Long Bus Lazing Playlist
When I'm travelling for any length of time, one of the things I get most excited about is all the music I will get to listen to. I honestly spend more time packing my playlist than I do my clothes. Just knowing I'll have the luxury to plug myself in, drink in every single word without distractions, have time to understand the stories unfolding and commit them to memory. It's normally the best opportunity for falling in love with new acts or revisiting songs.
My favourite thing about this is when I realise there are little treasures I'd overlooked on an album I thought I knew inside out. Sometimes the roads make you hear something different, gain a brand new perspective. Travel cracks you open, your perspective is shifting at such a quick rate compared to when in your normal day-to-day life.
For me, a journey without sound is like a life without colour.
Here's a tiny summary of why I love just some of the tracks on this playlist.
Los Campesinos!
A favourite band of mine, because they are shameless about their intelligence, their lyrics even border on pretentiousness at times. I mean, what other band can sneak references like "Führer", "Dewey decimal", "kayfabe", "in media res" and "trequartista" into their lyrics as frequently as LC?I've been swooning over this band since 2006 and out of 6 albums, only one didn't make my collection. I was hooked as soon as I saw that at least 50% of the members were burning off anxious energy on stage. There was also a xylophone, a violin and vinyl on sale at the first gig I went to of theirs. LC were hipster before it was cool to be hipster.The line-up has changed a lot over the years, but there's a common thread at the core of all their albums, a nervousness, an anger, a distrust and disarming hopefulness all at the same time.
Diet Cig
This pop-punk duo make me laugh and sing at the same time. This is rebellion with a strong female lead singer taking on the patriarchy and dropping some sweet hooks at the same time.
Maggie Rogers
Rogers once said her music is a blend of her rural upbringing and her wild love affair with EDM, once fully acquainted in France. You can hear the remnants of the girl who played harp and listened to Vivaldi and the initiation into letting go and womanhood. A rare moment to capture with such grace. Her husky voice is my favourite kind of lullaby and her videos, where she shows she's mastered the art of dancing like nobody is watching are mesmerising.
Wolf Alice
Best band of the last decade. Bold statement. but true. Wolf Alice are the best of grunge with the best of now. Cynical, edgy, assertive, reflective and nuanced. They are completely unafraid to dip into different genres to achieve their aims. You can nurse heartbreak or get your warpaint on with this band.
Jesse Malin
In this article, Jesse Malin Interview Jesse's response sums up why I've always liked him, why I've seen him in the UK and spent one of my precious 4 nights in NYC seeing him live. Even though he spits everywhere.
What is punk to you and how is it manifesting nowadays in our art and culture?
“Punk to me is an attitude, a lifestyle, a way of looking at things. It’s about change and questioning things, not just a music movement or fashion. There was Punk way before 1976. French poet Arthur Rimbaud was punk, comedian Lenny Bruce, Russian-American anarchist Emma Goldman, musicians Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, John Lennon were all punk. Today, like many times, you might have to look deep to find it. I believe Bernie Sanders has a lot of punk in what he is talking about for the US. I find more subversion in art these days, more than music but hopefully, more defiance in new groups will emerge now that the 1970s punk rock is in libraries and museums, getting its accolades as being a part of modern culture.”
