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.
A Time For Lions is the new album from the Portland based trio Stars of Track and Field. The album was produced by John King of the Dust Brothers (Beastie Boys, Beck, Linkin Park, Carlos Santana), along with Stars of Track and Field who co-produced 5 of the 11 tracks.
TV on the Radio / Family Tree Beautiful expansive music. The melody is engaging and the lyrics are visually compelling. Adebimpe’s got such a powerful voice, which this song features out front. Enjoy the falsetto doubles and the deep rhythmic building of the outro.
The first note on the standard musical scale is “do” which is the last note also, representing what’s new and what’s old, giving the musicians and artist the latitude and longitude to re-invigorate any musical genre, from blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, bebop, doowop and hip-hop. This is the musical genesis of French duo, The Do, who stormed into our iPods with their brilliant album, A Mouthful.
Radiohead / I Will This is sort of a religious track. Someday it could be sung in churches. Radiohead is full of grace!
Recently signing to Kanine Records in the USA (Chairlift, Grizzly Bear), and Speak n Spell in Australia and New Zealand, Zaza is the musical union of Jennifer Fraser and Danny Taylor, both West Coast transplants who connected by fate in New York.ZAZA resides in Brooklyn. They are a musical marriage of Jennifer P. Fraser and Danny Taylor. They write for each other, they write about each other, they write to exalt and exact the other. And they hope it turns you on, too.
David Bowie / Heroes This song, any version really, is so stately and ceremonious that I have, on many occasions, pronounced that this song would either be my wedding song or my funeral song. Whatever came first.
Firekites, from Newcastle, Australia, have a beautiful album, The Bowery, which is earthy, organic and delightfully unrefined. Across the gentle folky acoustic-based songs you can hear the subtle sound of the fingers sliding across the guitar frets, the gently whispered vocals, which hint at secrets and cheeky serenades, and the sense of soulful introspection that tangles itself elegantly amongst its minor chord tapestry.
Whitest Boy Alive / Golden Cage This song really is a stand out for these guys. Clearly captured instruments knitting sharply together, great lyrics, amazing film clip.
In early 2009, Blind Man’s Colour suddenly found themselves the subject of tastemakers attention. Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste said, ‘You guys must hear these guys, love it!’, via Twitter. Kanye West blogged about the band in an entry entitled ‘Some Dope Shit For My Apartment’. And so, too, Kanine Records (Chairlift, Grizzly Bear) found, fell in love with, and set to release Blind Man’s Colour debut album, Season Dreaming, on August 18, 2009.
Lotus Plaza / What Grows? What Grows? from Lockett’s solo album, The Floodlight Collective, is so warm and nostalgic. The melodies and the production couldn’t sound more childish. Like an early 90s Sunday sunset.
Liverpool based four-piece, Screaming Lights, signed to Anti- Records (Tom Waits, Neko Case, Bob Mould) in January, making them the first new UK band the label has ever signed. Having previously toured with the Mystery Jets and Late Of the Pier, the band play the Secret Garden Party in July.
Ulrich Schnauss / On My Own I have it on right now, and it’s new to me, and it’s brilliant.
The newly released self-titled debut from Britain’s newest songbird, Polly Scattergood, is reaping praise for her delicious brand of indie pop that glides seamlessly between the defiant, the confessional, and the anthemic.
Bonnie Prince Billy / I See a Darkness This song breaks my heart. I find the darkness of his words very comforting. I love the way he tells a story in his songs — though they are sometimes uncomfortably honest. It’s like reading some beautiful poet’s diary.
Having received bouquets for their earlier low-fi recordings, with their new aptly named album, Missiles, The Dears’ are now positioned as bonafide leaders of the Canadian indie rock renaissance.
Air / Mike Mills I’ve been working from my home ’studio’ and have a few tracks that I play in it because I am very familiar with how they sound. Mike Mills, aside from being a well-composed track, sounds really good. When the strings come in towards the end, I am wishing that I had written it.
With their debut album, Keep Color, Kansas City-based quintet The Republic Tigers crafted an epic yet timeless and intimate album, weaving future folk, euphoric psychedelia, and exuberant symphonic pop with intricately crafted electronic textures and uncommon emotional depth.
The Menahan Street Band / The Contender Great song, great groove going on with the drums and guitar. The horn section is really well arranged. It reminds me of some of my favorite arrangements by Ennio Morriconne and Charles Mingus, only with a really good funk and r&b groove to it. It makes me wish I could dance.
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.
