Van She: ‘My Secret Playlist’
Titled V, Van She’s recently released full length debut is a confident modern rock album, recorded in London with acclaimed English producer Jim Abbiss, who has worked with Arctic Monkeys and Placebo, among others. In this Playlist, bassist and vocalist Matt Van Schie, trawls his crates to give us a rundown on his current musical obsessions.
Kazino / Binary
One note riff my heart out! The bass, the guitars, and that synth line … oooooh. They’re all doing their jobs so well in this New Wave Italo Disco blast. And what a great start it has. It’s pure underground sex! I feel like I’m hanging out in an early 80s Paris nightclub with my drink resting on the stomach of painted naked lady, doing mesculine with less violent clockwork orangers.
Foster Sylvers / Misdemenour
So much soul, so much love, and the little dude was eleven! The Jackson 5 couldn’t do it better. This song makes me happy. It’s a funky drummer’s track. And one of the guitarists just sounds like he’s having a good old jam.
Skill 7 Stamina / 3rd Disco From Home
Speaking of Jamming, I love this short track because it takes me back to my sweaty garage jamming days. The female vocalist in this band also has a rad voice, but you won’t hear it on this song. London, why don’t you love these people more than you do?
Brothers Johnson / Stomp
Just YouTube this and you’ll understand. Let’s disco, baby! But in the good old fashioned way. This is music that you can dance to, without any help. And that bass playing and solo is assome (awesome combined with ass, one of my creations). Slap it hard.
Bush Tetras / Too Many Creeps
Okay, YouTube this one too. I LOOOVE this tune. It opens with a perfect snare roll, and then the counter bass and guitar rhythms make it so cool. The lyrics are even more valid today. They’re one of my favourite bands, and so many people try to do what they did for real. What a time! I wish I was born back then in New York, hanging out with these kids. Ahhhh!! Cool.
Peter Bjorn and John / Amsterdam
This takes me back to my travels down the canals of my motherland with my Uncle, a fat cigar in one hand and a raw herring in the other. These guys are great. They always have really interesting melodies and instrumentation. And really cool production.
Madness / Wings Of A Dove
This is another tune that makes me really happy, like, let’s celebrate living! It’s like no other pop song with its heavy detuned piano, steel drums, and gospel choir. It has an African vibe and it sounds different to all the other Madness I’ve heard. I like it when a band pulls their balls out and tries something new.
Schneider TM / The Light 3000
I don’t like many covers, and to think that I would like a Smiths cover? How could you do it better? Or at least match the genius? Well, I just think this cover of There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is brilliant. It somehow makes it sadder. It’s an electronic wonder. I just want to get my car and drive.
Tagged: Australian bands, electro music, My Secret Playlist
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Paul Dempsey’s Secret Playlist
We asked Paul Dempsey, the frontman of Australian indie-rock band, Something For Kate, about the music that inspired his own soon to be released solo album, and he started by propping Brooklyn group TV On The Radio’s Dancing Choose: ‘This track has so much manic energy: buzzsaw synth-bass, mad shuffling drums and a rapid-fire lyrical rant that sounds like some kind of crazed public service announcement. Guaranteed to shake you from your mid-morning malaise’. Read the rest of Paul Dempsey’s Secret Playlist
The uber-hip French producer M83 has compiled a Secret Playlist for us in which he props Brian Eno, Julee Cruise, and Tears For Fears’ Head Over Heels: ‘This song was the biggest influence for my new album. Our track, Kim and Jesse, takes a lot of inspiration from 80s bands like Tears for Fears. This is one of my favourites’. Read the rest of M83’s Secret Playlist.
Fans of Australian buzzsaw rock trio, The Vines, might like to check out our sister site, My Secret Playlist, where drummer Hamish Rosser has written about eight songs he’s digging right now. There’s some interesting choices in there including The Strokes, James Brown, and, gulp, Joan Jett.
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Design collectives can often be a mess, only bound together by a splash page and a few lines of text. Lie-ins and Tigers are without a doubt one of the most unified collectives and one of my favourites. Sam Kerr, Walter Newton and Russell Weekes may all have their own sites and services, but in collaboration, the humour and design intention remains remarkably unified. Read more
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Legendary pop culture artist and Agit Pop founder Ron English will be a guest compiler of an upcoming issue of our email newsletter, writing about his favorite cultural discoveries. To read Ron’s edition of Lost At E Minor, simply sign up to our weekly newsletter. It’s free, you win!
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