Welcome to an extra special birthday edition of ‘Stephen’s Selects’!
The playlist has now been updated for October 28th – November 3rd. But don’t worry… if you still want to listen to last week’s tracks, you can see what was included here.
If you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on Spotify and follow along!
I’ll be updating the playlist every week with 10 tracks that have influenced my life, music, career and conversations. I’ll be breaking down why each track is included right here on this blog.
It’s important for us to analyse music and help it influence our own taste and style.
Remember – I’ll also happily include your music, so please send links my way!
Now, without further ado, here’s the breakdown of Stephen’s Selects #5: October 28th – November 3rd…
- X Ambassadors – ‘BOOM’
That bass riff right at the start means business and the production very much reflects the lyrics and the theme of the song. The pre-chorus is a perfect example of building tension and ramping up to a wide chorus. But the contrast here is a little different to common trends because the bass and kick drum drive through the verse and drop out for a more guitar and vocal driven chorus. Lots to examine and take away when it comes to pop writing and production. - Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Can’t Stop’
The guitar parts in ‘BOOM’ reminded me somewhat of John Frusciante’s signature style. In particular, ‘Can’t Stop’. If ‘Californication’ was the album that made me want to learn how to play guitar, ‘By The Way’ was the one that made me want to hit the next level. Riffs like ‘Can’t Stop’ should be in every guitar player’s locker. Besides that, it’s another great pop rock song with great musicianship all round. - Thom Yorke – ‘The Clock’
I first saw Thom Yorke perform this song many years ago on ‘Later With Jools Holland’ and I didn’t quite get it at the time. I hadn’t quite figured out Radiohead or Thom Yorke at that time. Over the years, I’ve learned they’re not there to be “figured out”, they’re there to be enjoyed in their unique glory. Choon! - Lil Uzi Vert – ‘XO Tour Llif3’
I love the production in this! There’s a lot going on and there are some really unorthodox samples in the mix. It all just feels very full and rich with the vocals sitting nicely on top. Some very good low end and high end balance techniques to learn from. - Kanye West – ‘Follow God’
Kanye is back. The kick in this track feels like it’s about to bust through my speakers but it doesn’t overpower the vocals or the rest of the music. This is short and sweet but it’s definitely a banger. He’s one of the kings of sampling and I recommend checking out ‘Can You Lose By Following God’ by The Whole Truth to hear how this track was built and developed from a sample. - Al Dobson Jr., Reginald Omas Mamode – ‘Nankoo on Keys’
Isn’t this just a lovely groove? Another nice sample to kick it off and then a build into some nice easy listening beats. If you make production music, there’s lots to learn from this track. - James Blake, André 3000 – ‘Where’s The Catch?’
Where do I even start with this? Both the production and mixing on this is phenomenal. This track is a genre-bending masterpiece. If it only featured James Blake’s vocals and that was that, it would be beautiful. But the addition of André 3000 is such a lovely curveball. The clap that comes in at 1.45 makes the song for me. So much to learn when listening to this. - The American Dollar – ‘Anything You Synthesize – Ambient’
Taking the tempo down a little bit with this one. There are some really lovely synth sounds in this track that stuck in my head. As a guitarist, I’m trying to get my synth and guitar sounds to blend better in my productions and in my mixes. This track has some quality examples of just that! - The Antlers – ‘Kettering’
You don’t listen to ‘Kettering’. You experience it. I remember the first time listening to this song and it took me on a journey. If you full immerse yourself in it, it’ll do the same for you. Some, if not all music, is meant to be listened to distraction free. This song is one of those pieces of music. - Hans Zimmer – ‘Time’
Quite possibly my favourite piece of music of all time. The first time I heard it was, obviously, at the end of ‘Inception’ and it kind of passed me by because I was so focused on the end of the movie. But that’s what the best film music and sound design does, right? It immerses you and keeps you focused on the story. However, ‘Time’ is an incredibly beautiful piece in its own right. I listen to it very regularly and the genius of Hans Zimmer will never get old for me.Click here to listen to the full playlist on Spotify!
(Please note that the link will send you to the playlist of the current week and might not feature the tracks listed above!)
So, that’s week five of Stephen’s Selects.
Remember that if you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on Spotify and follow along!
If you’d like to have your song featured or have any recommendations, drop me a comment below or email. Let’s talk more about the music we’re listening to and share our ideas!
Now, I’d love to know…
What are you listening to this week? What are you working on? Have anything you’d like to share?
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