Synth
You
Asked

Indie boys with guitars? They’re so 2008. In the U.K., the most buzzed-about new acts are girls with synthesizers.

Little Boots

Who: Victoria Hesketh, 25
Synth of choice:
Yamaha Tenori-On
Why her: Covered Giorgio
Moroder and Freddie
Mercury’s “Love Kills” with
froideur; understands impor-
tance of a horse as an acces-
sory (see also: Goldfrapp)
Secret noughties past:
Was a contestant on the
U.K.’s Pop Idol
’80s analog: Debbie Harry

La Roux

Who: Elly Jackson, 20 Synth of choice: Juno 106 Why her: Like Eurythmics or Yaz, she’s a glamorous diva— check that vertiginous hair!—with a considerably less glamorous male partner (in her case, Ben Langmaid). Secret noughties past: Weaned on Neil Young, irted with becoming acoustic gui-tar-toting singer-songwriter ’80s analog: Annie Lennox

Thecocknbullkid

Who: Anita Blay, 23
Synth of choice:
MIDI keyboard
Why her: Says things like
“I don’t want to shout over a
guitar that’s being throttled.
I want some musicality.”
Secret noughties past:
Was obsessed with Morrissey
and the Cure in high school
’80s analog: New Order
if they were fronted by
Kate Bush

Goulding

Who: Ellie Goulding, 22
Synth of choice: Any,
“because I get bored easily”
Why her: Rebooted Sam
Sparro’s club hit “Black and
Gold” with extra clubbiness
Secret noughties past:
Penned songs with Amanda
Ghost, who cowrote James
Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful”
’80s analog: Sugarcubes-
vintage Björk
CRAIG McLEAN

LISTENING IN
“I’d rather have someone read my diary than look at my iPod.”
The O ce’s Mindy Kaling on the soundtrack to her life
What was the last concert you went to? I saw the Arcade Fire and
LCD Soundsystem at the Holly wood Bowl last summer. I don’t mean to
be the douche bag that says, “The Arcade Fire were transporting!” But
they were transporting. And I was only there because I have a big
crush on [LCD’s] James Murphy, but I was like, “I can get behind this
116-member-band thing.” What’s your favorite album? Grace-
land is the album that I have bought more times than any other.
When I was a little kid, my parents introduced me to Simon &
Garfunkel, so that was the music I assumed everyone listened
to. From the ages of six to 26, I forgot about it, and then I
rebought it recently, and it’s like a di erent album. It makes
me bawl. Growing up, did your parents object to anything
you were listening to? “Weird Al” Yankovic. I remember
when I got “Smells Like Nirvana” on cassingle, they were like,
“This isn’t right. He should be creating music, not parodying
it.” For them, Weird Al was the musical equivalent of Mar-
ried…With Children. It was disrespectful. Who comes after
U2 on your iPod? The Vince Guaraldi Trio. It’s the Charlie
Brown Christmas album. In fact, it goes Tony Bennett, U2,
Vince Guaraldi. You’d think my iPod was programmed by a

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60-year-old man. What’s your dream concert lineup? Jenny
Lewis and Liz Phair together. [Rilo Kiley’s] “Portions for Foxes”
and [Phair’s] “Fuck and Run” are smart, fucked-up songs about
making terrible mistakes with men in your mid-20s. I’m attracted
to that. Who on The Office has music taste that’s most
similar to yours? I’d say my best friend, [writer-costar]
B. J. Novak. We both can talk at length about why we like
Justin Timberlake a lot. Why is that? That’s like asking,
“Why is God great?” He’s so hot, he’s funny, and he
can dance in a three-piece suit. He’s the complete
package. It’s almost infuriating. What music do you
run—or fast-walk—to? I fast-walk to Usher, I run to
M.I.A., and I cool down to the Indigo Girls. You haven’t
cooled down till you’ve cooled down to “Closer to Fine.”
And it’s political, too, so you’re like, “Ooh, I’m a good per-
son.” Name a mix on your iPod. I have lots. There’s “Songs
to Make Out To” and “Songs to Knock Boots To.” There’s a
lot of Nada Surf on the make-out mix, but there’s more hip-
hop on the sex mix, like Flo Rida. It depends on the tenor of
the session. I’m going to stop talking now. PHOEBE REILLY

SYN TH, FROM LEF T: TOM OXLE Y; DEIRDRE O’CALLAGHAN; COUR TES Y TOAS T PRESS; COUR TES Y MAX KNIGH T. LIS TENING IN, FROM LEF T: JENN LFI; EVERE T T COLLEC TION;

38 MAY 2009 GE T MUSIC NEWS 24 7 AT SPIN.COM