Favorites: Bassists
Welcome to what is probably going to be one of the most involved sections of this site...
Mike Watt
- Notable Bands: Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges, Dos, mssv
- Weapon of Choice: Reverend Wattplower, Fender Precision, Gibson EB-3, Gibson Thunderbird
- Essential Track: "Political Nightmare" (Minutemen)
If you want to talk about laying down the groove while treating the bass like a lead instrument, you have to talk about Mike Watt. He essentially wrote the playbook for indie and punk bass playing. Jamming "econo" wasn't just a catchphrase; it was a way of life that translated directly to his playing—no wasted notes, just relentless, frantic, and incredibly melodic lines. You don't need a massive stadium rig or an over-complicated time signature to hit hard, you just need Watt's furious right hand.
Jah Wobble
- Notable Bands: Public Image Ltd. (PiL), Invaders of the Heart
- Weapon of Choice: Fender Precision Bass, Ovation Magnum
- Essential Track: "Public Image", "Annalisa", "Albatross", "Poptones" (PiL); "Invaders Of The Heart", "Visions Of You" (solo)
Hearing that unimaginably deep, dub-heavy bass tone when I first dropped the tonearm on PiL's First Issue was a completely defining moment. That record holds a special place in my collection — it was the very first import LP I ever bought, picked up on my 14th birthday in 1981 for $12.98. Just like Steve Jones's wall of sound made me want to pick up a guitar, Jah Wobble's massive, booming lines made me want to play bass. He took the spacious, low-end philosophies of reggae and injected them directly into the icy heart of post-punk. He proved that the bass doesn't just have to support the song—it can be the entire foundation that the rest of the band answers to.
Kira Roessler
- Notable Bands: Black Flag, Dos
- Weapon of Choice: Garza Custom 3/4 Scale Bass, Rickenbacker 4003
- Essential Track: "Slip It In", "Account For What?" (Black Flag); "Number Eight" (Dos)
Kira's playing is an absolute force of nature. When she joined Black Flag, she didn't just survive the band's shift into heavy, frantic, polyrhythmic territory — she anchored it. Her complex, driving basslines cut right through the chaos, bringing a massive, muscular presence to the low end. Beyond that, her intricate dual-bass work with Mike Watt in Dos is a masterclass in tone and phrasing. But my appreciation for Kira goes a bit deeper than just spinning her records. Years ago, when her custom 3/4 scale bass was stolen, I posted a bulletin about it on my old blog. The post ended up catching fire, getting signal-boosted by Boing Boing and the folks at Alternative Tentacles, and it actually played a part in helping her recover the instrument! It remains one of my absolute proudest moments of indie-web detective work.