Avsha was one of those who were stirred up by its unusual presence in the forefront of modern pop culture. Radiohead’s Kid A was a record that opened doors to a new bohemian world for many youngsters of a certain generation. My personal relationship with him still feels incredibly strong for me, and I think his pure artistry will go down as some of the most important in the progression of music.” Radiohead – Kid A I grew my own personal relationship with him, and his ability to successfully present an image that was personless and egoless was incredibly inspirational to me. So many of those songs have soundtracked the greatest highs and lowest lows of my life. “The complexity of the songs mirrored the complexity of the emotional and personal ideas he was conveying. What I believed was necessary to live an ordinary life was an angry suppression of natural feelings, and I felt that songs like ‘2:45 a.m.’ and ‘Speed Trials’ were an open-minded, clear-headed look at what living with those ingrained thoughts were.” He then continues: “As an introverted and shy person, it felt like Elliott Smith was able to show me that having that internal dialogue that would push self-doubt and hatred was not fact, but a misguided understanding and interpretation of the environment around me. Either/Or for me presents dense and complicated lyrics about dense and complicated topics in songs that are somehow complex and simple all at the same time.”
Avsha was profoundly moved by the candid emotion of the record even from a young age.Īvsha explained: “It’s difficult to find something to say about Elliott Smith’s significance in personal emotional expression that hasn’t been said. For many fans, Either/Or is his rhythmic best. Of course, at the time, I was unaware of Sparklehorse’s popularity, but hearing an adult convey things that were so poignant and applicable to me helped me realize that what I was thinking wasn’t nonsense.”Įlliott Smith is an artist detectable in Lowertown’s withdrawn and sullen sound. It felt like a private exhibition of someone’s very personal sadness. With It’s a Wonderful Life, I felt as if I had discovered it all on my own. I had discovered Mark Linkous originally as an influence to many of my favourite artists of the time, and discovering this record at 13 years old opened up a world of possibilities for me.”Īvsha continues: “I had grown up learning about artists and records that went against the grain and were incredibly popular as being revolutionary, but because of these artists being common knowledge, I felt that I shared their music with the rest of the world. “This was the first record I ever bought with my own money. “This record has played many different, yet equally significant roles for me growing up,” Avsha explains. Its lo-fi ways proved to be a hugely influential record for Avsha. Sparklehorse’s third studio album from back in 2001, featured the likes of Tom Waits, PJ Harvey and The Cardigans’ Nina Persson. Lowertown’s nine favourite records: Avsha’s choices: Sparklehorse – It’s a Wonderful Life They may have split their choices up, but as you’ll see, for the most part, they’re singing off the same hymn sheet. Lowertown’s choice of albums are an assortment of records that all arrived at poignant times and helped when he needed it most, providing both creative impetus and the precious inviolable sanctity that music always offers up. £8 can answer one potentially life-saving call. If you’re able, and if you can afford to, please consider a small donation to help the CALM cause.