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Spotlight

Elijah Wood Reveals His Favorite Music

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Name a song you’ve listened to in the past 24 hours.
“Yonkers” by ?Tyler, the Creator. This single launched me into the world of Odd ?Future. I’m so fascinated. They’re kids, man.

What was the last concert you attended?
I saw Sleigh Bells at the Hollywood Bowl, and I was really concerned their sound couldn’t fill the space. They seem like they would have the most power in a smaller venue where they could sonically assault you. But they were amazing.

Who would you like to portray in a rock biopic?
There was a time when I was going to play Iggy Pop. It scared me then, and it scares me now. I would hate to be responsible for fucking that up, but I would still love to do it.

What was the first album you bought with your own money?
Prince’s Batman soundtrack. That may not be the best offering from Prince, but I’m a huge fan. I took my mother to see him for Mother’s Day. She’s cool. She’s been known to vacuum to the White Stripes.

Do you remem-?ber what you were listening to the first time you smoked pot?
I don’t actually. I was deep in ?conversation.

Name a playlist on your iPod.
Northern Drive. I made it for a road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco. There’s Johnny Winter, “I’m Yours and I’m Hers”; Bat for Lashes, “What’s a Girl to Do”; Can, “Turtles Have Short Legs”; the Clean, “Anything Could Happen.”

And who comes after Radiohead?
Rage Against the Machine. A lot of the bands that were inspired by Rage ushered in rap-rock and nü-metal — it sounds awful to even use those words-but they don’t sound as fresh. Rage had so much integrity.

What song has gotten you over a breakup?
Black ?Sabbath’s “Paranoid” helped me immensely.

If you could ?curate a festival, who would be a headliner?
Dungen. Not to sound Lost-y, but their music feels like what it would be like to see Led Zeppelin in the ’60s.

Name an artist who is guaranteed to get someone laid.
Portishead’s Dummy is incredibly sexy. Blue Lines by Massive Attack. Jazz, but that’s a fucking cliché. I’m on a roll. “Simply Beautiful” by Al Green.

What song would you like played at your funeral?
Oh shit! I haven’t given that any thought. Maybe “This Will Be Our Year” by the Zombies. It’s incredibly uplifting. Or “Good ?Vibrations,” but that might be a little too positive.