5 Songs We Can't Stop Listening to is a collection of our newest favorite songs. And Every week we ask an artist that we love to tell us about the music they love.
Listen to the whole thing in the player below.
1. Danny Brown picks “After Forever” by Black Sabbath
Every week we start off by asking one artist that we love to talk about a song that they love. At Eaux Claires last week me and my co-worker Makenzie Boettcher got to talk to Danny Brown.
Danny Brown, from Detroit Michigan, has this nasally, erratic delivery and the production on his songs defy and challenge genres. He is entertaining, thoughtful and original. I was so pleased that we got to sit in his dressing room and talk with Danny Brown.
Makenzie Boettcher: What’s a current song that you’ve been listening to? Or one song you can’t stop listening to?
Danny Brown: I’ve been listening to a lot of Black Sabbath lately.
Makenzie Boettcher: Really?
Danny Brown: Yeah. Just discovered it. You know, going back and studying, that’s my thing. I love going back and just get into stuff that I haven’t gotten into. And Black Sabbath been my new thing lately.
Justin Barney: What do you like about Black Sabbath?
Danny Brown: I mean, I’ve always been into rock music. My favorite band is System of a Down. Like I can see where they got influenced from them. Like with the transitions and stuff like that.
I love Korn too. Well, Korn up to “Issues,” you know?
So those two are my go-to bands.
- “After Forever” was released in 1971 on Black Sabbath’s album, “Master of Reality.”
- Listen if you like: System of a Down, Korn, Danny Brown
- FULL DANNY BROWN INTERVIEW
2. Michael Nau – “How You’re So For Real”
I’m usually pretty hesitant on pairing music with some part of the year. You know, summer songs vs. Winter songs and that. But sometimes there is something to it. And maybe the summer heat is getting to me, but there is something about this song that is sun soaked.
Like that dead heat of the summer where the humidity hits so hard that it seems to be physically slowing things down.
Where even the shade seems to be melting.
You’re locked to your chair with a drink sweating in your hand and your sunglasses on your face thinking, “When is this going to end?”
It feels like your body weighs an extra 20 pounds and doing anything just feels…tiring. That’s when you want to listen to this song.
- “How You’re so for Real” is off Michael Nau’s new album, “Some Twist” out now on Suicide Squeeze Records.
- Listen if you like: Tame Impala, Foxygen, Ariel Pink
3. Mutual Benefit – “Diamond Day”
I love when an artist that I love, put out a song that I love and that song ends up being a cover of an artist that I don’t know. It’s like a two for one. You get a new song that you love, and a new artist to discover.
That’s just what happened with this song, “Diamond Day” by Mutual Benefit.
Love Mutual Benefit. So gentle and sweet. And that’s this song. Gentle and sweet.
And then I saw that it’s a cover of Vashti Bunyun.
Vashti Bunyan, born in Newcastle, England in 1945. After trying a single or two in England with The Rolling Stones manager as her advisor, she left the scene and traveled the Scottish countryside with her boyfriend in a horse and buggy. Along the way she wrote a collection of songs that would become her debut album. They are delicate and pastoral.
When she released the album, “Just Another Diamond Day” it sold very few copies, and Bunyan got discouraged abandoned her musical career.
30 years later the album had gotten this cult following. Encouraged by the cult following in 2005, 35 years after her debut, Vashti released her second album.
It’s a great musical story that I would never have known unless Mutual Benefit covered this song.
- Mutual Benefit is covering Vashti Bunyan’s entire “Just Another Diamond Day” album as part of Turntable Kitchen’s Sounds Delicious series.
- Listen if you like: pastoral sounds, early 70’s British folk, delicate voices
4. Darwin Deez –Radar Detector
Justin Barney: This is 5 Songs We Can’t Stop Listening To and I’m here with Makenzie Boettcher. Mak, what is one song you can’t stop listening to?
Makenzie Boettcher: One song I can’t stop listening to is the song “Radar Detector” by Mr. Darwin Deez.
Justin Barney: Yes. I know.
Makenzie Boettcher: I know you know!
Justin Barney: So, you saw Darwin Deez recently, right?
Makenzie Boettcher: I saw him play a show in Riverwest!
Justin Barney: So, tell me about this show. Darwin Deez played a show in a Riverwest basement.
Makenzie Boettcher: Yeah.
Justin Barney: Darwin Deez, notable musician, doing a normal tour around the U.S., did not have a date in Milwaukee yet he played this show in Riverwest that you went to. How did that happen?
Makenzie Boettcher: Right. So, what happened was Joe Tomcheck, lead singer of Paper Holland, a fan of Darwin Deez, was just like, “Oh I see Darwin Deez is not doing anything this night and will be traveling through the Milwaukee area” and out of the blue, was just like, “We’ll tweet at him and see what he says.” So, he literally tweeted at Darwin Deez and was like, “Hey man, you want to play this show with us and some Milwaukee bands on the day that you’re going to be in Milwaukee?” and I guess he tweeted back and was like, “Yeah!” and everyone was like, “…what!?”
Justin Barney: Was not expecting that.
Makenzie Boettcher: Right! Keep in mind, it wasn’t a venue. When I say, “basement show” it was like an unfinished basement in Riverwest.
Justin Barney: So how was the show?
Makenzie Boettcher: The show was awesome! The show was great. This basement was hot, it was humid, it was thunder storming outside, we all walked, it was a Monday night. It was one of those things where we were like, “We don’t care. We don’t care that it’s a million degrees and humid as hell down here. We’re having a great time.” We all danced, there were lights, and we had fun. It was beautiful.
- “Radar Detector” was released in 2010 on Darwin Deez’s album, “Darwin Deez.”
- Listen if you like: basement shows in Riverwest, The Strokes but more innocent, Vampire Weekend
5. Slaughter Beach, Dog – “Building the Ark”
I love having bands that are like, my band. You know what I’m saying?
You feel like no one else in the world knows about this band but you and maybe a small group of loners and weirdos that are like you.
Slaughter Beach, Dog is one of those bands for me. Their music is specific and has feeling, but their lead singer delivers it so plain and monotone.
Others might hear it and say it’s too slow or boring, or that he can’t sing. And that’s fine with me because I love it.
This song won’t be everyone’s favorite song, but it’s mine. And maybe it will be yours too.
- “Building the Ark” will be released on Slaughter Beach, Dog’s new EP, “Motorcycle.Jpg”
- Listen if you like: Modern Baseball, low key deliveries, great songwriting
5. Palehound – “Feeling Fruit”
Music is about intimacy. Why do we fanboy/girl over artists? When we are teenagers we want to date them or we feel like we know them personally.
It’s a person. Whispering in your ear. Telling you what makes them sad or happy. Telling secrets.
In this song, Ellen Kempner, lead singer of Palehound, literally whispers in your ear. It’s a move I’ve only known Nick Cave, Bjork, and the Ying Yang Twins to do do in a song. I love it. You can almost feel her breath. And oddly it adds a playfulness to the song. It’s so personal.
- “Feeling Fruit” is on Palehound’s new album, “A Place I’ll Always Go,” out now on Polyvinyl Records.
- Listen if you like: intimacy, whispering, feeling fruit at the grocery store
5. Girlpool – “123”
Girlpool’s music is like an inner voice externalized. Part lullaby and part anthem, “123” bass line humms you off into a dream as its guitar twinkles over your head and the drums, a new addition for Girlpool, crash in and throughout giving a heartbeat to a song that already has so much heart already.
Girlpool reaches perfection in “123”
- Girlpool’s new album, “Powerplant” will be out on May 12th.
- Listen if you like: Frankie Cosmos, Alvvays, the song “Only In Dreams” by Weezer
