June 25th, 2012 
After turning out one of the best albums of 2011 in the hauntingly beautiful The Taxidermist, Aileen Paron (aka Scarlet Season) has stayed busy with her hands in a variety of different musical project around Seattle. We, however, were able to corner her for just a few moments to find out five albums that changed her life. Here they are in her own words.
Depeche Mode, Violator: I was pretty sheltered as a kid in terms of music and movies. My parents were pretty strict about keeping me away from anything… naughty. When I first heard “Personal Jesus” (incidentally the first single I ever bought), I had this feeling of “Oh wow, my parents would freak if they knew I was listening to this!” There’s such forward sensuality in so much of DM’s music and especially Violator. I would wander the streets at night listening to that record over and over again.
Rolling Stones, Paint It, Black: I only had the single, but I have to include it because again, Whoa! My dad had a pretty great classic rock collection, which I began to pore through in my teens and this was one of the first jewels I came across. It said everything I was feeling at the time: that roiling sitar riff and insistent powerful beat made me feel sexy and angry at the same time. I had never heard anything else like it and I just love it so much to this day.
The Cure, Disintegration: I have to honestly say there has never been a record since this one that has affected me on as deep of an emotional level as Disintegration. I really can’t listen to it anymore, it is that painful. I think this record is the one that made me want to write lyrics and express myself through songs. That maybe writing music could be a catharsis for me and that beautiful things come out of great sorrow and pain. “Plainsong” and “Same Deep Water as You” are still two of my favorite Cure tracks.
The Smiths, Strangeways Here We Come: How much do I love Morrissey? Let me count the ways. This record changed me because of the sense of humor (black though it is) that came through. His fascinating way with words and unusual voice just captured me. I can be pretty sarcastic and, um, I guess a bit vindictive in my writing. I really related to the way he brought that quality into his music, particularly “Unhappy Birthday,” which I played on repeat about a million times when I got this record!
Tori Amos, Under the Pink: I stole this one from my mom. I have no idea why she even had it; I can’t imagine her listening to it. My college roommate introduced me to Tori Amos and it definitely changed my life. Again, it didn’t sound like anything I had ever heard before—I hadn’t listened to Kate Bush yet!—and it just took me to a new place. Pianos weren’t popular in rock music at the time and here it was the featured instrument! It got me excited about playing again. The way she used her voice was so emotive and raw and her writing again angry, but sensual. There’s a theme here! Add in the orchestral and classical nature of compositions like “Yes, Anastasia,” the venting of homicidal jealousy in “The Waitress” and the poking at religion in “God” and I was hooked with a capital H.
So how does it all coalesce in the work of Scarlet Season? Here’s a listen to “History of Violence” from The Taxidermist. Have a listen for yourself and see.
: Roll up your sleeves and order a few drinks, because this is a soundtrack for the night. If The Presets met The Kinks at a Tom Waits concert, you’d just begin to get an idea of the swagger Mr. Lewis and the Funeral 5 deliver.
: Kyng succeeds where so many other rock bands have failed. They combine classic rock, grunge, and metal into a sound that is wholly unique and incredibly listenable for fans of just about any kind of rock. They call it “California Heavy.” We call it “Fan-f#cking-tastic!”
: Often, the problem with pushing the extremes is that the extremes are almost unlistenable. You can only play it so fast, detuned so far, or in so many odd time signatures before it becomes about catering to the extreme itself and not making a musical statement. Enter Animals As Leaders and their mastermid guitarist, Tosin Abasi, who combines soaring melodies, djent rhythms and odd time signatures in a way that is listenable… in the extreme. Weightless is rewriting the rulebook for progressive metal.
: To call Smooth Danger an eclectic album would be a tremendous understatement. Never has one album combined funk, electronic, hip hop, and avant garde music in a a way that is so completely organic. If you are looking for candy pop, look elsewhere. Smooth Danger is 88 keys and the truth!
: Funny thing about Russian Circles. They’ve proven, record after record, that a great album doesn’t need a vocalist to tell a story. And while SPIN spends countless pages stroking Explosions in the Sky, Russian Circles drops Empros, which reaffirms what music fans already knew: while Explosions in the Sky is good, Russian Circles still rules the realm of post-rock instrumentalism.
: When bands make lineup changes, they instantly put themselves up for criticism. Many diehards were tough on Vaccine for all the ways it wasn’t like its predecessors. What most of them failed to realize was that, judged completely on its own merits, not only was Vaccine a stellar album, it was one of the best from any band in 2011. Vaccine brings together elements of ambient electronica and indie dream pop in a collection of convincing and infectious songs.
: I grew up in the denim and leather generation with Anthrax and Metallica patches on my jean jacket. I say this so we can establish some credentials to remove any hyperbole from this statement: After 30 years, Anthrax released the album of their career with Worship Music. That alone is reason enough for you to have this album in your collection. Period.
: From the rock hotbed of Columbus, Ohio comes Alert New London. Their unique brand of melancholia is visceral and never forced in a way that hasn’t been heard in more than a decade. From lyrics to music, this is the complete package.
: Many reviewers called out the obvious influence of Tori Amos, but Scarlet Season goes further, incorporating elements of minimalist electronica into her beautiful, angst-ridden vocal delivery. Indeed, The Taxidermist exudes a panorama of dynamics not seen since Siouxsie Sioux.
: In an age of singles, many bands are abandoning the concept of an album that contains songs that, together, make a statement. Egypt Central fly directly in the face of convention, then, with White Rabbit. The album follows the story of someone succumbing to his addictions and the perils that come with it. Musically, each song could be a single and a staple of rock radio. Together, these elements bring music fans what they long for most, but are finding in shorter supply each year: an album they can listen to from beginning to end and never want to skip a track. In the end, White Rabbit gets our vote as the top album of 2011 because it was the most accessible album we heard all year that didn’t sacrifice an ounce of integrity, coming out leaps and bounds more mature than its predecessor.
