Artists

This week, Hookworms release their long-awaited third album, Microshift (via Domino Records), which, for the Leeds, UK quintet, heralds a major shift from stormy psych-punk to radiant electro-rock. For his Dowsers playlist, the band’s guitarist JW shines a light on his favorite under-the-radar acts. “We’re about to go on tour with a short stint in mainland Europe as well as various UK dates over the next couple of months. Heres a playlist of bands were excited to play with on these dates. As part of the tour, were doing a couple of two-night residencies at The White Hotel in Salford and at our favourite venue and second home the Brudenell Social Club—were curating the line-up for both of these shows, so heres a collection of my favorite songs by those artists. Theres a bonus Virginia Wing track as theyre kindly supporting us on all UK dates—Merida and Chris from Virginia Wing both played on Microshift, too.”

In May 2017, Indiana’s foremost jangly dream-pop outfit, Hoops, released their first proper, studio-recorded album, Routines, after years of putting out music on lo-fi, limited-edition cassettes. Those early releases will be issued on November 10 through Fat Possum as Tapes #1-3 —and while the band were getting all misty-eyed over their home-recording roots, we got them to make us a mix of favorite songs they first encountered on cruddy bargain-bin cassettes.“This is a collection of songs that we really like, most of which we discovered from cassettes found at Goodwills and record shops around where we’re from. This is all stuff that we play in the van and at parties, basically, whenever we get the chance. It’s all pretty representative of where we draw the most influence from when it comes to our own music. We highly recommend these tracks, but also the deeper cuts that come from their respective albums. Cassettes for us have always been a really easy and fun way to discover, listen to, and even put out music over the years.”—Hoops

Though best known for their respective work with dream-pop deities Mazzy Star and My Bloody Valentine, Hope Sandoval and Colm O’Cíosóig have been collaborators in Sandoval’s other band—rootsy psych-soul ensemble The Warm Inventions—since 2001. On the heels of their recent EP, Son of a Lady, the duo have created a playlist for The Dowsers that they’ve named “Significants.” Let them explain: "This playlist is a fine example of all the different personalities that we surround ourselves with for happy and sad times."—Hope Sandoval and Colm O’CíosóigNote: the duo submitted their playlist to The Dowsers via YouTube, and it included a couple of film clips and live TV appearances that can’t be sourced on Spotify. The playlist above includes the original recorded versions of their song selections but, for the full sensory experience, check out their original YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9XyMo8AghUqyjQOycYDzyp-0KYSmVLlw

Click here to add to Spotify playlist!Damu The Fudgemunk operates in a niche known as instrumental hip-hop. It’s a subgenre that has existed since the late ‘80s, in the days of DJ Mark The 45 King, and has occasionally drawn wide attention through DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing….. and Clams Casino’s Instrumental Mixtape. But it’s mostly limited to listeners who like hearing beats without all that talking—or “wavy singing”—over it, as well as fledgling MCs looking for loops and breaks to rap over. Then there are the chic hair salons, hookah lounges, and coffee shops that occasionally sprinkle in a little instrumental hip-hop amidst the chill out, downtempo (yes, this still exists in 2017), and smooth deep house that make up their daily aural wallpaper. As a result, instrumental beatmakers like Damu tend to go ignored by all but the most committed listeners.Damu hails from a mid-2000s era when underground hip-hop drew an ever-decreasing audience as an industry dazzled by the rise of Dirty South virtually ignored it. He started out as a DJ with Panacea, a duo whose ghostly new age excursions—like 2007’s The Scenic Route—elicited few critical notices. He established himself by working with Boston rapper Insight as Y Society, and their zippy, ecstatic sunshine tones on 2007’s Travel At Your Own Pace made the album a cult classic among true-school rap fans, with OG vinyl copies trading for hundreds of dollars. Damu has since created a virtual cottage industry of beats, compiling them for indie labels like Redefinition Records and Kilawatt Music.His latest album, Vignettes, reveals how the Washington, D.C. producer is so much more than just a Pete Rock disciple. On the standout track, “Get Lost to Be Found,” he weaves a midtempo beat that slowly ripples and roils like an ocean wave. It’s a hypnotic body of music, full of subtle changes in rhythm that last for stretches of over 12 minutes, and it’s emblematic of how Damu can subtly twist instrumental hip-hop tropes—the Pete Rock-ish horn lick, the DJ Premier-like sample chop—into his own elegant sound signature.There’s so much Damu The Fudgemunk material on the market that it’s difficult to recommend a canonical release for listeners who aren’t immersed in beats culture, the intricacies of which can’t fully be explained here. But in light of the enthralling Vignettes, this playlist is a good start.

For their second album, Together Alone, Howard Feibuschs namesake recording project Howard expanded to become a full four-piece band, incorporating touring members who had fleshed out the live show for debut album Religion. Ironically, the group setup comes in service of an album exploring the disconnects between our modern forms of always online sociability and its attendant feelings of isolation. For this playlist, Howard assembles a diverse mix of songs that pull the listener into their moment.Feibusch says, "No matter the time, place, or era these songs were made, they take me out of my environment and take bring to an inspired headspace. Some take me inward and others outward. Some inspire to hold still while others to move. All these songs are elevated by both their songwriting and most taken up an additional notch by their unique production.”

Danish rock outfit Iceage are constantly evolving, moving from the goth-inflicted punk of their early records towards a bigger, more luxurious sound of their 2018 album Beyondless. The one through-line is a bleary passion that permeates every chord theyve played since forming in 2008. Guitarist Johan Suurballe Wieth recently created a playlist of his favorite guitarists for the Dowsers, and, predictably, its a diverse, unpredictable assortment. Below is his annotated list.Pete Cosey on Miles Davis’ “Dark Magus, Wili (part 1)”This guitar to me, sounds like an ancient instrument used to scare off prehistoric beasts. Charles Bullen on This Heat, “A New Kind of Water”This Heat has since I discovered them in my early teens, been something I listen to frequently. And it still leaves me in awe, the weaving of sounds incompatible, becomes something so solid. Charles Bullens playing is something that will always keep my mind puzzled.Joanne Robertson, “Wildflower” “Wildflower” is, in my opinion, an underrated piece of work. Some of the most honest guitar music in newer date. Abner Jay, “Cocaine”A box with strings.Johnny Thunders on New York Dolls’, “Jet Boy”However tactless and appalling a guitar solo can appear. No ones got shit on him. Joni Mitchell, “Song To A Seagull,” “The Pirate Of Penance”This brings my mind to what the medieval times in America would look like.Johnny Echols/Arthur Lee on Love, “A House Is Not A Motel.” Many things could be said about the guitars of this band and the songs they play. What comes to mind for me is, what great fun it must to play this song.Peter Peter Scneidermann on Bleedergroup, “Sunrise, Amber Green”I pay great homage to this man. Peter is one of the people that has had the greatest impact on the way I view and play music. As a teen I would watch Bleeder at any chance I got. Later in life Peter has become a dear friend, and someone who has taught me all the tricks in my arsenal. He is hands down the best guitar player I know. Check out his breakdown for each track below.Loren Mazzacane Connors, “A Possible Dawn”With someone who stands behind such vast and diverse body of work as Loren Connors ,it can be hard to navigate. But honestly I find joy in all aspects of his music. A tightly knit organic carpet of sound. James Williamson on Kill City, “Night Theme”I wish I wrote this riff.Ron Asheton on The Stooges, “1970” No comment needed.James Blood Ulmer on Odyssey, “Church”It sounds like someone who has never touched an instrument before, but is an apparent natural. Equally afraid and pleasantly surprised. Lindsey Buckingham on Fleetwood Mac, “The Chain”As I said earlier about guitar solos, I will apply again. He makes that one note work.Jimi Hendrix on Band Of Gypsys, “Machine Gun” I cant deny that I am text book fan of rocknroll in many ways. As cheesy and cliché as it may seem, this was the first song I ever played on my record player. I could continue this list into infinity, but it would become an old song quickly. Therefore I leave you with this.

The era when I was old enough to discover music coincided with the first peak of Morrissey’s solo career, during which he released a run of fabulous singles between 1988’s Viva Hate and 1991’s Kill Uncle* (his commercial peak wouldn’t come for another three years). My friend Greg assembled a fab mix tape that began with “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” ran through most of the marvelous first third of Louder Than Bombs, and ended with “Asleep” and “How Soon is Now?” Nudged out of uncommitted asexuality by new friends, I found the Smiths/Morrissey the ideal soundtrack, although I preferred Soho’s “Hippychick” to “How Soon is Now?” and so should you – what better way to repudiate Morrissey’s disco-baiting “Panic”? Hang the singer.This list contains of twenty-five favorites I return to with varying degrees of pleasure. Morrissey dishing is better than Morrissey moping: no “Suffer Little Children” here. As for the albums, my admiration for Meat is Murder grows. Long dismissed by, well, me, as a mausoleum for the exhausted wit of their first phase, it sounds now like a welcome run through Morrissey’s increasing confidence in the delineation of his blue balls. The self-production adds color and a sheen that makes me wonder what else John Porter obscured on the eponymous debut. And Johnny Marr’s six- and twelve-string odysseys get raunchier and more intricate: the Britfunk workout “Barbarism Begins at Home” sustains a groove and prepared the world for “The Queen is Dead.”Visit our affiliate/partner site Humanizing the Vacuum for great lists, commentary, and more.

Every group has its breakout star, and for Atlanta rap trio Migos, Quavo has long been their Beyoncé. But as they rose to new commercial heights in 2017 with the chart-topping single “Bad and Boujee,” the spotlight shifted to another member, Offset. And that left Takeoff—who doesn’t appear on “Bad and Boujee” or the group’s hit Calvin Harris collaboration, “Slide”—looking like the odd man out. Takeoff even had to defend himself to an interviewer at the BET Awards, motioning to his impressive jewelry and asking, “Does it look like I was left off ‘Bad and Boujee’?”But Takeoff (a.k.a. Kirshnik Khari Ball) is nobody’s weakest link. In fact, he’s arguably the best MC in Migos, with a flair for vivid word choices and a distinctively raspy voice that contrasts with his uncle Quavo’s buoyantly melodic delivery. And he’s held down the chorus and first verse on some of the group’s hits, including the recent “T-Shirt” and 2014’s “Fight Night,” which was the highest charting Migos single before “Bad and Boujee.”Takeoff’s hoarse bark often recalls Rick Ross on the group’s most ominous trap anthems like “WOA” and “Cross the Country.” But the way he bites down on consonants with a percussive flow reminds me of Memphis legend MJG, another skilled rapper who was sometimes overshadowed by his partner 8Ball. And he’s displayed a facility for more light-hearted tracks like “Playa Playa,” and even made up for his absence from “Slide” with an appearance on Calvin Harris’ equally smooth “Holiday.” Takeoff released his first official solo track “Intruder” in 2017, and it’s an encouraging glimpse at how capable he is at holding down a song without the help of Quavo and Offset.

Though he may not have been present at the birth of Detroit techno, Carl Craig exerts a huge influence on that scene. He was the founder of seminal label Planet E Communications, was the co-creator of the Detroit Music Festival and is responsible for some of the most eclectic and well-known tracks from that scene. Hes also a very eclectic remixers, as this playlist from Jess Harvell at Beats demonstrates. From Throbbing Gristle to Junior Boys, the picks have a random quality to them, but Craigs signature oddball soul provides a common thread.

Though the term is tossed around a lot, there’s really no such thing as a “one-hit wonder.” If the criteria were simply having one Top 40 Billboard hit, then blink-182, Gorillaz, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix would all be considered one-hit wonders. Even artists that produce only one successful single can have a profound musical impact beyond that song. And there must be at least one power-pop enthusiast out there who knows every Fountains of Wayne song—or at least one besides “Stacy’s Mom”—by heart. Still, we all know what the term “one-hit wonder” generally implies. It’s an artist that produces one massively popular song that completely overshadows all other aspects of their career, whether it lasts for one album or several decades.This playlist consists of one-hit wonders in the post-millennial indie-pop realm. The majority of these groups adhere to the strict definition of the term, having produced at least one single that landed in the Billboard Top 40 charts. But researching this playlist yielded some surprises about artists that I incorrectly assumed only had one recognizable song. Foster the People has actually had a bunch of hit singles, though only “Pumped Up Kicks” has reached No. 1. Noah and the Whale has had several songs chart in the UK, but “5 Years Time” is the only song that resonated elsewhere. Of Monsters and Men has had other successful singles, but “Little Talks” is the only one that has breached the Billboard Top 40. And The Ting Tings were going to be included on this list, until Wikipedia informed me that the band actually had a handful of other singles that charted in the US besides “That’s Not My Name.”Aside from Fountains of Wayne, the most obvious one-hit wonder on this playlist is Gotye. “Somebody That I Used To Know” was a huge No. 1 hit in at least 10 countries, and is likely stuck in your head now that you’ve read its name. But does anyone even remember “Eyes Wide Open,” Gotye’s single released before “Somebody That I Used To Know,” and his only other song to chart in the US?The truth is that someone out there definitely knows that song, and also considers a few other Gotye songs “personal hits” to them the same way, say, Louis XIV’s “Finding Out True Love Is Blind” is to me—it may never have been a literal chart hit, but it was a smash single in my heart. That’s the tricky thing about calling artists one-hit wonders: They never truly are. In the world of indie-pop, however, that distinction isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Not having hit songs gives you more cred, anyways.