Tops of My Pops for 6/24/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending June 24, 2007
1. David Byrne
2. David Bowie
2. Ulrich Schnauss
4. Fila Brazillia
4. Silversun Pickups
6. The Field
6. Underworld
6. Massive Attack
9. Loscil
9. DJ Shadow
9. Linkin Park
9. Beck

This was a great week for discovering new (to me) artists. The first revelation is Silversun Pickups, who I know nothing about but are rocking my world regardless. Great fusion of classic-era Smashing Pumpkins and maybe Lush, but the results are more powerful and exciting than just another indie band wearing their influences on their collective sleeve. The other great discovery is The Field, who's From Here We Go Sublime is pure looping repetitive minimal techno joy (YMMV).

Also, topping my list for the week was David Byrne's forgotten magnum opus, The Catherine Wheel – his soundtrack to Twyla Tharp's production of the same name. Released the same year as his landmark collaboration with Brian Eno, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, The Catherine Wheel shares many of the same experimental leanings, but largely does so without found sounds and tape loops. Instead Byrne creates a warmer, more organic feel using mainly live instrumentation, and bounces back and forth between abstract soundscapes and anxious, angular pop ala Talking Heads of the same period. Definitely a "desert island disc" for me.

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives