This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
CMU Playlists
Playlist: Anorak London
By CMU Editorial | Published on Saturday 23 October 2010
A lot of work goes into getting your favourite artists out in to the world. Just being good at playing guitar isn’t enough to make the public notice you. We’ve already given over some of these playlists to record label people, journalists and live event organisers, but what about the people whose job it is to get artists put in magazines and on TV and radio?
These people in PR and marketing are some of the most invisible to the public in the music industry – their job sort of calls for it. But we thought we’d take a look at one of the companies whose aim in life is to make sure you know about what a whole host of new and established artists are doing: Anorak London.
The London-based PR and marketing company, founded in 2003, has departments in national press, national radio, online and TV promotion. Amongst the acts they’re currently working with are Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club, Kano, Metronomy, Mumford & Sons, The Drums, James Blake, Aeroplane, Underworld, Aggro Santos, Crystal Fighters, Mount Kimbie, Kassidy, Everything Everything, Hot City, Pariah, Trophy Wife, plus many more.
We asked ten of their sixteen staff to each pick one of their favourite tracks, by an artist they don’t work with, for this week’s Powers Of Ten playlist. They’re an eclectic bunch, it seems. You can see for yourself by checking out their playlist here.
THE ANORAK LONDON TEN
Click here to listen to the Anorak London playlist in Spotify, and then read on to find out more about his selections.
01 Letta Mbulu – What Is Wrong With Groovin
Laura Martin (Director): Someone played me this song about three weeks ago and I’ve not been able to stop listening to it since. Mbulu is a south African jazz singer born and raised in Soweto. The song is totally infectious; she has one of the biggest voices of the last 50 years. She sang on Quincy Jones’s The Colour Purple and featured on Michael Jackson’s ‘Liberian Girl’. A very special woman.
02 Nina Simone – Suzanne
Dan Miller (Head Of Press And Digital PR): The song I always turn to if I’m feeling cataclysmically sad, or euphorically happy. It works just fine for both. X-Factor wannabes should be locked in a room and played this cover version on repeat forever.
03 Babe Ruth – The Mexican
Tasha Anderson (Senior Digital PR): Stemming from a recording session in Abbey Road back in 1972, I expect Alan Shacklock would never have realised that this would end up one of the most popular tracks to remix and sample in the hip hop and dance world. Jenny Haan’s vocals puts the punk rock crown on the overall laid back beat, and it’s now my rock and roll soundtrack to wild road trips, dancefloor decks at 2am and dreaming of exotic holidays. I would have given my right arm to see them perform this live.
04 Team Ghost – High Hopes
Sinead Mills (Senior Press Officer): Team Ghost are one of the best bands I’ve seen live all year, really sad I missed them at The Roundhouse last week. Their new EP, ‘Celebrate What You Can’t See’, is sinister, dark and hugely engaging. Can’t wait for the album next year.
05 Grass Widow – Fried Egg
Aoife Kitt (Press Officer): I only heard of this all girl Cali three-piece recently; I managed to miss all their UK shows last month due to my sister been a bridezilla. Wedding is done, so I look forward to their return. In the mean time, I can’t stop listening to the album, ‘Past Time’.
06 Best Coast – Goodbye
Sarah Richardson (Senior Digital PR & Marketing): If I could be in a band, I would be in Best Coast. I’d write lyrics like, “I lost my job, I miss my mom, I wish my cat could talk / Every time you leave this house, everything falls apart”. ‘Crazy For You’ is one of the best albums I’ve heard this year, and if I close my eyes whilst I listen to it, I can almost pretend it’s the summer again.
07 Darkstar – North
Lucius Yeo (Creative Digital Manager and Digital PR): Art-house dubstep (if that’s even a genre!) is making a big splash this year with the likes of James Blake, Mount Kimbie and Pariah making waves everywhere. New Hyperdub signings, Darkstar, are no different. Amazing stuff.
08 Lou Reed – Vicious
Josh Nicoll (Head Of TV): ‘Transformer’ was one of the first albums I ever listened to, as my mum put a copy of it in my stocking at Christmas when I was little (I have a very cool mum). ‘Vicious’ is the brilliant punchy rock n roll opening to what is one of the best albums ever written, when the track comes on it brings back fond memories of the first time I properly loved listening to music and a very happy childhood. Thanks Mum.
09 Girls – Lust For Life
James Burgess (Radio Plugger): I was actually a bit late onto this song, and when I heard a certain deep accented, nasal DJ give it a spin without mentioning what the track was or who it was by, I frantically asked around all my friends to find out who it was. I lost out, it’s difficult to hum a song over email. Eventually I heard it on a dancefloor and I’ve never turned back. It’s been a highlight to my year, and finds the perfect balance between lo-fi fuzziness and glossy pop track. To be honest though, the x-rated “can’t stop staring at all the penis” video for this song is enough to include this track on its own.
10 Hole – Violet
Julian Zuniga (Digital PR): I believe Courtney Love is the original riot girl, who hasn’t mellowed with age – living the stereotype of a rock star way into her 40s. ‘Violet’ is definitely my favourite Hole song which she always dedicates to Billy Corgan at live shows; it displays the true angst and anger behind the amazing frontwoman that is Courtney Love. Seeing Hole at Brixton academy was definitely one of the highlights of my year.
