5 for 20: Matt Murphy of the Super Friendz

When you’re an influential musician, people tend to ask you what you’ve been listening to lately. Here at 5 for 20, we’re just as keen to find out what records loom large in our favourite artists’ memory banks. So, we’re asking folks for their top five records of the last 20 years.

This week we hear from gifted guitarist/singer/smarty-pants Matt Murphy, whose beloved band the Super Friendz are playing their first show in many years at the Marquee Club on Saturday, Oct. 20 during the Halifax Pop Explosion. Along with Sloan and Thrush Hermit, the Super Friendz were key trendsetters when they emerged from the Maritimes in the early 1990s, and Murphy went on to start another dynamic band in the Flashing Lights.

In addition to HPX, the Super Friendz are playing Lee’s Palace in Toronto on Nov. 16, so we asked Murphy to reflect upon his last two decades of music–loving.

“I would say this era begins, as my most formative music years end,” he admits. “I guess in other words, these are albums I listened to after I started to make music of my own. That can colour things, turn works of inspiration into objects of study. Anyway, I've been entranced by these records and learned a thing or two from them as well.”

It’s a Shame About Ray by the Lemonheads (1992)

Great voice, cool voicings plus bittersweet and hopeless tunes. There is still something special locked away in these songs that I often try to unlock in songs of my own.

This Is It Here We Go by Local Rabbits (2001)

First of all, this record sounds incredible. It's probably the best-sounding record any of my friends have ever made. Further, if anyone wants to hang out sometime to talk about the record's nuanced singing, playfully cutting songwriting and superbly crafted arrangements, the Cuervo Gold is on me.

Listen to "The Lights Turn On" by Local Rabbits.

Trials of Van Occupanther by Midlake (2006)

This one gets off on the right foot, doesn't it? The first song is a total stunner, vibing heavily on Fleetwood Mac, Blue Oyster Cult and some sort of Texan something-or-other. I love how these "ye olden" dudes blend electronic sounds with acoustic instruments throughout to transport you to different time and place (i.e. Little House on the Prairie with guitars).

Love and Curses by Reigning Sound (2009)

This is a blistering breakup album that will reproduce the feeling of having your heart ripped in two. I liked listening to this record a lot until the real thing happened to me. Now I can't listen to it so much.

4 by Dungen

I think this music changed my ear. When I was first getting into it, I remember scrambling to grab hold of the obtuse melodic pathways. It was frustrating, but I was deeply motivated by the mystery. Flash forward to today and I can whistle along happily and do so with great pride.