If we showed you our most favorite songs then we would have to quit playing music all together. So below are some of the artists that we have been obsessed with over the past year. From the times when we were writing an album to when we were being turned on in a local record shop, these songs mean everything.
This song makes me cry. The late Trish Keenan is one of my favorite singers, and not only is her voice beautiful but the language in which she illustrates emotions and the tragic limitations of it, is one of a kind. In particular these lyrics foreshadow her death and how her soul is in a way, sort of trapped inside the song, which is touching in a way because she will always be there when you need her.
From the classic, Odyssey & Oracle, “Hung Up On A Dream” is a beautiful example of songwriting. It floats from beginning to end seamlessly using harmonies and arrangements underneath eloquently sung lyrics. This song conjures memories of the world being innocent, a time when we believed it could be anything we wanted it to be. We saw The Zombies play a show last year. I think we were both surprised at how well the songs still translated 30 years after it’s first debut in 1968.
After searching for the best music from the 60’s, we were blown away with the discovery of this beyond words band, The C.A. Quintet. They formed in the middle of music nowhere, Minnesota, and released this face melting artifact in 1968. If you thought hippies were all about peace, love, and flowers, well think again because this song will scare you into another dimension! Anyways, it’s sort of our theme song.
So many controversies surround the group, ranging from Roky performing on acid countless times, the government forcing him to undergo electroshock therapy, and the eventual death of the lead guitarist Stacey Southerland by his wife, Bunny. “Slip Inside This House” is the initiation of ego death, and sonically, creatively, it is untouchable. Lucky for us, we saw Roky playing in Texas last year. Roky still has to tour to make his living since he was cheated by his label back in the early days. But you can send money to the Roky Erickson trust fund according to his website!
Not only does Conspiracy of Owls sound like they hot wired a time traveling machine but they also manage to compile the past 50 years of music into one album. We heard their self titled album through Burger Records who released it in 2010, and ever since it is one of our go-to records when all seems lost. We even love it so much that we had the singer of Conspiracy of Owls, Bobby Harlow, mix our new album.
