This week was nutso, and I’ll just say it, what a relief to have our 2015 schedule complete! Check it out and get your tickets asap, both Weekend & Single Day Tickets now available… get ’em quick!
So now onto this weeks featured artist playlist… Not only did the dudes in Wolf People make us a bangin’ Spotify playlist, they wrote a full-on, mixtape-worth description to go with it! Read on and rock out:
Listen: Wolf People Picks of Pickathon Spotify Playlist
We Can’t Go Home Again – William Tyler
Joe Hollick, Guitar – A rapidly growing obsession. My friend Karl played me this once round his house and I quickly couldn’t concentrate on the conversation as his playing is too good, too distracting, machine-like but with real heart. A superb album to get lost in on a late Sunday night.
Tenhert – Tinariwen
Joe Hollick, Guitar – It’s a given how good this group of musicians are, we played with them at a small festival a very long time ago and it was a real education, they even came to watch us afterwards and seeing most of Tinariwen dancing to our racket (dressed in their post-gig sportswear) was something I’ll never forget. I felt like I couldn’t play my guitar, just not worthy. Such great people and so talented, and most importantly, possessing a groove far stronger than anything else out there.
Last Dream – Sam Cohen
Joe Hollick, Guitar – The production on this album is superb, the sine wave fuzz, the drum sound, everything really. The album has been on constant rotation in my house since, it’s got a mix of Americana and European psych that to me sounds completely unique, like The Band jamming with Dungen at times!
You May Be Blue – Vetiver
Joe Hollick, Guitar – What a great band, most of us have had a Vetiver obsession at some point. This track really takes me back, lots of good memories around this album. Another band we’re really excited about seeing again.
Dan Davies, Bass – The first time I visited the States the friends I stayed with gave me a copy of the first Vetiver and the second Espers albums. I had no idea that there were these like minded musicians thousands of miles away who were digging into acid folk and the weirder fuzzier prog stuff sort of in parallel with stuff that was happening with bands like Circulus and 18th Day of May here in the UK. It was a really exciting time, sort the Myspace era where suddenly it was easy for niche and kind of localised scenes to connect and meet. It’s easy to forget how new and novel that was, just about a decade or so ago.
Southern Grammar – Hiss Golden Messenger
Joe Hollick, Guitar – I play 5-a-side football (soccer) with Rick Tomlinson (he of Voice of the Seven Woods) and he’s always spoke really highly of this band since forging a firm friendship after his gigs with them in the States. I’ve been meaning to check them out for ages and I must admit I wish I’d done sooner. Now I have, I’m obsessed. I’m a huge JJ Cale fan and this is just perfect music to me, I’m so glad this exists. They’ve also gigged with one of my heroes Michael Chapman, which just adds to the perfection. I cannot wait to see these chaps at Pickathon, I hope the sun is shining and the craft beer is hoppy.
Way It Is, Way It Could Be – The Weather Station
Joe Hollick, Guitar – I’m new to this band – but this track really grabbed me, the guitar playing reminds me of when Richard Thompson guests with another artist, just adding little sprinkles in the background, tinkling away without stealing the show.
Griffiths Bucks Blues – Ryley Walker
Dan Davies, Bass – Our label mate, what a talented player he is, a great record. I think the guys he plays in a band with are jazzers, there’s a freshness and spontaneity in how they’ve recorded & developed the tracks. If Tim Buckley had ever made it into do some sessions at Sound Techniques with Danny Thompson and Terry Cox in his rhythm section you could imagine it could’ve come out sounding something like this. Looking forward to hearing the live incarnation.
Louisiana Train Wreck – Little Freddie King
Joe Hollick, Guitar – I cannot wait to see a guy that is not only related to Lightnin’ Hopkins, but who has played with so many greats, and most importantly has been at the source of the music and people who have allowed modern music to be what it is today. What a great groove, and it’s about trains.
Drug Mugger – Ty Segall
Joe Hollick, Guitar – You can’t say much more about Ty Segall really, he’s the man! So scarily prolific, it’s like a walking through a fuzz museum, drinking in all the exhibits. Apparently he’s just produced a surf album by a band called La Luz that sounds incredible as well. Many van journey has been soundtracked by Ty’s various projects, we always seem to get there quicker for some reason too…
Don’t Wanna Lose – Ex Hex
Joe Hollick, Guitar – I listen to BBC6Music at work and they have played this a lot recently, and it always struck a chord with me and made my ears prick up, that slap back echo is great. When it drops to the chorus its as catchy hell, love the guitars on this, proper tough and raucous power pop.
Losers – Broncho
Joe Hollick, Guitar – Another band that 6Music have played a lot, especially their main single “What”. This properly trips along, great guitar melodies. I never usually listen to stuff like this but I really like this track. It doesn’t outstay its welcome and powerful and to the point.
Rainbow’s Run – King Tuff
Dan Davies, Bass – I think King Tuff also plays with J Mascis in Witch? This is new to me but it’s got instant fuzzy glam appeal & will be a highlight of the festival for sure. Reminds me a bit of the earlier Queens of the Stone Age stuff.
Mountain – Meatbodies
Joe Hollick, Guitar – I bet this sounds ace live! Sounds like a tanker full of surf crashing into a swimming pool full of angry piranhas.
Real Things – tUnE-yArDs
Joe Hollick, Guitar – Just insane production, future-proof, nothing sounds like this, every time it comes on the radio I have to stop what I’m doing, its got that mad nursery rhyme school-playground quality to it, like shouting at the top of your head whilst running around like a kid, it seems really free and not held back by convention, I love it.
Air Conditioning – Diiv
Dan Davies, Bass – I’d heard of these guys (I think maybe they toured with Fat White Family who are excellent) but not heard them before. I like how this song has got a sort of motorik groove but in a way that feels laconic & open, more dreamy than driven.
Heaventually – Giant Sand
Dan Davies, Bass – I didn’t know (’till I looked it up just now) that these guys were originally called Giant Sandworms, in reference to the Frank Herbert Dune books. I recently started up a club night here in London with a few friends, & we decided to call it Guild Navigator, in reference to Dune also, & how sci-fi literature of those times reflects space-race era sensibilities of technological progress and the future of humankind being out amongst the stars, and how that fed into how music grew fuzzy and cosmic out of psychedelia into progressive rock. Let the spice flow!
Streets of Mine – Jessica Pratt
Dan Davies, Bass – Her first album was one of my favourite records when I got a copy late last year. It’s really direct and full of warmth. I read somewhere that she learned to play guitar by jamming along to Electric Warrior by T-Rex! Maybe that’s how come there’s a subtle boogie swing to her finger picked guitar playing.
Whew… O.K., now go on and enjoy the tunes and of course have a superb weekend!
