Touche Amore members discuss the music they’re listening to in isolation
Touche Amore had been working on their anticipated fifth album with legendary producer Ross Robinson before the mass quarantine hit, so presumably the pandemic affected their schedule but our fingers are crossed that this all ends soon and that it won't be too long before Touche Amore's new album sees the light of day.
Meanwhile, we asked Touche Amore what music is helping them get through quarantine, and all five members sent lists of some songs that they've been listening to lately, with insightful commentary on each one. Check out their list below.
Also, yesterday was Jeremy Bolm's birthday. Happy birthday, Jeremy!
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JEREMY BOLM
Low - “California”
Since the lockdown I’ve been digging deep into my record collection and pulling out albums I haven’t visited in years. Low’s 2005 album The Great Destroyer was a turntable staple that year and this song in particular brought me back to easier times. I love songs about California because the state’s entire identity can be summed up to something as simply put in this song as “it’s warm”.
Soul Asylum - “Misery”
I think I attended one of the last concerts in Los Angeles before everything was canceled and it was to see Soul Asylum and Local H just a couple weeks ago. Two '90s superstars. I loved the album Grave Dancers Union so much as a kid that I wore out the cassette and had to buy it twice. I never saw them live cuz they were just one of those bands I was into before I was allowed to go to concerts. The song "Misery" was a single on their follow up record Let Your Dim Light Shine and boy does the apathy and sadness of this hooky rock number really resonate with our current situation.
Milk Music - “Twists and Turns and Headtrips”
Milk Music is an Olympia WA punk / lo-fi garage-ish band that put out this record Mystic 100s in 2017 and it always creeps its way back to my turntable every few months and doesn’t get shelved away for weeks at a time. This song in particular would be in my top 25 of all time and it recently came back to me strong. Imagine Mudhoney but current and played by what I assume are hardcore kids.
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ELLIOT BABIN
Angel Du$t - "Big Ass Love"
A true ear worm. It’s stuck in my most hours of the day. There is some really brilliant polyrhythms wrapped around good hooks. I’m a big ass fan.
Caribou - "Can’t Do Without You"
Really hypnotic groove that I never get sick of. It’s on my running playlist and it's easy to get lost in.
Sigala - Sweet Lovin’
The rest of my running playlist is mostly pop. This song has an indescribable power to make me go from lethargy to scaling a mountain.
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TYLER KIRBY
Julee Cruise - "Falling"
I’ve been a fan of David Lynch for a good while now, but somehow never made the dive into probably his best known work, Twin Peaks. That is until my girlfriend suggested we watch it over the course of this self-quarantine period. The intro song struck me immediately, as I’m sure it has many others.
Radiohead - "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
I revisited a video on YouTube recently of Radiohead playing all of In Rainbows in an intimate studio setting. It is arguably my favorite Radiohead album, and a phenomenal performance of a band that always manages to pull off the indescribable.
Daniel Lanois - "Falling Stanley"
While we were working toward completion of our forthcoming album at the studio, Clayton, Nick, and I were discussing our shared fondness for Daniel Lanois’s ambient sounds and creative process. While practicing yoga to stay active at home, I played his album Goodbye to Language. In a genre of music that can often be indiscernible, he has established a clear and signature sound.
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CLAYTON STEVENS
Riverdales - "Back To You"
Since the stay inside order has been in effect here in CA I’ve fallen headfirst back into pop punk that I’ve been neglecting for some time now. This is one of those pop songs that you won’t be able to get out of your head after you hear it once. This song makes me feel better for a few minutes.
Dillinger Four - "doublewhiskeycokenoice"
A punk band with a political message and great riffs, but also extremely funny and nihilistic. This song ties all of that together in a perfect snotty way that only D4 can deliver.
Toys That Kill - "The White Lies"
This song sort of defies genre. It’s the kind of song I wish I wrote first. Take the best parts of hardcore punk, surf punk, pop punk, and blend it together with smart lyrics and an uncompromising DIY approach and you have this masterpiece. Toys That Kill are your favorite band’s favorite band.
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NICK STEINHARDT
George Harrison - "What is Life"
I always look to music documentaries when I want to feel inspired. Tyler recommended Living In The Material World which got me on a George Harrison kick.
Katy Perry - "Last Friday Night (TGIF)"
Sometimes you just want something fun and easy. This one always reminds me of Elliot’s humor.
The Notwist - "Trashing Days"
Jeremy’s recent deep dive through his vinyl on IG made me remember how much I loved this record.
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Here's a recent update from the studio, before lockdown kicked in:
Here are some movie recommendations from Jeremy that you can stream now:
And here's Touche Amore's recently-released live concert film: