Jan Garbarek - molde canticle, 1991

"I Took Up the Runes is an album by Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek recorded August 1990 and released on ECM later that year. The quintet features pianist Rainer Brüninghaus, bassist Eberhard Weber, percussionist Nana Vasconcelos and drummer Manu Katché, with keyboardist Bugge Wesseltoft and singer Ingor Ánte Áilo Gaup."

Bee Gees - juliet live, 1989

"The Bee Gee with the highest profile in Europe, Robin enjoyed solo success with "Saved By The Bell" in 1969, the electropop of "Juliet" (1983), co-written and co-produced by Maurice, and "Please" in 2002."

Suzanne Vega - in liverpool, 1992

"Liverpool, of course, is now best known as the home of The Beatles. However, it is also a city where other things happen, and I don't see another reference to them in the song. The other reference that is in the song is to a "hunchback," since the best-known church-bell ringer is Quasimodo, the fictioanl Hunchback of Notre Dame (and if someone can explain to me why a college with the French name of "Notre Dame" ["Our Lady," i.e. the Virgin Mary] is home to the Fightin' Irish and not the Fightin' French, I'd be much obliged, as I've always wondered.) Not that it is relevant to the song... in which a church-bell ringer appears prominently. The song, because of that bell-ringer, is one of Vega's most enigmatic. So we will leave the bell-ringer aside for a moment"

The Radio Dept - why won't you talk about it, 2002

"It would be difficult for me to imagine liking this record any more than I actually do right at this very moment. Call me a sentimental old Susan, but whenever I hear a guitar getting overloaded and strangled to the point where it begins screaming in tortured agony, all I hear is the most sublime, beautiful noise. As it was with The Jesus And Mary Chain and, more pertinently, the deeply wonderful Flying Saucer Attack, so it is with The Radio Dept. As for the song, it sounds to me like someone’s had a barney with their squeeze and has retreated to a nearby barn to make a noise like a backfiring combine harvester while griping away about how she doesn’t understand him. This is, in all honesty, heroic behaviour and actually the only real reason there is to listen to pop music in the first place. If it weren’t for infuriating partners we’d all have to pack up and go home as there’d be nothing left to say. Luckily, the world is full of them, so there’s no danger on that score. Anyhow, imagine ‘Why Won’t You Talk About It?’ as a sturdy tin bucket and picture the squalling feedback and dreamily melodic – although barely there – vocals slopping about inside. Watch it, some’s going over the edge! Now imagine tipping the whole lot over your own head and feeling the contents cover you completely. Feels good, yes? What do you mean, no? Are you some sort of pervert? The Radio Dept, from Malmo if you’re interested, are the sort of band who you wish you were in as soon as you hear them, which is a good start. That the other four tracks on this single are as good as the first makes me want to expire with joy."

Johnny Tillotson - poetry in motion, 1960

"The song was written by Paul Kaufman (1930–1999) and Mike Anthony (born 1930), who said that the inspiration for it came from looking up from their work and seeing a procession of young ladies from a nearby school pass by on the sidewalk outside each afternoon."

Elton John - sacrifice, 1989

"It's a simple lyric, but it's an intelligent adult lyric. It's basically about the rigors of adult love, and it's a million miles away from 'Your Song.' Elton came up with a brilliant melody, and his performance on it gives it a lot of integrity and meaning. It's not a surface song, and I think you'll probably see that one in the coming months becoming a big, big hit."

Warpaint - melting, 2022

“I was saying the other day that we should’ve called this album “Exquisite Corpse”, but it was already taken”

Counting Crows - round here live, 2013

"Round Here is everything I love about the band right there in the opening number. It’s probably everything the bands many detractors hate about them too. It’s overly earnest, it’s a slow build of poetic metaphors and atmospheric guitars. It’s heart on sleeve emotional and it has big ideas about the minutia of feelings."

The Moody Blues - the afternoon, 1967

"This album was constructed like a lot of albums back then to take you on a trip. A lot of people never hear it that way now. The world is just a pile of singles shoveled out in random order."

Real Estate - haunted world, 2024

"a picture of a person navigating through a world that was once welcoming but has now been transformed into something unsettling. Throughout the song, there is a recurring theme of feeling trapped and isolated in this haunted world."

The Band Of Holy Joy - a revivalist impulse, 2017

"For three decades now, Johny Brown has managed to find beauty and poetry in the most unlikely places, beautifully articulating careworn lives in a manner that has few peers."

Black Pumas - hello, 2024

"On “Hello,” Black Pumas creates an otherworldly sound, casting a powerful spell with the track’s sublime synth tones and celestial harmonies"

Dexys Midnight Runners - come on eileen, 1982

"Come On Eileen" is a song by the English group Dexys Midnight Runners (credited to Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express), released in the United Kingdom in June 1982 as a single from their second studio album Too-Rye-Ay. It reached number one in the United States and was their second number one hit in the UK, following 1980's "Geno". The song was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley and was initially claimed to be written by Kevin Rowland, Jim Paterson and Billy Adams, although Rowland later stated that the essence of the tune should be attributed to Kevin Archer."

Neil Young - amber jean live, 1984

"Amber Jean Young is an American artist and also the daughter of Neil Young. Amber Jean Young’s father is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. His guitar work, deeply personal lyrics, and signature high-tenor singing voice define his long career. The singer’s distorted electric guitar playing, especially with Crazy Horse, earned him the nickname “Godfather of Grunge” "Young was born Margaret Mary Morton in San Mateo, California, on December 1, 1952 to Thomas and Margaret Jean (Foley) Morton. Young met future husband Neil Young in 1974 when she was working as a waitress at a diner near his ranch, a story he tells in the 1992 song "Unknown Legend". They married in August 1978 and had two children, Ben and Amber, in addition to her becoming stepmother to his first child, Zeke. Both Ben and Zeke were diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and Amber with epilepsy. In July 2014, Neil filed for divorce in California. Young died of cancer on January 1, 2019, aged 66, in Mountain View, California." "there is no studio (non-live) recording of "Amber Jean" by Neil Young that has been officially released.The song, written as a tribute to his daughter Amber Jean Young (born in 1984), was first performed live shortly after her birth during his 1984–1985 tours with the International Harvesters. All official releases are live recordings:The primary version appears on the 2011 archival live album A Treasure (recorded during a September 20, 1984, appearance on the TV show Nashville Now in Nashville)."

Darksoft - you never know, 2023

"Darksoft is a singer-songwriter that makes dreamy alternative rock."

Arab Strap - bliss, 2024

"Vocalist and drummer Aidan Moffat and multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton grew up in Falkirk, Scotland, and bonded over their mutual love for Drag City recording artists such as Will Oldham (who at the time recorded under the name Palace Brothers) and Smog. They began collaborating in 1995, and their debut album, The Week Never Starts Round Here, was released the following year. At this point Gary Miller and David Gow joined the band and became the rhythm section, creating a more dynamic live experience when the band started touring."

New Order - your silent face, 1983

"Your Silent Face is the fifth track of Power, Corruption & Lies by New Order. And also the first song off its second side. It is one of the most iconic songs from the album, in part from heavily featuring the melodica. It is still currently performed in New Order sets since the band reformed in 2011."

The Moody Blues - twilight time bbc dave symonds session, 1967

"Twilight Time" is a song from the Moody Blues' 1967 album Days of Future Passed. It is the final of three songs on the album representing the evening, along with "(Evening) Time to Get Away" (which is actually on "The Afternoon" track), and "The Sunset." Written by the Moody Blues' flautist Ray Thomas, "Twilight Time" primarily describes the scene in the sky after the sun has set. It is one of the more upbeat songs on the album (along with "Peak Hour"), played in a brooding minor key, and also has a heavy psychedelic rock sound to it."

Electronic - twisted tenderness, 1999

"Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner have a unique musical companionship. Both artists bred the '80s British music scene into pop candy delight thanks to Marr's charming guitar hooks while fronting the Smiths, and Sumner, whose ingenuous lyrical poetry pushed New Order's dance-oriented sound into the new wave mainstream. But since their musical collaboration began back in 1991, the duo continues to make music for themselves, uninhibited by current norms and marketing success. Twisted Tenderness, the band's third album, is certainly a vast improvement over their sophomore effort, 1996's Raise the Pressure. Twisted Tenderness steps back into Marr's talented guitar work: carefree, a bit rollicking at times, but in classic Electronic fashion."

The Lightning Seeds - green eyes, 2022

“I had six songs done and everyone was getting frustrated. I was told unless I finish the album in three weeks, it’d be another year before it could come out. Emotionally, that prospect felt a real drag. For the last four songs on the album, I finished off writing them and recorded them at home on my own, in the way I had in Lightning Seeds’ early days. People might think I’ve spent all these years doing final touches on everything and taking forever to write, but the last four songs were done in a fortnight. Maybe they’d been percolating in my head for a long time.”

The Decemberists - billy liar, 2003

"Billy Liar" is the debut single by the Decemberists. Deriving its title from the English novel Billy Liar, the song also references "Nogood Boyo" of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood and appears to generally talk about a young man's boredom during long summer days."

Outros olhares: meia-noite em Tallinn, Junho de 2023

The Beatles - baby you're a rich man, 1967

"Lennon wrote his portion of the song after attending the 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, an all-night festival held at London's Alexandra Palace that served as a key event in the emergence of the counterculture in the UK. His lyrics address the "beautiful people" of the 1960s hippie movement and combine with the chorus to present a statement on the universality of non-material wealth. The lyrics have also invited interpretation as a message to the Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, and alternatively as a comment on fame. George Harrison performed the song during his visit to San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district in August 1967, at the height of the Summer of Love. The track later appeared on the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour album. Parts of it were used in their 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine."

The The - cognitive dissident, 2024

"Cognitive Dissident" by The The delves into themes of surveillance, censorship, manipulation of reality, and the inversion of truth. The song portrays a world where individuals are constantly monitored, restricted, and controlled, leading to a state of cognitive dissonance."

Au Revoir Simone - another likely story neon indian remix, 2007

"The group's musical inspirations were compared by the band's European label, Moshi Moshi Records, to "a dutifully mined musical thrift store"; these diverse influences include Modest Mouse, Stereolab, the Mountain Goats, Louis Prima, Pavement, the Beach Boys, Björk, Broadcast, Belle & Sebastian, David Bowie, Bee Gees and Billie Holiday."

Pulsar - apaisement, 1975

"One of the best debut's to come out of any band; and a virtually unknown band!! Pollen's certainly the most experimental to come out of Pulsar's discography. Super spacey, rocking in some parts (when needed), eerily beautiful, emotional vocals (many will have to grow accustomed to his strong French voice), but the strongest aspect of this album is the hypnotic effect. Pulsar drags you into their hauntingly beautiful world with its slow, powerful beat. Though repetitive after some time, it never grows tiresome."

Fukushima Dolphin - space lift, 2022

"I first photographed the fantastic band Fukushima Dolphin in Brighton in September. It was on the 27th September 2020 to be precise. At first I didn’t know who these guys were."

Sufjan Stevens - goodbye evergreen, 2023

"Javelin is an album about the need to be loved, agape and philia, and Stevens shows that he can write about both without trivializing or minimizing the importance of either. That's a commendable achievement in any creative medium, and the fact that he's done so while creating some of the best music of his life makes this essential listening."

Neil Young - quit don't say you love me, 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 Radio Dept - deliverance, 2005

"Today was really dark and gloomy, which seems to have put me into the mood for The Radio Dept. Their music is quite befitting of this weather... it's shoegazey, melancholy, a bit subdued, but also lush and really well-layered between the vocals, guitar, keyboard, samples, and drum machine. The Radio Dept. comes from Sweden, and formed in 1995. Interestingly, I've never seen their name written as "The Radio Department", it's always abbreviated as "The Radio Dept." Anyway, they apparently took their name from a gas station/radio repair shop they saw called Radioavdelningen, or "the radio department" in Swedish. They've had many band members come and go, and now consist of Johan (original member), Martin, and Daniel. They've released several singles and E.P.s, and two full-length albums: Lesser Matters (2003) and Pet Grief (2006). If you've read my last post you might know how much I love a good B-side... so the song I'm featuring here is "Deliverance", a B-side from the "This Past Week" E.P. (2005)."

The Moody Blues - eyes of a child part one, 1969

"I really thought if you were out there what would you expect, what would you see if you were on the spaceship going out. And I suddenly realized if you went up there with all preconceived ideas and preprogrammed ideas in your mind you'd probably miss everything. And I realized then, that's how a child works."

Indochine - ladyboy, 2005

"Ladyboy" by Indochine delves into the complexities of human emotions, resilience in the face of loss, and the search for meaning and happiness in the midst of life's challenges."

Black Sabbath - laguna sunrise, 1972

"Raise your hand if, somewhere around age sixteen, you went through a metal phase. Come on, admit it…you grew your hair out, you bought a ring with a skull on it, maybe even went to a Megadeth concert. Well, no matter what the details of your metal phase were, it probably included the basic principle that Ozzy Osbourne was God, and Black Sabbath was the precursor to every band worth listening to."

Cage The Elephant - neon pill, 2024

"Cage The Elephant are one of those bands cursed with an anthem. You might argue that having a huge, timeless hit could never be a disadvantage, but the issue comes when a band is left desperately attempting to get out of their own shadow. How can they ever escape ‘Cigarette Daydream’, or free themselves from the shackles that come with soundtracking the distinct indie heyday of the 2010s?"

First Breath After Coma - salty eyes, 2020

"Let me guess... One of their biggest influences is Explosions in the Sky."

The Beatles - can't buy me love live, 1964

“The idea behind it was that all these material possessions are all very well, but they won’t buy me what I really want.” However, he was to comment later: “It should have been ‘Can Buy Me Love’ ” when reflecting on the perks that money and fame had brought him."

The Moody Blues - survival, 1978

"The sitar is very, very easy, as long as you tune it up right! 1 string. Once you tune up the other 18 strings right, it will resonate. But the time things that they play… we did a gig in London with a band called the Indo-Jazz Fusions with John McLaughlin and Ravi Shankar in the same band."

The Smashing Pumpkins - we only come out at night, 1995

"The songs on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness are intended to work together conceptually, with the two halves of the album representing day and night. Despite this, Corgan has rejected the term concept album to describe it, and it was at the time described as more "loose" and "vague" than were the band's previous records. He also said it is based on "the human condition of mortal sorrow". Corgan aimed the album's message at people between 14 and 24 years of age, hoping "to sum up all the things I felt as a youth but was never able to voice articulately. ... I'm waving goodbye to me in the rear view mirror, tying a knot around my youth and putting it under the bed."

Acid House Kings - wake up, 1997

"they released Advantage Acid House Kings in 1997 and the album proved to be a huge step forward to form their trademark sound of jangly, catchy guitar oriented indie-pop. The album featured Julia Lannerheim as guest vocalist on a couple of songs, who eventually joined the band officially as a full-time member in 2001. In 2002 they released their third album Mondays Are Like Tuesdays And Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays."

Enya - oriel window, 1991

"Oriel Window" is a previously unreleased track and a piano instrumental song by Irish musician, songwriter and singer Enya. It was a B-Side track for the lead single from her third studio album, Shepherd Moons, "Caribbean Blue" at the first time, released on October 7, 1991 by WEA. In 2009, the song was contained in Japanese reissue and remastered edition of Shepherd Moons as a bonus fifteenth track of the album."

The Shadows - god only knows cover, 1975

"The song's musical sophistication is demonstrated by its three contrapuntal vocal parts and weak tonal center (competing between the keys of E and A)."

The Jesus And Mary Chain - between planets, 1989

"Automatic is the third studio album by Scottish alternative rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain, released on 9 October 1989 by Blanco y Negro Records. The group on this record consists of the core duo of brothers William and Jim Reid, with a drum machine providing percussion and synthesised bass."

Bee Gees - world, 1969

"'World' is one of those things we came up with in the studio, Everyone just having fun and saying, 'Let's just do something!' you know"

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - so in love, 1985

"How can you resist a song like 'So in Love'? A misty piece of McCluskey romance tinged with sadness before showing its true claws on the chorus."

Tame Impala - love paranoia, 2015

"Parker recorded the album on his own, only this time without Dave Fridmann's guiding hand and by mostly forsaking electric guitars in favor of a wealth of synthesizers, and with a much more relaxed, intimate approach. In addition to the soft rock of the '70s feel that permeates the sound, Parker adds elements of R&B and hip-hop to the mix, gets lyrically introspective in spots, and generally sounds like he's either on the verge of a long nap or just waking up from one."

The Radio Dept - lost and found, 2003

"Came here looking for Lost and Found"

Swallow - follow me down, 1992

"The song "Follow Me Down" by Swallow explores themes of love, devotion, and the fear of losing someone. The lyrics convey a strong desire for the listener to remain close and committed."

The Beatles - from us to you live, 1964

"The Beatles' song "From Us to You" is a lively and upbeat track that carries a message of love and support from the band to their fans. Although the song itself may seem simple and straightforward, it can take on deeper meanings when we delve into its lyrics and explore the underlying themes. Throughout the song, several standout lines help develop these imaginative themes, all of which ultimately tie back to the overarching message of love and connection."

James - heavens, 1992

"Heavens" by James explores themes of longing, loss, and seeking divine intervention or clarity in a confusing and uncertain world. The lyrics depict a sense of isolation and helplessness, with the singer feeling disconnected from those they love and searching for a higher power to guide them."

Bob Dylan - i threw it all away, 1969

"I Threw It All Away" was one of the first songs written for Nashville Skyline and one of only two new songs that were definitely written prior to the recording sessions ("Lay Lady Lay" being the other). Dylan played the song for George Harrison and his wife Pattie in November 1968, and Harrison was apparently impressed enough with the song to learn it himself."

Nada Surf - bizarre love triangle cover, 2012

"It actually may be safe to say that this version is more accessible than the original song, which opens with about a minute and thirty seconds of electronic music before any lyrics are added. Nada Surf jump right in, using only acoustic instruments and human beatboxing, making a really decent, very gentle version of the song."

The Housemartins - build, 1987

"Build" is a song released in November 1987 as the third single from the album The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death by British band The Housemartins. It follows the softer template of the group's later material and reached no. 15 in the UK Singles Chart. The song is notable amongst the Housemartins catalogue, as it features drummer Dave Hemingway on vocals during the choruses, whilst usual singer Paul Heaton sings the verses and bridge."

The Style Council - how she threw it all away, 1988

"As the brass bounces off the synth bass giving a lesson in how do late 80s production with elegance, the bitter Falklands winter of “But now I watch smoke leave my lips/And fill an empty room” is something Paul Weller may have considered to be a show of agency in the final hurrahs of The Jam, but with the cutting of that neurotic spectre he exorcised in a short burst of glory on The Style Council’s descent into schlock, he managed to set himself free from both the personal neuroticisms that plagued his laboured love ballads, and press in-jokes that presented him as the as the Ivan Lendl of pop/rock."

William Fitzsimmons - annie's song cover, 2022

"The first song I ever remember hearing is John Denver’s masterpiece ode to his wife, “Annie’s Song”. I can still picture the tattered double vinyl sitting on my parents record cabinet, John’s smiling face looking out while my mother would sing along with every word and I would sit on the living room floored, mesmerized and happy to just be still in these peaceful sensations. Years later, when I began teaching myself the guitar, I would fumble through the chords and sing the same song with my mother in the evening; the same feelings of peace and nostalgia filling the room many years later. If there was only one song I could play for the rest of my life, it’d be this."

Bee Gees - railroad, 1969

"another throwback to country-pop balladry"

Rose City Band - mariposa, 2023

"While Ripley and co. have long slowed down the air around cosmic country, embracing the humidity of languorous afternoons, “Mariposa” might capture this more than most in their catalog. The song saunters and sways, a ripple of those liquid strings underpinned by a slow crest of organ. The song stretches out, dips its hat over the eyes and lets the sun soak into every fiber of the listener."

Pink Floyd - lost for words, 1994

"Lost for Words" is a song recorded by English rock band Pink Floyd, focused on forgiveness, written by guitarist and lead singer David Gilmour and his spouse Polly Samson for the band's 14th studio album, The Division Bell. It appears as the penultimate track on the album. The lyrics, mostly penned by Samson, are a bitterly sarcastic reflection on Gilmour's then-strained relationship with former bandmate Roger Waters."

The Durutti Column - the missing boy, 1981

"The song "The Missing Boy" is a tribute to songwriter Vini Reilly's friend and label-mate Ian Curtis of Joy Division, who committed suicide in the previous year."

Rádio Macau - o anzol, 1987

"The song "O Anzol" by Rádio Macau appears to address feelings of stagnation and a lack of novelty in the speaker's life. The first verse describes a failed attempt to be original by painting the sky a different color, only to realize that someone else had the same idea before. This could be seen as a metaphor for the difficulty of finding genuinely new experiences or ideas in an already saturated world. The chorus presents a choice between "fleeing" or "biting the hook," both of which could represent different approaches to tackling this problem - either running away from it or confronting it directly."

The Moody Blues - house of four doors part two, 1968

"House of Four Doors" by The Moody Blues is a song that explores themes of mystery, self-discovery, and the search for meaning in life. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a journey through four doors that symbolize different aspects of existence."

The Smiths - some girls are bigger than others, 1986

"the clipped, undulating frivolity of 'Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others', a hypnotic musical travelogue that verges on the transcendental [...] Again, the Morrissey muse and Marr's musical setting collide marvellously, the track illuminated by some lovely slide guitar from the latter. It would have made another classic Smiths single"

Jaguar Sun - i feel it, 2023

"Everyone in their twenties feels anxiety about the unstoppable passage of time, how it becomes a place you can’t return to. It’s easy to get caught up feeling homesick for an idealized past that may never have existed, or to be haunted by one that did."

Chumbawamba - scapegoat, 1997

"The only thing we really wanted to get across was feeling positive and having a good time. A lot of people wouldn’t call that political, but I would. One of the reasons behind that was, as anyone who knows us and knows our context knows, we were a “college radio band” with a small fanbase selling maybe 30,000 records if we were lucky. Everyone who knows our history sees us as a very somber, political band with lots of inadvertent comments and “important” things to say, so we wanted to make a record that was really positive."

Damien Jurado - qachina, 2016

"QACHINA" by Damien Jurado delves into themes of personal reflection, emotional turmoil, and introspection. The lyrics use symbolism, such as the colors yellow and blue, to represent different emotional states. The song's significance lies in the exploration of one's internal struggles, the desire for understanding, and the need for solace amidst confusion."

Genesis - fireside song, 1969

"The song "Fireside Song" by Genesis seems to reflect on the cyclical nature of life and the transformative power of hope. The lyrics depict a transition from a state of confusion, disappointment, fear, and disillusion to one of optimism and clarity."

The Radio Dept - the things that went wrong, 2004

“The thing with the extreme right populism is that they’re actually saying what they want to do and people still go for it. They don’t even have to lie. We had a moderate right wing government for about eight years until recently; and they kind of paved the way for this. When poor people get poorer and rich people get more rich, they tend to go for easy solutions.”

New Order - true faith, 1987

"As is the case for many New Order songs of this period, the words in the title do not appear anywhere in the lyrics. The original lyrics included a verse that read "Now that we've grown up together/They're all taking drugs with me". Hague convinced Bernard Sumner to change the latter line to "They're afraid of what they see" because he was worried that otherwise it would not get played on the radio."

Bee Gees - in the morning, 1970

"Morning of My Life" (originally known as "In the Morning") is a song written by Barry Gibb in 1965 whilst in the town of Wagga Wagga, Australia and later recorded by the Bee Gees and several other artists. It was recorded in 1966 during sessions for the album Spicks and Specks, and later was released as the opening track on the compilation Inception/Nostalgia in 1970. The first recording of the song to be released by any artist was by Ronnie Burns, first as a B-side to his Exit, Stage Right single in June 1967 and a month later on his Ronnie LP."

Such a great song!

Elton John - grey seal, 1970

"Taupin has said that it's one of the songs he wrote with lyrics he never really understood, but somehow work. As for Elton, the song is one of his favorites, as he loves the way the music matches up to the lyrics."

Suzanne Vega - gypsy, 1987

"This is one of Vega's loveliest songs altogether. It is a love song-- technically a break-up song, but not the acrimonious kind. The Japanese farewell, "sayonara," means "since it must be so," and that is the sighing, bittersweet sort of farewell this song evokes."

Sufjan Stevens - impossible soul, 2010

"Impossible Soul" is a complex song that explores the themes of love, self-discovery, fear, and the pursuit of happiness. The song is divided into five distinct parts that weave together a story of a protagonist who is trying to navigate his emotions and find meaning in his relationships."

Death Cab For Cutie – what sarah said, 2005

"What Sarah Said" chronicles the "nervous paces" of visiting an ill loved one in the hospital ("I'm thinking of what Sarah said / that love is watching someone die")

The Beatles - the night before, 1965

"Recorded in February 1965, "The Night Before" was the first Beatles song to feature electric piano, played by John Lennon. Its film sequence was shot the following May, showing the band miming to the track on Salisbury Plain. The Beatles only played the song live once, during their final BBC Radio performance. In contemporary interviews, McCartney said that it was one of his favorite songs from the Help! film and one of the Beatles' best recordings up to that point."

Bright Eyes - gold mine gutted, 2005

"Digital Ash in a Digital Urn is the seventh studio album by American band Bright Eyes, released on January 25, 2005 by Saddle Creek Records, the same day as their sixth album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. It peaked at number 15 in the US and 43 in the UK. In US it has sold 268,000 units. In 2007 it was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association, which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe. In contrast to the acoustic nature of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn is more electronic."

Pet Shop Boys - memory of the future new single mix, 2012

"Memory of the Future" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their eleventh studio album, Elysium (2012). It was released on 31 December 2012 as the album's third and final single. The track reached number 68 in Germany and number 111 in the United Kingdom. The single version, remixed by Stuart Price, differs notably from the album version. Apart from the differences in the arrangements, the single version is approximately a minute shorter than the album version and has a slightly faster tempo."

The Radio Dept - we got game henning fürst remix, 2017

"I discovered The Radio Dept when I just arrived in Canada. I was watching a youtube video about the Vietnam War and there was a moment where you could see one Guy smoking in a gun barrel. Yeah you guessed it, it became the cover of the album " clinging to a scheme". A guy mentionned the album in the comment section so I was curious about it."

The Moody Blues - peak hour bbc easybeat session, 1967

"Days Of Future Past was one of the first concept albums, depicting an archetypical "day" from morning to night. However, it didn't start out that way. Justin Hayward explained to Beat Instrumental in a June 1971 interview: "Days Of Future Past was really a concept for a stage presentation we'd worked out to take up a whole hour set. It turned out that it took the form of a day because I'd written a song 'Nights in White Satin.'"

Tame Impala - be above it, 2012

"Opening track "Be Above It" also feature ambient sounds of a person walking which was recorded on the dictaphone by Parker sticking his recorder out of a window at a hotel he was staying at. Parker recorded this because "The street had a weird shape to it and it had a cool reverb whenever someone walked by. You see that run through the album."

Swallow - mensurral, 1992

"Swallow were a British-based duo of Mike Mason and Louise Trehy. Signed to 4AD, they only released one studio album and one remix collection before leaving the label. They moved on to Rough Trade Records for a further EP before disbanding."

The Beatles - i want to hold your hand, 1963

"We wrote a lot of stuff together, one on one, eyeball to eyeball. Like in 'I Want to Hold Your Hand,' I remember when we got the chord that made the song. We were in Jane Asher's house, downstairs in the cellar playing on the piano at the same time. And we had, 'Oh you-u-u/ got that something ...' And Paul hits this chord and I turn to him and say, 'That's it!' I said, 'Do that again!' In those days, we really used to absolutely write like that—both playing into each other's noses."

Club 8 - my pessimistic heart, 2010

"An emotional turning point of the album stands around its halfway point. “My Pessimistic Heart” is a song in support for anyone who’s experiencing tough times. When things are tough, who best to turn to than someone who believes that things are always tough? An eternal pessimist has already held any fear, considered any apocalyptic notion. That may seem counterintuitive somehow, but when delivered by Club 8, over such a great melody, it feels like a defining moment. A band whose music is eternally melancholy has found a way to turn that into something hopeful. Can a song be both hopeful and pessimistic at the same time? That’s the essence of The People’s Record."

The Radio Dept - slottet, 2004

"The Radio Dept. has always been a very politically charged band and several singles and EPs with sharp political commentary have emerged throughout the years. “Freddie and the Trojan Horse” came out in 2008 and was aimed at the Swedish prime minister at the time, Fredrik Reinfeldt, and his right wing party Moderaterna, for posing as a workers party in order to trick workers into voting for them."

Indochine - black page, 2005

"You are my life, the rest of my life, so be it. You taught me how to save my life"

Pet Shop Boys - before, 1996

"There's a story of a man who loved too much…" – As noted above, Neil has asserted that these words refer to U.S. former football star and actor O.J. Simpson, who—on account of being on trial for the murder of his wife—was very much in the news at the time the Boys were writing this song. They also echo the tragic hero's own epitaph for himself in Shakepeare's Othello, when he described himself as having "loved not wisely but too well."

Morrissey - the last of the famous international playboys, 1990

"The Last of the Famous International Playboys" is a song by British solo artist Morrissey. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's third release after the Smiths break-up. Morrissey was inspired lyrically by the East End gangster brothers the Kray Twins, whom he believed to be an example of the media glamourizing violent criminals. Street took influence from the Fall for the song's music, with the intro resembling that of "The Man Who Sold the World" by David Bowie. The single was the first Morrissey solo single to feature his former Smiths bandmates Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce, and Craig Gannon."

The Radio Dept - bad reputation, 2002

"The guitars sound like they are plugged straight into a recording device – the effect is lo-fi, a bit like listening to a practise amp, but the sound is distinctly theirs – it’s the same sound as on Lesser Matters in 2003, and it’s nice to hear a band evolve gently, sticking to their guns."

Pink Floyd - mother, 1979

"the song "Mother", part of Pink's sense of alienation comes from being raised by an overprotective single mother, who lost her husband, Pink's father, in World War II. The song narrates a conversation by Pink (voiced by Waters) and his mother (voiced by Gilmour). The listener learns of the overprotectiveness of Pink's mother, who is helping Pink build his wall to try to protect him from the outside world, evidenced by the line "Of course Momma's gonna help build the wall", spoken by Pink's mother. She insists that Pink stay by her side even after he grows up, and cannot stand it when Pink eventually grows older and falls in love."

Suzanne Vega - penitent, 2001

"It seems the sin she is repenting is one of arrogance; she tried, she tells God, "to stare You down."

Neil Young - harvest, 1972

"Young biographer Jimmy McDonough interprets lyrics such as "Did she wake you up to tell you that/It was only a change of plan" as referring to his then mother-in-law's previous suicide attempts. Inglis also interprets the line "Did I see you down in a young girl's town/With your mother in so much pain" as referring to this situation. Young biographer David Downing feels that the song works like a dream, being "so full of recognition, yet so short on sense."

Pet Shop Boys - always on my mind cover extended dance version, 1988

"Always On My Mind (extended dance mix) also known as (dance version), (ext. dance version), (12 inch dance mix)"

The Radio Dept - annie laurie, 2002

"John Steinbeck wrote about this song (Maxwellton's brae are bonnie) in his novel "To a God Unknown" (chapter VIII)."

Sufjan Stevens - mercury, 2017

"Mercury" feels like an elegy to lost love but may be more of an ode to the Roman god of thievery. "All that I felt within my arms," Sufjan sings, "and I am weightless. You ran off with it all."

7ebra - daybreak, 2024

"Beautiful but punk, minimalist but epic, the duo had previously made their mark on the Swedish music scene, with support slots for Future Islands, Bob Hund and The Dandy Warhols already under their belts. They also played shows at End of the Road, Bluedot and SXSW festivals last year, as well as for an extensive UK tour with Teleman."

The Mary Onettes - lost, 2016

"I know you can't fix me but I'm completely broken. The weight on my back is life, I can't get through, the past IS ALL I HAVE. I define myself by that. Why have I not lived my life one Mary Onettes song lyric at a time? I'm thinking if any of us want to live just an ok life, we'll listen, contemplate, interpret, and go forward. I'm lost. We're lost. Listen, go forward."

The Style Council - have you ever had it blue, 1986

"The Style Council's contribution to Julien Temple's 1986 musical version of Colin MacInnes' novel Absolute Beginners (earlier the inspiration for a classic Jam single) was their last truly interesting single, and even it has undeniable echoes of a few songs from the previous year's Internationalists, particularly "With Everything To Lose" and "All Gone Away." A horn arrangement by Gil Evans opens the song with an authentically cool jazz nod to the novel's time period, but the song itself has more of a bossa nova feel, with its subtle Latin percussion and Dee C. Lee's Astrud Gilberto-like wordless backing vocals. Still, it's a richly melodic tune, and the end of Paul Weller's continental jazz-pop persona. From here it was the miserable genre-exploitation of the last few Style Council records and a diminishing-returns solo career."

The Beatles - you're going to lose that girl, 1965

"it's easy to picture Paul and George shimmying and wagging their fingers if only they hadn't instruments to contend with."

Laurent Voulzy - derniers baisers cover, 2006

"Sealed with a Kiss" is a song written and composed by Peter Udell and Gary Geld. The original recording of "Sealed with a Kiss" was by the Four Voices which was released as a single in May 1960 without becoming a hit. It first became a hit in 1962 for Brian Hyland. Jason Donovan later had an international number one hit with the song in 1989."

The Flaming Lips - race for the prize remix, 1999

"The Japanese edition of Race for the Prize includes two different mixes of that song, and single-disc stereo mixes of three songs from Zaireeka — “Riding to Work in the Year 2025,” “Thirty-Five Thousand Feet of Despair” and “The Big Ol’ Bug Is the New Baby Now.” The first two of those songs appear, still in separated mixes, in the two-disc UK edition of that EP…thus reducing the commitment involved in listening to them from four stereos to “just” two. The American Waitin’ for a Superman EP includes that song’s radio edit, two remixes and stereo mixes of “Riding to Work” and “Thirty-Five Thousand Feet.” The British 2-CD version of that EP, like its predecessor, repeats the separated-mix offering of those same two songs."

New Order - bizarre love triangle extended dance mix, 1994

"Back in the late 80's I was a DJ in a very cool club in a college town and we played the shit out of this song. The club was in a - don't laugh - Holiday Inn, and because of the corporate money available we had some pretty amazing equipment up in the DJ booth."

Saturday Looks Good To Me - we can't work it out, 2002

"The success of Every Night, much like All Your Summer Songs before it, is entirely dependent on its contemporary relevance in the guise of almost fetishistic devotion to 60s pop nostalgia. "Since You Stole My Heart", a mono-friendly girl-group love letter that smacks of the sickly sweetest trip down a boardwalk you've never been on, represents the far extreme of SLGTM's direct emulative powers. But gradually, a darker world of thrift stores, cheap cigarettes, and rum & Cokes pierces through the band's façade of straight-faced homage, hinting at something more compelling and contemporary beneath."