Portia de Rossi: “The Bleaker the Better.”

THE ALBUM THAT GOT ME THROUGH LAW SCHOOL
Sonic Youth
Goo
Geffen, 1990
“It all starts with Sonic Youth for me. ‘Tunic (Song for Karen)’ was such an inspirational song — listening to “I ain’t never going anywhere” over and over again helped me get through law school [in Melbourne, before she started acting]. And Kim Gordon is just an idol. I met her once and found myself holding onto her arm with both hands. Then I realized I was a crazy fan and should let go.”

THE ALBUM THAT READS LIKE A BOOK
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Henry’s Dream
Mute, 1992
“I heard Nick Cave for the first time on an independent radio station in Australia, and the way he uses words is breathtaking. And it’s very melodic at the same time, very anthem-like. He also wrote a book called And the Ass Saw the Angel, from the perspective of a fetus in a womb. He’s really arrogant, but he can afford to be.”

THE ALBUM THAT BRINGS THE DRAMA
PJ Harvey
To Bring You My Love
Island, 1995
“This one goes hand in hand with Nick Cave — it has that kind of storytelling, that angst. I’m not a religious person, but there’s a kind of visceral thing about religion that’s almost sexual. There’s so much drama and desperation on all of the tracks, except for that one song that doesn’t feel like it belongs: ‘Down By the Water,’ which was the only hit. I never understood that.”

THE ALBUM THAT'S HOPELESS, BUT IN A GOOD WAY
Sebadoh
Harmacy
Sub Pop, 1996
“I originally had their album Bakesale on my list, and there’s nothing wrong with that one. But Harmacy I listened to a hell of a lot. It’s a bit easier on the ears. There’s something sad and a little bit pathetic about Lou Barlow, which I like. And there’s a sweetness too. His lyrics are introspective and insecure, but there’s a relatable hopelessness about them.”

THE ALBUM THAT'S TOO GRIM FOR ELLEN
Dinosaur Jr
Green Mind
Blanco Y Negro/Sire, 1991
“I had to seriously wonder about myself when I looked at my list. The bleaker the better. I’ve tried to get Ellen to listen to some of this — she likes Stevie Wonder, which is great, but sometimes you just want something … I mean, ‘Blowing It’? Fuck. J Mascis made me pick up a guitar, because I wanted to learn to play that song. I took lessons, but no one can play like him. I was like, ‘Why can’t I do that?’”

THE ALBUM THAT'S JUST FOR KICKS
Iggy Pop
Lust for LifeVirgin, 1977
“All of the records here have a whole heap of drama … except for Iggy. There’s just something about him — he’s raw and ugly and fun. And there’s some great guitar in there too. I love his energy and I love the way he bounces around the stage. He’s got that ‘I could give a fuck’ attitude and it’s more fun to listen to because it’s not so introspective. It’s like everyone is kind of vomiting all over you.”

THE ALBUM THAT'S FOR THE PEOPLE
Nirvana
Nevermind
DGC, 1991
“It’s important to me to find music that feels like my own private experience, music that you think not everybody gets, which is, ridiculously, why I almost didn’t include this. It’s a stupid kind of snobbery, I guess. But I remember the first time I heard ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ — I think everybody does. It has all the right elements. It spoke to everyone individually at the same time. That’s an incredible feat.”

THE ALBUM THAT MESSES WITH MY HEAD
Radiohead
Kid A
Capitol, 2000
“I love experimental sound — Radiohead were so good at melodic music, and then they fucked with it so hardcore here. It showed so much range and so much depth. This separates them from the bands that can make pretty sounds, like Coldplay. That’s a nice band and those are pretty songs, but to be able to use synthesized sound and have it come from such an intelligent, honest place? Blows me away.”

THE ALBUM THAT MAKES DEPRESSION FUN!
Morrissey
Bona Drag
Sire/Reprise, 1990
“What I love about Morrissey is that his lyrics are just unbelievable. He puts so much humor into them and I don’t know how he does it. ‘Why do you come here and why do you hang around?’ You smile at the depths of depression and isolation and anxiety he feels. His songs are so pretty, but he’s singing about the ugliest things. He manages to make it sound like, ‘Oh well, that’s just the way it is.’ I love the theatrics of it all.”

THE ALBUM THAT ACTUALLY CAME OUT THIS DECADE
The Arcade Fire
Fumeral
Merge, 2004
“When I looked at my list I thought it was very narrow. Like a specific sliver in time. But recently … have you heard the Arcade Fire? When I heard this album, I was dumbfounded. I heard — it may not be true — that there was a fire in an arcade in their hometown that killed 20 kids they went to school with, and this whole record is that story. I don’t know how long they’ve been around, but definitely a band to watch.”