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CMU Playlists
Playlist: Marnie Stern
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 4 February 2011
Number nine in our Artists Of 2010 list, we’ve been big fans of Marnie Stern since her debut album, ‘In Advance Of The Broken Arm’, was released in 2007, which was mind-blowing in its unique style and technical mastery.
Stern plays lightning fast guitar, complemented by Hella drummer Zach Hill’s brain-melting percussion, but without drifting into the self-indulgent wankery of the likes of Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen. Instead, she moulds all this technical mastery into quirky indie songs that bubble with charm.
Her eponymous third album was released last year, and saw her go down a more personal lyrical route than on previous records. Though this saw her take a darker turn, it also resulted in some of her strongest songs to date.
Last month, Stern went back to the beginning, releasing an early demo tape via Dog Daze Tapes, and in May she will be back in the UK for more gigs. In between the two, we asked Marnie to pick ten of her favourite songs for a Powers Of Ten playlist.
MARNIE STERN’S TEN
Click here to listen to Marnie’s playlist in Spotify, and then read on to find out more about his selections.
01 Women Public Strain – Heat Distraction
I love the opening riff to this song. It feels like the time signature keeps shifting. The rest of the song has a real ‘Television’ feel to me. This song is great for driving. It coasts along.
02 Zach Hill – Toll Road
When I heard this song, it sounded like the future to me. That’s the best way I can describe it. The big open guitar chords are also very moving to me, and make me feel melancholy in a good way.
03 Munch Munch – Squirrel
I really like the positive energy of this band. They are carefree and fun loving and it comes across nicely.
04 Animal Collective – My Girls
I like the build of this song and the repetitive loops that help secure the song down in place. There is also a sweetness to this track that is very endearing.
05 Avey Tare – Laughing Hieroglyphic
I like how emotional this record is. It’s dark and sad, but it’s very real and you can feel Dave Portner seeping through into all of these songs.
06 Lower Dens – Hospice Gates
I’ve always been a fan of Jana Hunter. I like that this band isn’t aggressively showy, but rather very solid and their material is all very good.
07 Talk Normal – In A Strangeland
This song is one of my favourites. Their parts are strong and deliberate and so effective. Not many people are making their style of music right now, and I admire them for that.
08 DD/MM/YYYY – Digital Haircut
These guys play really well together. They are a tight band and all of their parts are very strong and well put together. This song is great to get dressed to in the morning.
09 Animal Collective – The Purple Bottle
This song has affected me a lot. I listen to it over and over. It’s melody and the way the lyrics are delivered are great.
10 US Maple – Letter To ZZ Top
This band has influenced me tremendously. I love the way the parts feel like they are about to fall apart and then they get pulled back together. The singing is creepy and weird and amazingly original.
