Riccardo Gileno's five favorite songs – Rockon.it

It is available from Friday 2 May 2025 on all digital platforms (for Mahogany songs), the new EP of the musician and songwriter Riccardo Gileno. Half of Croatian and half Canadian, stationed in Trieste, the city that already from the name (from the etymology of “Terg”, market) represents a place of exchange and contamination, Riccardo Gileno returns to offer us his very personal international gaze, with a disc entitled “From Beginning to end” – Already anticipated by the song”No need (big house in Malibu)“Released on April 10th.

Riccardo Gileno Here presents a new and intimate project, a shy manifesto of universal value: six songs that tell common experiences – the doubt, desire, attachment to memories, loss and rebirth – in a path that inevitably belongs to each of us. His sound, of clear folk and cosmopolitan imprint, stands out for emotional essentiality by crossing every border, also of the Italian scene.

We wanted to know him better, and as always the best way was to ask him what his five favorite songs were.

Thirteen – Big Star

For my canons, it is the perfect song. Super melody, wonderful vocal harmonies, no refrains, and a text that tells with an out of the ordinary purity all the naivety of adolescent love. Written by a 16 year old. I who go for 34, at this point, makes no sense that you continue to compose. It is the song that I played and sang in my life most, this is little but safe.

Lover You Shouldn't Come Over – Jeff Buckley

My brother is almost 12 years older than me and he is also a songwriter (or perhaps more ex, if we ask him), and therefore his room has always been full of records. And I listened to them, with his CD player and his headphones. Grace by Jeff Buckley is the first album I fell in love with me and, of course, I keep being. I could have chosen them all, but in the end I chose this. When I heard it the first time I was 10 years old and from that moment I started trying to sing like him. In vain. And, damn me, I keep doing it.

Forbidden Colors – Ryuichi Sakamoto & David Sylvian

I have always been very attracted to the melody and the one written by Sakamoto for his plan is certainly one of my favorites. It always affects me a lot the way Sylvian then wrote the vocal melody, as if he were counterbalanced to that of the plan, not following it at all. The combination is wonderful and fundamental for me, because it always reminds me to think that even if a way has already been spread, to get to a goal there is more and more than one to discover. Musically, and beyond.

Notes to self – Oren Lavie

I met Oren Lavie's music when I was at high school. There was a site that was called Strubleupon, which rehadilized you at various content based on interest that you indicated during the registration phase. Well, one day, I happened on the video of one of his songs, Her Morning Elegance. Wonderful video, which I recommend. I became a fan of his, and then I waited for 10 long years his second album, which contains this song. The text is wonderful and I often listen to it to try to be a better person. It is a continuous challenge, but that is worth dealing with. Life is too short to be assholes with others, and therefore with ourselves.

All Things Must Pass – George Harrison

A real mantra. A therapeutic song, as well as wonderful. And it's really true: everything passes and, as my great friend Giuliano Dottori says, the sun always returns. The song he gave me and certainly will give me the opportunity to see pains and disappointments from another perspective. The right one.