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.
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down (Adam Thompson on bass, keys and additional guitar, and Willis Thompson on drums and percussion) return with the follow up to their critically lauded album, We Brave Bee Stings and All, the best-selling record of 2008 for Kill Rock Stars. With super-producer and friend Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Bill Frisell, Spoon) again at the helm, Know Better Learn Faster captures the band as their more mature, tastefully raucous, subdued and musically adventurous selves. The new batch of songs spans all genres and influences, all the while staying faithful to their distinct style and enamoring exuberance of their renowned live shows.
The Avett Brothers / Will Your Return So catchy, forlorn, provocative and rakishly charming. It reminds me of touring. I love the cutting sincerity and the charisma of the Avett Brothers. And, totally unrelated, they are the nicest band in the world. Seriously. Ask anyone.
Founded by French musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, Nouvelle Vague have used a variety of female singers including Alexandra Pavlou, Mélanie Pain, Marina Celeste and Phoebe Killdeer for their unique acoustic covers of classic New Wave 80s tunes.
The Beach Boys / God Only Knows One of the most beautiful pop songs a human being can hear. The chord sequence was, is, and will always be, stunning.
The project of singer-songwriter Peter Walker, LA quartet Eulogies mix mellow pop songs with alt-country touches, as reflected on their full-length debut album, Here Anonymous.
My Morning Jacket / It Beats 4U This album – Z – and song in particular was a big influence for some of our rhythmic approaches on Here Anonymous. I’ve loved this band for a long time, and respect how they’ve grown over the years.
Formed in Leeds in 2004, The Plight’s first practice was in the particularly rock and roll location of an abandoned office block on the outskirts of the city. The Plight began to tour the UK extensively, playing anywhere that would have them, their hard work paying off in 2006, when Leeds label Thirty Days of Night picked released their self titled MCD that summer. Since then, they have shared stages with the likes of Sick of it All, Bring me the Horizon, and a full UK tour with Gallows.
The Clash / Spanish Bombs I wore out a tape of London Calling in my art class at school. My art teacher was an old punk and had watched the video of London Calling on the side of the river. He was cool, and used to let me put The Clash on everyday. I saw Evil Dead II for the first time in his office one afternoon.
Greg Camp is best known as the creative force behind 1990s chartsters, Smash Mouth, who had hit after hit from their energetic, feel-good catalogue, including Walking On The Sun and All Star. Since leaving the band earlier this year, he’s re-surfaced as a singer-songwriter in his own right [write?] with the release of his debut solo album, Defektor, in September.
The Clash / Straight To Hell One of my favorite bands and my favorite song that they did. I like the whole vibe of a white band doing their rendition of an Asian story of heritage with a punk edge, somehow. The way it was recorded, with the side stick and tom-tom drums along with dub bass and guitar feedback, makes it beautiful and eerie all at once. Joe Strummer is one of the all-time greatest storytellers, and his thumbtack gargling vocals drive it off the cliff.
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.
