We recently reviewed the happy-sad acid pop single ‘Things That Make Us Cry’ by psychedelic Wirral dwellers The Dream Machine. It’s taken from their third album, Fort Perch Rock, which will be released by Run on Records on 27th February. Even more recently, we caught up with lead vocalist Zak McDonnell, and he was especially keen to let us know his top five underrated British artists. It only seems reasonable to share his thoughts with you.
In no particular order…
1. Nirvana
“Not THAT Nirvana. This is an English band from the 60s. I don’t really know much about them other than they just have two albums, I think. The one I’ve been listening to is their second – it’s called All Of Us. We were lucky enough to go out with The Lemon Twigs after their gig in Liverpool a couple of years ago and Brian from the band saved this on my phone when we were exchanging tunes. It’s all in the same sort of easy listening psychedelic folky mood. Sometimes it’s like The Kinks or Small Faces and sometimes it turns into this mad Himalayan mountain music or medieval baroque dancehall stuff. It’s off its head. ‘Rainbow Chaser’, ‘Tiny Goddess’, and ‘Girl In The Park’ are my favourites.”
2. Felt
“One of the best discoveries I’ve made in the past few years is this album by Felt called Forever Breathes the Lonely Word. All the song titles and lyrics are just as profound as the album title. James Skelly showed me it a couple of years ago and I’ve already had endless inspiration from it. It’s like a combination of The Doors, The Smiths, and The Bunnymen. There’s a great documentary about the singer called ‘Lawrence Of Belgravia’. There’s a great part when the A&R people from the record labels came to watch their first London gig, he switched all the lights off and took acid for the first time ever and did the gig in complete darkness. One of the most underappreciated albums and characters in British music for me.”
3. Michael Chapman
“Again, my knowledge of him is based almost entirely on one album, Fully Qualified Survivor, but it’s already a staple for me on long drives. Our guitarist Matt showed me it and it blew me away immediately. It’s like nothing I’ve really heard before. The first tune, ‘The Aviator’, is nearly ten minutes long, and on the right day it rivals any song, by anyone, ever, for me. Some people would chase a song like that their whole lives and not catch it. He caught it, and nobody knows it…. criminal! ‘Stranger In The Room’ and ‘Postcards From Scarborough’ are also unbelievable lost classics.”
4. Electrafixion
“It’s no secret that I’m a massive Echo and The Bunnymen fan, and this side project from Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant has been on constant rotation for a few years. I’d love to see some of these tunes make it into their set one day. The opening lines of ‘Sister Pain’ had me hooked as soon as I discovered their only album Burned:
Hey little sister pain
Scarred by the taste of angels
My little keeper pain
Hanging over my dark cradle
There’s also a VHS quality, slightly disturbing, video for ‘Lowdown’ on YouTube that we always put on Isaac’s telly, where they’re dressed as Wizard of Oz characters. Their whole aesthetic and even guitar sound remind me of what a lot of people are doing now. Some of their tunes wouldn’t be out of place on a Fontaines DC album at all.”
5. The Cryin’ Shames
“We like them so much that we covered their version of Burt Bacharach’s ‘Please Stay’ for a 7” record on the Dinked version of our last album Small Time Monsters. My nan said that when she worked in an office in Liverpool in the 1960s her friend was going out with the singer, Charlie, and there would be queues around the block every week to see them. Besides the fact it’s recorded by one of my favourite producers, Joe Meek, it’s just an amazing forgotten single from that time. The video is also so ghostly and melancholy to suit – just them, walking through the fog and singing. If you’re going to have a ‘one-hit-wonder’, make it this!”
The Dream Machine’s upcoming album, Fort Perch Rock, is released on 27th February on Run On Records. Pre-order it here.
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Feature by Neil Laurenson