Wild International is made up of Ryan Camenzuli, Greg Coffey and Bryan Daly, three high-school pals who lived on Long Island and started playing together in 2009. Next week, the New York City-based trio is self-releasing Lake Tones, a six-song EP. We asked the guys to make us a mix tape, and this is what they sent us.
“Young Wayfarer” (download):
Akron/Family “Ed Is A Portal”
There’s no doubt that Akron/Family made a huge impact on us as a band when we were in high school. When we first started playing together as a band, we would jam to “Ed Is A Portal” before we started writing our own songs. This song alone definitely influenced our sound and will always be their best live song! Video
Dirty Projectors “Stillness Is The Move”
Albums always remind me of the time and place that I first started listening to them, and for me, Bitte Orca is freshman year of college (fall semester, though; spring was all about of Montreal). This was the perfect song to jam to while walking home from a Halloween party at 8 a.m. in nothing but a wetsuit. Also, who can pass up a music video with a llama! Video
Nurses “Extra Fast”
When I first discovered Nurses, it seemed like I couldn’t stop listening to the Portland-based trio. I found myself watching countless interviews online and really studying the band and their albums. “Extra Fast” is just one of my favorite tracks from the band and has been on repeat on my iPod for the last few weeks. Video
The Acorn “Low Gravity”
Glory Hope Mountain is the most perfect indie-rock album out there, in my opinion. The emotion conveyed by songwriter Rolf Klausener is simply awe-inspiring. The songs on this album make me want to leave all that I know, move to the woods and live my life in a log cabin that I’d build with my bare hands. To this day, I have never come across an album that is as beautiful to me as Glory Hope Mountain. Video
Bear In Heaven “Idle Heart”
I Love You, It’s Cool is for sure in my top five of favorite releases of 2012. I was first drawn in by the band after hearing their second release, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, and was blown away by this new direction the band took. “Idle Heart” was probably my most listened to song of the year. Video
Flying Lotus “Kill Your Co-Workers”
Flying Lotus introduced me to the human aspect of electronic music. I always associated electronic music with machines rather than people, due to how the music is made. Flying Lotus showed me how you can use samples to convey emotions and ideas, rather than just make an awesome beat, (Which he is also pretty good at!) The fact that he is a fan of lucid dreaming is also pretty awesome. Video
The Clash “Lost In The Supermarket”
Whether it’s about middle-class, capitalist apathy or getting really high and doing your shopping, this is an awesome song. The intro is enough to get you hooked, and the rest of the song doesn’t disappoint. Awesome bass line, and, of course, props to Joe Strummer’s cool guitar sounds. Video
Grouper “Come Softly (For Daniel D.)”
Grouper is one of those artists who seems to be writing music specifically for me. The haunting beauty of Liz Harris in “Come Softly (For Daniel D.)” sums up just about everything that I could want from a song. Her voice coupled with the lone keys are so simple, yet the power behind the song is truly inspiring. There is nothing I love to do more on a cold, dreary day than listen to Grouper and forget about everything. Video
Beulah “You’re Only King Once”
A sad song from a sad album. To me, “You’re Only King Once” is about endings. It’s about giving something your all and trying to come to terms with the fact that you’ve got little, if anything, to show for it, all while trying to avoid that sadness that’s bound to come with every ending. Video
Delicate Steve “Flyin’ High”
If you ever make it early enough to see us sound check before a show, odds are you will probably hear me play little snippets of this jam from Delicate Steve beforehand. The band’s first album, Wondervisions, is one of my favorite records of all time and made me re-evaluate the unlimited possibilities of what can be done on an electric guitar. Video
