If you aren’t yet familiar with Many Things, let’s stop right there and change that:
I just want to listen to this track over and over. It’s such a wonderful blend of ’80s style neo-goth synth-rock (Depeche Mode, anyone? Maybe a little Blue Oyster Cult thrown in for good measure?) and modern indie-rock beats, sounds and vocal roars. I love the use of space between those HUGE beats and those gorgeous vocals. I can almost detect a hint of Nick Cave here and there – not the tone, but the way he sings, if that makes sense.
Formerly known as MT, London-based Many Things have had a pretty insane year, receiving massive international radio play, as well as supporting the likes of The Polyphonic Spree and Panic! At The Disco
If you recognise those vocals, that’s probably because Brisbane-born frontman Michael Tomlinson was last seen at the helm of now defunct indie darlings Yves Klein Blue. We wanted to know a little more about the man with that lush voice, so we asked him what some of his favourite songs are. (Hint: they are really good songs.)
Mark Tomlinson (Many Things): My Favourite Tunes
1. My favourite track to wake up to is… My Sweet Lord, George Harrison
When I was living in Melbourne when everything was falling to bits a few years ago I had this song as my alarm. Every morning I would wake up to it. It was a weird time because it was so sad, there was such a feeling of freedom like a weight was being lifted after so long. Everything was changing so much and I was growing a lot. This song seemed help it all make sense and to trust that no matter what happened it would be for the best.
2. The best track for cooking is… The Album of the Buena Vista Social Club
My Father loves to eat and he loves to cook. He also loves the Buena Vista Social Club. I’m always going to love this record and assume that everyone else in the world loves it as well because of my Father.
3. The best track for spring cleaning is… Django Reinhardt in general
It’s the lively rhythm, it helps you to stick your hand into the bin and remove that banana peel that’s been there since last spring.
4. The ultimate road trip track is…. Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen
OBVZ
5. My favourite love song is… You Can Never Hold Back Spring, Tom Waits
It’s such a beautiful song and it really captures how I feel about Love. Love is magic, natural & inevitable. It’s always there just waiting for you.
6. The best track for sweet love makin’ is… Fade Into You, Mazzy Star
There are many tracks that a good for sweet love making and this is one of them.
7. The track that always gets the party started is… Inspector Norse, Todd Terje
Yup.
8. The best track to wind down a crowd is…Ghost Town, The Specials
Ask Sean Cook about this one. Suffice to say that it was not my intention to wind the crowd down. My DJ skills have come a long way.
9. My favourite drunken karaoke track is… Still D.R.E, Dr Dre
I just love this song. I enjoy to sing it. Incidentally, my number one tip for having a good house party is to play the songs of The Chronic 2001 in a different order. Now you know.
10. My favourite song to sing in the shower is… Holiday Road, Lindsey Buckingham
An important woman in my life & I used to sing this song in the shower. I insisted on taking the falsetto part. It was just hilarious.
11. A song that always makes me cry is… I don’t think any songs make me cry. Only ‘The Notebook’… Theme from ‘The Notebook’
12. I love going to sleep listening to…..Soon To Be Innocent Fun, Arthur Russell
Again this was shown to me in Melbourne by Gareth Parton, a wonderful producer YKB were working with at the time. Gareth gave me a lot of gifts in the short time I was living in the same city as him and this was one of them. You should check out this video. Arthur Russell is so beautiful, sad and meditative as he plays this on the Cello. You get a sense of what in incredible musician he is and just how immense his soul is, or rather, how immense everyone’s soul is. He’s like a lightning rod.
13. I can’t stop dancing when I hear…. Praise You, Fatboy Slim
We have this routine here in London where we put this song on towards the end of the night and coerce as many people as possible into doing an interpretive dance with us just like in the music video.
Some nights it works ok, but others we achieve our goal: Everyone riding invisible bicycles upside down on the floor for the duration of the final chorus.