Pop Culture Picks: Mick Harvey

‘Pop Culture Picks’ is our new regular feature where cool people fill us in on their favourite things. Up first: local music hero, Mick Harvey.   

–

Since parting ways with longtime collaborator Nick Cave, Mick Harvey — the multi-instrumentalist and former member of local legends The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds — has kept decidedly busy. He recently co-produced PJ Harvey’s Mercury Prize-winning 2011 album, Let England Shake, and earlier this year, released his seventh solo album, Four (Acts Of Love) (All Music Guide called it a “weighty, thought-provoking, moving experience”).

This summer, Harvey can be seen at the Sydney Festival, where he’ll be joined by a six-piece band, a string section, and special guests to perform his own interpretations of the work of Gallic crooner and seminal pervert, Serge Gainsbourg, taken from Harvey’s own mid-’90s albums, Intoxicated Man (1995) and Pink Elephants (1997).

But first, he’s got some excellent recommendations for you.

–

A book: The Man With The Golden Arm, by Nelson Algren

“Some people think he’s dated and others don’t like his rough American exterior, but for me Algren writes the most beautiful prose I have found. It’s been years since I read his major works, but I’ve yet to find anything which stacks up against my memory of this 1949 book, Walk On The Wild Side (1956) and The Neon Wilderness (1947).”

–

A film: The Hidden Fortress, by Akira Kurosawa

“Since I can remember I have held Touch Of Evil to be my favourite film, but after a solid viewing of Seven Samurai (1954) and then this 1958 gem, I finally had to relent and admit Kurosawa was probably the best director. It also gives me the opportunity of NOT citing the Orson Welles film yet again.”

–

A TV show: The Wire

“All those recent TV series are up there with the best drama ever made — The Sopranos, Breaking Bad (apparently… I still haven’t watched it properly), Homeland, Boardwalk Empire — but through its five seasons, The Wire develops a complexity of inter-relationships and intertwining stories that none of the others can match. Sometimes the internal set-ups defy suspension of disbelief, but it is far and away the most jaw-dropping and intricate series of them all.”

–

An album: The Modern Lovers, by The Modern Lovers

“A classic in every respect, but becoming somewhat forgotten as time marches on. This was a hugely influential album on the whole late ’70s punk/new wave happening, and embodies all the essentials: good songs, atmosphere, groove. It’s smart, funny, serious, and deeply dark all at the same time, and has great rocking feels without the rock posturing.”

–

A song: ‘Song To The Siren’, by Tim Buckley

“About as perfect as a three-minute song can get. Uncoverable. Lyrics beautifully constructed, the music and vocals finely balanced. Not an extraneous note or word to be heard.”

–

A comic: Peanuts

“My son reads a lot of Gary Larson’s The Far Side, Peanuts and Tintin, and as a consequence I come into contact with many of these publications. I read Peanuts quite a bit in my early teens; not really my thing but a happy passenger at times.”

–

A website/podcast: ‘Meltingpod‘

“I could have opted for jacksonpollock.org as a website, but the ONLY podcast I ever listen to is ‘Meltingpod‘. My friend Annie Viglielmo from Marseille puts up lots of good interviews with interesting and difficult Australian music legends like Chris Bailey, Ed Kuepper and myself. What could be more fascinating?”

–

A fashion label: Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton

“Why? ‘Because it looks like Chanel and has great shapes and proportions.’ When quizzed on men’s stuff, my wife responded: ‘Haven’t looked into Louis Vuitton for men much, but I could look it up for you if you are interested?'”

–

Mick Harvey: Intoxicated Man takes place at the Sydney Town Hall on January 19. Find further information at sydneyfestival.org.au

[feature image by Alexander Hallag]