While the spirit of the DMV’s bygone post-hardcore and emo scenes permeate K Nkanza’s third album as Spring Silver, you don’t have to dig too deep into Don’t You Think It’s Strange? to pick up on any outside influences. Looking beyond the fact that each of its eight tracks snakes through at least five minutes of proggy vibe shifting, there’s a clear reverence for a bygone era of ’00s dance-punk heard in much of the drumming, while some of the guitar riffs drag the record within the parameters of the “experimental rock” tag. Also, spoiler, you might notice that the LP ends in homage to French house music.
Maybe it’s no surprise, then, that rather than filling their “influences” playlist with the jagged guitar-rock that’s been in the local water supply at least as far back as Repeater, Nkanza opted to elucidate on how the disco sounds of Daft Punk, the pop-punk energy of (post–Silent Alarm) Bloc Party, and the political fury of Rage Against the Machine helped inform the new record—not to mention how groups like Mew and Gilla Band inspired them to break the rules of rock music. In case you’re still not surprised by any of that, there’s some Korean folktronica and tropicália-flavored J-rock in there, too.
You can check out the album here, and find Nkanza’s picks below.
Daft Punk, “High Life”
I have a lot of nods to house music on this album. “How Quaint” straight up turns into a disco house song in its final minute. Daft Punk are one of my all-time favorites. To this day I swear I’ve never heard a song like this. It’s like the essence of disco—all its gloss, all its glamor, all its menace—is embodied in this chop progression that just swirls around you for three and a half minutes. It’s addictive.
Bloc Party, “Kettling”
Four is such a great album. I never really understood why everyone was so mixed on it. How can you hear this and not want to jump up? If Silent Alarm is a love letter to post-punk, Four is a love letter to post-hardcore. Really fun, really heavy, but also really poppy.
Mew, “Apocalypso”
There’s really nothing else out there like Mew. They’re such a wild mix of sounds and ideas. I love how theatrical this track gets. And the disjointed riffs really add to the intensity. I’m really inspired by Mew’s willingness to combine sounds from the rock underground with huge stadium bombast.
Mid-Air Thief, “Gameun Deut”
I could have picked any song off of Crumbling. Truly one of the most beautiful albums ever made. Just otherworldly. I love the way different instruments and sonic textures swirl together and build and build. And they also have a keen eye for cohesive and intriguing song structure. This artist truly recognizes that songs can be genuine journeys.
Gilla Band, “Fucking Butter”
Gilla Band kick so much ass. Their music is both frightening and fun. One never overpowers the other. Some bands go full punish mode, and that just kinda stressed me out. And other bands go maximum zany. And that’s not for me. The noise guitars on “It’s Imperative” are definitely inspired by these guys. Their music is heavy and abrasive, but it grooves too! Their concerts are a testament to that. And they’re very nice people.
The Phantom’s Revenge, “What Am I Doing Wrong?”
Another house track on the list. I’ve been a fan of the Phantom since I was 14 or so. His chops are so gnarly and his sample selection is just brilliant. There’s this unhinged quality that his music has that has kept me coming back for all these years. This track is so expertly constructed. The way he introduces samples, and builds to the drops in such novel ways—crazy stuff. When I heard this I knew I had to do my own rendition of a house track. The riff and the vocal hook on “It’s Imperative” are meant to emulate a sample being looped like a French house track. This song was definitely used as a reference.
Rage Against the Machine, “Snakecharmer”
One of Rage’s most intense songs. Zack’s lyrics and performance are just phenomenal. Really meaningful stuff. With every passing year, Evil Empire means more to me. I’ve used it many times to cope with the alienation brought on by American life. This album sounds both raw and big, which is a hard thing to pull off. Each instrument holds its own space in the mix. You can almost see the amps and the drum kit in front of you when you listen.
Blue Smiley, “Tree”
Over the years this has grown to be my favorite Blue Smiley song. It captures this very specific bittersweet feeling. The melodies are so sweet and distinct, but they simultaneously sound so misty, like spray from a waterfall against your face. And what an expressive bassline! I remember seeing them live at The Playroom back in 2017. The drummer was hitting so hard, it was like he was angry at the drums! So cool. A great band.
Foals, “Red Socks Pugie”
The sound Foals and Dave Sitek get on this album was a big inspiration for me. Specifically the drum sound. The snare is so big and expressive. I miss 2000s dance punk.
Luminousorange, “Drop You Vivid Colours”
What an exciting mix of genres on this track! It goes between shoegaze and tropicália and ’90s alt. Mad respect to Rie Takeuchi. She makes exactly the type of music that she wants to make. That alone is inspiring to me, but of course when your band sounds like this I’m bound to like it anyhow.
