Thursday, November 21, 2024

The Durutti Column - menina ao pé duma piscina, 1983

"Initially a three-chord venting unit that sounded a lot like its peers, the Durutti Column is perhaps the weirdest boy-band of all time. I say that because the band was formed on the Factory label founder Tony Wilson's whim, around guitarist Vini Reilly (who was previously in The Nosebleeds, another famous Manchester punk band; which at one point was fronted by Morrissey; a seed that would flower in the late 80's with Moz' first solo album)."

Sarah Cracknell - goldie, 1997

“London’s like a magnet, I could never wait to get there. I remember when I was about 13 getting the train from Egham to go to school in Clapham. I’d hop on the Northern Line to make the last leg of the journey, which was actually quite scary at that time. I used to go ice skating in Richmond, browsing around Kensington Market and up the Kings Road with my friend as soon as we were able to really."

Lily Allen - chinese, 2009

"‘Chinese’ is one of my favorite tracks from Lily Allen’s 2009 album It’s Not Me, It’s You. I like it even more after learning, just now, that it’s about her mother. I always assumed it was about a romantic relationship, but the lyrics about returning home to a comforting meal, relaxing, and being lovingly reassured make a lot more sense when you know she’s writing about a parent."

A-ha - you are the one remix, 1988

"When you look at the sleeve of the 7" single of 'You are the one' and compare it with this one from the 12" single, you'll see that a different photograph was used from the same photo session. You'd wish this was done more often, because all too often the sleeve of the 12" single is an exact replica, if only a bigger one, of the 7" single. Another attractive feature of this 12" single was the inclusion of an extended remix of 'You are the one', plus the instrumental version. Which in turn makes you wonder why these were never released on cd."

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Neil Young - out on the weekend, 1972

"the music has a "searching, yearning melody that has the element of infinity and journey" that perfectly reflects the theme of the lyrics."

Passion Pit - hideaway, 2012

"Gossamer commands its listener directly through some precise and unambiguous emotional corridors, Angelakos’ lyrics often high and centre in the mix, frequently delivered with a more conventional vocal performance for clarity."

Bee Gees - turn of the century, 1967

"I did more stuff with Ossie Byrne without the Bee Gees than I did with the Bee Gees. Ossie had a knack of keeping quiet and letting people get on, and then he went adrift a bit and got some bands that weren't quite so good. I had a lot of time for Ossie, he was a nice chap… he didn't have much talent as a producer I have to say, but he had enough talent to see the band. He had this talent of keeping people together and making them productive."

America - never be lonely, 1982

"View from the Ground is the tenth studio album by British-American folk rock duo America, released by Capitol Records in August 1982. This album marked a comeback for a group that had been generally written off since Dan Peek's departure five years before. It was a modest hit in the US, reaching number 41 on the Billboard album chart, and produced two hit singles: "You Can Do Magic" reached number eight on the Billboard singles chart and number five on the adult contemporary chart, and "Right Before Your Eyes" (also popularly known as "Rudolph Valentino") peaked at 45 on the Billboard singles chart and 16 on the adult contemporary chart. "You Can Do Magic" spent more time on the charts, 20 weeks, than any other America single. The song "Inspector Mills" was a hit in the Philippines in the '80s and remains one of the band's best-known songs in the country to date."

James - van gogh's dog, 1997

"Van Gogh’s Dog actually opens with a great deal of promise. A slow number with a bit of noodly synth music in the background… something a bit different appears to be coming our way."

Keane - disconnected, 2012

"Disconnected" is a song by English alternative rock band Keane from their fourth studio album Strangeland. It was released as the album's second single on 27 April 2012 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The band played the song for first time during the Night Train Tour in 2010. It was released officially, worldwide, on 8 October 2012."

Kavinsky - nightcall dustin nguyen remix, 2010

"Nightcall" is a song by French electro house artist Kavinsky, released as a single in 2010. It was produced with Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and mixed by electronic artist Sebastian. It features Lovefoxxx, lead singer of Brazilian band CSS, on vocals and includes remixes by Xavier de Rosnay, Jackson and His Computerband and Breakbot."

Sambassadeur - marie, 2006

"I grew up in a quite small town called Lidköping. It’s around 150 kilometers from Göteborg, and after that I moved to Stockholm and eventually to Göteborg. And about my musical influences growing up, it was from Marianne Faithful, Velvet Underground and Nico, and this kind of oldies, in a way. I always listened a lot to that. But also bands like Guided by Voices and the more lo-fi bands."

Tracey Thorn - small town girl, 1982

"Has there been a female singer in the last twenty years with a voice as sad, distinctive, unaffected and English as Tracey Thorn's?"

The Avett Brothers - live and die, 2012

"In terms of introductions, The Carpenter is the band's strongest effort. This song begins with one of my all-time favorite banjo lines. It's so damn infectious. It introduces the chord progression in a very intriguing way. Seth enters with a walk-up to the tonic and a repetition of the progression, and we're off."

Editors - smokers outside the hospital doors, 2007

"at 5 minutes long it's worth every second."

Moby - beautiful, 2005

"Beautiful" is a song by American electronica musician Moby. It was released as the fifth single from his seventh studio album Hotel exclusively in mainland Europe on September 12, 2005. Its music video revolves around a swinger party featuring patrons in animal costumes. The song was later used in the soundtrack of David Frankel's movie The Devil Wears Prada (2006)."

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Neil Young - lotta love, 1978

"I got that song off a tape I found lying on the floor of Neil's car. I popped it in the tape player and commented on what a great song it was. Neil said: 'You want it? It's yours.'"

Barclay James Harvest - taking me higher, 1977

"The atmospheric Taking Me Higher is his other high spot, lifted by Woolly's massed keys, John's guitars and lush unvoiced harmonies. Sadly it fades out just when you expect a searing guitar solo to crash in"

The Mary Onettes - puzzles, 2009

"Despite its woeful key, “Puzzles” has unbearably catchy melodies, from the vocal hooks to the massive synth lines and backing percussion. It may very well be their greatest and most accomplished tune thus far"

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - dollar girl, 1993

"I may not specifically enjoy the Beatleish styling of “The Moon And The Sun” but as a song it is miles above “Stand Above Me” not to mention “Dollar Girl.” I have to admit that it still got stuck in my cranium, which counts for something."

Beach House - lover of mine, 2010

“Each song has its own story, each song has its own emotion. That’s what’s beautiful about songs or songwriting, and you get to make your own little universe, and then your album is a collection of universes that take a listener to some place, and each listener is a completely unique and different person from the next, and will have their own interpretation.”

Sunday, November 17, 2024

The Radio Dept - every time, 2006

"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. A song about love both present and past. Someone present he can't connect with, "where damage isn't done," "Keen On Boys," and someone he was in love with back then that he can't let go of, "your father," "lost and found," "strange things will happen," etc."

The Shadows - moonlight shadow cover, 1986

"Moonlight Shadow" is a song written and performed by English multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield, released as a single in May 1983 by Virgin Records, and included on his eighth album, Crises, of the same year. The vocals were performed by Scottish vocalist Maggie Reilly, who had collaborated with Mike Oldfield since 1980. It is Oldfield's most successful single, reaching number one on numerous charts around Europe. In the UK, it reached number four during a nineteen week chart run and was subsequently listed by the Official Charts Company as the 29th best-selling single of 1983."

The Legends - make it all right, 2003

"The Legends are a Swedish pop band whose music is distributed by Lakeshore Records in the US, by Labrador in Sweden, and by Little Teddy in Germany. The band was formed in January 2003, and a week later, a gig was booked, supporting The Radio Dept. in Stockholm."

Mike Oldfield - women of ireland, 1996

"Women of Ireland" is an instrumental piece by musician Mike Oldfield, originally released in 1996. It is a version of the folk song, "Mná na hÉireann" (Women of Ireland), credited as traditional but actually written by Seán Ó Riada."

America - these brown eyes, 1977

"Harbor is the seventh studio album by American folk rock trio America, released by Warner Bros. Records in February 1977. It was the last to feature Dan Peek, who embarked on a solo Christian career shortly after the album's release. The album was produced by longtime Beatles producer George Martin, the fifth of seven consecutive albums he produced with America."

Mar de Sintra, hoje 17 de Novembro de 2024

Enya - watermark, 1988

"Watermark opens with a same-titled track, a tradition that Enya would adopt on her next three albums. Its title derived from a poem Roma was writing at the time of recording, which inspired her to name the track accordingly. However, the track was kept as an instrumental and the poem was left unused."

Rilo Kiley - so long, 2002

“So Long” is the pinnacle of wistfulness. There’s no doubt that they loved and love each other very much, here and throughout their discography."

Pet Shop Boys - all the young dudes cover, 2024

"All the Young Dudes" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally recorded and released as a single by the English rock band Mott the Hoople in 1972 by Columbia Records. Bowie produced the song, which he had given to the band after they rejected his "Suffragette City". Bowie would subsequently record the song himself. Regarded as an anthem of glam rock, the song has received acclaim and was a commercial success. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked "All the Young Dudes" number 166 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It is also one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll."

Genesis - deep in the motherlode, 1978

"The song tells a fictional story of a man's travels during the Nevada gold rush and his family's urging for him to get as much gold as he can. A mother lode is a rich vein of valuable metal in a mine. The lyric "Go West, young man" is a reference to a famous phrase by Horace Greeley, who, in a 13 July 1865 editorial, advised: "Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country."

Bruce Springsteen - no surrender, 1984

"No Surrender" is a song from Bruce Springsteen's album Born in the U.S.A.. It was only included on the album at the insistence of Steven Van Zandt, but has since become a concert staple for Springsteen. Though it was not one of the seven top ten hits of the album, "No Surrender" nevertheless charted on the Mainstream Rock chart, peaking at No. 29. It returned to prominence during the 2004 United States presidential election when John Kerry, the Democratic candidate and a fan of Springsteen, used the song as the main theme song for his campaign."

Marillion - kayleigh, 1985

"Kayleigh" is a song by British neo-prog band Marillion. It was released as the first single from the concept album Misplaced Childhood. It is the band's most successful single in the UK, where it peaked at number two and stayed on the UK singles chart for 14 weeks. It also became the band's most successful single worldwide, reaching the top 10 in Ireland, Norway, and West Germany. In the United States, it gave the band their sole appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number 74 in October 1985. The song popularised the name Kayleigh in the UK. It was later performed by the band's lead singer, Fish, at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute at Wembley Stadium, with Midge Ure on guitar and Phil Collins on drums."