Twenty Top 5s with Gab Landrum

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 Gab Landrum. They are a Philly-based renaissance person of sorts, a talented musician, comedian, and tattoo artist. Gab sings and plays ukulele in Lenny and Carl, a laid-back pop act where their bouncy songwriting is showcased over top can't-help-but-dance instrumentals courtesy of Lenny and Carl counterpart, Matt McMenamin. Lenny and Carl's music is released under Gab's own record label, Okay Records, as if they weren't busy enough creating the music itself.


Gab is another one of the many talented artists to come from my high school. They are one of the funniest people I've ever met (seriously, @bigbabypokes is an incredible Twitter account), and their art is incredible. Definitely check out Lenny and Carl, and definitely check out Gab's art and tattoos (@bigbabypokes on Instagram). Maybe one day they'll be able to give you a My Chemical Romance-inspired tattoo like they did for me!

recording artists when you were in high school

Imogen Heap

Nirvana

OutKast

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Kimya Dawson


Instrument influences

Kimya Dawson

Fiona Apple

Nirvana

Metric

The Front Bottoms


Songwriting influences 

Imogen Heap

The Front Bottoms

Alabama Shakes

Kimya Dawson

Metric


Karaoke songs

Int’l Players Anthem by UGK

Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood

Crazy on You by Heart

Sugar We’re Goin Down by Fall Out Boy

Criminal by Fiona Apple


Junk foods

Pickle chips

Spicy Doritos

French fries

A beautiful onion ring

deviled egg


Places to eat in Philly 

Tattooed moms

Morimoto

Terakawa Ramen

Bing Bing Dim Sum

POPE


Movies

Dumb and Dumber

Austin Powers: Int’l Man is Mystery

Kubo

Eternal Sunshine

Ginger Snaps


Role models

God

Jesus

Christ

The Lord

Guy who guards gates of heaven


Lenny & Carl songs

Spit

For Real? (demo)

Come On

Baby

Cute


Philly bands 

The Ire

Zorn

Alien Birth

Positronix

Trap Rabbit


Productive ways to pass time during corona

Play music

Draw

Tattoo myself

Art commissions

Clean


Unproductive ways to pass time during corona

Fortnite

Animal crossing

Lay down

90 Day Fiancé

Stare into the abyss


Songs right now 

Venetia by Lil Uzi Vert

Dancing Nancies by Dave Matthews Band

Sweet Tooth by Cavetown

Don’t Dream It’s Over (cover) by Sixpence None the Richer

Black Qualls by Thundercat


80s pop jams

No Reply at All by Genesis

Private Eyes by Hall and Oates

I Can’t Go For That by Hall and Oates

Alone by Heart

Take on Me by Aha


Tattoo artists

Cake @tattoosbycake NY

Ben Phan @heartfuzz Philly

L Hammel @mathgoth Pittsburgh

Log @log_tattoo Seoul, Korea

Diana Leets @dianaleets


Albums that changed your life 

Circle in Square by Stevie Wonder

Channel Orange by Frank Ocean

Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance

Fallen by Evanescence

Be The Cowboy by Mitski


Pizza toppings

Uncured Pepperoni

Mushrooms

Black olives

Red onion

Fresh garlic


Cities you’ve visited 

Florence

Chicago

New Orleans

NYC

Toronto


Condiments

Cholula

Sriracha

Sriracha Mayo

Ketchup

Horseradish


Fictional characters 

Bugs Bunny

Scott Pilgrim

Millhouse

Pauly D on jersey shore (can’t be real)

Goofy

Written by Tyler Gallagher (@TylerGallagher8)

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Twenty Top 5s with Hal McDonough

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 Hal McDonough. They are the lead singer, ukulelist, and songwriter for Pittsburgh's own Baseball Dad. Baseball Dad released their first full-band EP, January, in January of this year. All three songs are beautiful, country-tinged, twee-pop jams, characterized by lo-fi instrumentation that allows the lush vocal harmonies to take center stage. Hal released another EP on their own at the beginning of this month entitled Quarantine Diary, providing more intimate, somber songs for these intimate, somber times.


Hal has one of the best voices in Pittsburgh music right now. Last year, they fronted perhaps the best Halloween cover set I've seen since I started playing shows when Baseball Dad performed as the Dixie Chicks. In addition to writing phenomenal original music, Hal was a pre-quarantine karaoke regular at Sonny's, performing memorable renditions of everything from Fleetwood Mac to No Doubt. Without further ado, I give you Hal's Twenty Top 5s.

recording artists when you were in high school

One Direction (lol)

The 1975

Foster The People

Grimes

HAIM


Instrument influences
(I don’t rlly consider uke my instrument, I consider voice to be my main instrument)

Kate Bush

Stevie Nicks

Linda Rondstadt

Debbie Harry

Mitski


Songwriting influences 

Joni Mitchell

Michelle Branch

Florist

Frankie Cosmos

Sheryl Crow


Karaoke songs

Just a Girl - No Doubt

I’m Like a Bird - Nelly Furtado

Stay - Lisa Loeb

Wide Open Spaces - Dixie Chicks

Silver Springs - Fleetwood Mac


Junk foods

Oatmeal Creme Pies

Crunchy Cheetos

Double Stuf Oreos

Mango Sorbet

Ruffled Chips + French Onion Dip


Places to eat in Pittsburgh

B-52

Thai Gourmet

China House

Spak Brothers

Onion Maiden


Movies

Girl, Interrupted

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Empire Records

Chicago

Disney’s Tarzan (thanks Phil Collins)


Role models

Kathleen Hanna

Frank ‘SJP’ Proctor

Sofia Sparks

Sam Treber

Tim Glorioso


Baseball dad songs 

January

Roots

Ivy

Saltwater

Just Saying


Pittsburgh bands 

Short Fictions

String Machine

Merce Lemon

Tap Shorts

Shin Guard

Scratchy Blanket

Vireo

Drauve

Afternoon Tea
(lol too many faves, sorry)


Productive ways to pass time during corona

writing songs

baking for my loved ones

writing letters

stitching patches

cleaning


Unproductive ways to pass time during corona

online shopping

rewatching Community for the 3rd time

contemplating shaving my head

smoking copious amounts of w**d

cryin :/


Songs right now 

Colder & Closer - TOPS

Hardest to Love - The Weeknd

Out of It - Drauve

Heavy Lifting - Palm

Circle the Drain - Soccer Mommy


80s pop jams

Automatic - The Pointer Sisters

Catch Me (I’m Falling) - Pretty Poison

I Wonder if I Take You Home - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

Eternal Flame - The Bangles

Invisible Touch - Genesis


Dixie chicks songs

There’s Your Trouble

Wide Open Spaces

You Were Mine

Landslide

Goodbye Earl


Albums that changed your life 

Blue - Joni Mitchell

The Spirit Room - Michelle Branch

Visions - Grimes

Songs About Jane - Maroon 5 (don’t make fun of me it’s actually really good)

If Blue Could Be Happiness - Florist


Pizza toppings

Mushroom

Green Pepper

Pepperoni

Banana Pepper

Jalapeno


Cities you’ve visited 

Pittsburgh, PA :) (visited in 2016 for the first time and then moved here in 2017!)

Seoul, South Korea

Chicago, IL

Savannah, GA

Charlston, SC


Condiments

Cholula Hot Sauce

Hot Mustard

Honey Mustard

Sriracha

Dijon Mustard


Fictional characters

Steven from Steven Universe

Hal from Malcom in the Middle

Mabel from Gravity Falls

Elaine from Seinfeld

Maria from The Sound of Music

Written by Tyler Gallagher (@TylerGallagher8)

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Twenty Top 5s with Jon Dowling

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 Pittsburgh's own Jon Dowling. Jon plays guitar and sings in Dumplings. He also plays drums in the legendary Weird Paul Rock Band with Weird Paul Petroskey himself. Dumplings has been one of my favorite Pittsburgh bands for a long time. Their new EP 3 came out last month, and it covers everything from dark new wave to alcohol-soaked Springsteen ballads in 15 minutes. If there's one thing to be taken away from both of Jon's bands, it's that it is important to have fun when playing music.

Jon and I have been playing shows together for years at this point. Dumplings is made up of him, his wife Pam, and his brother Jay, and they have all been an important part of my personal journey in the Pittsburgh DIY scene. I've also witnessed him sing some mean karaoke over the past few years, so I was excited to see him try and narrow his karaoke songs down to his five favorites. Also, shouts out to Thai Gourmet. Anyways, I hope you enjoy Jon's Twenty Top 5s!


recording artists when you were in high school

1. Gary Numan

2. Sonic Youth

3. Bauhaus

4. Kraftwerk

5. Iggy Pop


Songwriting influences

1. Everyday conversations

2. Advertisements

3. Billy Joel

4. Lou Reed

5. Pop music from all generations


Instrument influences

Drums: Neil Smith

Bass: Tina Weymouth

Guitar: Johnny Thunders

Vocals: Pauline Black

Keys: Frankie Ford



Karaoke songs

1. Glory Days -boss

2. Lido Shuffle- Boz Scaggs

3. Father Figure- George Michael

4. Young Americans - Bowie

5. Sexx Laws - Beck



Junk foods

1. Pizza

2. Mac & cheese

3. Combos

4. Skittles

5. Coffee ice cream


Places to eat in Pittsburgh

1. Thai Gourmet

2. Mac & Gold

3. Pizza Perfecta

4. Cafe Mona

5. D’s Dogs


Movies

1. Clue

2. To Wong Fu, thanks for everything. Julie Newmar

3. The muppet movie

4. Taxi Driver

5. Rocky Horror Picture Show



Role models

1. Alice Cooper

2. Laurie Anderson

3. Prince

4. Mom & Dad

5. Andy Warhol



Dumplings songs

1. Big big bad

2. Momma Meat

3. Nasty Didn’t wanna be Nasty

4. Alone 4 Evva

5. Overtime


Weird Paul songs

1. Lining the numbers up

2. Beachball

3. Strangers on a train

4. Old mans goat

5. The Devil’s in love


Productive ways to pass time during corona

1. Mixing 4 track tapes 1994-2019

2. Releasing the new Dumplings EP

3. Spending lots of time with Pam

4. Making a space in the basement to work on art

5. Watching movies we’ve put off seeing


Unproductive ways to pass time during corona

1. Smoking too much

2. Drinking too much

3. Sleeping too much

4. Worrying

5. Anxiety


Songs right now

1. What is life - George Harrison

2. I’m Ready - Fats Domino

3. Dance (disco heat) - Sylvester

4. Lights Out - Peter Wolf

5. Curtain Call - the Damned


80s pop jams

1. Crazy for you- Madonna

2. Sleeping bag - ZZ Top

3. Head over heels - the Go Go’s

4. We don’t have to take our clothes off - Jermaine Stewart

5. Lover Come Back To Me - dead or alive



Venues you’ve played 

1. Geibal catholic high school (post-prom 99)

2. Dreamland puppet theater, Ypsilanti MI

3. Experience music project, Seattle Wa

4. Paint & Body, wilkinsburg

5. Millvale Industrial theatre, millvale


Albums that changed your life 

1. Velvet Underground & Nico

2. The Frogs - it’s only right & natural

3. Suicide - first album

4. Royal Trux - Accelerator

5. Changes Bowie


Pizza toppings

1. Mushrooms

2. Green peppers

3. Spinach

4. Feta

5. Fake meat


Cities you’ve visited 

1. Chicago

2. Detroit

3. Nashville

4. Boston

5. Memphis


Condiments

1. Mustard

2. Hot sauce

3. Mayo

4. Sriracha

5. Pickle



Fictional characters 

1. Bowser (Sha Na Na)

2. Garfield

3. Linus

4. Holden Caulfield

5. Mary Poppins

Written by Tyler Gallagher (@TylerGallagher8)

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Twenty Top 5s with Jordyn Blakely

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 5 participant is Jordyn Blakely. Jordyn plays and has played in some of my absolute favorite bands. The Brooklyn-based musician is a talented multi-instrumentalist and singer always involved in multiple projects. She currently plays in Maneka, Stove, and Kino Kimino, and formerly drummed in Jackal Onassis and Sharkmuffin, among others. In addition, Jordyn is currently working on a solo EP.



Jordyn has influenced my own drumming and songwriting tremendously, so this is an exciting one for me. If you haven't listened to Stove or Maneka, please check them out. It was a pleasure to have her participate!


recording artists when you were in high school

Rancid

Interpol

Thursday

The Libertines

Blink 182



Songwriting influences

Elliott Smith

Chelsea Wolfe

Kurt Cobain

Elizabeth Fraser

Lou Barlow



Instrument influences

Carla Azar

Mitch Mitchell

John Bonham

Greg Saunier

Dave King


Karaoke songs

Tearing up my heart (Nsync)

waiting for tonight (JLo)

Complicated (Avril Lavigne)

every morning (sugar ray)

baby one more time (Britney spears)



Junk foods

Sour cream & onion utz ridged chips

cracked pepper kettle chips

Tostitos tortilla chips

Cheezits

Doritos (OG)



Places to eat in New York 

Veselka

Kenka ramen

peter pan deli

oasis

Cachapas y mas



Movies

Hook

SLC Punk

Cabin in the Woods

Mulholland Drive

Mallrats


Role models

Mike Judge

Bernie Sanders

Pipilotti Rist

Bong Joon Ho

Ruth Bader Ginsburg



Maneka songs

Positive

Never nowhere

Brand new day

My boy Seth

Holy hell


Stove songs

Dumb phone

Stiff bones

Bubblegum lightning

They are dogs

Tiny gaze



Productive ways to pass time during corona

Drinking coffee in the backyard in the sun with our cat Piper

Learning to have more fun being alone

Long conversations with friends and family

Unlimited time playing any instrument you feel like

Watching super random TV and movies you normally would never be bored enough to watch



Unproductive ways to pass time during corona

Losing to the same level in Yoshis story on N64

Looking at my phone too much

sleeping from 5am-2pm

Sipping and refilling the same glass of wine all day

Reading the news too much and freaking out



Songs right now 

"Knock" shell of a shell

"gimme gimme" nnamdi

"nice try" youbet

"I'm your puppet" Dionne Warwick

"the hermit crab" lilys



80s pop jams

"Cruel summer" bananarama

"eyes without a face" billy idol

"like a prayer" Madonna

"when doves cry" prince

"drive" the cars



Venues you’ve played 

Shea Stadium

the Mohawk

Everybody Hits

Café de l'Espace

Carnegie Hall



Albums that changed your life 

Drive Like Jehu "Yank Crime"

Green Day "Dookie"

Portishead "Dummy"

Beck "Odelay"

Weezer "Blue Album"


Pizza toppings

Pepperoni/black olives

pepperoni/mushrooms

pepperoni

cheese

spinach



Cities you’ve visited

Chattanooga

St. Louis

Cardiff

Kathmandu

Ashland



Condiments

Ketchup

bbq sauce

soy sauce

chipotle mayo

valentina hot sauce



Fictional characters 

Hagrid from Harry Potter

Jesse Pinkman

Pinhead

Lisa Simpson

Quinn Morgendorffer

Written by Tyler Gallagher (@TylerGallagher8)

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Twenty Top 5s with Nao Demand

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)

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