Here's a Friday playlist from Lucy at the legendary Eat Your Own Ears collective. EYOE take over our first Bump & Brunch on Sat 17 Jul so book your tickets now, but here's some classic tracks to set you up for the weekend.
Nirvana - In Utero
As a teenager I was a huge grunge fan, and Nirvana were my favourite. I’ve always really loved Steve Albini’s production style, and it works so well on this album. After the huge success of Nevermind, this was the band’s way of getting as far away from that polished sound as possible, so it’s much harsher and noisier, but then you still have beautiful songs like Heart Shaped Box and All Apologies. The album really shows a progression in terms of song writing, I’m so intrigued to know where they would have gone next musically.
Iggy Pop – Lust for Life
I think the track Lust For Life is cemented in a lot of people’s brains as the song in the iconic opening scene of Trainspotting, and I think that’s probably where I first heard it. That driving drum beat gives the song such energy and it’s a great intro to the album. Produced by David Bowie, the whole album is full of great hooks and swagger. Iggy Pop is a true legend: what he was doing with The Stooges in the 60s was light years ahead of its time, and he’s managed to stay relevant over such a long career, which is really impressive. He puts everything into what he does. I remember seeing him play at the Royal Festival Hall a few years ago, and within minutes of his set starting there was a mosh pit at the front of the stage and Iggy stage diving, the security desperately trying to stop everyone who was sitting at the back of the venue from rushing down to join the party. He must have been in his late 60s at the time!
Electrelane – The Power Out
When I first moved to London to go to university, a friend on my course made me this incredible compilation which introduced me to so many great bands, and included The Valleys and Gone Under Sea by Electrelane. It was so different to anything I’d heard before. I love Verity Susman’s unique vocal style and the quirkiness of the songs. When they briefly came back from hiatus they played at the Scala for us and it’s one of my favourite gigs ever. It’s been great seeing them come back to socials with their Instagram page and hopefully we’ll get to see them in the flesh again soon too!
Patti Smith – Horses
I think I first discovered Patti Smith when I read Please Kill Me as a teenager. Its a brilliant book about the New York punk scene in the 70s and turned me on to loads of bands like Television, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, and of course Patti Smith. I had this preconception about what punk music should sound like, the loud power chords of the Ramones or the Sex Pistols, but Patti Smith showed me how musically diverse the genre can be. She’s an incredible writer both in her lyrics and the poems and books that she’s written. Her memoir Just Kids is beautifully written, and really takes you deep into the stories that she tells. 45 years later she still performs with so much energy and attitude - what an absolute legend.
Sonic Youth – Dirty
Sonic Youth’s use of atonality and non-standard guitar tunings really intrigued me as a teenager. They’re another band from that grunge era that are so good at mixing harsh and loud with soft and delicate. They played a small show at the Scala just after I moved to London and I couldn’t believe my luck when I managed to buy a ticket. I went on my own and stood right at the front by Thurston Moore. They played an incredibly comprehensive setlist, a greatest hits of sorts, and it was incredible. My ears were ringing for days afterwards but I didn’t care!
Missy Elliott – Under Construction
Even though it came out almost two decades ago, I’ve only properly discovered this album recently and have been listening to it a lot. It has so many great tracks on it. Missy has so much to say and just goes for it; her honesty is really powerful. There’s an all-star cast of guest appearances including, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Beyoncé and 50 Cent, and the beats are so catchy. I would really love to see her play live; I bet it’s incredible!
Howlin’ Wolf – Moanin’ in The Moonlight
I listened to a lot of old blues as a teenager, Acts like Leadbelly, Blind Blake, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House, Lightnin’ Hopkins etc, and I’ve recently been going back to a lot of these artists. Howlin’ Wolf has a wonderfully rich voice and lyrical style. His guitar playing has influenced so many musicians over the last 60 years. Rock music wouldn’t exist without the blues, and Howlin’ Wolf is definitely one of the most iconic and well known blues artists alongside Leadbelly and Robert Johnson. Modern music owes so much to Howlin’ Wolf it’s good to go back to the roots every once in a while.
Arthur Russell – World of Echo
Arthur Russell’s World of Echo is the only full length non-collaborative studio album he produced during his lifetime. I love the sparseness and intimacy of the album. He manages to be so experimental while still creating beautifully delicate songs. The tracks feel almost deconstructed, like sketches and ideas, and I love the simple instrumentation and layers of reverb and echo.
Love – Forever Changes
I think my Dad was the first one to play this album to me. I love the rich instrumentation and wide influences. There’s bits of psychedelia, folk, pop, classical and even a hint of mariachi. Arthur Lee is considered a somewhat tortured genius, and you can hear a darkness and LSD-soaked surrealness in his lyrics which is a real juxtaposition to the more upbeat and gentle music.
Ibibio Sound Machine – Ibibio Sound Machine
I first heard the track The Talking Fish probably on Gilles Peterson’s radio show, and absolutely loved it. The afro beat influences shine through, but with a more dance/electronic element to it as well. It feels fresh and modern and I think it was a little bit ahead of its time, coming out in 2014 as one of the first modern and electronic takes on the afro beat sound.
SAULT – 5
This album has really great grooves and so many hooks. It’s got a disco/funk/soul vibe to it, but also sounds really modern. This was the first of two albums they released last year; it’s so rare these days for a band to be so prolific with such a high standard of material. Can’t wait to hear more from them soon.
Sudan Archives - Athena
Sudan Archives reframes the violin and puts it into a totally new space. I love the combination of her soft voice and sweeping violin lines with really cool beats and samples. The way she layers her songs with a loop pedal when playing them live is really impressive to watch.
Charlotte Adigéry – Zandoli
This album became a proper obsession for me when it first came out, it was on repeat for many months. Effortlessly cool, thrillingly unpredictable and instantly catchy, the songs on this EP get stuck in my head so easily. Charlotte is a Belgian-Caribbean artist and I love her use of traditional Guadeloupean and Martiniqaun rhythms and words in her music. Zandoli Paténpiat is an old Caribbean mnemonic meaning ‘The Gecko Didn’t Have Any Legs’, and it makes for such a great off-kilter refrain. This EP feels brilliantly international and I can’t wait to hear more from her.
Little Simz – GREY Area
I've really had this on repeat since it came out, as it’s such an accomplished and well rounded album. The bass lines and drums feel quite classic 90s hip hop but with a modern twist. Her lyrics are brilliant and there’s a proper edge overall. The way the album starts with a great solo drum beat then adds this really dirty bass synth is a really cool start to the record, and that high quality continues for the whole album.
Onipa – We No Be Machine
This album just came out as everything was kicking off with lockdown so I feel like it might have got lost a bit, but it’s such a great record and has such an upbeat summery vibe it’s perfect for lifting the spirits! London based Ghanaian duo Onipa take traditional Ghanaian highlife guitar lines and mix it with more modern synths and beats. I love the journey the album goes on, with some of the tracks feeling much more traditional and then others are really electronic. The mix is really interesting and feels very current.
