Below, Kaz and Julian of Redlight King list the tunes that are in heavy rotation on their respective iPods. Redlight King's debut album, Something for the Pain, is available now.
01. “Boom Boom,” John Lee Hooker
KAZ “I’m a huge John Lee fan, and I used to listen to this song over and over again in my brother’s ’65 Ford. John Lee recorded the song several times, but nothing beats the original version recorded in 1961, and his tone is second to none. He played the blues till the day he died. Enough said.”
02. “Control,” Mutemath
JULIAN “Mutemath is such an incredible live band, and this song is an example of how they capture their performances and musicianship in their recordings. The guitar line that is played underneath the chorus complements the vocal and is just plain tasty as hell! The song ‘Control’ proves that you can be catchy and melodic but still really fucking cool.”
03. “I Ain’t Worried,” Rancid
KAZ “I should have gotten into Rancid sooner, but better late than never. A roots punk-rock band that continues to keep it real in a digital age. Their music has heart, and it’s filled with adrenaline, and if you don’t like ’em, guess what? They ain’t worried. This track is the shit.”
04. “Future Breed Machine,” Meshuggah
JULIAN “As much as I’m a fan of the classic bands and artists like Zeppelin and Dylan, I’m a bit of a guitar nerd who grew up on metal. ‘Future Breed Machine’ and the record Destroy Erase Improve introduced me to a whole new perspective of heavy music. Fredrik Thordendal’s solo in the bridge before that massive breakdown is one of my favorite parts on the whole record.”
05. “Busy Bein’ Born,” Middle Class Rut
KAZ “They’re a killer two-piece rock band out of Sacramento and a perfect example of how less can be a whole hell of a lot more. The drums are huge, the guitars are huge and the vocals soar. Their sound hits me in the face and the grit-filled angst in the lyric hits me right in the chest.”
Photo: Jonathan Pushnik
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