Marillion - jigsaw, 1984

"When you watch kids doing jigsaws, they'll always take the eye of the koala bear or whatever and sit on it, just for the dominating factor of putting the last bit in. You get to the point where you lie about the last piece, you deny that you've got it. The other person is aware that you're lying and they hold back four or five pieces so that you can't put in the last piece. Eventually you tear up the jigsaw and say ' We'll do it another day'. That can grow into relationships - where no matter how important that piece is to the other person or the relationship. In general, the song is about the relationship that splits up and forever comes together again. It gets worse because each time it comes back together, more pieces of the jigsaw have got lost, and you can't get them back."

Silver Liz - high at the gym, 2022

"The cure for the increasing artifice of the internet age is unabashed honesty. Good art makes a space for us to feel like ourselves."

Neva Dinova - she can't change, 2005

"Neva Dinova, an interesting name for a band with a wholly unique sound. Mellow yet active, sweet yet bitter, and altogether original, this Nebraska band shares it’s title with lead member Jake Bellows late grandmother."

Editors - blood, 2005

"Tom's favourite album is R.E.M.'s Murmur, so they were his favourite band whilst growing up and I think they've always maintained a certain cool vibe about everything they've released. They haven't sold out at all, so they're big influences not just in songwriting, but the way they've protected themselves as musicians and as a band."

Carla Dal Forno - come around, 2022

"Carla dal Forno is an Australian electro-pop singer and multi-instrumentalist. Formerly of the groups Mole House (2010–2013) and Fingers (2013–2017), dal Forno has issued three solo studio albums You Know What It's Like (2016), Look Up Sharp (2019) and Come Around (2022)."

Neil Young And Crazy Horse - cinnamon girl, 1969

"Cinnamon Girl" is a song by Neil Young. It debuted on the 1969 album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, which was also Young's first album with backing band Crazy Horse."

Moby - living, 1996

"my living room is quite simple, with lots of light, and scandinavian furniture from the early 1960’s. the atmosphere is... clean and simple"

Beach House - ten thirty-seven, 2015

"Yeah shutting the eyes, I always feel that our band isn’t playing a good show if anybody has their eyes open."

They Live By Night - standing by the sea, 2008

"At times it feels like a time-machine back to the Sweden's 90's pop-scene, for example, I find the song "Standing by the sea" similar to Staffan Hellstrand's 1993 hit "Lilla fågel blå". TLBN's new release is high-quality pop and it sticks to you, for a while."

Sufjan Stevens - saturn, 2017

"The lyrics of the song reference the ancient Greek god Cronus (Saturn in Roman mythology). According to Greek and Roman mythology, after Cronus overthrew his father, the god Uranus, it was prophesied that Cronus's own sons would overthrow him. To prevent this eventuality, he devoured his newborn children, the gods Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Cronus was eventually overthrown and imprisoned by his youngest son, Zeus."

The Thrills - the irish keep gate-crashing, 2004

"The album is unlike its predecessor in that it’s both short on hit singles but also, mercifully, on fillers, with every track earning a deserved place. The highlight for this reviewer, hard as it was to choose one specific track, is The Irish Keep Gate Crashing, which manages to be melancholic, melodic, and eminently pop at the same time – no mean feat."

The House Of Love - you don't understand, 1992

"The House of Love were formed in 1986 in Camberwell, London by former Kingdoms singer and guitarist Guy Chadwick: he had been inspired to start a new band after seeing The Jesus and Mary Chain in concert at London's Electric Ballroom. He wrote a new song called "Christine", which gave him ideas for progress: "The idea of the sound of the group and what kind of musicians to look for... female vocals... a good take on the Velvets' sonics... and of course the image." Chadwick teamed up with an old friend, drummer Pete Evans, and recruited the rest of the initial House of Love lineup via an advert in Melody Maker. This brought together an international band of London-born lead guitarist Terry Bickers (ex-Colenso Parade), German rhythm guitarist/co-singer Andrea Heukamp and bass player Chris Groothuizen (from New Zealand). Chadwick opted to name his new band The House of Love after Anaïs Nin's book A Spy in the House of Love. There was a considerable age differential in the band: Chadwick, by now aged 30, was nearly ten years older than Terry Bickers."

Low - disarray, 2018

"the song sounds as much decomposed as it is composed, as though the original tracks they laid down in the studio had been irretrievably corrupted. Its foundation is a gravelly, pulsing set of tones with all trace of their origins (bass? guitar? piano?) lost beneath the all-encompassing fuzz."

Saint Etienne - the clothes show, 1999

"Commissioned track for BBC Clothes Show program (unfortunately used for Wild About Wool segment)"

The Chameleons - second skin, 1983

"Over six minutes long, "Second Skin" was nearly an epic. It's all jangly right-angled, with sounds shifting through the ether, as drums and singular guitar riffs drift into focus, while Mark Burgess' vocals are mostly underneath the heady mix. It was easy, too, to see where the band drew inspiration. But, good as Second Skin is, and it's still one of the band's best, what made the Chameleons so precious was their ability to make anything completely, uniquely their own."

Green Day - scattered, 1997

"Nimrod is more musically diverse than previous Green Day albums. Armstrong noted that with the album, Green Day went down "different avenues," adding: "Each song has its own character and identity so we wanted to be able to bring that out as much as possible."

Paul McCartney - i've just seen a face live, 2005

“It was slightly country and western from my point of view… it was faster, though, it was a strange uptempo thing. I was quite pleased with it. The lyric works; it keeps dragging you forward, it keeps pulling you to the next line, there’s an insistent quality to it that I liked.”

Electronic - some distant memory, 1991

"Penultimate song on the debut album by Electronic, the duo of Bernard Sumner (Joy Division/New Order) and Johnny Marr (The Smiths). A bit of a melancholy song, with some nice but simple Sumner lyrics, which he is great at writing. And of course that great oboe section in the last part of the song."

Seapony - into the sea, 2011

"The breezy, jangling rock tunes located here could easily garner comparisons to Best Coast due to their corresponding guitar pop mannerisms, uncomplicated drum patterns, and summer night arousal. It’s in the lyrics, however, sung by vocalist Jen Weidl and contributed by songwriter Danny Rowlands, where Seapony branches away, as they are certainly less redundant and don’t even begin to address the marijuana happiness, or relationship-abandoned woes of Bethany Cosentino."

Del Amitri - last cheap shot at the dream, 2002

"by the turn of the new century their music company was turning weary, the band were inclined to excess and in 2002 the released their last cheap shot at the dream “Can You Do Me Good”.

Broome - winter sun, 2021

"Brooklyn, New York"

The Go-Betweens - head full of steam, 1986

"Head Full of Steam" is a song by the Australian alternative rock band The Go-Betweens that was released as the second single from their fourth album Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express. It was released as a 7" and 12" vinyl single on the Beggars Banquet label in the United Kingdom in May 1986, with "Don't Let Him Come Back" as the B-side. In Australia it was released in 1987 by True Tone Records, with "Little Joe" as the B-Side."

Michael Head And The Red Elastic Band - kismet, 2022

"‘Kismet’ – written about the kindness of strangers and based on a real-life experience, when Head found himself stranded in the middle of nowhere with a dead phone – is joyous and jangly guitar pop"

Laurent Voulzy - all i have to do is dream cover, 2006

"French singer Laurent Voulzy recorded a version of the song in a duet with Andrea Corr. It was featured on his album La Septième Vague, recorded in 2006 and on the Corrs album Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection, also recorded in 2006."

Vansire - every time around, 2020

"Tuning in to Vansire feels more like you’re dreaming than listening to music. Their music paints pictures, soundscapes that wash through synth loops, propulsive bass lines, and watery guitar arpeggios. Within these ambient, often dance-y textures, their lyrics offer an authentic view into relationships, coming of age, and escapist dreams all set over a backdrop of Midwestern geography and life in a late-capitalist state."

Of Monsters And Men - king and lionheart, 2011

"King and Lionheart" is a song recorded by Icelandic alternative folk band Of Monsters and Men, written by co-lead vocalist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and produced by the band with Aron Arnarsson and Jacquire King for the band's debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal."

The Thrills - the curse of comfort, 2004

"What’s missing from The Thrills is trust that their internal lives, unobscured by secondhand imagery and legs up from heroes for hire, will be enough to sustain us. Of course it will! Internal lives are amazing, intriguing things. Ulysses is just a Dub talking to himself for the day. We are all endlessly mysterious and complex from the moment of birth. Sing about that. A key line: “The curse of comfort has plagued your artistic life” (‘The Curse Of Comfort’). Maybe Conor Deasy thinks he hasn’t suffered enough. Bono, who said he would carry The Thrills’ luggage, worked with Van Dyke Parks once, on ‘All I Want Is You’, on an album also too heavily in debt to history."

I Break Horses - denial, 2014

"I Break Horses' promising debut, 2011's Hearts, found Swedish duo Maria Lindén and Fredrick Balck working extensively with shoegaze's oily swarm, embracing the genre's more digitally frizzed tics to create something that sounded both familiar and overwhelming. A proper follow-up to that LP hasn't been announced yet, but for now we have "Denial", the A-side of a white-label 12" that's seeing release soon on Bella Union. "Denial" is a change-up for Lindén and Balck, a glistening slice of synth-pop that retains the pair's tendency to create sweeping, epic gestures but casts that ability in a different, more explicitly pop-friendly light. The crashing synths that enter in and out are reminiscent of M83's all-encompassing flair, suggesting that there's more sides to I Break Horses than they initially displayed."

Det Vackra Livet - askan, 2011

"Det Vackra Livet was formed in Gothenburg by brothers Henrik and Philip Ekström. The brothers are also founding members of Swedish dreampop group The Mary Onettes, with whom Det Vackra Livet shares much of its sound and influences. By contrast, The Mary Onettes' lyrics are performed in English, whereas Det Vackra Livet's lyrics are sung in Swedish. Inspired by his grandmother's memories and Finland Swedish poet Claes Andersson, Philip Ekström wrote fifteen songs which would become material for the band during a creative outburst in late 2010. The group's first single "Viljan" was released digitally on Labrador Records in January 2011. The group released a ten-track self-titled debut album in May 2011. Det Vackra Livet translates to The Beautiful Life in English."

Mike Oldfield - let there be light, 1994

"Let There Be Light" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1995. It is from the album The Songs of Distant Earth and uses audio from the Apollo 8 space mission. For the intro, the single uses the Apollo 8 Genesis reading."

Cocteau Twins - lazy calm, 1986

"The album title refers to the part of Antarctica known as Victoria Land, after Queen Victoria (and forming the British claim to the continent, currently dormant under international treaty). Some of the track titles were borrowed from passages on the Arctic and Antarctic in David Attenborough's The Living Planet: A Portrait of the Earth"

Suzanne Vega - rosemary, 1998

"I was there for a couple of weeks in May of 1995, and yes, I did meet someone in that garden, though if anyone were to have watched the scene, nothing exciting happened – he was someone who lived in Granada, and he was showing me the town. That is, nothing happened on the surface. El Carmen de los Martires is a garden near the Alhambra in the south of Spain, in Granada. It is one of many gardens near the main one. In this garden are statues of saints. Many (if not most) of them are missing their heads and their hands because people have stolen them. I guess they feel it brings luck to take these pieces of the statues home."

Headlights - put us back together right, 2006

"When the first song on the Headlights' debut full-length, "Your Old Street," begins - a string group pulling and bowing in melancholic unison, a soft, plaintive cymbal, a lonely guitar - it seems as if the tone - sad, pretty indie pop - has been set for the rest of the album. Yes, there are some hints of electronic instrumentation in the tinny keyboards and the guitar even gets aggressive as the song comes to a close, but mostly it's just another well-crafted pop song, sung perfectly by Erin Fein and Tristan Wraight, with the right mix of orchestration and empty space, of despair and joy."

Scott McKenzie - san francisco be sure to wear flowers in your hair, 1967

"One thing is certain: the new pop music that emerged from those times was indeed wonderful. Never before or since, with the exception of rap, has popular music contained such sheer poetic and social power. Even at the end of the decade, when so many of us had lost hope, when the summer of love had turned into a winter of despair, our music helped keep us alive and carry us forward into a world we had hoped to change. And so it still does."

Edward II And The Red Hot Polkas - lovers two step, 1989

"Edward II (known also as EII, and previously as Edward the Second and the Red Hot Polkas and e2K) are an English band which play a fusion of world music, English folk and reggae. Active from 1980, the band broke up after losing several key members in 1999, relaunching as "e2K" in 2000. In 2003, the band dissolved once more, but have since reformed for a one-year reunion tour in 2009 under the "Edward II" name, celebrating the tenth anniversary of the breakup of the original band. They reformed in 2015 specifically to produce the Manchester's Improving Daily project, which includes the release of new recorded material and a book. The project is designed to celebrate a collection of tunes written in Manchester during the Industrial Revolution, published as Broadsides and currently held in Manchester Central Library. In 2021 Edward II released the album "Dancing Tunes", bringing their own unique style to a collection of traditional and historic Jamaican calypso and mento songs that pre-date reggae as we know it today."

CD Ghost - i don't wanna live forever, 2022

"Night Music is their debut with Born Losers Records, expanding their dream pop palette toward the edges of dark wave, avant-pop, and shoegaze. The LP was conceived as an ode to the musical tradition of nocturnes – songs written about or for the night. Observe the changes of the moon as cool air begins to surround you, and you pass into the astral plane."

Tilly And The Wall - the ice storm big gust and you, 2004

"we didn’t want to limit ourselves to a tap dancing beat as the main percussion. We didn’t feel like doing that. For me, I wanted to challenge myself and do different things. I wanted to incorporate other kinds of percussion. We all talked about it. It was a way for us to do something new and interesting to us. So we’ve got drums"

Black Box Recorder - the art of driving, 2000

"The whole experience felt like a dream – I wish I could relive it and take it all in properly."

The Thrills - not for all the love in the world, 2004

"Not for All the Love in the World" is the second single from the album Let's Bottle Bohemia by Irish Alternative Rock band The Thrills. It was released on 15 November 2004. The single marked a significant change in the band's direction as a slower, more melancholic release."

Beach House - wildflower, 2015

"I'm really glad nobody came to our shows at the start, because we had no idea what we were doing."

The Radio Dept - liebling, 2002

"The song was ‘Liebling’, a 3-minute blast of lo-fi pop in the vein of Jesus and Mary Chain; fuzzy, fast and utterly fantastic."

Sambassadeur - between the lines, 2005

"The breakdown on “Between the Lines” — the snare hit, the ethereal “ahs,” the chord progression — is completely irresistible to simple minds and hearts such as mine."

Renaissance - love is all, 1971

"Thatcher's friend Liz Kellett introduced her to Kellett's school friend Jane Relf, the younger sister of ex-Yardbirds singer Keith Relf. When Keith and Jane formed Renaissance, they asked her to be the lyricist, Relf having read Thatcher's letters to Jane. When Betty moved to St Ives, Cornwall, she sent her lyrics from there to Jim McCarty who would write songs around them, including "Love Is All" and "Past Orbits of Dust" from the album Illusion, produced by Paul Samwell-Smith and released in Germany in 1971, but not released in the UK until 1976."

Zach Schimpf - ten whole years, 2022

"St. Louis based artist Zach Schimpf has produced music since receiving his first audio recorder at 13. After stints in several bands and many amateur projects while in high school, he began a serious pursuit of songwriting and audio production while in college."

Jimmy Clanton - venus in blue jeans, 1962

"In 1962, Jimmy Clanton went to New York after pausing his career to serve with the National Guard, and got in touch with Greenfield and Sedaka to record some songs. He found "Venus in Blue Jeans" in a pile of rejected demos and liked the chord changes of the opening bars, although Greenfield dismissed it because it had been rejected by other artists. Clanton, however, failed to find other suitable songs, and so he chose to record "Venus in Blue Jeans" as a throwaway."

Surf Rock Is Dead - so comfy, 2022

"Brooklyn-based duo, Surf Rock is Dead combines the musical stylings of Kevin Pariso and Joel Wittenberg. Their airy harmonies and smooth synths are best listened to while driving down a long California highway or escaping the cold in a cozy Boston apartment. Their music transcends genres and transports you to a land of mellow bliss."

The Triffids - goodbye little boy, 1989

"I remember one night at the Burswood Casino, it must have been in about 1990. The Western Australia Music Industry had this big event at the showroom and someone announced the winner of the most outstanding WA contribution to the national and international music scene. It was The Triffids. There was a young woman who was working at the show serving drinks. All of a sudden, she put down her tray, walked up on stage in her Burswood uniform and collected the prize. It was Jill Birt, the keyboardist. While the rest of the music industry was sitting around in black ties and tuxes, the only person from the band who was there to accept the award was serving them drinks. It was very telling."

Pink Floyd - wish you were here, 1975

"It was ironic that my father became well known as a family psychiatrist, when, in the meantime, he had nothing to do with his own family"

Beach House - levitation, 2015

"To begin the band’s 5th studio album, Depression Cherry, is a melancholic, eerie, and dramatic song, “Levitation.” The song maintains a few repetitive synth cords that echo throughout the song. Sometimes I find that repetition in songs can be a huge deterrent for me, but in “Levitation,” I feel it helps illuminate the lyrics and provides a deeper meaning to the song."

Bear's Den - fickle love, 2013

"For ten years now, Bear’s Den have poured their own unfiltered humanity into their songs, treating audiences around the world to an array of warm, tender, and achingly intimate indie folk-rock confessionals that make the heart flutter and skip a beat or two."

Tame Impala - let it happen, 2015

"The song centers on accepting personal transition, and was worked on in various locations around the world. The song runs at nearly eight minutes long, and its second half contains a section of the song repeating akin to a scratched Compact Disc, and stripped-down lyrics consisting of gibberish. It also has vocoded-like vocals in the second half, which were actually manipulated with a keyboard sampler."

Stars - the maze, 2017

"Does no one fall in love under fluorescent light? Pretty sure that's not true, as many an office romance could attest. But as a statement in support of love's delusions, we will stand by it. In love, the lights are different, softer; the air has more oxygen in it; and for a second, all you need is a good chorus to believe this might be the one."

Paul McCartney - let it be live, 2024

"McCartney said he had the idea of "Let It Be" after he had a dream about his mother"

The Triffids - a trick of the light, 1986

"Written one morning in the company of Bleddyn Butcher, in the woolshed where In The Pines was recorded, while waiting for the band to arrive. I can't for the life of me think what it's about. If anyone wants to know the juicy personal details that inspired these songs, please write to Mr Toby Creswell. He has a much better memory for these things than I."

The Innocence Mission - i would be there, 2020

"It ultimately has to do with the ability of kindness to transcend language, and also my coming to peace with the “unknowableness” of the internal life. I don’t know if there are themes, but those are trains of thought."

The Durutti Column - jacqueline, 1981

"I think once a week I just throw on Durutti Column for the entire evening and every time a different track stands out for me. I’d say my most played songs are The Missing Boy, Sleep Will Come, Jacqueline, and Bordeaux."

House Of Shem - let it be cover live, 2014

"He played funk, rock and roll, jazz and reggae. Perkins wasn’t classically taught and he admits he “wasn’t really taught how all genres were different like that” But he credited his father and uncles for showing him how to play across all kinds of music “even heavy metal. I played a bit of Deep Purple.”

Beach House - wishes, 2012

"I’ve been listening to it religiously for years and it still strikes the same emotional chords for me as it did the first time I heard it. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it and I can’t say that about any other song. Its truly magical."

Genesis - heathaze, 1980

"the guy is a legitimate giant of music and in centuries to come will be talked of like the great western classical composers of history are in this era."

The Cure - charlotte sometimes, 1981

"This song is based on one of Robert Smith's favorite books: a 1969 novel called Charlotte Sometimes by the British author Penelope Farmer. In the book, the title character finds herself transported 40 years back in time. Smith wrote this song using the same themes of time shifting and displacement."

Tom Waits - alice, 2002

"adult songs for children, or children's songs for adults. It's a maelstrom or fever-dream, a tone poem, with torch songs and waltzes...an odyssey in dream logic and nonsense."

Cher - believe, 1998

"Believe" is an upbeat dance-pop and electropop song and represents a complete musical departure from Cher's previous efforts. It featured a pioneering use of the audio processing software Auto-Tune to distort the singer's vocals, which was widely imitated and became known as the "Cher effect".

Talking Heads - road to nowhere, 1985

"At our deaths and at the apocalypse... (always looming, folks). I think it succeeded. The front bit, the white gospel choir, is kind of tacked on, 'cause I didn't think the rest of the song was enough... I mean, it was only two chords. So, out of embarrassment, or shame, I wrote an intro section that had a couple more in it."

The Radio Dept - david, 2010

"somebody who has failed to launch their life, and they are stuck living at their parents' house while feeling very sorely about it" 

Such a great song!

New Order - as it is when it was, 1986

"a melodic rose between 4 faster punk-esque thorns, it's the highlight of Brotherhood for me. It's about attaining the thing you have always desired then being disappointed with it. Then yearning for the desire to return."

Gorillaz - feel good inc, 2005

"Gorillaz are an English virtual band created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: 2-D (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Russel Hobbs (drums). Their universe is presented in media such as music videos, interviews, comic strips and short cartoons. Gorillaz's music has featured collaborations with a wide range of featured artists, with Albarn as the only permanent musical contributor."

Beach House - irene, 2012

"this individual is not yet aware of “Irene,” who stands to bring a substantial amount of light and compassion to their world."

William Fitzsimmons - i am easy to find cover, 2020

"William Fitzsimmons is an Illinois-based singer/songwriter specializing in a gentle mixture of folk-rock and electronica applied to carefully written and often autobiographical songs that deliver a quiet emotional power."

Renaissance - opening out, 1978

"A Song for All Seasons is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1978. It marked the return of electric guitars to the band's music after several years of absence."

Editors - munich, 2005

"The Back Room is the debut studio album of British rock band Editors; it was released on 25 July 2005 through Kitchenware Records. The Editors formed while attending university and later moved to Birmingham, where they played club shows and made demos. After signing to Kitchenware in late 2004, the band recorded their debut album at studios in Lincolnshire, London and Wolverhampton. Jim Abbiss produced all but one of the tracks; the exception was produced by Gavin Monaghan. The Back Room is a post-punk revival, gothic rock and indie pop album that has been compared to the works of Echo & the Bunnymen, Elbow and Interpol."

Crystal Castles - black panther, 2008

"Crystal Castles was a Canadian electronic music group formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, formed by songwriter-producer Ethan Kath and singer-songwriter Alice Glass, who later left and was replaced by Edith Frances. Crystal Castles were known for their chaotic live shows and lo-fi melancholic homemade productions."

Camel - la princesse perdue, 1975

"La Princesse Perdue is one of the most nostalgic beautiful pieces of music Camel have ever written. A must for all enthusiasts of progressive music."

Fleet Foxes - sunblind solstice version, 2021

"In his artist’s statement, he said he “wanted to make an album that celebrated life in the face of death,” and he did so by conjuring globality through the spirits of deceased musicians—David Berman, Richard Swift, Judee Sill, John Prine—whom he loved greatly, in juxtaposition with that seminal Fleet Foxes self-contained heartache and fits of momentary, geographical joy. “I think, with Swift and Berman passing, [their deaths] made it clear to me how important community is and how music is a binder and how these people could bring so many others together,”

The Radio Dept - we climb the wired fences, 2003

"This track stands out after dozens of hours of listening to The Radio Dept. as one of my favorites. It's sweet with a slight overcast of sadness, washed in a blissful numbness. This (and everything I project onto it) leads me to believe it's a song about a relationship that is enjoyable and comforting but also uncertain, as it also carries uncomfortable aspects. The first verse conveys a fond vignette of walking through a park and 'climbing wired fences', but there is a hint of tension as one person senses "something outside". The use of 'outside' is discomfiting, as the setting is already established as outdoors, in a place of comfort and safety. This ill-fitting context creates a form of dischord that makes sense as the song continues. Fences are boundaries, 'wired' could be a shortening of 'barbed wire', meaning these boundaries must be carefully negotiated in order to avoid injury - much the same with the boundaries between most people. The second verse introduces a feeling of unease or dissatisfaction, of coping with what is being negotiated while avoiding barbs. The line "I must be ill" represents the questioning of our own mental state or emotional stability that can occur when struggling with understanding a troubled relationship. The following lines, "Keep thinking we pretend / And 'how long before this has to end?'" is a continuance of this line of thought, realizing that the relationship may not be sustainable over time. The line "on self-medication ambition fails" suggests that the speaker may be using substances to cope with the uncertainty and anxiety from the sense of erasure of the self in order to sustain the relationship. "Or can you set me free?" speaks to the reluctance to be the one who decides to end the relationship while struggling with this anxiety. This relationship has aspects that are pleasurable and others that are troubling. To me, this is a beautiful reverie of ambiguity and uncertainty in the future of the relationship, as well as a struggle to maintain one's sense of self and purpose within. This circles back to the odd redundancy of the word "outside" - a subtle introduction to the theme that permeates the whole piece."

Tindersticks - here cover, 1995

“I believe, it’s easy for people to think about me as a singer. And then, think about written words as some kind of a poetry. But for me, it’s like “forever”. Working in a studio, creative environments, creative atmosphere, creating songs, it’s the thing that drives me first. I kind of learn to sing. And I think, words are the easier thing to disturb the thing I’m looking for. And so, my work with words becomes very careful."

Pet Shop Boys - it's alright cover, 1989

"The classic house-music track "It's Alright" was originally performed by its co-writers, Sterling Void and Paris Brightledge (along with co-producer Marshall Jefferson, the latter now widely regarded as one of the chief originators of house music), although their original version is spelled "It's All Right." (See more about this below.) Neil and Chris heard it, loved it, and decided to cover it. A powerful song about the immortality of music, its vision is on nothing less than a cosmic scale. Music is sustained "on a timeless wavelength," whereby it asserts and helps to maintain human hope and dignity in the face of overwhelming obstacles."

The Moody Blues - the night nights in white satin, 1967

"Days of Future Passed is the second album and first concept album by English progressive rock band the Moody Blues, released in November 1967 by Deram Records. The album represents a significant creative turning point for the band. The album is their first with guitarist and singer Justin Hayward in place of Denny Laine and bassist John Lodge in place of Clint Warwick. The album is also their first to feature longtime producer and collaborator Tony Clarke and the first to feature keyboardist Mike Pinder on Mellotron. These changes, combined with a shift away from R&B covers toward original compositions and a thematic concept, helped define the band's sound for the next several albums and earned the group new critical and commercial success."

Low - rome always in the dark, 2018

“disconcertingly pretty in the way some terrifying images can be disconcertingly pretty, like the vivid colors in an all-consuming wildfire, or the lacerations that particularly vicious storms cut across the sky”

Beach House - troublemaker, 2012

"At first I loved the transition the hours to troublemaker then to new year, then it was the chord progressions within the song, then the lyrics, and then the vocals had me sold by the fifth listen."

The Triffids - bury me deep in love, 1987

"Between 1978 and 1981, the Triffids recorded six collections of original songs at The Cliffe. The house remained a sanctuary and source of inspiration throughout their career. Its peculiar location, an eyrie on Devil's Elbow overlooking Freshwater Bay, gave David a startling perspective as well as a beautiful view. When he became interested as a teenager in forming a band, he and the future Triffids would gather in the cellar at The Cliffe to practise, the size of the grounds ensuring there were few neighbours to disturb."

Hooverphonic - club montepulciano, 1998

"The band Hooverphonic recorded a song called "Club Montepulciano". It was inspired by a visit to the club (then resident at Dingwalls) while the band were recording their debut album for Sony in a nearby studio. When their album was later launched, it was done so at a private version of Club Montepulciano at Dingwalls in Camden."

Rufus Du Sol - simplicity is bliss, 2013

"Embodying into the healing energies of electronic music on the new record, Surrender’s raw, organic, ambient electronic atmosphere is rooted in Joshua Tree’s natural landscape, while tapping into each members most natural, raw, and instinctive emotions."

The Cult - rain, 1985

"Despite the song's popularity with the band's audience, and it being one of its more commercially successful single releases, after performing it on 24 November 1989 at Wembley Arena Astbury asked the crowd: "So you like that one?", and after it cheered in response, he responded with "Well, personally I don't but there you are..." although as he laughed when saying this, he may not have been serious."

Morrissey - sing your life, 1991

"one of Morrissey's subtler pieces, and also one with a more upbeat and straightforward message than most."

Bear's Den - think of england, 2014

"Taken from that album is the bands new single, Think of England, which drops on February 2nd next year, via Communion Records / Carloline, and was, like the rest of the record, produced and mixed by Ian Grimble (The 1975, Daughter). It opens up with this tumbling percussion, handclaps and atmospheric guitar sighs, as Davie delivers this folk based vocal, the emotion in his voice only heightened with the evocative accompaniment. As the track progresses so it gently starts to unravel, almost unnoticed at first till, with the addition of strings, it builds to its climax."

Bee Gees - ioio, 1970

"I.O.I.O." is a song by the Bee Gees, released on the album Cucumber Castle. It was written by Barry and Maurice Gibb. The song was released as a single in March 1970, and was also one of the highlights of the album."

Franz Ferdinand - twilight omens, 2009

"I don't have a classical music background, so when I read about music theory sometimes it spurs me on to write in a different way. I was reading about modes, and I realized you can write in these modes just by choosing what note you start on and restricting yourself to certain notes. So I was going through this experiment of trying to write on just the white keys on the keyboard, and that's how the melody came about. In the clubs of '94, I'd fallen asleep on my hand. They'd write something on my hand or put a stamp on my hand, and it was on my face the next morning. And I thought, 'Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone had written their name on your hand, and it was backwards on your face but then forwards on your mirror.' Something like that would be an omen—and I do love omens."

Easterhouse - out on your own, 1986

"Easterhouse’s original incarnation — a Manchester quintet led by argumentative brothers Andy (vocals/lyrics) and Ivor (guitar) Perry — turned strident leftist rhetoric into bracing, cathartic music before predictably imploding over ideological conflicts. The band’s demise was a shame, since Easterhouse seemed well on its way towards perfecting a brand of explicitly political rock that compromised neither music nor message."

"Here Comes an Union leader with a Brand New Deal
To save the industry talking profitability
Profitability
What does that mean to me?
Whether a profit or a loss
I'm just working for the boss
It's only foolishness to speak your massive words "

Death Cab For Cutie - codes and keys, 2011

"Ten years ago this month, Codes and Keys (the seventh Death Cab for Cutie studio record) arrived to a tepid reaction. In my case, my vinyl preorder arrived on a day before the release date, and my buddy Neil came over to my college apartment to drink beer, play video games, and listen to the record. We’d loved the sensational music video for the lead single, “You Are a Tourist”, and hoped that song was a good indication of how the other ten tracks would fare. Similarly, Gibbard had performed a solo rendition of “Codes and Keys” for NPR on just a piano and the track, despite its jaunty rhythm, had a haunting quality that teased the best of their earlier work."

Beach House - new year, 2012

"Everything about this song is extremely addicting. The intro draws you into the world of the track so beautifully, then you get Vic’s amazing vocals. However, my favorite part of the song is the bridge(?) (“all you ever wanted”). The guitar has this very melancholic sound in between the rest of the instrumentation. The synth is beautifully calming yet a little sad. It’s the chord progression that does it for me."

Electronic - time can tell, 1996

"Inspired by contemporary dance music like Italo house and acts such as Technotronic, their initial concept was to release white label records on Factory and remain an anonymous entity, in contrast to their considerable reputations with The Smiths and New Order. The track "Lucky Bag" and the name Electronic itself are two of the vestiges of this initial approach."

The The - this is the day, 1983

"I was 21 and going through various life changes. I was in a new relationship, with Fiona, my first proper girlfriend. I’d come off the dole, signed to CBS and had been recording in New York, which all felt very exciting. My ex-manager and I ended up smashing up hotel rooms and misbehaving, all the stuff you feel you’re supposed to do when you’re 21 and signed to a record company and abroad. Drugs were involved, of course. The record company had loved Uncertain Smile so I was under a lot of pressure to come up with another single."

Moby - slow light, 2009

"favourite philosopher, i sort of answered this earlier, but i would have to say ludwig wittgenstein. in part because of his work, but also in part because he led a really interesting life. i’ve thought about writing a book, but i think i’d rather focus on making music."

The Lightning Seeds - all the things, 1999

"With their sunny hooks and loosely psychedelic take on melodic indie pop, the Lightning Seeds emerged at the tail end of the 1980s as the solo venture of Liverpool producer and musician Ian Broudie."

Alvvays - tile by tile, 2022

"It was my song of choice today. I listened to it A LOT. By nature I enjoy melancholy, nostalgia, wistful, or songs of longing or sadness. I really love this song. Love the instrument choices for this one and the melody is very haunting."

Luke Sital-Singh - pure cover, 2016

"It's a real beauty, and especially impressive in that it approximates the choral sound of Fleet Foxes' white winter hymnals, only those tremulous voices are presumably all just him, multi-tracked. It's like hearing a bunch of Neil Youngs circa After the Goldrush, harmonising together."

Ride - taste, 1990

"hazy, textural music; but there is a purity and an innocence, a bravery almost to be vulnerable… musically, it would be something where the beat or the vocals aren’t particularly prominent."

The Triffids - save what you can, 1987

"Calenture is the fourth studio album by Australian rock group The Triffids, it was released in November 1987 and saw them explore themes of insanity, deception and rootlessness—the title refers to a fever suffered by sailors during long hot voyages."

Pet Shop Boys - a different point of view, 1993

"despite the song's downbeat theme, the music is anything but depressing. In fact, this stylistically exuberant track was at one time seriously considered as a candidate for single release"

Such a great song!

William Fitzsimmons - weird fishes cover, 2023

"Does a broken heart heal easier with a certain age? Probably not. But there are other aspects that help to set things in perspective. The beloved bearded songwriter knows a thing or two about that issue and now has to face it again on his upcoming album, almost exactly ten years after the last time. Time for a reflection about the past, present and maybe also the future."