Joseph King, former frontman of Canvas and Deadbeat Darling, is back and better than ever with his new project. Joseph King and the Mad Crush is a Brooklyn-based pop rock quartet with a penchant for catchily heartbreaking lyrics and delicious, surfy reverb. The band dropped their I Miss Everything EP earlier this year.
We asked the Austin, TX native to create a playlist for us of some of his favorite tunes, and we’ve got the mix below, along with the King’s track-by-track commentary. Enjoy, and—for those of you in the NYC area—be sure to come out tomorrow to see the band play at Brooklyn Bazaar at 10 p.m.
1. “Forget That You’re Young’ – The Raveonettes
“I originally heard this song in the background at a restaurant, and the melody reminded me so much of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark.’ I went searching for it, and once I found it, fell in love.”
2. “Pass This On” – The Knife
“The lyrical content of this song is so hot and so dark. One of The Knife’s best for sure.”
3. “Ambulance” – TV On The Radio
“TVOTR is one of my all-time favorite bands and biggest influences. This song reminds me of a very specific summer I spent in Austin; it was my driving song. ‘I will be your one more time if you will be my one last chance…'”
4. “Multi-Family Garage Sail (Bargin Bin Mix)” – Land of the Loops
“I discovered this song recently. The vibe is so thick and puts me in a very specific headspace. It’s a daydream.”
5. “Ride On / Right On” – Phosphorescent
“The title of this song fits so perfectly—another driving song that hits me perfectly, and reminds a bit of early Arcade Fire.”
6. “Giants” – Bear Hands
“I played with Bear Hands and AWOLNATION awhile back at Webster Hall and have been a fan ever since. ‘Giants’ is a great song with a killer chorus.”
7. “Black Water” – Timbre Timbre
“Timbre Timbre is a band who creates a very specific mood and does it in such a beautiful unique way. This song breaks my heart every time; it’s my sunrise song.”
8. “Wave Of Mutilation (UK Surf)” – Pixies
“Pixies are one of my all-time favorites. I was at Rosemary’s Tavern in Brooklyn years ago with an ex of mine, and this song came on and became our sort of anthem. That relationship ended in flames but I still love the song, especially this version.”
9. “Angst In My Pants” – Sparks
“You can never mistake a Sparks song—such a trademark sound. I love the quirkiness of this song. Very much in the Roxy Music tradition.”
10. “Don’t Kiss Me Goodbye” – Ultra Orange, Emmanuelle
“Another song that breaks my heart every time. I’m always a sucker for sweet, melancholy ‘goodbye’ songs. This one is perfect.”
11. “California Sunrise” – Dirty Gold
“This song washes straight over me like a coastal breeze—puts me in an early morning island trance. Dirty Gold is a new discovery for me; their vibe is so thick.”
12. “Out Of Time Man” – Mano Negra
“Before Manu Chao went solo, he had a band called Mano Negra that was part of the Parisian rock scene. This is my favorite song from that band, and what I feel is the seed for all his solo material. Manu Chao is one of my top five all-time favorite artists.”
13. “Tobacco Road” – The Nashville Teens
“My mom used to have this on an old 45. I love this era of rock and roll—dirty, loose right to the point.”
14. “Can’t Seem To Make you Mine” – The Seeds
“Another song from the era of rock I love the most. So sloppy, and so dirty and sexy.”
15. “Sleepwalk” – Santo & Johnny
“I’ve always said if I could be one song, this would be it. It’s my all-time favorite.”
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