Artists

It’s not very cool to like Spoon today, which is strange because they are an incredible band. Whenever I bring them up to friends, other music writers, or even members of my band, my comments are usually met with: “They’re OK,” “I don’t like them,” or something far more pejorative. The thing is, Spoon are one of the most strange and creative bands working in popular indie rock today and they consistently reinvent themselves.Their tracks meld rock ‘n’ roll and electronic elements and are tempered by production that occasionally borders on noise. Their studio work is remarkably meticulous, using ambience and timbre cleverly and makes brilliant use of the depth between foreground and background. Their song structures are clever and vigorous with many tracks violently shifting speed, tone, or texture on a dime. For these reasons, I’ve been telling people for years that Transference is one of the best rock albums of this generation. But I have yet to convert anyone.Songs like “The Ghost of You Lingers” and “I Saw The Light” engage musical space in an innovative way, using static motifs to explore the use of noise in songs and soloing. “WhisperI’lllistentohearit,” from 2017’s Hot Thoughts, features ethereal pulses overlayed with fastidiously situated guitar until the song blasts into a different tempo, fleshing itself out with distortion, synths, and critically placed tambourines and shakers. This is extremely cool music.Do a lot of people like Spoon? Sure. Do they appear on TV and at big festivals? Yeah. Can their music be heard in films and trailers? Yep. That’s because they are a great band. As you’re warming up to Hot Thoughts, enjoy this playlist of their outliers. Songs about death, sex, and loneliness shouldn’t be this fun to listen to.

The music of The Shacks is blurry, hazy pop, at once nostalgic and uncanny. Their debut, Haze, is out now. Check it out, and listen to their playlist of favorite driving songs below.From the band:Over the past year we started touring all over the US, Canada, and Europe, which means that we have done quite a bit of driving. Whether were rattling down a dusty country road in Texas or winding through the Californian Redwood Forests, these songs keep us going.

Las Vegas pop polymath Shamir has drifted further away from this electro-rap roots with his recently released third album, Revelations. For this playlist he created specially for The Dowsers, Shamir shares the lo-fi indie-rock classics and shitgaze faves that shaped its heremetic, fuzz-covered sound world.

Initially formed as the solo project of guitarist Brett Sova and his Roland drum machine, Chicagos Axis:Sova has expanded over the years into a full-fledged trio, with the addition of guitarist Tim Kaiser and bassist Jeremy Freeze. Whats remained the same, besides the drum machine, is the bands commitment to noisy, wide-ranging psych-rock explorations. Latest album Shampoo You sees them further refining their sound, letting some streaks of sunshine sneak into their fried, kaleidoscopic jams. For this playlist, they mine inspirations of the late 70s and early 80s, from Chrome to Psychic TV to the B-52s.Axis:Sova says, "For the Shampoo You sessions, melody and harmony were emphasized as much as we’d previously attended to noise and saturation, and many of the songs became pleasingly spikier than ever before in the process. The songs on this playlist, compiled by the band and sequenced by Tim Kaiser, capture the spirit of the making of Shampoo You, all coming from 79-83 except for a few cheats which we encourage listeners to catch..."

On November 17, Brooklyn-based indie troubadour—and part-time Neflix star—Sharon Van Etten will release (it was) because i was in love, a deluxe vinyl reissue of her striking, stripped-down 2009 debut album, because i was in love. To mark the occasion, she made a Dowsers playlist of the music that fueled its creation. “The songs on this playlist represent the music I was listening to before, during, and after the writing and recording of because i was in love. These artists were extremely instrumental in the development of my songwriting.”—Sharon Van Etten

Still flying high on their 2016 release, Strange Little Birds, and their summer 2017 tour with Blondie, alt-rock icons Garbage also recently released a coffee-table book chronicling their two-decade history, titled This Is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake. But on this playlist she created specially for The Dowsers, frontwoman Shirley Manson reveals the songs she turns to when she wants to cry herself to sleep. “The Winner Takes It All,” ABBA: The first slow dance I ever shared with a boy was to this song. I didn’t know at the time that it was a song about divorce, but I do now. Pop brilliance at its finest.“I’m a Fool to Want You,” Billie Holiday: I have nothing but love and gratitude for Billie Holliday and her artistry. True love forever.“Don’t Smoke in Bed,” Peggy Lee: The first time I realized that a song didn’t need to be catchy or feel good. It could tell a story—and a great, heartbreaking one at that.“So in Love,” Ella Fitzgerald: I associate Ella Fitzgerald with my mum because she played her so regularly in our household. This song is killer.“Wild Is the Wind,” Nina Simone: Nina Simone is without doubt the greatest voice I have ever heard in my life. And this song is blissful agony to listen to from start to finish. Utter perfection.“Anyone Who Had a Heart,” Dusty Springfield: After listening to this song, I always feel like I just got gutted like a fish.“Troy,” Sinéad O’Connor: One of my most favorite singers of all time. Sinead has the voice of a creature sent from the heavens. We must strive harder to cherish her whilst she still walks amongst us.“Revenge,” Patti Smith: Patti is everything to me. She is a god. She is a light. She is my go-to when everything gets dark.“You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” The Supremes: One of the first songs I can remember singing along to into the handle of my hairbrush at the top of my lungs. Diana Ross remains, to this day. one of my most beloved stars.“Why Dya Do it,” Marianne Faithfull: This song is perfect. I wish I’d written it. A woman destroyed is a woman not to be trifled with.“Winter Kills,” Yazoo: Fucking love how twisted and dark this still sounds.“Save Me,” Joan Armatrading: I love how unique and rich Joan Armatrading’s voice is. A criminally underrated, and unsung talent.“Oh Daddy,” Fleetwood Mac: I participated in a recording of this song during music class at school. It was the first time I’d ever been inside a recording studio. My music class was very inspired by Fleetwood Mac at the time, and I remain so.“You’re Not the Only One I Know,” The Sundays: I love how deliciously cavalier this song sounds. So easy and breezy and bitchy.“I Go to Sleep,” Pretenders: I have cried myself to sleep over and over to this song. Chrissie Hynde slays me every time.“Here You Come Again,” Dolly Parton: The most brilliant and sunny angel on earth.“I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” Ike & Tina Turner: The vocal is completely sick.“Talking in Your Sleep,” Crystal Gayle: This song is so fucking sad! I first heard it listening to a tiny radio my grannie gave to me for my ninth birthday. I didn’t really understand what it meant at the time, but I could tell it didn’t mean anything good.“Cry Me a River,” Julie London: Such a nasty little song disguised in such silky and satin sounds.“I Will Survive,” Gloria Gaynor: Favorite rebound song of all time. Game over. Mic drop.NOTE: Shortly after this list was published, Shirley Tweeted us the following request, which we have honored, of course:

🖤Can you add in Amy Winehouse Back to Black? I don’t understand why I forgot to add this song. The voice of a generation.🖤

— Garbage (@garbage) November 10, 2017

Photo Credit: Joseph CulticeSaveSave

Steven used the release of the film Straight Outta Compton to review the best album lead-off tracks ever. The actual song selection for this playlist is decent enough. Its hard to argue about the greatness of "Welcome to the Jungle," "Crazy in Love," "Bring Da Ruckus," etc. This list is the cannon -- its safe, there are very few left-field choices, and the only selection that gave me any pause is the Counting Crows selection.This is a conceptthathasbeendone a lot. And initially, I was a bit skeptical that it would make a good playlist. At least the Complex playlist linked to above picks from only hip-hop tracks, which makes it more stylistically consistent. The Grantland playlist uses tracks from all genres and eras. Its something thats easier to ponder than listen to. Still, the songs are connected aesthetically -- theyre generally the albums most hard-hitting, rambunctious tracks. This playlist is like the Seinfeld episode where Elaine only buys muffins for their tops.

The passing of Chuck Berry on March 18, 2017 at the age of 90 put the final punctuation mark at the end of this musical pioneers story. But the legacy left behind by the man who made rock n roll what it is today largely rests on a relatively small group of milestone singles—about a dozen or so, mostly released between the mid 50s and mid 60s. And, when youre talking about an artist like Berry, that leaves a lot of things out. Though Berry mostly stopped having hits by 1964, he kept on recording at a fairly steady clip through the late 70s. And even though most of his later records flew below the radar, they were full of worthwhile tunes. The deeper you dig into Berrys catalog, the clearer it becomes that he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Of course, the rock n roll godhead will be forever associated with the style he introduced on titanic tracks like "Roll Over Beethoven," "Maybellene," "Johnny B. Goode," et al, and rightly so—they were the road map for generation after generation of rockers. But Berrys endlessly surprising (and rewarding) eclecticism is revealed by even a casual spelunk into his archives.Traipsing through this collection of Chuck Berry esoterica, youll find just about everything you can think of and then some: the spooky, minor-key "Down Bound Train," the calypso-flavored "Run Joe," the jazzy swinger "Bring Another Drink," the Latin-tinged instrumental "Berry Pickin," the dreamy Charles Brown cover "Driftin Blues," the startling psychedelic experimentation of "Oh Captain," the 18-minute wah-wah-flecked jam "Concerto in B Goode"—you name it.And alongside all these surprising stylistic detours are tunes in the signature Berry style like "Tulane," "Jo Jo Gunne," and "Oh What a Thrill" that stand up right alongside their more famous cousins. It makes for a great way to remember rocks godfather, who, for all his renown, was an even mightier musical figure than many people realize.

Los Angeles native Miguel Jontel Pimental has been one of the most consistently excellent R&B artists of the 2010s, in part because he conjures the adventurous spirit and rock’n’roll edge of his hero, Prince. Now, Miguel (who started using the guitar as his primary songwriting tool while working on his 2012 sophomore effort, Kaleidoscope Dream) may not be a virtuoso soloist like Prince. But the driving riffs and soulful licks that populate Miguel’s later work have continued to reinforce the link between R&B and rock that few of his contemporaries explore.While “Sky Walker,” the lead single to his fourth album, War & Leisure, returns him to a clubby hip-hop sound alongside Travis Scott, Miguel embraced aggressive guitar riffs with another recent single, “Shockandawe.” And guitars have figured prominently in much of his recent work throughout 2017, including the DJ Premier collaboration “2 LOVIN U” and his contribution to the soundtrack for the animated film Coco.With his voracious appetite for different sounds, Miguel has collaborated in the studio with some very famous guitarists, appearing on Santana’s 2014 release, Corazón, and featured guitar work from Lenny Kravitz and Raphael Saadiq on his own 2015 album, Wildheart. And that album’s single “Waves” was remixed and re-recorded by several artists, including country singer Kacey Musgraves and indie kingpins Tame Impala.Session players like Paul Pesco have contributed brighter guitar sounds to songs like “Do You…” and Miguel’s longtime sideman Dru DeCaro has added intricate licks to album tracks as well as live performances of his hits “Adorn” and “Sure Thing.” Miguel’s taste in guitar tones tends towards the lo-fi, from the amp buzz of his Mariah Carey collaboration “#Beautiful” to the low muddy tone of “Coffee.” And it’s that idiosyncratic embrace of the instrument, and the many sounds it’s capable of, that have made Miguel an unlikely major figure in the future of both R&B and guitar music.

Subscribe to the Spotify playlist here.A Tribe Called Quests fourth album Beats, Rhymes and Life debuted at No. 1 on Billboard in 1996, preceded on the charts by Nas It Was Written and proceeded by Alanis Morrissettes Jagged Little Pill. The second single, "Stressed Out," featured Faith Evans during the height of her estranged relationships with Biggie and 2pac and was a radio mainstay. But the album was largely considered a disappointment, partly due to the inclusion of two unannounced new members of Tribe: producer Jay Dee, a quiet beatmaking genius from Detroit, and rapper Consequence, Q-Tips cousin. Jay Dee, the new member of The Ummah, only caught a fraction of the wrath from Tribe purists for the shift in sound; production credits on Tribe albums were always hazy (Q-Tip didnt admit to producing the bulk of the first three album singlehandedly until the mid 2000s). Consequence, featured on seven of the albums sixteen cuts, was presumed to have broken up the group by usurping Phife Dawg. He was in the videos, he was on the albums biggest hit, and he was related to Q-Tip. He passed on a deal with Bad Boy to stay in Tribe. He was 18 years old. The plan was for Consequence to be the next Cappadonna, a new artist gradually pulled into the Tribe universe on a prominent album and single. But unlike the soft opening of Cappadonna as New Wu-Tang Clan Member on Raekwons Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Consequence ended up on seven songs, and then followed it up with a shelved album on Elektra. He had no appearances on the next Tribe album, The Love Movement, in 1998. This would be like Cappadonna ousting Ghostface on Cuban Linx and then never appearing on a Clan album again. Random white labels dripped out over the years from Consequence: "Queens Get the Money," produced by Havoc of Mobb Deep, "The Riot" featuring Busta Rhymes and produced by The Ummah, "The Consequences" produced by The Lone Ranger (Q-Tips alias). But Consequence didnt move the needle again until 2004 on the beloved album cut "Spaceship" from Kanye Wests The College Dropout. Ye and Cons met in New York randomly in the early 2000s; Kanye, a diehard Tribe fan, was starstruck. Cons was working a day job. Both were told by the industry in so many words that they didnt fit as rappers. They started a production company called KonMan, which later morphed into GOOD Music. Cons dropped one LP on GOOD Music, the uneven Dont Quit Your Day Job, pairing with The College Dropout and Rhymefests Bluecollar as the GOOD Music Working Man Trilogy. He passed the time by dropping singles, ghostwriting for Kanye, beefing with Pusha T and Joe Budden, and playing himself on Love & Hip Hop. Now that Cons is back with A Tribe Called Quest on the outstanding reunion album We Got it From Here...Thank You For Your Service, its worth combing through his archives to hear why people like Puffy, Q-Tip, and Kanye wanted him on their team. Hes energetic, confident, and topical. Hes a songwriter who can be braggadocios and conceptual. Hes a street dude from Queens who dropped mixtapes to get his buzz back (check the classic Take Em to the Cleaners to hear pre-College Dropout Kanye and Cons giggling and rapping like teens while trying to kick down the door for deals). Hes not as Abstract as Tip or as oddly charming as Ye on the mic. Hes a Professional Rapper with an understanding of his limits and a deep list of industry contacts after 20 years holding every title: Next Big Thing, Forgotten Footnote, Underdog Making a Comeback, Grammy Family Member, Tabloid Fodder, Reality TV Star, and now Beloved Tribe Member Who Came Back Home Again.