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. Barns Courtney picks “Let the Good Times Roll” by BlackWaters”
We always start the week by asking one artist that we love to tell us about a song that they love.
Barns Courtney was born in Aylesbury, England. His song, “Fire” has over 15,000,000 plays on Spotify alone. This Saturday, September 9th, he is going to be playing at Rock The Green Sustainability Festival here in Milwaukee. My guest this week is Barns Courtney.
Justin Barney: Barns, what is one song you can’t stop listening to right now?
Barns Courtney: Right now, my jam in “Let the Good Times Roll.”
Justin Barney: Oh man, is it the, “Let the Good Times Roll” that I’m thinking of?
Barns Courtney: No, these guys are super young. They are like 18 years old. The band is called BlackWaters.
Justin Barney: What makes them stand out to you?
Barns Courtney: They have the raw, unashamed energy and youth of the Sex Pistols.
They just go nuts.
And their drummer sits perfectly still and looks like he has been staring off into space his whole life.
Justin Barney: *laughs* Classic. And what do you like about the song?
Barns Courtney: It’s just a song about hedonism really.
And it’s just got this insane driving passion and energy and a great dirty, raw, tasty lil hook in the chorus that I find very appealing.
I’m picking up what they’re putting down. You know? I’m buying it.
- “Let the Good Times Roll” was released as a single by BlackWaters this year. They have yet to release a full length album.
- Listen if you like: SWMRS, hard and fast pop punk, The Libertines
2. Cloud Control – “Zone (this is how it feels)"
Cloud control is a trio from The Blue Mountains in Australia. The thing that really stands out about Cloud Control is that all three band members sing. They harmonize together. But, they each take their own verse as well.
It’s like three different artists in one band. Three different visions, three different approaches, different viewpoints, all commenting on one common experience.
- Cloud Control’s new album, “Zone” is out now via Mushroom Music Publishing.
- Listen if you like: It’s kind of hard to say, there is not a whole lot of stuff similar, The National at times, kind of atmospheric and anthemic feels
3. King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard with Mild High Club – “Tezeta”
King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard said they are going to release 7 albums this year. I thought that was a joke. But it wasn’t a joke. “Sketches of Brunswick East” is the bands third length album, this year.
To me there is almost something selfish about having already released three albums this year. Like, let us enjoy other people’s music for a bit too.
Despite that minor annoyance, I appreciate the ambition and novelty of it.
You would also think that because they are churning albums out that it would sound like they are churning albums out, but here we have something that is thoughtful, and weirdly progressive. Like, you would think they would rest on what they know, but here they venture into something akin to North African music.
So I really have to tip my hat to this band for releasing their third full length album this year and managing to make it compelling and progressive.
- King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard’s new album, their THIRD full length THIS YEAR, “Sketches of Brunswick” is out now via ATO Records.
- Listen if you like: North African influences, The Growlers, Mild High Club
4. Muthoni the Drummer Queen – “Kenyan Message”
Justin Barney: This is 5 Songs We Can’t Stop Listening to ad I’m here with our newest DJ, Kima Hamilton. What up Kima?
Kima Hamilton: What up, Justin? How you doing?
Justin Barney: Good. Kima is on Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 3PM, and here he is sitting with me right now. Kima, what is one song that you can’t stop listening to?
Kima Hamilton: Ah that’s pretty easy, I heard it on Marcus Doucette’s show two or three weeks ago, it’s Muthoni the Drummer Queen with, “Kenyan Message.”
Justin Barney: I love that you heard it on Sound Travels, that’s awesome. What do you like about the song?
Kima Hamilton: The beat is gonna grab you from the word “hello”, and it won’t let you go.
And melodically she revisited a very special and nostalgic place for me, growing up in the golden era of hip-hop. I lived the Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s, “The Message…”
Justin Barney: Yeah, so this is related to, “The Message?”
Kima Hamilton: It’s related. It’s a re-make of the original.
There are times where an artist will produce or grab an old school song to connect you emotionally to it, but they are not driving it towards a new creative plateau. But, for me, after nerding out on it and dissecting it and seeing that the intentions are in line made me like it even more.
Justin Barney: Right on. Cause you could take that, and I’ve see artists take “The Message” and do it a disservice. So, I’m glad to hear that she is keeping true to it and making it her own and keeping the heart of that message. That’s very cool.
- “The Message” was released as a single from Muthoni The Drummer Queen in March.
- Listen if you like: Sound Travels, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, super cool stuff just listen to it
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. Marika Hackman picks “Sexual” by NEIKED
Marika Hackman is an artist from Hampshire England, she is on Sub Pop Records and is just an excellent song writer. We were completely charmed by her new album, “I’m Not Your Man.” We play her song “Boyfriend” my guest here is Marika Hackman.
Justin Barney: Marika what is one song you can’t stop listening to?
Marika Hackman: uh, it’s “Sexual” by NEIKED.
Justin Barney: *laughs* What is that song?
Marika Hackman: It’s a really fun like poppy, groovy, dancy song. And the reason I chose it is because it makes me want to dance and I’m not a big dancer.
I request it at every kind of event that I’m at where there is potential dancing involved…
Justin Barney: When is the last time you requested it?
Marika Hackman: At a wedding a couple of weeks ago. And they didn’t even have it on the playlist and some guys had to get his phone out and get it from the internet and plug it in.
Justin Barney: They still did it. Wow.
Marika Hackman. Yeah. It’s a party banger. And it’s fun pop music which I really like.
Justin Barney: I have never heard of it.
Marika Hackman: Oh my god, it’s going to change your life.
It’s so groovy. And I like that it’s really sparse for a pop song. It’s all about the bass line and the vocal. Both are insane.
- “Sexual” was released in 2016 via Polydor Records.
- Listen if you like: party bangers, fun pop songs with an edge, dancing
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