Name  Myles Kennedy

Best known for  Best known for portraying Thor “God Of Thunder” in the movie Rock Star. I also sing, play guitar, and write songs in several bands that your dad might like.

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Current city  Spokane, WA.

Really want to be in  I would love to be in Kyoto, Japan finding inspiration and eating great food.

Excited about  I’m super excited to release my third solo record The Art Of Letting Go on October 11th. It gives me an excuse to get back together with my buddies and tour the world.

My current music collection has a lot of  Ella Fitzgerald singing standards written by various composers. I love her rendition of the tunes from The Great American Songbook.

And a little bit of  Prog rock.

Preferred format  I seem to be leaning more towards streaming lately. Mainly because I’m lazy and it’s a great way to discover new music. If I want to enjoy the ritual of enjoying a full record I will listen to vinyl. 

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

Aja, Steely Dan

There is a reason why this album was the go-to for audiophiles back in the day. It sounds amazing, and the creative direction that Becker and Fagen took at this stage still resonates with me. There’s also the all-important nostalgic element. It’s impossible for me to hear this and not be transported back to innocent days, playing with my Star Wars figures while hanging out in my treehouse on the outskirts of Spokane, Washington.

2

Grace, Jeff Buckley

This record changed everything for me. At the height of the mid ‘90s when it wasn’t cool to be musically proficient, Jeff reminded everyone that it’s impossible to ignore rare and profound talent, especially when it’s at the cosmic level that he possessed.

3

Dirt Floor, Chris Whitley

I was driving with a friend in L.A. a long time ago. She had this CD playing quietly in the background. I finally had to stop the conversation because it was impossible to engage while something so compelling and haunting was coming through the speakers. I was familiar with his records in the past, but something about the courage he manifested on this record pulled on my heart strings. Stripping things down to his voice and his resonator really appealed to me.

Dirt Floor has flown under the radar for too long but I feel like more and more young artists are finally discovering it. Proof that the cream eventually rises to the top.

4

Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder

Stevie was an unstoppable force of nature at this point in his career. It’s been said that he released a string of albums during this period that were the equivalent of hitting a home run every time he stepped up to the plate.

In many ways, this record taught me how to sing. Although I could never replicate his lightning-fast inflections, his sense of phrasing and melody influenced me early on. My vocal approach would be very different without his influence.

5

Kind of Blue, Miles Davis

I think I lost my virginity to this one. Nuff said.

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