Top 5 albums with Sydney duo, Salarymen
Runaway with salarymen…
If we had to choose one good thing to come out of 2020, Sydney duo Salarymen has got to be up there…
In particular, their bloody adorable new single and video “Runaway” - a genre-bending track, mixing elements of 70s pop and modern indie rock, drawing influences from Arcade Fire, Foxygen, Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood.
Ahead of their upcoming single launch at The Vanguard (which we’re proudly supporting), we caught up to see what other influences we can expect to find in their versatile and oh-so nostalgic sound, with their Top 5 Albums of All Time.
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
[Thom] We could’ve named countless Bob Dylan albums, but Highway 61 Revisited just does it for us. As a hopeless lyricist myself, it is mind-blowing how one man can effortlessly craft such poetic and vivid imagery all the while creating timeless chords and melodies. The album has a great live jam feel to it with The Band taking Bobs songs to the next level. The 11+ minute Desolation Row is a personal favourite of mine and a testament to his musical talents. The old fella is getting on these days, it’s going to be a sad sad day for Salarymen and mankind when our beloved Bob leaves us.
Youth and Young Manhood - Kings of Leon
[Thom] When I was in high school I used to tape Rage on VHS every Saturday night in the hope of discovering some cool new music to show my buddies. That was the first time I was exposed to what became the biggest idols of my adolescence. I became completely obsessed with the bands 70’s, swampy, southern rock aesthetic and the aggressive, raspy tone of Caleb’s voice. This album immediately transports you to a sweaty room in Nashville filled with the smell of cigarettes and rock n roll.
Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear
[Thom] This album still blows my mind every time I hear it. It’s one of the most unique and original sounding albums I’ve ever heard and I was lucky enough to see it performed live at Splendour a few years back. It lies somewhere in the realm of classical, pop, jazz in my mind and has completely changed the way that we compose music. From the tidy pop track “Two weeks” to the psychedelic epic “I live with you” it’s an amazing journey not to be missed. It’s also Johnny Greenwood from Radiohead’s favourite band, so that’s saying something!
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - David Bowie
[Renee] Can we just take a look at this track listing for a minute? How is it possible to have so many great songs on one record? If you only had time to listen to one Bowie record for the rest of your life - this would be it. This record captures his enigmatic, larger-than-life essence perfectly. Listening to it always makes me want to be the most fun and ridiculous version of myself there is - and not waste a single second of life, which is exactly what Bowie did to his very last breath. He was this exuberant personality who harnessed such amazing creativity, and gifted us with gems right til the end - and that’s something so many musicians aspire to do.
Howl’s Moving Castle Soundtrack - Joe Hisaishi
[Renee] Joe Hisaishi is the mastermind behind the music to all of Studio Ghibli’s most famous films, and Howl’s Moving Castle is without a doubt one of his best. This soundtrack really leaves its mark on you. Anyone who has watched the films will know how gut-wrenchingly beautiful, haunting and downright mesmerising the music scores are – they just whisk you away into another world! Whenever I listen to the main theme song, I find myself literally transfixed on the music, forgetting about the world for a few minutes as if I was in the movie. Got some stressful shit on your mind? This will make it ok for a little while. Try it - I dare you!
Get tickets to Salarymen’s “Runaway” Single Launch via Moshtix. We’ll also be giving away a case of Newtowner on the night for one lucky (ticket-holding) frother!
