 artist picks - Mike Doughty |
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As the voice of "slacker jazz" quartet Soul Coughing,
Mike Doughty was a hero to refugees of mid-'90s, post-grunge corporate rock. As a solo artist, his music is more accessible,
but his lyrics and wry delivery remain as offbeat as ever. No surprise, then, that his list of "essential albums" is one of the quirkiest we've seen yet:
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Kenna
New Sacred Cow (2003) |
"Great, grinding, soulful stuff, with those big Neptunes beats -- plus,
he's Ethiopian, always a bonus in my book. (I took a trip to Ethiopia in August '04, fascinating.)
"
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Regina Spektor
Soviet Kitsch (2005) |
"I love the way her lyrics just meander along, half-rhyming,
non-rhyming. Fave lyric: 'Hair grows even after you're dead.'"
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Mason Jennings
Use Your Voice (2004) |
"My brother in the righteous male singer/songwriter cause. He and Regina
are my favorite current artists."
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Fela Kuti
Zombie (2001 reissue) |
"Man of 1,000 wives, all of whom were his backup singers. Great blaring
horns and chintzy electric piano."
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Drink Me
Drink Me (1993) |
"A great lost New York band -- an acoustic duo playing these surreally
childlike and strangely heartbreaking songs. I ripped off so much from Drink Me singer Mark Amft that it's not even funny."
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Various Artists
Radio Phnom Penh (2005) |
"A CD of stuff recorded from the Cambodian airwaves. I am fascinated
with mysterious, haunted Cambodia, and these weird fragments are fantastically imagistic for me."
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Jethro Tull
Aqualung (1971) |
"A classic rock fave, cheesier than Zeppelin, that I've been digging on lately."
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John Coltrane
A Love Supreme (1964) |
"My idol, the saint I petition for help in my hours of darkness. If you
want to get into jazz and don't know where to start, I highly recommend this extremely moving, spiritual, wild album."
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Tom Waits
Rain Dogs (1985) |
"A huge influence on me -- phrasing, lyrical style, even rhythmically."
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| All of Mike's picks, along with his new album Haughty Melodic,
are available now in the ARTISTdirect Store. Click any album cover or title above for more information.
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on the verge - Amos Lee
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