3 Songs: as chosen by Josh Berwanger (Berwanger, The Anniversary, Radar State)

K.C. singer-songwriter Josh Berwanger - formerly of The Anniversary and Only Children and also currently of Radar State - recently released his third solo album, The Star Invaders via Good Land Records.  The excellent new album makes great use of vintage synth sounds a little more with some of them sounding cosmic and spaced-out and some, horror movie-inspired.  He also doubles down on the infectious and psychedelic brand of power-pop that has become his calling card as a solo artist for his best and most cohesive album yet.        

The striking album artwork along with standouts such as the epic opening title track and “The Astronaut” carry out a sci-fi concept.  To get a better feel for the inspiration behind the album, I recently spoke with Josh, and in the spirit of my regular “3 Songs” series, I asked him to share three songs that influenced him during the creative process for the new album.  Berwanger said, “This is the first album I've made that is really hard to pinpoint certain songs that inspired me specifically. It was more so inspired by a UFO encounter I had while on vacation in North Carolina.  But there were certain songs that came to mind, the way they were recorded in the studio. Like, “Still D.R.E.” by Dr. D.R.E., “A Rose For Emily” by the Zombies and “Are You the One I've Been Waiting for” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I was thinking a lot about Nick Cave's vocal deliveries and the very open sounds of his records; they are all so personal and intimate, like you are sitting in the room with him.” 

Listen to Berwanger’s 3 Songs picks here and then stream The Star Invaders below to see if you can spot the influences.

Dr. Dre – “Still D.R.E.”: https://youtu.be/_CL6n0FJZpk

The Zombies – “A Rose For Emily”: https://youtu.be/iC8N42zOzNs

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – “Are You The One I’ve Been Waiting For”: https://youtu.be/2wN4knXdGEE

Stream and purchase The Star Invaders here: