Musicrecommendations
David Bowie – Aladdin Sane
He was my first idol in music. When I first saw the album, I thought he was a woman. I could sing all the songs on the album by the age of 5. But I didn’t understand a word, of course.
Suzanne Vega – Solitude Standing
I was 9 years old when this album came out. Like many, “My Name is Luka” was the song that drew me in. I had just started playing the guitar and writing my own songs when I first heard it. Suzanne has one of the most amazing, intimate voices I’ve ever heard.
Pearl Jam – Ten
When I was a young teen this was a favorite of mine. I listened to it everyday after school. I learned to play all of the songs on my acoustic guitar. Around this time, I started playing with other people in bands. We all dressed like Eddie Vedder & Kurt Cobain at the time in Stockholm. Everyone did.
The Cure – Disintegration
Alongside Depeche Mode, the Cure has always had a place in my heart and my record collection. I saw them play in the rain at the Roskilde festival when I was 17, and after that I was hooked. “Love Song” is an all-time favorite song. I find myself always going back to their music.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads
This is the album that got me into Nick Cave. The stories, black humor, violence and worn beauty in his lyrics make him a singular artist for me. And The Bad Seeds are one of the greatest bands on the planet, hands down.
Devendra Banhart – Lazy Butterfly
This song blurs my mind in comforting ways. It makes me sense things there are no words for, and feel just as light as his voice, like I’m floating instead of walking.
Nick Cave and Shane McGowan – What a Wonderful World
It’s 4am and time is running out. Eyes flicker across the room. You’ve spent your smiles on bad people, and sad people have spent their money on you. So you leave, but that’s when it starts to rain, and you are not wearing the right shoes. You walk home, alone, your feet getting wet. This song erases all of that. You can listen to it and life is perfect again.
Nina Simone – House of the Rising Sun
Nina is one of my favorite artists and her version of this old song, and the emotion she brings to it, continues to inspire me. I wish I could have seen her perform.
Lonely Dear – Under a Silent Sea
Sometimes you stumble upon music you really need, where the words and melodies say exactly how you feel at that particular moment. I got this record from a friend and I have been listing ever since. The melancholy lyrics gets under the skin and seeps into your bones, but at the end, it leaves you in a good place.
Amadou & Mariam – Coulibaly
Amadou and Mariam are such passionate performers that it’s hard not to feel their music in your heart. This song so intense and rhythmic that it’s trance inducing. It makes me want to get out of bed in the morning, start to dance and meet the day head-on.
Simon & Garfunkel – Scarborough Fair
I grew up with their music. I’ve always had a weakness for old folk songs and their stories. This song traces all the way back to the seventeenth century. There is distinct mystery to the narrative which is encased in their beautiful harmonies.
Roaches – Star of Wonder
This song has the most amazing harmonies and immediately takes one’s mind into the sky. Their style definitely inspired me when working on my new album. The song makes me feel like I’ve just come out of a thick forest into a clearing where I can rest.
El Perro del Mar – L-is for love
I heard the song Dog a couple of years ago and was quite impressed. I love the production, the way it builds up and how the beat intensifies throughout the piece. At the same time, the song shows a great deal of restraint. It’s cold, hard, dark, and very beautiful.
sources: owlandbear.com, mysecretplaylist.com
