Michael Bracewell began his career in style more than two decades ago with a humble stall at Sydney’s Paddington Markets whilst flogging his home-made wares.

His label, Bracewell, began in a small Darlinghurst flat (and for anyone familiar with Darlinghurst would know that ‘small’ means ‘miniscule’) with two friends, two sewing machines, and a budget that could barely feed a family of four for a week.

Fast forward and Bracewell is now a brand (and a man) to be reckoned with – as one of Australia’s leading labels, Michael is now an international figure who has indulged his love of all things vintage in the opening of this new store, Penny Arcade, full of vintage finds and Bracewell basics.

Savvy spoke with the man himself and asked him to pick his top ten tunes that get him in the mood. In keeping with his vintage-obsession, he stuck with songs from the 60s and 70s, the period where most of the goodies in Penny Arcade come from.

“To select only ten songs is so hard,” said Bracewell when confronted with our request. “I would much prefer to give you fifty!” But ten it was, and ten he gave:
 
1. The Beatles’ Hide Your Love Away. They have to be on any list, but again, which song to choose out of so many great songs? This is a perfect pop song, filmed in a room full of designer furniture in their movie Help. Pearl Jam does a great version.

2. Jimi Hendrix’s All Along The Watchtower. A mix of Bob Dylan's* writing and Hendrix's playing.

3. Otis Reading’s Dock of the Bay.

4. David Bowie’s Life on Mars. Always fashionable.

5. Nick Drake’s One of These Things First. The dark horse.

6. Led Zeppelin’s Khasmir. Big, bold, epic.

7. Prince’s Sign of the Times.

8. The Rolling Stones’ Sympathy for the Devil.

9. Jeff Buckley’s Everybody Here Wants You.

10. The Artic Monkeys’ A View For The Afternoon.

** Apologies to Dylan for having to share. Other favourites include Nirvana, Neil Young, Van Morrison, The Clash, U2, Radiohead, Aretha Franklin, Lucinda Williams, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, The Beach Boys, Bob Marley, The Sex Pistols, Kings of Leon, Elvis, Pearl Jam, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, Crowded House, Nick Cave, Inxs and many, many more.