Name  Randy Bradbury

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Best known for  Bassist of the band Pennywise.

Current city  Huntington Beach.

Really want to be in  I am right where I want to be!

Excited about  I’m excited about our (84 Days) debut album (released on November 7). I’ve been wanting to make an album like this forever.

My current music collection has a lot of  Late ‘70s rock and punk. The Clash, David Bowie, Cheap Trick, Boston, and also some newer bands like Home Front.

And a little bit of (Genre): Lord Huron, The Handsome Family, and even a Juice WRLD track.

Preferred format  I mostly just stream music nowadays—it’s convenient. I’m not into music that’s difficult to access. I’ll take the easiest format and turn it up.

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

Machine Gun Etiquette, The Damned

From the moment I heard the bass intro to “Love Song” I thought this was the best and most well-rounded punk rock album I ever listened to. It’s got power and energy from every instrument, great choruses and vocals. Captain Sensible plays the best guitar solos all over the album. It’s the whole experience.

2

The Black Album, The Damned

Another well-rounded album by The Damned. They could play fast, slow, melodic, raunchy…they could do it all. On this album they added Paul Gray on bass who is a major influence on my playing and one of my favorite bass players ever.

3

Suffer, Bad Religion

This album sounds so powerful and cohesive. It’s so melodic. It’s full of harmonies and so much power. This album changed the whole sound of punk rock from the day it came out even till now.

4

No Control, Bad Religion

This is like Suffer 2.0. Somehow, they made this one sound even more cohesive, melodic, and powerful than Suffer. The two are neck and neck as two of the still current best punk albums ever. The Clash’s first album comes to mind as one of the best also, but they aren’t on this list.

5

Heaven and Hell, Black Sabbath

Sabbath are just one of the best rock bands ever. Even when I got into punk, I still kept blasting Sabbath. Iommi is the absolute riff master, nobody can touch him. Geezer is so amazing, every best bass lick I’ve ever done is some version of what I thought Geezer was doing. Bill Ward was doing his version of Bonham, so good. Ozzy isn’t on this record. Even factoring everything Ozzy meant to the world of Rock, nobody can touch Dio vocally. Dio is the absolute best and this album is amazing.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

Name  Jorma Kaukonen

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Best known for  Founding member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. And, husband and world traveler and general philosopher. 

Current city  Athens, Ohio… Home of Ohio University.

Really want to be in  My dream city is Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily. I would be drinking espresso and enjoying the local seafood caught that day followed by a fabulous dessert, then a walk by the water on the pebble beach.

Excited about  My new album, 75 ½ Wabash Avenue out on Records Store Day/Black Friday. This is a recording from 1965 that never saw the light of day until July of this year.

My current music collection has a lot of  Americana. Currently I cannot get enough of Willie Watson, Gillian Welsh.

And a little bit of  Always the blues. Dave Specter out of Chicago who is a friend…just love his playing, T-Bone Walker w/ Dizzy Gillespie Jazz at The Philharmonic – Live in the UK 1966.

Preferred format  Streaming is so convenient but there’s nothing like vinyl.

Five Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

Harlem Street Singer, Blind Gary Davis

In 1960 I was a student of Ian Buchanan who transliterated Rev. Davis’ guitar work to me in a way I could understand. When the album came out, listening to it in my dorm room at Antioch College changed my life! So much of my early career rested on tunes I learned off this album!

2

I Can Tell, John P. Hammond

“I Can Tell” and “I Wish You Would” featuring Robbie Robertson on guitar and Bill Wyman on bass. This was blues! This was rhythm and blues! This was more than authentic, if there is such a thing. I first heard these songs on a 45 rpm single on the Red Bird label. As soon as Atlantic picked John up and released these songs and more on the I Can Tellalbum, you know I went right out and bought it!

3

The Dirt and the Stars, Mary Chapin Carpenter

Mary Chapin Carpenter had been my Poet Laureate for many years. I could have picked almost any of her many albums but The Dirt and the Stars is the most recent one I have, hence here it is.

4

King of the Delta Blues Singers, Robert Johnson

I was at Antioch College in 1961 when John Hammond brought these Robert Johnson cuts to Campus on a reel-to-reel tape before the album was released. I’m not a Robert Johnson stylist, but these tunes were certainly a paradigm shift from the blues I was familiar with at that time!

5

The Harder They Come, Jimmy Cliff

Soundtrack album from the movie of the same name. In 1972 Jerry Garcia stopped by my house on Yerba Buena Ave. in San Francisco with this album in hand. “You’ve gotta check this reggae stuff out! You’ve never heard anything like it!” Jerry was right on both accounts. The movie, “The Harder They Come” was playing at a local art theater at the time so I listened to the album and immediately went and saw the movie. This is fundamental reggae at its best

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

Name  Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte of 3OH!3.

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Best known for

Being one of two dudes who can’t really dance, sings just OK, used to be slightly handsome, but can still rock a fuckin’ party. — Nat

Current city  

Los Angeles. — Sean

Boulder, CO. — Nat

Really want to be in  

Margeritaville. — Sean

Anglet, France with my family and my kid—hanging on the beach and eating some sort of baguette sandwich. — Nat

My current music collection has a lot of  

The Wiggles. — Sean

Kid’s music. — Nat

And a little bit of

3OH!3 (rehearsing for tour). — Sean

Calypso. — Nat

Preferred format 

I love vinyl if it wouldn’t get utterly frisbeed by my kids. — Sean

Streaming. It’s convenient and easy to load up. These days I’ll put on a “playlist” generated from a song I like and it’ll load up a bunch of shit that’s good. — Nat

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

Sean Foreman

1

Alopecia, WHY?

WHY? Caught my attention as early as middle school when I bought the Anticon collective album. He is so innovative and clever. Love how he is able to seamlessly connect hip-hop and indie sounding instrumentation in a super-smart and sometimes also irreverent manner. Big inspiration to me. 

2

American Beauty, Grateful Dead

My Dad is a Deadhead. It’s just in my blood. I don’t necessarily love any one album per se, but this one has a lot of my favorite songs. 

3

Music from Big Pink, The Band

I mean, every person in this band is so utterly specialized and unique. Rick Danko’s voice sort of does something to my heart and tears come out of my eyes. 

4

3rd Eye Vision, Hieroglyphics

This album transports me directly to a place. I looooove all the emcees in this group. Del is one of the most underrated rappers to do it. 

5

Clean, Soccer Mommy

This album got me through a very dark time of my life. Would fall asleep to it every night. Such good lyric writing and instrumentation. A front to back listen every time. 

Nathaniel Motte

1
Hotel Vast Horizon, Chris Whitley

I can remember being 14 or 15 and listening to this record on my Discman in Bayonne, France, where my mom’s family is from. I’d be jet-lagged and waking up at 4:00 a.m. and going for a walk at sunrise through the medieval old city. It was magic. It’s one of the only albums I can put on my headphones on an airplane ride and fall asleep. I can
tell how long I’ve been asleep by where I am on the record when I wake up. It’s in my blood at this point.

2

Man Overboard, Buck 65

This record helped me understand the link between listening to music and potentially being able to make my own music. Knowing that Buck 65 produced his own shit, rapped on it, scratched on it, and did everything in between eventually empowered me to start messing around with my own “proto-beats” and start recording myself. Buck’s rapping was so different and interesting.

3

It’s Not Me It’s You, Lily Allen

I think this record is a pretty perfect coalescence of great storytelling, stellar musicianship, and excellent production. Greg Kurstin performed his role as producer / songwriter / musician perfectly on this album, and he and Lily formed something really special together.

4

Liquid Swords, GZA

This album is just bars, man. GZA’s delivery is so good and I think there’s a feeling that really ties these songs together as an album, not just a collection of songs. RZA curated a tone for the whole project that’s so good.
 

5

Living with the Law, Chris Whitley

At the ripe old age of 41 I think I’ve finally cemented my dreaded “favorite artist” label (I never really wanted to pin it down so finitely) as Chris Whitley. His music is such an amazing amalgam of styles, and I think he was such an honest and true artist. His music (and music in general) also represents family to me. I grew up surrounded by music and inheriting my dad’s musical tastes. This early Chris Whitley record feels like a warm embrace to me. My wife’s heard it enough to love it now, and my daughter digs it too. What could be better?!

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

Name  Shaun Cooper 

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Best known for  Bassist of Taking Back Sunday.

Current city: Long Beach, NY.

Really want to be in  Like Dorothy said, there’s no place like home! I’m currently at an orthodontist appointment with my son. No place I’d rather be.

My current music collection has a lot of  Billy Joel.

And a little bit of  Yacht rock.

Preferred format  I love streaming music on Tidal for the convenience and sound quality.

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

Rocket to Russia, Ramones

It introduced me to punk rock at a young age. Timeless melodies, clever and humorous lyrics and simple chord progressions.  

2

Appetite for Destruction, Guns N’ Roses

These guys seemed like rock and roll aliens to my 7-year-old self. I found them endlessly fascinating and the music connected deeply. It still does.

3

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles

I didn’t get deep into this album until I was 12-13 years old. Paul’s bass playing blew me away. His sense of melody was so inspiring to my bass playing. I remember sitting for hours with the Complete Transcriptions book trying to learn every song.

4

…And Out Come the Wolves, Rancid

I loved their album Let’s Go but the songwriting and depth of …And Out Come the Wolves makes it a very special record. From the jump, Matt Freeman takes a bass solo on “Maxwell Murder” that is just mind melting! The record takes you on a great ride and lyrically Lars and Tim paint a very vivid picture of their lives that really moved me.  

5

Nevermind, Nirvana

This album really changed my world. It made so much of the hair metal I grew up on instantly irrelevant. I had just started playing bass when this came out and you could hear every note Krist Novoselic was playing. It wasn’t too complicated and with some help I could learn every song and play them with my friends in the basement. This made the dream of playing in a band seem possible. The rock gods I loved as a kid were beyond my reach and ability. This! This was something I could do!!!

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

Name  Steven John Fucking Kilbey

Best known for  Idiot savant (perhaps more of the former) behind Australian band The Church. A prolific renaissance bloke, knocking out records, paintings, poems, books, and now even comics. Still haven’t choreographed a ballet, but who knows?

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Current city  Coogee Beach, Sydney, Australia 2034.

Really want to be in  Bali. Sitting on a deck chair, sipping pineapple juice and trying to forget about being on my phone answering questions like this! (wink emoji)

Excited about  The Church have a new album coming out soonish and I think it’s bloody amazing. Recorded in Austin, TX and it’s a double. Thinking that people are gonna love it and it’ll go to number one and all of that!

My current music collection has a lot of  Prog and glam and a bit of uncategorizable stuff.

And a little bit of  No country or western.

Preferred format  Sadly, I prefer streaming, not because it sounds good but because it’s just easy (damn!).

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

Diamond Dogs, David Bowie

I love it inexorably even though it’s now 51 years old. It still sounds futuristic. I love the cover. I love “Sweet Thing.” It’s the ultimate Bowie song wherein he delivers on everything he ever implied before. I love his singing and guitar playing and his Mellotron and I love Mike Garson’s theatrical piano flourishes. I love the lyrics. All the songs on this album are right up my alley (except maybe “Rebel Rebel,” which I probably skip now due to overexposure). The last track is brilliant too, showing Bowie always ahead of the pack.

2

Any Album By, Sigur Ros

I love all Sigur Ros. I love the idea of the singing in a non-language. I love the way they’ve tossed all the usual rock clichés out the window and just ebb and flow with the spirit. The most original rock band ever. Real teenage symphonies to God!

3

T. Rex, T. Rex

This album came out in 1970 and it slayed me. It’s rock. It’s pastoral. It’s folk. It’s English whimsy. It’s Tolkien and Lewis. It’s cosmic. It’s fey. It’s studly. It’s still unbelievably new after all these years! 

4

Systems of Romance, Ultravox

Underrated and misunderstood in its day. It still is the sound of the future. Produced by Conny Plank in Germany, it has krautrock wallop. The lyrics are brilliant and John Foxx is a lesson in detachment and modernity. The bass sounds are huge and fat! It’s still a record I listen to a real lot!

5

Together Alone, Crowded House

It has so many beautiful songs on it that are all the last word in lyrical and musical prowess in songwriting terms. A true masterpiece that stands up well after all this time. 

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

Name  James Atkin

Best known for  Singer for the band EMF.

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Current city  Yorkshire Dales, U.K.

Really want to be in  Back in the tour van visiting a new town or city every day.

Excited about  The new EMF releases and heading back to the U.S. for Spring tours.

My current music collection has a lot of  The wife jokes that I struggle to discover new music, often waiting for her or someone in our family to champion a new band, then I jump on the bandwagon. Recently, I’ve enjoyed new music by Geese, Rio Kosta, and Chalk, and like Syd Minsky from Working Men’s Club’s solo stuff.

And a little bit of  Very broad, from guitars to acid house.

Preferred format  We’ve recently moved the turntable out of the studio and set it up in the living room. Each family member has a crate of vinyl. There are often arguments on who gets to choose the day’s music. I love the convenience of streaming, but vinyl all the way.

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

Technique, New Order

My first real experience of music that used both electronics and guitars whilst capturing perfectly formed pop songs. The emotion from Bernard Sumner’s voice on this album connected with me instantly. 

They recorded it in Ibiza in 1989, obviously influenced by their surroundings and the hedonistic club lifestyle of the island. You can almost feel sunshine when you listen to it. There are songs of romance, partying a little too hard, regret, honesty, and self-doubt. A definite blueprint for our own EMF journey.

2

The Queen is Dead, The Smiths

Before discovering acid house music, it was all about the guitars. Johnny Marr’s musical melodies just blew our young minds. 1986 was probably the most important year for me personally getting influenced by music, discovering the Smiths changed everything. I can most definitely recite more Smiths lyrics off the top of my head than any other band. I remember when I was a kid people would say, ‘Why do you listen to that miserable music?’ I’d point them in the direction of this album as it’s full of irony, humor, and lyrical joy. 

3

Blue Lines, Massive Attack

One of those albums that still gets played in our house relentlessly. So much depth that you never tire of.  Born out of the mild-mild west of Bristol, incorporating reggae sound system culture, the U.K.’s take on slowed down hip-hop and samples from scratchy old ’60s records. It’s totally infectious and the perfect choice on the decks for those morning comedowns. I can’t imagine a life without this record, it’s definitely stood the tests of time.

4

Blue, Joni Mitchell

It’s good to have different albums for different moods or states of mind. If calmness is needed, this is my go-to album. I think perhaps it’s the nostalgia or the place it transports me back to. I first heard it drifting up the stairs when I was a small child when my parents used to play it. Her angelic voice can lift your spirits and purify your soul. I could happily listen to this record repeatedly. In fact, I think I’m on my third copy as I’ve worn it out so much over the years. 

5

Homework, Daft Punk

I adore electronic dance music. This album is so raw and is pretty punk rock. From start to finish, it’s full of repetitive grooves and hypnotic vocals that take you on a journey. I remember this album sounding so fresh and exciting when it came out. Daft Punk had a very unique French disco/acid-funk sound. Since arriving in 1997, their influence can be heard in other bands I love, like Justice, but for me, Daft Punk are the original purveyors of this style of music.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

Name  Slim Jim Phantom

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Best known for  Drummer for the Stray Cats, DJ “Little Steven’s Underground Garage,” Owner of the Cat Club at 8911 Sunset Blvd., and providing a place to play for 5,000 bands you’ve never heard of.

Current City  Los Angeles, CA.

Really want to be in  Jamaica At Goldeneye with my beautiful and rocking wife Jennie Vee.

Excited about  The Stray Cats upcoming tour of the U.S.A. with some new music on the way, Las Vegas show with the Midnight Cowgirls on the bill, we’ll be playing on Long Island for the first time in a long time!

My current music collection has a lot of  Rockabilly, Elvis Presley.

And a little bit of  Jump blues.

Preferred format  Vinyl has always been the coolest, CDs were convenient, Sirius XM is the greatest thing ever!

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

The Sun Sessions, Elvis Presley

This is the record that changed my life. The first time I heard it and saw that famous hillbilly cat photo of Elvis, the world stopped spinning for a minute and I knew what the rest of my life was going to look and sound like. He is definitely the King of Rock ‘n Roll.

2

Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps, Gene Vincent

All these years later, I was trying to look up the exact title of this album and the best I could come up with is just the band name. Everyone just calls this the second Gene Vincent album. This one was probably the most influential record for me musically. It swings and it rocks which is the trickiest of all things to do as a drummer and a band. It’s got the perfect blend of chops and feel. It still sends me every time I hear any of the cuts. The drummer Dickie “Be-Bop” Harrell is a hero to me. When we first starting meeting all of our classic rock heroes like Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, the Stones, and George Harrison, they all told me how this album was their one, too!

3

Singin’ to My Baby, Eddie Cochran

Eddie Cochran was the best rock star ever. He played great, he sang great, he looked great, was way ahead of the curve technologically and left behind a timeless image and beyond-impressive catalog. This may have been his only official complete LP. We benefitted from compilations that included all the singles. Not many of the rockabilly stars had complete albums, just singles. We had to get the compilations on import as many of our original American rock ‘n roll stars’ records had gone out of print and many were re-issued by British and French labels. The records were expensive for young rockabilly boys, so we leaned towards the compilations with 20 tracks on each one.

4

Miss Etta James: The Complete Modern and Kent Recordings, Etta James

If anyone listens to my radio show “Rockabilly Rave Up” on “Little Steven’s Underground Garage,” then they know that I love Etta James. The early R&B numbers had a big impact on me. When we first got turned on to them in London in 1981, I didn’t know this style of music and it connected immediately with me in a big way. Jump blues and R&B from the mid-‘50s is the “rock” part of rockabilly, original Grand Ole Opry “hillbilly music” being the big part of the beautiful equation. “Good Rockin’ Daddy” is a stand out and Etta is the rockin-est gal in any galaxy.

5

Infinity, Journey

Does this tick the “hmmm…I had no idea they would listen to that” box?! My buddy Steve Perry is one the best singers ever. He hits all those notes full voice and makes it look easy. It’s not! He’s working really hard but makes it look and sound effortless.  That’s a whole other gift. The whole band shreds on this album. I didn’t know until we became friendly that Steve is a Ricky Nelson fan. I shouldn’t have been surprised. When we first met Robert Plant, I was surprised when he told us he was such a big Gene Vincent fan. Of course, now, it all makes sense. The influence of the original American rock stars and R&B artists is everywhere and always will be.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

Name  Anton Newcombe

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Current City  I live in Berlin and have my studio [there].

Really want to be in  I’m one of those people that looks at property listings in Sweden and Norway on the ocean or lakes and thinks, “I could afford this…I don’t need people.”

Excited about  I’m excited to finish our tour; Canada, U.S.A., Mexico, then South America. Then I have a three month break before Australia and New Zealand. It is my hope that I bag a new album in my downtime.

My current music collection has a lot of  Scratched albums. But truthfully, I have eclectic tastes. 

And a little bit of  That’s an interesting boomerang being that I have a giant collection that’s all over the map. I guess the little bit would be new releases.

Preferred format  I like vinyl, I wish the neighbors felt the same. I like the 20-minute-per-side format. It’s perfect.

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

Approach to Anima, Maya Ongaku

A friend invited me out to see them here in Berlin, they are from Japan and honestly renewed my faith in music in the way that live music can. Honestly a cross between Kraftwerk, Sigur Rós, Air and maybe a touch of spacey Pink Floyd; very analog, very real. Amazing group.

2

Inspiración, Ara Tokatlian, Enrique Villegas, Guillermo Bordarampé

If you are interested in far-out spiritual jazz like Coltrane and Sanders this record is for you; a most excellent selection from 1975.

3

Brigitte Fontaine Est Folle, Brigitte Fontaine

This is her debut solo album from 1968. I would highly recommend any collector slide down the rabbit hole of her many releases. 

4

Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid: Original Soundtrack Recording, Bob Dylan

This is a soundtrack of a movie by the same name, the album includes “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” but it’s so much more than that. It’s a mood and it moves at its own pace.

5

Domingo, Gal Costa and Caetano Veloso

This Brazilian record is amazingly beautiful. My copy is from 1967 and for as much as I love it, I don’t know very much about the origins, only that it is a classic and that’s why I bought it in Brazil. Give it a spin, maybe you will enjoy it too.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

Name  Kyle Stoopid 

Best known for Singer-songwriter-performer of Slightly Stoopid.

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Current city: Ocean Beach, San Diego, California.

Really want to be in  Home is where your heart is. As long as you’re surrounded by love and good people, it’s where you should be.  That could be anywhere.  That being said, we grew up close to Mexico by the beach, so Mexico and all its culture, people, food, and music has always been close to my heart. The beach, the ocean, waves, tacos, and maybe a margarita, and it’s all gravy.

Excited about  Making music is just one of our passions. To be able to create it in the lab, in the pad, in a hotel room, or on a bus, is like cooking in the kitchen.  It’s a natural thing, but also a blessing. To be able to take what we cook up in the kitchen (the lab) and bring it to the stage and perform it is exciting. To see people singing along to the songs, and using the music as a form of therapy from the pressures of everyday life is also rewarding and a form of therapy for us too.

My current music collection has a lot of: There’s so many genres of music and so many eras… to choose one would be the same as choosing food.  There’s too much good food and music to choose from.  We learned guitar from wanting to play all the riffs on Metallica albums.  We love metal. When we started the band as teenagers we played only super fast punk. Bands like Operation Ivy, Minor Threat, Pennywise and NOFX fueled our desire to play as fast as possible.  Bands like the Skatalites and Buck O Nine inspired us to play ska.  Roots music and reggae like Don Carlos inspired us to slow it down and turn up the bass for that kind of style.  Over time we eventually played all the styles of music from Jazz, Afro Cuban, Blues, Funk, Punk Rock, Heavy Metal, Acoustic music, etc…so the style of records and music in my record collection is similar to walking into a record store. 

Current format: Always have had a special love for vinyl, for the full vintage feel of buying a new record.  The album cover art, the record art and all the cool things that come with a physical copy, how music was first released.  It is nice to be able to just pull up any song you want nowadays as well if you are driving, or in motion.

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

Master of Puppets, Metallica

The first three albums from Metallica all immediately make you want to head bang. It was [with] Miles and my first concert that we saw at the sports arena when we were young that made us want to play guitar. When the song “Master of Puppets” starts to play, it’s instantaneous that you want to get up and go. Whether you’re in the gym and need something heavy to get your blood pumping or in the mosh pit, “Master of Puppets” is the one that will get you off your ass and moving. 

2

Blood Sugar Sex Magic, Red Hot Chili Peppers

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS! These guys changed the game with so many styles and so many eras of their music. All their records are special in a different way. Freaky Styley and Mothers Milk are so good because of how funky they are, but Blood Sugar Sex Magik has it all. Every song is incredible and magical from the beginning to the end. The way they recorded the album is amazing too, if you watch the documentary on how they locked themselves away from the world to make it, and created something that will live forever as one of the greatest records of all time.

3

Check Your Head, Beastie Boys

The evolution of the Beastie Boys is a special thing. How they started from East Coast punk rockers, and transcended into RUN DMC style hip-hop, and then transcended further into Meters-style funk, and multiple other genres all in one. They are masters of all styles of music and instruments, and performed like they were going into the Olympics. All their records are brilliant in different ways and styles, but Check Your Head is special how they combined all genres and really made something so beautiful that stands the test of time. Mario C. really knocked it out the park producing this record.

4
1988, Operation Ivy

This is the band that really influenced us as teenagers to want to play fast punk and ska to either get the mosh pit started by playing punk rock music or to be in the mosh pit while listening to it. Every song on this album is so good and can change the mood to make you have a better day. It’s so raw and rugged and real. When I have a bad day and need to turn it around, this album saves the day. Or if you’re having a good day and want it to be better, play this fucking record! Matt Freeman’s insane bass style is a big influence on early Slightly Stoopid punk music. Tim Armstrong and Jessie Michaels put out a collaboration in 2023 called Doom Regulator that is killer. Check out the song “Raid” by Doom Regulator.  Every album from Rancid is also a huge influence for Slightly Stoopid.

5

Which Doobie U Be?, Funkdoobiest

It’s not easy to pick a favorite Funkdoobiest song. They are all bangers and so good. But this album is mandatory to have in the record crates.  It’s a game changer from top to bottom. These days whether just driving down the street, or at home cooking and getting shit done, this album has been playing on repeat. Shout out to the brother Son Doobie who is hands down one of my favorite MCs, but also one of the realest, most humble people you can ever meet, which is what I think makes him so dope on the mic and off.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

Name  Milo Aukerman

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Best known for  Going to college, for some reason.

Current city  Newark, Delaware.

Really want to be in  Colorado, where I can go on hikes and practice with the Descendents (and record at the Blasting Room!).

Excited to  Go on tour to Canada in a few weeks. I’ve always secretly wished I was Canadian, and now more so than ever. Hey Canada, I know our government sucks, but don’t take it out on me, please!

My current music collection has a lot of  Cars, Kinks, Bob Mould, Bad Brains, Black Flag.

And a little of  Little Chair, but that’s only because there’s not a lot of Little Chair. If there was a lot of Little Chair, that would be better.

Preferred format  Radio in the car. Vinyl albums around the house, when I get noise ordinance clearance.  When it’s “for me only,” I’ll pop in earbuds and do Spotify.

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, DEVO

This served as a manifesto for my teen nerd years. Yeah, maybe it’s new wave, but I loved the aggressive guitar chording that would soon have me searching for harder, faster punk stuff.  And most of the songs are hilarious, made even funnier by the band’s attempts to pass it all off as serious.

2

Los Angeles, X

First saw them open for DEVO, and after hearing them on KROQ (Rodney on the ROQ), they became my favorite band. I love the weird harmonies between John Doe and Exene, the in-your-face yet intelligent lyrics, and of course the coolness of Billy Zoom.  In those pre-merch days I made myself a T-shirt of the album cover using spray paint and an X-Acto knife (appropriate tool, eh?), thus destroying the sleeve… 

3

(GI), Germs

This album is “slick mayhem”—maybe the first hardcore punk album, but Joan Jett gave it a tight, professional sound. Pat Smear’s tasty guitar licks inserted neatly between buzz-saw chords, and Darby Crash’s poetry-as-lyrics were inscrutable, but also evidence of a dark, twisted genius. I only saw them play once, and then Darby killed himself a few days later.

4

Look Again, The Last

These guys lived in Hermosa Beach, near me and Bill, and they gave us a copy of the Look Again test pressing back in 1980. But it only got released for real in the last few years! Bill and I worshipped the Last, and did a deep study of all their stuff, but especially this album. Every single song is classic power pop.

5

Revolver, The Beatles

Growing up, I had the U.S. version that lacked three of John Lennon’s songs, so when I play the U.K. version, it sounds… wrong. Even though those are great Lennon songs! But when you play an album over and over again like I did with this one, it just has to go the way you heard it as a kid. So, yeah, McCartney-heavy, but he wasn’t messing around on this one.  Some true masterpieces.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.