5 Songs We Can't Stop Listening to is a collection of our newest favorite songs. Every week we ask an artist that we love to tell us about the music they love.
Listen to the whole segment and all the songs below.
1. Moby picks “Heroes” by David Bowie
The first song of each week is selected by a musician that we love.
Moby needs no introduction. He's a musician and animal rights activist, he released his memoir last year, he opened a restaurant recently and on March 2 he is going to be releasing his new album, “Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt.” We have been playing his new song, “Like a Motherless Child.” My guest this week is Moby.
Justin Barney: Moby, what is one song you can’t stop listening to?
Moby: Well, it’s not a new song. I’ve been listening to “Heroes” quite a lot.
It’s sad, but quite remarkable that David Bowie and I were quite good friends.
A very odd thing happened. In 2000, my manager called me and said, “Is it okay if I pass your email address on to David Bowie? He called and asked for it.” And I said, “Yes, of course. David Bowie is the greatest musician of all time. If he wants my email address please give him my email address.”
I remember in particular this one moment. We were going to do a show at Carnegie Hall together. He came over to my apartment one morning and he brought coffee, because he was very considerate, and we played “Heroes” on acoustic guitar. Just the two of us. Sitting on my couch on a Saturday morning in my apartment.
- “Heroes” was released in 1977 on his album of the same name.
- Listen if you like: one of the greatest songs of all time, Brian Eno, the idea of Moby and Bowie playing this on acoustic guitars on Moby’s couch
- Listen to the full interview here.
2. Alvvays picks “The Underside of Power” by Algiers
Alvvays is a band from Toronto, Canada. We’ve loved everything they have done. Their newest album is “Antisocialites,” of which you’ve heard several songs. Right now we’re playing “ Plimsoll Punks." They’re going to be playing in Milwaukee at the Pabst Theater on March 24. Justin Barney: My guest today is Molly Rankin, lead singer of Alvvays. What’s one song you can’t stop listening to right now? Molly Rankin: Do you know that band Algiers? That song, “The Underside of Power”. Have you heard that? It’s so good. I haven’t heard anything like that before. It’s such a collection of different things. A combination of different sounds and genres. It’s a nice feeling to have when you can’t quite put a finger on what you’re listening to. Justin Barney: That was my initial reaction with that band as well. I listened to it and just heard history. Molly Rankin: Yeah, it’s an exciting feeling. Justin Barney: I think that guy has a PhD or something. Molly Rankin: That’s useful in song writing. Maybe I should get myself one. You can just go get those, right? Justin Barney: Well I think you’re doing just fine. We should listen to the song, this is “The Underside of Power” by Algiers .
- “The Underside of Power” was released in 2017 on Matador.
- Listen if you like: a survey of American music, Nick Cave, a dark edge
- Listen to our full interview.
3. Superorganism picks “(Joe Gets Kicked Out Of School For Using) Drugs With Friends (But Says This Isn’t A Problem)” by Car Seat Headrest
Today we are talking to Orono Noguchi, lead singer of Superorganism. A group comprising of people from all around the world, including Japan, England, and New Zealand. Last year they released the song “Something For Your M.I.N.D.” On March 2nd, they are releasing their self-titled debut album.
Justin Barney: What is one song right now that you can’t stop listening to?
Orono Noguchi: I have not been able to stop listening to… it has a really long title like “Joe Gets Kicked Out of School for Doing Drugs,” or something, by Car Seat Headrest.
Justin Barney: Yeah!
Orono Noguchi: Hell yeah! It’s so good. I saw him a couple of months ago in London for the first time and, to be honest, I haven’t really listened to him before I went to the show.
Justin Barney: Sure.
Orono Noguchi: The most memorable song of the show was that song because it’s so catchy. For some reason, I’ve been listening to that song a lot lately again. I have it on repeat, honestly.
Justin Barney: Right on. I did the same thing when that record came out.
Orono Noguchi: It’s so good!
Justin Barney: It is so good, seriously! It makes sense for me, in my mind, you would be listening to that song. I think you have a vocal delivery that is in similar realms, you know?
Orono Noguchi: Yeah, kind of like that lazy 90’s kind of thing. People would ask me about my vocal style and people compare it to that girl, Kimya Dawson, and stuff like that. But I more as I’m ripping off what Stephen Malkmus sings like. When we were working on the album I was listening to a lot of “Pavement”. I was just like “I’m going to sing like Stephen Malkmus. It doesn’t really sound like Steven Malkmus but that’s what I think in my head.
- This song was released on Car Seat Headrest’s 2016 album, “Teens of Denial.”
- Listen if you like: Pavement, Silver Jews, Stephen Malkmus
- Check out the full interview here.
Cody Gaisser - “Wish There Was A Way”
Every year, we have this event called Sound Bites at the Iron Horse Hotel. Restaurants all around town are paired up with DJs from here at 88.9. They pair a dish with a song. There is also an auction, which Bridget Flynn won and is our guest today for our 5 Songs We Can’t Stop Listening To segment.
Justin Barney: Bridget, what is one song that you can’t stop listening to?
Bridget Flynn: I had to find something that, 1, I didn’t think you would know, 2 would…
Justin Barney: Not a prerequisite, but okay.
Bridget Flynn: I wanted it to be sort of a sad song, so my pick is Cody Gaisser, “Wish There Was A Way.”
Justin Barney: Okay, so I don’t know it. Good. We’re on the right track. Tell me more about it.
Bridget Flynn: So I met Cody probably 15 years ago, and he’s a singer/songwriter out of Florence, Alabama. It’s fun, but it’s a little sad.
Justin Barney: Do you remember hearing it for the first time?
Bridget Flynn: I do. He used to come in and do open-mic nights at the place I worked. The first time I met him, he was just this little 16 year-old guy. He pulled out a guitar and no one really thought anything of it, and he opened his mouth and I was like “Oh my God! My life is changed.” He’s got this crazy voice that I just love.
- “Wish There Was A Way” was released in 2002 on Gaisser’s “Good As Velvet” EP.
- Listen if you like: Kyle Craft, Van Morrison, gritty vocals and guitar
- Get tickets to Sound Bites here.
4. Jeff Rosenstock picks “One of My Lies” by Green Day
Jeff Rosenstock used to be in the band Bomb the Music Industry! which is how I remember him. He is a solo artist in his own right. This year, on January 1st he released his new album, “Post-“ and I have been obsessed with it. It’s one of the best things I have heard in a long time, so I got on the phone and called him up. This is Jeff Rosenstock.
Justin Barney: Jeff, what is one song that you can’t stop listening to?
Jeff Rosenstock: Hmmmmm, I’ve been listening back to “Kerplunk!” by Green Day a lot. And the song, “One of My Lies.”
Justin Barney: How is it different listening now from when you first heard it?
Jeff Rosenstock: I still think it sounds cool and really good. I’m impressed that they were so young and made such a good record. You know?
Justin Barney: Yeah.
Jeff Rosenstock: I’m a sucker for good pop-punk. That’s kind of gotten me into everything I’ve gotten into in life. Basically, pop-punk got me into writing.
Justin Barney: And I feel like those are often written off as being frivolous when I think some of the best writing has come from pop punk songs.
Jeff Rosenstock: They are written off because pop-punk devolved into this fasion-cor/mall-core bullsh*t that seems like it was designed to be consumed.
But the side of pop-punk that I like is that 90’s Bay area style pop-punk or anything like that. Where it sounded like a bunch of scrappy people, a bunch of scrubs trying to be like, “Yo, I don’t care that were scrubs. Were gonna make a punk tune. We’re gonna make a pop song and it’s gonna sound nasty cause we don’t care and we just want to make a song.”
That’s the kind of vibe I like a lot about pop-punk.
- “One of My Lies” was released in 1991 on Green Day’s album, “Kerplunk!”
- Listen if you like: early 90’s Bay area pop-punk, scrubs making songs, Bomb the Music Industry!
5. Sex Park – “Dignity”
Despite the bands unfortunate band name, Sex Park makes some pretty good music. The genre, surely up for debate, I’m gonna say is post-punk. Punctuated by dark synthesizers, a pedal heavy guitar that never really stops, and a vocal that sounds like it was recorded from the other side of the room that fits just under everything in the mix. Post-punk, kind of started by bands like Wire and perfected by Joy Division, continues here in 2018 with multitudes of subgenres that each give the genre something different.
“Dignity’s” synths are thick, and the drums are propulsive. Like the best in it’s genre, it gets your head to turn off everything that’s around you and live in the song.
- Sex Park’s new album, “Atrium” is available now on bandcamp.
- Listen if you like: Joy Division, shoegaze, post-punk
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5. Franz Ferdinand picks “Kola” by Damien Jurado
This week, our guest is Franz Ferdinand. A band from Glasgow, Scotland, in 2004 they released their self-titled debut album. It garnered them worldwide acclaim and audience. Their fifth studio album is “ Always Ascending.” Franz Ferdinand is playing in Milwaukee on April 30 at The Rave. I’m here with Bob Hardy of Franz Ferdinand. Justin Barney: Bob, what is one song right now that you can’t stop listening to? Bob Hardy: Well, one song that I’ve been… well, according to Spotify my most listened song of the year is a song called “Kola” by Damian Jurado. Justin Barney: Oh, yeah! Bob Hardy: Yeah, I heard it for the first time when we were actually on tour in the states earlier in the year. I was in my bunk on my tour bus listening to this podcast while falling asleep, and then he came on and performed acoustically, so I’ve been sitting in my bedroom at home playing it myself on my guitar. Justin Barney: To be your number one most listened to song of the year, what keeps you coming back to it? Bob Hardy: His voice is just kind of amazing! There’s so much emotion in it. I’m a big fan of that kind of acoustic songwriter thing, but partly because it’s so different from we do as a band. When I do listen to music for fun, I tend to listen to things that are very different from what we’re doing because it’s kind of like, feels like, something different, and it’s like cleansing my ears. Justin Barney: For sure. Bob Hardy: Yeah, it’s just the simplicity of his voice. One man sitting with an acoustic guitar who can take you somewhere so… in your mind. You know? Music can transport you, and it’s just like so powerful.
- “Kola” was released in 2016 on Damien Jurado’s album, “Visions Of Us On The Land.”
- Listen if you like: folk, Tallest Man on Earth, Iron & Wine