Pigeon Spins Rock Featuring interviews with Flora Lin, Mike Vorpal, and More!

The #509 edition of Pigeon Spins Rock is here! The list features artists Flora Lin, Mike Vorpal, The Parachute Testers, and More!

Flora Lin, Recreational Noise - Lion

Lion Pt.2 opens with steady drums and bass that hold everything together. Cold, dreamy guitars build walls of sound like frozen ice, while Flora Lin’s voice floats above, soft as snow. She sings, “I paid the price,” and “I don’t want anyone to see my true self.” The guitars hum like a motor before fading gently into the fire.

Pt.1 follows with a groovy, loose energy, driven by heavy riffs and loud drums that evoke a Modest Mouse fever dream. Whispered vocals ask, 'Who will lose first?' before exploding into a powerful chorus that feels like breaking free from a cage. The track then eases back and becomes more wavy but keeps its fighting spirit alive.

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Interview with Flora Lin

(•)> Cru cru! What first got you into music?

Music Videos! As a baby, I thought they were real-time performances that repeated over and over, and that looked fun.

(•)> What's your favorite album of all time?

That's a very hard question! But the album I've listened to the longest and would still listen to in full today is 'Tidal' by Fiona Apple.

(•)> What record from the 2020's do you replay the most?

'The Redshift Blues' by Dispirited Spirits.

(•)> What should the Pigeon listen to next?

"Farewell Friend," a Cosmoose experimental pop song featuring Zephyrianna, a space pigeon V-Tuber, and my band OK Feather, which is all about pigeons.

(•)> What's the inspiration behind the music of OK Feather?

Many of us do not notice the beauty and resilience of pigeons. They are everywhere, among the less desirable aspects of the city. So we treat them as nuisances. We forget about their strength, surviving in unforgiving places. It has been OK Feather and its founder JJYY's project to celebrate pigeons through photographs, art, and music.

(•)> What memorable answers have you had to your work so far?

From time to time I get very moving reactions to my lyrics, which is amazing because they are usually not the main focus in the song production.

(•)> Who is your inspiration when creating music?

A mysterious dark pigeon with a siren voice.

(•)> Which film do you rewatch the most?

I usually don't rewatch films. But I'd like to rewatch the comedy anime series Saiki Kusuo no Psi-nan.

(•)> How is your perfect day?

A day near the sea with warm water and good food. Feeling different, like a seagull.

(•)> Will you tell us something embarassing about you?

When it comes to famous things in culture, I have no idea about most of them. I mostly pay attention to unknown projects, because I think other people can introduce me to the classics, but no one will show me cool obscure musicians like Pigeon Child or Dancing Pigeons.

(•)> Do you sing in the shower? If yes, what's the setlist?

The next OK Feather song of the year!

(•)> What's your Hot Take - your most controversial music opinion?

I'm absolutely not saying that using samples should be free or uncredited, but it should be easier to incorporate existing music or samples without involving complicated paperwork and enormous fees. Like what's done with covers.

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The Parachute Testers - Halfway To Everywhere

Halfway To Everywhere begins with a synthetic intro that eases into a head-nodding melody, pulling you straight into smooth, wavy riffs. There’s a moody, nighttime feel to it, like a glimmer on the skylight just after sunset. As the song builds, it feels like a getaway from an old, fading city that familiar urge to leave the suburbs behind and run forever. The production is modern and sleek, adding polish to the flowing guitars, while soft vocals guide you through streets lit by lamp posts and stars. It's dreamy, a little surreal, like stepping into the twilight zone with MGMT on the stereo and the night sky wide open.

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Interview with The Parachute Testers

>> (•)> Cru cru! What first got you into music?

Parents, playing Buddy Holly and The Beatles on repeat and then brothers playing Queen, on repeat.

>> (•)> What's your favorite album of all time?

Tough one! Solid Air by John Martyn, for the moment...

>> (•)> What record from the 2020's do you replay the most?

The Line is a Curve by Tempest - great record from start to finish.

>> (•)> What should the Pigeon listen to next?

Count The Lines by Aether Speaker

>> (•)> What memorable answers have you had to your work so far?

One person said we were the best thing they’d heard since Mike Oldfield, I don’t know if they were kidding, but will take it as a compliment!

>> (•)> Who is your inspiration when creating music?

Too many to mention by name but artists and people with feeling, soul and imagination.

>> (•)> Which film do you rewatch the most?

Flash Gordon

>> (•)> How is your perfect day?

Dog walking, sea swimming, a run, tasty veggie food, music listening and playing a good giggle, … drink sangria in the park… and then home!

>> (•)> Will you tell us something embarassing about you?

I know the full dance routine to ‘Favourite Girl’ by New Kids On The Block… although this may become cool again one day… you can live in hope!

>> (•)> Do you sing in the shower? If yes, what's the setlist?

Sometimes, and strangely and randomly usually songs from Welsh Royalty either Sir Tom Jones or Dame Shirley Bassey!

>> (•)> What's your Hot Take - your most controversial music opinion?

Write and finish at least 5 to 10 songs before going anywhere near social media. Let your music, art and work do the talking!

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Mike Vorpal - Memes EP

Mike Vorpal, known for his evocative songwriting and immersive soundscapes, has officially released his debut solo EP, Memes. This six-track collection is a bold fusion of dark wave aesthetics and guitar-driven intensity, offering listeners a deeply introspective yet electrifying experience.

With Memes, Mike Vorpal crafts a sonic narrative that reflects the absurdity and emotional weight of the digital age. Tracks like "Manhunter" and “House of Capricorn" along with "Overboard”

showcase his ability to blend haunting melodies with raw, unfiltered lyricism, creating a sound that resonates with both nostalgia and modern existentialism. "I really wanted to make something that feels both immediate and timeless… so that it stays with you after the music stops.

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Interview with Mike Vorpal

(•)> Cru cru! What first got you into music?

My next-door neighbor, Jimmy. When he first moved in, he was a little bit older and was also a skater, which I was trying to get into as well. I started hanging out with him and listening to a lot of old school hardcore like Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies, and Dead Kennedys. Then he got a hold of Body Count… which was like a really big deal back then. We’d listen to that and he could he could tell that I was really into all of this stuff, and he gave me a case of tapes. There was a bunch of stuff in there like The Pixies and Fugazi, Angry Samoans and a bunch of stuff like that and I just loved it! So I just kind of went from there…

(•)> What's your favorite album of all time?

Of all time?! What an impossible question! I don’t know I guess my go-to records right off the bat would be “Nevermind” and “Led Zeppelin IV”… but then that doesn’t take into account “Fear Of A Black Planet”, “36 chambers”, Ill Communication… So many good records! That question is impossible for me to answer with just one!

(•)> What record from the 2020's do you replay the most?

Probably “Tangk” by Idles.That album is amazing!

(•)> What should the Pigeon listen to next? The Oh Sees… I also really like Alisxn Gray. Definitely check his stuff out.

(•)> What memorable answers have you had to your work so far?

There was a publication a little while ago that was reviewing the song, “House of Capricorn” and they compared it to if David Lynch and Massive Attack had put together some music in a cabin in the Pacific Northwest. I thought that was pretty awesome!

(•)> Who is your inspiration when creating music?

Oh, I take inspiration from a lot of different places when creating music but if there’s one person I would say that holds the most influence over what I’m doing… I would say it’s David Bowie. You can watch his career change in so many ways over its span and he was a true artist. So I strive to do that same sort of thing.

(•)> Which film do you rewatch the most?

The Road Warrior. I love the Mad Max movies.

(•)> How is your perfect day?

Probably similar to Lou Reed’s.

(•)> Will you tell us something embarassing about you?

One time when I had first moved to Portland I was getting coffee and some breakfast at this little corner shop, and they asked me what kind of bagel I wanted. And I responded with “do you have jalapeño and cheese?” and the person behind the counter said “no, we don’t but we have herb and cheese”.And I’d heard “urban cheese” and thought “oh man, that doesn’t sound very good at all! I’ll pass on that!”. So I got my coffee and I was walking back to my house and thinking about the exchange… and then I realized he said “herb and cheese” and to myself I was like “You’re an idiot. What did you think ‘urban cheese’ was?”

(•)> Do you sing in the shower? If yes, what's the setlist?

Yeah, it’s a lot of 80s music. A lot of The Cars, some Simple Minds, Duran Duran stuff like that.

(•)> What's your Hot Take - your most controversial music opinion?

My most controversial music opinion would probably be that The Cure’s newest album “Songs Of A Lost World”is actually better than “Disintegration”…which is amazing by the way. That one is up there on that other question-one of the greatest records of all time. But I do think that “Songs Of A Lost World” is actually better because “Disintegration” is for me… an album about breaking up with people. The latest record from The Cure is an album about breaking up with the world. And it’s musically very strong, so I think on the whole it’s a a better piece of work.