Welles shares his ten favorite songs of all time

Now, enjoy Welles telling his ten favorite songs and you may just see some of the inspiration for his impeccable new album Red Trees and White Trash.

Wond’ring Again – Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson puts up the flute and puts down the woke-ass truth on this one. section A describes the earth as it is now, a bubbling and festering pit of consumerism capitalist waste-product. In section B he describes he and a friend searching for the last pigeon, ‘slate grey, i’ve been told’ in the future, after the fallout. It was recorded in 1970 but it rings even truer today. Been listening to this in the mornings since the grade 8.

Waterloo Sunset – The Kinks

It’s just a perfect example of a tune written so specifically that it could be about nothing more than the actual Waterloo sunset and maybe a slight neurosis. The Kinks do this a lot, this happens to be my favorite.

Pale Blue Eyes – The Velvet Underground

“They say money is like us in time. It lies, but can’t stand up. down to you is up.” Something in Lou’s voice is wearier than any dark night of the soul. You can hear heroin, the abyss, the horror, the love with no name, and a rotten sweet joy all in one. What a tune.

Kodachrome – Paul Simon

Simon makes the mundane pop. I love ads and the everyday in tunes. That opening line ‘when i think back…’ yikes. I gotta mention David Dundas “Jeans On” as well. but “Kodachrome” is pure gold. It’s as though Simon had the prescience to create an aural nostalgia for his generation before any of them even quit smoking.

Black Majick – Ty Segall

This tune turns me green, I wish i’d written it. Sounds to me like Ty rewrote happiness is a warm gun and put a big star spin on the chorus. The irony and juxtaposition of satan and saccharine melodies always turns me on.

California – Joni Mitchell

First time Iheard this I was watching a 70’s television performance of her’s on youtube. She’s sitting with a dulcimer in her lap singing like a songbird. No one needs me to try and describe the magic of Joni Mitchell.

A Lotta Things – Bonny Doon

Playin in the band you here a lotta folks say a lotta things, and you say a lotta things too, and most of it is bullshit. And I should be happy, and grateful, all the time, but i’m not. This song says it plain and simple.

BOOM! – Little Wings

Surreal and Melancholy, Kyle can be silly and sanguine and sappy and sad all in the same sentence. This was the first little wings tune I heard, haven’t put him down since.

Oh No – Foxygen

Sam France takes the wind out of the kite that is Foxygen and we have the pleasure of listening to it spiral downward. he pulls his saddest jagger, and his phrasing is so unique. “I’m not one for love now-a-days” – You must listen to that second line, it is put ingeniously. The spoken middle section precedes an “I want you (she’s so heavy)’/ ‘glass onion’ death march, ‘oh no’s’ all the way down.”

666 – Sugar Candy Mountain

Could the darkest number possibly be sung more beautifully? “Sugar Candy Mountain” sounds like their name. Karen Carpentar on psychedelics. There’s a line in this one “another war with the volume turned down” – And I’m not sure what they meant by it, but it sounds like my childhood, with Fox News going and we’re jus’ trying to eat dinner with fear mongering messages dripping outa shill Shep Smiths mouth and Bill O’Reilly pompously making an ass out of himself nightly and again, we’re jus’ trying to eat dinner. Of course turn the war down. Turn the war down so you can eat dinner.