Newton Faulkner
built his own 6-string-guitar, specifically made for his unique way of molesting the instrument. After failing as Green Day cover band the young Brit went to see guitar hero Eric Roche and trained his dexterity. Now he is up there with the best of the craft and has already a UK No. 1 album under his belt.
Must have been on the school bus when somebody played it to me and I was like: «Wow! Who is this?»
I have two top ones. And I can’t decide which one was better. One was Bobby McFerrin at The Royal Festival Hall, and the other one was The Flaming Lips at the Forum. McFerrin was absolutely amazing, an amazing technical singer and he also has a lot of aura and warmth. I left the Flaming Lips gig with the same kind of feeling like the McFerrin gig – it totally blew me away and I smiled for a whole week. I highly recommend to go and see them even if you don’t like their records. I also got dragged there and completely converted, because from their recorded stuff I wasn’t really sure if I like them or not. It was just incredible and still makes me smile when I think back.
They play this crazy gypsy music and this is a driking anthem if I ever heard one.
That depresses me in a nice, warm and chilled-out way.
I don’t buy any records, I download everything in high quality format. But it took quite a while to track down all the stuff he did.
When the girl I still go out with came to my house for the first time, we spent literally an entire day listening to music, exchanging stuff we liked. We must have listened to so many songs, all kind of stuff. Also a loads of tracks I never heard of. It was more than nine hours that we played music to each other. So this songs really stuck with me from that day.
A bit weird, I know...
It’s this song written by Daniel Johnston, sung by a guy I never heard before.
Very happy, enchanting music.
Top 10 all time favorite albums
(Virgin, 1970). I think it’s my dad’s favourite album. So it must have kinda rubbed off on me cuz he played it a lot when I was a kid.
(Hand Me Down, 2007). Just a brilliant album. Wicked for driving. It’s much more prog rock than its predecessors. Less hooky choruses, much more expansive odysseys.
(Epitaph, 2002). First one I heard by him but it completely blew my mind! It’s actually based on the play «Woyzeck», written by German poet Georg Büchner in 1837. The play was inspired by the true story of a German soldier who was driven mad by bizarre army medical experiments and infidelity, which led him to murder his lover.
(Pusa, 2004). One of the happiest things ever made. It’s the last album they did up to now and it’s full of humor, short, simple, and absurd punk songs that fill you with joy.
(Rounder, 2002). It’s this kind of children music. For children of all ages, of course. Very strange sounds, tweaked vocals, sound effects and songs inspired by children’s artists. It’s hilarious!
(Trattoria, 2002). Everything he does is brilliant. This album is pure magic. Although it’s completely electronical it features so many styles and influences: exotica, bossa nova, garage rock, and also pop. You will never get tired listening to it!
(Interscope, 1993). Genius! Les Claypool’s bass drives you mad. It’s almost like jazz, how the band jams and grows in complexity and musicality on every track.
(TL, 1999). He is my favourite living guitarist, he absolutely is. He is from Austria and worked with Eric Roche.
(P-3, 2003). Well, he’s the one who taught me how to play. He still is a massive influence on me although he died two years ago. He taught me his percussive style of playing which involves drumming on the body of the guitar to creative all different sounds. He was a true genius and died only aged 37.
(Hollywood, 2004). This is an absolutely astonishing collection of tunes and it really makes sense. There are the score pieces by Sven Libaek and stuff by Ex-Devo Mark Mothersbaugh – which are just awesome. And on the other hand there are tracks by The Stooges and songs by Bowie, sung in Portuguese. Quite bizarre it is... You have to listen to this, if you haven’t heard it, to understand its brilliance.
