Listen Up: Wexner Center Store playlist Feb 2016

Matt Reber is the buyer and manager of the Wexner Center Store. Since moving to Columbus in 1987, he has worked as music director/DJ at Ohio State’s freeform radio station WOSR, in record shops and book stores, and is a founding member of celebrated, international award-winning Punk/Rock/Roll band New Bomb Turks.

There are nearly 5,000 songs contained on the first-generation iPad that streams to a Vers 2Q Bluetooth sound system in the Wexner Center Store. I try to populate that selection with music by any artist that has ever performed at the Wex or with some thematic connection to our exhibitions and films—and fill it out with good tunes that don’t totally annoy my wonderful staff of Ohio State students.

Here is a list of 20 songs that have popped up in the rotation in the last week or so.

• J Dilla, “Stop”
  J Dilla’s Donuts record has probably never left our playlist since it came out in 2006. The whole album is stellar. “Stop,” which heavily samples the 1973 Dionne Warwick tune “You’re Gonna Need Me,” is probably my favorite, but catch me on a different day and I’ll tell you something else.
• Royal Headache, “High”
  I was a few years late to the Royal Headache party but from what I can tell they’re fronted by some nut with an amazing voice. To quote a friend, he’s: “the kind of singer who reminds you that most indie band singers just can’t sing.”
• Times New Viking, “No Room to Live”
  For me this is the best tune from the final record by the standout group of the NWOCIR (New Wave of Columbus Indie Rock) movement of the late oughts.
• Great Plains, “The Way She Runs A Fever”
  From their ’83 EP. Standout group from the Original Wave of Columbus Indie Rock—and you can catch them in March at Sick Weekend at Ace of Cups.
• Ann Peebles, “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down”
  Ms. Peebles voice is sooooo smooth that the tearing down of any kind of playhouse would be a welcome event. Also: the Hi Records snare sound.
• The Liminanas, “I’m Dead”
  I have a great memory of watching the film Les Valseuses while staying at the home of Lionel and Marie Liminana in Perpignan, France. At the time, I had no idea of the brilliant records they’d eventually make. This is from a comp of rarities, (I’ve Got) Trouble In Mind.
• Jarvis Cocker, “Further Complications”
  I’ve always dug some Pulp tunes but never fully embraced them until I heard their front man’s solo records. Fave lyric: “don’t write a novel, a shopping list is better.”
• Shampoo, “Trouble”
  We don’t shy away from fun here at the Wexner Center Store. Huge in the UK; just a blip here in the US. What some folks might call a guilty pleasure. I don’t.
• D’Angelo ,“The Charade”
  I, like a lot of people, could listen to D’Angelo sing the Yellow Pages (assuming they still exist). I’ll have to settle for his own material. 100% OK with that.
• Sleaford Mods, “Tarantula Deadly Cargo”
  This is my current fave “band” in the world. Their songs are not appropriate for in-store play—except this one. If you don’t believe me, check out their book of lyrics, which we sell, of course.
• The Monks, “I Hate You”
  It’s always Monk time at the Wexner Center Store. (Though I’m sure most of my staff totally hates Monk time.) US G.I.s stationed in Germany shave the tops of their heads, discover feedback, and work rhythm banjo into the mix. Just unreal.
• Young Fathers, “Rain Or Shine”
  Edinburgh’s YF has a vibe that reminds me of what I liked about the New Health Rock single by TV On The Radio. The vibe is where the comparison stops, though, because lyrically they’re on another level. You can glean a lot from the letter to their management about the title of their record.
• Caetano Veloso, “Cucurrucucu Paloma”
  This is the live version of Veloso’s contribution to the Talk to Her soundtrack. That version is not available on Spotify. Totally beautiful.
• Yo La Tengo, “Drug Test”
  I’ve been digging YLT and seeing them live for more than half my life. (I’m 46.) “Drug Test” was my first favorite Yo La Tengo song. If you missed them here at the Wex: snooze/lose.
• Tinariwen, “Aghregh Medin (Hassan’s Song)
  If you’ve seen them perform on the Wex stage, you won’t need convincing of Tinariwen’s brilliance. This tune is one of the more somber on the album Emmaar.
• Patti Smith, “Pissing in a River”
  Every time Patti Smith comes on, my mind drifts to exploring the possibility of getting her to the Wex for a book talk, or maybe watching her get the Wexner Prize (I have no influence on this, BTW).
• Matt Sweeney & Bonnie Prince Billy, “Storms”
  Nice Fleetwood Mac cover. Their album Superwolf is always on heavy rotation, but not available on Spotify (maybe they like getting paid?) so unable to feature those tunes here. Fleetwood Mac and Buckingham Nicks gets equal play, so 2 birds/1 stone.
• Kurt Vile, “Pretty Pimpin”
  Catchy tune. We like Mr. Vile over here, and I could listen to his gnarly meandering riffage all day.
• Lydia Loveless, “Somewhere Else”
  First time I saw Lydia play was at a street festival on Calumet Road in Clintonville, while I chased my son around in front of the “stage.” Not many other folks were there. The blur of parenthood puts that memory at about 6–7 years ago. I was totally knocked out by her voice.
• Kamasi Washington, “Miss Understanding”
  This 3-disc album is the best jazz record I’ve heard in years. I just kind of stumbled on it after hearing of his vague connection to Kendrick Lamar. I dream about him playing the best room in the world for Jazz (the Wex).