"I could've picked anything by Roxy but Siren is just incredible; there isn't a bad track on the whole thing. That album was the last before they went lounge. The suits came a bit later. On Siren he was still dressed like an army guy - well, a cub scout without the hat on. I never saw Roxy live until 2001 though - I only ever saw them on the telly. 'Love Is A Drug' and 'Both Ends Burning' are great singles, they had so much oomph. And 'Whirlwind'- what a song - just a hugely consistent record from start to finish. Very well played and very well produced."

"Jesca Hoop is a friend of mine. And she said there's this girl in town, you've got to see her band: "They're amazing and I want to see if they are the real deal." So I say okay, and we went down to the movie lounge, and we were both absolutely knocked out. We hung around afterwards and then got the band signed. Listen to 'Low Low Low' and that will tell you exactly what I love about them. They are raw and they are real and she sings from her heart, and she has a big troubled heart. She plays guitar amazingly and she sings with real guts and they're just a fantastic band."

"I guess I’m a sucker for black and white. This 1970 independent classic is from writer/director Leonard Kastle, who took over after Martin Scorsese was let go. Shirley Stoler is funny and heartbreaking as the homicidal, jealous companion of scam artist Tony Lo Bianco. Based on a true story, it held particular interest for me because the killers at one point decide to retire to suburban Valley Stream, Long Island, the town where I primarily grew up and directed my first film, Trees Lounge. I once worked with Tony on an episode of the TV series Homicide and excitedly told him he had one of my favorite lines in one of my favorite movies. After sizing me up for a few seconds, he replied, “Well, that would have to be the Honeymoon Killers, and the line of course is, ‘Valley Stream. Valley Stream. What a joke!’”"