Parker and Lily
Hello Halo
Orange Recordings

Parker & Lily is the new name of the duo formerly known as The Valentine Six. Their music is tender, minimalistic, and sometimes a bit creepy but very very beautiful sad, pop pearls. It's like walking in a Twin Peaks episode late one night. The music bears a strong cinematic feeling, and naturally enough some of their songs has been used as film tracks. Parker and Lily's most recent EP under the name Valentine Six was a soundtrack to the indie thriller Spectrum Red and the newest album Hello Halo contains music from the yet unreleased Winterland. One name that comes to my mind is Lee Hazelwood, maybe due to Parker Noon's distant, dreamy voice and their melancholic pretty melodies. Lily Wolf, a young New York pianist, is creating a very exciting atmosphere of mystery and nostalgia by electric piano, Acetone, Farfisa and Hammond organ, Vibraphone and Marimba. There's also an element of the 50 and the 60's in their music and songs like Waitress has a strong element of early Velvet Underground in it. There are also some references to past romantic crooners like Roy Orbison with greasy ballads of love and heartache but it is always presented in a sophisticated, delicate manner. Sometimes it could do with some real drums instead of the drumming machine, but I guess it's part of their sound. It's also worth mention that the album is recorded by Matt Verta Ray (Speedball Baby, formerly Madder Rose), who also plays extensive guitar and steel guitar. This gives the album the certain sense of a stylish road movie or a spaghetti western. There's also a special guest appearance of Tony Corsano on drums (formerly of James Chance and the Contortions). This is a really great album for late nights this autumn and I just cant stop playing it and the band has certainly proven that less is more.

Best moments: All of them, but if you need to know The sweet instrumental Mandarin, The creepy P.S, The Velvet's inspired Waitress, the beautiful Twin Peakish Desert Holiday, The definite film soundtrack Morley (and Piazolla is lurking in the background), the sad love ballad Only Heartbreak For Me, and the spaghetti western based What's an Oubliette.

Copyright © 2001 Mariann Skjerdal