Welcome back to our new column First, Last, and Favorite. Here we ask some of our favorite Northwestern artists to share some thoughts on a few special records from their lives. Specifically, we ask for three: the FIRST record that really left an impression, the LAST thing they heard, and an all-time FAVORITE!
This go-around we're happy to hear from Tissue, the newish duo comprised of Gabi, the former voice of Stickers (who remain well worth a listen!), and Dean, The Unnatural Helpers mastermind. Their first full-length A Pick of Twins with Matching Dogs has just been released, featuring twelve new tracks of spare and smart art-punk full of inventive riffs and clever wordplay. Check them out this Friday the 13th at the Clock-Out with the Intelligence and the Fall-Outs! We've embedded the record here to get acquainted, now onto their selections.
First
GABI: Madonna - Like a Virgin
Aunt Phyll gifted me a tape and a pink boom box in celebration of my first reconciliation at St Mary’s church in second grade. By fourth grade I was emboldened to lipsync and dance Like a Prayer before all Orchard Hills.
Dean: Cheap Trick - Live at Budokan
Hmm… maybe Live at Budokan. Before I had any records, I would listen to the few that my sister had & this was one of them. I used to lay in front of my parents' stereo, playing this multiple times in a row, leafing through the booklet that came with it. Amazing songs, good looking cool dudes, an adoring screaming audience.. very good rock fantasy fodder for a 13 year old.
Last
GABI: Sebadoh - III
Sebadoh III on the bus making the world a safe place to be since 1993 (it came out in 1991 by that didn’t rhyme).
Dean: Neutral - NAR
We always love them but Gabi & I had a pretty intense Neutral – Nar LP play the other night, listening in rapt silence until a mutual “holy fuck that was amazing” etc. They’re a Swedish duo that’s a little difficult to describe. Sung/spoken female, Swedish language vocals over repetitive, somber keyboard lines & percussion tracks w/ angular spare guitar. Brooding & cold but not overly menacing. Broken machine, mangled tape music. I always hear new things w/ each listen.
FAVORITE
GABI: Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline
I’ll be forever using it to rediscover the beauty in the world, feeling grateful for Johnny Cash’s tender tough duetting.
Dean: The Who - Live At Leeds
IMO, the best live band in the world at the absolute peak of their songwriting / performing power. They were still playing a truncated version of Tommy, preceded and followed by 60’s hits & heavily improvised acid rock versions of some songs. If you listen to bootlegs of shows from around the same time, you can see just how differently they would play a lot of these songs. Booze, ego, age, fatigue & synthesizers (ha) would eventually get them but none of this was anywhere to be seen here.
photo credit: Kelly O