Electronic - get the message, 1991

"Writing in the NME, Andrew Collins called the song "draught genius" and concluded that "New Order can now split up", while David Quantick stated that "nothing anyone has ever done has sounded even vaguely like 'Get the Message'" in the same publication a month later."

God Help The Girl - come monday night, 2009

"A few years back, Murdoch found himself in a unique situation: he had a set of songs but no proper performers for them. Through a series of auditions that date back to 2006, he found three girls - Brittany Stallings and Dina Bankole from the States, and Catherine Ireton, an Irish girl who'd recently moved to Glasgow. Ireton was tabbed to be the star of the album (and soon, film), and she duly gets center stage on "Monday Night". Her voice is a bit stronger than, say, Isobel Campbell's, but it still hovers within that angelic range that Murdoch has always preferred. She sounds precious and poised, in other words, but importantly, she's also not averse to daydreaming."

The Radio Dept - never follow suit, 2010

"Never Follow Suit" is the second track we've heard from the Radio Dept.'s upcoming album Clinging to a Scheme. More deliberate and relaxed than its predecessor, the mighty "Heaven's on Fire", "Never" combines a mutant electro beat and keyboard stabs with a delicate, classically Swedish pop vocal."

Such a great song! 

The Bilinda Butchers - tulips, 2011

"Though we tend to throw the word around so frequently it risks losing meaning, I admit that the idea I most associate with The Bilinda Butchers is nostalgia. I’ve experienced my fair share of it over the years, but the exact definition of the word has always eluded me, despite my ongoing penchant for sentimentality and of course, my perpetual fascination with music’s ability to administer the feeling in beautifully inexplicable ways."

Alice On The Roof - easy come easy go, 2016

"Alice Dutoit, known professionally as Alice on the Roof (born 23 January 1995 in Soignies, Hainaut) is a Belgian singer."

The Beatles - octopus's garden, 1969

"The idea for the song came about when Starr was on a boat belonging to comedian Peter Sellers in Sardinia in 1968. He ordered fish and chips for lunch, but instead of fish he got squid (it was the first time he had eaten squid, and he said, "It was OK. A bit rubbery. Tasted like chicken.") The boat's captain then told Starr about how octopuses travel along the sea bed picking up stones and shiny objects with which to build gardens. Starr's songwriting was further inspired by his desire to escape mounting hostility among the Beatles; he would later admit that he had "just wanted to be under the sea, too". Uncredited assistance in developing the song's chord changes was provided by Harrison, who can be seen helping Starr work the song out on piano, with Lennon later joining in with drums, in the documentaries Let It Be (1970) and The Beatles: Get Back (2021), both using the same footage."

The Walkmen - angela surf city live, 2010

"it's not characteristic of these guys to show their cards right off the bat, so Hamilton Leithauser starts off sharing his concerns in that elegantly dour, slightly burnished croon of his: "Angela/ What's the difference?/ Today's a day like any other."

Disturbed - the sound of silence cover, 2015

"This is a new version with so much more depth. I felt it pulling me into the hopelessness and helplessness of someone struggling against the cruelties of life."

Shout Out Louds - blue ice, 2012

"Formed in Stockholm by childhood friends Adam Olenius (vocals), Ted Malmros (bass), and Carl von Arbin (guitars), Shout Out Louds found an international audience during the early 2000s with their peppy Swedish pop. The lineup began taking shape in 2001, with drummer Eric Edman and keyboardist Bebban Stenborg climbing aboard shortly thereafter. Shout Out Louds wasted little time writing songs, the first three of which formed the basis of their first demo tape."

Jaguar Sun - broken record, 2022

"Since its origins in 2018, Chris Minielly has been creating Jaguar Sun’s music entirely from his bedroom in Ontario, Canada. You could call it alt-pop, or indie dream pop with a sentimental folksy flair. The music’s airy, upbeat, and nostalgic sound abounds with reverb guitars and sincere lyricism."

William Tyler - man in a hurry, 2019

"Before he became a solo artist, Tyler was a member of Lambchop and Silver Jews beginning in 1998. Tyler first joined Lambchop at the age of 19 because Kurt Wagner approached him about playing the organ in the band. However, it turned out that he got to play guitar because he admittedly said "I couldn't really play" the organ. Before releasing music under his own name, Tyler used The Paper Hats as working title for his solo music."

Outros olhares: Tailândia, Koh Nang Yuan, 29 graus centígrados, 75% humidade

Beach House - take care, 2010

"Beach House singer Victoria Legrand must be bored rigid with reviewers continually mentioning that her music sounds like the ethereal lovechild of gauzy indie forebears Galaxie 500 and Mazzy Star. Granted, reiterating the platitude won’t help, but consider this a valediction; a way of drawing a line in the sand outside the Beach House of old, perhaps. For this, the third album from the Baltimore-based duo – singer/keyboardist Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally – proffers a bold evolution in sound and compositional ambition that renders comparison with those touchstones of yore immaterial."

Chumbawamba - enough is enough, 1994

"Enough Is Enough is an anti-fascist single from Chumbawamba and Credit to the Nation, on Chumbawamba's album Anarchy."

Yo La Tengo - friday i'm in love cover, 2015

"YLT’s rendition of the classic track is carefully stripped back acoustic take, focused largely on gentle guitar strums and a steady, spares drum that never encroaches on the lighter notes of singer Georgia Hubley."

Toy Cities - digital waves, 2020

“Digital Waves” is a rousing electro-pop success that highlights the Brooklyn-based act’s melodic strengths. Infusing a fondness for post-punk with ’90s indie-pop, Toy Cities navigate through hypnotic, suave verses into a chorus that pops with ample replay value."

Postiljonen - the open road, 2016

"This is summery dream pop at its best; made for lazy days and dreamy nights."

Thelonious Monk - round midnight, 1943

"'Round Midnight" (sometimes titled "'Round About Midnight") is a 1943 composition by American jazz pianist Thelonious Monk that quickly became a jazz standard and has been recorded by a wide variety of artists."

Jens Lekman - friday night at the drive-in bingo, 2007

"I have a new single on its way. It's called 'Friday Night at the Drive-in Bingo' and it sounds a lot like its title. Like the blood red sun in the horizon. Like the best slash worst slash best again night of your life. Like a pair of jeans you love but would never wear in public. Like a coverband playing Walk of Life in someones backyard. Like the point where sheer boredom pushes you into the great unknown. Like the country when the country wasn't cool. Like the peanuts in your coke. It's one of my finest popsongs ever in my opinion, but quite different from the other songs on my forthcoming record. Love it or hate it, regardless you're still welcome to drop by for a glass of applecider."

The Pigeon Detectives - you better not look my way, 2007

"Wait for Me is debut album of Leeds band The Pigeon Detectives. The album was released for CD, 12" and digital download on 28 May 2007 and charted in the UK Albums Chart at number three in its first week of release. The album sold around 227,000 copies in 2007, reaching No. 70 in the end of year chart. It was certified platinum in June 2008. Upon the album's release, it received generally positive reviews from most critics."

Sufjan Stevens - chicago, 2005

"There's so much pedantic subterfuge on this record, and historical two-stepping, cross-referencing, cultural theory, Marxist criticism, and on and on, that I just wanted to give the reader a little bit of comic relief here and there."

Counting Crows - chelsea live, 1997

"I have dissociative mental disorder -- it makes the world seem like it's not really there. You need familiar surroundings: family, friends, girlfriends. They ground you. When you're on tour all the time, it's hard to maintain those things. The tours were bringing me down. I hit rock bottom."

The Mary Onettes - explosions, 2007

"the Golden Age they're conjuring comes back through their melodies and song structures, not just the superficial business of synth settings and production styles"

Charles Bradley - dusty blue, 2013

"Victim of Love is a more optimistic record, from the Motown-inspired catchy pop-soul number “You Put the Flame on It” to the gorgeous “Through the Storm”, a quiet elegy to bury his past traumas. But these fuzzy moments are offset by new forays into more coarse instrumentation."

Scott Matthews - drifter, 2016

"Scott Matthews is launching his career for the second time. When he started out, eight years ago, the Wolverhampton singer-songwriter found himself acclaimed as the most exciting musician from the West Midlands since his admirer Robert Plant, with whom he recorded and toured; and his first single, Elusive, won an Ivor Novello award."

Pet Shop Boys - i didn't get where i am today, 2004

"The track features a sample from an obscure 1967 pop record titled "Father's Name Is Dad" by the band Fire. This explains the authoring co-credit for Dave Lambert, the writer of that song."

Frankie Cosmos - being alive, 2018

"Kline’s vocabulary is anything but limited, which is exactly how her band has built such a solid, sparkling catalog of meta-narratives and self-referencing vignettes. Frankie Cosmos songs are always focused on the spirals and intricacies of language, and “Being Alive,” from their forthcoming album Vessel, is no exception."

Franz Ferdinand - eleanor put your boots on, 2005

"The 'Eleanor' in the title is thought to refer to Eleanor Friedberger, lead singer of indie rock band The Fiery Furnaces who supported Franz Ferdinand during their 2004 tour."

 Such a great song!

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - french press, 2017

"Just as Rolling Blackouts’ music provides an instant sense of comfort through its ’80s indie-pop signifiers, lyrically, they make you feel right at home by dropping you in the middle of intimate scenes populated by first-name-basis characters."

Headlights - love song for buddy, 2009

"Wildlife is the third full-length studio album by the indie rock band Headlights."

Alvvays - dreams tonite, 2017

"For every song that asks the question, “What might have been?” there exists an equally stark reality, of “What wasn’t.” Alvvays’ new song “Dreams Tonite” looks at the liminal space between those two frames of mind, questioning the forces that separate lovers, be they self-made or circumstantial."

Thomas Dybdahl - one day you'll dance for me new york city, 2004

"Thomas Dybdahl grew up in Sandnes, Norway. His musical career started off as the guitarist in the band Quadraphonics."

Charlie Parker - scrapple from the apple, 1947

"Scrapple from the Apple" is a bebop composition by Charlie Parker written in 1947, commonly recognized today as a jazz standard, written in F major. The song borrows its chord progression from "Honeysuckle Rose", a common practice for Parker, as he based many of his successful tunes over already well-known chord changes."

Bright Eyes - at the bottom of everything, 2005

 

"Oberst is a man on a mission, battling with urgency against the cynicism and indifference he sees. The opening song, “At the Bottom of Everything,” underscores his belief in taking a stand on issues of the day: 

We must take all of the medicines too expensive now to sell.

Set fire to the preacher who is promising us hell.

Into the ear of every anarchist that sleeps but doesn’t dream

We must sing, we must sing, we must sing."

Big Thief - not, 2019

"No song in 2019 felt more searing, more perfect, than "Not." It's a song of anguish. You can hear it in Adrianne Lenker's voice and her words. As the song builds to its climax, she sings a series of denials, circling a description of something essential that remains just out of her grasp"

Boat Club - nowhere, 2007

"Nearly five minutes of Balearic perfection that acts as the unintentional centrepiece on one of the most criminally overlooked records of the past decade."

Saturday Looks Good To Me - until the world stops spinning, 2004

"Over the course of its career, Saturday Looks Good to Me hasn't tampered much with its mix of artful lo-fi haze, winsome melodies, and pithy lyrics. Change comes with Every Night, but fortunately the band doesn't try to fix what wasn't broken in the first place. Most immediately different is the album's sound: although head Saturday honcho Fred Thomas and Warn Defever reteamed on Every Night's production, this time they use a polished approach that sounds as if it's already been remastered."

They Live By Night - endless summer, 2008

"They Live by Night are Christofer Byström, Joel Sjöö and Martin Andersson. The group formed in Gothenburg in late 2004. They were signed by Razzia Records a few months later and released their first recordings as a 5-track Ep. The debut album Art and Wealth was released in 2007. (...) They Live by Night used to be a quartet, until Robin Danielsson left the group in the summer of 2007. Since then They Live by Night have been a trio. They will continue to work in that format as songwriters and producers, but the group will grow bigger on stage."

Sufjan Stevens - a little lost cover, 2014

"Arthur’s music is all over the place, but most of it seems to be about embracing darkness (loneliness) and ambiguity (confusion) with the biggest bear hug in the world. Catharsis! He didn’t give a shit about fads or fashion even as he was influenced by popular music, club music, and all that shitty art music at the Kitchen. He kind of cobbled it all together to create his own diverse musical language, He was funny as shit (a wordsmith, a master of the innuendo), but also dead serious (and blunt) about the deepness of his feelings, unafraid to express affection in his songs, without pandering or cliche. Arthur was real as shit. You can’t fake realness."

Guillemots - never went to church cover, 2006

"Guillemots (stylized as gUiLLeMoTs) are a British indie rock band formed in November 2004, comprising three members: Fyfe Dangerfield, Aristazabal Hawkes and Greig Stewart."

Bear's Den - crow, 2019

"Crow" by Bear's Den is a nostalgic elegy remembering the loss of a father figure. Full of bittersweet gratitude, the harmonic aspects of the track are a beautiful complement to the melody and lyrics sung by Andrew Davie with such pure emotion."

The Digital Age - galaxies, 2016

"What I can hear and feel in Galaxies is a band that is searching a bit for a new identity. There are some risks and creative choices taken that definitely work, and some that don't. But the times when it is really dragged down are when the band elects to make safe, accessible musical choices rather than ones that add to the intended experience."

Vini Reilly - home recording live, 2020

"There is YouTube footage from 2020 of Reilly playing in his living room and it’s not the work of a three-time stroke victim you may expect. But it’s still not good enough for Reilly. “I carried on and on after my strokes and I got to a level, but it’s not even close [to where I was],”

Horsebeach - pure shores, 2024

"Tried my best to do this absolute banger some justice. Here's my 3rd single from the upcoming LP, it's a cover of the track 'Pure Shores. Streaming on all the usual places and link in bio ofc. Hope you like it x"

Fancy Animals - circles, 2024

"a sound with ample entrancement, hypnotic and dreamy while still retaining a punchy melodic fervency — especially apparent in the gorgeously shoegaze-y “get inside,” closing plea."

The Jesus And Mary Chain - girl seventy-one, 2024

"Our creative approach is the same as in 1984, just come to the studio and see what happens. We came in with a lot of songs and let them run their course. There are no rules, it’s a sort of telepathy, we’re those strange twins who finish each other’s sentences."

Still Corners - crystal blue, 2024

"The genesis for several of these songs comes from dreams. Every night she wrote down the dreams she could remember. During the recording, I would pull out my dream journal and sing over various music loops that Greg had prepared. This repetitive nature felt like a trance."

Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young - teach your children, 1969

"In 1971, "Teach Your Children" was the final song in the movie Melody."

Dave Matthews Band - mercy, 2012

"Dave Matthews Band’s video for “Mercy” embraces the song’s themes of unity and harmony (...). According to the band, 14,334 people provided original photos and videos for the inspirational clip, a James Frost-directed mash-up video that features only glimpses of the band and focuses on the fans."

My Sad Captains - don't listen to your heart, 2017

"since i started the blog, i've got to know some great bands and from time to time we talk through email or myspace or facebook... i like to call them friends because i'm an easygoing person and it's not very hard for me to make friends (through virtual medias. face to face i tend to be a bit shy). i like to think my sad captains is a band-friend of the blog. so i'm more than happy when i get news from them... they're releasing a free song taken from their album here and elsewhere, (released on stolen recordings) called 'you talk all night'. a very mellow and soothing tune. there' also a video for the song that is so simple but so well filmed that you can let your imagination flow with the images and build a story from it."

Layzi - close two u, 2024

"I’ll start with the keys and then start writing. I’ll add the chords, and then some notes on the guitar"

Van Morrison - glad tidings, 1970

"The style of Moondance stood in contrast to that of Astral Weeks. Whereas Astral Weeks had a sorrowful and vulnerable tone, Moondance restored a more optimistic and cheerful message to his music, which abandoned the previous record's abstract folk compositions in favour of more formally composed songs and a lively rhythm and blues style he expanded on throughout his career."

Jayz - empire state of mind, 2009

"There was a first phone call, and Jay hit me up like, 'I feel like I have this record that's going to be the anthem of New York. The piano, the way the style [is], the whole flow, and it couldn't be the anthem of New York without you.' Obviously, I'm very grateful to him for reaching out to me and for that type of ability to represent my hometown, like, that was crazy. So we went to the studio. I went to the studio, and [...] I fell in love [with the track] from the jump."

Still Corners - beginning to blue, 2013

"Their offering of their own little dream-pop world in a dark corner of the Austin Convention Center comes with its own pseudo-psychedelic slideshow, and singer Tessa Murray's voice has more than an echo of the late Trish Keenan in her heyday."

Tom Waits - coney island baby, 2002

"This album is all rich, complex, mysterious, dark tomes about the concussion of hatred against love. The sound is not quite industrial or grating, but there is a discord to these songs, almost a physical discomfort."

Bill Ryder-Jones - satellites live, 2015

"Ryder-Jones, pitched to the right of the stage, could alternate between looking feverishly involved or coolly relaxed. His guitar parts were simply stunning. Nobody outside the tight-knit group could have guessed he was wrestling with demons, until in 2005 he briefly stopped touring with the band, citing a stress-related illness."

The Band Of Holy Joy - to leave or remain, 2017

"To say the Band of Holy Joy were an anomaly on the late-1980s indie scene is to wallow in understatement. All around, bands took to flared jeans and trundling Madchester beats, but the Band of Holy Joy made an oompah din on brass and accordions while singer Johnny Brown sang affectingly of London lowlife in a drunken Geordie wail. It was charmingly incongruous, as if Brecht and Weill had turned up in the middle of an episode of Byker Grove."

This Mortal Coil - kangaroo, 1984

"In 2018, Pitchfork ranked It'll End in Tears at number eight on its list of "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums".

The Waterboys - red army blues, 1984

"The song tells the story of a Soviet soldier in WWII who somehow survives the war and comes in contact with American troops. Joseph Stalin felt that troops who were taken prisoner were weak and traitors to the Soviet state and that troops who came in contact with Allied troops were in danger of being Westernized. So after the war, many Red Army troops who had been held as POWs or had much contact with western troops were considered a threat to the state and were sent directly to the gulags where many would die while working and starving in forced labor camps. We’re talking in the millions here."

El Perro Del Mar - wipe me off this earth, 2024

“As the feelings of grief and loss wear off, you enter another realm of guilt. The guilt of not mourning enough, of going on living though someone’s gone. This song is about the ghost not accepting that it’s dead. I realised I was actually thinking like this which made it increasingly difficult to move on. I’d stayed on with the dead. I think it’s a common thing and it’s such a dark place to be in. You can’t really reason with the dead. That’s something I’ve come to understand.”

Black Pumas - colors live, 2019

"A nun from the Rio Grande Valley, a soccer champion from North Texas, a mariachi band from the border, and a psychedelic soul band from Austin are among an eclectic mix of Texans scheduled to be part of President Joe Biden’s inauguration events this week."

This Mortal Coil - song to the siren cover, 1983

"This Mortal Coil was a loose collective of musicians under the leadership of producer Ivo Watts-Russell, most of whom had recorded for his 4AD label. Singer Elizabeth Fraser and guitarist Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins, who were at the time signed to 4AD, performed on the This Mortal Coil version of "Song to the Siren". Fraser also recorded a duet with Tim's son, Jeff Buckley."

D4RKSTAR - don't ever leave me, 2019

"Desperation and reverb from the great north. D4RKSTAR is a one-person shoegaze / post-punk / electronic project out of Gothenburg, Sweden."

Vaya Con Dios - at the parallel, 1992

"At the Parallel" explores themes of longing, missed opportunities, and the sense of being stuck in a mundane existence. The Parallel serves as a metaphor for a place of repetition and unfulfilled desires, while the characters represent individuals who seek something more meaningful in their lives but struggle to find it within their current circumstances."

Jason Isbell - children of children, 2015

"Whether you grew up in a happy home or a hotbed of dysfunction, feelings and memories concerning family are always emotionally complex. There are purely happy moments, sad times and shared coping, and of course there's always guilt about things said or unsaid."

Frightened Rabbit - woke up hurting, 2016

“Scott battled bravely with his own issues for many years and we are immensely proud of him for being so open with his struggles. His willingness to discuss these matters in the public domain undoubtedly raised awareness of mental health issues and gave others confidence and believe to discuss their own issues.”

El Perro Del Mar - god knows you gotta give to get, 2006

"Julie Burchill once described St Etienne's nostalgic pop as the aural equivalent of "a perfect 60s girl jumping ceaselessly in slow-mo into the perfect MG". Fitting that description even better is El Perro Del Mar, the alter-ego of Swedish singer-songwriter Sarah Assbring. Looking like Jean Seberg and sounding like a softer Nico, El Perro sings of loss and longing against walls of majestic sound; every twist and turn of gentle narratives with titles like Party and People aches with romance and sadness."

CHVRCHES - my enemy, 2018

"It's airy, light, and more downbeat than its predecessor, and is especially significant as a different sonic landscape from the sort that we're used to from Berninger, who for the record sounds great here."

I'm From Barcelona - violins, 2015

"I'm from Barcelona is a Swedish pop group from Jönköping, Sweden, best known for its 29 band members and eclectic mix of instruments such as clarinets, saxophones, flutes, trumpets, banjos, accordions, kazoos, guitars, drums, and keyboards among others. While most band members provide backing vocals on releases and during live performances, Emanuel Lundgren is founder, principal songwriter and lead singer for the group."

William Fitzsimmons - light years cover, 2020

"Fitzsimmons was born the youngest child of two blind parents and was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.(...) Fitzsimmons' writing often includes references to personal and family subject matter. His 2006 sophomore album, Goodnight, also self-produced and recorded at home, is said to have been based largely on his parents' divorce during his adolescence, and his 2008 work, The Sparrow and the Crow, his first recorded in a studio, was written entirely about and following his own divorce."

Frazier Chorus - cloud eight, 1991

"What seems at first play to aspire to be little more than a collection of richly produced but understated songs turns out to be a peculiar, ambitious combination of sweet instrumentation and perversely harsh lyrics."

Black Pumas - colors, 2019

"Written with the multicolored tones of the sky in mind, Burton’s songwriting portrays “themes of mortality and togetherness,” belting away his deeply raspy vocals alongside Quesada’s ingenious instrumentation and production. If there’s a way to describe what these two are providing, it’s an idiosyncratically modern update of the height of the Motown era, while simultaneously keeping it uniquely novel through juxtaposing it against present-day musical sensibilities."

Sufjan Stevens - the transfiguration, 2004

"The progression through the song becomes a musical procession of sorts: voices and instruments like bass, drums, and even glockenspiel are added one by one and then caught up in the tune, moving together toward the song’s summit. This musical layering creates a shimmering effect, a sonic analogue to the dazzling radiance of the face and clothing of the transfigured Christ. The layers increase in range and complexity, building on one another until the song’s climactic ending, when all complexity vanishes, the instruments and voices end in unison—a powerful musical image of the moment when Moses, Elijah, the cloud, and the voice disappear, and only Jesus remains, his divinity hidden in his humanity once again."

Outros olhares: Tailândia, Koh samui, 31 graus centígrados, 73% humidade

The Streets - never went to church, 2006

"Never Went to Church" is a single by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner under the music project the Streets, from their third studio album, The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living. "Never Went to Church" is a tribute to Mike Skinner's late father."

Whitelands - tell me about it, 2024

“I love how sweet the two vocals sound together, especially when the lyrics have a soft sadness to them.”

Busty Brown - to love somebody cover, 1969

"The Upsetter is a studio album of Lee "Scratch" Perry productions, released in 1969. The album largely comprises instrumentals from Perry's studio band The Upsetters, but also features vocal tracks by Busty Brown and The Muskyteers (aka the Silvertones)."

Postiljonen - atlantis, 2013

"Postiljonen has managed to create a characteristic sound, where ethereal and alluring vocals are interwoven in a mystical, ambient, dreamy and lovable expression. Postiljonen is often compared to the likes of M83, Sigur Rós, JJ and Cocteau Twins."