Give my playlist a spin while you read! Or see what you might like in it first below the choice is yours.
Rick James- Ghetto Life
The name ‘Rick James’ might not ring a bell, but the opening hook of ‘Super Freak’ definitely will. James scored a nice sum for MC Hammer’s use of it in ‘U Can’t Touch This’. Rick James goes down in pop folklore for living fast, and dying young to the absolute maximum. He is celebrated or at least thought of as a novelty in some circles for sleeping with literally thousands of women, but stars like Miley Cyrus are criticised for moving on quickly after a relationship? Hmm…but anyway Ghetto Life is peak funk from the ‘super freak’.
Jeremy Neale- In Stranger Times
I stumbled upon Jeremy Neale and his many accompanying friends through a youtube indie music wormhole back in 2014. I thought that he would hit the big time, but unfortunately the fact that I have to introduce him as a talented singer-songwriter from Brisbane says enough. But enjoy this fun track, with the music video with his collaborating girl group ‘Go Violets’ being peak adorable Indie pop.
Klaxons- Golden Skans
Vibrant, poppy and quintessentially British, Golden Skans is a gem. The rest of the Klaxons catalogue is upbeat but doesn’t quite fill me with the same joy as this track does. Nowadays there’s need to shell out for a whole album just for this tune thankfully!
Szymon- Yakuza
I can’t get enough of this song. Put quickly, Szymon Josiah Borzestowski was a young musician from Newcastle (Australia) who tragically committed suicide in 2012 at the age of 23. Through the efforts of his family (his brother is the drummer in Gang of Youths) and producer Mark Holland his music was able to be mixed and released. This song for me captures a moment of bliss for Szymon, through his struggle with depression and anxiety.
REMI- Sangria
Melbourne native rapper REMI isn’t about to win a Pullitzer prize with his lyrics in this track, but I love it. The simplicity makes me feel like I’m spending a day hanging out with him, through swiping his Myki card and everything else. The carefree beat fits like a glove too.
Peach Pit- Chagu’s Sideturn
What the hell or who the hell is ‘Chagu’ and why is he sideturning? A very good question indeed upon listening to this breezy number with a fresh guitar lick. So upon a trusty google search, Chagu is an Indonesian man who frontman Neil Smith met on tour, and always asked him if he wanted a ‘sideturn’. Smith finally got frustrated and had to ask what it was, and it was…crystal meth. He declined. Allegedly.
Ball Park Music- It’s Nice to be Alive
It is isn’t it?
OutKast- ATLiens
Am I right in saying that whatever Andre 3000 raps/sings about, he radiates happiness and…can I use the word…swag?
Aaliyah- Back and Forth
Like Szymon, gone way, way, way too soon. When she was killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas at the tender age of 22, Aaliyah was already well on her way to super-stardom. I have no doubts that she would be on a fame level of Beyonce if she had lived. The less said about the influence of R Kelly in her life the better, and hopefully her name isn’t unnecessarily dragged into his ongoing trial.
The Kooks- Junk of the Heart (Happy)
This song was playing through our speakers around the time that this photo was taken. It fit perfectly.
Craig David– Time to Party
Craig David was HUGE in the early 2000s, with his debut album, which this track is from, ‘Born to do It’ hitting England like a tidal wave, shooting to number one on the UK charts and including two number one singles. Naturally I didn’t choose either for this playlist, but this song just works with the vibe of it, y’know?
Joey Bada$$- For My People
A chilled out summer track from an unlikely source, Joey’s musical talent is definitely underappreciated. Don’t believe me? Check out his unique cover of Prince’s ‘When Doves Cry’ (Joey’s version being ‘When Thugs Cry’).
The Mamas & The Papas- Calfornia Dreamin’
To grasp why The Mamas & The Papas were so influential in the 60s despite not bursting out of your speakers, you need to understand the social environment of the time. Free love, people power, anti war. So I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Calfornia Dreamin is more than just wanting to relax on a Cali beach. Also, maybe ‘Papa’ John Phillips took the concept of ‘free love’ too literally, if daughter Mackenzie Phillips’ revelations of their incestuous relationship is anything to go by…
Foals- Birch Tree
Foals didn’t play my favourite track from them when I saw them earlier this year and it hurts. But enigmatic frontman Yannis Philippakis ran through the crowd in front of us during a soaring guitar solo and that made up for it.
Talib Kweli- Get By
I don’t know a lot about Kweli, other than his association with the prodigiously gifted rapper/everything Mos Def. But ‘Get By’ is an absolute banger with some gospel (oh hey Kanye!) vibes.
Harts- Lovers in Bloom
Indian Australian guitarist Darren Hart was shot into fame when none other than Prince stumbled upon his music and invited him over to the US for a jam session. Since then his star hasn’t risen quite to the heights many expected, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t produced some excellent music- like this song. Next March I’ve already booked my tickets so see him perform a theatre show ‘Harts does Hendrix’, and given how much I love Jimi Hendrix, it promises to be a gig of a lifetime for me.
Pond- Paint me Silver
Are Pond just Tame Impala-Lite? Maybe, but they have some excellent psychedelic tracks in their arsenal, ‘Paint me Silver’ being no exception. Where Pond falls short of their Aussie counterparts is the layering that makes Tame Impala tracks sound fresh countless plays later. So this song might get stale for you, but for the time being anyway enjoy!
There you have it, like share subscribe yeah you’ve surely had enough of me by now so until next time!
I’m glad Chagu’s Sideturn made it!