If You Like The Smile’s A Light For Attracting Attention, Listen to These Albums
From iconic post-punk and new wave to modern jazz and post-rock, these recommendations are perfect for any fan of The Smile.
A Light For Attracting Attention
by The Smile
Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke of Radiohead fame came together during the COVID-19 pandemic to work on music together. The result was the debut album by their latest project The Smile. The group combines post-punk, prog rock, and electronic influences with afrobeat rhythms and elements of jazz fusion. The afrobeat and jazz textures can be traced back to drummer Tom Skinner’s work with Sons Of Kemet. You can also reference Greenwood and Yorke’s influences by listening to bands like Can and Magazine. Once you’re done looking back, you can connect The Smile to up-and-coming acts like Jockstrap that are putting their own spin on electronic indie pop.
Speaking In Tongues
by Talking Heads
Radiohead got their name from a Talking Heads song and the impact David Byrne has had on Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke can be heard throughout much of their work together. Talking Heads’ quirky brand of art rock / new wave evolved throughout their career as bandleader Byrne began to incorporate a variety of world music influences. The balance achieved on Speaking In Tongues sounds pleasing alongside The Smile.
Ege Bamyasi
by Can
It’s no secret that Can has been one of Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke’s core influences for years. The krautrock pioneers have influenced countless artists with their avant-garde sensibilities, hypnotic rhythms, and ability to improvise. Even though Radiohead used to cover a song from the Can compilation album Delay 1968, it’s Ege Bamyasi that fans of The Smile may want to check out first.
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by Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós has toured and collaborated with Radiohead and it’s apparent why these two groups make such a good pairing. With ethereal layers and falsetto vocals, Sigur Rós has a lot to offer if you’re into Radiohead or The Smile. They also have plenty of elements that provide a wholly unique listening experience. The band’s classical and minimal aesthetics, and their use of non-linguistic vocalizations, are all their own — even if these elements complement The Smile nicely.
I Love You Jennifer B
by Jockstrap
This experimental pop duo has been receiving critical acclaim for their debut album I Love You Jennifer B. Vocalist and violinist Georgia Ellery also plays in Black Country, New Road — a band that has made quite a splash with their experimental post-punk meets post-rock sound. With Jockstrap, the focus is on challenging electronic sounds with pop appeal. If you’re interested in The Smile’s weirder leanings, you may want to dive into some Jockstrap.
The Correct Use Of Soap
by Magazine
Magazine are one of Jonny Greenwood’s biggest influences. The guitar work of John McGeoch has often been cited as a source of inspiration for Greenwood’s projects and The Smile are no exception. A Light For Attracting Attention has its fair share of post-punk atmosphere that you can also find on Magazine’s The Correct Use Of Soap. The album includes a few of Magazine’s most popular songs that you’ll probably enjoy if you like The Smile.
Black To The Future
by Sons Of Kemet
Beyond the obvious ties to Radiohead, The Smile also features the impressive percussion skills of Tom Skinner. Skinner co-founded Sons Of Kemet and their latest album of afrobeat jazz fusion has been praised for stimulating both body and mind. If you find yourself moving to the rhythm when you listen to The Smile, Sons of Kemet’s Black To The Future comes highly recommended.
Waiting Game
by Junior Boys
“If you liked The Smile’s A Light For Attracting Attention, you’ll probably like the new Junior Boys album, Waiting Game. We recently listened to these records back to back on a drive between tour stops in Glasgow and Manchester and they perfectly soundtracked the low-sun UK landscape with different, albeit complementary, colors. While Tom Skinner’s post-punk drum parts on The Smile’s debut are a far cry from the subtle analog drum machines of Waiting Game, the albums share a melancholic mood and a rich suite of dark, aqueous synth textures.”
— Thomas and Jacob, Beacon (DJ and producer duo from Brooklyn, New York)
Field Work
by Ordnance Survey
“If you enjoyed the atmospheric instrumentation element on A Light For Attracting Attention, we recommend Field Work by Ordnance Survey. Irish composer Neil O’Connor’s use of spiraling modular synthesizers and climbing piano chords create an airy atmosphere brought into focus by the soft explosive timbre of acoustic drums.
In a similar way to The Smile, the use of repetition whether it be the robotic repetition of a drum groove or looping hook of a guitar, carry along the exploration of the up and down pacing of a top line melody in tracks like ‘Belfield May 1985’ and ‘Sandycove Beach August 1972’ where looping chords work seamlessly into a laid back snare and cymbal pulse.
The darker brooding drives of syncopated bass lines and moodier grooves in tracks like ‘Connolly Station December 1982’ and ‘Drumcondra January 1975’ build up rhythmically and give way to moments of despondent exuberance when met with ‘Sutton Beach May 1988.’”
— The Murder Capital (Irish post-punk band)
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LowDavid Bowie2022Electronic, RockVinyl, 45th Anniversary Edition, Limited, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, Orange
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Live SeedsNick Cave And The Bad Seeds2022Rock2xVinyl, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Red Transparent
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Bustin’ + Dronin’Blur2022Rock, Pop, ElectronicVinyl, Compilation, Limited Edition, Reissue, Blue Transparent and Green Transparent
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About These Recommendations
The Discogs community is always searching for new music, especially songs that are similar to your favorite artists and albums – which is why Discogs is recommending albums to fans of 2022’s most purchased, most coveted, and most talked-about records.
These recommendations were selected through a unique combination of Discogs data, music charts, streaming numbers, algorithm proposals, and human curation to provide listeners like you with something new to explore.
Popular picks were determined by Discogs Wantlist and Collection additions, as well as commonly connected styles and artists in the Database. Eccentric picks were based on sonic similarity, artistic influences, and other music discovery tools. Select albums also include a personal recommendation from another related artist.