The Doors - light my fire, 1967

"Light My Fire" originated in early 1966 as a composition by Robby Krieger, who said that he was inspired by the melody of "Hey Joe" and the lyrics of the Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire". On taking his initial composition to the band, John Densmore suggested that it should have more of a Latin rhythm, Jim Morrison wrote the second verse and part of the chorus ("Try to set the night on fire"), while Ray Manzarek added the Bach-influenced introductory organ motif; Densmore also suggested that it should open with a single snare drum hit."

Saint Etienne - sylvie, 1998

"Larry Flick from Billboard noted that the song "contrasts vibrant music with heartbreaking lyrics". Dino Scatena from The Daily Telegraph declared it a "pop gem", describing it as "melancholic" and "simply euphoric".

The Go-Betweens - boundary rider, 2005

"I think quite simply Boundary Rider is one of the most underrated Australian songs I’ve ever heard. It’s a brilliant song which seems to get better the more you hear it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: no Australian band like The Go-Betweens encapsulates more instinctively the quintessential Australia ‘sound’. They have the essence of Australia coursing through their music and Boundary Rider is at the top of the musical pecking order in demonstrating this."

Per Sahlström - no substitute, 2009

 

"Per Sahlström is a swedish songwriter and producer. The music is mostly acoustic but sometimes involves electronic sounds. Quite often it's catchy yet melancho"

Enya - caribbean blue, 1991

"Caribbean Blue" is a song by Irish musician Enya, included as the second track on her third studio album, Shepherd Moons (1991). It follows a waltz time signature, and mentions the Anemoi (Ancient Greek wind gods): Boreas, Afer Ventus (Africus), Eurus, and Zephyrus. The song was released as the lead single from the album on 7 October 1991 by WEA."

Pat Metheny - here to stay, 1995

"The world (and especially the prog community) needs to hear the astounding skills, diversity, of the music that Pat & his collaborators have blessed us with over his 45-year career. From early bands with Gary Burton, Jaco Pastorius, Joni Mitchell, and Jaco Pastorius, to collaborations with the likes of Nana Vasconcelos, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, Cuong Vu, John Scofield, Jim Hall, Billy Higgins, Roy Haynes, Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau, Ralph Towner, Dave Brubeck, B.B. King, Steve Swallow, Dave Holland, Eberhard Weber, Jack DeJohnnette, Michael Brecker, Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, and of course, Steve Reich, to multiple solo projects and several "Group" lineups with the likes of Danny Gottleib and Mark Egan, Steve Rodby, Paul Wertico, and Pedro Aznar, and Mark Ledford, Paul Blemires, Don Alias, Glen Velez, Dave Samuels, and Mino Cinèlu, and, after Paul Wertico retired, Antonio Sanchez, as well as life-long friend and collaborator, the late, great Lyle Mays."

Bee Gees - spicks and specks, 1966

"Their 1966 single ‘Spicks and Specks’ reached number 1 and was named Go-Set’s single of the year just as the band left to seek its fortune in London. Their debut English single, ‘New York Mining Disaster 1941’, was the first of many international hits. In 1977 their soundtrack album for Saturday Night Fever would become the largest-selling movie soundtrack in history (although it was unaccountably overlooked for Oscar nomination); at one point, Barry Gibb could count five of his songs in the US Top 10 at once."

The Radio Dept - i don't like it like this, 2005

"The trilogy of Radio Dept's first few albums have no skips, no songs worth forgetting and consistently surprising turns that I can't get enough of. In my eyes, Lesser Matters, is their main masterpiece, their heart and soul at its most ethereal, detailed, interior and intimate. It feels like a concept album of a love that Johan can't forget, from eight years ago..., 2003-8, ie 1995."

Neil Young - are you passionate, 2002

"Everything just kept evolving, and the songs came back and they were where they need to be to really happen. So it all just fell together as easily as you could imagine: I just let it go, I just let it happen. I knew what was making me feel good, and I knew that I wanted to play my guitar more like a saxophone this time. And I felt more like a horn player while I was playing my guitar."

The Go-Betweens - the statue, 2005

"The pair keep this sort of thing up for 40 minutes. The air of two songwriters on rare form, confidently challenging each other to greater heights, is inescapable. McLennan weighs in with The Statue, a blissful melody decorated with guitars that shimmer as though slowly emerging from a heat haze."

Such a great song!

The Shadows - theme for young lovers, 1964

"Despeite being written by the Shadows' Bruce Welch, he does not actually feature on the recording as he was not in the studio during the recording session. Instead, his part, the acoustic rhythm guitar, was played by Hank Marvin. It was also the last Shadows recording to feature bassist Brian Locking, who left the group before the release of their previous single "Geronimo", being replaced by John Rostill. It was the lead single from the film Wonderful Life, featuring Cliff Richard, and was included on the soundtrack album by Richard and the Shadows."

Coldplay - we pray, 2024

"Coldplay is teaming up with music superstars from around the world for their new single! The band, led by frontman Chris Martin, just dropped their new song “We Pray” featuring acclaimed UK rapper Little Simz, Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy, Palestinian-Chilean R&B phenomenon Elyanna, and chart-topping Argentine TINI."

Club 8 - we're simple minds, 2002

"Swedish duo Club 8 may not be the most prolific of bands in recent years, but following on from last year’s Sunny, 2024 has seen them release two perfect gems: the 60s-inflected guitar pop of Just Like Heaven and the delicious dreampop of Daylight."

Au Revoir Simone - organized scenery, 2009

"David Lynch has been a fan of theirs for a while and I guess just wanted to feature them. Their music is wonderfully dreamy and beautiful."

Such a great song!

Tiny Skulls - the concrete boys take heed, 2023

"Tiny Skulls is a four-piece, hailing from Scotland, although (as best I can tell), currently based in London. Two of those four musicians are also members of There Will Be Fireworks, and a third also appeared on the The Dark, Dark Bright as a guest musician. They’re also releasing this album, their debut effort, on The Imaginary Kind, a miniscule label which as of now has only ever released albums and EPs from projects with members from There Will Be Fireworks. It follows, then, that even if lead singer/songwriter Nicky McManus isn’t involved here, long-suffering fans of There Will Be Fireworks should be perking their ears up like a cat when a can of wet food gets opened. In most respects, Songs From Some Depressing Movie feels like a throwback to an earlier era of indie. You tend to hear a lot of albums like that these days, mostly deliberate attempts to play on listeners’ nostalgia which come up rather lifeless. Here, though, that’s not the case. Partly, that’s probably because these songs were mostly recorded way back between 2011 and 2014 (yeah, this long road to release sounds familiar, cough, cough) and partly it’s because these songs are simply well-composed and well-performed. The end result is a remarkably satisfying blend of a ton of styles, among them 2000s-era British soft indie/alt rock, low-key folk, emo, post-rock, and perhaps a hint of shoegaze."

Bee Gees - blue island, 1993

"The other side, what we call heaven, in fact is blue and it's an island. Good or bad, this is where we all end up. So we wrote 'Blue Island' and dedicated it for the children of Yugoslavia, because even though they may not survive, the hope is that they, as well as us, are all going to this beautiful place."

Beirut - interior of a dutch house, 2022

"Artifacts is a compilation album by American indie rock band Beirut. It was released digitally on January 28, 2022, through Pompeii Records, and was released on vinyl and CD on April 1, 2022. The double album includes unreleased tracks, B-sides, some of Zach Condon's earliest recordings at age 14, and a re-release of the band's 2007 Lon Gisland EP. It was announced on October 20, 2021, with the release of the previously unreleased track "Fisher Island Sound". The second single, "So Slowly", was released on November 17, 2021, followed by the single "Fyodor Dormant" on January 6, 2022."

The Cure - cut here, 2001

"The Cure did treat the fans with two new songs: "Cut Here" rises with early sounds of Madchester, but the glitzy swirls of "Just Say Yes" mark the Cure's return to form. Republica's Saffron joins Robert Smith for something campy and carefree. Greatest Hits is basically for the fans who have to have everything, but also a decent collection for those who never fully enraptured themselves with the Cure."

The Radio Dept - värnhem, 2005

"Taxi 4 tack för hjälpen. "taxi 4, thanks for the help". Dags att åka hem. "time to go home". ner till kajen 120. "down to dock 120". 12114. 84. 2103. The I can't hear too much here but the last the the 'taxi driver' says is, "det är mitt öde". "it is my destiny"

Peter Gabriel - panopticom bright side mix, 2023

"Panopticom" is a song by English musician Peter Gabriel, released in January 2023 as the first single in promotion of his tenth studio album I/O, his first album of original material since 2002's Up. Two versions of the song have been released: the "Bright Side Mix" (mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent) on 6 January 2023, and the "Dark Side Mix" (mixed by Tchad Blake) on 21 January. The cover (for both versions) features David Spriggs' Red Gravity as the cover art. The single was released on the first full moon of the year."

The Sound - night versus day, 1980

"Even in Simon Reynolds’ superlative study of the post-punk era that is Rip it Up and Start Again, The Sound are mentioned in passing just the once, and it’s only in reference to the wave of groups who emerged from the breakthrough success of Joy Division."

Enya - fairytale, 1987

"In the story, Étaín is banished and transformed into a pool of water and emerges from it as a butterfly."

Fleet Foxes - in the morning cover live sydney, 2017

"Spanning two hours in duration, the show included an extensive setlist filled with both old songs and new. Notably, it featured live renditions of nearly their whole forthcoming album Crack-Up (with the exception of “Kept Woman”), as well as a cover of the Bee Gees’ “In The Morning.” Fan favorites such as “Mykonos,” “Your Protector,” “White Winter Hymnal,” “He Doesn’t Know Why” and more were played, of course."

Such a great song!

Robert Forster - loneliness, 1996

"I seem to remember being a pretty big Warm Nights fan, I shall have to dig it out again and see exactly why. I think it was the first Robert solo album I ever got hold of, which might partly explain it, I felt glad that it held up against his work with the band, something I never really felt about Grant's solo work."

REM - zither, 1996

"I appreciate a good R.E.M. instrumental. I'd love to know how many started as tracks for Michael to listen to and weigh in on lyrically. This one seems to be an excuse to play a Zither, but it's the guitar line that comes across more than the plucky double stringed autoharp."

The Cranberries - sunday, 1993

"Sunday" is a mid-tempo alternative song taken from The Cranberries debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?. It was released as a promotion single in the USA in 1993, before Island Records decided to opt for a re-release the band's first two European singles, "Dreams" and "Linger" in 1994."

Bee Gees - nights on broadway, 1975

"Nights on Broadway" is a song by the Bee Gees from the Main Course album released in 1975. The second single released from the album, it immediately followed their number-one hit "Jive Talkin'". This track was credited to Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb."

The Style Council - you're the best thing, 1984

"You're the Best Thing" is a song by English band the Style Council which was their sixth single to be released. It was composed by lead singer Paul Weller, recorded at Weller's own studio Solid Bond Studios, and was released in 1984. It is the second single from the band's début album, Café Bleu (1984). Café Bleu was renamed My Ever Changing Moods in the United States to capitalise on the success of the first single."

Saint Etienne - the bad photographer, 1998

"The Bad Photographer" is a song written and performed by British pop group Saint Etienne, and released in April 1998 by Creation Records as the second single from the group's fourth album, Good Humor (1998). The song is produced by Swedish record producer, composer and musician Tore Johansson, and peaked at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached number 24 in Scotland and number four on the UK Indie Singles Chart. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Björn Lindgren, who had previously directed the video for "Sylvie"."

Pet Shop Boys - to the shore, 2005

"Battleship Potemkin is a 2005 album of electronic and orchestral music written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys, to accompany the 1925 silent film Battleship Potemkin by Sergei Eisenstein. It is performed by Tennant, Lowe and the Dresdner Sinfoniker, conducted by Jonathan Stockhammer, with orchestrations by Torsten Rasch. The album was released under the name Tennant/Lowe, as Tennant and Lowe are the composers. The album is produced by the Pet Shop Boys and Sven Helbig."

Enya - morning glory, 1988

"Morning Glory" is a previously unreleased track and an instrumental song by Irish musician, songwriter and singer Enya. It was a B-Side track for the second single from her second studio album, Watermark, "Evening Falls..." at the first time, released in December 1988 by WEA. In 2009, the song was contained in Japanese reissue and remastered edition of Watermark as a bonus twelfth track of the album."

The Radio Dept - four months in the shade, 2010

"Despite landing a whopping three songs on Sofia Coppola’s soundtrack for Marie Antoinette later in 2006, The Radio Dept. kept to select gigs around Europe and releasing one-off singles, letting the internet do the heavy promotional lifting for them. By the time their next record was on the horizon, The Radio Dept. were either modern ambassadors of saccharine dream pop or approaching a decade of being perpetual underrated, depending on who you asked."

Barclay James Harvest - hymn, 1977

"The album's title, Gone to Earth, refers to the fox hunter's cry used to indicate that the quarry has returned to its lair."

New Order - touched by the hand of god original version retro club mike pickering, 2002

"The box set was released as a compromise. The band's manager, Rob Gretton, had originally envisioned a box set called Recycle, which would feature all the singles New Order had released, one single per CD, in a grand 20 CD box. However, London Records deemed this excessive, and the idea was shelved. New Order released Get Ready in 2001 and a year later Retro surfaced. The CDs each have a particular theme: Pop, Fan, Club and Live. Each one was selected by a friend of the band."

Mike Oldfield - latin, 2003

"To remain faithful to the original album, Oldfield obtained a copy of the original 16 track tape, from Richard Barrie of AIR Studios; this multitrack was then recorded into Digidesign Pro Tools. There were a few parts of the multitrack recording missing however; this included parts of the "Finale", "Caveman" and "The Sailors Hornpipe" sections. These original tracks were then moved into Emagic Logic, where Oldfield used MIDI to create a tempo and time signature map; some sections of the original album had not been in time. A guide MIDI keyboard was laid on top, for which Oldfield usually used some Roland Strings. The first instrument to be recorded was the Glockenspiel at the beginning of Part One's "Introduction", and the final part to be recorded was the "Caveman" vocal track."

The Housemartins - he will find you out, 1987

"To anyone who owns a Housemartins album, or comes from my hometown of Hull, my special guest today needs no introduction. Described as alternative rock and pop, for four glorious years in the 1980's the Housemartins brought the music world their unique songs blending Marxist politics and Christianity. Stan Cullimore will always be fondly remembered for being the geeky one in specs who played the guitar. The band split in 1988. What happened to Stan afterwards?"