Casper Bangs is the recording project of DC based vocalist and guitarist Rob Pierangeli. Named after the ex-lover that inspired many of the songs, Casper Bangs is a trip through the joys and downers of loving and being loved. The Whitespace 7” and s/t EP are a preview of Casper Bangs’ full-length record, I Woke Up. It was written and performed by Pierangeli at his desktop computer in the midst of relational bliss – it’s a document of a good thing that ultimately goes bad. The songs contain strong unaffected vocals balanced with harmony, layers of noisy guitars, and reverb.
Kurt Vile / Freak Train I love the speed and repetition on this song, the beat, the arpeggiating guitar line, and pulsating bass. And when Vile starts shouting ‘freak train’, it’s somewhere in between Springsteen and Dylan. Make no mistake, these guys bring it live, too.
Joe Corrales Jr. aka Yppah, is back. The young Mexican-American from Texas debuted on Ninja Tune in 2006 with his album, You Are Beautiful At All Times, and now releases his sophomore effort, They Know What Ghost Know. Fashioning a rockier sound than last time out, the album draws on a cultural heritage that took in My Bloody Valentine alongside hip hop and which is heavily influenced by various forms of electronic music, psychedelic soul and rock.
Suicide / Cheree This is a song I could listen to on repeat for hours. I love the atmospheric drone mixed with Alan Vega’s pleading vocals. There’s not much to the structure, and the melodies are pretty simple, but something about the way it all works together keeps me eternally interested, as if I’m going to hear something that I hadn’t heard before. This is definitely in my Top 5 heartbreak songs. The haunting vocals, the minimal spacey melodies, the driving drums, it’s perfect.
White Rose Movement’s debut album, Kick, was produced by Paul Epworth, and is an eclectic fusion of electronics and bass driven guitars which divided the critics, both impressing and confusing them. They made their foray into Eastern Europe, with gigs in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Ukraine, where they headlined a festival in front of 33,000 people. Despite the fact that their first album was never released outside the UK, with the help the internet, WRM have amassed a huge fan base and toured extensively throughout the world. Their USA tours have included gigs at Coachella, South X South West and the Bowery Ballroom, selling out the NY club before they had even arrived in the States.
This Mortal Coil / Song To A Siren It’s rare to find a cover better than the original, but this succeeds. Originally earmarked as a B-Side, Liz Frazer and Robin Guthrie’s cover of Tim Buckley’s Song To a Siren became an underground hit. Liz Frazer’s voice is so cold yet so emotive. Dripped in reverb, she sounds like she’s from another planet.
After blowing people’s minds at the Capital Hill Block Party, then surprising everyone at Bumbershoot, then hopping down to Portland for Musicfest NW, Black Whales have made quite a name for themselves in the past year. One listen to “Young Blood” from their brand new EP, Origins, should clue you in on how far this young band is set to go. The EP was released last month on Mt. Fuji Records
Modest Mouse / Whale Song ‘I knew I was a scout, I should have found my way out’ are the only vocal lines in the song and they only take up a minute or so of time. The rest is a musical jam that builds and builds into an epic ending that’s littered with different layers of guitar hooks, noise and percussion. Live, it’s even better. And did I mention the bassline? It’s good, really good.
Depart From Me is the latest full-length album from underground/indie-rap legend Cage, aka Chris Palko. Cage’s music is truly reflective of a reality far stranger than fiction. On Depart From Me Cage illuminates the struggles he’s faced upon entering a world that continues to be a source of loss and confusion. He’s helped along in this task with production by El-P, F. Sean (Hatebreed), the late Camu Tao and Aesop Rock.
Deftones / My Own Summer This song reminds me of what it feels like to be on all my favorite drugs that I quit doing and the sadness that comes from failed romances that will never be again. I’m referring to the drugs, not the women.
Angie Hart’s seven years as frontwoman for successful Australian alternative pop band Frente! ineluctably informed her creative process, as did both her time spent living in Los Angeles and her gentle re-immersion into an existence as a working musician based in Melbourne. Add to that a new recording environment and a collaborative partnership with producer Shane Nicholson (‘It’s A Movie’, ‘Familiar Ghosts’) and Hart – again – has laid herself bare on her second solo album, Eat My Shadow.
Feist / Mushaboom I can’t think of a better song to wake up singing. It’s such a cheery, uplifting song. I actually had it stuck in my head all last week and was so grateful that it chose to be my ‘earworm’ for that long!
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.
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’.
That Subliminal Kid, DJ Spooky — aka Paul D. Miller — is just about the deepest crate digger around, trawling the barrels of long-lost record stores for choice vinyl to spin in his wickedly dubby sets. He has also just published a new book, Sound Unbound, which is all about sound art and digital media and features essays from Brian Eno and Moby.
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry / Panic in Babylon If there’s anything that the twenty-first century has told us, it’s that dub is the real original hip-hop. Lee Scratch even had to make it clear in 1965 by adding ‘Scratch’ to his middle name. Take that, Grandmaster Flash!
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.
