Electronic - one day, 1996

"Electronic was formed by Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr, the guitarist of the Smiths, in 1989. They collaborated on certain tracks with the Pet Shop Boys and a member of Kraftwerk. When compared with the other New Order spinoffs, Electronic is the best from a technical perspective, which isn't surprising considering the names involved."

Genesis - afterglow, 1976

"Afterglow" was composed by Banks, who described it as a spontaneous piece written in about the same amount of time as it takes to play it, and consequently [it] has a spirit about it that comes from being less contrived. This cynical comment is typical of the tensions felt in the band at the time. In 1975 Hackett completed his first solo album “Voyage of the Acolyte” which was successful and had the blessing of two of the members who actually appeared on the album, namely Mike Rutherford on bass guitar, bass pedals, Fuzz 12-String, and Phil Collins on drums, vibes, percussion, and vocals.

Slade - cum on feel the noize, 1973

"I was at a Chuck Berry gig in '72 and everybody was singing his tunes. He kept stopping and letting the crowd sing and it wasn't just a few people, it was everyone. I thought it was amazing and thought – why not write the crowd into the songs, and so we got round to 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now' and 'Cum On Feel the Noize' and all the chants were written into the tunes."

Wild Nothing - chinatown, 2010

"Anybody who grew up listening to the elegantly miserable 1980's guitar-pop faithfully evoked on Wild Nothing's excellent Gemini knows a thing or two about being down. That this comfortably sad feeling can be as ephemeral as the weather makes the foggy positivity of Gemini highlight "Chinatown" all the more fitting. "I want someone/ Somewhere", WN's Jack Tatum yearns, before noting during the chorus, "We're not happy 'til we're running away". Tatum doesn't sound like he's necessarily moping around, though; instead, his low-register voice pulses and throbs like a heartbeat, giving "Chinatown" a bright, in-the-moment, bliss-touched glow."

Beach House - norway, 2010

"A percussive intro yields to an explosion of twinkling guitars and a chorus of woozy backing vocals. The core elements of Beach House's sound-- the drum machine, the thrift store keyboards-- are still present; they're just a few ticks faster. This makes a big difference."

Pet Shop Boys - yesterday when i was mad, 1993

"The lyrics allude to a number of charges often leveled against the Boys and their music, especially during the first half or so of their career: that Neil's voice is weak, that their live music is pre-recorded on tape, that nearly everything they do is ironic."

Fun - all alright, 2012

"Some Nights is a millennial classic. A shining example of just what indie music could become. Its flawless melodies and sharp lyrics recall a time that was, for many of us, both frightening and exhilarating. Jack Antonoff, Nate Ruess, and Andrew Dost added a worthy bit of commentary to the national dialogue, and many of their words ring true a decade on."

Del Amitri - long journey home, 1992

"For the life of me i couid not recall the name of the song, which when I returned home came to me instantly, “The Long Journey Home” After “In the Meantime” my favourite Del Amitri song."

Stars - ageless beauty, 2004

"a perfect gem of an indie rock tune."

Neil Young - after the gold rush live,1979

"I love Neil Young. He’s absolutely one of my musical heroes, being so cranky, weird, and uncompromising, but with a sense of humour."

The Killers - human, 2008

"I think that I do, and I don't want to be too much of a preacher," he said. "I say that it's a mild social statement, and that's all I'm gonna say. We're still trying to write the best pop songs we can write." It seems to be a similar strategy to the one Jesus took when he dropped spiritual explosives into the hearts as well as ears of his hearers. The explosive does not need spelling out; that might diminish its potency. “Those with ears to hear...”

New Order - everyone everywhere, 1993

"It’s gorgeously produced, particularly how Hague and the band found such breadth and depth in the guitar mix, with quite a few layers of bass, lead and rhythm guitar interacting; starting with the rhythmic strumming under Bernard’s (beautifully performed ) vocals, the subtle additional textures that are added, Peter’s integral bass riffs, and the lush lead layers performed during the chorus. The primary bassline is synth-based, and has a nice ‘grain’ to it; a subtle but excellent touch of programming. Equal to the terrific guitar performances are the luscious and atmospheric synth layers. The last 30 seconds of the track soars upwards to Bernard’s repeated despair that ‘this world is gone‘. Sublime."

U2 - one, 1991

"During the album's recording sessions at Hansa Studios in Berlin, conflict arose between the band members over the direction of U2's sound and the quality of their material. Tensions almost prompted the band to break up until they achieved a breakthrough with the improvisation of "One"; the song was written after the band members were inspired by a chord progression that guitarist the Edge was playing in the studio. The lyrics, written by lead singer Bono, were inspired by the band members' fractured relationships and the German reunification. Although the lyrics ostensibly describe "disunity", they have been interpreted in other ways."

Pet Shop Boys - try it i'm in love with a married man cover, 2003

"Try It (I'm in Love with a Married Man)" was written by Bobby "O" Orlando, who had played an important role in the very early history of the Pet Shop Boys, having produced the first released versions of "West End Girls" and "One More Chance," among a few others. "Try It" was the 1983 debut single for a Bobby O "girl group" studio ensemble called Oh Romeo, which apparently featured different vocalists for each release. None of them achieved any great measure of success (not even on the dance charts, their primary target), but some today are regarded as cult classics.

Sufjan Stevens - to be alone with you, 2004

"In Sufjan Stevens’ song “To Be Alone With You” off of his 2004 album Seven Swans, he outlines the sacrifices Jesus made to be with his followers, and for their sins to be resolved. Stevens begins his outlining of Christ with the lines “I’d give my body to be back again”. This is referring Jesus giving his body by being crucified so that mankind would be relieved of sin. The phrase “to be back again” is an obvious reference to his resurrection. This can also be seen in the line “You went up on a tree/ to be alone with me”. This is talking about the wooden cross that Stevens delves further into the story of the crucifixion by saying “They took your clothes”. This is referencing John 19:23 describing the Roman soldiers taking his clothes right before he is crucified (“Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments…”). When Stevens begins to talk about giving up a “wife and a family”, he is referring to Hebrews 4:15 which says “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin”. This is talking about Jesus being tempted with an assortment of things (including sex), but remained without any. That is to say Jesus chose a life without the things that many people strive to attain (like a family and spouse). With the lines “You gave up your ghost”, Stevens is finally connecting how one can “be alone” with Jesus after his crucifixion. The “ghost” Stevens is referring to is the Holy Spirit, which, in Christian mythology, is considered, like Jesus, to be another manifestation of God. To Christians, you are only able to achieve salvation by accepting Jesus. Once that is done, Christians believe that the Holy Spirit resides in them. Thus, they are “alone” with Jesus, and through that connection, they are relieved of suffering and evil."

The Cranberries - dying inside, 2001

"The second half of the '90s was difficult for the Cranberries, not just because of changing fashions, but because the group embraced both a social consciousness and a prog rock infatuation"

AC Newman - just walking to the dress shop, 2014

"I read books more than anything else. My wife reads a lot of things like the New Yorker, which I wish I could do more of. My reading goes in waves. When I'm busy with other things, I may not read for a long time. I went for about two and a half years one time where I tried to average a book a week. And I did it. I got back on the horse this last tour and started reading a lot again."

The Go-Betweens - you won't find it again, 1988

“You Won’t Find It Again” was a great acoustic demo from McLennan that only appeared here, thank goodness. It served as a warning that I should really start investigating the Grant McLennan solo material that I haven’t really expended any energy in finding. I never really noticed the solo material when the band split, but this one showed that McLennan plus some acoustic guitar got across very well."

Noah And The Whale - shape of my heart, 2008

"a luscious, marshmallow-centered pop ditty, complete with horns and strings to brighten up the sweeping baritone of lead singer Charlie Fink. It doesn’t stray as dangerously close to ‘twee’ as the band’s aformentioned summer smash, and is all the better for it. Instead, it is simply basic guitar chords, with a few bits of fancy orchestration and the astounding lyrics of Charlie Fink. It’s truly a joy to hear him croon ‘The trees were all leafless and lifeless and black and I wonder if the leaves could grow back’."

My Morning Jacket - two halves, 2008

"Even more ironically, Two Halves, the most "pop" sounding, also manages to be the centerpiece of all the themes. Two Halves is also a metaphor for the fans' reaction to Evil Urges: People wanting them to grow up into a great band, but also keeping their roots. "You want this now, you want that now, can't have it all, you should enjoy what you have" is the typical reaction to the haters, but Jim knows that they are all missing the point, that both halves are meant to work together. There's so much hidden here that you could spend hundreds of times listening to this album and finding something different. Brilliant."