Anna Rose has always known she would perform and record as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist-pianist who would release an album such as Nomad, her upcoming debut, which she co-produced with William (Billy) Sullivan, five songs from which comprise her sensational current Anna Rose EP. And she has always been a little nuts about guitars. She started playing at age five, after an older cousin brought one along to a holiday family gift exchange.
The Dead Weather / 60 Feet Tall I am obsessed with The Dead Weather right now. They are such a great rock band. So much energy, great musicianship. This song in particular just feels really good in my bones. It has that bluesy heaviness that I love.
The Noisettes are a London-based three piece band described by NME as being ‘the new breed of cool kids in town; a sexy soulful racket that’s a whole lot of fun’.
Tones On Tail / Go (Club Mix) Ex-members of Bauhaus send out a volley of fuzzed out fretless bass carried atop of a very processed and raw electronic disco beat and stilted Kalimba. Its one inescapable asset is the compulsive rhythm and dynamic shifts. It’s a rare brew of sonic alchemy: a hybrid Krautrock/disco/rave anthem that is obscured by the mists of time.
Hugh Cornwell’s new album, Hooverdam, is out September 8th on Invisible Hands Music. The songs combine rhythm & blues, rockabilly and post-punk – and will surely appeal to fans of The Stranglers while winning over younger audiences. Though he’s an elder statesman of the music world, he’s taken a progressive approach to releasing this new work. The album is available for free download via his website. The site can be viewed in twelve languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Mandarin, Turkish, Italian and Japanese), making the music freely available to most of the world’s population.
65 Days Of Static / Primer I was playing at Summer Sundae in Leicester a couple of weeks ago and this band were playing whilst I waited to go on stage. They are quite remarkably different from anything out there at the moment, and no vocals! Astounding.
Based in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, Loop 2.4.3 has toured throughout North America, Europe, Scandinavia, South Korea, and Australia, and has performed for radio, film, and television, including footage for The Learning Channel and MTV. The group’s debut recording, Batterie, was released in 2007.
Morphine / Candy This is from the record Cure for Pain, which is an old favourite of mine. The bass line is addictive. The lyrics have this romanticism that ultimately feels tragic in a Nietzchian way. Mark Sandman died just a few years ago, which was a great loss.
Former bassist of Weezer, Mikey Welsh, has more recently reinvented himself as a successful artist. Welsh attacks his canvases with pure spontaneity and aggression, almost never using a brush and preferring to work only with his hands and fingers.
Minutemen / Search Clocking in at 51 seconds, The Minutemen lay down all the goods that made them one of the best bands in history. This track features throbbing, melodic bass from Mike Watt, glass-breaking guitar from D. Boon, and tom-tom heavy swirls from George Hurley. Watt takes the mic for this one, at times sounding a bit like David Byrne. Almost as soon as you get your head around this tune, it’s done.
Radio Wars, the new album from ex-pat Australian band, Howling Bells, is the follow-up to their self-titled debut released back in May 2006. It’s been a long time coming. ‘We’re an industrious lot. We never stop thinking and being inspired’, says singer Juanita Stein. ‘If it were up to us, we’d put out this record tomorrow and then start recording another straight away’.
The Flamingos / I Only Have Eyes for You This has to be one of my favorite tracks of all time. It’s a perfect, perfect love song. The melodies and harmonies are to die for. And if you get the chance watch the clip on YouTube, it’s a beautiful performance by the band.
Formed in 2003, Kent band Sizen deal in heavy grooves and sledge hammer riffs. The quartet have drawn inspiration from the band’s they grew up loving – from Metallica to Soundgarden to Rage Against The Machine, as reflected in their debut album, What Do You See, which is all about ‘bringing rock music kicking and screaming into the new millennium’.
Pearl Jam / Even Flow It’s the chorus, it works so well, and it’s a great hook. It also reminds me of a time in my life where all I had to worry about was guitars and girls. Nothing’s really changed!
The Panics are a Melbourne-based indie rock band who exploded onto the Australian scene in 2003 with the critically acclaimed album, A House on a Street in a Town I’m From. Since then, the Aria Award winning band have released two more long players, including Sleeps Like a Curse and last year’s ARIA and J Award winning album, Cruel Guards. We got the word on the tunes that make up their Playlist from guitarist Drew Wootton.
Jimi Hendrix / Have You Ever Been I don’t think I’ll ever get out of my Hendrix ‘phase’. I always liked the slower playing stuff though. His humanity seems to come through a lot easier on the ballad-y stuff. I also loathe ballads, so he’s got me good. This song is lush and pretty weird sounding. I love Hendrix because he’s got the innocence and creativity that reminds me of being a little kid, wrapped up in my own daydreams.
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.
