Broken Bells

By Jenn Sussman aka DJ Belladonna

1. Massive Attack “Unfinished Sympathy” –- Bristol UK’s Massive Attack has created some of the most unique music to come out of an ever-evolving genre. It began with 1991’s Blue Lines, a landmark album that introduced listeners to a blend of soul, jazz, dub and hip-hop and laid the foundation for the style that became known as trip-hop. Several brilliant albums followed, and original members 3D, Daddy G and Mushroom continue to collaborate as MA while fellow founder Tricky has moved on to a brilliant solo career. On this track, guest vocalist Shara Nelson sings of a desire to explore a deep love that has begun but cannot be pursued, missing every part of someone who is just outside of her reach. I had never seen the video for “Unfinished Sympathy” until I sourced the clip for the playlist, but the single continuous shot throughout the entire video of Nelson simply walking through an L.A. neighborhood, singing the song, really resonated with me. There have been many times that I have walked the streets of NYC, listening to the swell of this song’s orchestral samples in my headphones, thinking of somebody I love but who is out of my reach, and feeling (as the song says) like a soul without a mind and a body without a heart.

2. Aceyalone and RJD2 “A Beautiful Mine” — Every now and again, two brilliant artists get together and end up showing everybody how great music is made. Such a thing can definitely be said of 2006’s Magnificent City, an inspired collaboration between two legends of the underground – West Coast left-field rapper Aceyalone and East Coast producer and Definitive Jux recording artist, RJD2. Known for hip-hop instrumentals featuring everything from classical samples to techno-wizardry, RJD2 was the architect of a perfect backdrop for Aceyalone’s intelligent flows. Savvy listeners will recognize the music of this track as the theme song for cult television hit Mad Men; the lyrics-free version used for the show can be found on RJD2’s Magnificent City Instrumentals.

3. Kenna “Say Goodbye To Love” –- I was introduced to the music of Ethiopian native Kenna completely by accident as I watched him open for She Wants Revenge at NYC’s Webster Hall in 2008. As it turns out, most people find out about Kenna by accident but everyone is always glad that they did. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist inspired by everyone from Stevie Wonder to U2 to The Cure, Kenna offers his own brand of unique and funky pop that is beloved by industry tastemakers but largely ignored by mainstream listeners. Almost every DJ I know knows and loves Kenna’s music, but the average person at our gigs has no idea who he is. So, we take it upon ourselves to educate people about this awesome artist who suffers from the curse of being too unique, and this track in particular will definitely get your groove going. Recommended reading for those who want to learn more about Kenna (and about themselves) — Malcolm Gladwell’s “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking”.

4. Devo “Freedom of Choice” -– Devo is one of those bands that could only have existed and been successful at the time and place that they were. Formed in the mid-1970’s in Akron, Ohio (also home to The Pretenders and The Black Keys), Devo looked like space-age math geeks, sounded like an amalgam of punk, art rock, post-punk and new wave, and featured lyrical content about everything from science fiction to social commentary. At a time in music history when uniqueness and non-homogeneity were prized commodities, Devo caught the attention of glam icons David Bowie and Iggy Pop, both of whom helped Devo secure a major-label recording contract. Though Devo is best known for 80’s hits like “Whip It”, “Working In A Coalmine” and their offbeat cover of The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, my favorite Devo track is less well known but one that I think is twice as good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVGINIsLnqU

5. Pixies “Debaser” –- Classic alternative rockers with the aesthetic and raw energy of punk, the Pixies were a band that sounded like no other in their era. Formed in Boston in the early 1980’s and fronted by the charismatic Frank Black (aka Black Francis), the Pixies found much greater success outside of the United States than on their home soil but still enjoy worldwide cult status to this day. A hallmark of the Pixies’ sound is their penchant for extreme dynamics, moving from hushed tones to explosive screams in the blink of an eye — think of that section from “Monkey Gone To Heaven” where Frank suddenly goes from mellow to mental, “…and if the devil is six, then GOD IS SEVEN!!!!”. Originally recorded for 1989’s amazing Doolittle album (released on revered alt-indie label 4AD), “Debaser” is without question my favorite Pixies tune and one of their more melodic offerings.

6. Placebo “Pure Morning” -– It was while writing about Kenna that I decided to add this 90’s classic to the playlist this week. Why? At that same She Wants Revenge show in 2008, after Kenna’s performance, my friend and I waited with the rest of the crowd in eager anticipation of the headliners taking the stage, talking amongst ourselves and barely taking notice of the pre-recorded music that the venue was playing to fill up the time… that is, we barely noticed until Placebo’s “Pure Morning” came on, and literally the entire crowd began to dance and sing the words. The venue cut the song off halfway through as SWR took the stage, and the crowd actually booed! Experiencing that universal reaction to the song made me remember how much I loved it. Better known in the UK and Europe, Placebo made a splash on the US charts with their 1998 album Without You I’m Nothing but went nowhere from there. Also very worth checking out is Placebo’s incredible version of what seemed like an un-coverable song, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”.

7. DJ Shadow feat. Mos Def “Six Days (Remix)” –- Turntablist and sample junkie DJ Shadow stands alone as the innovator of a style that cannot be labeled, creating mini masterpieces that fuse elements of funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, spoken word, ambient and whatever else his curious hands can locate in used-record bins. A northern California-born white boy raised on hip-hop, Shadow began creating his own beats at an early age. He went on to release several notable singles and albums, like his groundbreaking debut Endtroducing… released in 1996 on Island Def Jam, and produced for projects like UNKLE and Dr. Octagon. The original version of “Six Days” is good, but not nearly as impactful or apocalyptic as this remix featuring rapper Mos Def and recorded for the soundtrack of the 2006 film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Ever wonder about the end of the world?

8. Res “Golden Boys” –- I’m a sucker for unknown and underappreciated artists (as long as they’re talented), and you can put Philly-born singer Res (pronounced Reese) right up there next to Kenna on the list of those who are only known by those in the know. Though she’s only released one album (2001’s How I Do, which is half great and half forgettable), Res has also provided vocals on tracks by rappers GZA and Reflection Eternal. “Golden Boys” is a favorite of mine, one that I spin when the night fades into the wee hours of the morning; it combines soul flavor with trip-hop beats and speaks on the hypocritical nature of celebrity, the abuse of that power, and the people that see right through it. Res asks her fictional idol, “Would they love you if they knew all the things we know? / We’ve got these images / We need them to be true, not ready to believe we’re no more insecure than you”. Given the average American’s obsession with celebrity culture, the idols probably have nothing to worry about.

9. Common “Resurrection” –- I’m a big fan of soulful, jazzy and alternative hip-hop, and “Resurrection” stands out as one of my favorite tracks from those areas. Originally known as Common Sense, this Chicago native opened for NWA and Big Daddy Kane as a teenager and has collaborated with everyone from Lauryn Hill and De La Soul to Kanye West, the late J. Dilla and ?uestlove of The Roots; the last two of whom (along with Common) were part of the Soulquarian music collective which explored new territory in the alternative hip-hop genre. Common borrows from electronic, rock, boom-bap and neo-soul styles on his albums, the best of which is undoubtedly 1994’s Resurrection. Check out the 2007 compilation Thisisme Then: The Best of Common for an excellent view into Common’s evolution as an artist.

10. Broken Bells “Vaporize” -– Anyone familiar with my musical tastes knows that I tend to go for retro over what’s passing for music these days, but once in awhile a band comes along that is so clearly influenced by so many of the genres I love that I have to give them a listen. This happened last week when I heard the new self-titled album by Broken Bells, which is a coming out party for yet another of uber-producer Danger Mouse’s multiple musical personalities. Following a very avant-garde collaboration with metal-masked rapper MF Doom (Danger Doom), grammy-nominated production work for Gorillaz and the commercial success of his Gnarls Barkley project (with Goodie Mob singer Cee-Lo), Mouse now teams up with singer/guitarist James Mercer of indie darlings The Shins to craft an album of beautiful and eclectic pop songs that channel everyone from Beck to the Beatles. Not that they’re ripping anyone off, mind you, but there are moments in every song where their musical influences shine through — but as an homage, not a barrage. I have a different favorite track every time I listen to the album, but I’m certain that everyone will enjoy this one.