Polvo are a critically acclaimed and widely influential rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, that were active during the 1990 before reforming recently for a benefit for WKNC at the Pour Haus. The band was fronted by vocalists-guitarists Ash Bowie and Dave Brylawski. We asked David Brylawski to give us a rundown, in his own words, about the music that inspires him. This is his Secret Playlist.

Jimi Hendrix / If 6 was 9
It’s probably not in my Top Ten Hendrix songs, but I have to say something about Mitch Mitchell, and this is an indicative song of why he was probably the best. About three minutes into the song, Mitch takes over the ‘lead’ in the sparse part, just doing his jazzy-heavy-free thing in the spaces: loose, yet totally propelling it. No one else was doing that in rock, as far as I know, at least, in that way. I got to see him on stage two weeks before he died at the Hendrix tribute show in New York and can’t believe, just like that, he’s gone. Only Billy Cox remains from the whole Experience-Band of Gypsies ‘axis’.

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings / What Have You Done For Me Lately
Sometimes I like to fantasize that I am a member of The Dap Kings, bass guitar in particular. I can delude myself for a while, but in the end, I just do not have the requisite chops. I like the original in a 1980s high school prom kind of way, but Sharon Jones transforms it into something moodier and more assertive.

Om / At Giza
I finally got to see them a couple of times this past summer, and I think they are my favorite band at the moment. This one is 16 minutes of heavy groove and sometimes I have hit repeat after it ends. It is spiritual music. I believe that is the intent, and it certainly conveys this lyrically and sonically.

Charley Patton / Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues
I got the Ted Gioia Delta Blues book for Christmas and just finished the chapter on Patton. Usually on the iPod, Robert Johnson, Son House and Skip James get more play, but while I was reading I was reminded why Patton is the cornerstone’s cornerstone. The iconic picture of him you always see makes him look almost delicate, but he sounds like a grown man. I’ve visited his grave a couple of times near Indianola, too.

Electric Wizard / Torquemada 71
A friend of mine a long time ago took me for a night drive in Chapel Hill during a rare snowfall and let me listen to a four track thing he did with all these delayed arpeggios. Not trying to be all fancy here, but the car lights hit the snow so nicely, the visuals were perfect and everything just fit so well together that I haven’t forgotten it. A similar thing happened with this song not so long ago when I went for a walk on my lunch hour during a particularly rough day at work. It was snowing, and the buildings soon disappeared as the sightlines narrowed. Everything was slow and white and ripe for a stony soundtrack.

Chubby Parker / King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O
Also known as one of the hoary variants of Frog Went A Courtin’, this version is from the Anthology of American Folk Music. Murder and marriage in the ‘holler tree’. I have to add this just to keep it honest regarding what I am really listening to, even when it is not particularly my choice. Let’s just say that my year and a half old son discovered this via my wife, and asks to hear this song over and over, pretty much every day. He’ll ask for ‘Kimo’ when he wakes up, before he goes to bed, and at least a couple times in between. I finally made him a CD burn with it ten times in a row, so I don’t have to keep hitting repeat. It’s not a bad song by any means, and I am thrilled he likes music, but sometimes I just have to tell him ‘No, son, no more Kimo’.

Birds of Avalon / Set You Free
Whenever I see them, or we play with them, I always tell them, ‘You have to play, Set Me Free! That’s my jam!’ Then they look at me and say patiently, ‘Thanks. By the way, it is called Set You Free’. And then they don’t play it. This has happened a couple of times. Still, it’s my jam. Builds and builds, then … set free.

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band / Mirror Man
People focus on the psychedelic and out-there parts, and rightly so. Kandy Korn is a fulfilling journey there and back in eight minutes. But I think it is overlooked that when they chose to go the blues route, they should be considered one of the most adept blues bands from that, or any, era. They lope and meander somewhere in between loose and locked in, dark and always grooving, touching on authenticity with an excellent feel for the passion sources, but innovative and original. I like to think that if Cream, the Allmans, Canned Heat and the Magic Band were to have played some Delta barrelhouse or on the Southside of Chicago circa 1945, the Magic Band would seem the most relevant and get the response. Just sayin’.

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They went to France for a week and came back a band. The description for their sound is a shoegaze/post-rock origins with lush harmonies. Emerging from the Oxford music scene with a hauntingly beautiful video. This song has been stuck in my head for weeks.

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The Cooling Pearls make original folk that is sung and played with heartfelt honesty and warmth. Their sound is awash with violin, acoustic guitar, baritone, haunting harmonies, drunken poetry and a host of other musical trinkets.

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It seems Australia has had a bad case of Daft Punk fever this last week, with the iconic band’s latest release, Random Access Memories, being launched in the country town of Wee Waa. Brisbane band Pigeon have been diagnosed with a particularly bad case, posting up a medley of a number of Daft Punks hits in tribute to the duo. I know, sometimes things like this can be terrible, but I promise this is at the other end of the spectrum; reaching the download limit on Soundcloud. Who can argue with that?

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Wow, this is too cool for words. At the New College Nottingham in England, you can headbang your way to a degree in heavy metal. To be specific, if you enroll in the Heavy Metal Music Performance degree — it’s a full time course, mind you, heavy metal demands nothing less than guts, blood, sweat and round-the-clock commitment — you will learn how to market yourself, work on your on-stage performance, get a good footing on the history of heavy metal, and more.

The three-year foundation degree course commences in September 2013 and will be awarded by Nottingham Trent University, with a one-year BA top-up thereafter for those who want to be thoroughly qualified for a career in heavy metal with the full degree.

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Waste Away is the first song on our new EP, High Gain. It’s probably one of my favorites because it’s very new. We wanted one more song for the record, so we wrote the basic idea very quickly and pretty much learned it in the studio. It’s about sitting around doing nothing and being fine with that.

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This video by Dutch illustrator and animator Kristof Luyckx is so simple and effective that it’s pure genius. The animation is very well done (just look at the drummer smoothly banging away) and rendered in Luyckx’s trademark black and white style. What about Black Spires, though?

Never heard of them, but I must say I got positively struck by this song, even though I’m usually not a big fan of the screamo-noise flavour of music, and I went over to their bandcamp page to find practically nothing about them except for the fact that they come from Ghent, Belgium.

But what I did find was a handful of pretty good songs. A nice blend of noisy guitars, steady rhythms and eerie atmospheres with a marked – but absolutely not banal – hardcore and post-rock influence.

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On May 13, Wolverhampton native Bibio will release Silver Wilkinson, the follow-up to his excellent 2011 record Mind Bokeh. He has shared the video for the album’s first single, À tout à l’heure. Directed by Bibio in collaboration with Russell Weekes, the clip chronicles what summer would look like back in the 60s coated with various slow-rotating silhouettes.

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A few years ago, garbage picker Cola teamed up with local musician Favio Chavez to cobble together instruments out of trash for some Paraguayan kids living in their slum. That’s violins and cellos from oil drums, flutes from water pipes and spoons and guitars from packing crates. The Landfill Harmonic — you have to love the pun on ‘philharmonic‘ — youth orchestra was born, and now a team is raising funds on KickStarter to shoot a documentary about it.

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Grace Slick has been responsible for inflicting some absurdly terrible music on society. Sure, White Rabbit and Sombeody To Love are great, but are they great enough to let us forget We Built This City? I can even remember being on a plane when I was 12 and the in-flight music channel had the new song by Jefferson Starship (they hadn’t fully morphed into the Evil that was Starship yet) and marvelling at how bad it was.

12 year-olds aren’t particularly discerning, but this song was that bad. Here’s her attempt at reinventing herself as a punk or new waver or something. The idea itself isn’t that bad, and still timely, given how much personal technology everyone has these days, but it gets totally derailed by ham-fisted lyrics and delivery. And yet, to this day I do wonder: without a vacuum cleaner, who would suck up all my dirt?

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The Frogs were a band formed in 1980 by brothers Jimmy and Dennis Flemion who wrote catchy pop tunes about race, religion, and homoeroticism. My favorite album, It’s Only Right And Natural, was released on Homestead records in 1989 and was extremely controversial because of the subject matter. The band was championed by Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan and Beck, who sampled the song I Don’t Care If U Disrespect Me (Just So You Love Me) on his hit Where It’s At.

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If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, then you need to check out Palma Violets, an indie rock/garage rock band from London and currently signed to the famous Rough Trade Records (The Strokes, The Libertines and Arcade Fire). The British quartet released their first studio album in February called 180, and has since won the Best New Band award at NME Awards 2013. Above is the video for their third single, We Found Love. The video was directed by Douglas Hart.

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Well, I’ve never considered the benefits of using human heads as bowling balls. But thanks to Two Door Cinema Club’s new video for Handshake, I have now thought about it. And it still grosses me out. I tried watching it a second time, and it actually disturbed me more the second time around. I just don’t understand why everyone in the bowling ally is completely fine with this cruel practice.

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Get ready for a lot of shiny chrome and sequins. This is Daft Punk’s new single from their soon-to-be-released album, Random Access Memories. Get Lucky (Featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers) is a blast from the space-crazed past. I feel like these guys should be jamming in the background at a space club somewhere in 1980s Star Trek world. I guess the people of earth like this jam too, because it entered at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart only 48 hours after its release on April 18. Not bad. I guess Daft Punk did get lucky with this single afterall.

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To listen to Brooklyn band Natureboy is to enter a submerged world. When I first heard them perform live, I was hypnotized. The second time, I walked up to singer-songwriter Sara Kermanshahi and asked her if she wanted to collaborate. The result is the music video Sugar, from their forthcoming album, The Sweep.

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Well, well, well. What is there to say about Groovin’ The Moo? As you should know by now it’s Australia’s ONLY regional touring music festival, which means one thing: highly excitable punters. I arrived super early (which I never do to festivals) to catch one of my favourite Sydney bands FISHING. The duo opened up the dance tent to a surprisingly large crowd for such an early time slot; bringing their trippy and chopped up beats along for the ride.

It was great to see them getting some attention from a large festival and the track “Choy Lin” was a big personal party starter for me.

After the boys had finished I took a little time to wander around the festival grounds before heading back to the tent to check out Tuka and Elesquire. The Blue Mountains really seem to have a knack for producing great Australian hip-hop artists because Tuka had me pumped from the second he rolled onto stage. Bouncing through hits like ‘Die A Happy Man’ and ‘Just Wanted To Feel’, energy levels began to peak amongst the young crowd.

Finally it was time to head outside to the Chanel [V] stage and embrace the sunshine. Brisbane four-piece Last Dinosaurs were up next and ecstatic to be playing to a crowd so large. I’ve personally been meaning to catch the guys for a long time and the wait was truly worth it. Running through a string of hits such as “Zoom”, “Andy” and “Sunday Night”, the musicianship and happy vibes injected the festival with a sheer sense of joy.

Moving slightly to the right, I found myself at the Triple J stage to catch Urthboy – a personal favourite of mine whom I have now seen countless times. As always, he was joined by the ever lovely Jane Tyrrell who has to ability to mesmerize me at will; delivering flawless vocals with goose bump inducing highs. Set highlights included a crowd surf and good deal of confetti throwing from Urthboy as he laid down his hard hitting raps – everyone bopping along.

Soon enough it was time to return to the dance tent, only some type of transformation had occurred. Hardcore fans had started to pile in as LA five piece The Bronx took to the stage (not to mention the Amity Affliction fans who were already seeking a good spot). The Bronx presented a flawless, energetic set which was filled with more than a couple head bangs and air guitar licks to tracks such as ‘Shitty Future’.

Shooting back out of the tent to catch the final few songs of Brooklyn two-piece Matt and Kim, I became absolutely elated with their euphoric stage presence. The crowd chanted along to the hard hitting “Now” as balloons bounced around and I decided to get closer to the stage.

Just as I did, Kim promised to get everyone laid via her Twitter dating service #kimsdatingservice before jumping into the crowd to shake her booty to Diplo’s “Express Yourself.” Ending their set with a version of “Daylight”, Kim promised to play “so fucking hard it’s like I’m taking it in the ass”. She lives up to her promises.

Australian rapper Seth Sentry seemed a little off during his set. While he jumped on speakers and shot at the crowd with NERF darts, he just didn’t seem as hyped as I’ve seen him on previous occasions. Regardless, the crowd were going wild for hits such as “Float Away” and “The Waitress Song”; apart from one crowd member who threw a water battle at Seth. He wasn’t happy.

Not being a huge fan of “screamo” music I was a little reluctant to check out The Amity Affliction. None the less, they certainly raised energy levels up more than a notch as circle pits opened and crowd surfers poured into the photo pit. While I didn’t stay long, I can definitely see why they have a huge following. It’s not that the set was particularly offensive, I was just really keen to catch Melbourne pop outfit Alpine.

They didn’t disappoint either! Bringing their massively happy sounds and bubbly vibes to the festival, the dual vocals of Phoebe and Lou sent the crowd into quiet a tizzy. “Gasoline” was definitely a highlight!
What happened next was possibly the best thing I saw all day – YACHT taking to the stage. Front woman Claire was wild and ready to party and so were the crowd. While front man Jona jumped around onstage, Claire wrapped herself up in her microphone cord before spinning down into the photo pit to play with the crowd. Admittedly I nearly got taken out by her as security tried to control her movements – she was loving it.

Meanwhile Frightened Rabbit were absolutely killing it onstage despite being “fucked” from their flight into the country at 5am that morning.

Back in the tent, YACHT finished up and Melbourne MC Pez took to the stage as the crowd changed – losing their cool vibe and turning into a cesspit of underage drunks. Being a photographer I’m quiet used to being hit by all manner of things in the photo pit (Phil Jamieson’s spit for instance) but coping a water bottle to the head before Pez had even come onstage was truly a reflection of what the crowd would be like during the set. From what I saw Pez performed well but the feral crowd totally ruined the set for me and I decided to go see Regurgitator instead.

Regurgitator are pretty much an Australian institution and as always they performed exceptionally. The bouncy energy of bassist Ben Ely, coupled with the raw power of Quan Yeomans vocals, set the guys up to be a total hit with the more rock oriented crowd of the main stage. Who wouldn’t like a song called “I Will Lick Your Arsehole”?

Next up was Brooklyn band They Might Be Giants, who proved not very popular with the young crowd. While they are great musicians in their own right, the quirky nature of their music and their older catalogue seemed lost in translation. The crowd began to gather towards the end though for the return of Tame Impala, fresh from playing the epic Coachella Festival in the US.

Unfortunately for us, all that travelling had killed Kevin’s voice, leaving him pretty much unable to sing anything not extremely low. Musically they were tight but the whisky just wasn’t helping his voice; giving up and letting the massive crowd sing “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”. It was a little disappointing but what can you do? I don’t think anyone was too upset as the band shredded through their psychedelic set.

After they had finished I pushed my way back into the dance tent area which was so packed the crowd were spilling out; bare chested boys climbing onto poles for a better vantage point. The man on everyone’s mind had arrived – Flume. Management seemed extremely worried about how many people at turned up to the set (I’d estimate over half the festival where in the small area) and quickly closed down the photo pit as they tried to control the crowd and pull flailing girls out. Walking into the crowd, the familiar boom of “More Then You Thought” began to drop as an ambulance tried to push trough the crowd. I think everyone knows Flume should have been upgraded to a bigger stage, but the staff really were doing a good job of trying to manage safety.

As I returned to the main stage, Brighton indie kids The Kooks were just coming on. More teenage girls were swooning as the boys ran through a set of solid pop numbers including “Junk Of The Heart” and “Seaside”. All in all a solid performance.

The Temper Trap then had the honours of wrapping up the main stage – a band which had previously been rejected by the Australian music industry. I’m sure all the people who wouldn’t give the boys airplay back in the day would have been very regretful as the crowd sang along to hits like “Love Lost” and danced their asses off to “Drum Song”. It was a truly perfect way to finish the main stage.

Before I headed home, I darted back into the dance tent one last time to check out English singer/rapper Example. The party crowd was of course extremely responsive to any wobble of bass or sing along chorus as Example smashed out his set. Favourites such as “Change The Way You Kiss Me” and “Stay Awake” were highlights for my very sore legs and I.

Groovin’ The Moo was absolutely wonderful (as it always is), despite a couple of little mishaps. In the words of Example “We’ll be coming back for you one day”. Mooooooo.

[Follow me on Twitter @cormy96]

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I recently checked out the Canadian band the Arkells at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago. The show was as good as the album. And it was like having a personal concert because the place was empty. I know that this was a rare opportunity; this band is going to blow up. I am still listening to their album Michigan Left on repeat. Addicting and upbeat. Highly recommended.

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Singaporean music collective Strait Groove has released their new album, Time Train. With a new guitarist thrown into the mix, their latest record features a richer and more complex sound. From the brooding dark riffs of opening track Lost My Mind to the acoustic heartbreak song Chains, they somehow retain their schizophrenic mix of rock-blues-jazz-indie-folk-acoustic sensibilities. Even their national publications have admitted this is one band that can’t be pigeonholed. And the best news? You can download their album for free here.

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UK brother duo Disclosure, or Guy and Howard Lawrence as they are known individually, are one of my favourite acts to surface recently on the electronic music scene. First grabbing my attention back in 2012 with their killer tune Control, they’re back now with the release of their music video for White Noise, featuring AlunaGeorge. It’s an awesome video that follows the daily adventures of a man through various trash filled locations. I’d say more, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. [Follow me on Twitter @cormy96]

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The Eaten by Bears track ‘Simple As Hell’ is ridiculously catchy and what song isn’t made better by bongos? They also have a great name. Fortunately, they haven’t yet been eaten. By bears. Catchy tunes with a math rock edge. You can stream their first album free on their bandcamp. For fans of Foals.

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