For those of you working away in pub cellars mixing with dangerous chemicals and rolling around in the dirt, I've decided to offer some of my favourite tracks to scrub the cellar floor to, here they are...
Travelodge Wedding - Cowboy Flying Saucer
From the album aptly named 'Live in Leyton,' Cowboy Flying Saucer offer a rhythmic bassy stomper with vocals reminiscent of Mark E. Smith describing what can only be a descent into madness whilst experiencing (as you've probably guessed) a wedding at a travelodge.
The vocalist expresses both dread and intrigue at the debaucherous sight whilst the rhythmic bass and percussion time in with my sweeping. Twangy guitar and synth further the experience by perfectly chiming in with the smell of line cleaner that burns my nostrils to a point of mild insanity.
Great track to be doing things sideways to.
Launderette - Vivien Goldman
With a similar rhythmic vibe as the previous tune, Vivien Goldman delivers an entertaining and cheeky story using the inside of a dryer as a metaphor for her devil may care attitude to a previous relationship.
Despite having only recorded a handful of songs between 1979 and 1982 Vivien Goldman has had a well deserved resurgence with a new album "Next is Now" releasing earlier this year.
(Although maybe resurgence is the wrong word considering her extensive history as a music journalist and the lady to steal studio time from PIL)
I Cant Stand It - The Velvet Underground
A great song to chant to if you've got a fellow cellar goblin helping you scrub the walls. I cant stand it brings warmth to your heart in knowing that you're not the only bleach ridden scum out there. With lyrics to capture the imagination of any grub loving goblin, I cant stand it reveals the true compliance of anyone with a mildly sane mind.
Send Me A Postcard - Shocking Blue
Jumping straight in with a driving guitar riff and vocal pipes that exude nothing but confidence this psychedelic rock track is great for picking you up and getting you singing to yourself through your headphones which would look completely abnormal to anyone watching you.. but it's all worth it for that spooky keys solo near the end.
Cherry Cola - Eagles Of Death Metal
.A catchy heavy song that grips you yet again with a riff that gets you stomping your feet (usually getting mud and line cleaner splashed all over your jeans). Cherry Cola is cool, heavy and has that desert rock attitude that isn't as easy to find as it was 15 years ago
Have Love Will Travel - The Sonics
Most people say that this is a garage rock classic but to narrow a band like the Sonics down to that would be to ignore how important this band is, their tracks do of course exude everything that is perfect about Garage Rock but does so to the point where it would be rude not to call them one of the most influential rock bands ever (even if they're not always a household name)
Of Lilies And Remains - Bauhaus
Moving on to a spoken word track by Bauhaus very much in line with what I have appreciated about John Cale of The Velvet Underground, a great spoken word track performed eerily by the very gothic Peter Murphy. This track offers a change to the formula that Bauhaus usually follow yet it is indeed a welcome one, poetic and catchy this song delivers.
The Gift - The Velvet Underground
Speaking of John Cale.. this spoken word masterpiece is perfect for keeping your attention while standing waiting for the line clean to pour out. John tells a story of a young man desperate to see a girl that he once had a relationship with and comes up with an incredibly clever plan to post himself across America to save a bit of money. Accompanied by a thumping bass line, this track is dredgy, has a consistent rhythm and is just one of those tracks you can listen to over and over again.
Heartbreak Hotel - John Cale
Just when you thought we we're done with John Cale he pops back up to deliver to you the most original, the spookiest, the incredibly tragic cover of Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel. Whining synthesizers and heavy guitars that help emulate the dread of lost love and a promise of being alone forever damn this track is great!
Dum Dum Boys - Iggy Pop
It would be impossible to miss a track from The Idiot, the entire album is worth listening to and there are some incredible tracks on here and whilst Dum Dum Boys isn't the slowest of tracks it's a great one to wind down to. It manifests Iggy Pop's nihilism and really let's you drift off with him. A nice way to celebrate a days work.
So there we go, ten songs to listen to on a cellar shift, locked away and sweaty.
Obviously ten songs won't get you through a full shift so here's a couple of albums to note down if you're ever stuck...
- BERK
The Idiot - Iggy Pop
Serfs Up - The Fat White Family
White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Underground
A Compilation - The Gorgons
First Issue - Public Image Ltd
Low - David Bowie
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