rolling stones - 'mother's little helper'

Tweet

Get her through her busy day.

sneaker pimps - 'six underground (nellee hoopers edit)'

Tweet

...and chill.

saint saviour - 'tightrope'

Tweet

I finally got round to giving this album a proper listen and it is an absolute belter. It's got to be in a lot of "Best of 2012' lists or I shall get very upset. 

marissa nadler - 'no surprises'

Tweet

Bring down the government. They don't speak for us.

leaders of the pack

Tweet

Is there a finer way to start the morning than with a few 60s girl band songs?

Betty Everett - 'Shoop Shoop Song'

The Angels - 'My Boyfriend's Back'

Twinkle - 'Terry'

controversial video corner

Tweet

Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips has revealed that he would like to re-make and re-cast the controversial video of  'First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' which originally starred Erykah Badu and her sister in the nude. Coyne and Badu have fallen out over it apparently but Coyne hopes that he can patch things up and also enlist Amanda Palmer (not exactly a shrinking violet herself) for a second version. Watch this space.

In the meantime here is the original. A word of warning though, it is definitely not suitable for work.

sugarcubes live in concert alabama 1988

Tweet

I spent a large part of my student grant following them around the UK leg of this particular tour and it was money well spent in my opinion. It was following the release of their sublime first album, 'Life's Too Good'. I think that along with Depeche Mode, New Order, St Etienne and possibly Portishead no other band has changed my life in such a big way as the Sugarcubes. To me they were the Captain Beefheart for my generation. They weren't just off the wall, they were away from the floor and off to some place too surreal to describe and they opened my eyes and ears for the first time to Scandinavian music and it's been a passion of mine ever since. 

Part 1

Part 2

the lunatics have taken over the asylum

Tweet

How depressingly prescient.

when saints go machine - 'mannequin'

Tweet

This is a bit of a double treat here. Firstly, the official video to the first single from the new album followed by Planningtorock's remix. 

janelle monae releases 2 new tracks

Tweet

Oh yes. The little lady with a massive talent is back in business and I for one am very happy about this. she's planning 2 separate albums due out by the end of this year and as a little teaser here are 2 that, hopefully, will feature.

 'Electric Lady'

'Dorothy Dandridge Eyes'

alt-j - 'breezeblocks (b-ju remix)'

Tweet

The more I listen to this remix, the darker it gets.

sulk station

Tweet

I'm going to sign off tonight with a quite remarkable find, they're called Sulk Station, they are a downtempo electronica/trip hop duo and they're from Bangalore. Apparently they also mix in more traditional Indian music but I can't find much evidence in this beautiful album. It's more a sultry, jazz compilation that would easily find a place at Ronnie Scott's on a Saturday night...or indeed my rented lodgings in Bristol on a Wednesday evening! Good night.

i might be wrong man but i think you're paranoid

Tweet

XStone - Paranoid (Digital Mix)

frankie valli - 'the night'

Tweet

I am very envious of my friends who are off to see Frankie Valli at the Royal Albert Hall tonight. I did have tickets but unfortunately work commitments in Bristol means that I've had to give up my ticket. I am genuinely gutted about not going as Frankie Valli is a musical legend by any definition of the word. Here he is with a great Northern Soul anthem.

gimme one edge

Tweet Tracy Chapman v Koan Sound gimme some chilled out Glitch Hop. Sometimes a tune really hits the sweet spot and perfectly echoes your mood. This is one of those moments. 

ourvinyl - top 20 of 2012

Tweet

Those good people at ourvinyl have compiled a top 20 records of 2012. There's quality throughout the entire collection, Well worth a listen in my  opinion!

elvis costello - 'watching the detectives'

Tweet

Back when the music he made was relevant and spoke to people.

daniel steinberg - 'aribaba'

Tweet

He's temporarily ditched minimal techno for a more mainstream disco/house sound. It's a lovely light tune with humour and funkiness in equal measure.

para one - lean on me (feat. teki latex)

Tweet

If you thought dream pop was the preserve of fey 80s English bands and, latterly,  of achingly cool Swedes from Gothenburg then prepare to re-assess those thoughts. Here's French band Para One with a quite exquisite little number. They've taken the genre and fused it with what sounds like a proto-UK garage sound. It works so well that you wonder why it wasn't tried before.

Postscript - Thanks to the band for getting in touch with me to let me know they are French and not Japanese as I previously reported. I'm sorry about that and happy to correct the error.

lace curtains - 'bedroom honesty'

Tweet

The album is out next month, in the meantime have a taster of what will be a massive band with a bit of luck and a lot of vinyl justice.

sexton blake - 'girl you know it's true'

Tweet

Confession time here. The Milli Vanilli tune has always been a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. As pop tunes go, it's catchy, the riffs that it hangs upon are pretty good and the chorus definitely works. I know the 2 pretty boy 'singers' were frauds but so what? It never did Boney M any harm.

If the original is beyond the pale for you then how about a version that is more sensual and definitely authentic? Here's Sexton Blake's take on it.

sébastien tellier - 'russian attractions'

Tweet

I think you'll quite like this video to accompany a slow ballad from the French maestro. It sounds quite Depeche Mode-like to me and I wonder if he's now moving away from the bubblegum pop towards a darker edge. 

sigur rós - 'fjögur píanó'

Tweet

And so to bed. This is brand new and exquisite. Worthy of their fellow countryman, Olafar Arnalds.

que sera

Tweet

I've just looked at the BBC website and found out we lost on penalties. I can heartily recommend listening to music instead of watching England penalty shoot-outs, if only for your stress-levels. 

Come on, Gregory. Soothe the pain.

fat jon - 'how you feel'

Tweet

Right now I'm nervous. I'll check the scores in 5 minutes. If England go out then don't blame me. I gave 110% tonight.

england expects

Tweet

...me to do my duty so I switched off the telly and listened to some music at the end of the first half of extra time. There is a rationale behind this. The season that Brighton flirted with relegation a few years back I considered that it was me that was the unlucky mascot so I stopped going with about 8 matches to go. Brighton stayed up, Russell Slade got the plaudits and I remained the unsung hero. I'm using the same logic tonight. You can thank me later.

Herman Dune - 'My Home Is Nowhere Without You'

siobhan donaghy - 'coming up for air'

Tweet

The title seems very appropriate as I watch England hold on against Italy (and Rooney has just fluffed a golden chance...my stress levels are very high now). 

praying to the sun god

Tweet

If you are in serious need of summer loving then a friend of mine has put together a brilliant summer mixtape. I'm very jealous of this chap's musical knowledge and he even has a blog that you can follow by clicking here. Seriously, it's a very clever selection of great tunes. Get involved!

sofa rockers - sofa surfers (richard dorfmeister remix)

Tweet

quantic and alice russell - 'here again'

Tweet

Tru Thoughts' star performers have recently released a new album and it's an absolute joy. This is track 2 from the long player.

die antwoord - 'baby's on fire'

Tweet

Their best hit yet, I reckon.

jimmy vaughan - 'dengue woman blues'

Tweet

hot chip - 'flutes'

Tweet

I'm giving the new album a good listen this morning and this track is a seriously danceable tune.

nightmares on wax - 'mind eye'

Tweet

From the Mind Elevation album. Does it get any more laid back than this?

back once again is the renegade master

Tweet

At last, my laptop is back in my hands and I'm able to continue posting the music that moves me. Here's a tune I've been listening to this morning, Ken Boothe with 'Artibella'. Top tune, top singer, top of the morning to you!

normal service will be resumed as soon as possible

Tweet

Unfortunately, my laptop is still being repaired hence the lack of posts of late. I'm really sorry about this and am having to post blog entries via my New iPad and it means that I'm going to be restricted to the layout and content for the next week. I hope you can bear with me until I'm back to normal.

In the meantime please have a listen to this Sunday mash-up from Wax Audio.

roberta flack - 'killing me softly'

Tweet

angus & julia stone - 'all of me (oliver rado remix)'

Tweet

war of the worlds - 'horsell common and the heat ray'

Tweet

This still scares the bejasus out of me. I hated this album for years because it was played to death every Sunday by my step-father when I was little (both records, both sides) but recently I've re-visited it and it stands the test of time very well and the casting is inspired. It's the bit where the spaceship opens that really gets me.  

levi stubbs

Tweet

I'm watching the 'Little Shop of Horrors' with my children and we were curious as to who the voice of Audrey II, the man-eating plant was. Google remains a dear friend and within seconds we had the answer - none other than Levi Stubbs. It lead to a conversation about the Motown, the Four Tops, the link with the Lockerbie bombing (very chilling, I recommend looking it up) and how the English took Motown and created Northern Soul. Levi Stubbs is a great name and the man wore the name very well. He had, without doubt, one of the most distinctive voices in pop and could carry a note to places others can only see on a map. Here he is at his prime with the Four Tops.

blonds - 'run'

Tweet

Fantastic tune for a Sunday morning.

amy winehouse - 'girl from ipanema'

Tweet

What a talent that woman had.

junior wells - 'give me one reason'

Tweet

new york city is killing me

Tweet

Not the Gil Scott-Heron song but instead Ray Lamontagne. This is so beautiful.

tom waits - 'down there by the train'

Tweet

My mate Barri adores Tom Waits. I can see why.

eek a mouse - 'ghetto living'

Tweet

who are the warriors?

Tweet

MC Wildski is one for starters. Top, top tune.

ólöf arnalds - 'innundir skinni'

Tweet

avenue d - '2d2f'

Tweet

Wise words.

whomadewho and the pitfalls of man

Tweet

This two-song, one-part video is a cautionary tale of chasing the dream. I think the message here is that people are as pissed off with modern living as they ever were. Except me. I have music.

bob welch 1945 - 2012

Tweet

And still they keep dying. This time it's Fleetwood Mac guitarist and singer Bob Welch who killed himself at his Nashville home. He was instrumental (pun well and truly intended) in helping Fleetwood Mac from arty blues to mainstream and played on 5 albums before leaving for minor solo success. Here he is, live in concert with the band playing "Believe Me' and featuring Bob Weston who also died this year. 

sebo & madmotormiquel - 'boys boys'

Tweet

I think I have my soundtrack for the summer, this is just so good!

gza - 'liquid swords' re-mastered, re-released

Tweet

One of the great hip hop albums has been re-mastered from the original tapes and given the deluxe boxset touch. It comes with a bonus CD including instrumentals of the album tracks and sleevenotes from Chris Faraone and numerous pieces of artwork but that's not all! Oh no, there's a miniature chess set as part of the collection. Just check out it out the picture:

'Investigative Reports' - from the 1995 album. 

As a wonderful psotscript, I love this quote from a fan on Youtube:  "I love the Wu almost as much as I love taffy. And I'm a man who enjoys his taffy"

andres gonzalez - 'perpendiculares (agustin cooper remix)'

Tweet

I'm working from home today and I always find crisp minimal techno a Godsend as it is perfect music to zone out to. Here's a perfect example.

grass widow - 'goldilocks zone'

Tweet

On first listen I thought this might be Warpaint but they don't have the "oomph" that Warpaint have, instead more accomplished guitarwork with echoes of the Pixies and the vocals are more Sleeper or the Primitives. I think I'm going to have to give this a few listens before I make my mind up on hit or miss. The video is definitely a hit though!

dj ss - 'lighter'

Tweet

That Nina Simone track reminded me of this absolute monster of a drum and bass track from Leroy Small aka DJ SS

micachu and the shapes - 'ok'

Tweet

Their new album 'Never' is released at the end of July, with this as the first single from it. I've been trying to shoehorn a pun into this entry around the words 'never' and 'ok' where I eventually describe this song as bloody brilliant but I have tried and failed so let me cut to the chase and say this song is....bloody brilliant.

portishead - 'humming'

Tweet

nina simone - 'feelings'

Tweet

From a live performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. I don't think I've seen a more mesmerising performance by any musician ever. She berates the audience for being robots, demands they clap, questions the need for a song with lyrics such as this, she is godly. She soars, she swoops, she pauses, she blows all others away and the final note that she holds....wow!

dave brubeck quartet - 'take 5 (take take 5 edit)'

Tweet This is a very fresh and clean edit of a timeless piece of musical history. I like the build up here, as with the original, it's not rushed but rather we're teased and soothed into the song.

the eels - 'fresh feeling'

Tweet

What is about the Eels lyrics that somehow all manage to lift me despite the nature of the song?

grizzly bear - 'sleeping ute'

Tweet

This is the first track to be released form their September scheduled album. I like the sound of this from first listen, it has a complex structure with some intricate guitar work and some very spacial interludes that remind me of Neil Young.

new order - 'true faith'

Tweet

It needs no introduction but I'll just briefly give one anyway. This song is one of the most important songs in my life and saw me through some rough times. 

dirty three ft. nick cave - 'sea above, sky below'

Tweet

A rather beautiful tune from a hotel room in New York.

terror bird - 'she kissed me and i fell ill'

Tweet

Nice use of a Masahiro Shinoda video also.

bobby womack - 'the bravest man in the universe (live stream)'

Tweet

Here's a nice bank holiday treat for us all. I haven't listened to it yet but happy to pass on the link for anyone who wants it. Do let me know what you think of it, the link is here.

'smells like teen spirit' casting call

Tweet

Thanks to Eric Alper's twitter feed, I was alerted to this piece of musical history. It's the video casting call for the Nirvana classic. 

I would probably have gone for the preppy look. What about you?

wiley - 'I'm skanking (the 2 bears remix)'

Tweet

I went to the Fatboy Slim after party at Digital down on Brighton seafront last night and the DJ dropped this and the place went mental. Rightly so. 

Altogether now "1, 2, 3, 4..."

anika and obi blanche mixtape

Tweet

This is a very special mixtape from one of my favourite female performers and is a wonderfully eclectic collection with dance, punk, hip-hop and all sorts thrown in and for all that it all blends in beautifully.

curtis mayfield - 'the makings of you (live in concert)'

Tweet

Oh, now this is beautiful. Just listen to that voice.

curve - 'fait accomplit'

Tweet

There are people who like music and then there are people for whom music is an essential part of their lives. I'm really lucky to have so many friends who fall into the second category and with great taste in music. Take this for instance, it's a classic and I'd forgotten about it completely.  I'm making amends by listening to their first album, Doppelgänger, right now. 

junior murvin - 'tedious'

Tweet From his Police and Thieves album of 1976(?). It's a great album and I'm due to see him perform it in full later this year. 

marrs - 'pump up the volume'

Tweet

Let's go back to the beginning.

brand new beach boys track

Tweet

Rolling Stones magazine are streaming a new song from the Beach Boys ahead of their new album and tour this summer. It's very much a summertime song and it's great to hear those familiar voices again. You can listen to it here.

This is also the perfect excuse to play one of my favourite Beach Boys tracks and I'm never one to miss an opportunity to listen to the Beach Boys!

unkle - 'eye for an eye'

Tweet

Fridays were made for big tunes.