You’ll probably remember that earlier this week we hosted the UK premiere of “Outlier“, the brilliant new cut from LA threesome EFG. An adrenaline pumped thrill ride, the track perfectly encapsulates what this burgeoning LA-based, rock trio are all about: high skill, guitar-led music full of snarling riffs, mindful lyrics, and a touch of dreamy psychedelia to keep things fresh. The single, that with “Suzanne” makes up EFG’s impending vinyl/digi two-side (entitled, unsurprisingly, Outlier b/w Suzanne), is one of the first releases from the new-look EFG – members Josh Garza and Imaad Wasif were working together for a while before they welcomed the talents of bassist Tom Biller to the fold.

Of course, it’s EFG’s unique sound sets them apart from the slews of Indie pretenders, but when you hear them talk about their work you also get a sense of the thought these three put behind each of their meticulously crafted songs. Wasif explains, tellingly, that “if a song can come from visions and dreams then Suzanne is the white-mare, the meta specter of conscious and subconscious love and hate, tinted through a Leonard Cohen afterworld with all of Garza & Biller’s rhythms as its thundering hoof-beat.” Two dimensional, vapid pop this is not: EFG aren’t ashamed of getting a little cerebral. Who better to turn to, then, for a few reading recommendations this weekend – bank holidays aren’t all about midday pub trips and daytime TV, you know. So, listen, read, and then read some more, as we take a peek into EFG’s eclectic library.

Imaad Wasif

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Who can perceive but not receive? There are only two moons by which we can decide. A tear in the fabric of reality leads to a love that ultimately can’t be found or forgotten. This book is a dream that simultaneously brought me to tears and ecstasy. When I woke up there was a song.

My Fantoms by Théophile Gautier

In this surrealist masterpiece tapestries, statues, and corpses come to life as young men dream their way into ruin; “No one is truly dead, until they are no longer loved.”

Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung by Lester Bangs

Speed fueled writings from a rock ‘n’ roll genius. No one could knock down heroes the way that he knocked down his. See Lou Reed and Peter Laughner (sic). Let us now praise famous Death Dwarves.

Self-Portrait In A Convex Mirror by John Ashbery

Bigger than the head, thrust at the viewer and swerving easily away, as though to protect what it advertises.

Josh Garza

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

We all know about the “fog of war” but this book takes a solid look at the insanity of war and how people cope with it. Set during World War II, this satirical novel is at times hilarious, at other times very dark and somber. I love how the chapters are not in chronological order with story-lines developing from different perspectives. This book is not for everyone but a classic nonetheless.

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

I know sci-fi is frowned upon by some people but… this is a great book. Written during the early 1950’s, this book flows like a modern day cyberpunk story. A crazy plot to kill in a world where murder doesn’t exist anymore…

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I love this book. The quintessential story of revenge for wrongful imprisonment. I couldn’t put this book down.

Tom Biller

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

As I read this, I thought about how people play with their dark memories, twisting them in an even more outrageous setting. This somehow makes them easier to believe.

Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse

I read this recently, during a time of personal re-invention of sorts…A reminder to not be afraid of dark alleys, twisted doors and endless chases.

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol by Andy Warhol

Strange words by a strange human.