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THESE QUESTIONS GO TO ELEVEN is a new ZIO blog series. Each week the same 11 questions are answered by a different musician via email. Check out Zoom In Music every Wednesday for a new installment or subscribe here for the RSS feed.

This week James Orman, singer and guitarist of UK band Silvery, tackles the eleven. Silvery's "Victorian circus punk" sound has been championed on both sides of the pond by the likes of Steve Lamacq and Rodney Bingenheimer. Their debut album Thunderer & Excelsior was one of my favorite albums of 2008.

1.  What music was played in your home while growing up?

I only really remember two records that I kept coming back to again and again when I was little, Queen's Greatest Hits and Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds. Both got played to death by me on my dad's massive old headphones and in those days I would never tire of repeated listens all day. They're quite an introduction to pop music, and it's brilliant to think that as a kid I thought all music was that ridiculous.

2.  Who is the best artist we have probably never heard of?

Definitely Cardiacs. I guess basically they're the English Pixies, punky, loud, complicated, but capable of extreme beauty and artful lyrics. But where The Pixies go back to the American blueprint of surf riffs and bluesy chords, Cardiacs reference old music hall and typically English imagery like the seaside and horses. Their main man Tim Smith is easily up there with Bowie & Lennon, at least on the sheer quality of his output for the last 30 years. I think he'll be remembered as a real maverick genius when he's gone. And they influenced everyone, from Blur to Radiohead to Faith No More to Arcade Fire.

3.  What record did you used to love, but now can't stand?

There are a few things I don’t listen to anymore because they remind me of bad times, and it’s difficult separating that from songs that are naff or have aged badly.  I honestly can’t think of an artist I’m embarrassed having anything by. It all serves its purpose, but I can’t imagine ever putting my three Spice Girls singles on again.

4.  What song do you want played at your funeral?

'I Am In Love With The World' by The Chicken Shed Children's Theatre, and 'Tiny Tears' by Tindersticks. In fact almost anything off Tindersticks Second Album, if they don't cry because I'm gone, they'll weep at the music. I think I’ll need to make a funeral mix tape so I get my wish.

5.  What is your favorite b-side?

I drive everyone mad by my love of an obscure b-side. There's many early Blur and Britpop era ones, but I think those early Suede b-sides were amazing. 'Where The Pigs Don't Fly' on the ‘Metal Mickey’ CD nicks it I think, mainly down to it reminding me of walking my dog that summer.  

6.  Which medium do you prefer: vinyl, cd, or download?

Another great question... and after much thought, I'd have to say tape, the format I grew up with. And it's still the tape versions of albums I pine for when I've not listened to something for a while. I dabbled with MP3s and they serve a purpose, but they need to sort out nice packaging for them one day. That said, it was having a vinyl release that really made the whole being-in-a-band thing 'real' to me... the one format you can't make in your bedroom.

7.  What artist would your fans be surprised that you like?

I think people that know Silvery will know that we're fans of a lot of different things, from classical, through some 60's lounge collections to bad 90's pop. But maybe the music I like that is furthest removed from what we've released so far is Ottawan. Remember them? 'D.I.S.C.O' and 'Hands Up' are amazing.

8.  What musician or group would you choose to cover one of your songs?

Easily The Beatles, just to see what the most famous band on the planet make of it. Or maybe a female... Tori Amos does wonderful covers of male sung songs. Hearing her do a piano led 'Ghosts' would be wonderful, as I think it's a bit based on her.

9.  Who is the most overrated artist?

I never really got into Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen, but that's more down to me being lazy... I think only newer bands suffer from the overrated tag in its purest sense and I could reel off quite a list of them. But I do like how the ‘POP’ machine works, so if a band flukes getting a load of hype, good luck to them.

10. What musician or band do you wish you'd seen play live in their prime?

As much as I'd love to say Sparks or Queen in '74 or Bowie in '72, I have enough bootlegs of them to keep me going. So I'd say Jacques Brel, preferably around the early '60's. When I listen to him, I can listen to nothing else for a long long time.

11. What non-musical influences do you have?

Loads! We're always asked about the whole Victorian London thing that shaped our first album... that comes from my love of H.G. Wells, which leads onto an interest in Fortean phenomena like ghosts and UFOlogy. I was obsessed with early diesel locomotive when I was young so we have a couple of songs about them, and occasionally sound like them too. And I have a decent grounding in philosophy so that occasionally pops out in some of the more puzzling lyrics.

For more info about Silvery, check out Blow Up Records and MySpace.
Watch the music video for their single "Horrors".
Read what Steve Lamacq thinks of Silvery on his blog.
Discover Cardiacs on their Myspace page.

Check out more installments of THESE QUESTIONS GO TO ELEVEN:

Adam Green
Art Brut
Chin Chin
The Cribs
Darlings
Dead River Company
Fool's Gold
Fujiya & Miyagi
Golem
Jukebox the Ghost
Talib Kweli
Ben Kweller
Jeffrey Lewis
Lights
The Low Miffs
M83
Man Like Me
Marina & The Diamonds
Meg & Dia
A.C. Newman
Cale Parks
Tapes 'n Tapes
Tiny Animals
The Von Bondies
White Rabbits
Wild Light
Yo Majesty!

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