nutty producer - 'midsummer evening'

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It's definitely not summer anymore let alone midsummer however I can't leave this chilled out little number alone tonight without sharing it. It's got a bit of a retro ska vibe to it with a wonderful trumpet interlude. It's the kind of tune that is guaranteed to get you bobbing your head along within seconds.

will oldham - '64 (john peel sessions)'

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Incorrectly introduced on the Peel show as 'Jolly Five' this is from August 2002 and is as bleak as it is beautiful. It pretty much describes a very large part of Oldham's songs and I say that with no intent to denigrate anything that Oldham has done. He's a genius.

chelsea wolfe - 'flatlands'

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Taken from "Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs", it's pencilled in for release on October 16th, 2012.

drowned in sound sunday mixtape

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Here's a lovely mix from those people at Drowned In Sound. Put the kettle on, make yourself a cup of tea and have a listen to this gem.

tim burgess - 'oh no, i love you'

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This is certainly a departure for Tim Burgess with the lyrics written by Kurt Wagner of Lambchop fame and by the sounds of it, a big hand in the music too with a lot of the production being done in Wagner's hometown of Nashville. It has all the hallmarks of a Wagner album but as Burgess has said with the North-West England accent provided with the vocals. Apparently, the deal was struck to work on a collaboration over ten years ago and it's taken this long for both parties to finalise it all.

I've read a fair few reviews and they've swung from outright contempt and plenty of sideswipes at his barnet (n.b. English slang for haircut) to adulation. I think I'm firmly in the 'love it' camp. It's quite dark in places with almost a Cohen-esque path together with female singers and at other times it's firmly on the road to Americana.  Wagner's lyrics are always uplifting even when the music isn't and Burgess's slightly thin voice does work well but I think it's probably a happy coincidence as he does struggle with the higher notes. The highlight for me is the very melancholy 'Tobacco Fields' and the juxtaposition of a Greater Manchester accent and the Deep South references give rise to a thing of beauty.

I've dug out a couple of interesting snippets for you. The first is the official video to 'White' and the second, a remix of the previously mentioned 'Tobacco Fields'.

cave painting - 'so calm (vondelpark remix)'

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With a new album out just last week, things are looking very rosy indeed for Brighton band Cave Painting. There's similarities with the crispness of the first Vampire Weekend album but they also sound a bit like James at their most atmospheric when the songs swoop and soar. I'm giving the album a first listen right now as I type this and I will definitely be putting this on again and again. Here's a remix of track 3 'So Calm'.

the fall - 'lost in music'

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It's Mark E Smith singing 'Lost In Music'. What's not to love?

robag wruhme - 'thora vukk (12" edit)'

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This is just so wonderful. Listening to it clinically, it is so perfect with everything in it that's needed and absolutely no fat on the bone, so to speak yet it still retains soul and passion. It's a rare thing.

dennis wilson - 'forever'

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I saw the Beach Boys last at Wembley Arena. I never thought I'd see a line-up including Wilson, Love, Jardine, Johnston and Marks and they probably will never be on stage together in the UK ever again so I was part of something very special. The gig exceeded all expectations with, I think, every hit played. There was one point in the second half where they played Sloop John B, Wouldn't It Be Nice and then Good Vibrations straight after one another. I'm still reeling from how good the gig was and I was fortunate to be in the company of friends who love them as much as I do. The most touching part of the gig were the tributes to Dennis and Carl Wilson and I can't imagine how difficult that must have been for all the band as they have known each other since they were small boys. I know it sounds soppy but it's difficult to describe the emotions as the band played backing over a video of Dennis singing 'Forever'. 

gainsbourg/birkin - 'jane b'

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Taken from the 1969 album with the infamous 'Je T'aime' this is the one with sample from a Chopin prelude. 

schtummcast008

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Thanks to my friend Max for bringing this to my attention, I like this mix a lot.

dance craze (ska documentary 1981)

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I remember this film coming out just as I was in my last year at middle school. It wasn't on for long but it was talked about for ages afterwards with everyone claiming to have seen it 3, 4 or more times (by hiding at the back at the end and waiting for the next screening). I can't actually remember if I saw this at the time or whether I have false memories of going to the Odeon in Worthing but the music has been a lifelong love. It is proof indeed that the English Working-Class was indeed multi-cultural in its musical tastes long before the middle-classes got wind of this. Music in Britain has never got the recognition it deserved in changing attitudes of race. These films are not just snapshots of a novelty music revival, this film reflects our cultural heritage and how music challenged British society's prejudices. 

If I can get personal for a moment, I grew up in a medium-sized town which had few if any people who weren't white. We didn't have inner city ghettos although the hidden poverty of towns such as Worthing is every bit as devastating for those within it. It's no surprise that heroin addiction is so prevalent. I also grew up with racist parents which was bound to affect my impressionable young mind and I too was racist when I was little and it was easy because there was nothing to challenge the stereotypes. Music taught me that life wasn't so black and white (pun intended) and showed me that there was another view and that my parents were so wrong. 

Long live music. 

buena vista social club - 'chan chan'

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I'm in quite a reflective mood tonight and I came across this whilst hunting out something else. I thought that it's just too good not to share.

breton - 'population density'

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From a Faits Divers session, here's a band that have been around for a few years now just bubbling under and I hope will break it big very soon.

andy williams 1927 - 2012

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The great man has passed away today. I don't think anyone who is a fan of music was immune to his voice. He was able to make lounge music sound soulful and something beautiful, that's no mean feat I can tell you. 

kognitif - 'sexybrown'

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I have mentioned Kognitif's album before but just in case you are in any doubt how cool this band is then check this tune out. Sooooo good.

spiritualized - 'shine a light'

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The lyrics are hymn-like in their beauty. I will never tire of listening to this or if I do then please wheel me away for the knacker's yard.

hurray for the riff raff - 'look out mama'

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Fans of Laura Marling will adore this long established Americana band. The lead singer, Alynda Lee Segarra, is the engine underneath the bonnet of the band with a powerful deep South voice that evokes Michelle Shocked at her most determined. She does a mean yokel too. Please do check out the entire session on Youtube here.

mumford and sons - 'whispers in the dark'

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Live in session for New York radio station WFUV, here are Britain's premier folk-rock band with a brand new song.

who's for some northern soul?

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Go on, you know it makes sense. This is one of my favourite Northern Soul songs and my goodness, how hot does Evie Sands look in this video. Stunning.

one saturday

Tweet This song just oozes class, it's so seductive and beautiful.

schema - 'annunaki'

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Sitting somewhere between Glitch Hop and Dubstep, this bass heavy banger of a track was released this month and will probably eat up anything in its path. It's a motherf*cking monster of a tune.

just another snake cult - 'have you seen this girl anywhere?'

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Of all the weeks to find a band (from Iceland, of course!) that has a Brian Wilson sound to it, it had to be this one. I'm off to see the Beach Boys live in concert on Friday and I can't tell you how excited I am about it. In the meantime, I'm going to play this a lot. Just Another Snake Cult is Þórir “Thor” Bogason, an Icelandic who grew up in California but has since moved back and is making music to dream to.

oliver schories - 'lausanne (daniel steinberg remix)'

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He's done it again. Steinberg is a genius, full stop.

faux flux - 'bone fever'

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The songs been out a little while now but this video is hot off the press, directed by Dominic Knight. The album is well worth checking out too. It's quite edgy and cerebral in my opinion.

pascal & mister day - 'golden days (king britt remix)'

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This is one of those delicate pieces of dance music that just demands further listening, it has so many different layers going through it .

daughter - 'smother'

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I heard this on Ben Watt's radio show recently and was hooked by the melancholy simplicity. I've been racking my brains to think who this sounds like. I've drawn a bit of a blank so far. It will come to me though. This comes out next week on 4AD records. Be sure to keep an eye out for it.

the wands - 'hello i know the blow you grow is magic'

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I'm a sucker for jangly 60's psychedelic guitar with big fat riffs. This tune has that and, dare I say it, a Madchester bagginess. It's a big tune and this is a big band. They are Danish (of course!) and have an EP out in November. I find it hard to believe it's their debut LP as they have a very mature sound. There's no bum notes or edginess to this although they have got a really great rawness. I'm going to bookmark them for future reference and no mistake.

joyce the librarian - 'follow me, i’m right behind you'

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A certain innocence to this song, very much in that fey indie 80s way.

quantic - 'time is the enemy'

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Downtempo is the key and this is behind the locked door.

inspiral carpets - 'this is how it feels'

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A great anthem from a great band from a great musical era.

Björk - 'mutual core (secuem remix)'

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I was just settling down and listening to this and thought I would share the love. I really am going to bed now!

beck - 'broken drum (boards of canada remix)'

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Last one from me tonight and I'm dropping the tempo by several notches.

liphemra - 'young'

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I thought at first that this was School of Seven Bells but it's someone altogether different. She's a singer from LA with a lot of attitude and by the sounds of it, part of a scene developing there. I think there's a loose connection with Chelsea Wolfe, maybe not in the music but the rawness of the music and the experimental way in which it is being explored. I like this a lot.

tom williams & the boat - 'little bit in me'

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I have friends who rave so much about this relatively local band and I can see why. This is their new single from their album and is a great showcase for their talents both as musicians and lyricists. It's a classic angst-y guitar song and I think we need more of them especially in these interesting times that we live in. 

the royal concept - 'stand twice '(adventureof remix)'

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Inspired by the seminal 'Stand By Me' classic this remix breathes new life into both the tune and vocoder with an interesting and infectious pop tune. It's what these Swedes do so well and why I love them so much.

richard villalobos - 'dependant and happy'

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One of the most important and influential names in techno, Villalobos has maintained his well-deserved reputation by attention to detail and maintaining his very high standards. This includes the format of his music. If you want to play his music properly at home or in clubs then it needs to be in physical format. Fortunately, he doesn't mind you streaming lower quality on your PC so here's his latest album and it's free. It's also top notch.

totally enormous extinct dinosaurs - 'your love'

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I'm not sure what to make of TEED. They have a very zeitgeist sound but it's not exactly pushing boundaries and there are lots of other electro-synth bands making similar music. I'm not saying they are bland nor are they bad but they don't exactly rock my world. Have a listen and see what you think. This tune smacks of La Roux as if re-imagined as an Ibiza remix in my opinion.

bat for lashes - 'all your gold'

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The second single from her new album has been likened to Gotye but I think it sounds a bit like Caribou. Natasha Khan has an ear for a great tune.

ane brun - 'these days'

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This is the new video to accompany the single and it's breath-taking in its simplicity.

chinese man - '7th street'

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Very nice.

howling wolf - 'howlin' for my baby (k+lab's jammin in the window live mix)'

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This is a rather fresh remix - created on the fly. I wish I was this talented.

edit - 'ants'

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And with some of the most incredible dancing you will ever see.

muddy waters - 'i am the blues'

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The great man is 86 today.

the kiwi animal - 'blue morning'

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Here's a rarity that I stumbled across this evening, it's an alternative 80s act from New Zealand. Now I don't know too much about this band and I'm going to have to do some exploring before I can come back to you with any hard facts but in the meantime I'll leave you with what I think is a great pop song. It sounds like a cross between 'Horse With No Name' and something that the Belle Stars would have done as an acoustic number.

alt-j - 'fitzpleasure'

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How about this for a video from their debut album? It's directed by Guillaume Cagniard and considering it's a fairly low budget video the production is top notch.

fikt feat. erla guðmunds - 'the eagle'

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If you are after a beautiful and dreamy homage to the Doors then look no further. This is quite simply breathtaking, featuring the vocals of Erla Guðmundsdóttir, an Icelandic singer whose name is new to me but one I shall definitely be looking out for in future.

rufus - 'selena'

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All the way from Sydney comes Rufus with a track from their second EP (it's 8 tracks long! Why not just make it an album, guys?) and this is 'Selena'. They're due to tour in the States soon but I'm hoping they hit the UK after that. Fingers crossed that they make it.

king tubby - 'declaration of dub'

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I'm listening to a John Peel radio show from 1982 and this gem has just been played. It's amazing to hear it being played and placed as a contemporary song on that show. Incredible.

beastie boys - 'open letter to nyc (rub n' tug remix)'

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This is a cracking remix.

john peel show archives

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Anyone who was a teenager between 1970 and 2000 would have listened at some point to the John Peel Show on Radio 1 of an evening. He was more than a DJ, he was a musical institution and someone who I trusted even though I never met the man. His shows were always welcoming, the music democratic with no genre ever getting overlooked and it was a joy to listen to him. You can now relive those moments with a massive archive of his shows online spanning nearly 40 years. I'm going to relive my early teens by taking my laptop to bed, pretending it's a transistor radio and listening to a show under my bed covers. I may be some time! Click the link here.

sugarcubes - 'blue eyed pop'

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I have no idea why but this song was stuck on loop in my head all morning today. Taken from their debut album. An album that changed my life.

joan sutherland - 'il dolce suono'

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Taken from the Opera 'Lucia de Lammermoor' here is possibly the greatest native English speaking female opera singer of the 20th century. I deliberately avoid classical music on this blog because of my ignorance about it but once in a while something comes along that just needs sharing.

daryl hall & chromeo - 'i can't go for that'

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I was absolutely blown away by this performance when a friend posted the link to this video. I think I've watched this a dozen times so far and it still grows on me.

dan le sac - 'play along feat. sarah williams white'

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Wow! I wasn't expecting Scroobius Pip's partner in crime to come out with a deep and dirty electro album. Just listening to it now and it's definitely an early contender for album of the year. It's so mature as an album that it's hard to believe this is a first solo album. It's moody in it's magnificence and I'm welling up with superlatives. Best stop here.

joão gilberto - 'ho ba la la'

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This goes with the weather this afternoon.

monkey maffia - 'sources from the past'

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I shan't spoil the surprise but the vocals reveal a surprising choice of accompaniment to this bass heavy tune.

a tribe called quest - 'i left my wallet in el segundo'

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Guess where I left my wallet..

sophia hutchings - 'shadowed'

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Goodnight!

holy other - 'held'

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This album is something of a slow burner. I bought it, played it once and then thought 'no'. But since then I've given it a few more listens and it has definitely grown on me. It has a Witch House feel to it that can put you off if you were expecting something a little lighter but it's certainly listenable. I think it sounds almost like a soundtrack and it led me to think what kind of film it would be the backdrop to. Probably an art house production with lots of wistful glances into the distance.

the reverend peyton's big damn band - 'devils look like angels'

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This is the first single from their new album. As you can tell, it's bursting with attitude and old electric slide blues.

new wave a-go-go

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Bow Wow Wow - 'C30 C60 C90'

Altered Images - 'Dead Pop Stars'

Bauhaus - 'Of Lilies and Remains'

oddience - 'lit lava lamp'

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This is definitely from leftfield. It's the kind of hip-hop that Gonjasufi specialises in; wonderfully trippy, artistic and intelligent. The bitches and bling crowd will hate it but then again that's no bad thing. 

andi kristens - 'magic'

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Does what it says on the tin.

iamx - 'bernadette'

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They are very underrated. I'm not sure why they're not bigger because they have the image, the tunes and the voice for mega-stardom. What's not to like?

terranova's pogosession 22

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I'm breaking from a rule that I set myself early on, namely that I wouldn't post one mix straight after another. The reason being that I feel an overwhelming urge to share this funky minimalist set from Terranova. I'm about 80% of the way through it and it's been tune after tune. I found it snuck away in the corner of my Soundcloud dashboard this evening, noticed that it was uploaded by my favourite record label, Kompakt and I am so glad I did. 

dj boulaone - 'afrique 3d mixtape'

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Collated by Sandra N'Kake and mixed by DJ Boulaone this is a whistle-stop tour of some of the continent's best new music. The quality and sheer number of songs that has been packed into this hour long mix is staggering. It has blown away a lot of preconceived ideas of African music and is definitely one to bookmark for future additions to this series. 

donnie and joe emerson - 'baby'

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This is an old band but brand new to me but thanks to the powers of Resident Records in Brighton and Ariel Pink's cover it's now well and truly on my radar. There's a John Martyn kind of feel to this beautiful song. Ignore your prejudices for the awful album cover and have a listen and be amazed.

woodpecker wooliams - 'sparrow'

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Here's a tune to shake the sleepy dust from your head. It sounds like an upbeat Fever Ray with an intense feel to it that makes me want to rewind and pick out the bits that I missed the first time round of listening. It's not comfortable but it is compelling.

schatrax - 'the almighty'

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Hypnotic, deep, sexy. No, not me - this track ticks all 3 boxes and then some. 

grizzly bear - 'yet again'

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Taken from their new album 'Shields' here is Brooklyn's finest with a slice of what they do best. If it ain't broke then don't fix it.

kinee - 'no regret'

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Staying Scandinavian for a minute here's another little piece of 3 minute pop (well 4 minutes and 55 seconds but you know what I mean...) but it's a lot more downtempo. 

It too sounds a bit 90s. I remember with Napster and all those MP3 sites in the late 90s where (apart from the obvious illegal stuff) bands from all round the world would upload their tunes and try to gain exposure through this new medium. Nowadays we take it all for granted but it blew me away at the time that I could listen to a death metal band from Ukraine and then a trip-hop band from Argentina. This definitely has that kind of feel to it. The video to it is extremely clever. Less is definitely more. Happy days. 

honeytraps - 'breeze'

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This has a wonderful end of summer feel to it and the video captures the mood perfectly. There's been a few bands with this name but I think this Oslo incarnation could possibly be the most enduring. They have a knack for writing great pop songs and are certainly one to watch. I think they describe themselves perfectly as early 90s British guitar indie, the kind of music that got left on the shelf when the behemoth Britpop took hold of the nation and I for one am really glad that jangly indie guitar is making a renaissance.

dj shadow - 'six days'

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I haven't heard this in a while. It's a great tune and awesome video.

julia holter - 'goddess eyes i'

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Best described as a 'slow-burner' I think. Ms Holter has a beautiful voice and the tune skips gently underneath it as she takes us somewhere altogether more hospitable than this harsh world.

kognotif - 'my space world'

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I love trip-hop. You love trip-hop. Everyone loves trip-hop and this is album is one of the reasons why. It has that timeless quality, the melancholic tone that reassures and although it's superficially a chill-out kind of vibe there is something quite edgy bubbling underneath. And it is so frigging cool. 

Although it's mainly an instrumental album there are one or two tunes there that are proper vocal affairs, for instance 'Silk Street' which could be a Wax Tailor or Tricky number. Tha'ts not praise I throw around blindly, this bloke has seriously earned the right with what is, quite frankly a beautifully crafter album. I just hope he has it in CD format.

run dmc - live in concert for the first time in 13 years

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I guess this was their first ever performance since the tragic death of Jam Master Jay. They sound like they never went away and the DJing was provided by Jay's sons which is a lovely way to keep it in the family. It's put a big smile on my face watching this video. Welcome back gents. I urge you to dig out the other videos of their performance. 

kollektiv turmstrasse - 'heimat (robag's turmkolle rekksmow)'

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I picked up a copy of 'Olga Mikks', the Robag Wruhme collected remixes album last week and am finally getting around to giving it a proper listen. It's as seductive as it is melodic and heartily recommend it for all the family. This is track 5 from the album.

retro heaven

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I think I'm in retro mood today. This is perfect, I just love the scream Ms Ross gives before kicking into the second part of this medley.

labi siffre - 'it must be love'

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Happy Saturday.