If you had to go away for awhile and you could only take five of your favorite albums with you, which ones would you choose? Yes, we know it isn’t a fair question, but that hasn’t stopped us from asking music fans who happen to be recording artists in their own right. This edition of Desert Island Discs comes courtesy of singer/songwriter Hannah Miller, whose latest release, the EP O Black River, is out now. Visit Hannah’s site for samples of her music — after reading her Desert Island picks, of course!
Over the Rhine, Good Dog, Bad Dog
One of my earliest musical true loves. I discovered this album and this band completely randomly, back in the days when music stores had little CD players set up with headphones and you could just pick up a “listening copy” of any record and listen to it. I picked this one up, put it on, and was immediately hooked by the pain and beauty of Karin Berquist’s haunting voice.
I’ve loved them ever since.
Thad Cockrell, To Be Loved
One of the producers of my EP Journey to the Moon handed me this album when we first met to discuss working together, he said he thought I’d like it, and he was right. I love it. I think I just have a thing for haunting voices with a good bit of hurt in them…and Thad is no exception to that rule. Also great writing always gets me.
Simon and Garfunkel, Greatest Hits
So maybe it isn’t hip to put a greatest hits album on this list, but I have to. This is the album that introduced me to these guys, I distinctly remember hearing “Cecilia” for the first time in my friend’s living room when I was about 10 or 11, and having my ears opened to what music could be…it was different than anything I’d heard up to that point, and I wanted more! I’ve loved them ever since, and no desert island would be complete without them.
Damien Jurado, Saint Bartlett
This is my most recent awesome music discovery; I’m late to the game as usual, but I was knocked over the head when I heard “Arkansas” and I need many more hours of soaking this stuff in, so it has to make the trip with me.
Tom Petty, Anthology
So maybe this is cheating again, because it’s a greatest hits and a double album, but again, it has to be done. Tom Petty is just special. I can’t even begin to try to explain why, but I don’t think I need to anyway. Can’t leave home without him.
O Black River Official Music Video from Hannah Miller on Vimeo.
Comments