For this week’s playlist, we’re mixing it up. Since the four brother act The Avantist is physically releasing their full-length debut album tonight at Township—a record that even features the Mars Volta’s Adrian Terrazas-Gonzalez on saxophone—they’re here to recount they've been listening to lately. Make sure to follow us on Spotify for more.
Fern (Vocals):
Frank Ocean - "Nights"
Frank Ocean just does it for me, especially when his melodies feel so conversational. I'm sitting there nodding and agreeing with him like we're just talking.
LA Priest - "Oino"
This song surprised me at the end of a high-maintenance episode. Super catchy and that synth line at the end can be played on loop forever for me and double as my "life wandering soundtrack."
Warpaint – "So Good"
I was listening to this album when it first came out and usually I don't look at the song titles when I'm hearing an album straight through. I had been thoroughly entertained up until this song came on and I said to myself, "Man, this album is sooo fucking good, what's the name of this song?" And as I checked, I felt like it was a sign...I'm a fan for life now.
Erick (Bass):
Sleaford Mods - "Job Seeker"
I saw this song performed on Jools Holland and immediately was attracted to how uncomfortable it made me feel. Listen to this while robbing a bank.
Weaves - "Coo Coo"
One of my favorite modern bands at the moment. The way that they are able to deconstruct a composition and put it back together so gracefully is fucking awesome. I got to meet and hang out with them after their recent show at Schubas and they are as funny as they are cool!
Telepopmusik - "Breathe"
This song is my reset button. Always puts me in a good mood.
David (Guitar):
Sade - "Cherry Pie"
Recently bought a tape of Sade's Diamond Life and listened to it straight through until I hit "Cherry Pie" and really got into how perfectly composed and written that track is. I kept repeating it and now the tape is worn out.
Mr. Oizo - "Oral Sax"
Mr. Oizo definitely gets me in the weirdest mood. Huge inspiration and definitely my favorite DJ out there. The fact that his music is almost like a joke to him makes it that much better because he goes way harder than any other DJ I've heard. This track was one of my first introductions to his music. Real weird stuff. I love it.
Gypsy Kings – "Bem Bem Maria"
This brings me back to when we would go on family road trips and our dad would play this CD straight through. Great Spanish melodies along with great flamenco guitar work. Super groovy stuff. Recently put it on for a friend to show him cool music for a scene we wanted to film. This song is gonna be stuck in my head for the rest of my life.
Luis (Drums):
Travis Scott - "Goosebumps"
Say what you will about Travis and his brand of hip-hop, but this song BANGS. I've gained a lot of respect for him as of recent because of his genuine excitement for music and amount of work he does in the studio. His energy really comes through on this song and it's topped with a killer Kendrick verse. It's just a grade-A, feel good banger.
Yann Tiersen - "Comptine d'un autre été, l'après-midi"
This comes from the original soundtrack of the French film, Amélie. The music in this movie always stuck out to me and I find myself coming back to it because it has such an interesting vibe to it (and it's great to fall asleep to). This theme weaves in and out throughout the film and it's one of the most memorable pieces for me. I also love the rhythmic pattern that's split between the left and right hand on the piano, it grooves hard.
Dana Hall - "Into The Light"
When I'm on my jazz tip, I usually gravitate towards the drum-heavy stuff, as expected. Dana is a Chicago-based jazz drummer that I've had the privilege to meet and watch perform when I was in high school. What this man does behind the kit continuously inspires me, and seeing it up close was a huge moment in my musical career. I saw him make a beginner's $200 drum set with shitty cymbals and hardware sound like a million bucks. That's how good his technique was. I was dumbfounded. Dana absolutely goes OFF on this chart. He is definitely one of my drum idols (plus he smelled amazing).