna emerging from a sea of blackness, awash in something akin to a sort of sweet blindness, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession bids farewell to childhood for womanhood. The confession Laura feels compelled to make is not one that is made easily, resulting in a fierce expulsion of femininity and all of its complex forms. With its intense and abrupt tempo and chord changes, Laura makes sure that even when she does lay bare her confession, the woman she becomes is careful to not give everything away.

U2 – Boy (1980)

The young boy that graces the cover of U2’s album reflects the feelings of exposure and vulnerability of the young men who recorded it. During a time when Ireland was the poorest country in western Europe and devastated by sectarian violence, Boy captures an adolescent angst amidst a cultural and social landscape that offered little and promised nothing. The whitewashed portrait represents the last vestiges of innocence before it is torn away by the inevitable cruelties of life that manhood ushers in, fueled by childhood tragedy and the trauma that endures from it. In perhaps what is one of the most peculiar creative decisions for a debut album from an unknown band, U2 not only do not show their faces, but their band name is even hidden within the wisps of the boy’s hair, defying to be seen. In the shadows, boy meets man, which is why these songs of innocence shine so blindingly.

Grace Jones – Nightclubbing (1981)

Blending both femininity and masculinity, Grace Jones’s aggressive androgyny elevates more than just the model’s own iconic status. An album of mostly covers, Nightclubbing transcends beyond mere gender exploitation, with Grace’s interpretations breathing new life into works previously familiar by putting a new face to them. Though Grace as a person embodies the feminine, Grace as an artist embraces the masculine and all the violence instilled in it, pulling from childhood trauma and physical abuse. As the backlash to disco reached its peak, an artform in which she was a pioneer when it was previously a queer haven, Grace crafted not only an avant-garde image but also a fresh sound to go along with; a new mask for a new wave.

Step into a realm where the music takes center stage and vinyl records reign supreme. Introducing Both Sides Now: A CHIRP Vinyl Listening Bar — a monthly oasis for music aficionados and introverts alike. Nestled in the cozy upstairs room of Schubas Tavern, this unique event happens every first Wednesday of the month. Our vinyl listening bar, inspired by the captivating tradition popularized in post-World War II Japan, celebrates the pure joy of listening. Embracing the ethos of listening bars around the world, we prioritize the sublime experience of vinyl, brought to life through stellar sound systems. Experience your favorite albums played front to back in full high fidelity, while enjoying drink and food offerings from Schubas Tied House. Let the DJs from CHIRP Radio 107.1FM curate the sonic journey each month as you savor the symphony. “Both Sides Now” is your sanctuary, an introvert’s dream where the focus is on the music, not loud conversations or bustling dance floors. Join us and immerse yourself in the world of vinyl, one needle drop at a time.

https://chirpradio.org/