Dan Michaelson Exclusive Playlist

10.09.14

Posted by Tessa

Having just released a beauty of a breakup record called 'Distance', Dan Michaelson has kindly made playlist just for us and it's quite something.

Be sure to catch Dan Michaelson and the Coastguards when they play The Slaughtered Lamb in London on 15th September.

Buy tickets here

http://www.danmichaelsonandthecoastguards.co.uk

From the man himself:

I’m rarely asked to DJ. On the rare occurrence that I have been invited, I’d be lying if I said the event passed without hiccup. Flashbacks of an irate yet speechless bandana’d manager of Topman Westfield’s, soothing a group of confused and potentially violet youths come shuddering back once in every while. I can’t help the power of song to move people in strange ways, but I can do my best to explain why these particular songs move me. Not always a movement visible to the naked eye, but that’s just my style of dancing.

DARONDO - DIDN’T I. I only dance at weddings, funerals (when appropriate) and whilst Darondo is playing. A very strange gentleman with a dubious past but this song is pretty much perfect.

LEE HAZLEWOOD - NO TRAIN TO STOCKHOLM. The grace and simplicity of this music against Hazlewood’s vocal is inspiring to put it mildly. It's also very socially political but unfortunately I have no idea what that meant when this was recorded. The Album A Cowboy in Sweden is one I return to weekly.

LEONARD COHEN - HEY, THAT’S NO WAY TO SAY GOODBYE. “I love you in the morning, our kisses deep and warm” this is simple, direct and devastatingly good. Leonard in a nutshell. Not that that’s possible.

VIC CHESNUTT - WHEN THE BOTTOM FELL OUT. An obvious set closer for Justice at Primavera and a beautifully raw and human song. Only one of these is true. You decide.

THE FLAMINGOS - I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU. Wild romance, something I’ve never been great at but do notice very quickly in others, which must count for something.

CARLA THOMAS - I'VE FALLEN IN LOVE. Pretty straight forward in the lyric department and doesn’t really hot up til 1.16 but once you reach the instrumental breakdown it’s probably one of the most perfect moments in music I’ve heard. Other people might imagine a light or an angel beckoning them forward to meet their fate… I hope to hear this very loud and notice sweet scent of a New York hotdog just before I croak it.

ETTA JAMES - IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU. So many of Etta’s songs are wonderful, but this duet still surprises me. Equal parts smooth and jagged. If I could make a record sound this way I would, but I can't.

ESG - ERASE YOU. Nothing else sounds like ESG.

LOU REED - MAKE UP. Lou Reeds album Transformer was the inspiration for every record my first band Absentee made. I quit the band when I realised I’d never get close. I saw Lou give a talk on his album Berlin once, he shouted at an audience member for sneezing whilst he was speaking. Even taking this into account, I love Lou.

JONATHAN RICHMAN - SINCE SHE STARTED TO RIDE. No finer song about a woman choosing a horse over a man has ever been written. There’s so much to love about Jonathan Richman, and this is just 2mins 36 of it.The tip of the iceberg. He also produced the last Vic Chesnutt record.

SAM AMIDON - SUGAR BABY. I was given Sam’s record All Is Well by Valgir Sigurdsson, who produced my first Coastguards record. Later I toured with Sam for a while and can vouch that he is truly crackers. He also makes intensely beautiful music.

MICKEY NEWBURY- SHE EVEN WOKE ME UP TO SAY GOODBYE. I only found this record six months ago and I was instantly struck by the warmth and power of his voice and the gentle bed of music he rested it on. Do some research on this fellow, anything you find out will only make you love him more.