Since they graced the SOURCE cover a couple of years ago, Rizzle Kicks have become the nation’s favourite pop stars. The Brighton boys are back with their second album ‘Roaring 20s’ which has been well received by everyone, even John Terry and Jeremy Kyle’s libel lawyers, who got involved to the sound of some witty digs at their clients. Huge music lovers, who better to kick off our new self-explanatory series, All Time Top Ten?
The Libertines ‘Time For Heroes’
Harley: “It’s just been my favourite track of all time, ever, for about 10 years, I reckon. I’ve got a Libertines tattoo on my arm. They’re a very close band to me and Carl Barât is now a very good friend of ours, which is also very pretty cool.”
Jeff Buckley ‘Everybody Here Wants You’
Jordan: “I grew up listening to Jeff Buckley – and Tim Buckley as well, actually. ‘Grace’ was a huge part of my upbringing and was played a lot in the car. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a male voice quite as angelic as Jeff Buckley. It was a tragic loss.”
Harley: “Mine would also be a Jeff Buckley song…“
Jordan: “We can’t do two Jeff Buckley songs!”
Harley: “Yeah we can.”
Jordan: “Really…? Two in a top ten?”
Harley: “‘I Want Someone Badly’ is just such a special song to me – I’ve never heard anyone be able to manoeuvre their voice so incredibly.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQZ3EAliUpo
Jurassic 5 ‘What’s Golden’
Harley: “Me and Jordan became friends, and our musical loves met with Jurassic 5. This track in particular has the hardest beat and I think it’s got a proper party vibe too.”
Gorillaz ‘Clint Eastwood’
Jordan: “It incorporates many elements of music I love. It’s a bit odd and it doesn’t conform. Del The Funky Homosapien, the rapper on it – I thought his whole character was just great. I must have been about eight when it came out. It ignited a fantastical part of my psyche because it’s such an abstract song.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoQYw49saqc
Arctic Monkeys ‘Dancing Shoes’
Harley: “I think this has the best imagery of a girl in a club that I’ve ever heard – it’s the best angle of that situation. Arctic Monkeys are another band that we’ve grown up agreeing on. We don’t disagree on much but we do have proper loves of certain music, and Arctic Monkeys are one of those bands.”
Mel Tormé ‘Comin’ Home Baby’
Jordan: ‘I love this. There’s a clip on YouTube of him and things were a bit more theatrical back then – Mel Tormé’s not a particularly good-looking guy, but his swagger is on point. That’s the original form of swagger. I also love the interplay between male and female vocals, with the female vocal used almost as an instrument. I absolutely love that song. It was on the film An Education too and I bloody loved that. Bloody loved it.”
Jack Johnson ‘Better Together’
Harley: “It reminds me of moments when I was a teenager – when I wasn’t being mouthy – and I have an image in my head of the first time I listened to this song. I was sat by a fire drinking Baileys at Christmas, and hearing it brings back that amazingly happy memory.”
Eminem ‘Infinite’
Jordan: “This was a song Eminem released before he got signed to Dr Dre’s label. I’m not trying to sound niche-y [laughs]. Genuinely, the lyrics are so raw and his ability to rhyme is phenomenal. It’s the chorus, what he says in it is… I can’t even explain it. And that’s before the hype.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ3n10KLVq0
Jamie T ‘The Man’s Machine’
Harley: “This was an amazing festival moment, one of my favourites. Jamie T, Reading 2009. I think this was one of his finest moments as a musician, both as a rapper and a singer.”
Sly & The Family Stone ‘If You Want Me To Stay’
Jordan: “It was played a lot by my mum when I was growing up and it’s just the coolest song. Sly Stone has so much character in his voice and the style of music is just timeless, funky. And the lyrics… I just think it’s fucking brilliant and it’s a shame he lost it to drugs or whatever. He’s phenomenal. Sly was a dude.”
The debate continues…
Jordan: “We’re missing out stuff like Marvin Gaye, and Curtis Mayfield, you know?”
Harley: “Yeah I know, but I’d prefer to listen to Jamie T than Marvin Gaye.”
Jordan: “For real?”
Harley: “Yeah. It’s our personal choices.”
Jordan: “But I just remembered Al Green!”
Harley: “And Finley Quaye…”
Jordan: “No, but Al Green – fuck! [sings ‘Let’s Stay Together’]”
Harley: “It’s a brilliant song, but…”
Jordan: “It’s a phenomenal song! [sings more] Can we replace one song with ‘Let’s Stay Together’? Can we take out Jack Johnson?”
Harley: “You can replace it if you want. I don’t think it really matters though.”
Jordan: “Yeah but it’s just a sick… Alright, let’s replace… Actually, whatever, let’s keep it as it is.”
Harley: “It’s a pretty good list. I’d rather listen to that Jack Johnson song than the Al Green song.”
Jordan: “Yeah I wouldn’t. Maybe… Jurassic 5? No, you chose that too, didn’t you? Right, we’ll leave it. [whispers] Please put Al Green as the bonus track.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW8qQAe0EcA