Genres

Justin Peroff is the drummer for Toronto indie-rockestra Broken Social Scene. Hes also the manager for Harrison and McCallaman, two artists at the forefront of the citys avant-R&B/future-funk movement. For his Dowsers playlist, Peroff shines a light on the beatmakers, MCs, and art-pop savants who comprise the citys current musical vanguard.

"I love Toronto. Lately, the source of my citys inspiration comes from the young music communities whose members average birth year is 1995. That also happens to be the year I left the burbs for the city and officially called Toronto my home. This playlist is an example of that inspiration." — Justin Peroff

Broken Social Scene were on a roll in the early ‘00s. After releasing the great, mostly instrumental Feel Good Lost in 2001, their big breakthrough came the following year with the instant classic You Forgot It In People, which achieved a perfect balance of being simultaneously intimate and monumental. Coming up in the middle of the post-millennial indie-rock revival, BSS held their own among bands like The Strokes, Interpol, and The Walkmen. In 2005, they released their masterful and complex self-titled record, which contained a gigantic list of contributing personnel and boasted a 63-minute runtime. BSS were steadily becoming one of the most powerful supergroups in modern rock. Then, they took a sort-of hiatus, and exploded into a diaspora of side-projects before releasing Forgiveness Rock Record in 2010. So what, exactly, did they do during those five years? Okay, take a deep breath.In 2007, Kevin Drew released his first “solo” album, under the title of Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew: Spirit If..., which was followed by what was essentially a Broken Social Scene tour that included tracks from that album and also from their previous records. The following year saw Brendan Canning’s own project, Broken Social Scene Presents Brendan Canning: Something for All of Us… (which featured guest vocals from Drew). Guitarist Andrew Whiteman’s band Apostle of Hustle released the jangly, shuffling National Anthem of Nowhere, whose title track had been road-tested in BSS shows; guitarist, bassist, and horn player Charles Spearin (also of Do Make Say Think) organized an avant-garde record called The Happiness Project. Feist released her mainstream breakthrough The Reminder (whose “I Feel It All” shares DNA with Drew’s “Safety Bricks”); fellow vocalists Emily Haines and Amy Millan put out their respective solo debuts.These albums represent a whirlwind of musical energy—yet, none of it went towards a proper Broken Social Scene album. What would have happened if the band had put out an album that reflected its members’ work from 2006-2009, instead of waiting until 2010 to team up for Forgiveness Rock Record? We can’t know for sure, but we can get close. This playlist envisions a “lost” BSS record of sorts, a potential album that never existed. So, close your eyes, travel back to the person you were 10 years ago, and pretend you’ve discovered a new Broken Social Scene record. Here we go.

Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine are the closest things to conventional East Coast rap that Eminem has ever affiliated himself with. They arent giddy hitmakers like 50 Cent, nor bizarro pill-poppers like D12; theyre more like Obie Trice, if he only rapped over the most austere Alchemist beats. If they were the Clipse, Gunn would be Pusha T, the flashy, flamboyant personality, while Conway would be Malice, the calculating visual technician, both exposing the hustlers lifestyle but never quashing spilled blood. Gunn built his buzz while Conway was recovering from a gunshot wound in the face from a 2013 incident. Now, they stand in front of one of the biggest audiences in the world: Gunn fresh off his outstanding Hitler Wears Hermes mixtapes, and Conway making numerous guest appearances and live radio freestyles.Though they’ve painted industry numbers to a point—mixtapes, big-name cosigns—they’ve taken an offbeat path to Shady Records. They’re brothers in blood, in business—Gunn managed Conway initially—and in rap. Their streets are Buffalo, NY, but the feel of their records is Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and their lyrics are indebted to the classics of Nas, JAY Z, Raekwon, and Capone-N-Noreaga. Releasing multiple projects on limited wax with England’s Daupe Records, which now retail on eBay for tenfold, their songs aren’t on the radio, but their faces are spray-painted on murals all over the world. Theyve named their label Griselda Records after the queen of narcotics trafficking, and styled themselves Fashion Rebels, their mugs colorfully stitched on hats, hoodies, and tees that sell out within minutes on Instagram.Gunn and Conway continue the formula of slick NYC brutality over minimalist beats that dont leave your subwoofers in a tizzy. Like post-Roc Marciano acts Ka, Hus KingPin, SmooVth, SonnyJim, et al., their approach isnt the 808 and a drum kit, its the dust-speckled four-bar vinyl loop. Combine that with unmatched chemistry, an in-house producer, Daringer, who rarely works outside the clique, and the unknown ills of upstate New Yorks historically bleak and violent corners, and you get a familiar late-’90s feel with references to Yeezy Boosts, cherry BMW X7s, and sneaker colorist Ronnie Fieg. Their fanbase, which includes Eminem, Royce da 5’9”, and Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali, has spoken: There’s still space for splashy late-’90s East Coast rhymin’ in the era of mumbling for millions.

For 20 years, Kevin Martin has explored the sonics of urban decay as The Bug. Most recently, that’s arrived in the form of his ground-shaking collaboration with Dylan Carlson of drone metal outfit Earth.Martin’s music is most often rooted in the deep bass and reverb-heavy drum sound of dub reggae, giving the style a cavernous, concrete makeover better suited to city streets. So, stylistically, hip hop isn’t necessarily the first sonic palette that comes to mind when one thinks of Martin’s work. But when tasked with making a playlist for Crack magazine, that’s exactly where he went.The playlist offers insight into Martin’s work as The Bug as a kind of production roadmap. Featuring cuts from Public Enemy to Cannibal Ox, and newcomers like Vince Staples, Hip Hop Narcotic Vol. 1 is a throughline in dense production styles. After you hear Jahlil Beats’ air-raid sirens follow Bobby Shmurda, or the thick hallucinatory cloud of El-P’s dank influence hovering over Cannibal Ox America, hip-hop will no longer seem like a complete world away from what The Bug is doing. If anything, these artists see the same darkness down their own city streets.

Here’s to the greatest album artist of the 2000s: the most consistent and startling long players, in the old school sense. I can’t think of another artist who has recorded albums as rewarding as Supreme Clientele, Bulletproof Wallets, The Pretty Toney Album, and Fishscale — all immersive in the best sense. I’m sorry I lost track after 2010’s Apollo Kids, a quickie that predated a series of soundtracks for a graphic novel series.In the following list, I’ve cheated: “Winter Warz” is a Wu-Tang track in name only, but “Shadowboxin” appeared on GZA’S Liquid Swords and it’s the best Method Man appearance; and “Wu-Gambinos” has Ghostface’s best classic Wu-era rap but it’s on Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.Visit our affiliate/partner site Humanizing the Vacuum for great lists, commentary, and more.

Nashville indie rockers Bully have returned with their second album, the fierce ‘n’ feisty Losing (Sub Pop). For her Dowsers playlist, band braintrust Alicia Bognanno shares a selection of recent favorites. “I wanted to put together a list of what I’ve been listening to recently, because a lot of really great music has been released in the past six to 12 months. Here ya go!”—Alicia Bognanno, Bully

Theres so many songs that shape the music we create, and its hard to put them together in a playlist that is under 50 songs. Its always all over the place. I actually had bandmates tell me my list had to be shorter than this. Hit me up for the extended playlist if you like. I also have four other playlists that the rest of our band members are happy to share with what theyre listening to right now. ~Eric Nordby

Recently at The Dowsers, we had Dale Crover of sludge-rock titans The Melvins make us a playlist of his favorite drummers to coincide with the release of the bands double-album opus A Walk with Love & Death. Now, it’s bandmate Buzz “King Buzzo” Osborne’s turn to salute his six-string heroes: Of course, I could fill countless playlists with the likes of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Gibbons, and Jimmy Page but that would be too easy. Everyone likes those guys. Here are a few guitar players that are interesting to me and not necessarily in a “traditional” guitar-hero sense. As a thinking and working guitar player, I find all of these guys extremely inspirational.—Buzz Osborne, The MelvinsJames Honeyman-Scott, The Pretenders: "Tattooed Love Boys" Love the solos on this and his cool use of harmonics. It’s a pity he ODed. Lord knows where he could have taken his guitar.Dave Shepherd, Weedeater: "Weed Monkey"Shep has a way of dragging out the riff that I love. Weedeater to me are what Flipper would sound like if they played heavy metal. Shep’s a huge part of that. It’s in his hands and attitude and I’m a big fan.Jon Spencer and Neil Hagerty, Pussy Galore: "Dick Johnson"I think Jon Spencer is the most underrated guitar player out there. Once again, it’s all in the attitude. This song is perfect. (I included Neil Hagerty on this because I don’t know who plays what.)Dave Davies, The Kinks: "Attitude" (One for the Road live version)Daves guitar makes this song. What a great riff! No one ever talks about Daves guitar playing and they never talk about this song, which is one of their best.David Hidalgo, Los Lobos: "Viking"Los Lobos are the most eclectic band from L.A. and Davids guitar playing is an essential part of this. Also, his work with the Latin Playboys is some of the best music ever made. I’ve seen Los Lobos countless times and I’ve never seen them play a bad show. It doesn’t get any better.Eddie Hazel, Funkadelic: "Hit it and Quit it"Eddies solo at the end of this song buries me every time. One of my all time favorites ever. Tragic early death of a supersonic talent.Ron Emory, T.S.O.L.: "Weathered Statues"This stuff was very refreshing when it came out in the early 80s. I’ve always thought Ron’s playing on this song was electric, and a nice change from the “hardcore” that seemed to boringly dominate everything at the time. Huge inspiration.Ted Falconi, Flipper: "I Saw You Shine"I have no idea what Ted’s playing most of the time and it doesn’t matter. Without Ted, Flipper it wouldn’t work. Flipper is one of the best bands ever.Andy Gill, Gang of Four: "Paralysed"This is the first song I ever heard by these guys and Andy Gills guitar playing worked its way into my brain and never came out.Robin Trower: "Bridge of Sighs"Yes, he sounds like Hendrix—but who cares? This is one of the most soulful songs ever, and it’s the right tempo! I saw him once in the early 80s and he toasted two Fender Twin reverbs during the last song. Smoke and fire.Jeffrey Lee Pierce and Ward Dotson, The Gun Club: "Ghost on the Highway"I listed both of these guys because I have no idea who plays what on this and I love it either way. An amazing song on one of my favorite albums. I’ve listened to this at least once a week for well over 20 years.Captain Sensible, The Damned: "Smash it Up Parts 1 & 2"Severely underrated guitar player. Don’t skip the first part of this song. Saw them in the early 80s and it remains one of my favorite memories of live music. I never tire of The Damned.Greg Sage, Wipers: "When It’s Over"My God… nothing describes the hopelessness that was and probably is the Northwest better than this guy. I still get chills every time I hear this song. The Wipers aren’t given the attention they deserve and Greg Sage is one of the best guitarists ever.

If you’re a fan of excellently crafted folk-rock and you’re not spinning Bidin’ My Time, Chris Hillman’s first album in over a decade, you have to change this. Featuring fellow former Byrds Roger McGuinn and David Crosby, the nostalgia-kissed collection very much is a meditation on The Byrds’ unique legacy. When you really think about it, the breadth of recordings linked to everybody who passed through the Byrds between 1964 and 1973 is downright astonishing—in addition to those already mentioned, there’s Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, Clarence White, and roughly a half-dozen others.Crosby, for example, is a key link between the folk-rock boom of the ’60s and the following decade’s singer-songwriter movement. After all, on top of co-founding the supergroup CSN(Y), he produced Joni Mitchell’s debut, Song to a Seagull, and provided harmonies to Jackson Browne’s masterfully minimal 1972 self-titled album. At the same time, cosmic American music pioneer Gram Parsons—who helped turn The Byrds into a country-rock outfit with 1968’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo—was equally active, helming two pivotal groups in the International Submarine Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers (the latter with Hillman and original Byrds drummer Michael Clarke). He also partied hard with Keith Richards and, as legend has it, sings backup on “Sweet Virginia,” the drunken, shit-kicking anthem from Exile on Main St. Even a lesser known Byrd like Kevin Kelley—who filled the drummer’s chair for most of 1968—really got around. Before joining The Byrds, he played with the Rising Sons, an absurdly ahead-of-their-time blues-rock act co-founded by Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, while afterwards he appeared on The Yellow Princess, an album from American primitive guitarist John Fahey, and did some recording with the mystical, singer-songwriter visionary Judee Sill.As one would expect, such an expansive lineage reaches clear across the rock music spectrum, yet as our playlist captures, there are several central themes running throughout The Byrds’ universe. Revisit their original albums (even the spotty ones have moments of sheer brilliance), and what you’ll notice is the music rests upon a cluster of overlapping tensions: tradition versus futurism, earthiness versus the cosmic, simplicity versus virtuosity. After all, here is a band that within a span of 12 months in the 1968 zone explored abstract synthesizer music (“Moog Raga”) and covered The Louvin Brothers’ Southern gospel tune “The Christian Life.” Yet oftentimes these tensions can be found in a single song, like how their landmark version of “Mr. Tambourine Man” wraps pastoral folk balladeering in the crisp, soaring aesthetic of the jet age or the way the late guitar genius Clarence White shades the John Coltrane-inspired psych-rocker “Eight Miles High.” Check the live version from 1970’s (Untitled) with mind-bending solos grounded in his scorching bluegrass picking.Jump to the seemingly endless network of solo albums, projects, and guest appearances spawned by The Byrds, and the very same tensions pop up. The epic “Some Misunderstanding,” from Gene Clark’s 1976 spiritual masterpiece No Other, sounds like country-rock—if it were recorded inside a black hole. Though not nearly as dark and brooding, The Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Sin City,” one of the landmarks of cosmic American music, also achieves a sublime balance of rootsy twang and spacey splendor. And then there’s a piece like “Have You Seen the Stars Tonite” from Paul Kantner and the Jefferson Starship’s seriously underrated Blows Against the Empire; it may only be tangentially related, yet it does feature Crosby’s high, ghostly voice and ethereal strum in service of a song that uses folk-based music as jumping off point for some galactic-scale rock.Over 50 years after The Byrds first took to flight, these tensions still grip them. Simply check out the sublime version of Gene Clark’s early composition “She Don’t Care About Time” on Hillman’s Bidin’ My Time. Everything about Hillman’s version—his dusty, time-weathered voice, the simple, heartland arrangement and throwback guitar jangle—reflect a man looking back on life and embracing his mortality. And yet, if you dig into Clark’s esoteric poetry, it’s a whole other story: This isn’t a mere love ballad; it’s a near-religious meditation on the infinite and universal. Perhaps the reason why The Byrds have meant so much to us through the years is this singular ability to, however tenuously, bring the earthbound and heavenly closer together, even if only for a song.

By 1998 Public Enemy were history if not, in the words of “Brothers Gonna Work It Out,” his-story, especially in the year when Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott were writing and producing their own hits. No less than reading The Devil Finds Work, my listening to Fear of a Black Planet gained from a culture’s sense of its canonicity and from the manner in which it distinguished itself from the Puff Daddy and RZA era of hip hop multiplatinum.Too black, too strong, Public Enemy’s work through 1994 mashed bewildering verbal dexterity and an ever-permutating instrumental bed that chopped up two decades’ worth of R&B and scored it to the symphony of tea kettle whistles. They’re exhausting records; listening to Public Enemy is difficult. Their albums don’t work as background music. I’m grateful to Chris Weingarten’s entry in the 33 1/3 series, a book devoted to It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, for the reasons mentioned above an album too abrasive and, well, historical to reach younger ears, as I’ve learned in recent years. Thanks to an ethos that prizes brothers working it out, the core of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and intermittent collaborator Professor Griff don’t give much cop to women (“She Watch Channel Zero?!” misunderstands women and TV; deserves appreciation anyway) and sneer at faggots (“Pollywanacraka”). But “Pollywanacracka” unfurls as a polyphony: spoken-word cross-gender arguments over James Brown, Rufus Thomas, and Diana Ross samples that take at least a half dozen plays to suss out — and recontexualize. “All the associations that a listener may have with an existing piece of music are handed down to the new creation,” Weingarten wrote.I’m sorry to say that after He Got Game my concentration waned until 2007’s spare, contained How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul?, which I admired long before “Harder Than You Think” became the highest charting single in England as a result of 2012 Summer Olympics exposure. I’ll take any early Bush II era recommendations.Visit our affiliate/partner site Humanizing the Vacuum for great lists, commentary, and more.