de-minimis: July 2014

31 July 2014

phil selway - 'coming up for air'

Better known as Radiohead's drummer, he is surprisingly good as a solo artist with a lovely line in melody driven guitar playing and bittersweet lyrics. This is his latest single from his upcoming album 'Weatherhouse'.

bob dylan - 'rainy day women #12 & 35'

I'm not the biggest Bob Dylan, not by a long stretch but I do like this tune a lot, the opening song from his legendary 'Blonde on Blonde' album. Please forgive the awful Youtube video. Let's just focus on the tune, eh?

30 July 2014

erik jackson - 'now and then (jenova 7 remix)'

Let's take it downtempo. This is very nice indeed, reminding me of the Bladerunner soundtrack. You can almost hear the rain beating against the windows with this tune and lost and lonely souls looking out into a neon-lit technology Gomorrah.

sheila and b devotion - 'spacer (extended remix)'

One of the all-time classic disco tunes. Love it, absolutely love it.

29 July 2014

charlotte gainsbourg - 'me and jane doe'

Just because it's so lovely.

28 July 2014

zettajoule - 'desidario'

Big thanks to DIY mag website for bringing this tune to everyone's attention. A very lovely upbeat tune it is too. Classic indie guitar sounds from Austin, Texas.

beck - 'waking light'

His new album is out today, so what better way to celebrate than a tune from it. One of his slower more ballad-y numbers. I don't know why but it kind of reminds me of Pink Floyd.

mad professor - 'hardworking dub'

I was lucky(!) and managed to get into work today. So I thought I'd play an appropriately named tune. Take it away, MP.

27 July 2014

pocket dirt - 'slow yellow ep'

I haven't had a look at Bandcamp in a long time. Very remiss of me and I'll try to give it the attention it deserves in future. Here's what I've been missing. Brilliant isn't it?

26 July 2014

sébastien tellier - 'aller vers le soleil (hercules & love affair remix)'

Ah...perfect Summer music!

air france - 'never content'

How do you feel?

al green - 'sha la la (make me happy)'

Live and in full effect on Soul Train. Superb.

24 July 2014

derrick and patsy - 'housewife's choice'

Hot weather needs music to match. Here's some classic ska. A bit of trivia for you here. This tune was released in 1961 and Derrick Morgan was once number one through to number seven in the Jamaican charts. He also had a legendary and quite nasty feud with Prince Buster. Things escalated to the point that the Jamaican government stepped in to try to calm tensions between their respective fans.

23 July 2014

mazzy star - 'sparrow'

What better way to end a long hot day than a bit of Mazzy Star?

22 July 2014

david gates - 'if'

Better known as the lead singer with Bread but he carved a pretty successful solo career too and there's no denying his voice is quite incredible. This is a perfect example and chosen by my girlfriend for this blog post.

21 July 2014

maya jane coles - 'wait for you (feat. tricky)'

With Maya Jane Coles and Tricky collaborating there can only be one outcome: a smash-hit tune.

lorde - 'tennis court (diplo's andrew agassi remix)'

Diplo had a bit of fun with Lorde's track 'Tennis Court' as you can tell by the remix title. It's certainly a lot less 'in your face' than the usual Diplo fayre although there's still a few trademark touches that give the game away as to the production. I do wish Diplo would do more of this and leave the noise-fests to Major Lazer (where he does it so well).

sinead harnett - 'no other way (ryan hemsworth remix)'

I'm not sure how this song sounds like blasting out of the radio but with headphones on it's an absolute beauty. There's so much going on, not just with the main orchestration but bubbling under with the minor asides and little beeps and whistles too.

terry callier - 'ordinary joe'

I've had this tune stuck in my head all morning.

20 July 2014

neneh cherry - 'naked'

Taken from her highly acclaimed latest album and it's easy to see why the plaudits have been so great.

wanda sá - 'adriana'

The perfect authentic bossa nova sound for a Sunday evening, I think.

daniel steinberg - 'let me down (tube and berger remix)'

How about something warm and disco-y for a humid Sunday afternoon. It's made me realise that I haven't listened to enough Daniel Steinberg of late. That won't do. It won't do at all.

the sugarcubes - 'birthday (icelandic version)'

I still remember the first time I heard the 'Life's Too Good' album for the first time at Uni. Ground-breaking. It still sends shivers up my spine. The quality on this video isn't too good but I fancied playing the Icelandic version for a change.

19 July 2014

everything but the girl - 'single (brad wood memphis remix)'

The day that I tire of listening to EBTG is the day that I check out from this world, I think. This is the remix of the 'Walking Wounded' track appearing on the 'Adapt Or Die' remix album a few years later.

18 July 2014

leftfield - 'phat planet (mark knight and funkagent remix)'

If you're trying to get the Friday feeling then this should help. A minimal remix of the Leftfield classic.

george smith - 'i've had it'

Northern Soul. That's what's needed.

reverend gary davis - 'death don't have no mercy'

Sometimes he gets overlooked when other mid 20th century blues artists names are mentioned but he fully deserves to be included with the greats. This song seems appropriate in light of recent world news too.

17 July 2014

emilie nicolas -'pstereo'

I have some very good friends at the Chvrches gig at Somerset House tonight and they emailed me to ask if I'd heard of Norwegian singer, Emilie Nicolas, who is the support act tonight. The answer was 'no' but since then I've rectified that and have enjoyed checking out her music. Her brand of power-rock is very Lykke Li, Fever Ray, Zola Jesus. I like her sound a lot.

avi buffalo - 'so what'

The world needs more fey, jangly guitar pop. Here's a quick dose of the hard stuff.

16 July 2014

gulp - 'vast space'

The 405 website describes this as Super Furry Animals meets sultry songstress. I think that description is pretty much spot on and this album is going to be a sure fire summer hit - at least in my household. It's a perfect match for the weather and I'm eager to hear more of their music.

*Makes note to pop down to Rough Trade East this week to buy album*

lydia ainsworth - 'psi'

Oh, hello! This is right up my street. The first release from her debut album, also called 'PSI' comes Ms Ainsworth with a very radio-friendly tune. Soaring vocals and some very clever synth playing makes for a wonderful tune.

john grant mini-desk concert

17 minutes and 20 seconds worth of John Grant performing a mini-concert at his desk. That's my lunchtime sorted!

the beta band - 'b+a'

It doesn't get much better than this classic.

15 July 2014

gui boratto - 'the joker'

His 4th studio album, Abaporu, is due for release in September and ahead of that this is the first release from it. I think the new album is definitely on my most wanted list after listening to this techno cracker.

au pairs - 'headache for michelle'

One of Britain's finest late 70s post-punk bands who combined razor-sharp wit with gold-edged lyrics and basslines that some more popular bands would have sold their souls for.

14 July 2014

mogwai - 'letters to the metro'

Not your usual shoe-gazer material from the sublime Mogwai but still as beautiful as ever. This is a bit of an oldie now, from their album 'Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will'. Is it really 4 years old already?

sharon van etten - 'our love'

She doesn't do mediocre, not her tunes, not her videos. It's tunes like this that make me such a big Sharon Van Etten fan. This is the latest from her album 'Are We There'.

ben watt - 'the levels (feat. david gilmour)'

A true A-list collaboration here with Ben Watt on vocals and acoustic guitar and David Gilmour on - to be honest, I'm not sure what the instrument is called but it's kind of synthing and produces a pleasant melancholy wail.

I'm really doing the tune a disservice with that opening line, apologies about that. It's a lovely folky tune that tells of memories and domesticity.

13 July 2014

lykke li - 'gunshot (paul thomas saunders remix)'

Now this is the kind of music that suits Lykke Li so much better than her more recent power ballads (I'm not including anything that she's done with David Lynch in that criticism - David Lynch is beyond reproach). This track, Gunshot, is still kind of a power ballad but it's got more of an 80s bass to it rather than the contemporary 'whomp the bass to eleven and heavy on the kettle drums'. I particularly like the synth on the chorus. I'd compare it ever so slightly to the Eurythmics around '85 but only in very small parts. Lykke Li doesn't do retro for retro's sake thankfully so this track has her mark all the way through it.

Paul Thomas Saunders is a well-respected producer and musician and Brighton-based too, I see. Now that's really cool! His own album released earlier this year is well worth checking out too.

the who - 'love reign o'er me'

Without a doubt, my all time favourite Who track. I take great pride that my hometown of Brighton plays such a large part in the movie Quadrophenia but large parts of the soundtrack leave me feeling somewhat detached. No such problem with this, the last (or is it penultimate track?) on the album. It's also perfect music for a rainy Sunday morning such as this.

12 July 2014

super furry animals - 'juxtapozed with u'

It was the word Juxtaposed in my previous blog post that reminded me of this classic tune from the incomparable Super Furries. Pop music never sounded so good.

little dragons - 'pretty girls'

Must be something in the air tonight. Another slightly disturbing video. This one juxtaposes zombies and beauty pageants. It's interesting that's for sure and I was paying so much attention to the video that I forgot about the music. It deserves a listen all by yourself so watch and then listen for double the pleasure.

wife - 'heart is a far light'

There is something about melancholy music that I find irresistable. I've always found it quite soothing, even uplifting. This is a case in point. It reminds me in parts of that album by Hurts.

triad god - 'so pay la'

This won't be everybody's cup of tea but I think it's something quite wonderful, ethereal, dream-like and more than a little sad from London/Chinese artist Triad God. I'm not quite sure what the video is saying but it's hypnotic.

gus gus - 'obnoxiously sexual'

This comes with a NSFW warning as there's a little bit of nudity. It's the new Gus Gus tune and there's no relenting in the quality even after all these years. Musically, it's nothing too out of the ordinary, another corking electro-pop tune. Understated, beautifully produced and a lovely crisp, clean feel to it.

tommy ramone 1949 - 2014

The last and arguably the sanest of the original line-up has died at the relatively young age of 62. So long Tommy and thanks for the music. Here's 'I Want To Be Your Boyfriend' on which he drummed and also wrote.

an absolute goldmine of live concert recordings re-mastered

Big thanks to FACT mag website for the heads up on this Youtube channel with over 13,000 live performances re-mastered and with new videos being added all the time. Allman Brothers, Who, Blondie, Iggy Pop, Neil Young, Bob Marley, Springsteen, Teddy Pendergrass, Talking Heads....you name it they've got it. I think I've died and gone to heaven.

Just go here for the Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/musicvault

Here's Patti Smith at Capitol Theatre 1979 with the Springsteen-penned 'Because The Night'.

damian lazarus - 'neverending (m.a.n.d.y. & alexkid nonstop remix)'

It's certainly hot enough here for some Ibiza-tinged techno so let's go for it. Full on techno.

ken2-dspecial - 'el condor pasa (e muria's cumbia version)'

The world needs more Japanese reggae. I'm the very proud owner of the album 'Reality Bites' from which this comes from. Proper Saturday music and no mistake.

11 July 2014

ian dury and the blockheads - 'what a waste'

Just because it's a great tune.

bat for lashes - 'skin song'

This comes courtesy of Pitchfork website. And to be honest, if I were to write the background to this song, I'd only be re-arranging their words so I'll cut the middleman and copy them here. And if you want to see the full article on their excellent website then please click here:

In 2015, an album will be released for a new project called Body of Songs. The LP takes a variety of artists and explores how medical science can inspire music—each track is about human anatomy. For an example, check out Natasha Khan's contribution, the Bat for Lashes track "Skin Song".

What about the tune itself though? It's downtempo and definitely one for those who like their songs to tell a story. It reminds me of the more serious early 80s Kate Bush album tunes but lacks a hook, or maybe the chorus is a little too ponderous. I can't quite put my finger on it but it's not doing it for me at the moment. I'll give it a few more tries over the weekend and see how I get on.

10 July 2014

raze - 'break 4 love'

Oh my! What a tune this was. Ah...the memories.

09 July 2014

interpol - 'all the rage back home'

I mentioned a little while back that they have a new album in the offing. Well....here's the lead track. It's classic Interpol! Great stuff.

jenny lewis - 'the voyager'

I'm very pleased to read that she has a new album out, also called 'The Voyager' out at the end of the month and I'll definitely be looking out for it. Here's the title track and I wonder if the tempo of the song, slow, anthemic is a portent of the mood of the upcoming album.

tricky - 'nicotine love (feat francesca belmonte)'

He's only gone and done it again. This is why I love Tricky so much (despite his live performance debacles). With a new album 'Adrian Thaws' out in September he's released the first track from it and it's a slow-boiling masterpiece. I love as well that he's never afraid to reveal himself in his music - the autobiographical album titles alone tell a story of a man still with unfinished business where his past is concerned.

07 July 2014

murlo's landscape mixtape

I've been overwhelmed by this mixtape. It's just so beautiful. Murlo's his name. Remember it well.

roni size - 'made in korea'

He's back! Mercury Prize winner Roni Size has a new album Takekontrol and this is the first track to be released from it. It's not so introspective as some of his previous albums, in fact it's pretty much full on. It's nice to hear him mixing it up a bit and the drop on this is a big drop indeed.