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Dusted Features
Every Friday, Dusted Magazine publishes a series of music-related lists determined by our favorite artists. This week: Chicago rockers The Ponys and sweet Swede Dungen.
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Listed: The Ponys + Dungen
The Ponys
Chicago rock band The Ponys have risen to relative prominence in an impressively short amount of time. From their first show less than two years ago to the release of their debut album Laced With Romance (In The Red) earlier this year, the Ponys' punchy, tuneful, punky songs have already found their way onto college radio playlists and hipster stereos around the country. Calling to mind bands like The Wedding Present, Television, and many others, Laced With Romance is, for some, the rock album of 2004. The band recently entered the studio with Steve Albini to record their second album, and always seem to be on tour.
The Ponys Van Hits 2004:
1. Easy E - Easy Does It
Ian just bought this record for my (Jered) birthday. I remember the first time I heard this when I was a kid. It taught me about crabs and skeezas.
2. Peaches - "Fuck the Pain Away"
This was our theme record when we were in Europe. I have know idea why, but it was. Also, we like that "suckin on my titties" song.
3. Chuck Berry
Ian has to listen to this every time he drives when we are on tour. Don't get me wrong, we love Chuck Berry, but Ian's comp even has the Christmas songs on it.
4. Pavement - Brighten the Corners
This my favorite daytime driving record. It's a modern masterpiece. I don't know if people consider this the great Pavement record, but fuck the people, it's great. Awesome guitars, great lryics, and it just rocks.
5. Destruction Unit - Self Titled
This is Ryan from Digital Leather along with Jay and Alicja from the Lost Sounds. I like to pop this one in when you have those overnight drives, especially in the middle of Texas. It's fucking brutal guitar and synth driven mayhem, almost hardcore at times. A couple of energy drinks and this CD and you'll never fall asleep at the wheel again.
6. Spacemen 3 - Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To
This album is classic, but instead of taking a bunch of pills, I like to listen to it in the morning after a really long night. It puts you in a enough of a trance to stay focused on the road without making your head hurt more then it already does. Also recommended for Sunday morning listening.
7. Rodney Dangerfield - No Respect
Sometimes you just can't listen to any more music. We picked this one up at a truck stop in Wisconsin. So fucking funny - the only downside to it is that it's not long enough.
8. Jered's summer tour fun mix 2004
I made this one right before we left for the West Coast. It features bands like the Hunches, Subsonics, Link Wray, X, Clone Defects, Roy Orbison, and even Canned Heat if you can believe that. I'm bummed cause it was a good mix but I left it at a club in Memphis.
9. The Gris Gris - also self titled
These guys are from Oakland, California and they're fucking amazing. This album is full of beautiful songwriting and great washes of controlled feedback. Some of these songs have a slight folk element and then they turn completely psychedelic. This is a must-have. I've only had this CD for a couple of months and I've listened to it so many times that I think I need a new one.
10. Butthole Surfers - Anything before Pioughd
What can I say, these guys our probably one of the most original and outragous bands of all time. They're on heavy rotation in our van. Nothing like driving through the moutains listening to Locust Abortion Technician and completely freaking out. Also, good on days when you run out of pot.
Dungen
While a lot has been said in recent years about the clutch of reissues of classic Swedish psych and folk, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Gustav Ejstes' Dungen project proves that the younger generation has plenty to say. On -Ta Det Lungt-, his third full-length, Ejstes channels his country's elder statesmen through his uses of vintage 70s rock, psych, and pop, seeming to emanate from the speakers of a Vista Cruiser while never sounding like a forced retread or genre exercise. True to form, Ejstes packs hooks into his songs that will stick in your head for days. That is, of course, if there's anything left after his brain melting solos and percussion get to you.
1. Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms (Kapp/The Wild Places)
A totally solid album. This is a perfect mood piece for a rainy Sunday while the old lady is making coffee.
2. Magnus Backstrom and Per Gudmunsson - Latarna Lever (Giga)
The absolute best Swedish album from the 1970s in any category. You can really hear that they are young and hungry. Their sound is so special and raw, like it was recorded in their kitchen. Magnus and Per started up the record label Giga, just so that they could release this, their own album, and Giga has become the most legendary Swedish folk music label.
3. Aguaturbia – “Evol”
This track on the Chilean 1970s band Aguaturbia’s Vol. II LP kicks Hendrix and Sabbath's butts. One of the heaviest and most crazed recordings ever.
4. Handgjort (Silence)
A band consisting of six Swedes and one American immigrant that play Indian music. And if anything is “folk psych,” this is it. If Linda Perhacs is perfect for a rainy Sunday this is the album for a sunny Saturday.
5. Lars Olov Ejstes
My father and my role model. He plays wonderfully soft and danceable fiddle. A great life companion and the one who got me into music in the first place.
6. Johnny Soling
Legendary fiddler with prickly phrasing whose playing is like Swedish folk music’s answer to Count Basie. A great philosopher and master.
7. Stefan Kéry
A psychedelic professor and music archeologist as well as a great philosopher. His cunning and music collection has influenced my music a lot.
8. Smaland
A province in southern Sweden that is hilly and alternately filled with deep forests and open pastures. This is one of my homes and where much of my inspiration and music comes from. My music studio is also situated here at my mother's farm yard, Ohultsnorregard.
9. Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday (CBS)
If I’m in a pop music mood this is the best record. My own vocal harmonies are highly inspired by this album.
10. Alrune Rod (Sonet)
A Danish album from 1969 with the best “knife against the throat” progressive hard rock there is. It’s about life and love with all its blemishes, performed in truly real way.
By Dusted Magazine
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