Neil Young And Crazy Horse - psychedelic pill, 2012

"Some of the songs are edited down from their full performances. Young describes the process in his book, Special Deluxe: "I did a lot of work on these tracks with Johnny Hausmann and Jeff Pinn, my two engineers. Work went on for over a month to make the tracks as great as they could be. Most of the time was spent on editing the long instrumental passages, balancing the numerous vocal parts, and preserving the feeling and vibe of each song. Part of the process called for my co-producer, John Hanlon, to come in and do a final pass of all the mixes with fresh ears. Sometimes this can greatly improve the original passes."

Kitchens Of Distinction - i wish it would snow, 2013

"Fitzgerald is as direct as can be on the poppy “I Wish It Would Snow”, giving voice to a sentiment we all understand (“I wish it would snow / And close the roads / So I couldn’t go / And we could stay in bed all day”) over shimmering guitars and tambourines."

Tall Ships - road not taken, 2017

"Impressions is an album about choices. It presents you on that scenario that has you wonder what the right path is to travel down on your journey through life. The slowburning starting track 'Road Not Taken' explores the path you don't take and all its possibilities. The song slowly becomes more and more energetic, becoming more graceful at the end as the full band kicks in, the lyrics reassuring that every decision you've made has built you own unique experience and life that makes its worth living. The possibilities may be daunting, but the ones you've made are yours to own."

The Mountain Goats - younger, 2019

"So I started basing the song using my present-day skill set on this old riff. And then the lyrics were informed by the fact that I was dredging something up from when I lived in a studio apartment in employee housing at a state psychiatric hospital."

Peter Bjorn And John - do-si-do, 2016

"Peter, Bjorn & John had a major hit in 2006 with their song 'Young Folks', a perky little indie-folk ditty that has since been used on tonnes of TV ads. The trio released three albums after they scored their biggest hit - the most recent being 2011's 'Gimme Some' - although none have replicated the success of the catchy whistle-led number."

Johnny Nash - i can see clearly now, 1972

"After Nash wrote and composed the original version, he recorded it in London with members of the Fabulous Five Inc., and produced it himself. The song's arrangements and style are both heavily laced with reggae influences, as Nash had earlier collaborated with Bob Marley and his approach drew strongly from Marley's reggae style."

Hotel Decor - grand theft auto, 2022

"The energy is beautiful and it’s one of the best projects we’ve heard in months. Hotel Decor’s musical style is different, he has an amazing passion for his music and masters this art perfectly. The atmosphere of this project is unique and the production style is creative, distinctive and brought this EP to a whole new level. We listened to these tracks several times, and we still can’t find the right words to describe them. The atmosphere is unique and the melodies are beautifully catchy. The lyrics are original, well written and will get stuck in your head for a long time. You may find yourself singing them by the next morning. Hotel Decor has impressive musical skills and his vocal performance is always captivating. He has one of the richest voices we’ve heard in months and this project shows off all the melodic tones of his stunning voice and shows how talented he is in writing songs. The instrumentals of these tracks are amazing and really some good stuff to listen to all day long."

Living Hour - seagull, 2016

"Living Hour is a dream pop quintet from Winnipeg. They got together and started writing songs that were inspired by the frost-bitten Canadian prairies and the expansive Manitoban sky. In April of this year, they released a very limited edition self-titled cassette album via the Indiana label Tree Machine Records. That album will get a proper release on February 19, 2016 via Lefse Records. I don’t know anything else about this band, but I got something in the mailbag about this, and it’s been getting a lot of press elsewhere. I immediately loved this song, and everything else I’ve heard from them. This song is certainly very heavy on the dreamgaze vibe, while other songs have just a hint of country twang mixed in. And that’s fine, too."

Commercial Pop Machine - accidental dose, 2022

"soft rock tape loop cut copy vocal songs inspired by karen carpenter and the pop music genre"

Caraml - chasing a sound, 2022

"They are a duo formed from “opposites sides of the earth:” South Africa (Stephan Kreussel) and Lithuania (Dominykas Morkūnas), but their collaboration is seamless; when it came to creating Seasons, Kreussel and Morkunas rented a house next to a lake and set up a recording studio, where they were inspired by solitude and nature."

The Feelies - make it clear, 2017

“The songs seemed to require that approach but that also stemmed from the demos we made. We liked the feel and that inspired us to record at my place. We really wanted to get the same feel from those sessions onto the record. Part of it’s the technique and part of it’s the vibe of being in a room you’re familiar with. We’ve rehearsed here since the late ‘80s, so we’re not looking at the clock, thinking, ‘Oh, we just spent $100 just working on this one part.'”

Bee Gees - first of may, 1969

"First of May" is a song by the Bee Gees with lead vocals by Barry Gibb, released as a single from their 1969 double album Odessa. Its B-side was "Lamplight". It also featured as the B-side of "Melody Fair" when that song was released as a single in the Far East in 1971 as well as in 1976 and 1980 on RSO Records. It was the first Bee Gees single to be released after lead guitarist Vince Melouney had left the group."

Mint Julep - daydream, 2022

"Daydream came together like a dream. Keith was rearranging his drums in the basement, and I asked if he would start a new song, even though we already have several MJ songs in mid-progress – some dating back as far as a few years ago (and that one that we somehow misplaced and can’t locate, even though it was almost done and which I still hope to recreate someday!!)."

Sea Power - open the door, 2008

"Sea Power, previously known as British Sea Power and initially as British Air Powers, are an English alternative rock band. The group's original lineup consisted of Jan Scott Wilkinson, known as Yan; Martin Noble, known as Noble; and Alison Cotton. By the time the band had begun its recording career, Cotton had departed, and two new members had joined: Neil Hamilton Wilkinson, known as Hamilton, and Matthew Wood, known as Woody. Eamon Hamilton joined the band in autumn 2002. He left in 2006 and was replaced by Phil Sumner, with Abi Fry joining the band in 2008."

REM - texarkana, 1991

"Easily a top 10 REM song for me. Maybe top 5."

Belle And Sebastian - another sunny day, 2006

"Belle and Sebastian had been toying with R&B, glam, and funk for much of their existence, but by the time the group recorded The Life Pursuit, their musical chops had finally caught up with the quality and ambition of Stuart Murdoch’s songwriting."

Black Box Recorder - seasons in the sun cover, 1998

"Seasons in the Sun" is an English-language adaptation of the 1961 Belgian song "Le Moribond" ("The Dying Man") by singer-songwriter Jacques Brel with lyrics rewritten in 1963 by singer-poet Rod McKuen portraying a dying man's farewell to his loved ones. It became a worldwide hit in 1974 for singer Terry Jacks and became a Christmas number one in the UK in 1999 for Westlife."

Johnny Marr - walk into the sea, 2018

“It’s set in the not-too-distant future and is mostly concerned with the idea of an alternative society. The characters in the songs are searching for a new idealism, although there are some personal songs in there too. It’s something that people like me can relate to.”

Damien Jurado - birds tricked into the trees, 2020

“I got rid of almost everything I owned. It was almost like I had died, honestly. You know that feeling when someone dies and you have to clear out their apartment or their house? That’s what I did. It was as if I had died, even though I was still living. I donated five of my guitars to a thrift shop.”

Roger Waters - hello in there cover, 2015

"Since the great songwriter John Prine died in April — and even since before Prine’s death, when the news came out that he was suffering from COVID-19 — other musicians have been showing their appreciation by covering his songs. Among Prine’s many songs, “Hello In There” has taken on a special weight. Prine wrote the song from the perspective of an old man who’s longing for any kind of connection, and he included it on his self-titled debut album in 1971. Jason Isbell coincidentally released his “Hello In There” cover just before the news of Prine’s diagnosis came out. Joan Baez, who’d released her cover of “Hello In There” in 1975, shared a video of herself singing “Hello In There” before Prine’s death. And now Roger Waters has covered it too."