Los Angeles punk outfit letlive. have just released their fourth album, If I’m The Devil…, a counterculture smack in the face that defies the constraints of any single genre.
Having been playing together since 2002, they’ve seen a lot of albums come and go throughout their careers, so we spoke with letlive.’s bassist Ryan ‘RJ’ Johnson about six albums that helped get he and his band to this point.
Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire
1996, Epic Records
This record still stands up after a decade plus of listening. It carries everything that interests me in aggressive music, and this untouchable swagger that never gets old. In most situations this album gets me and most people moving – and holds attention without fail.
Digable Planets – Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
1993, Capitol Records
This record. This blended so much of what I love about music, with the true heart of hip hop. Rhythm and style. They tastefully sample all of these jazz records, and the best part to me was the simple reason they were just the records laying around in one of their dads collections. All coming together essentially a perfect mistake. The lyrics are poignant, socially conscious, and cognitive. Again, the rhythm. It’s just simply the coolest record.
James Vincent McMorrow – Post Tropical
2014, Believe Recordings
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Sombre love. This whole record depicts that feeling within me. Whether that encapsulates a positive or negative experience, it’s very moving and emotional. From the first few lines of the record, you can feel something that is very real. I’m playing this record at my wedding, even if it is melodramatic…
Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline
1969, Columbia
I remember doing something completely mundane, parking the car before going to a theme park, having this moment where I literally teared up listening to this record. Can’t remember ever feeling that before that. There was something beautiful about this record and it’s songwriting that hadn’t revealed itself in music to me before. The first track’s duet with Johnny Cash initially grabbed me, but when you land on the hit ‘Lay Lady Lay’, there’s a journey you don’t really experience in most albums. It’s uniquely Bob Dylan, as everyone knows. It never fails to stir something up in me when I need it.
Radiohead – Amnesiac
2001, XL Recordings
For anyone (and there are many of you) who enjoys this band and their eternal contributions to music, this record is, to me, the most under-appreciated of their whole career. It didn’t have the impact that Kid A had, considering the shock of virtually starting that record as a then “rock band” with no guitars, but this record has this way of nudging into your mind and taking hold of your body. There’s so much to explore, and you’ll always find something else to be excited about. It’s short and simple, but at the same time complex and lush. The rhythms are challenging, but don’t go over your head, and the melodies are always beautifully haunting. Great, great “home by yourself” record. Pass it along.
Tricky – Pre-millennium Tension
1996, Island
The most punk trip hop record there is. He’s got the coolest voice, and this record opened me up to so much more of this genre – which sits overwhelming comfortably with me. Listen to this record.
