Au Revoir Simone - the lucky one, 2006

"I don't remember exactly when or how I discovered Au Revoir Simone. It was definitely in university, and it may have been from some early version of those online music suggestion websites. This was, of course, before the days of streaming online radio sites like Last FM or Pandora or Songza or Apple Music or KillerSweetTunz or whatever is coming next. The site I used looked like a brainstorming web. You would put in an artist you liked, and then the bubbles around it would populate with a bunch of similar artists. Then you could click on one of those, and the web would grow with artists similar to the one you clicked. On it would go, filling bubbles with names of artists, until you realized that it had a very limited number of musicians in its bank and so you very quickly knew all of the recommendations and then were forced to move on with your life. Anyways, Au Revoir Simone would have been one of those early-days internet discoveries that I quickly fell in love with. The little chimes at the beginning of this song just sound like nostalgic, slightly sad happiness"

The Durutti Column - telephone call, 1985

"Durutti's fifth studio album finds the core Reilly/Mitchell/Kellet/Metcalfe lineup of the mid-'80s still in excellent form, steering back from the lengthy excursion of Without Mercy in favor of shorter songs typical of Durutti's other recorded work. While the overall style and mood of the performers had little changed, Reilly in particular remains a master of his art, able to progress and experiment without making a big deal of it, and whose sound remains so unique still that almost any recording of it is worthwhile."

REM - wendell gee, 1985

"Wendell Gee, 69, of 695 John B. Brooks Rd., died Saturday, November 25, 1995. A native of Jackson, Ga., Mr. Gee was a son of the late Roy Gee, Sr. and Emma Fowler Gee and widow of Jenny Gee. He operated Wendell Gee Used Cars in Pendergrass and was a member of endergrass Baptist Church. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and was a member of the American Legion and the Georgia Sheriff's Association. He was preceded in death by a son, Randall Gee. Survivors include his wife, Lois Smith Gee; a daughter, Elaine Watson; a stepdaughter, Rebecca Skinner; two sons, Ronnie Gee and Ricky Gee; a stepson, Patrick Garrett; a brother, Roy Gee, Jr.; 14 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren."

The Radio Dept - heaven's on fire, 2010

"Even as music from Sweden becomes critically and commercially recognized, many fantastic acts from the country still fly under the radar. A number of these bands reside on the venerable twee-leaning Labrador label, including the long-running fuzz-pop trio the Radio Dept., who have released just two full-lengths (along with a number of EPs) over their 15-year career. Their 2003 debut Lesser Matters was well received, and they landed three songs to the soundtrack to Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. But for the most part, bandleader Johan Duncanson and whoever's playing with him have been quietly refining their own soft-focus, shoegaze-indebted sound, occasionally adding drum machines or synthesizers for a slight change of pace."

Lily Allen - the fear, 2008

"I was walking down this street, in this village in the middle of the countryside in the U.K., and there was this little girl who must have been eight or nine, walking down the street with her mum in, like, high-waisted hot pants and a little crop top. And I just thought, 'That's not really right.' And I could tell she was the kind of girl that would be trying out for Pop Idol in five years time, and wants to be famous when she grows up. And there's definitely the whole culture of that where I come from, and it's not necessarily a culture that I think is particularly healthy. But at the same time, I'm very aware that I am a part of that culture – but it's not something that I feel particularly comfortable with."

Sétima Legião - por quem não esqueci, 1989

"It was one of the bands that marked the national music scene in the 80’s, both for the mix of styles they presented in their songs, as for the quality of some of their lyrics. Sétima Legião marked an era, and for that reason they occupy a prominent place in the history of Portuguese music. It was in 1982 that Rodrigo Leão (bass and keys), Nuno Cruz (drums) and Pedro Oliveira (vocals and guitar) began rehearsing on Avenida de Roma, running for the big night of Rock shortly after, managing to reach second place. They chose the name of Sétima Legião (the name of the Roman legion that came to Lusitania), and presented themselves mixing respect for national roots with the taste they had for English rock, even presenting some Celtic influences in their music."

The House Of Love - plastic, 1987

"‘The inspiration for the name of the band came from The Doors song, “The Spy”.’ Guy recalls. ‘I was a big Jim Morrison fan and he had been inspired by Anais Nin’s novel, A Spy In The House Of Love, to write “The Spy”. So, although the novel is where the name derives from it was filtered through The Doors song."

Soft Cell - happy happy happy, 2022

“Where did all our hopes go?” Marc Almond mourns on the opener to Soft Cell’s new album, Happiness Not Included. “All our naive dreams go?/ Were they just science-fiction stories?” The synth-pop duo were hardly upbeat to begin with, but this is downright miserable."

Pet Shop Boys - more than a dream, 2009

"Especially optimistic on an album full of optimistic songs, "More Than a Dream" sounds in some ways downright utopian. The Boys have confirmed that the lyric was partly inspired by the 2008 U.S. presidential election—specifically the candidacy of Barack Obama—and the feelings of hope and anticipation surrounding it, not just in the United States, but in other countries as well."

The Carpenters - reason to believe cover, 1970

"The Carpenters recorded "Reason to Believe" for their second LP, Close to You, in 1970. On television, the duo performed their version on The 5th Dimension Travelling Sunshine Show on August 18, 1971 and Make Your Own Kind of Music on September 7, 1971. Richard Carpenter remixed the song for the release of the 1995 compilation, Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Celebration."

My Bloody Valentine - what you want, 1991

"the kind of distortion that we use, it's not classic rock distortion, or heavy metal distortion, it's super-rich harmonic distortion, so it has a kind-of psycho-acoustic affect that sounds loud."

Pope Francis speaking

I ask you to be vigilant against the temptation to cultivate a warlike spirit. Be vigilant lest you be poisoned by propaganda that instils hatred, divides the world into friends to be defended and foes to be fought.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 9, 2025

 

• Pope Francis often speaks against violence and war, aligning with his broader message of peace and reconciliation, which is evident in his World Day of Peace messages.
• The mention of being "poisoned by propaganda" relates to the ongoing global concern about misinformation and its role in fueling conflicts, as highlighted in discussions on hate propaganda and its legal implications.
• The post reflects Pope Francis's consistent stance on promoting a culture of peace, which has been a theme in his speeches, especially relevant in contexts like his homilies to armed forces or during significant religious events like the Jubilee.

 

Stars - how much more, 2010

"the album involves a loose concept about ghosts, with songs like “I Died So I Could Haunt You” and “He Dreams He’s Awake,” as it tips back and forth between melancholy yet shiny ballads and saturated, coffeehouse dance music."

Ozark Henry - eventide, 2010

"Hvelreki is the sixth studio album of Ozark Henry, released in October 2010. It is the first Ozark Henry album for EMI Music. Hvelreki is an Icelandic phrase that means 'good luck' and literally translates as: 'May a whole whale wash up on your beach.'"

Elton John - daniel, 1973

"Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics after reading an article in either Time or Newsweek about a Vietnam War veteran who had been wounded, and wanted to get away from the attention he was receiving when he came back home."

Azure Ray - look to me, 2003

"Whatever became of all the broken-hearted story tellers? Did being talked to by the TV for our entire childhood really kill our ability to talk back about how we really feel? If it wasn’t for those folks at Saddle Creek - producing soundtracks to the shy techno-trapped worlds of noughties indie-kids - the answer would be a doe-eyed, mumbled, 'yes'. But praise be to the Omaha music scene."

The Durutti Column - at first sight, 1991

"Over time, the group made a noticeable shift in a more artificial-sounding direction, and the crystalline guitar licks and tribal rhythms that once defined their sound became more or less usurped by the Reilly’s newfound affinity for synthesizers, sequencers, and cheesy-sounding drum machines."

Del Amitri - deceive yourself, 1985

"But in my head if no-one else’s, there was an immediate connection between two pieces of art of equal personal significance, one from long ago, one from just yesterday. Thank you for prompting that connection."

Saint Etienne - sycamore, 2000

"Compared to her breathy, often off-key delivery on So Tough, Cracknell’s voice has also gained sensitivity with age. On the beautiful ‘Sycamore’, she sings of remembrances fondly — "I’m thinking of them, I’m thinking of streams/Through the air the night was so long and dizzy" — before striking a gorgeously menacing note at its finish: "Let’s travel again to fall upon three chimneys/Well, the door was low, you were mistaken."

Hooverphonic - this strange effect cover, 1998

"This Strange Effect" is a song written by Ray Davies of The Kinks, and released first by Dave Berry in July 1965. The single was released in the United States in September 1965. It reached No.1 in the Netherlands, but peaked at No.37 on the UK Singles Chart. A studio recording was never officially released by The Kinks, but live recordings exist. An in-studio BBC recording by the Kinks from August 1965 was released in 2001 on BBC Sessions 1964-1977. Bill Wyman covered the track for his 1992 album Stuff. This version can also be found on A Stone Alone: The Solo Anthology 1974-2002. Belgian band Hooverphonic covered the song in 1998 for their album, Blue Wonder Power Milk. Their version of "This Strange Effect" was released as a single and was featured in the American television advertisement for the Motorola SLVR."

Editors - an end has a start, 2007

"An End Has a Start" is the title track and second single from Editors' second album. The single was released on 3 September 2007 on CD, maxi-CD and 7" vinyl. The B-side "Open Up" first appeared on the Japanese edition of the album as a bonus track. The song was used by the American Movie Channel as the backtrack in a montage style commercial, giving the track considerable exposure that it otherwise would not have received. It has also been covered by German folk metal band In Extremo on their 2008 album, Sängerkrieg."

Pet Shop Boys - listening, 2012

"Chris and Neil wrote and demoed this song during the early 2012 sessions for their album Elysium, but then decided to offer it to Morten Harket, the former lead singer of the Norwegian synthpop band A-ha, best known outside their native land for their big 1985 hit singles "Take on Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on TV." Harket himself is famed for what's described (quite accurately) in Wikipedia as his "extraordinary" vocal range, so powerfully exemplified in the falsetto notes he hits at the end of each chorus in "Take on Me." (Incidentally, A-ha subsequently reformed, allowing Harket once again to assume his role as lead singer of the band.) Harket included this rich, evocative midtempo ballad on his fifth solo album, Out of My Hands, released in April 2012. He apparently initiated the contact with the Boys, approaching them with a request for a new song. According to the Boys' official website, they offered "Listening" to him because they felt it "would suit his voice." Considering that Neil has said, "Morten Harket has a fantastic voice and A-ha has been one of our favorite bands for many years," it's not surprising that they would respond favorably to his request. But, as they have done so often in the past, the Boys subsequently released their own version of the song, offering it as one of the bonus tracks on their single "Memory of the Future."

America - amber cascades, 1976

"Amber Cascades" is a song written by Dewey Bunnell and performed by America. It reached number 17 on both the U.S. and the Canadian adult contemporary charts, number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 82 on the Canadian pop chart in 1976. It was featured on their 1976 album, Hideaway. The song was produced and arranged by George Martin."

The Walkmen - i lost you, 2008

"It's not a showy record, but one that when peeled apart reveals itself to be a darker and more engaging album than on first listen. But not only that, as it might also be the best thing they've ever done."

The Charlatans - no one not even the rain, 1992

"New songs mingled with old first album favourites. I definitely got to hear the little played Chewing Gum Weekend, a track I always liked on ‘Between 10th & 11th’. Paired with ‘(No One) Not Even The Rain’ I think the two are a great outro to the album."

Stars - calendar girl, 2004

"Sometimes the packaging is too big for the small sentiments, with the title track rattling inside so many pretty bows and colour. But most of these powerful pop songs bloom to match the intensity of the feelings they lament."