Shuffle.

Hey folks,

So we’ve been writing some new tunes lately. It feels really great to get back into the swing of things and to experiment with new sounds and ideas. It’s been quite some time (over a year, in fact, whew.)

One of the most common questions we receive about our writing is what influences our “sound.” Every band in the world hates this question. I think the reason I dislike it so much is (speaking for myself of course) my tastes in music change with time, mood, season, situation, etc. I’m guessing this is the case for many people, including the other members of my band.

Another reason this question is bothersome: we all listen to very different music. Sure, there is common ground, I don’t think we’d be a band if we didn’t appreciate some similar tastes. But we certainly like to have our own iPods in the van when traveling.

So, keeping that in mind, we decided to try something. Rather than hiding what we like or dislike, we’d like to show you. This will, in a sense, give an idea of what we tap our feet to in our free time.

(Important note: this is still a pretty poor way to describe what helps shape the outcome of a song, there are countless other things to consider when doing so. So, rather than pick away at that subject, let’s have some fun instead.)

5 iPods. 10 songs each. Shuffle. Go!

Vass:

1. “My Moon My Man” by Feist, from The Reminder
2. “A Physical Anthology of Video Contracts” by A Suburban Blood Drive, from Fall Demo 2004
3. “Partners In Crime” by Comeback Kid, from Wake the Dead
4. “Day Nine: Hollow Factory” by Trap Them, from Sleepwell Deconstructor
5. “Ali v. Frazier I” by Bane, from Give Blood
6. “Cyanide” by Metallica, from Death Magnetic
7. “The Ghosts You Draw on My Back” by Múm, from Summer Make Good
8. “Bad Trails” by Battles, from Mirrored
9. “Pedestal” by Portishead, from Dummy
10. “What a Horrible Night for a Curse” by Bear Vs. Shark, from Terrorhawk

Chad:

1. “Triad: St. Patrick / Cú Chulainn / Oisín” by Enya, from The Celts
2. “Third Movement, Pt. 1” by Steve Reich, from The Desert Music
3. “Resent, Resist, Rebuild” by Hot Cross, from Risk Revival
4. “Endymion” by Saetia, from A Retrospective
5. “Crawfish” by Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass, from The Lonely Bull
6. “Lies, and Release from Silence” by Envy, from All the Footprints You’ve Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead
7. “The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead” by Final Fantasy, from Has a Good Home
8. “Brendan #1” by Fugazi, from Repeater
9. “Hanasakajijii (One: The Angry Neighbor)” by Anathallo, from Floating World
10. “Lonesome” by Bill Frisell, from Gone, Just Like a Train

Brad:

1. “John Wayne Gacy, Jr” by Sufjan Stevens, from Come on Feel the Illinoise
2. “The Sorrowful Wife” by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, from No More Shall We Part
3. “Pick Up Sticks” by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, from Time Out
4. “Drums of War” by Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, from Brother’s Keeper
5. “All Down the Line” by The Rolling Stones, from Exile on Main St.
6. “IPT-2” by Battles, from EP C / B EP
7. “I Play the Matador (remake)” by P.O.S. from Ipecac Neat
8. “All My Friends” by The Counting Crows, from This Desert Life
9. “Geneva” by The Yellowjackets, from Four Corners
10. “Back in the U.S.S.R.” by The Beatles, from The Beatles (The White Album)

Kevin:

1. “Trashcanhands” by Zao, from (Self Titled)
2. “Airbag” by Radiohead, from OK Computer
3. “One Left Satisfied” by Comeback Kid, from Broadcasting
4. “True Harmony” by Joy Electric, from Unelectric
5. “Angels of the Silences” by Stretch Arm Strong, from A Revolution Transmission *(Counting Crows cover)
6. “Educate the Ignorant” by Few Left Standing, from Wormwood
7. “Unhallowed” by The Black Dahlia Murder, from Unhallowed
8. “Le Vainqueur” by Starflyer 59, from Gold
9. “My Hero” by The Foo Fighters, from The Colour and the Shape
10. “Laser Speed” by Between the Buried and Me, from Alaska

Jordan:

1. “Even If Love” by Bonnie “Prince” Billy, from Master and Everyone
2. “Playhouses” by TV On The Radio, from Return to Cookie Mountain
3. “I Still Have My Fastball” by STNNNG, from Dignified Sissy
4. “Drunken Third” by Hot Water Music, from Fuel for the Hate Game
5. “Stagger Lee” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, from Murder Ballads
6. “Night in Winter” by Envy, from Insomniac Doze
7. “Mr. Krinkle” by Primus, from Pork Soda
8. “Every Reason To” by Coalesce, from Give Them Rope
9. “When You Wake Up a Snake” by Les Savy Fav, from Plagues and Snakes
10. “One Tree Hill” by U2, from Joshua Tree

There ya have it. Maybe next time we’ll do 20 songs.

What does your playlist look like?

-Bradley