Operations Manager Robin Rose
The Clash
"(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais"
The song blends punk rock with a reggae beat and it endures as an anthem for injustice, bigotry and stupidity.
Editorial Intern Anna Jordan
Cocteau Twins
"Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires"
You don't have to understand what they're saying to feel it!
Senior Editor Brett Callwood
The Beekeepers
"Killer Cure"
There were so many great Brit-rock bands in the late '90s and early 2000's, while this then-young scribe was learning his craft at Kerrang! magazine on the other side of the pond. The Beekeepers have been largely forgotten, but this insistent beast is ample proof that they shouldn't be.
Associate Editor Ruby Risch
The Eagles
"Hotel California - MTV, Unplugged 1994"
I know, it's iconic and anthemic and perhaps an overplayed, ubiquitous track, but the Live on MTV, 1994 version hits me different every time. It's live, so you can hear how silent the crowd is at the start of the song when they open with Spanish-style flamenco-influenced picking. Maybe the band is teasing new music? Maybe a cover? Though after nearly a minute and a half of beautiful plucking, the familiar chords kick in and the recognition of the audience takes effect, cue the applause and whistles. When I want a dose of timelessness, I always opt for the 1994.
Editorial Intern Cade Pinkerson
Sparks with Jane Wiedlin
"Cool Places"
It doesn't get more classically '80s than this synth-sensational track featuring Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go's. The Sparks brothers never fail to make music that's equal parts clever and campy, and this song is no exception. Exploring the idea of an adventurous night out in LA, and the morning after exhaustion that comes with it. The song's instrumental simplicity is in many ways its strength, creating an easily danceable melody that makes us all chant along "I wanna go" by the end of the song.
Clash photo by Helge Øverås, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
