A Singer Of Songs

The Belgian Lieven Scheerlinck, based in Barcelona, whispers his words into a microphone under the alias a Singer of Songs since 2008. He's a solitary singer-songwriter but also the leader of a four man band. Now that he owns a record label, his journey culminates in From hello to goodbye, a Singer of Songs’ fourth record.

http://asingerofsongs.com/

http://asingerofsongs.bandcamp.com/

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1. Elliott Smith – Angeles

At the time I was working a terrible job cleaning in a perfume shop, having to get out of bed at 4:30 am every day. And every morning I put on this song. It helped me to gather the strength to get out of bed and face the day.

2. Sparklehorse – Saint Mary

My favorite song of my favorite band. The fact that he wrote this song while he was in the hospital recovering from a coma makes it only more painful & beautiful.

3. Tiny Ruins – Always you, tiptoeing through

Hollie is a dear friend and my favorite female singer at present. I think this is the first song she ever wrote. Nina Simone would be a big fan of Tiny Ruins.

4. Spain – Spiritual

I have been listening at least once a week to this song for the past 20 years. And it keeps moving me every time I hear it.

5. Buffalo Tom – Larry

I like to listen to this one when I’m alone, so I can scream along and play air guitar at ease.

6. The Rye Boys – Candidate

I only discovered them a couple of weeks ago, but it feels as if I’ve known them my whole life. They are amazing.

7. Damien Rice – Trusty and True

Only he can pull this off. The violins in crescendo, the endless repeat of the same melody… If you ask me for another list in ten years, this one will still be on it I think.

Dan West / LoveyDove

Dan West is a California based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He sings and plays bass in the psych powerpop trio Sidewalk Society, and sings and plays guitar in a band called LoveyDove with Azalia Snail. Between 2012 and 2014 he has also released two lo-fi garage pop albums under his own name.

danwest.bandcamp.com

loveydove.bandcamp.com

sidewalksociety.wordpress.com

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1. Jimmy Webb, Dusty Springfield - Magic Garden (EP, 1968)

One of Jimmy Webb's best in my opinion. Although this song was performed by The Fifth Dimension on the album of the same title in 1967, it is Dusty's version that I just love.

Her voice gives a melancholy lilt to the lyric as if to say that the magic garden really is a fantasy and ultimately, one must live in reality and only go to the magic garden when feeling down.

2. The Who - Pictures Of Lily (Single, 1967)

A brilliant, quirky masterpiece from Pete Townshend and the first recording by the Who to truly capture their raucous, careening sound as a band. Keith Moon's drumming is breathtaking, the lyric content sublime, especially as I heard this song for the first time during the early throes of puberty.

3. Elliott Smith - A Fond Farewell (From A Basement On A Hill, 2004)

A terrific example of Elliott Smith's haunting way with a melody and a lyric. What seems like a simple folk/pop song has an underpinning of wistful sadness and loss.

4. Nirvana - Serve The Servants (In Utero 1993)

Kurt Cobain says everything that needs to be said about his rapid rise to fame, his unhappy childhood and his tortured, unfulfilling relationship with Courtney Love in just 3 minutes. The lyrics to this song are in my opinion, among his best: 'Teenage angst has paid off well, now I'm bored and old, self appointed judges judge, more than they have sold.' Brilliant.

5. The Kinks - Phenominal Cat (The Village Green Preservation Society, 1968)

A lovely caricature of the type Ray Davies built a career on, this time about a cheshire-like cat that sits in a tree and eats contentedly after having traveled the farthest reaches of the world.

6. Azalia Snail - Honeysuckle (Avec Amor, 2005)

Sexy, intelligent, and rockin' to its core, this honest look at the dilemma of loving someone who is sucking the life out of you is a classic. 'Honey don't suck me dry, honeypie I'm stuck in drive.'

7. Bob Dylan / The Byrds - All I Really Want To Do (Another Side Of Bob Dylan, 1964 / Mr. Tambourine Man, 1965)

Whether it's the Bob Dylan version or the Byrds version, this song always brings a tear to my eye. Another example of Dylan's limitless ability to say what few others know how to say....'All I really want to do is baby, be friends with you.' Absolutely beautiful.

Lotte Kestner / Trespassers William

Anna-Lynne Williams has been the lead singer and guitarist of the cult-band Trespassers William. In 2008 she started her own songwriting project under the name of Lotte Kestner, focusing on minimal-folk and dreaming atmospheres. She also runs a lovely label called Saint Loup Records.

lottekestner.bandcamp.com

www.saintlouprecords.com

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1. The Cure - Open (from Wish, 1992)

I spent my childhood singing, but didn't start seriously writing music until after I heard 'wish'. This was the song that opened the album, and came out of the gates with these earnest lyrics about drinking too much at a party and making a fool of yourself. I was struck by how real it felt, and in that moment was convinced that you could make powerful music and be honest at the same time.

2. Radiohead - Fake plastic trees (from The Bends, 1995)

This was the first video I ever saw of the band that would ultimately have the biggest impact on my taste in music and the way i sing. thom yorke  weaving through aisles in a shopping cart, singing about inauthenticity, and trying to fight that somehow by loving.. I am so inspired by the beauty this band has made on album after album, and this was the first spark of that. 

3. Portishead - Mysterons (from Dummy, 1994)

At age 15 I found this song while slipping on the headphones at a Tower Records listening station near my high school. I ended up spending all of my lunches there instead of with my friends, intoxicated by the pairing of such pretty melodies with such dark music. Sexy music for smart people. 

4. Cocteau Twins - Carolyn's fingers (from Blue Bell Knoll, 1988)

I heard this one in a friend's car and it was the first time I couldn't classify what I was listening to. It sounded inhuman and floral, the melody so catchy without even being able to sing along with it. Such a big influence on me as a vocalist. This era of the band is as timeless as classical music. 

5. Elliott Smith - Between the bars (from Either/Or, 1997)

From one of my brother's priceless mix tapes and maybe the best song from this beautiful songwriter whose pain was so relatable and lovable. "People you've been before that you don't want around anymore.." songs like this make us all aspire to be better songwriters. Almost wore out this tape.

6. Devendra Banhart - A sight to behold (from Rejoicing in the hands, 2004)

More listening station magic, this time in my mid 20's in claremont, California. Devendra was my introduction to the new iteration of folk music. I love how creepy his voice sounds on this song, the hiss of the lo-fi recording and how he just sounds like he loves singing. Definitely influenced my first lotte kestner album. 

7. Sun kil moon - Carry me, Ohio (from Ghosts of the great highway, 2003)

Red house painters were my favorite of the gauzy indie rock bands of the 90s, and then this new project came along just at the right time, a decade later, all grown up and more angular. This is one of those perfect songs, that sounds like nostalgia, so long and pretty, like driving to your favorite place.