The New Pornographers - crash years, 2010

"Ah, the old bait and switch. The first leak from the New Pornographers' forthcoming fifth album Together, the sorta-title track "Your Hands (Together)", was OK, and its brawny guitars had obvious to those turned off by the gossamer melodies of 2007's underrated Challengers. But the song's lack of a central hook - the kind that made 2005's Twin Cinema the band's finest moment - left some wondering if Carl Newman and his band were overcompensating, perhaps as a result of the tepid critical reaction to Challengers. Together single "The Crash Years" proves that notion wrong. Like a lot of the band's best work, almost everything here seems designed to hit a pleasure center, from the Bridge on the River Kwai-like whistling that follows the chorus, to Neko Case's typically compelling lead vocal take, to Newman's unmistakable penchant for non sequitur songwriting. Yes, the presence of a cello suggests that Newman hasn't given up his more orchestral ambitions just yet - but here, the instrumentation is used to drive the melody forward, providing a low-toned counterpoint to Neko Case's upper register. Breezy yet professional, intricate yet immediate: when the Pornos are at the top of their game, as they are on "The Crash Years", not much else is this satisfying."

The Cure - in between days, 1985

"It has the bittersweet feel of a New Order record, with a hyperstrummed acoustic guitar for depth. The boys even offer a genuine glimmer of hope, and the tune fairly breezes by on its own momentum."

Saint Etienne - public information film, 1997

"Continental isn’t a real album. Not in the sense that anyone thought of it as a studio album when it came out, anyway. Initially released two decades ago this week, but only in Japan, this follow-up to Tiger Bay (1994) compiles highlights from the singles, compilations, and other bits and bobs that appeared during the group’s first wilderness period. But then in 2009, it got a surprise inclusion in Saint Etienne‘s series of deluxe edition albums, so now we get to enjoy it as a real album after all."

Band Of Horses - islands on the coast, 2007

"When Band of Horses surfaced in 2006 with Everything All the Time, the band's rugged take on rock & roll drew quick parallels to My Morning Jacket and early Neil Young. That's mighty nice company for a young band, but co-founder Mat Brooke nevertheless left the lineup that same summer, choosing to blaze his own trail with Grand Archives instead. Ben Bridwell, Brooke's musical partner for nearly a decade, was left in control of Horses - a daunting position for the former Carissa's Weird bassist, but one that ultimately resulted in a sophisticated, mature, and altogether superior follow-up."

The Sundays - cry, 1997

"Cry" is a song by English alternative rock band the Sundays. Written and produced by guitarist David Gavurin and lead singer Harriet Wheeler, the song was recorded for the band's third and final studio album, Static & Silence (1997), and released on 10 November 1997 as the second single from the album. The song reached number 43 on the UK Singles Chart."

Dido - don't think of me, 1999

"Don't Think of Me" is a song by English singer-songwriter Dido. It was released as the second single from her debut album, No Angel (1999), exclusively in the United States on 7 February 2000. The single gained enough airplay to peak at number 35 on the US Billboard Adult Top 40 in May 2000. "Don't Think of Me" also charted in Romania in 2002, peaking at number 62 that June."

Pet Shop Boys - winner instrumental, 2012

"The instrumental version of Winner is AMAZING."

Mar de Sintra, Praia do Magoito, ontem de manhã

Electronic – when she's gone, 1999

"The writing and recording of the album was a reaction to the protracted sessions of its predecessor Raise the Pressure, which had taken a year and a half to complete. Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner remained the only official members of the band, but were joined by Doves frontman Jimi Goodwin on bass and Black Grape drummer Ged Lynch. The sound of the album reflected this back-to-basics approach in terms of the line-up, although subsequent production and mixing incorporated additional beats and samples. Twisted Tenderness was co-produced by influential New York City club DJ and dance producer Arthur Baker, with whom Sumner had previously worked on New Order's 1983 hit "Confusion", amongst other songs." 

 

Such a great summer morning song!

Stars - take me to the riot, 2007

"The song follows a street dealer and his many returning, partying clients as they chase after highs and fall from the comedown."

One Republic - good life, 2009

"Not only does "Good Life" have lyrics that anyone can relate to — "... what the hell is there to complain about ..." — it also has a unique musical delivery that allows the song to stand out on a radio full of same-sounding songs."

The Radio Dept - heaven's on fire live at pitchfork, 2011

"Songs like “Heaven’s On Fire” turn into singalongs, casting light on the fact that The Radio Dept. have reached a broader fanbase then anyone might realize. And, the journey continues as they play next weekend’s Pitchfork Music Festival. Sure, it will likely again be in the daylight, but the other likelihood is that it will be crowdpleasing, and memorable."

Tindersticks - boobar come back to me, 2008

"Arguably the standout track from the Tindersticks' latest long-player The Hungry Saw, 'Boobar Come Back To Me' is a potential classic within the band's considerable canon of works. Starting off as a brooding, darkly intoned ballad the song soon develops into something far more sophisticated and elegant, with a gorgeous, almost orchestrally-proportioned arrangement and a production for which all dials have been set to the position marked: 'swoon'. Going beyond the moderate grandeur of chamber pop convention, the song is more akin to bombastic '70s croon tunes like 'MacArthur Park', and despite the title, is presumably unconnected to the famous cartoon Elephant."

Del Amitri - keepers, 1985

"The lead singer (and main songwriter) of Del Amitri, Justin Currie, is quite simply one of the greatest troubadours I have ever heard. I've only seen him live once on a recent tour for his third solo album, but it was transcendent experience to say the least."

Band Of Holy Joy - evening world holiday show, 1990

"Evening World Holiday Show was a boisterously rampant, sometimes breathless, pop song the likes of which I could not previously have considered existing without at least two guitars. The Band of Holy Joy had precisely none. The single version was produced by Martin Hannett and sounded like the party I saw on stage; a less exuberant Nick Tauber-produced version would reveal itself later..."

Pet Shop Boys - the truck driver and his mate, 1996

"The line "Taking coals to Newcastle," unfamiliar to some, is an oft-used metaphor for doing a pointless job—sort of like taking sand to the Sahara—since Newcastle is in the heart of England's coal-producing region. (In addition, Neil spent much of his youth in Newcastle, which could conceivably provide another layer of meaning.)"

The Cranberries - when you're gone, 1996

"When You're Gone" is a song by Irish band the Cranberries. It is the third single from their third studio album, To the Faithful Departed (1996). The music video was directed by Karen Bellone and was released at the end of 1996. The song was first played during the North American leg of the No Need to Argue Tour in late 1994. Upon its release, the song peaked at number four in Norway, earning a platinum disc there, and reached number 15 in Canada. It additionally peaked within the top 30 in France, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States. In 2017, the song was released as an acoustic, stripped-down version on the band's Something Else album. The song was played at the end of Dolores O'Riordan's funeral on 23 January 2018, following her sudden death a week before in London at the age of 46. It was also played by the majority of Irish radio stations at the same time during the funeral."

The Mary Onettes - your place, 2014

"This time the mood is a bit more subdued, shoegazey and ethereal at times, and demands close and repeated listens to capture it's full glory."

Saint Etienne - summerisle, 2002

"‘Language Lab’ and ‘Summerisle’ recall the ambient style of ’Sound Of Water’, while ‘Stop And Think It Over’ would not have been out of place on ’Good Humor’ or its predecessor ‘Tiger Bay’."

Stars - the last song ever written, 2010

"They know bombast and melodrama, which makes a decent amount of their latest effort, The Five Ghosts, all the more off-putting. For the first time in the band's career, they sound defeated. There's not much urgency, or even a range of emotion, for that matter; rather, much of the record blurs together, forming a single streak of gray."

Frazier Chorus - prefer you dead, 1991

"By the time of Ray's release, Frazier Chorus had gone from relatively edgier work on 4AD to a crisper, cleaner sound via Virgin, something emphasized further by Ian Broudie's typically to-the-point production on the album (it's not hard to imagine Broudie immediately doing this on the heels of the first Lightning Seeds effort)."

Belle And Sebastian - winter wooskie, 2005

"Judy Is a Dick Slap" is the first instrumental released by the band while "Winter Wooskie" is the third and final song featuring lead vocals from former bass player Stuart David, who left the band in 2000. All three tracks from the single were later collected on the Push Barman to Open Old Wounds compilation."

Guillemots - up on the ride, 2012

"Guillemots music has been described as “indie rock” (Wikipedia), “avant-garde pop and indie rock” (Last.FM) and “a cappella/pop/big beat” (Guillemots official Facebook page). The last of those is definitely different but, unfortunately, it’s also very misleading. There are no a cappella tracks on any of Guillemots four albums (although Blue Would Still Be Blue comes close) and I certainly wouldn’t call them a big beat band."