To celebrate the release of Californian alt-rockers - Silversun Pickups' fourth studio album Better Nature we handed them the keys to our Spotify account and asked them to hit us with a themed playlist of their choice and this is what we got back!
Themed playlists are always a little tricky, because the options are endless and you can easily get sucked down a rabbit hole of possibilities. But based on the fact that we're just starting to do press for the new record, and it came up in conversation the other day... Nikki still gets asked the question "what's it like to be a girl in a band?" with a frequency that I find more than a little alarming in this day and age, so I decided to make a playlist as a reminder to lazy journalists everywhere. Seriously dudes, WTF? – Joe
TGIF with SILVERSUN PICKUPS
Angel Olsen - Hi Five
A really great, simmering song. I think I referred to it as garage noir before, so I'll stick with that.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air
One of Nikki's go-to weekend jams. In Nikki's words, "Such an inspiration."
Kate Tempest - The Truth
She is so hypnotic. The whole record is an amazing ride...
Alvvays - Archie, Marry Me
Simple, clean and earnest. Almost has a fifties, Buddy Holly rock and roll vibe. Can't get enough of this song.
Courtney Barnett - Debbie Downer
Super clever lyrics and sing along choruses, we're all pretty smitten with her record. Plus her show in LA caused Brian's very pregnant wife to go into labor, for which she is forever grateful.
Waxahatchee - Under A Rock
Harks back to what was great about 90's indie rock. great songwriting/melodies, not over-produced.
The Knife - Silent Shout
Our love for The Knife runs deep. So groovy. So strange. So unnerving. So. Damn. Good.
Billie Holiday - What A Little Moonlight Can Do
One of the most amazing voices in all of music. And though this is a sweet song, Billie Holiday will always be more punk rock than you.
Marnie Stern - Year of the Glad
Super trippy vocals and utterly bananas, wizardly guitar playing, all laid over frenetic tumbling drums. Soooo great.
Magic Dirt - She-Riff
I know that they're super well known in Australia, but I remember reading about them in Magnet Magazine in maybe 1996, and thinking, "that sounds right up my alley," but then never being able to find their albums. Sometime around 1998-99 I found an advance copy of Young and Full of the Devil in the used bins of a much beloved and long closed independent record store in LA. Brought it home, and yep, right up my alley.
Silversun Pickups' Better Nature is available now where all "oozy" (in the words of lead singer Brian Aubert) records are sold | streamed.
