JD McPherson: What's on My Playlist

1 “A Good Night for Murder," The George Barnes Octet

“A 1946 avant garde arrangement from George Barnes. We play this on our walkout playlist at shows, and it usually clears the room pretty quickly.”

2 “Smokey Joe’s Cafe," The Coasters

“I’ve been working on a project for which the Coasters are a major influence, and I’ve been digging in on their earliest material. The production and arrangements are unusual for the time. I love the way the guitar sounds...‘at Smokey Joe’s Cafe (bloop bloop)’.”

3 “Eye of the Beholder," Metallica

“...And Justice for All is sort of a controversial album for Metallica fans, but I love it. It’s completely deconstructed thrash metal, with the narrowest possible band of frequencies. It’s like math. Conceptually, I find it to be their most ‘arty’ album.”

4 “Somethin’ Else," Eddie Cochran

“All hail the most punk rock song of all time. What a rhythm section!”

5 “Good Luck," Nick Curran & the Nitelifes

“Neighbor, do you have Nick Curran in your life?”