Stereo Six: Brooklyn Indie Rockers PARROT DREAM Describe the Six Albums that Influenced Their ‘Light Goes’ Debut

Formed by Christina Hansen Appel (vocals, keys) and Gonzalo Guerrero (guitar) in Santiago, Chile in 2013, indie rock group Parrot Dream recently released their debut full-length Light Goes in August. Shortly after forming, the duo relocated to Brooklyn, New York, rounded out the rest of the band, and began to make large strides in a short period of time.

Light Goes was written over the course of two years and is characterized by the themes of connection, love, memories and clarity. To help you learn more about the influences that you may find on Light Goes, Parrot Dreams let us in on some of their most influential records in our latest edition of Stereo Six.

The band’s new recording, Light Goes, was released this past August.

01. Blonde Redhead – Self-Titled (1995, Smells Like Records)
– This is their first album and feels more experimental and noisy than their later albums (which we also love). We love the composition of the songs, featuring layering instrumentals that help to create this amazing expansivity.

02. Autolux – Future Perfect (2004, DMZ)
– One of only three albums this trio has put out, this album is just so good. Carla Azar’s drumming technique and style are incredible. The drum arrangements on this album are brilliant and are for sure an inspiration. We do a cover of “Plantlife” from this album that is definitely a crowd favorite and really fun to play.

03. Lower Dens – Escape From Evil (2015, Ribbon Music)
– We got really into this record while writing our album, and went to see them play live a couple of time as well during that period. The melodies that Jana Hunter creates are sick, and sometimes feel light, and then they expand and soar. We really respect Hunter’s politics and activism as well.

04. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones (2006, Dress Up/Interscope)
– Listening to this album takes us back to a very specific time in the New York indie music scene. Karen O. is an inspiration; her vocal performance is incredibly evocative and real; her live shows are electric. Our favorite song on this album is “The Sweets.” We used to play it together acoustically. Love the writing style on this song as well; there’s a connecting theme but it’s not clearly apparent what it is, and then the song kind of ends with this cool Part C, different from the chorus.

05. Broadcast – Tender Buttons (2005, Warp)
– Trish Keenan’s vocals weave beautifully with the synth arrangements on this album. Her voice is powerful in its soft depth, and we love the lyrical patterns and poetic phrasing. “Sapphire her burning eyes / Model euphonic paradigms / Awkwardness happening to someone you love” is a favorite bit from “Black Cat” off this album.

06. [Curveball Answer] DNA – Not Moving (1978, No More Records)
– Shortly after moving to New York, we got a book entitled Punk Press about underground press in the ‘70s and ‘80s, which featured a lot of artists involved in the NY no wave scene. We started listening to some of the no wave bands, including this album. There is a lot of experimentation with atonality and dissonance on this album, and it forces you to listen differently, to approach the music differently.

Parrot Dream welcome you to the “Jungle” with the music video below.