Computers Want Me Dead are a two-piece electro-synth pop band from Auckland, New Zealand, consisting of Sam Harvey and Damien Daniels. Both from vastly different international backgrounds, but united by a common love of synths, drum machines and electro music, their musicianship and production skills fuse electrically, resulting in tunes you’ll be humming after one listen.
Caribou / Odessa I really like the choice of samples used in this track. The heavy reverb’s dubby delays (especially on the snare) and moody vocal make me feel physically cold. I actually just went upstairs to get a sweater. Then the pan flute comes out of nowhere, which makes me smile. The descending 8 bit sounding synth arp in the last verse is totally awesome, too.
The Kissaway Trail arrives on American shores with a renewed sense of purpose and a new album entitled Sleep Mountain due for release on April 20, via Bella Union. Sleep Mountain adds in dabs of electronica to the breadth of guitars for a contemporary, timeless, vulnerable rock classic.
Joanna Newsom / Peach, Plum, Pear A really good song from a great debut album, made by one of the best female artists ever.
VV Brown is a dynamo self-starter: a songwriter and producer; a fashion maven with a retail website devoted to her personal eye for retro style in the 21st century, and a model, first signed through a chance in-flight meeting, and now represented by Next Models. Signed in 2008 to write and produce her own album, VV now lives in London in a quaint cottage with her sisters.
Bat For Lashes / Glass When I first heard this song, I fell in love. I knew all her other music, but when I first heard this, the voice was just melting. She is one of my favourite artists. The radio station KCRW performance is just unbelievable.
We Fell To Earth’s debut album contains grains of that desert night ambiance. Richard and Wendy’s way with harmonies is almost ecclesiastical on the likes of Lights Out, but tasty electronics are never far away, notably on the pulsing, bleeping Sovereign.
David Bowie / Heroes Dreamy. This song puts me in a good mood. I love to blast it and chase the animals around the house. They like it too. I love the desperation in his voice in the last verse. It makes me wish I was him.
Tahiti 80 recently released their fourth studio album, Activity Center. Hailing from Rouen, France, Tahiti 80 create atmospheric pop/rock with a hint of soul.
Mayer Hawthorne / Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out I read a review of his album in Mojo Magazine. I first thought the cover and press pictures were very cool. Then I heard the music, and totally concurred with what the journalist was saying. It’s modern-retro music with a soul. Favorite album of the year so far.
The Mary Onettes’ critically acclaimed debut was described as “the perfect mix between A-Ha and The Jesus and Mary Chain”. Their new album is entitled Islands. Imagine a Swedish equivalent of The National on a diet of speed, Planet Earth DVDs, and 80’s guitar pop singles and you’ll have a vague idea of how good this album is.
Kate Bush / Running Up That Hill I have such a clear memory of the first time I heard this. A friend of mine made a CD with his favorite songs for me, about six years ago. This song was number one, and I immediately fell in love with Kate Bush and her music. It had such a strong impact on me and I had never before felt that I could fall in love with a song like that. With the song Cloudbusting, I almost felt the same way. That summer I was listening to Hounds Of Love all the time and somehow I have never got tired of it.
Efterklang make music for the inspired. But don’t feel left out, for Efterklang inspire all. Otherworldly pop songs, both magnificently ambitious and engagingly intimate. Breathtaking panoramas of sound with few clear antecedents. This is music with no boundaries. Their most significant performance to date took place at the brand new Koncerthuset in Copenhagen in September 2008. Together with The Danish National Chamber Orchestra they performed the newly orchestrated Parades from start to finish. This special show was a breathtaking, majestic affair and was recorded for posterity in sound and pictures. The recordings was released in October 2009 as Performing Parades. Efterklang have already begun work on their third full-length album, with a release expected in the spring of 2010.
Heather Broderick / Cottonwood Bay Heather is the sister to Peter Broderick, and like Peter did two years ago, Heather will be moving to Europe to join the Efterklang live band starting early next year. We have already played with her several times and we love her and we love her music. This song is from her debut album, From The Ground.
Miss Derringer would be the soundtrack to a roller coaster ride in the tiny town that Beetlejuice pops out of. If Beetlejuice was made in 2009 and his merry townsfolk were the members that surround frontwoman Liz McGrath. Their album, Winter Hill, was released via Nickle and Dime Records and Triple X Records.
Shangri Las / Past, Present, Future I love the Shangri Las. They are one of my all-time most influential bands. This song is great because it is so heavy handed. This woman is talking about something terrible that happened to her, and we’re not sure if it’s some sort of assault, or just the horror of lost love. It’s done in this super over the top way and is so sincere it’s great.
ME award-winner Jamie Treays, aka Jamie T, is a singer/songwriter from Wimbledon in South London, whose music incorporates elements of rap, reggae, indie and acoustic genres.
Them / Baby Please Don’t Go I was in a band called The Treasons when I was younger and we always tried to cover it and we made a shambles of it. The playing on this record kicks the shit out of everything: the bass thumps you along, then you get that guitar line and Van the Man slams in and it’s all over. I think if I ever wanted to learn how to play something well, it would be the lead guitar line on this track. It’s gonna take years but I will never stop trying.
Brooklyn-based Clare and the Reasons, fronted by collaborators Clare and Olivier Manchon, has been very busy making music, touring through Europe many times, Japan and the US. The band has a steady list of contributors (the ‘Reasons), with a lot of instruments — cellos, violas, things to hit, kazoos, baby kotos, saws, recorders. In 2007, the band released their debut LP, The Movie, which got significant praise. The band have just released their sophomore album Arrow on Frog Stand Records.
The Everly Brothers / So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) The Everly Brothers are my favorite harmonizers, something about DNA that just kicks everything else to the curb. I love this sad, sad song, how they wallow in all the ‘used to have love’ pity and wear it all on their sleeves. This is just an example of a perfect song recorded perfectly, not overdone. A simple beauty.
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.
