Velvet Underground – I’m Waiting For The Man
This song is a metaphor for New York on so many levels. I love his use of numbers: he tells us he has exactly 26$ for heroin and sings the individual ‘one-two-five’ to refer to 125th street where he buys it. The original demo was recorded on ludlow street as a folk song- walking on that street today really feels like everything’s completely changed and stayed the same simultaneously.
Richard Hell + the Voidoids – Blank Generation
The name: richard hell. Imagine you changed your last name to hell. He was (so they say) the first guy to use a safety pin as a fashion statement and passed it on to malcom mclaren. No one is cooler.
Sonic Youth – 100%
Mike Kelly did the cover for ‘dirty’ and my sister used to blast this, effectively making me look up to her as a goddess. One day her friend came over with the same haircut as the puppet on the cover, and then we went skateboarding.
Liars – Mr, You’re on Fire Mr
Why did they change their sound? I don’t know but it’s very beautiful to never repeat yourself. Nevertheless I can’t say i didn’t want to hear more Liars like this- which turns the shit of New York City streets so perfectly into a song.
Cat Power – He War
I remember seeing Cat Power in a barn in Hudson New York like 10 years ago and she would stop half way through songs and freak out and get off stage.
Nirvana – Milk It
After reading his journals, it was clearer than ever that everything this guy did was pure. Kurt’s tone of voice on the chorus and verse: no one else can do that.
Porches – Intimate
Featuring Frankie Sosmos, this song is autumn. Both Ronald and Frankie rank as my top most favourite people ever.
Perfect Pussy – Interference Fits
You absolutely have to read the lyrics to this song while listening – and you have to wear headphones because the bass frequencies cut by computer speakers make this one of the most beautiful songs in recent memory. These lyrics are everything to me.
Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out (Daft Punk remix)
Daft remixed it but they basically just left it untouched, extended some sections and put some distorted modular synth sounds under it- making it more, can I say, punk.
Mission of Burma – Academy Fight Song
I spun this song at a club a few months ago and turned some heads. This is the one of the better dance-in-your-dorm-room or feel cool on the street songs.
Weezer – Say It Ain’t So
While I was spinning, Lucien Smith asked to take a song in the mid of my set and threw this on- everyone went nuts.
Arctic Monkeys – Riot Van
Alex Turner, you write beautiful lyrics that tug my heart strings and make me feel, well, so very many things. and for that I love you.