KURT VILE

shimmer with layers of acoustic and heavily effected electric guitars, a sonically rich and occasionally hazy soundscape that provides a warm, in December 2018. “They’ve got to be melodic, a little bit pretty, but with the blues in there. I like to make them as hypnotic and as melodic as possible. I get lost in most of the riffs that I find myself coming back to.” And unlike nearly everyone on this list, Vile makes acoustic guitars the heart of his alt-rock approach. “If I had to pick a main tool, it would be the acoustic guitar,” he says. “In fact, certain electric guitars that I fall in love with, I won’t plug them in for days after I get them. I’ll just sit on the couch and listen to how they sound acoustically and how they feel. I like the idea of hearing all the nuances. Acoustically, you can’t beat that.”