Separate Rooms – Parker and Lily
Much of the music I listen to at home tends to be from bands we’ve met on tour. Parker and Lily supported my “other” band, Cinerama, in North America in 2003 and that’s when I first heard their haunting, organ-laced, reverb-drenched, “60s film soundtrack” style. They were a perfect accompaniment to Cinerama and their music has stayed with me ever since.
Lorelei – Cocteau Twins
I recently recorded a show for Pitchfork Radio, which reminded me that whenever I put together a playlist, the Cocteau Twins are on it! Theirs is a uniquely bewitching and graceful sound; a sound that partly inspired he Wedding Present to record our Saturnalia album at the Cocteaus’ studio, in 1996. I also wanted to cover one of their songs for our Hit Parade series but they refused my request for them to supply lyrics.
Je T’aime, Moi Non Plus – Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin
I’ve just returned from driving to Languedoc-Roussillon and I picked a few French pop classics to accompany the journey. This song had a huge effect on me as a growing lad – for obvious reasons – and I think the fact that it was actually banned by the BBC at the time made it all the more thrilling for me. I suppose the lyrics could be best described as “abstract” but since my knowledge of French is rudimentary, that has never really bothered me. It’s kind of obvious what the song’s about, anyway! Apart from being a fine tune, I love the arrangement and the sound of the organ and bass guitar. The song introduced me to the genius that was Serge Gainsbourg.
Waving Flags – British Sea Power
I came late to the work of British Sea Power because someone once described them to me as being “theatrical” and it somehow put me off. But I regret that now because I missed out on many years of seeing them. When I finally caught them live, I realised my friend had exaggerated; they’re just a little quirky, with their instrument-swapping and offbeat stage designs. I didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t the complex, powerfully melodic wall of sound that I now adore.
Boxes – French for Cartridge
Since 2009, I’ve been curating my own annual mini-festival in Brighton called At the Edge of the Sea, but most of the people who approach me with a view to appearing tend to be indie rock bands. That’s totally understandable, of course, given that I’m the curator, but I do prefer to give slots to artists like French for Cartridge, who are slightly more eclectic and whose semi-classical arrangements, which will often feature bell-ringing or tag-team voices, are more challenging for the audience.
