Acid-Drenched Analog Party

You're not having an LSD flashback. The psychedelic sounds of Silver Sunshine come courtesy of guitarist Richard Vaughan, bassist Stuart Sclater, and guitarist/organist Conor Riley, who frequently whips out a vintage Mellotron, just in case anyone misses their intent to supply the missing link between Rubber Soul and Radiohead. Recently recruited drummer David Hurley (formerly of Dura Mater) brings his own flute and a fully operational sci-fi Moog synthesizer to the acid-drenched analog party.

The band formed in 2001 and is currently recording a CD for Rhode Island-based Empyrean Records. "Our music is sometimes heavy, sometimes gentle, but always freaked," says Vaughan. "Lately we've been digging on heavier, progressive, and wyrd-folk sounds."

WHAT'S IN YOUR CD PLAYER?

Richard Vaughan

1. Comus, First Utterance ("The most beautifully evil, psychedelic/progressive folk album ever made.")

2. Premiata Forneria Marconi, Storia di un Minuto ("Italian prog...epic songs with soaring Mellotrons and Moogs galore.")

3. The Flower Traveling Band, Made in Japan ("Japanese heavies with the darkest hooks.")

4. Kevin Ayers, Joy of a Toy ("The blond guy from Soft Machine -- sounds like Nick Drake meets Syd Barrett.")

5. DOM, Edge of Time ("A simply amazing Krautrock, space-folk masterpiece.")

Stuart Sclater

1. Freedom's Children, Astra ("Hear it for yourself.")

2. Quella Vecchia Locanda, self-titled

3. Caravan, self-titled

Conor Riley

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey, soundtrack ("A beautiful epic.")

2. Aphrodite's Child, 666 ("Ethnic psych-rock sung in broken English.")

3. Whitney Houston, Just Whitney ("What can I say, it's Whitney.")

DESERT-ISLAND DVDs?

Richard

1. Zardoz ("A postapocalyptic sci-fi film

starring Sean Connery in a red diaper...one

of the most psychedelic movies I've ever

seen.")

2. Zoolander ("There's nothing more funny than watching male models explode in a gasoline fight montage to the tune of 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.' ")

3. The Wicker Man ("Paganism vs. Christianity, with a brilliant creepy-folk soundtrack.")

4. Evil Dead II ("Work shed. That's all I have to say.")

Conor

1. Shock 'em Dead ("This movie represents everything I am about and live for.")

2. Threads ("Gives good insight into the future of the Earth.")

3. Dragonhead ("Same as Threads.")

4. Xanadu ("Sometimes, when I'm alone, I like to pretend I am in this movie.")

FAVORITE TWILIGHT ZONE?

Richard "The one where there is a human-looking Martian hiding out in a diner from the police ["Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?"]. When all of the humans finally leave, the Martian brags to the cook about his species' plans to invade Earth. However, the cook then reveals that he is in fact from Venus and his species has intercepted the Martian fleet."

Conor "The episode where a lady is living on Earth and it's heading towards the sun ["The Midnight Sun"]. It turns out to be a dream, and when she wakes up, the earth is moving farther away from the sun."

MONTY PYTHON OR KIDS IN THE HALL?

Richard "Monty Python, although I always preferred The Benny Hill Show. He was such a funny and loveable little pervert, and 'Yakety Sax' is the best TV theme song ever."

Stuart "Monty Python. Are you kidding?"

Conor "Monty Python. Although I grew up watching the Kids every day, nothing can beat Monty Python's The Meaning of Life."

WORST GIG?

Richard "When we played Scolari's Office, and Conor had to stop our set to go to the bathroom. He said he had to piss, but I definitely caught a whiff of something when he came back. I think he ate some bad shellfish."

Conor "An art show in Orange County where everyone in the audience was 5 to 12 years old."

WORST TREND IN ROCK?

David Hurley "Hats. Please take them off. Please!"