The Beatles - a day in the life, 1967

"‘A Day In The Life’ – that was something. I dug it. It was a good piece of work between Paul and me. I had the ‘I read the news today’ bit, and it turned Paul on. Now and then we really turn each other on with a bit of song, and he just said ‘yeah’ – bang, bang, like that. It just sort of happened beautifully."

Rosie Thomas - say hello, 2006

"These Friends of Mine is the fourth album by American singer-songwriter Rosie Thomas, released in 2006. Jeremy Enigk, Sufjan Stevens (who also co-produced), David Bazan, Damien Jurado, and Denison Witmer also appear on this album. The album was initially only available for purchase at online music stores."

Headlights - your old street, 2006

"Headlights are able to keep up their fun, summertime power pop without too many problems, until, a little more than halfway through the record, they decide to explore those indie electronica influences they had been hinting at. "Words Make You Tired" is a startling, and utterly forgettable, Killers-esque dance-pop track, "I Love, You Laugh" is sparse and sad and machine-driven, and while "Hi-Ya" is actually pretty fun, it comes as such a contrast to the rest of the album that it's almost hard to enjoy it. The Headlights had done such a good job with setting themselves up as perhaps the preeminent indie pop band of 2006 that their departure into the "dance" realm is puzzling at best. Maybe by the time their next album rolls around they will be able to tame their influences into a more coherent-sounding body of work that will more fully represent their abilities."

Bonnie Prince Billy - in good faith, 2020

"Oldham first performed and recorded under various permutations of the Palace name, including Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Palace Music, and simply Palace. Regarding the name changes during this period (1993–1997), Oldham said: 'I guess the idea is that when you have a name of a group or an artist, then you expect that the next record, if it has the same name, should be the same group of people playing on it. And I just thought we were making a different kind of record each time, with different people, and different themes, and different sounds. So I thought it was important to call it something different so that people would be aware of the differences.' Will stated in a 1995 interview with KCRW that the name Palace Flophouse was inspired by reading John Steinbeck's Cannery Row."

Sufjan Stevens - the greatest gift, 2017

"The highlight of the collection is easily the remixes, which tease out the compact stems of the original songs and let them flourish in open, flowing space. Helado Negro helms two remixes, of “Death With Dignity” and “All of Me Wants All of You,” and the way he unwinds previously buried vocal harmonies is enough to make you want a full-blown, album-length collaboration between the two artists. Stevens’ own remix of “Drawn to the Blood” hews close enough to the version on Carrie & Lowell Live, but with crisper vocals, while Doveman’s gentle take on the 2015 tour single “Exploding Whale” lends as much gravitas as possible to a song that contains the words “epic fail.” Though too scattered to stand alone, The Greatest Gift adds new dimension to Carrie & Lowell. It’s easy enough to read albums, especially those as moving as Stevens’, as ironclad cultural objects, produced once and then immutable. The Greatest Gift contextualizes the work more as a living document. It exposes shadows of the album’s past and future, and for that, it’s exquisitely generous."

Beirut - scenic world live, 2015

"When Beirut released Gulag Orkestar in 2006, its swaying horns and eclectic percussion treated music lovers to a sound that was relatively foreign to American music made west of the Atlantic Ocean. The record’s inventive use of Balkan melodies and triumphant brass garnered near-immediate critical praise. The feat was especially impressive, considering that—for the most part—one man is behind Beirut: Zach Condon. Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Condon's debut at just 19 years old was a shock to anyone who thought they were listening to Brandenburg’s preeminent elder sing to the neighborhood as the children skipped stones in the street. But Condon never lived that life. He was a teenager so obsessed with rare instruments, world history, and Middle Eastern architecture that he could fabricate deep nostalgia in his music for a beautiful, European paradise that never existed."

The Digital Age - symphony of grace, 2013

"The album opens on a more-or-less unexpected note with the lead single "Captured." Unlike any of the Rehearsals songs, this song is poppier than pretty much anything the DC*B made. But as poppy as it is, it is so bright, deliciously joyful and irresistibly catchy (not dissimilar to Rend Collective Experiment) that I have no doubt it will win over even the biggest skeptics. "Symphony of Grace" follows the same vein as its predecessor, just as bright, joyful and poppy."

Low - always trying to work it out, 2018

"The band’s latest record on Sub Pop, Double Negative, only confuses the narrative more. Double Negative is Low’s noisiest and harshest album yet, but also one of their most undeniably beautiful works. For a group that’s always experimented with their sound, it’s still astonishing to see how far they’ve been able to push their dynamics a quarter century into their career."

Sparks - when do i get to sing my way, 1994

"When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" is a song by American band Sparks, released on 17 October 1994 by Logic Records as the first single from their sixteenth album, Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins (1994). Written and produced by brothers Russell and Ron Mael of Sparks, the song references Frank Sinatra's signature song "My Way" and was a number seven hit in Germany. In the United States, it reached number nine on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, and it was also a top 40 hit in the United Kingdom."

Jon Fosse

“God is so far away that no one can say anything about him and that’s why all ideas about God are wrong, and at the same time he is so close that we almost can’t notice him, because he is the foundation in a person, or the abyss, you can call it whatever you want.”

Jon Fosse, "A New Name: Septology VI-VII"

Electronic - feel every beat, 1991

"Feel Every Beat" was the third single by the English band Electronic. (...). The A-side is a combination of rock and house music, and is a favourite of both the two members Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner. Marr began an early version of "Feel Every Beat" with the intention of releasing it on a solo album. Sumner's lyrics are about the criminalisation of rave culture in Britain."

The Smashing Pumpkins - the tale of dusty and pistol pete, 1998

"The Smashing Pumpkins have been regarded as a cultural touchstone of Generation X and contributed greatly to the rise of the generation's prevalence in Western popular culture."

Mark Knopfler - the ceilidh louis favourite billys tune, 1983

"Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE (born 12 August 1949) is a British guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1988, and from 1990 to 1995."

Thom Yorke - unmade, 2018

"Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician who is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been described by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation."

The Goon Sax - make time four love, 2018

"Forster is the son of Robert Forster, co-founder of indie rock band the Go-Betweens. The band released their debut studio album, Up to Anything, in 2016 on the Chapter Music label. This was followed by We're Not Talking in 2018, and Mirror II in 2021. They have performed with Twerps, Blank Realm, U.S. Girls, and Crayon Fields, among other artists."

The Beatles - getting better, 1967

"One of the recording sessions for "Getting Better" is infamous for an incident involving Lennon. During the 21 March 1967 session in which producer George Martin added a piano solo to "Lovely Rita", Lennon complained that he did not feel well and could not focus. He had accidentally taken LSD when he meant to take an upper. Unaware of the mistake, Martin took him up to the roof of EMI Studios for some fresh air, and returned to Studio Two where McCartney and Harrison were waiting. They knew why Lennon was not well, and upon hearing where Lennon was, rushed to the roof to retrieve him and prevent a possible accident."

Easterhouse - whistling in the dark, 1986

"Ruminations on the contradictions inherent in a revolutionary communist band’s affiliation with a multinational entertainment megalith were put on hold when Easterhouse’s initial lineup fell apart not long after Contender‘s US release. Ivor Perry and drummer Gary Rostock briefly (one single on UK Rough Trade) reemerged in a new band called the Cradle, with ex-Aztec Camera/Smiths guitarist Craig Gannon."

The Digital Age - glow, 2013

"With such an atmosphere that brings together lovers of music from all sides of the musical genre spectrum, there is something for everyone, from songs with reflective worship, to others melodies that include sections of screamo and others that offer up great and powerful ballads."

The Innocence Mission - god is love, 2010

"Sufjan Stevens calls The Innocence Mission "moving and profound", adding, “What makes Karen Peris’ lyrics so remarkable is the economy of words, sensory language, concrete nouns – everyday objects take on tremendous meaning.”

U2 - you’re the best thing about me, 2017

"Lead vocalist Bono referred to the song as "defiant joy", something that he and the Edge said was more important than ever in the "difficult times" in which they were living."