Buddhist Holiday singer picks his favourites.
Buddhist Holiday burst onto the Thai indie music scene. Led by singer-songwriter Kitti Tungdumrongyot (Ti), their thoughtful pop rock ballads made a big impression. They released a string of well-received singles, including “Hed Pon (Reason),” “Kwam Roo Suek (Feeling),” “Hai Lao Dai Roo (For Us to Know)” and “Naliga (Clocks).”
After this initial success, the band was inactive for several years. But now, with a slight line-up change, they’re back. They played successful comeback shows at Cat Foodival and Play Yard ahead of the release of their new album. Simply called Buddhist Holiday, this exciting new collection shows off the band’s ‘70s psychedelic rock influences.
To get an idea of what inspired their latest sound, S Weekly asked Ti to tell us about his favourite albums.
Blur
Parklife (1994)
“Blur were one of the most popular bands during the Britpop explosion of the ‘90s. Their first album, Leisure, was excellent too, but I chose this album because I was listening to it again recently. It reminded me of a time when everybody was really crazy about indie music, even in Thailand. Parklife is full of catchy songs. I love all of them. I used to have it on cassette and I would rewind the tape over and over to listen to songs like ‘To the End’ and ‘This Is a Low.’”
Television
Marquee Moon (1977)
“I discovered Television and Marquee Moon more than 10 years ago, and I still listen to it quite often. I never get tired of it. I only bought the album because I liked the artwork on the cover. I knew nothing about Television at the time. But they were hugely influential. Bands like The Strokes borrowed a lot from them. It would be nice if teenagers today listened to Television. They’d appreciate how much influence these classic bands have had on modern music.”
Syd Barrett
The Madcap Laughs (1970)
“I started listening to Syd Barrett because I’m a fan of Pink Floyd — especially their early albums. They introduced me to psychedelic rock. I saw a documentary about Pink Floyd and it made me want to hear Syd’s solo stuff. This album is very similar to their first record, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, when Syd was the band’s leader.”
Surasee Ittikul
Kalpawasan (1985)
“When it comes to Thai music, I enjoy the older stuff best. Kalpawasan by Surasee is an album that I highly recommend. It was one of the most important albums during the ‘80s revolution in Thai music. The lyrics on Kalpawasan influenced me a lot. My favourite tracks are ‘Wan Nueang Wan Nan (That Day)’ and ‘Klai Kab Klai (Near and Far).’ Surasee is a huge fan of The Beatles, and he looks a bit like John Lennon on the album cover.”
Yura Yura Teikoku
3x3x3 (1998)
“Yura Yura Teikoku are my favourite Japanese group. They’re a three-piece hard rock band from Tokyo. I worked at Tower Records in Bangkok many years ago, and I had a Japanese colleague who introduced me to a lot of cool Japanese bands. 3x3x3 has a very bluesy sound that I love. I got the chance to see them live in Tokyo a couple of years ago when Buddhist Holiday went to play there. They were awesome.”
