Music / Features
So, what’s it to you?
w/ Paris Richens
w/ Paris Richens
Amongst the seemingly endless variety of weird and wonderful bands circling Melbourne these days, Parsnip hold their own in a paisley parade of oddity and comfort. Joyfully juvenile yet deceptively sophisticated in song structure and lyrics, entering the secret pastoral garden of Parsnip feels vaguely familiar but all together otherworldly.
As well as performing with Parsnip, Hierophants, and under the solo guise of PP Rebel, we caught up with Paris Richens to have a chat about the records that have played a part in her life so far.
As well as performing with Parsnip, Hierophants, and under the solo guise of PP Rebel, we caught up with Paris Richens to have a chat about the records that have played a part in her life so far.
The record that showed you music can be whimsical
God Bless Tiny Tim (1968) by Tiny Tim
God Bless Tiny Tim (1968) by Tiny Tim
"Never hit your grandma with a shovel / it makes a bad impression on her mind!"
An eclectic array of stories amusing and romantic. Tiny is unique to say the least; growing up listening to 78-rpm discs on a wind-up Victrola, later performing Vaudeville tunes on a ukulele disproportioned to his lengthy figure. The late 60s was perhaps the perfect time (or the only time) for his songs to emerge in the realm of popular music, but his unusual behaviour in the public lens overshadowed his advanced song writing capabilities. 'Strawberry Tea' really hits the spot.
The record that is always overlooked
False Ego (1976) by Eddie Callahan
An eclectic array of stories amusing and romantic. Tiny is unique to say the least; growing up listening to 78-rpm discs on a wind-up Victrola, later performing Vaudeville tunes on a ukulele disproportioned to his lengthy figure. The late 60s was perhaps the perfect time (or the only time) for his songs to emerge in the realm of popular music, but his unusual behaviour in the public lens overshadowed his advanced song writing capabilities. 'Strawberry Tea' really hits the spot.
The record that is always overlooked
False Ego (1976) by Eddie Callahan
More perfectly playful and diverse tunes, in a similar canon as R. Stevie Moore but even less so acknowledged. I haven’t heard of this album outside the psychedelic vinyl guide, The Acid Archives, which describes its "timeless quality, like the very best pop". It is a private press album and might have achieved more airplay if it was released in the digital-bedroom-recording era but alas, is the reason behind its obscurity.
The record you wish you could listen to again for the first time
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968) by The Kinks
The record you wish you could listen to again for the first time
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968) by The Kinks
In a similar vein to the aforementioned records, full of charm and master storytelling, but this in particular is an album that I revisit again and again, remaining just as magic with every listen... But then I am going to contradict myself here, because for that reason it is beyond just a collection of brilliantly written songs. It is a record I associate with the fond memories of friends and abrasive singalongs. The stories are of an eternal Kinkdom, where the consciousness expands with every play.
A record to cook to
In a Silent Way (1969) by Miles Davis
A record to cook to
In a Silent Way (1969) by Miles Davis
In my household this is probably what accompanies the evening cooking the most. I am not at all equipped to comment on the technicalities of jazz, but I go to pieces like this for its dynamism and momentum, as a passage into a realm of focussed activity.
The record that gets played way too much in the Parsnip tour van
The record that gets played way too much in the Parsnip tour van
In the USA, (v)Angelina Jolie, Bobo and Little Joe had to endure many renditions of 'Take Me Out' by Franz Ferdinand with our own impersonations of Fat Bastard on lead vocals. We recently attempted to put the Franz Ferdinand track on a compilation of songs selected by Melbourne bands, but it didn’t make the cut... guess the inside joke didn’t translate. But also, what gives? It’s a great song, duh.
A record that captures the feeling of love
Light the Lamp of Thy Love (2012) by the Nuns of Self-Realization Fellowship
A record that captures the feeling of love
Light the Lamp of Thy Love (2012) by the Nuns of Self-Realization Fellowship
Love as truth, law, as the omnipresent expression of the Infinite. This isn’t capturing as such, it is giving, sharing, pouring forth. These songs are a conduit, they awaken a sense of every being’s true native Self as the soul that lies beyond the small, perishable, sense-limited body consciousness. Love is everywhere, waiting to be found. Jai Guru, jai!
Parsnip's debut album
When The Tree Bears Fruit and latest EP Adding Up are out now through Anti Fade Records - head to parsniphq.bandcamp.com to grab a record.
Check out the previous instalment of James’ ‘So, what’s it to you?’ series with Nick Van Bakel here.
Check out the previous instalment of James’ ‘So, what’s it to you?’ series with Nick Van Bakel here.
