The Lightning Seeds - god help them, 1990

"It kind of was Lightning Seeds by numbers. A radio-friendly pop song which had a touch of the indie about it, but very much had an appeal to a wider audience. The fact that Ian Broudie was an old punk at heart could be seen from the fact that he chose to record cover versions on the 2xCDs which made up the release of Ready or Not. I’m sure he would never claim that he had bettered the originals, but at least he was bringing them to the attention of a wider audience, as well as delivering some royalties to the songwriters. mp3 : Lightning Seeds – Another Girl, Another Planet (The Only Ones) mp3 : Lightning Seeds – Whole Wide World (Wreckless Eric) mp3 : Lightning Seeds – Outdoor Miner (Wire)"

Sun Haze - vhs memories, 2024

"Music to stare at the blue sky"

Au Revoir Simone - only you can make you happy deradoorian remix, 2010

"Brooklyn-based three piece electronic group Au Revoir Simone released their third album – ‘Still Night, Still Light’ – in 2009 to strong reviews. Before getting started on their next studio release, they’ve worked on a remix album of long player three, commissioning several important names in the alternative community to rework the original tracks from the album and put their own individual stamp on them."

Summer Moon - star child, 2023

"So, gear up, plug in, and immerse yourself in the sonic journey of “Casino Days” by Summer Moon. It’s a musical escapade that’ll get your heart pounding and your senses tingling."

The Beatles - all you need is love, 1967

"The song was Britain's contribution to Our World, the first live global television link, for which the band were filmed performing it at EMI Studios in London on 25 June. The programme was broadcast via satellite and seen by an audience of over 400 million in 25 countries. Lennon's lyrics were deliberately simplistic, to allow for the show's international audience, and captured the utopian ideals associated with the Summer of Love. The single topped sales charts in Britain, the United States and many other countries, and became an anthem for the counterculture's embrace of flower power philosophy. Our World coincided with the height of the Beatles' popularity and influence, following the release of their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Rather than perform the song entirely live, the group played to a pre-recorded backing track. With an orchestral arrangement by George Martin, the song begins with a portion of the French national anthem and ends with musical quotations from works such as Glenn Miller's "In the Mood", "Greensleeves", Bach's Invention No. 8 in F major, and the Beatles' 1963 hit "She Loves You".

Vitesse X - fortress cover, 2024

“In 2023, I found myself gravitating more to guitar-based indie music again. I think I might have been craving a sense of solace from the heaviness of current events and maximalist nature of modern production. Tapping back into my sonic roots felt like an escape to a simpler, calmer moment in time. I was listening to Fortress by Pinback on my walk to work one day, and thought it would be fun to try out a cover for the first time. I was having a hard time getting into a creative flow, so I treated it as an exercise to not overthink and just enjoy the process, and this is what came out.”

Sufjan Stevens - jupiter, 2017

"About four-and-a-half minutes into “Jupiter,” for example, a cinematic interlude of piano, strings, and trombone fades, and Stevens’ voice interjects, processed such that it feels very intentionally like a radio communiqué from a vintage spacecraft: “Father of light, father of death/Give us your wisdom, give us your breath/Summoner says that Jupiter is the loneliest planet.” Stevens is no stranger to this practice of gravely summoning opaque imagery, but the outer-space literalism of his delivery makes this evocation of the isolation inherent in mortality feel light years more distant than usual, which, as far as I can tell, was not the desired effect."

The Radio Dept - nineteen ninety-five, 2003

"I belatedly discovered their music in 2019, by which time all of their physical singles and albums were readily available to seek out wherever I could, and so that was what I did as much as possible. I glutted on everything they brought out, belatedly picking up all their albums on CD, given that I had already fallen hopelessly in love with their music."

Fazerdaze - take it slow, 2017

"there's nothing quite like the interplay of a minimal bass line and a reverb-heavy guitar over some wistful vocals to get you in the mood for summer"

The Beatles - revolution one, 1968

"Revolution" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Three versions of the song were recorded and released in 1968, all during sessions for the Beatles' self-titled double album, also known as the "White Album": a slow, bluesy arrangement ("Revolution 1") included on the album; an abstract sound collage (titled "Revolution 9") that originated as the latter part of "Revolution 1" and appears on the same album; and the faster, hard rock version similar to "Revolution 1", released as the B-side of "Hey Jude". Although the single version was issued first, it was recorded several weeks after "Revolution 1", intended for release as a single. A music video for the song was shot using the backing track from the single version, their appearances reflecting the song's atmosphere, along with live-sung lyrics that more closely resemble the album version."

The Radio Dept - you're lookin' at my guy cover, 2020

"Swedish dream-pop band the Radio Dept. haven’t released a full-length album since 2016’s Running Out Of Love, but they’ve been sharing some new singles lately. In February, they gave us the melancholic “The Absence Of Birds,” and in March, we got the shimmering “You Fear The Wrong Thing.” And they’re still going. The idea, it seems, is to keep releasing singles throughout the year and then eventually collect them on a full-length record. And today, the Radio Dept. have shared two more songs on a new 7″. The A-side is a sighing jangle-pop cover of the Tri-Lites’ 1964 single “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy,” while the B-side is a quieter, twinkly original with some very pretty horns."

Damien Jurado - i was a line, 2023

"Whenever I try to describe Sometimes You Hurt the Ones You Hate or give it a label, one word prevails in my mind: sentimental. Indie veteran Damien Jurado has conjured up a lovely collection of wistful folk rock pieces, filled with tender acoustic passages and nostalgic lo-fi orchestrations. And honestly, given how long Jurado’s been in the business, he’s certainly earned the right to get a little sentimental; the dude’s been grinding for almost 30 years now, with every record approaching his signature brand of indie rock from a slightly different angle than the last. But, no matter what themes or emotions Jurado tackles with each effort, there’s one persistent truism regarding his work: that he’s one hell of a storyteller, and knows how to wring every drop of emotion out of the stories he tells."

Au Revoir Simone - the way to there, 2007

"Our band came together because we wanted to hang out together. The origins of our band is liking keyboards and liking each other."

Fukushima Dolphin - twenty twenty, 2024

"Fukushima Dolphin are an unusual band. To watch them perform you’d think they were a veteran musical outfit, but their current line-up have only been playing together for a few weeks. Comprised of Alex on drums and Josh Butler on guitar and lead vocals, the duo make heavy use of delay and loop pedals to fill in the spaces in their sound, a hybrid of 80s psych-rock and 90s dance grooves."

Peter Bjorn And John - one for the team live, 2018

“It’s a pep-talk sort of song. A positive call to arms really. It’s been a ‘bumpy ride’ as the song says. But the good thing you’ve found together is really worth fighting for, especially after all this time. We really ARE stronger together. We all GAIN from helping each other out. We CAN’T make it ourselves. At least not as good or as vigorous. All very corny but also all very true, most of the time. And the title is kind of corny too but I love calling a song ‘One For The Team.’”

Neil Young - like a hurricane, 1977

"the melodies are carried by Young's voice and guitar, all brought into focus against a distant landscape of multi-layered string effects."

Guillemots - walk the river, 2011

"Walk the River is the third full-length album from the British indie rock band Guillemots. It was released on 18 April 2011 in the United Kingdom and reached number 26 on the UK Albums Chart."

The Innocence Mission - bright as yellow, 1995

"Glow is the third album by the American folk rock band the Innocence Mission, released in 1995 on A&M Records. Musically, it marked a radical departure for the group, as the Sundays/10,000 Maniacs-inspired dream pop aesthetic found on their first two albums was replaced by a more straightforward, cleaner rock sound."

Villagers - that golden time, 2024

"Getting a sense of the real Conor O’Brien can seem a bit like trying to shove a bolt of lightning into a bottle – an impossible task. A gifted and articulate lyricist he may be, but most of the time O’Brien’s confessionals appear at a remove, as if he doesn’t want to give away too much detail that could be directed back towards him at a later date. Such theories tend to lose their grip when confronted with gorgeous songs such as those on That Golden Time."

Rod Stewart - maggie may, 1971

"At first, I didn't think much of "Maggie May." I guess that's because the record company didn't believe in the song. I didn't have much confidence then. I figured it was best to listen to the guys who knew better. What I learned is sometimes they do and sometimes they don't."

Archive - again short version, 2020

"In 2020 Archive released the remix album Versions, a collection of 10 previously released songs that were remixed or re-recorded to generate mostly more quiet and atmospheric versions."

Fools Garden - lemon tree, 1995

"Lemon Tree" is a song by German band Fool's Garden from their third album, Dish of the Day (1995). The band's lead vocalist, Peter Freudenthaler, said that he wrote the song on a Sunday afternoon when he was waiting for his girlfriend who did not come."

The Beatles - any time at all, 1964

"Any Time at All" may be little more than a driving, vibrant rock number to flesh out the album, yet the song's irresistible catchiness is evidence that the Beatles' album filler was generally superior to most of what came out of the British Invasion. And, as fans of the Beatles would soon learn, all was not as simple as it first seemed. The instrumental bridge, for instance, goes off in a new direction: a doubled piano/guitar part ascending in a sweeping tide of expectant melodic triplets that peak in harmonic resolution, bringing you back to the gutsy refrain (always kicked off by Ringo's snare attack)."

William Fitzsimmons - your song cover, 2023

"As much as my own catalog is filled with heartbreak and sadness, I’ve always been a sucker for a good love song. Just unabashedly declaring your devotion and feeling for another. I recorded this song as a private gift for my then girlfriend who was living far away as a Valentine’s Day gift. A couple years later she walked down the aisle to Elton’s “Your Song” on the day she became my wife. With her blessing I chose to make this gift the first song I recorded for my covers album. It became a special moment in our relationship and it is my hope that others might have that same experience too."

The Band Of Holy Joy - unlikely girl, 1990

"Formed from the ashes of an unrecorded '77 punk band, Speed, Band Of Holy Joy's initial musical forays were largely in the domain of industrial bricolage and occasional bursts of madness. By the time they began releasing records under their own name in the 1980s, the band's humanist tendencies came to the fore, with astounding portraits of people on the periphery, resulting in such classics as Rosemary Smith, Mad Dot and Don't Stick Knives In Babbies Heads. The sharp sensibilities of founder and leader Johny Brown eventually led to a star-making deal with Rough Trade, a few near hits and career momentum shattered when the label collapsed mere days after what might have been the band's breakthrough album."

The Vaccines - discount de kooning last one standing, 2024

"all 10 tracks could be singles. “Sunkissed” is sheer perfection. Young channels a Brian Wilson in a way that would make The Beach Boys’ crooner proud. “The Dreamer’ and “Discount De Kooning (Last One Standing)” are two more shining moments."

Steve Hackett - wherever you are, 2024

Coincidências inverosímeis. Steve Hackett e as Berlengas. Quase cinquenta anos depois. Ao longe vêem-se as Berlengas, os Farilhões e as Estelas e ao perto a Nau dos Corvos (0:31). Can a song travel to the ends of the Earth Mirror of a moment, ghost of a universe. At 0:31 is Berlengas, Islands of Portugal seen from Peniche. 46 years ago I was there listening Steve Hackett in a cassette walkman. Strange coincidences!

Gruff Rhys - bad friend, 2024

"I have often found myself struggling to balance the demands of life and the expectations of being a reliable friend. There have been times when I have felt guilty for not being there for my friends in their moments of need. However, this song reminds me that being a good friend doesn’t mean being perfect. It’s about having good intentions, being there when it matters, and acknowledging our own limitations."

Lee Scratch Perry - give thanks and praise alternative dub, 2021

"He acted like a madman but nobody really crazy could have made so many classic records in such a short space of time."

The Coral - miss fortune, 2016

‘Miss Fortune’, the album’s joyous highlight. With its Krautrock-tinged rhythm, backwards guitar and soaring chorus, it suggests that this rested and revitalised incarnation of The Coral still has plenty to offer. Having grown tired, their enthusiasm is audibly restored”

Paradise Blossom - forever with you, 2023

“We worked on this song for about 8 months. Originally, we wanted to finish it back in 2022, but we never figured out what was missing from the song. It was supposed to sound like something new, but we had the feeling that it wasn’t the right direction, so instead we took influence from our older songs that we made years ago and slowly this song came together, as said before it’s a love letter to our past selves. We wouldn’t be where we are without them. Forever wouldn’t be the same without them.”

Ride - pulsar, 2017

"the song keeps in line with the band’s classic sound, featuring swirling, distorted guitars and Andy Bell’s vocals blended low in the mix."

Simon And Garfunkel - i am a rock, 1966

"Billboard described the song as a "beautiful lyric ballad." Cash Box described the song as a "hard-driving, pulsating ode about rather isolated young man." Record World said that the duo "sing about loneliness in usual poetic terms."

The Band Of Holy Joy - here it comes, 1990

"Band of Holy Joy were formed by Newcastle émigré Johny Brown in 1984 in New Cross, South London while he was sharing a squat with Test Department, in what was then a thriving post-punk scene. Early experiments revolved around cheap junk shop instrumentation and rudimentary electronics before Johny and collaborators hit on their defining and defiant punk-folk-cabaret overload."

Bear's Den - the star of bethnal green live, 2019

"Lovely acoustic close harmonies live from BBC in Glasgow."

Fukushima Dolphin - fish song, 2023

"I don’t really listen to much music or go to many gigs, I can’t really say that anything much inspires me except those people who are all either dead or dying now!"

Neil Young And Crazy Horse - like a hurricane live way down in the rust bucket, 1990

"Driven by Young's trademark fierce guitars, the song became a landmark of the 'electric side' of his concerts and one of the most famous of Young's songs. The song has been played on nearly every tour Young has done since its release. It has also appeared on the compilations Decade and Greatest Hits and on the live albums Live Rust, Weld, Unplugged (this rendition is played almost entirely on a pump organ) and Way Down in the Rust Bucket."

Peter Bjorn And John - nostalgic intellect, 2016

"Swedish trio Peter Björn and John have created a musical universe that is constantly evolving. However, they’ve managed to retain their unique charm that made them press darlings a decade ago with “Young Folks”. What many didn’t realize is that that hit’s parent album, Writer’s Block, was the trio’s third in a career that has seen them stretch the boundaries of Pop music. While Top 40 radio’s Pop guidelines are pretty rigid, Peter Morén, Björn Yttling and John Eriksson treat them like elastic rubber bands, bending and twisting those guidelines into new and exciting aural avenues. They’ve even managed to carve out musical careers outside of PB&J while never lowering the quality control level on the albums they record together."

Wim Mertens - nota notae, 2023

“Note Notae” is a sentimental vocal New Age song with impressive clarinet and strings accompaniments."

Slowdive - shanty, 2023

"Songs such as “Alife,” “Kisses,” and “The Slab” permeate the body with a propulsion several gears beyond the group’s 1993 shoegaze Mount Rushmore album Souvlaki, as Halstead and Goswell’s intertwined vocals float above, between, and beyond cascades of effects-drenched guitars, throbbing bass, and washes of synths. Elsewhere, “Skin in the Game” conjures a woozy, Strokes/Cocteau Twins fever dream that’s disorienting in a way with little precedent in the Slowdive catalog. while “Shanty” is content to build the tension of its dark, arpeggio-driven groove for several minutes without words."

Au Revoir Simone - dark halls, 2007

"Au Revoir Simone is an electro-pop band that’s making its mark around the country. Sunday, the New York group will show off its tunes at the Fox Theatre. The keyboard-based outfit has become a favorite of filmmaker David Lynch, played Denver’s Monolith Festival and performed at European fashion shows. The band’s now touring behind its latest CD, Still Night, Still Light. Erika Forster is one of Au Revoir Simone’s three keyboardists, and she has very strong ties to Colorado. That’s because the performer’s dad is “etown” host and Hot Rize member Nick Forster. “I grew up in Boulder and went to Boulder High,” Forster said. “My dad’s a musician and my mom dabbled in music. I took piano lessons when I was growing up, so that’s the instrument I stuck with. “I grew up in a musical environment and that helped me trust my own musical instincts.” Forster moved from Colorado to the East Coast, where she pursued her musical dreams with Au Revoir Simone. The three-piece band wanted to create a signature sound, so the girls set out to create their own brand of ethereal pop music. Au Revoir Simone creates its unique pop sounds by using vintage synthesizers and drum machines. “We really try to create our own sounds,” Forster said. “We try to create layers of waveforms and fuse them with these beautiful melodies. Au Revoir Simone creates these soft, dreamy songs that are based in pop and rock.”

The Style Council - the lodgers, 1985

"The Lodgers" also known by the full title "The Lodgers (Or She Was Only a Shopkeeper's Daughter)" is a song by the English band the Style Council, which was their eleventh single to be released. It was composed by lead vocalist Paul Weller and keyboardist Mick Talbot, and was released in 1985. It is the third single from the band's second studio album, Our Favourite Shop (1985). Our Favourite Shop was renamed Internationalists in the United States."

Sufjan Stevens - futile devices, 2010

"Although Sufjan has significantly changed his sound on new album, The Age Of Adz, my favorite song on the album is arguably the beautiful “Futile Devices”. It’s the first song on the album and it just hooked me right away. It still hasn’t let go. My minds been at a weird place this year, and this song has really had it’s way with me. I can honestly call it one of my favorite songs right now."

Don McLean - american pie, 1971

"The theme of the song goes beyond mourning McLean's childhood music heroes, reflecting the deep cultural changes and profound disillusion and loss of innocence of his generation – the early rock and roll generation – that took place between the 1959 plane crash and either late 1969 or late 1970. The meaning of the other lyrics, which cryptically allude to many of the jarring events and social changes experienced during that period, has been debated for decades. McLean repeatedly declined to explain the symbolism behind the many characters and events mentioned"

San Gabriel - over my shoulder, 2024

“Austin bedroom-pop musician San Gabriel is a crafter of dreamy, nostalgic pop songs, written and recorded in an East Austin liquor store. Named after the river where he spent countless summer nights learning guitar and jamming with childhood bands, San Gabriel features 3-time Austin Music Award recipient James Bookert (Whiskey Shivers, Wild Child) splitting duties as writer, singer and multi-instrumentalist. Bookert began writing and recording under the name San Gabriel behind the counter at the liquor store as a way to entertain himself during his night shifts. Fusing 80’s style synth hooks with modern reverb-drenched guitars and synthesizers, San Gabriel creates a kaleidoscopic, nostalgic dream-pop sound.”

Vacations - no place like home, 2024

"Lead songwriter and vocalist of Vacations, Campbell Burns, said he had suffered with writer's block for two to three years preceding the album's release. He said this experience was linked to his journey receiving therapy and being diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder. Songs on No Place Like Home were composed as Burns listened back to voice recordings from his phone that he recorded while traveling through the United States. The album was recorded in Los Angeles."

Ride - peace sign, 2024

“‘Peace Sign’ started life as a jam recorded at Marks’ OX4 studio, in early 2021. We called it ‘Berlin’ and initially it featured Loz on drums, Steve on bass and myself on a prophet 5 synth. About six months later I got hold of the recording and wrestled it into song form. Lyrically I was inspired by a film called ‘The Alpinist’ about the visionary free climber Marc-André Leclerc. Soon after I’d finished working on the song I remember I was raving to my bandmates about Leclerc at OX4, and a good memory of that time was us all watching that film at Mark’s studio.”

Saint Etienne - wouldn't it be nice cover, 2012

"He'd stop in the middle of writing a song or a conversation or whatever and start going on about Diane, about how innocent, sweet, and beautiful she was. I'd be thinking, 'Huh! Your wife's in the next room, and you're talking about her sister!'"

Fukushima Dolphin - kids cover live, 2023

"running a battered old acoustic through a plethora of guitar pedals to create a psychedelic lead tone that really cuts through"

The Waterboys - three day man live, 1984

"The Waterboys are an amazing band, with a sound that has changed quite a lot over the years. This pulls together their various sessions for the BBC, all in fantastic sound quality. The set mixes some of their well known hits, with lesser known tracks, some well chosen covers. For hardcore fans it's interesting to hear early versions of some tracks that went on to have quite different lyrics (check out This is the Sea). More casual fans should listen to some of their 'Big Music' - Don't Bang the Drum, Medicine Bow, Be My Enemy and This is the Sea."

The Zombies - the way i feel inside, 1965

"A charming, almost a cappella song, "The Way I Feel Inside" provided the Zombies a hit in - of all places - the Philippines. Written by Rod Argent during a tour with the Isley Brothers, the song has a wonderful vulnerability to it."

Au Revoir Simone - organised scenery bass clef remix, 2010

"We have a record that’s been reworked beyond all comprehension, barely displaying any similarities to its sister album, which is always a good sign that remixing has worked."

The Republic Of Wolves - a long december cover, 2023

"looking back on your life and seeing changes happening" while simultaneously looking forward to positive change in the future"

New Order - who's joe, 2005

"But, for sure, everybody now knows who Joe is. So what if the lyrics, clearly a companion song to Hey, Joe, don't fit the circumstances, never let that get in the way of a great song saluting a greater moment. And, if we disregard the main thrust of the words, and cherry pick the odd phrase, and disregard the new order New Order allegedly might have been celebrating with their name, yeah, it's an OK comment. Who listens to words anyway? And I can't really buy into conspiracy theories about Manchester pop groups."

The Radio Dept - you and me then, 2002

"You know those artist you listen to, and you only hear one song, then one year later you hear another and then decide to just listen to all they're songs, to only find out that all the other songs are just as good as the last two, next thing you know your waiting for they're next album and their isn't a doubt in your mind that what ever comes next will be greater than the last. There is no stopping these guys ... they just keep getting better."

The Beatles - long long long, 1968

"Long, Long, Long" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the group's lead guitarist, while he and his bandmates were attending Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation course in Rishikesh, India, in early 1968. Although Harrison later stated that he was addressing God in the lyrics, it is the first of his compositions that invites interpretation as both a standard love song and a paean to his deity.!

Sufjan Stevens - carrie and lowell, 2015

"Sufjan somehow takes in such a horrific aspect of his life, and delicately lays out it’s most beautiful aspects and then appreciates them. Having terrible parents is perhaps one of the most stress-inducing and heartbreaking situations someone can be placed into. It can sometimes feel as though loving them is a choice and hating them isn’t, but the opposite is true. For such a situation, Stevens goes on throughout this album searching for the remedy. His answer is to forgive and love them, regardless."

The Doors - touch me, 1969

"In the book A to X of Alternative Music, "Touch Me" was described as a "solid gold soul classic". Writing for AllMusic, critic Jason Elias wrote that the song has "the style of pop and pure lounge." Some critics suggested the track blends pop with psychedelic rock; a combination which was unique at the time. It has also been characterized, along with other album tracks, as an early attempt at progressive rock."

Lichen Slow - hobbies, 2023

"Many of us like a bit of grump now and then. With this in mind, Lichen Slow is a new project featuring Malcolm Middleton of Arab Strap collaborating with musician Joel Harries. It opens with the downbeat Hobbies, a bit like a poppier Arab Strap, featuring Middleton on lead with Harries on backing vocals."

Au Revoir Simone - another likely story aeroplane remix, 2009

"Some light research shows the original version of this Au Revoir Simone song appeared on Grey's Anatomy. The Aeroplane version might fit better on GREY'S ANATOMY PARTY HOUSE 3011 WHERE EVERYONE GETS FUNKY THE SEQUEL. YEAH DOG this is a freakum jam if your name is McDreamy. Imagine some lady running her animatronic hands (Beyonce, holler at ABC) through his thick grey hair. He's a surgeon, you know. Aeroplane, our Belgian friends whose October mix we gushed over last week, have a habit of taking pretty-voiced women and icy-hotting their keys into igloo barnstormers."

The Band Of Holy Joy - because it was never resolved, 1990

"In the dark times Will there also be singing? Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times.”

Steve Hackett - every day, 1979

"The album starts with "Every Day" which is an anti-drug song about Steve's own experiences of the drug culture when his first girlfriend fell victim to "Cleopatra's Needle", and it would become his signature song from his solo career with a guitar solo at the track's coda."

Jamie xx - it's so good, 2024

"Jamie xx, the maestro of musical innovation, takes us on a thrilling ride with his latest track, “It’s So Good.” As a seasoned musician, DJ, and producer, Jamie xx effortlessly blends indie electronic elements into a captivating sound. It keeps us on the edge of our seats."

MGMT - nothing to declare, 2024

"Having grown up with no arms, I have been watched my whole life. In some respects, the Venus de Milo has always felt analogous to my life"

Coldplay - feelslikeimfallinginlove, 2024

"Coldplay generally doing what they do best: love songs with moody verses and blood-rush choruses that you can remember after a single listen."

The Beatles - nowhere man, 1965

"I'd spent five hours that morning trying to write a song that was meaningful and good, and I finally gave up and lay down. Then 'Nowhere Man' came, words and music, the whole damn thing as I lay down."

The Radio Dept - where damage isn't already done, 2002

"The Radio Dept. has mastered the art of creating waves of sound that evoke the everyday without sounding mundane – a captivating paradox that challenges our perceptions of normality and beauty."

Seapony - i never would, 2011

"The song's dreamy and melancholic melody complements the introspective lyrics, creating a poignant reflection on the intricacies of love and connection."

Swallow - peekaboo, 1992

"When Swallow split up, I didn't feel I could write songs without Mike's input, I think I believed I was only able to convey ideas through him as I didn't play any instruments. I just got on with other things, I studied Art History and got interested in creativity and why people have the desire to make things. I realised that what I loved about song writing was the whole process of creating sounds with melodies. During a painful relationship breakdown, I started writing songs as a way to get through it. Initially it was pure escapism, however it was when I got an electric guitar that the ideas really came out and it was immensely satisfying to thrash out emotions on it!"

REM - half a world away, 1991

"R.E.M. founding members Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe played their first show on April 5, 1980, at a friend’s birthday party in an abandoned church in Athens, Georgia. From that point forward until 2011 when they decided to call it a day, the band released fifteen albums, toured the world, won multiple Grammys, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and have left a lasting legacy of great songs that defined an era."

The Radio Dept - ewan, 2003

"A huge, rumbling rhythm section ripped from the corpse of New Order ploughs through the speakers. A melody so huge and yet so ethereal it’s impossible to decribe as anything other than ‘glacial’ sears through the middle of it like an ice pick to the cerebral cortex."

Sparklehorse - it will never stop, 2022

"When the family of Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous discovered his uncompleted fifth album in the archive of recordings he left behind after his death in 2010, they had a difficult decision to make: Should they leave it as-is, or finish and release it? They chose the latter, drafting producer Alan Weatherhead, mixer Joel Hamilton, and engineer Greg Calbi to tie up the musical loose ends and bringing on Grandaddy's Jason Lytle and Linkous' nephew Spencer to provide additional vocals. It was a wise choice. Not only is Bird Machine a chance for Linkous' family to celebrate his beautiful, empathetic music by sharing it with his fans, it's also one of Sparklehorse's finest albums."

The Housemartins - me and the farmer, 1987

"Me and the Farmer" is a single by British Indie rock band The Housemartins from the album The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death. It reached #15 in the UK singles chart the week of 12 September 1987. The song had been written some 18 months earlier, on 22 January 1986 (the same day as Happy Hour). The track "Step Outside", which appeared on the B-side of the 12" release was also included on the 1988 compilation Now That's What I Call Quite Good. The song is about how gentleman farmers treat their workers badly."

Bee Gees - someone belonging to someone, 1983

"In the liner notes to the 1990 box set, Tales from the Brothers Gibb, the Bee Gees describe the song as a "fair ballad from a silly film".

John Lennon - happy xmas war is over, 1971

"He conceived "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" as a means of elaborating upon the themes of social unity and peaceful change enacted through personal accountability and empowerment that served as the basis of the earlier billboard campaign, trying to convey optimism while avoiding the sentimentality that he felt often characterised Christmas songs."

Pink Floyd - comfortably numb, 1979

"The music was composed by the guitarist, David Gilmour, while the lyrics were written by the bassist, Roger Waters, who based them on his experience of being injected with tranquilisers before a performance in 1977. Waters and Gilmour argued during the recording, with Waters preferring an orchestral arrangement and Gilmour preferring a more stripped-down arrangement. They compromised by combining both versions. Gilmour said the song was the last time he and Waters were able to work together constructively."

The Smile - friend of a friend, 2023

"Friend of a Friend" has Yorke singing over a "meandering" bassline, before he is joined by Jonny Greenwood on piano and Tom Skinner on drums. The song also features saxophone by the American jazz composer Robert Stillman and strings performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra. The lyrics were inspired by footage of Italians singing on their balconies during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and criticise cronyism in the British Conservative Party."

Au Revoir Simone - only you can make you happy, 2009

"In 2009, they released their third studio album, Still Night, Still Light, and although it lacked the cohesiveness the first two albums had, "Only You Can Make You Happy" definitely stood out as one of the best tracks. For a very mellow band who has personified "ethereal" to another level, the intro was what impressed me. The beats dug a little deeper and the keyboard riffs tremendously sparkled - even for them."

Damien Jurado - south live, 2019

"For more than two decades, Damien Jurado has sung folk songs brimming with prophetic imagination. Whether singing ballads about killers, wounded lovers, UFO cults, or the phantoms of departed friends, he’s populated his work with eerie foretelling, the sense that he’s divining something just on the verge of happening."

The Jesus And Mary Chain - head on live, 1989

"The Jesus and Mary Chain (henceforth “JAMC”) was the musical project of Jim and William Reid, who were (a) Scottish, (b) brothers, and (c) the foremost technological and scientific innovators of the modern rock era. Before they came along, many people still assumed that in order to make aggressive, energetic noises, the members of rock bands had to actually move around, do guitar windmills, and look engaged. The JAMC did not like this situation, because those poses tended to be either uncool or boring, and often made one look like a complete twat."

Billy Bragg And Wilco - california stars, 1998

"Mermaid Avenue is a 1998 album of previously unheard lyrics written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie, put to music written and performed by British singer Billy Bragg and the American band Wilco."

Liam Gallagher And John Squire - just another rainbow, 2024

"Liam Gallagher John Squire (also referred to as Liam Gallagher & John Squire[a]) is a collaborative studio album by English singer-songwriter Liam Gallagher and guitarist John Squire, released on 1 March 2024 through Warner Music UK. The album was preceded by the singles "Just Another Rainbow" and "Mars to Liverpool". It marks Squire's first album of material under his own name in twenty years since Marshall's House (2004)."

The New Pornographers - firework in the falling snow live, 2023

"I've listened to this album multiple times now and I am not hesitant to say that it might be one of their best. It's a bit of a grower but once you've grown into it, there is just so much there to be rediscovered."

Cameron Sonnier - anytime, 2024

"Houston-based artist Cameron Sonnier reveals the debut single from his upcoming sophomore album, Synchronicity. “Anytime” shows a gorgeous, contemplative folk sound with twangy guitars and warming underlying acoustics, complementing a warming vocal presence ruminating on “friends we used to know,” and other retrospective musings. Co-produced with Jordan Lawlor (formerly of M83), Sonnier describes the single as “about the fleeting nature of life, how we overcome hard times with a smile and move on, but are haunted by memories, places we’ve been and people we used to know, while creating more memories until we die.”

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."