Having just announced their new upcoming album ‘From Squats to Lots: The Agony & XTC of Low Life’, Sydney punk legends LOW LIFE share an exclusive mix of their best picks for HITCHER.
The record is soaked in the recurring brilliance of Mitch Tolman’s lyrics, exploring the usual territory of gutter life, lad life, punk life, low life. Disgust and shame in white Australia. Council housing, bills piled to the neck, substance abuse and rehabilitation, the fallen friends who stood too close to the flame, loss and loneliness, from squats to lots. Un-Australian gutter symphony. There is a celebration of resilience and that’s a central theme of this record and a time like ours needs a record like Agony & XTC. Low times are coming through, but if you’re low they won’t get to you.
The band explain: “Don’t think of shoe-gaze. It suggests a safe passage to 90’s reminiscences, a vogue style of our time, but nothing to do with Low Life style. Low Life style is always of its time. The content changes. Agony & XTC shares weight of records like My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless and Slowdive’s Kebab, records that were laboured on after the songs were recorded, songs that were written as they were recorded.”
The LP will be released via Goner Records on November 5th, 2021. Check out the first single, titled ‘Agony & XTC’, from the forthcoming album:
Below, LOW LIFE describe why they are drawn to each track in their selection, which ranges from punk, shoe-gaze, metal and post-punk from around the world.
Selections from Christian:
The Moffs – Another Day In The Sun: “Sydney band formed in the early 80s. This 7″ came out in 1985 and has one of the best extended intros to any song I have ever heard.”
Lush – De-Luxe: “I was quite obsessed by this song when it was first released and I have been revisiting it a lot recently. Beautiful guitar sound, vocals and progression.”
Misfits – Static Age: “Misfits/Samhain/Danzig featured heavily in my teenage soundtrack. If Samhain were on Spotify I would have included Archangel instead. Static Age is my current favorite Misfits LP but this can change on a daily basis.”
Mötley Crüe – Stick To Your Guns: “I‘ve been hammering the 7″ version of this which is way more raw and has a football whistle in it. If anyone has a copy of the Japanese boot they want to sell, hit up the Low Life DMs on instagram.”
Proud Scum – I Am A Rabbit: “Great punk band from NZ that formed in the late 70s. Lots of fun.”
Selections from Mitch:
Poison Idea – Tormented IMP: “I’ve absolutely trashed this song & album ‘Kings Of Punk’. Watch the doco ‘Legacy Of Dysfunction’. They’re discography & history is undeniable. R.I.P ‘Pig Champion’. Used to pump this with my mate Felipe (Rapid Dye) while we unloaded shipping containers in the heat.”
Ride – Nowhere: “Love this instrumental. Incredible album. I was pretty late to the party with Ride. Only got into them recently thanks to my friend Sally C x. Respect.”
Amebix – Battery Humans: “Another band I was late to. Kinda obsessed with their sound. Sometimes they remind me of Chrome? Maybe that’s just me. Love any band that’s more of a “Vibe thing” you know what I mean?”
Discharge – State Violence/State Control: “We had the nerve to do a Discharge cover remotely in lockdown. In my opinion an untouchable band from the midlands. If it’s our demise, so be it. Respect to those members still living that lifestyle “wink wink”. No one hates us more than we hate ourselves. It’s coming out on ‘Wintergarden” records at the end of this September. Gonna get a few ‘gars’ going on release day, that’s for sure.”
Kim Gordon – Earthquake: “Cristian aka the ‘Bulldozer’ and I love Kim Gordon. We both love this album and admire her body of work across all mediums and her contribution to punk/ music. This song kinda reminds me of a Nico or a Velvet Underground song. Very Cool.”
Follow the full playlist here:
