Matt Sorum

The legendary drummer gives us an education on good music and shares his playlist in this exclusive feature

A Taste:

Mastodon, Kings of Leon, M.I.A., Black Sabbath

“The beauty of the world is, there’s something for everybody,” says iconic skinsman Matt Sorum [Velvet Revolver/Guns N’ Roses/The Cult/Camp Freddy] with a smile.

He’s right, and diversity is definitely one plus side of modern music.

Matt continues, “People can find so many things to satisfy themselves. I don’t think one form of music is better than another. If some people dig pop that’s cool. It’s up to the person who likes it. Would I rather go back and listen to Led Zeppelin IV? Yeah, I would. That album still makes me experience that entire feeling that I did when I first heard it. I went, “Fuck!’ and then it just became part of my life and my essence.”

In between producing The Darling Stilettos, running his boutique Sorum Noce and pounding out some of the biggest rock n’ roll grooves ever, Matt Sorum sat down with ARTISTdirect.com to talk music. He opened up his iTunes and gave us an exclusive look at what he’s spinning. Check out his playlist below!

Matt Sorum’s Playlist:

1. M.I.A.

I got into M.I.A. because of my girlfriend. She buys more stuff than I do. She still goes and buys records, which is cool!

2. Kings of Leon — Only By the Night

I listened to this album and went, ‘Wow, these guys have really found their niche!” They had this Southern rock thing going on and then they made this album with these great vocals, very simple structures and melodies. It said something too. It had great guitar tones. Everything was very simple but majestic like an early U2 album. I’ve heard dashes of that when I first listened to Rattle and Hum.

3. The Killers

I think the Killers are coming into their own and turning into a class-A band. I saw them at Coachella, and they were stellar.

4. Mastodon — Crack the Skye

I really got into Mastodon. Their new album is awesome. Brendan O’Brien produced it, and I thought the tones were really cool.

5. Alice In Chains

I’m very excited about their new stuff. When we toured with them, I realized that I forgot how many fuckin’ hits they had. They waited and were respectful. God bless them. Why shouldn’t Alice In Chains be on tour playing those songs?

6. Darling Stilletos

I’ve been producing this group and we’ve been dabbling in listening to a lot of older stuff lately. We’ve pulled out stuff I love—The Clash, David Bowie and The Stooges. I turned all of these young girls onto this stuff. Let’s recreate the message here! Why does rock n’ roll make people feel good? When I was a kid, it was a lifestyle for me.

7. Black Sabbath — Vol. 4

The greatest era of rock n’ roll ever was the ’70s. Sorry, it was. Where could you find a band like Black Sabbath on the same stage doing a concert with Earth, Wind & Fire and The Eagles on the same day? It was California Jam 1974. The headliner was Emerson, Lake & Palmer. What happened to the fuckin’ world? The closest thing I’ve seen to it is the Coachella lineup. Shit’s so stagnant. When one band blows the doors off, the whole culture will change. It’s going to turn on a fuckin’ dime.

8. AC/DC — Back In Black

With this album, AC/DC were like, “We’re back, and we’re going to throw down the rock.” That’s fuckin’ heavy [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
06.29.09

Tags: Black Sabbath, Kings of Leon, M.I.A., Mastodon, Matt Sorum