Wheatus: Guest Selector

Rush – The Trees
[Hemispheres, 1978]
This is the first tune that got me thinking about duality, workers’ unions, monarchy, inherited wealth, the poor and death, our great equaliser... Heavy stuff for a 14-year-old dingus from Long Island. Oddly, I never drew the connection to the Ents or Fangorn Forest. It was the 80s when I discovered it and it felt very contemporary and political. We learned it a few years ago and did it live a few times – we even got it right here and there – it has the trickiest guitar solo breakdown ever. It's my favourite 70s Rush tune… but it's the kinda thing where, if I played it at a party I'd need everyone to read a along on printed lyric sheets.

Dr. Dog – Bring My Baby Back
[The Psychedelic Swamp, 2016]
Dr. Dog have been a relentlessly solid band for something like a decade now, and they've recorded at least a dozen songs that are mind-blowingly great. Oh, and their live show is even better. This is one of their more recent, subtly infectious masterpieces that gets better with every listen. It's one of those songs that will make people stop what they're doing, turn to you and say, "This is GREAT! Who is this?!" – as party host, this is your finest moment.

Ani DiFranco – Untouchable Face
[Dilate, 1996]
If you're an earthling and you have not yet experienced the exquisite agony of getting mad at your crush for being unavailable when you’re pretty sure the flirt is going well, then I highly recommend it. Alternatively, you could just get Ani DiFranco's album Dilate and disappear into it for the rest of your life, 'cause that's what happens with that record. She's also an incredible guitarist and producer. No one can squeeze the sugar out of profanity like Ani can. This is the song that made me want to make our second record sound the way it does. The nasty horrors of life wrapped in candy.

Band Of Horses – Casual Party
[Why Are You OK, 2016]
I have felt what this song expresses so many times and felt I had to fight back... but Ben [Bridwell] has this easy way of empowering himself with departure. It's not retreat, to me he's just saying, ‘I prefer to spend my precious life minutes elsewhere.’

I'm fairly certain I'm misinterpreting the chorus lyric to some degree, but as an atheist I find it appealing. Whatever he's ACTUALLY ‘saying’, I feel like blind faith is indeed a form of blind rage. My guess would be that he doesn't mean that or that he is simply taking advantage of a possible dual meaning. I have avoided reading anything about the song because I don't want to colour the way it hits me. Regardless, it also has a light power to the recording. As a producer I know how hard it is to make a song do that and it kills me, in a good way.   

Childish Gambino – Redbone
["Awaken, My Love!", 2016]
This is one of the more special new tunes I've heard in a while. I had some mixed feelings about Childish Gambino in the past, but this last album is full to the brim with deeply inspired retro funk and soul. The groove in this song is just so deep and smooth you can't help but move with it. Is this the type of party where the vibe is so good people are actually dancing? Well, if it wasn't, it is now.

Andrew W.K. – She Is Beautiful
[I Get Wet, 2001]
Having a party and not inviting Andrew along for the ride should be some sort of crime. Look, there's plenty of time for cool and interesting music to analyse and then discuss with your equally opinionated music friends. And that's all definitely happening at our little shindig. But if we can't take three minutes and 34 seconds to headbang and pump our fists in the air... we shouldn't dare call our gathering a ‘party.’

D'Angelo – Sugah Daddy
[Black Messiah, 2014]
Harmonies, harmonies, harmonies, harmonies, harmonies, harmonies... This song is what harmony is, not simply alternate notes in the chord, or even complementary complications; yes, all that, but D'Angelo uses it to lead us through the narrative, the sex of it and the caution. It's so rich it's insane. I believe if you had no knowledge of the language of the song or the words used you'd still know what he was getting at in your heart. Songcraft. D'Angelo. Jesus.

LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends
[Sound of Silver, 2007]
A song about how sad it can be partying all the time? But also a song that's an epic seven-and-a-half-minute build up that gets exponentially more thrilling with each passing minute? But ALSO a song where you and your friends can all dance in a circle facing each other screaming the lyrics "WHERE ARE YOUR FRIENDS TONIIIIIIIIGHT???" Yeah, that sounds like a party to me.

Death Grips – Anne Bonny
[Government Plates, 2013]
This is a great track to play when it's getting a little bit late in the night. Throw this on nice and loud and watch the reactions. You'll likely scare away a few friends, and that's okay. I'm sure they're nice people... but they just don't get it. Once they're gone and you're left with the people who DO get it, you can keep listening to arguably the most unique and interesting act currently making records.

Mock Orange – Song in D
[Captain Love, 2008]
My fave song on the list. When you listen to it the first time it feels distracted, spaghetti-splattered, incomplete thoughts and images but there's an abstract narrative that you can form. It makes you work to make sense of it. Again, when I come across a tune this perfect I try hard not to ruin it by googling the story. I just want to make my own sense of it and think of it what I naturally do, misunderstood or not. Just stop reading this and go listen.

Honourable mentions: Every Richard Ashcroft solo record – he's a genius – and every record by The Tragically Hip.