LA-based indie rock band, Milly, make the kind of music that soundtracks those late, starry nights when the world seems unfathomably vast, and bursting with possibilities. A mix of the more considered moments of early Smashing Pumpkins, and the heartfelt emo of Soccer Mommy or The American Analog Set, a new EP of celestial, shoegazey grunge is soon to be released.

So we caught up with the group to see what stands out to them in the world of creativity. These are their Sound & Vision picks:

Three favourite albums:

Yuck – Yuck

 

This is a record that changed my life. I found it at the age of 16 and it opened up a huge world for me… It showed me a new way of writing songs, I bought my first Big Muff and delay pedal, it put me onto other artists (Pavement, Dinosaur Jr, Breeders, etc). It’s a 10/10 record for me. Even the B-sides are perfect. Whenever I’m feeling uninspired, I gravitate towards this one for a refresher.

Heatmiser – Mic City Sons

 

As a huge Elliott Smith fan, there was nothing more exciting than finding Heatmiser. The songwriting on this record is unreal. Each song has such a distinct feel. I love that Elliott’s best songs (Plainclothes Man, The Fix Is In, See You Later, Half Right) obviously feel familiar to his solo stuff which I knew and loved but have this heavier, more driven edge. And Neil Gust’s contributions do not disappoint… namely my favorite Low Flying Jets which just grooves and feels SO good. 

Codeine – Frigid Stars

 

I found this album in college. It made me realise what music could be. Simple, honest, and bare. It channeled some of my heroes from previous decades (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young) while also coexisting perfectly at the time it was released.

One movie I love:

For better or for worse, my *unfortunate* favourite movie of all time is Step Brothers. To be fair, I grew up scared of movie theatres and, therefore, I feel like I missed out on a significant amount of movies. On top of that, any free time I have typically revolves around music, so I don’t really prioritise watching movies. I really do like band documentaries though, namely Slow Century and Breadcrumb Trail by Lance Bangs… both great documentaries on important bands to me (Pavement, Slint).

One book I love:

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas… a classic, yet, indeed again, exposing myself in that I typically put my focus into music related things. I have read a lot of good books on bands: Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and The Rise of Indie Rock by Jesse Jarnow; Perfect Sound Forever by Rob Jovanovic to name a few.

A song that is important to me:

Brendan: Jimmy Eat World – Claire

 

This song helps me back on my feet when I’m feeling down. It’s extremely heartfelt and the way the song progresses feels so rewarding to listen to. I always gravitate towards this song when I need a pick me up. 

Spencer: Rival Schools – Undercovers On

 

This song means a lot to me. From the lyrics that provoke an immense nostalgia to a song structure that keeps you on the edge of your seat; this song always gives me chills.