3. Biff RoseRoast Beef

Him and Randy [Newman] have been the two pillars of my creative output recently. My friend Finlay showed me Biff Rose last year, another record called [1968 debut album] The Thorn in Mrs Rose’s Side, which also could have made it to this list. I just had this connection with his music. It was like falling in love for the first time in ages, and it really helped me write. I wrote the most I’ve ever written last year because of this guy’s records, and this record in particular. It’s so impressive yet so comical and light-hearted at the same time, with these really huge peaks and troughs. Every song connects through jazz-like interludes. I could describe him in a similar way to Randy, but he goes that step further with his comical showman performance. He’s a crazy dude. 

I don’t know how the hell they recorded this album, but it sounds like they literally just pressed record, and he started playing the piano. This is a cool example of how you could record a demo record, and with the front cover, it all looks very thrown together – but it’s the work of a genius, because you have to be able to play without making a mistake. These are my favorite kinds of artists; who make music that seems cheesy or silly or easy, and then you look at how it’s made, and actually no one can do it apart from that one person.