Name Billy Hamilton
Best known for The bassist of Silverstein, collector of vinyl records.
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Current city Toronto, Canada.
Really want to be in Malmö, Sweden. My best friends live there and own a restaurant. My dream is to one day open a Japanese style jazz kissa hifi listening bar with them.
Excited about Silverstein is about to embark upon our 25 Years of Noise Tour in Jan/Feb in US/Canada and in EU/UK in March. We have two albums—Antibloom/Pink Moon—slated to be released in 2025, with more touring to coincide.
My current music collection has a lot of My collection is about 2,700 records of mostly classic rock with some jazz, funk, soul, ’90s/2000s indie/alternative as well as punk/hardcore/emo records that influenced me more as a teen and in my early 20s. I collect a lot of Audiophile quality pressings or try to track down original pressings of most records.
And a little bit of I have an extensive collection of original The Smiths singles (both 7” and 12”) and LP’s as well as 16 different pressings of The Beach Boys masterpiece Pet Sounds (which I will somehow leave off this list!).
Preferred format It’s all about vinyl for me. I have a custom-built shelving unit and console in my home that houses all of my records, two turntables and a hand-wired Japanese rotary DJ mixer. I run it all through a McIntosh amplifier and Harbeth speakers. Definitely going for the highest quality audiophile sound experience while still being suited for a small downtown Toronto home.
5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:
1
Abbey Road, The Beatles
I tried really hard to not make this my “all-time top five classic records” sort-of list. I’m definitely leaving off a lot of heavy hitters, like the aforementioned Pet Sounds as well as classic albums by Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, The Smiths, and more. But I don’t know that there is a world that I would want to live in that doesn’t include a copy of Abbey Road. It is the best album of all time in my opinion, and I truly can’t live without it!
2
Aja, Steely Dan
Another classic that I couldn’t leave off. Aja by Steely Dan is the definition of perfection when it comes to an album. They got all the best players from the era and agonized over the sound and production quality. I have come to really embrace the Yacht Rock genre throughout my 30s and I think this album is the peak. A perfect blend of rock, R&B and jazz with smooth vibes and cheeky lyrics. What more could you want?
3
Time (The Revelator), Gillian Welch
I recently travelled to Detroit with some friends to see Gillian and her partner David Rawlings perform. They haven’t played in Canada in 13 years and have a fantastic new album out as well. The show was so intimate, vulnerable and breathtaking but the biggest takeaway was the tracks they shared from 2001’s Time (The Revelator). I was reminded how much I love that record and continue to wait with baited breath for its long-anticipated release on vinyl.
4
The Magnolia Electric Co., Songs: Ohia
This record has always held a special place in my heart. While I definitely could or should have picked an influential emo record from the early 2000s, The Magnolia Electric Co. stands the test of time for me. I think this also checks a few boxes for my personal taste of maudlin folk/country by way of Townes Van Zandt, Elliott Smith, or Wilco.
5
Basra, Pete La Roca
I had to include at least one jazz record, and this one is my favorite! Released in the mid-‘60s hay day of Blue Note Records, this album features some heavy-hitter players in Joe Henderson and Steve Kuhn, but is led by drummer Pete La Roca. It’s not available on most streaming platforms, but I highly recommend seeking out a copy on vinyl if you’re a fan of the post-bop jazz era.
After a brief stint as a NYC taxi driver, Pete enrolled in law school and later went on to represent himself in a lawsuit against his former label. He won back the rights to his second album Turkish Women at the Bath which had been released under the name of collaborator Chick Corea against his wishes. Both albums are fantastic, but this one is the true diamond in the rough for my money.
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