Interrobang are over in Ireland for a few gigs this week. In anticipation of their visit I asked lead agitator Dunstan Bruce to name a few songs he’s listening to for our thursday tunes. We interviewed the band a while back and wrote about their great record too. they are incredible live. A real treat for those that can make it.
5 songs
Tom Waits and Marc Ribot: Bella Ciao
This was a song that Chumbawamba nicked off the mighty Dog Faced Hermans back in the 90s and Chumbawamba performed right up to the day the band called it a day in 2012. I love Waits with a passion and so when he dips his toe into the political sphere I sigh with desire. I am biased; this is a gorgeous rendition. And makes no bones about who the fascists are this time round. It’s going to be on Marc Ribot’s Songs of Resistance 1942 – 2018. I’m gonna get that.
IDLES: Samaritans
It could’ve been anything off “Joy as an Act of Resistance” to be honest. I plumped for this one just because this is where IDLES intersect with Interrobang, subject matter-wise. I love that they cover subjects like this; I totally identify. And they have that brilliant “I kissed a boy and I liked it” line in there too which I’m really jealous of!
Tune-Yards: Heart Attack
I just think this woman is fucking amazing. I saw them live for about the 4th or 5th time last year and she still blows me away how she does all that shit on stage. Last Interrotour for one reason or another I had to use a sampler which drove me mad. Garbus makes it look like a piece of piss and incorporates it into her whole performance so effortlessly. I don’t think this album it’s from is her best [or should I say is not my personal favourite?] but I still follow her musical shifts with bated breath.
Nina Simone: Wild Is The Wind
I never even realised that Bowie’s was a cover version. There’s a brilliant documentary about Simone called What Happened, Miss Simone? Which paints an incredibly honest and revealing picture of her. She was no angel; but who wants their heroes to be perfect? Not me. An absolute force of nature and a political giant with such a beautiful, beautiful voice.
Childish Gambino: This is America
I audibly gasped about three times when I first saw the promo film for this. Blew my bourgeois socks off. One of the most powerful takes on modern day America I’ve encountered. “Zeitgeisty” innit? Weirdly makes me desperate to see Boots Riley’s feature film “Sorry To Bother You” which just jumped into my brain right then…
