Sydney’s Cassette Kids are the final addition to The Big O bill. On the cusp of something big, Cassette Kids have already earned a fierce reputation thanks to captivating vocalist Katrina Noorbergen. They have toured with The Presets and shared the stage with Ting Tings, New Young Pony Club, Van She and many more.
Crystal Castles / Alice Practice This was the first track I ever heard from Crystal Castles and it blew my mind. The sounds and textures were unlike anything I’d heard before and the song had this attitude and energy that I loved immediately. As a vocalist, I loved how messed up everything sounded, and it made me want to hammer some vocals through an amp and crank up the distortion.
Dragonette recently released their debut single, Fixin To Thrill, from the album of the same name and it’s already been championed by Radio 1’s Pete Tong on his Essential Selection. This is the kind of music Britney wishes she wrote, internet bloggers hyperbolize over, and people lose their minds over. They do. File next to Robyn and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but turn the lights down real low, and smear on the sleazy sexy vibe.
Grizzly Bear / Two Weeks I loved this tune when I first heard it. And loved it even more when I saw the video! It sounds like a more haunting Pet Sounds.
Royal Treatment Plant have been attracting a lot of attention in the UK and Europe. Their album was recorded with Ted Miller (Placebo, Blur), and Mike Chapman (Blondie) mixed a few tracks. Hope Is Not Enough was the feature album of Steve Lamacq show on BBC 6 Music’s program. Hope Is Not Enough was also nominated for Debut Album of the Year by influential UK indie station XFM, alongside Lightspeed Champion and The Ting Tings.
Little Death / Baby Can You Dig Your Man Another of my favorite London bands at the moment, made up mostly of Americanadians with what seems to be an ever-changing drummer and a sexist job description for bass player: must be pretty faced gal or you don’t get the job. I love this band; I love their name; I love their latest self-released EP and I love this song. It’s raw, it’s shouty and LOUD.
Stereo De Luxe are a twisted Berlin production duo featuring multi-instrumentalists Tom Krimi and Kassi Wolf, who collaborate with various guest singers. Their debut album was called Glam-o-Rama. Since then, the pair have had releases on Freddy Fresh’s Howlin’ Records, Plastic Raygun, Escalator, and Pussycat.
Eels / Novocaine for the Soul I’m never sure how many favorite songs my Stereo de Luxe partner Tom and I have in common, but there’s one thing I’m sure of: The Eels are definitely among them. This is an excellent, smart, and catchy track.
A dark-edged trio hailing from London, White Lies take sonic cues from the likes of Joy Division, the Teardrop Explodes, and Echo and The Bunnymen. Indeed, the three musicians are so committed to the UK’s post-punk scene that they signed with Fiction Records, a Polydor imprint best known for its ’80s releases by the Cure and the Associates.
The Beatles / 1962-1966 and 1967–1970 Okaaaay, so they’re just Beatles compilations, but they represent my earliest memories of enjoying music. From the time I was very young, these albums were constantly sat in their cassette cases in the glovebox of my family car. So whenever we went anywhere, they were on the stereo. And I guess they may have been the first step in musical life.
Hailing from Australia’s Gold Coast, but currently based on the mean streets of Baltimore, The Death Set have gained an infamous international reputation for their frenzied live performances and their exciting 2008 debut album, Worldwide. They will be returning home to Australia this month for a string of performances, including shows in Sydney and Melbourne, as supporting slots for indie-pop sensation, Santogold, who recently lauded The Death Set in NME magazine, saying: ‘It’s so cool, really punk rock and electronic and also reminds me of Joy Division’.
Daedelus / Fair Weather Friends This tune is my one for 2008. It’s so catchy, it stoops! It’s best for curing a foul mood and best for playing to watch heads bop. I love the sampling and the devious simplicity of it all.
My Secret Playlist is a music discovery website and weekly email publication. We invite our favourite bands and musicians to give us the rundown on their eight favourite songs right now. These are their words on the music that inspires them.
