I'm reading Simon Reynolds's absolutely fascinating and comprehensive book about the history of post punk, titled Rip It Up And Start Again. In this book, as in his latest Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past, Reynolds does a masterful job at connecting the dots between people, bands, scenes, memes, and even business shenanigans that drive avant-garde (and ultimately pop) culture forward. I had just been reading in Rip It Up And Start Again about "mutant disco" and its international cousins when my pal Patrick Kelly sent me the link above to Chic performing "Le Freak" in 1978. Turns out, Chic — from the funky drums to Nile Rodgers' chunka-chunk guitar — was an influence on numerous post-punk bands ranging from The Beat (known in the US as The English Beat) to Orange Juice.
Also, I haven't read it yet but Nile Rodgers's memoir Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny is said to be terrific.
