Tomorrow night, Eat Your Own Ears are hosting a mammoth bill of no less than six acts at the Roundhouse, with the Quietus’ own East India Youth joined by Double Denim DJs, Paradise, Dark Bells, Teleman and topped by NZCA/Lines, dealing out some of his R&B-tinged synth-pop.
Get hold of tickets – a snip at only £5 a go – here, but ahead of that, and with a nod to the Roundhouse’s former life as a railway engine shed, NZCA/Lines has drawn up a video playlist of tracks inspired by transport, public and otherwise. Have a watch of the playlist, with NZCA/Lines’ own ‘Compass Points’ following, below:
Rush Midnight – ‘Crush’
The video for this song follows breakdancers the Waffle Crew busking on the New York subway.
Poolside – ‘Slow Down’
I’ve heard that TfL are going to extend the Piccadilly line to a stop in Los Angeles. When they do, this kind of sight will be more common to Londoners.
Toro Y Moi – ‘So Many Details’
I love the way in which this video frames Chaz Bundick as a Zuckerberg-esque playboy. He has no need of public transport because he has an expensive car and a personal aeroplane. The car is also driven by his beautiful, estranged wife. Bundwick does not own an Oyster card.
Plasticman – ‘Camel Ride’
Before public transport became mechanised, there were camels. Camels emerged as the dominant form of public transport in London between 1790 and 1835, after which rising feed prices and the newly established ‘mechanical camel’ – later renamed the Underground – rendered their use obsolete.
Kraftwerk – ‘Tour de France’
Public transport is all about travelling somewhere with the purpose of moving from A to B; competitive racing is not concerned with this. In fact, the Tour de France route makes no sense whatsover in terms of transport efficiency. Anyway, this track is amazing.
Aleksi Perala – ‘Path’
Somehow we need to get somewhere. We probably require a path to do so. Maybe said path leads to a Finnish man living in Cornwall making dance music for rocks.
Kanye West – ‘Jesus Walks’
We take the tube; Jesus walks.
Usher – ‘Climax’
Hunched behind the wheel of a large automobile, our hero seems to travel and yet remain stationary throughout this video. In a haunting analogy for impotence, Usher maybe should’ve just stayed at home.
Dirty Projectors – ‘Climax’ (cover)
There is nothing beyond the powers of this band.
Joni Mitchell – ‘Just Like This Train’
I’m tempted to view this as a song about a train, but suspect that Mitchell is in fact using public transport as an analogy for a love affair. It could be about a train though.
Phoenix – ‘Entertainment’
Phoenix have travelled from Versailles to Paris to New York and now spiritually to Korea, it seems. I first heard this song on the radio whilst driving and it genuinely felt like hearing a new Beatles single. This couldn’t have happened on the tube – sorry, TfL.
NZCA/Lines – ‘Compass Points’
