AC/DC, The Rutles, The Beatles, Nico, Lee Hazelwood, Nancy Sinatra, Ween, Johnny Cash, The Kinks, The Velvet Underground. Shuggie Otis, Black Sabath, Abba, Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention, Bruce Haack, Dayglo Abotions, Skip Spence, Residents, The Supremes, Tomita, Moby Grape, Wings, The Bonzo Dog Band, Klaatu, Brian Wilson , Yoko Ono, Sonic Youth, Takako Minekawa, Beck, Syd Barrett, E.L.O., C.C.R., Y.M.O., D.R.I., E.L.P., S.O.D., Simon and Garfunkle, Aphex Twin, Neil Young, The Silver Apples, Faul, Yes, Kraftwerk, Leonard Nemoy, Cibo Matto, Neil Diamond, Marvin Gaye, Tom Waits, Gordon Lightfoot, Donovan, Marshall Mathers, Guns & Roses, The Animals, Dr. Hook, Blue Oyster Cult, The Moody Blues, Oz Mutantes, The Byrds, William Shatner, The Peanuts, Buffalo Daughter, Eric Idle, The Turtles, Heino, Leonard Cohen, The Beach Boys, Kitaro, Gerry Rafferty, Simply Saucer, Cornelius, Stereo Total, Stereolab, Captain Beefheart, William S. Burroughs, Vivian Stanshall, Neil Innes, Johnny Horton, David Bowie, Willie Nelson, Spinal Tap, Cat Steavens, Led Zeplin, Slayer, America, Manfred Mann, The Who, Thunderclap Newman, T.Rex, Alice Cooper, Eric Burdon....
Sounds Like
The R.a.d.i.o.'s music exudes a natural benevolence that is just too diverse and weird for any particular rock genre. Like Beck or Bjork, the band incorporates various artifacts of different pop cultures into their songs; samples of videogames, cartoons, and television broadcasts are frequently heard. However, they can also write strong, straight-ahead pop songs with infectious hooks and backup vocals reminiscent of the Kinks or the Zombies. Dreamy soundscapes pervade the songs, as does a Japanese pop influence. The R.a.d.i.o.'s ability to perform songs in Japanese, German, French, and Russian, is among many factors that make them difficult to compare to other rock groups; they are not a group of shoegazers or college rockers or a retro band. While their songs sprawl throughout pop's various stylizations, the musical synthesis the R.a.d.i.o. has achieved is coherent and readily identifiable: ~ John Keillor, All Music Guide
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STRANGE MAGIC: THE NEW ALCHEMY
"I put a spell on you” was the cry at the birth of rock and roll, and generations of musicians since, from ABBA to Zappa, have captured this lightning in the bottle. At the end of this lineage stands Strange Magic, a collective of Vancouver's finest practitioners of psychedelic pop music. Formed by Ray Down, Kayoko Takahashi and David Milke in 2007 out of the ashes of The R.A.D.I.O., the trio was soon joined by the all-star cast of John Schubert (Panurge) and Tony Koelwyn (The Awkward Stage) and Steve Barmash. The band made it debut appearance on the foreign shores of Japan in the fall of 2007, playing to enthusiastic crowds in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoko. Back in Canada, the group put the finishing touches on its debut album, 'Harmonic Rings', set for release in summer 2008. Expect live showcases throughout the spring and summer in Vancouver and beyond, as the band delivers its patented brand of infectious hooks, futurist soundscapes and dead-poet's-society lyricism on the unsuspecting ears of the world. Call it the songs of tomorrow today. Call it Strange Magic.
I really like bonavista. i hear psychedelic bluegrassy banjo, veering into melodic rock anthem 'n some good vocal harmonies. the 3/4 time cut threw me off... i like to be thrown off.
Hey R.A.D.I.O. I dig your music - it's fun & exciting. Beach Boys Christmas album & Piper at the Gates of Dawn right? Looking forward to hearing your 4th album.
Peace & Shine On!
Stephen, Vancouver B.C.
Think I first heard you on one of Bob Harris's shows. You have an amazing sound...I'd try describing it but I'm sure there are enough words in the English language. Listening to your songs is like tapping in to someone else's stream of cnsciousness or something*laughs*
Seriously though, you have a unique and interesting sound.
My own material is a little more conservative I guess but I really would love to know what you guys think of the four songs on my own page. I don't get the chance to gig so I always value the opinion of other musucians.
