The New Loud is a three-piece electro/punk/new wave band from Milwaukee, WI. Their debut EP, Can’t Stop Not Knowing, consists of six tracks, including a frenetic cover of Radiohead’s 2 + 2 = 5. The EP was produced by band member Shane Olivo and displays a tight mixture of electronic elements and natural sounds, layered obsessively, with some songs using up to 80 tracks in the mix.
Liz Phair / Fuck and Run Without Liz Phair there would be no Tegan and Sara or Sex In The City for that matter. Liz Phair took all the visceral thoughts lying publicly dormant inside the female id and put them all out in the open and she did it as if it was all part of everyday conversation.
Crimea X is the coming together of two offbeat, disparate characters, DJ Rocca (Ajello, Super Sonic Lovers, Maffia Sound System) and Jukka Reverberi from 90s Italian glam cult rockers, Giardini di Mirò, who have often have been compared with the sound of Mogwai, Arab Strap, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
The Smiths / Ask I saw them playing live on Italian TV. It was during the 80s when I was extremely young, and I’ve never stopped listening to this song.
These rowdy Glaswegian’s are known for their dynamically-charged live shows, where their hyper energy, combined with two drumkits and shouty vocals consistently twists the crowd into a frenzy. The ferocious excitement of Dananananaykroyd’s live show was captured for their album debut by an odd match-up between the band and famed metal producer Machine. The album is called Hey Everyone and it’s damn good.
Sebadoh / Soul and Fire I hate to kick things off like a right teenage whoopsie, but this song kills me every single time. Utterly crushing. I first heard it when I was thirteen and I actually blame Lou Barlow for ruining my life. Next!
Land of Talk feature Elizabeth Powell, a former punk who got her start playing her own anti-rock anthems on the local scene of Guelph, Ontario, during her mid-teens. Upon her college years, with stints playing with the Aaron Riches Nuclear Family Band and the Valentines behind her, Powell set her sights on a solo career in the late ’90s. Gigs in and around Ontario and Quebec eventually led to the formation of Land of Talk in 2005 with Bucky Wheaton and Chris McCarron.
Bon Iver / Re:Stacks This song changed my course, emotionally. I can’t tell you how, but it levelled me. Everyone I have played it for, or who has heard it, has had same to similar reactions. This is a song I will listen to well into my twilight years.
An influential force in the international funk and breaks scene, Fort Knox Five are already responsible for an arsenal of crowd bouncing singles and remixes, including monster mixes for A. Skillz and Krafty Kuts, Ursula 1000, Dynamo Productions, and Mo Horizons, as well as remixes for the legendary Tito Puente, Louis Armstrong, and Bob Marley. Showcasing their indie rock roots with a healthy dose of funk and soul, the group deliver party starting beats, yet remain ever conscious of the current social and geo-political environment in their lyrics that capture the diversity of Washington DC with wit and style. With the much awaited release of Radio Free DC, Fort Knox Five have proved that they have the Midas touch for producing heavy hitting records. This album is, in the words of Fort Knox Five, ‘music with a meaning, party with a purpose’.
Massive Attack vs Mad Professor / No Protection One of the best re-interpretations ever. This album goes so deep you’d swear the dubs were bouncing off the inside of your skull. It should actually come with a sticker, ‘Warning: May Blow Ya Mind’.
Hailing from Southend, London, Hexes are a hardcore quartet who describe their sound as being ‘a cyclopean howl, as a burning torch is thrust into a drunken eye’. Indeed.
The Dillinger Escape Plan / Milk Lizard Ire Works was my album of the year when it was released. To play the way they do and then temper the super technical aural carnage with songs like this and Black Bubblegum. They are a truly inspirational band, and are superbly technical players yet fantastic songwriters too. As far as live bands go, they can pretty much take anyone touring right now as well. Ferocious.
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.
