HEY! Welcome to Twenty Top 5s. I (Tyler) have been sending out questionnaires to some of my favorite musicians and asking for their top 5 in every category. I’ll be publishing them every Thursday for the foreseeable future. Hopefully this lets you get to know some of your favorite musicians a little bit better, and I hope it distracts you in these trying times.
Today’s Twenty Top 5s participant is Nao Demand. Nao plays guitar in Philly’s craziest metal band, Zorn, fronts his own punk band Alien Birth, and plays in various other projects in Philadelphia. Nao is one of the most talented, versatile musicians I’ve ever met. He’s an excellent guitarist, drummer, and vocalist, capable of thriving in multiple different genres.
Nao and I have been friends since high school, and he’s been a tremendous influence on my songwriting and playing since then. It’s funny to see the same dude who introduced me to Modest Mouse and Interpol become a shredder in a thrashy, leather-clad metal band. Welcome to Nao’s weird brain!
Bands/musicians when you were in high school
The Locust
Jay Reatard
Interpol
Modest Mouse
Lightning Bolt
Songwriting influences
Replacements
Dead Kennedys
Ramones
Metallica
Jay Reatard
Instrument influences
Bandmates
Gary Holt
Randy Rhoads
Metallica
Brian Chippendale
Karaoke songs
Love My Way- Psychedelic Furs
Anything by All American Rejects
The Waiting- Tom Petty
Shake It- Metro Station
Welcome to the Jungle- GNR
Junk foods
Takis
Salt & Vinegar Chips
Oranges
Tortilla Chips
Cheese
Places to eat in your city
Nan Zhou Noodle House
Ocean Harbor
Ken’s Seafood
University City Mini Mart
Saad’s
Movies
Judge Dredd
Opera
Robocop
Mad Max Thunderdome
How High
Role models
People without jobs
West Philly carrot cake guy
People who sell junk at flea markets
My mom
My grandma
Zorn songs
Yellow Sign
Old Belial
Right Out Of Reach
Fall To Pray
Intergalactic Queen
Musical artists in your city
Positronix
Soul Glo
Devil Master
Freaks
TVO
Productive ways to pass time during corona
Play Guitar
Play Guitar
Play Guitar
Play Guitar
Play Guitar
Unproductive ways to pass time during corona
Get drunk
Eat too much
Fuck up your sleep schedule
Too much computer
Too much phone
Songs right now
Arise- Sepultura
Extreme Aggression- Kreator
Frou Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires- Cocteau Twins
Only Tomorrow- MBV
Victims of a Bomb Raid- Anti-Cimex
80s pop jams
Yello- I Love You
Love My Way- Psychedelic Furs
Gates of Steel- DEVO
Suki Suki Daisuki- Jun Togawa
Just Like Heaven- The Cure
Venues you’ve played
Cousin Danny’s
FU Church
Everybody Hits
Every shitty house
Now That’s Class
Albums that changed your life
Rocket to Russia- Ramones
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables- Dead Kennedys
Blood Visions- Jay Reatard
New Erections- The Locust
Black Sabbath- S/T
Pizza toppings
Peperoni
Mushrooms
Hot Sauce
Onions
Olives
Cities you’ve visited
Kyoto
Chicago
Minneapolis
Richmond
Cleveland
Condiments
Hot Sauce
Ranch
Mustard
Mayo
Hot Sauce
Fictional characters
Aragorn
Kurt Russell
Robocop
Master Blaster
All Pokemon
Written by Tyler Gallagher (@TylerGallagher8)