Look Right Penny’s Mariel Diaz-Carrion: 5 Albums That Changed My Life

Look Right Penny have something good going on. The Florida quintet rock a potent balance of pop-encrusted vocal melodies with prog-informed arrangements. While it might not seem like a great musical marriage on paper, the combination works.

Lead by a young vocalist named Mariel Diaz-Carrion, Look Right Penny just released Sugar Lane, their debut album, via Bieler Bros. Records. Noisecreep gives the band even more points for getting signed to a label co-owned by a former Saigon Kick guitarist!

As an introduction piece for our readers, Noisecreep asked Diaz-Carrion to take part in our ongoing 'Five Albums That Changed My Life' series. from the eclecticism of her picks, it makes total sense that she'd sing for a group like Look Right Penny.

Dreaming of You, Selena (1995)

"When I was a little girl, I had a few cassette tapes that I would repeatedly listen to and this was one of them. Because of Selena, I learned how to sing at the age of five and grew up realizing that it was my dream. Throughout my childhood, I learned how to sing in Spanish, belt out big, high notes, and harmonize. I even sang the hit single 'Dreaming of You' at four different talent shows in elementary and middle school. I dreamed of being a famous singer like her and I still do to this day. Dreaming of You is my favorite Selena album because it's fun and energetic, full of her best songs, and still takes me back to my younger days every time I listen to it. Her crossover album was unfortunately her last. I wish she were still alive because I would thank her for being the inspiration behind my reason to sing."

Ocean Avenue, Yellowcard (2003)

"While growing up in Texas, I listened to pop, boy bands, oldies, and whatever was a big hit on the radio. At the age of fourteen, my family moved to Florida and this was my chance to get a fresh start living a new life, meeting new people, and trying new things. One of those new things was listening to rock. The new friends I made at school introduced me to bands I had never heard of. I truly enjoyed what I was hearing and wanted to have my own album to listen to at home. I chose Yellowcard's Ocean Avenue and my life changed. I had never heard anything like them before. Catchy choruses, heart-wrenching melodies, depressing songs, and amazing electric violin and guitar harmonies. I never knew I could relate to lyrics as much as I did when I heard theirs. Yellowcard became my favorite band and they will represent a part of my teenage years where I was becoming who I wanted to be. They opened up an incredible world of music that I never realized had existed. Now, I have grown to love rock and the many different genres within it."

From Under the Cork Tree, Fall Out Boy (2005)

"When I heard and saw the video for the song 'Sugar, We're Going Down' for the first time, I was hooked. I bought the album a few days later and knew every part by heart in a matter of weeks. The content of this album is the epitome of the way I felt when I was fifteen and sixteen. Fall Out Boy was my favorite band for many years of my life and their third album was my first taste of them. Patrick Stump's melody lines inspired me to take a more soulful approach to singing and to create melodies I never would have considered. Pete Wentz's lyrics also inspired the way I write lyrics, by choosing a more honest method and taking from personal experiences about growing up and falling in and out of love. Fall Out Boy and From Under the Cork Tree will always have a special place in my heart for being everything my teenage mind needed in a band."

Begin to Hope, Regina Spektor (2006)

"I remember watching the music video to 'Fidelity' on MTV and I immediately fell in love with the song, the singing, and the lyrics. I knew then and there, I had to buy the album and listen to all of the other songs. 'Samson,' 'Lady,' 'Apres Moi,' and 'Summer in the City,' firmly established my appreciation of Regina Spektor as a true artist. I'm always in awe of her lyrical content which ranges from funny to incredibly sad to powerful, yet forever inspiring. Her piano playing is spot on and her voice is angelic. She has an amazing ability to sing whatever she wants and it never fails to sound like a genius' work of art. Over the years, I have followed her musical journey and purchased past and present albums of hers. She will be releasing her sixth studio album What We Saw from the Cheap Seats by the end of this month and I couldn't be any more excited about it. Regina Spektor is an inspiration to push myself and choose unconventional melodies and lyrics for the fun and joy of making music."

Scurrilous, Protest the Hero (2011)

"Protest the Hero is my current favorite band and it has been that way for several years. I started listening to them in 2007 and have memorized all the intricate guitar harmonies, stellar vocal performances, and gritty lyrics from their past albums Kezia and Fortress. I had been anxiously waiting for a new masterpiece of theirs to feast my ears upon especially because their last studio recorded album was released in 2008. I was beyond excited to get my hands on their third studio album, Scurrilous, which they released over a year ago. Every aspect of it is perfect, in my opinion. Rody Walker's ballsy and honest lyrics, amazing melodies, and personality are truly an inspiration for me to be the best and most badass vocalist I can be. Scurrilous is an excellent showcase of each band members' talents and a spectacular performance as a whole. This album is proof that Protest the Hero just gets better with age."

Look Right Penny's debut album, Sugar Lane, is available now on iTunes via Bieler Bros. Records.