(Press play to listen listen on Spotify.)
This playlist is predominantly chasing a vibe that I got obsessed with recently in the song “Plastic Skeletons” by Jealous of the Birds.
They’re building off of a sound that was finely cultivated in the early 2000s as a more tightly-controlled version of what alt rock was working with in the 1990’s. That, in turn, was derived from certain branches of proto-punk in the 60’s and 70’s—the likes of The Kinks, The Stooges, and The Runaways. It’s a sound that punches through your headphones and demands you jump around. Rather than sounding out of date, this danceable balance of loud, compressed drums and glitchy, distorted electric guitars has remained a staple of the indie rock genre to this day.
Notably absent are songs that struck me as too on-the-nose, even for a mix as indulgent as this: Blur’s “Song 2,” Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” and a few others.
So here are some rock songs for those moments when you just need to dance like a fire ant.
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Press play or listen below.
1. Jealous of the Birds – “Plastic Skeletons” (2018)
2. Beck – “E-Pro” (2005)
3. Mother Mother – “Hayloft” (2008)
4. Tame Impala – “Elephant” (2012)
5. Bikini Kill – “Rebel Girl” (1992)
6. SWMRS – “Trashbag Baby” (2019)
7. The Flaming Lips – “The W.A.N.D.” (2006)
8. The Dandy Warhols – “Bohemian Like You” (2000)
9. Thao and the Get Down Stay Down – “Meticulous Bird” (2016)
10. Cake – “The Distance” (1996)
11. Nine Inch Nails – “07 Ghosts I” (2008)
12. The Raconteurs – “Salute Your Solution” (2008)
13. alt-J – “Fitzpleasure” (2012)
14. Hole – “Celebrity Skin” (1998)
15. OK Go – “Here It Goes Again” (2005)
16. Sleigh Bells – “Infinity Guitars” (2010)
17. Wolfmother – “Woman” (2005)
18. The Hives – “Hate To Say I Told You So” (2000)
19. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Date With The Night” (2003)
20. LCD Soundsystem – “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House” (2005)
21. Regina Spektor feat. Kill Kenada – “Your Honor” (2003)
22. The White Stripes – “Icky Thump” (2007)
23. Beastie Boys – “Sabotage” (1994)
24. Grouplove – “Deleter” (2020)
