Saint Etienne - southern train, 2008

"Boxette UK 2008 Foreign Office. FORMAT: 4CD. CAT#: FO 004. Pre-order December 13, 2007. Shipped January 2008. Saint Etienne fan club albums have become the stuff of legend - feted, collected, booted. 15 years ago in January 2008 Saint Etienne offered Lovers Unite members an opportunity to receive them re-packaged and re-mastered as a limited edition box of 3000. Boxette contained I Love To Paint, Built On Sand, Asleep At The Wheels Of Steel, and a fourth disc that collected odd tracks from other fan club cds and binded them together with a few rarities never before released."

Coldplay - fix you live deep cuts, 2018

"The song is a sobering meditation on grief in the face of the death of a loved one; frontman Chris Martin developed the song to comfort his then-wife, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, after her father Bruce Paltrow died. The anthemic track builds around an organ accompanied by piano and acoustic guitar, and develops into a spirited second half with group vocals, drums, and strings. The hopeful message of the song, and its two-part arrangement, was critically acclaimed."

Club 8 - så underbart va livet, 2019

"The very elegant, Så Underbart Va Livet, carries an intriguing title in Swedish, but its lyrics are solely in English, and it finds the band yet again toying with both the wistful and the more blissful aspects of their ingenuity."

Jenny Hval - six red cannas, 2019

"Trying to communicate. Although that sounds like we're just scratching the surface, I do think that is maybe quite central anyway, that trying to communicate. Not necessarily just trying to express something, but trying to communicate that to someone else and maybe drawing other people in."

Barry McGuire - eve of destruction, 1965

"Eve of Destruction" is a protest song written by P. F. Sloan in mid-1965. Several artists have recorded it, but the most popular recording was by Barry McGuire, on which Sloan played guitar. The song references social issues of its period, including the Vietnam War, the draft, the threat of nuclear war, the Civil Rights Movement, turmoil in the Middle East and the American space program. The American media helped to make the song popular by using it as an example of everything that was wrong with the youth culture of the time."

Death Cab For Cutie - near far, 2018

"I must be unable to detach myself from my emotions in relation to Death Cab’s songs, but I love the way this song makes me feel and the memories associated with it. The lyrics are simple and sad, but sweet. You’re here, so far away, so near. Hearing it live back on their tour was amazing too, I can always see Ben in my mind, swaying back and forth as he sings the lyrics."

Coldplay - up and up, 2015

"The song contains a chorus choir, which featured nearly all the artists who have collaborated with the group, including Brian Eno, the children and guests of the four musicians, and Beyoncé. Guitarist and singer Noel Gallagher also contributed a guitar solo, which was omitted in the radio edit."

REM - drive live, 2009

"Live at the Olympia is a live album[1] by American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was recorded during the band's five-night residency at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, between June 30 and July 5, 2007, and released on October 27, 2009."

Saint Etienne - i've got your music extended version, 2012

"a vibrant, synth-driven pop song celebrating the joy of music and its emotional resonance."

James - sit down live, 2002

"Filmed at the M.E.N Arena in Manchester, this concert was to be the last appearance of James, the iconic Manchester Indie band in their home town. This didn't prove to be the case as the band reformed and continue to this day, but it doesn't alter the fact that this is a stirring gig featuring many of the songs adored by their fans."

Deerhunter - don't cry, 2010

"The opening track, “Earthquake,” opens with a plodding progression of electronic beats that mounts into a soothing line of arpeggiated guitar chords and electronic tones that creates the sensation of a steam locomotive slowly chugging out of the station and fading into the distance with a ribbon of steam and smoke trailing behind it. The second track, “Don’t Cry,” continues the train-journey theme with a pulsating drumbeat that transitions into the next track, “Revival,” the lyrics alluding to the resurrection of Jesus Christ along with the light, plinking banjo in the background. This creates a feeling of floating above the music at the beginning of the song. “I am saved, unscathed,” sings lead vocalist Bradford Cox, “and oh, could you believe it?”

Marillion - childhood's end demo, 1998

"The demo version of "Childhood's End?" offers a raw, pre-production glimpse into the song's evolution. Recorded during the Misplaced Childhood sessions in early 1985 (likely at Hansa Studios in Berlin), it features a more stripped-down arrangement compared to the polished studio cut—sparser instrumentation, rougher vocals, and a tentative structure that highlights the band's creative process. The demo was first made widely available on the 1998 remastered edition of Misplaced Childhood (EMI), as bonus track 16 on CD 2."

Fleet Foxes - can i believe you, 2020

“The wistful ‘Can I Believe You’ was the first song Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold started to write for Shore. It originated with a riff he came up with during a break from touring their third album, Crack-Up. Pecknold told EW [Entertainment Weekly] that for a while he struggled to get anywhere with the tune and it was actually the hardest track on the record to finish."

Saint Etienne - he's on the phone too young to die singles, 1995

"He's on the Phone" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne in collaboration with French singer-songwriter Étienne Daho, released in October 1995 by Heavenly and MCA as a single from their third compilation album, Too Young to Die (1995). A fast-paced dance track, it is one of Saint Etienne's biggest hits, reaching number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, number 31 in Iceland, number 41 in Sweden and number 33 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart."

The Cranberries - i'm still remembering, 1996

“It was kind of sad how, you know, sometimes, when people die, you expect there to be a silence. But there wasn’t a silence. You know what RIP means. It means rest in peace. And I suppose it was kind of sad because nobody seemed to want to let it be. Everybody was just like, boom! It was just a big media thing, so it was kind of sad.”

The Moody Blues - the best way to travel additional vocal mix, 2006

"The "Additional Vocal Mix" is a previously unreleased alternate version of the track, featuring enhanced or layered vocals (likely more prominent backing harmonies). It was included as a bonus track on the 2006 remastered CD reissue of In Search of the Lost Chord. This mix adds a richer, more ethereal vocal texture compared to the original album version, making it a favorite among fans for its subtle production tweaks."

Rufus Du Sol - treat you better, 2018

"It felt like a song we wrote to ourselves and to our loved ones during what was a testing time for us all personally. We were originally going to get a gospel choir for the end of this song but thought better of it when we realized we had so many talented friends with amazing voices around us. We invited them to the studio and just spent a full day playing and recording with them. It's so special to share this song with such a talented and kind-hearted group of people."

B J Thomas - raindrops keep fallin on my head, 1969

"The song Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, sung by B.J. Thomas and with Carole King on bass, was written for the film. Not everyone, Robert Redford included, thought it as the correct choice. It didn't fit with the film, there was no rain, Redford said it 'seemed like a dumb idea'. It was massive, sold over two million copies and won an Oscar."

El Perro Del Mar - it's all good, 2006

"With a voice that wavers between Jane Birkin's and Neil Young's, Swede Sarah Assbring, or El Perro del Mar as she calls herself, writes of hope and loneliness, sometimes at the same time. Cleary influenced by Burt Bacharach and Phil Spector, El Perro del Mar sings a kind of indie doo wop, bringing together syllabic backing harmonies ("sha-la-la-la," "shooby doo-wop bah," and "be-bop a loo-lah" are some of the phrases she uses throughout the album), poppy melodies, simple vocal lines, acoustic guitars, and twinkling pianos on her self-titled full-length. But despite these brighter, happier elements that envelop her music, Assbring has a kind of despair in her voice that veils even the most cheerful of her songs in sadness. "It's All Good," in which she echoes variations of "it's all good, take a new road and never look back" throughout the entire piece, even in its optimism, conveys the sense that at one point things in fact were not good at all, even though they might be changing, and the breezy warmth of "God Knows (You Gotta Give to Get)" is more of a criticism of herself for "taking a lot without giving back" than advice regarding the benefits of altruism."

Rádio Macau - amanhã é sempre longe demais nova versão, 2001

"Rádio Macau - A Vida Num Só Dia 1984-2001. Label: EMI – 7243 5 35639 2 9. Format: CD, Compilation. Country: Portugal. Released: 2001."

Saint Etienne - i threw it all away, 2012

"The album refers to the “strange magic” of pop. About the special alchemy that transforms even the most mundane of experiences – walking home with the headphones on at night, sitting in a bedroom with your friends in the day, getting ready to go out on the weekend – into a lingering moment of seamless enchantment, one that resonates for the rest of your life."

Elton John - i'm going to be a teenage idol, 1973

"Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by British musician Elton John. Released on 26 January 1973 by DJM Records, it was the first of two studio albums he released in 1973 (the second was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, released nine months later), and was his second straight No. 1 album on the US Billboard 200 and first No. 1 album on the UK Albums Chart."

Coldplay - til kingdom come, 2005

"Til Kingdom Come" is a hidden track on Coldplay's 2005 album X&Y. It appears as an unlisted track after "Twisted Logic" on most editions of the album. Written by Chris Martin, the song was originally intended for Johnny Cash, but his death in 2003 led Coldplay to include it as a tribute. It’s a stripped-down, acoustic ballad with introspective lyrics about love, devotion, and waiting, featuring Martin’s vocals accompanied by minimal instrumentation—mostly guitar and subtle organ tones. The song’s placement as a hidden track gives it a special, almost secretive feel, rewarding attentive listeners."

The Goon Sax - sleep ez, 2018

"The title "Sleep EZ" appears to be a playful or ironic abbreviation, likely shorthand for "Sleep Easy," evoking the idea of rest or peace of mind—though the song's content subverts this with themes of insomnia, regret, and relational tension."

Dido - isobel, 1999

“Isobel” tells an anguished woman to stop punishing herself for an unnamed offense."

Robert Forster - i'll jump, 1996

"I don’t think song lyrics are poetry. I think lyric writing and poetry are two really different things, and this is being brought home to me at the moment because I’m off to Dublin in two weeks and I’m doing two concerts that celebrate the 150th year of the birth of the poet W.B. Yeats. And so I’m trying to put music to his poetry and it just reminded me that it is hard, that they are two very, very different things."

Saint Etienne - i've got your music kisses remix, 2012

"Seven years on, Words and Music … opens with a song that could be Teenage Winter's negative image. Over the Border features the same structure – a bittersweet chorus flanked by spoken-word verses – but its lyrics fetishise old record labels ("green and yellow Harvests, pink Pyes, silver Bells") and hymn Top of the Pops, Dexys Midnight Runners and Smash Hits. Like Teenage Winter, it wonders whether all this is still relevant in middle age – "when I was married and when I had kids, would Marc Bolan still be as important?" – but this time decides it is. "I'm growing older," sings Sarah Cracknell. "Love is here to stay."

Coldplay - rainy day, 2008

"Rainy Day" has a nice percolating electronic beat along with simpatico staccato strings"

Fleet Foxes - third of may odaigahara, 2017

“Third of May/Ōdaigahara” is an ambitious composition with string orchestration, multiple voices rising in unison and marked shifts from loud to quiet. At several points during the nearly nine-minute song, the pounding piano falls to leave a lone singer, who sounds fragile and isolated. The band roars back to full volume, but in the final minutes of the song are voiceless and beat-less – just a soothing wash of strings."

Plastic Flowers - how can i, 2017

"Plastic Flowers is the solo project of George Samaras, a Greek-born producer, multi-instrumentalist, and dream pop artist based in London, UK. His music blends shoegaze, vaporwave, and lo-fi aesthetics, often drawing influences from 90s indie pop and contemporary dream pop acts like Deerhunter or My Bloody Valentine. The band/project started as a bedroom pop endeavor during his college years, evolving into full-length albums praised for their analog warmth and emotional depth."How Can I" is a track from Plastic Flowers' third full-length album, Absent Forever, released on November 10, 2017, via The Native Sound label. The album was recorded onto tape between April and July 2017 in London, amid Samaras' PhD workload, and features collaborations with a string quartet, his former bandmate Angelos Paschalidis on bass for one track, and drummer Nikos Panaroudis. It captures a shift toward richer, tape-recorded soundscapes, with themes of absence, longing, and introspection."

Rufus Du Sol - until the sun needs to rise, 2016

"Rufus Du Sol is an Australian electronic band that has been making waves in the music industry since they formed in 2013. With a unique sound and soulful lyrics, they quickly gained a following both in Australia and around the world. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at who Rufus Du Sol is and what makes them so special. We'll also explore some of their most popular songs and discuss why they've become such a hit with fans."

Keane - the way i feel, 2019

“The Way I Feel” discusses the pressures and emotions that come with mental health, with lines in both the pre-chorus and the chorus, such as: “But it only makes it worse now / You’re like a puzzle to be worked out / And it’s the voices in your head now / Saying there’s something wrong about the way I feel”. The band have performed the track on The Late Late Show in the US, and gave the audience an extremely emotional performance."

Deerhunter - he would have laughed, 2010

"The final track, ‘He Would Have Laughed’, is dedicated in the lyrics sheet to Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr., the actual name of Jay Reatard. The song was recorded by lead singer Bradford Cox, separate from the rest of the album, at Notown Sound in Georgia. It has Cox’s world-weary voice, a simple looping riff and drum pattern and many effects I would like to describe as twinkly. Many have debated whether the song is about Reatard or dedicated to him; the lyrics are often in quotation marks - does this make those lines quotes? Would he have laughed at the idea of a song being a tribute to him? One thing that I do find interesting about the lyrics is they are entirely non-judgemental, and not only that, there is empathy and warmth."

Coldplay - adventure of a lifetime, 2015

"the song is "incredibly vibrant in an almost childlike, blissful way that gives such an energetic rush" and that it is "the best Coldplay single in seven years".

New Order - bizarre love triangle ninety-four, 1994

"Bizarre Love Triangle '94" refers to a remixed version of the classic New Order song "Bizarre Love Triangle," originally released as a single in 1986 from their album Brotherhood. This '94 remix was created specifically for the band's greatest hits compilation (The Best of) New Order, which came out in the UK on November 21, 1994 (and in the US on March 14, 1995 by Qwest Records/Warner Bros.). The remix is a more streamlined, radio-friendly edit compared to the original, with reduced synth elements while preserving the song's iconic synth-pop vibe, and it's often praised as one of the strongest versions of the track. It appears as track 15 on the album."

Saint Etienne - sweet arcadia, 2017

"The following song, Sweet Arcadia, is the masterpiece. It starts in familiar territory, Sarah narrating a train journey, just as she has on Saint Etienne songs in the past. But this one turns from idyllic catalogue to Wicker Man style threat, the sweet arcadia no longer sounding like the cosy nooks and havens of the lyrics, but instead falling into a spiralling hell of proggy, intoxicated keyboards. Sarah's voice is threatening, the music is anxious and seductive all at the same time. Like a 1970s made for TV ghost story, or Arthur C Clarke's Mysterious World come to marvel at the self build homes of Essex and Lewisham. Angel of Woodhatch, the final melody, is a folksy, chiming lament, an arts and crafts folly that would fit nicey into John Betjeman's Metroland."

The Radio Dept - hidden track never follow suit two radio edit, 2010

"Labrador – LAB131. Format: CD, EP, Promo. Country: Sweden. Released: Nov 12, 2010."

Rádio Macau - o anzol remix, 1988

"In April 1988, a remix of “Anzol” by Flak and Armindo Bastos was published in maxi-Single. “O Rapaz do Trapézio Voador”, published in October 1989, includes classics such as “Hoje é a Brincar”, “Tomorrow is Always Too Far” and “Só Para Matar o Tempo”. Beto Garcia leaves the group after recording the album and is replaced by Luís San Payo."

James - feet of clay, 2016

"James have always spun a lot of competing self-variations into their music and that range is a part of their lasting appeal. Between this record and its predecessor, their creativity seems to have entered a fertile new phase."

El Vy - return to the moon, 2015

"Return to the Moon is the debut album of EL VY, a collaboration between vocalist/lyricist Matt Berninger of the National and multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Brent Knopf of Ramona Falls, formerly of Menomena. The album blends the lighter side of both indie rock artists, offering funky, catchy, if melancholy ditties that bob along Knopf's textured arrangements, which are fond of syncopated percussion and guitar, quirky new wave synths, and rich, articulate tones from top to bottom."

Coldplay - o reprise, 2014

"For a long, long time I've been begging the band, "Please could someone else start a song!" I've been given that gift from the universe, or from God or whatever you want to believe in that ideas for songs get sent through wherever they get sent from, and then I take them to the rest of the band and then we layer it up and that's how we do it. I was so grateful. It made me so happy and that was kind of a sample of the album as a whole, "We'll help each other out here". There were lots of songs but that was the first point where I thought, "Everyone is invested in this, everyone knows what we're trying to do; go a bit more personal". — Chris Martin"

Saint Etienne - four thirty-five in the morning original version, 1998

"All tracks produced at Tambourine Studios, Malmo. ℗ & © 1998 Creation Records Ltd. Made in Austria. Issued in a 6-panel Digipak with a 16 page booklet. Comes in a card slipcase. Comes with a limited edition bonus disc issued in a cardsleeve: "Ce CD contient un titre inédit - tirage limité." / "Interdit à la vente."

Genesis - in hiding, 1969

"By the end of 1969, after three underwhelming singles and an album that missed the mark, Genesis was ready to move on. Jonathan King had taken the group as far as he could. The band withdrew to the countryside to reflect and write new music that would take them in a very different, much more adventurous direction. Still, King left them with one important legacy: the name Genesis."

Car Seat Headrest - sober to death, 2018

"Sober to Death is one of the album’s most powerful tracks. I was still surprised to find it the album’s most “played” track on Spotify. Perhaps most people don’t have patience for tracks that are over 13 or 16 minutes! It is a slow ballad that looks at the difficult aspects of love, especially in a long-distance relationship. Lines like “You know that good lives make bad stories. You can text me when punching mattresses gets old” show the challenges of intimacy, blending feelings of tenderness and frustration. The song’s refrain, “Don’t worry, you and me won’t be alone no more,” is repeated until the end. It is both comforting and eerie. It hints at a relationship marked by both reliance and real connection. The mix of distorted guitars and Toledo’s tired, sincere vocals creates a mood of beauty and sadness. The song shows how love can be both be a safe place and a prison."

Saint Etienne - hats off to roy hodgson, 2022

"a previously unreleased song likely paying tribute to the English football manager Roy Hodgson"

New Order - round and round album version, 1989

"The album version (4:29), which appears on Technique, emphasizes drums and bass for a hard dance feel. It concludes with a cold ending in which the sequencers are run through phasers before then cutting out abruptly."

The Moody Blues - tuesday afternoon live at the royal albert hall in nineteen sixty-nine, 1977

"That was a disaster, I thought. I never wanted to release that. We were out of contract when it was released, we didn't have any choice in it. I never liked that record at all. I never liked the Albert Hall as a venue for recording – nice atmosphere and everything, but I can think of much better places to record. A round building is not the best place for rock 'n' roll."

Letting Up Despite Great Faults - wrapped, 2014

"A long time ago, probably 1994, a friend and me got caught in this torrential downpour while walking the parking lot at high school. We took cover inside her Ford Taurus and we tried to have a long conversation about nothing and everything to idle the storm’s duration. Well, the rain fell so hard that our conversation was drowned and instead we just turned up the radio and heard music that got transformed by a dreamlike wave of white noise created by the raindrops hitting the roof of the car. Letting Up Despite Great Faults‘ Neon brought that memory back. The car stereo was loud enough to help the music prevail over the rain noise, but you still had that distant sound enveloping everything. Conversely, the songs in Neon do have a sizeable portion of Shoegaze, but it’s a lean serving, just enough to make it more of a warm hug and less of an awkward cuddle."

Car Seat Headrest - drunk drivers killer whales, 2016

"Desperation is rarely a positive quality, but armed with a guitar and a fractured howl, Car Seat Headrest’s Will Toledo contorts it into a full-fledged talent."

Pink Floyd - in the flesh, 1979

"In the Flesh?" and "In the Flesh" are two songs by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on their eleventh studio album, The Wall (1979). "In the Flesh?" is the opening track, and introduces the story concept of the album. "In the Flesh" is the twenty-first song of the album, and is a reprise of the first with a choir, different verses and more extended instrumentation. The title is a reference to the band's 1977 In the Flesh Tour, during which Roger Waters, in frustration, spat at a fan who was attempting to climb the fence separating the band from the crowd."

Saint Etienne - finisterre edit, 2008

"Covering everything from their first single through 2002's Finisterre, London Conversations offers up a good spread, with hits and obscure B-sides occupying equal territory. The running order runs (mostly) chronologically on each CD, but the sequence flows well enough that the "mx-tape" vibe remains hip-ly intact for the listener."

Saint Etienne - tonight club clique remix, 2012

"Part of what's appealing about Words and Music is the way it maintains a contemporary Top 40 sheen without lowering itself to pandering, but it isn't all uptempo dance-pop."

The Moody Blues - nights in white satin live at the royal albert hall, 2000

"The best points at least for a prog-fan are the well-known songs from the real prog (or proto-prog) phase of MB: 'Tuesday afternoon', 'Nights in white satin', 'Legend of a mind' and 'Question', where they got the most beautiful moment of the show, a perfect interaction with the audience. Even songs of their pop-rock phase like 'Your wildest dreams' and 'I know you're out there somewhere' work pleasantly."

Editors - hyena acoustic, 2013

"Yes, their music as a whole drips with idealistic loss, but here we're presented with an anthemic distinguishing quality."

Car Seat Headrest - just what i needed not just what i needed, 2016

"the physical release has been delayed to the summer due to a legal issue over "Just What I Wanted/Not Just What I Needed," an album track containing elements of the Cars' "Just What I Needed." In a press release, the label writes, "Matador had negotiated for a license in good faith months ago, only to be told last week that the publisher involved was not authorized to complete the license in the United States, and that Ric Ocasek preferred that his work not be included in the song." As a result, the currently printed copies of the record will be recalled and destroyed. The song, meanwhile, will be edited to remove the Cars reference."

Neil Young And Crazy Horse - i am a child live, 1979

"Live Rust was the soundtrack to Young's concert film Rust Never Sleeps (he had wanted to give it that title, but Reprise vetoed the idea, fearing confusion with the earlier album), and likewise was recorded October 22, 1978, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco."

Marillion - heart of lothian demo, 1998

"Lead singer Fish was born in Dalkeith, a town in the county of Midlothian, Scotland just outside Edinburgh. Lothian is a district in Scotland and Midlothian is the middle part of it. The Royal Mile, which is also referred to in the song, is the main High Street in Edinburgh. There is a heart-shaped mosaic embedded into the pavement halfway up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. The heart is traditionally a symbol of local pride. One of the Edinburgh football teams is known as Heart of Midlothian, or "Hearts" for short."

James - born of frustration live, 2022

"Born of Frustration was the second single off the Seven album released a couple of weeks before the album itself. Weighing in at over five minutes and containing Tim yodelling and a “la, la, la, la” refrain that brought comparisons with Simple Minds “Don’t You Forget About Me”, it was the one song that the critics felt justified all the stadium-rock accusations thrown at the band at the time. It was for sure a bigger more ambitious wide-screen sound that James had never previously achieved and that in many quarters was seen as a crime against indie music."

Coldplay - crests of waves, 2002

"Crests of Waves" is arguably one of the best songs in the unreleased section. Their rock influences show most clearly here, relying heavily on the guitar-driven ballad to power through the lyrics. In a way, love is drowning the singer, who laments about being oppressed and lost in the middle of everything - it could be worse, it could be better, but he is going nowhere."

Moby - hey! hey!, 2016

"Hey! Hey!" kicks off These Systems Are Failing with a crack of thunder. Ten seconds in, we have the most infectious Moby hook of the last half decade, and the time the crescendo builds to the chorus, you'll find it hard to keep your feet tethered to the ground. Moby paints a vivid picture with his exposition, an urgent and anxious world plagued with information above and beyond the saturation point."

Car Seat Headrest - oh! starving, 2015

"Originally the final track on Car Seat Headrest’s 2010 release ‘3’ (featuring slightly different lyrics), this track has been rerecorded twice, for the 2012 EP Starving While Living as well as this version, at the close of Teens of Style. The name is an allusion to and play on the Beatles' song “Oh! Darling”

Pet Shop Boys - always on my mind cover single discography, 1991

"Discography: The Complete Singles Collection is the first greatest hits album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 4 November 1991 by Parlophone."

Fait-divers by Buddha

"Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world." (Buddha)

Fait-divers by Wayne Dyer

"When the choice is to be right or to be kind, always make the choice that brings peace." (Wayne Dyer)

Fait-divers on purpose

Live today on purpose, and there is no need for thinking of changing yesterday and worrying about tomorrow.

Neil Young - tell me why live at massey hall, 1971

"Live at Massey Hall 1971 is a live album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young. Released in 2007, the album features a solo acoustic performance by Young at Massey Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on 19 January 1971 during his Journey Through the Past Solo Tour. It is the second release in Young's Archives Performance Series."

Saint Etienne - swedish radio theme, 2022

"A collection of hot dishes and cold cuts from late period Saint Etienne. Some were one-off projects, others are gems that were ruthlessly tossed aside from reasons no one can quite remember. And so, for your enjoyment, we have the theme from a scandalous show called Luuk & Lokko (Swedish Radio Theme)"

Nada Surf - popular, 1996

"Popular" is the debut single by American alternative rock band Nada Surf, released in May 1996 from their debut album High/Low, released the following month. Each verse in "Popular" presents, in spoken-word format, sarcastic advice to teenagers taken from the book Penny's Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity by American actress Gloria Winters."

Pet Shop Boys - integral, 2006

"The single criticises the Identity Cards Act 2006. A statement from the band cited the issue as the reason that Neil Tennant ceased his well-publicized support of Tony Blair's Labour party. Some wording, such as 'sterile, immaculate', is drawn from Yevgeny Zamyatin's dystopian novel We, although Tennant hadn't read it when he wrote the lyrics. In the book, the inhabitants of the future One State try to build The Integral, a glass spaceship, in order to solve the cosmic equation and resolve all the problems in their One State."

Saturday Looks Good To Me - if you ask, 2004

"With its reverbed guitars and stop/start pacing, Keep Walking reminds me of the better songs off the most recent album by Atlanta's The White Lights. This similarity is brought home on one of the later tracks called If You Ask. With an organ, a vibraphone and some dominant drumming, that song has that haunted prom feel that characterizes the work of so many Atlanta-based bands. However, to the credit of Saturday Looks Good to Me, unlike other bands, they manage to make each song different enough that I'm not left thinking that everything sounds the same."

Coldplay - hymn for the weekend, 2016

"The song was debuted on Annie Mac's BBC radio show on 30 November 2015. According to Berryman, lead singer Chris Martin originally wanted the song to be a party song with the lyrics "drinks on me, drinks on me", but his bandmates didn't think that would go well with their fans."

Ride - cali, 2017

"My favourite song is Cali. I love the optimistic, summer like feel of the track, with the little guitar flourishes and loose beat. There is also an insanely wonderful bit towards the end where there is a double tap on the snare that leads into the joyous second half of the song, where the band let rip and fly, playing with the melody of the song and taking it to new levels."

The Go-Betweens - draining the pool for you, 1984

"The album was named after an annual fair in Spring Hill, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane Grammar School, Robert Forster's high school. Some of the band had also lived there in the early eighties. Grant McLennan said of the title, "It was generally not that we were home sick, I think we just wanted to have, after Before Hollywood, which was so obviously an American kind of thing, a regional home-town thing." In another interview McLennan stated "we all lived there and the main reason was that in September, October of every year in Brisbane, there is, in Spring Hill, a fair, and as the album came out around then we thought it would be nice to have a parochial mention in a title because we hadn't done that for a long time."

The Cure - lovesong live, 1993

"for die-hard Cure fans it's a gorgeous treat and for other acolytes of the lukewarm or lapsed variety it might well re-recruit them back into Bob Smith's sometimes wacky, ofttimes gloomy and always idiosyncratic world."

Fleet Foxes - kept woman, 2017

"Crack-Up is enveloping enough to get lost in, and it doesn't always offer easy entry points. For every contained and elegantly pretty ballad like "Kept Woman," there's a byzantine engine of ambition like the title track, which closes Crack-Up with a burst of energy worthy of its title. But the point never gets lost that these songs chronicle the pursuit of contentment, however frustrated — and take great care to linger in the beauty that crops up along the way."

James - walk like you, 2014

"The tracks on La Petite Mort were influenced by the deaths of frontman Tim Booth's mother and his best friend Gabrielle Roth. It included more pianos and keyboards, drawing comparison to Elbow and Coldplay, with some of the guitar parts were compared to Muse."

Car Seat Headrest - joe gets kicked out of school for using drugs with friends but says this isn't a problem, 2016

"This whole record is one that I associate very heavily with a specific time and place. It was the only CD I played in my car for virtually that entire summer. Was living by myself for the first time, partying more than I should have been..."

Neil Young - a man needs a maid, 1972

"Bob Dylan had told him he liked the arrangement."

Sarah Cracknell - taxi, 1997

"For a decade, U.K.’s Saint Etienne have been keeping the ’60s pop flame lit; here, sublime vocalist Sarah Cracknell picks up the torch. Like her band’s efforts, her previous solo CD and countless contemporaries — notably Stereolab — Lipslide injects the sunny melodies of the ’60s into the dreamy, hypnotizing netherworld of ’90s trip-hop to create soothing, post-modern disco lullabys."

Devine And Statton - in the rain, 1989

"The second and last Devine & Statton album was even more concerned with the Welsh backgrounds of its two members, specifically the city the two called home. Aiming at what Ian Devine later called creating "a paean to Cardiff," the two, again supported with several side performers -- notably including New Order's Peter Hook on bass and regular Tom Waits collaborator Marc Ribot on guitar -- created another excellent effort showcasing (mostly) acoustic guitar/vocal-led numbers that carried both precision and sharp lyrical heft."

Car Seat Headrest - overexposed enjoy, 2012

"Car Seat Headrest frontman Will Toledo was offended when a friend pointed out the weak chorus in an early version of “Overexposed.” He had kind of asked for it, though; back in CSH’s fledgling days, Toledo would often post songs online as soon as they were done, asking for feedback — back then, he was testing out tracks for what would become 2013’s Monomania."

Echo And The Bunnymen - bring on the dancing horses extended mix, 1987

"Bring On the Dancing Horses" is a single by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, released on 7 October 1985. It was the only single from their compilation album Songs to Learn & Sing (1985) and was recorded for the John Hughes teen romantic comedy-drama film Pretty in Pink (1986). The song reached number 21 on the UK singles chart and number 15 on the Irish Singles Chart."

Bright Eyes And Neva Dinova - get back, 2004

"in 2004, Bright Eyes mastermind Conor Oberst and Neva frontman Jake Bellows decided to take their friendship to the next level, lock themselves in a basement, and crank out some tunes."

Moby - the ceremony of innocence, 2018

"despite its relentlessly downbeat content, Moby's music is just too satisfying to be depressing."

Deerhunter - fountain stairs, 2010

"The album's title is a reference to a collection of fond memories and even invented ones, like my friendship with Ricky Wilson or the fact that I live in an abandoned victorian autoharp factory. The way that we write and rewrite and edit our memories to be a digest version of what we want to remember, and how that's kind of sad."

Mojave 3 - pictures, 1995

"Mojave 3's debut, Ask Me Tomorrow, was a refreshingly stripped down collection that changed little from the original demos. Halstead's melodic, folk- and country-tinged songs stood alone in a sea of Britpop anthems, drawing favourable (if lazy) comparisons to Nick Drake, Cowboy Junkies and Bob Dylan."

Sarah Cracknell - taking off for france, 1997

"Sarah’s father, Derek Cracknell – who died a few months before Foxbase Alpha’s release, and to whom her 1997 debut solo LP, Lipslide, was dedicated – had a distinguished film career, more than 50 assistant director credits ranging from the Boulting Brothers’ Heavens Above to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange, Bond movies Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun, through to 1989’s Batman. He also took that iconic photograph of six-year-old Sarah used on the cover of So Tough."

Bright Eyes And Neva Dinova - i'll be your friend, 2004

"Conor Oberst began his musical career in his early teens, issuing self-recorded solo albums and founding Saddle Creek Records with his brother, which helped to kick-start a burgeoning Omaha, Nebraska scene. Propelled by a powerful collaborative spirit, the label and its bands grew significantly over the next 15 or so years, especially Oberst’s career. Setting his neurotic insecurities, mental instabilities and melancholy romanticism to equally fraught – and, for his age, mature and ambitious – music, he released his first record as Bright Eyes in 1998 and burned brightly. 2000’s Fevers & Mirrors is one of the great albums of the last decade."

The Goon Sax - strange light, 2018

"the slow loneliness of ‘Strange Light’ is soundtracking the views from the train I’m commuting home on"

Shout Out Louds - go sadness, 2003

"Shout Out Louds' debut record, Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, is a blast of sparkling energy from start to finish and a contender for best out-of-the-blue debut of 2005. Coming from the angle of the pure pop sound of the '60s filtered through the indie pop of the '80s and '90s and the Beach Boys-worshiping chamber pop of the early 2000s, the Swedish quintet has crafted an album loaded with great songs, exciting performances, and an unerring ear for arrangements. In fact, a better combination of arrangement, emotion, and melody is hard to find anywhere in the early 2000s to date. Saturday Looks Good to Me, for sure."

Damien Jurado - lou-jean, 2018

"The one-two combo of “Lou-Jean” and “Florence-Jean” are both love songs, but each carries its own feel. “Lou-Jean” is a more traditional folksy ballad, and before the listener can fully process the end of the song Jurado launches into “Florence-Jean,” with a much faster tempo and a more lively acoustic track as Jurado comes the closest to belting as any track on the album."

Car Seat Headrest - los borrachos i don't have any hope left but the weather is nice, 2012

"the wall of sound effect he builds at the end is perfect, plus it overlaps into souls. thats one of my favaorite points on the album"

Seapony - i really do, 2011

"The music of Seapony is refreshing in its simplicity. Most songs on Go With Me use no more than three chords, with an average running time around two-and-a-half minutes. In lieu of a human drummer, the Seattle trio entrusts time-keeping to a vintage gizmo the size of a desktop calculator. The lyrics to “Dreaming,” the track that catapulted them into the spotlight, are just six lines long. Like Young Marble Giants and Beat Happening before them, this young three-piece has generated excitement that belies their music’s modest means. And their back story is just as no-nonsense."

Bright Eyes And Neva Dinova - i know you, 2004

"This song right here just does something to my brain. It’s like a lucid dream."

Saint Etienne - dj muddyloop remix, 2012

"I grew up in Croydon, and Brighton trips were a special treat. I’ve got three brothers, and to mark if someone passed an exam, or did something, we’d have a trip to Brighton, and I always loved it. It hasn’t really changed, well it has but it’s still got the same appeal. And it doesn’t have that thing like many seaside towns of shutting down and getting scary when it’s not summer."

Shout Out Louds - circles, 2013

"I’ve got my big hair on, my fluorescent spandex ensemble, and my rubber bracelets. The year is 2013, but when I listen to Shout Out Louds it’s the 1980’s all over again and that makes me very happy. I am going to get on my 80’s kick and I’m going to enjoy it. It is so refreshing, uplifting, a soaring feeling of “ahhhhhh” to hear good old straightforward pop-rock music, with beats and a melody, it’s that simple. Shout Out Louds are a new wave blend of Boy George, The Cure, and The Thompson Twins and I couldn’t love it more."

James - getting away with It live, 2001

"Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) is the twelfth track on the 2001 James album Pleased To Meet You and was the first and only single to be released from that album. It was previewed on the 2000 Autumn tour under the title Daniel’s Saving Grace and in press pre-release promos as just Saving Grace. It started life as an upbeat romp and is apparently one of Tim’s favourites on the Pleased To Meet You album and very similar in style to 80s classic unreleased track Gregory’s Town. It was slowed down and was released as the first single reaching number 22. It has been a stalwart of James’ live shows over the years and according to Tim their ‘unofficial theme’ song."

Damien Jurado - percy faith, 2018

"Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian–American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of instrumental ballads and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizing the "easy listening" or "mood music" format. He became a staple of American popular music in the 1950s and continued well into the 1960s. Although his professional orchestra-leading career began at the height of the swing era, he refined and rethought orchestration techniques, including use of large string sections, to soften and fill out the brass-dominated popular music of the 1940s."

The Big Moon - barcelona, 2020

"Barcelona is the long-player’s new single. It starts with a flute, followed by a melody as sunny as the capital city of Catalonia itself. Lyrically however, it’s about Jackson’s anxiety to grow older. A wonderful pop song and a great step forward."

Shout Out Louds - my companion, 2022

"Sometimes it’s easy to get fooled by the youthful spirit of the Shout Out Louds songs … but yes, the Swedish indie rock formation has indeed been active for two decades now and have also crossed the magical age-mark of 40 by now. But once you fall into new music by the four-piece these things become quite relative anyway because there’s a certain timelessness that surrouns their music anyway. The sweet indie pop gems of the Swedes are carried by a certain longing, warm melancholia and a reflective notion that just gets better and better with age."