blu - 'lucky'

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Ordinarily, underground hip-hop tends to pass me by without me even noticing it's there. I have a suspicious nature and when someone refers to themselves as 'underground' I wonder what that is a euphemism for. More often than not it's an excuse to be misogynistic or glamourising crime but in this instance nothing could be farther from the truth. The album 'Jesus' by Blu is an extraordinarily subtle album and far more cerebral than most commercial rap. I've been listening to this album all morning and will continue this afternoon, I think it's that good.

elkie brooks - 'sunshine after the rain'

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I don't need to tell you that I'm a self-confessed music geek but I am not (I hope) a music snob. I just love great music, whether it's the songs that makes the hairs on your arms and neck stand up or if it's just 3-minute pop that buries itself deep into your subconscious with an infuriatingly catchy chorus. It's not just an obsession however but also a life-support system. I need music in my life as much as I need air to breathe or water to drink. It rescues me from going insane, it levels me when I need to relax and lifts me when I am feeling low. I won't go into details but I have need of music tonight and I have no idea why but Miss Elkie Brooks is my saviour. 

I've always been big fan, she's had some cracking tunes that have stood the test of time and you can't help but love her voice. This song is perfect, I'm deliberately trying to avoid her more melancholy songs and the sentiment of this particular classic is exactly where I want to be. 

richard hawley - 'she rings the sunlight'

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I had a pretty horrendous commute this morning with a total of 6 train journeys before I got to work. Just about the only thing that saved my sanity was my iPod and my first proper listen of Richard Hawley's 2012 album 'Standing at the Sky's Edge'. I am mightily impressed and kicking myself that I didn't listen to this earlier. Just take a listen to track 1 for instance. How good is this?

i am kloot - 'hold back the night'

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I had a first listen of their new album this morning on the way to work and I think they've proved that they are still on top of their game. I'm looking forward to seeing them play live soon too and am expecting this song to play a big part.

hollie cook - 'and the beat goes on dub'

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This was another of today's CD buys, a Prince Fatty dub remix of Hollie Cook's recent album. Here they are with the Whispers classic. And the beat goes on and on and on. 

nara leáo - 'berimbau (ritmo de capoeira)'

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I couldn't resist it, I went on yet another CD buying spree today. Regular readers of this blog will know of the pact I have with my children - I'm not allowed any more than 7 separate CDs in any one purchase. I went for the maximum allowed and one of them was double CD compilation titled 'Bossa Nova and the Rise of Brazilian Music in the 60s'. It kind of does what it says on the tin but I'd also add that it was compiled by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker so it comes with quality guaranteed. There's no fillers here with those two acting as curators. I've just started listening to it and am mightily impressed so far. This is one of the more subtle tracks, certainly more minimal (please excuse the oxymoron) than most but still as beautiful and uplifting. Let's lift these gloomy Sunday blues.

hafdis huld - 'tomoko'

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This was the very first track of hers that I ever heard and inspired me to go out the next day and buy her first album. I'm so glad I did, of all the Icelandic musicians she has to be just about my all time favourite.

ub40 - 'the earth dies screaming c-g's scars across the land extended edit'

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Inspired by a friend of mine who was trying to think of songs with the word "Earth" in the title I thought of this UB40 classic - back when they were good. And Soundcloud has been my friend because I've found an extended 12 minute edit. Heaven on Earth! (See what I did there?)

saint etienne - 'she's the one (richard x remix)'

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I'm on a bit of a monster session of listening to old stuff today it seems. The latest album on the CD player is the seriously good Richard X remix of Saint Etienne's 'Foxbase Alpha'. It's as good as the original, it really is.

This Grooveshark plug-in is a bit pants, isn't it? It's like something from Napster circa 1999.

808 beats (mixx)

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Great bit of old school hip-hop/breakbeat/electro and a bloody brilliant video to go with it.

holy other - 'touch'

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Or just lie back and think of England. This is the perfect music to make out to.

massive attack - 'one love (biscope boot)'

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Kapow. Straight between the eyes.

debbie harry and the muppets - 'one way another'

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This takes levels of coolness to somewhere scientist don't yet have words for.

ticklah - 'porkeater'

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I must put this up before I go to bed. It popped into my head at work today, no idea why but it's a brilliant tune and that's reason enough.

joan armatrading - 'love and affection'

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I never tire of this song. I just run out of superlatives to describe it. 'Night all.

new order - 'bizarre love triangle (razormaid remix)'

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I'm not bitter about missing out on Kraftwerk tickets...much. Ah well, here's a great band influence by that great band and this is from the uber-rare 1994 remix album 'Substance Abuse'.

brothers in arms

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I'm not a huge fan of the Everly Brothers, for me their music was just a pale shadow of what Buddy Holly wrote and performed. It never moved me, I found it passe and it doesn't date well.  I am however, a big fan of Bonnie Prince Billy and he likes the Everly's a lot. I read recently an article in Mojo magazine where he practically gushed with praise for them. I discovered a great little video about the making of a tribute album where Billy works with Dawn McCarthy. I think it's a nice treat to see how these albums are worked out in the recording studios and musicians' homes and you get to see another more candid side to the artists. 

As an aside, I have long maintained that Bonnie Prince Billy could make a career out of playing frontier town doctors in edgy Hollywood westerns. He's got the right shape head and beard. Someone should tell him.

gang starr - 'who's gonna take the weight?'

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Is this really over 20 years old? Great to see Guru in full flow too.

dj koze and caribou

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I'd love to give you the track name but I don't know it, the record company don't either it seems! He's been away for some time but legendary turntablist and producer, DJ Koze's has collaborated with Canada's Caribou for this extremely lovely tune. It sounds quite Robag Wruhme or Michael Mayer in its construction - the layering, reversing and fades in and out with subtle drum patterns. I do wish I knew what it was called though. 

temples - 'shelter song'

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Ooh - I have a very early candidate for song of the year. I'm really pleased that psychedelic guitar bands are back in vogue and here's a brilliant new band from Kettering called Temples. It's seriously good. Do yourself a favour and check it out.

herbie hancock jamming with quincy jones

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Definitely one for the music geeks, this is a 1984 recording of Herbie showing off his skills on a Fairlight CMI synthesizer and then chatting about his art with Quincy Jones. I see that Youtube also have a similar video of Peter Gabriel doing similar. Oh yes!

northpilot - 'good people (original motion picture score'

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I meant to share this a couple of weeks back, it's a free download from Northpilot although I now nothing of the film it relates to. I'll try to find out and get back to you. It's a beautiful composition that stands rather well as an ambient piece by itself also so if you want to drift away to tranquility then this is the best medicine. 

the everywheres - 'frightened face'

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How about some jangly guitars and an indie sound that wouldn't be out of place in a student uni bar in England circa 1989? I've not name-checked too many bands from Halifax, Nova Scotia before so I'm delighted to be plugging The Everywheres who have a great sound.

andrew ashong & theo parrish - 'flowers'

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Why has no-one brought this to my attention before now? It's a lovely late summer track from last year (yeah right - like we had anything approaching a summer, last year!) and was definitely one that could have been blasted out of the bars and cafes in Brighton when the sun deigned to make one of its rare appearances. It's a 'going nowhere' kind of track that just works because it's fun, it's cool and it doesn't try too hard. I like the little twist at the end too. Wa-wa-wa!

morrissey announces two early re-releases

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He's announced that 1991's 'Kill Uncle' and 1989's 'Last of the Famous International Playboys' will be re-issued later this year but with new accompanying tracks. Great stuff, indeed. Love him or hate him there's no denying that he can write a killer song. 

I remember (although not too well apparently) the first time I heard LotFIP. I was at Uni at the time and had stayed up to watch Night Network (I think). It was one of the first all-night programmes and was a mix of music, comedy and a perennially pissed Rowland Rivron. They had a part of the show where guest musicians would rate the new releases. I seem to recall that the 2 musicians in question reviewing Morrissey's classic were Michelle Shocked or perhaps Marcella Detroit - definitely American and definitely 'alternative' and I think one of those two. The other guest was a poodle rocker and may even have been Slash. The poodle rocker hated it and the alternative Yank loved it. I'm definitely with the lady on this one. It's a brilliant tune.

Edit - It seems that I was kind of right and yet nowhere near. I've actually found the clip on Youtube and it was Julia Fordham in one corner and WASP's Blackie in the other. Fordham grows more despairing at Blackie's bigotry as the programme rolls on. It's worth watching both parts of the video but here's a link to the part 2 with the debate about the Morrissey video, 2 minutes and 30 seconds in. Link here.

adam green and binki shapiro - 'casanova'

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I think they missed a trick here. Adam Green and Binki Shapiro have collaborated in this 60s-inspired love ballad but sadly Adam Green's talents seem restricted to the music rather than singing. It would have been lovely to hear them revive the male/female duet that worked so well up until the 80s.

dj yoda ft. scroobius pip - 'sega rip'

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Anyone of a certain age will certainly appreciate the sentiment. It comes from the heart too.

usha uthup - 'chhupke kaun aya'

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The world is a better place for this Hindi version of Michael Jackson's 'Can't Stop...' by Indian disco queen Usha Uthup. Turn this one all the way up to eleven and dance round that living room. That's an order.

jan driver - 'l-xtra (harry axt remix)'

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Do I play enough techno on here? I'm not sure I do, you know. Of late, this blog's definitely taken a folky turn. It's no bad thing, don't get me wrong, I just don't seem to listen to techno as much as I used to. Let's make amends with this monster of a tune. It's not minimal, it's not deep, it's pure 100% techno and incredibly infectious. Who's Harry Axt? I hear you ask. Why, it's none other than all round good guy Daniel Steinberg. This tune is just the business. Sock it to 'em Harry.

the killers - 'hotel california'

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Yes, it's that 'Hotel California'. I love singing along to this in the shower. The Killers sound like they had a lot of fun recording this too.

bonus points

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This is quite possibly my favourite album bonus track ever. I am sure I've posted it before but it's so good that I'll happily re-post it. It's from the Menahan Street Band's 'Make The Road By Walking' album and is known simply as track 11. It's heaven, that's what it is.

depeche mode - 'heaven'

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Depeche Mode are streaming the first track to be released from their upcoming new album 'Delta Machine'. They've pitched it somewhere between 'Violator' and 'Songs of Faith and Devotion' and promised remixes from Matthew Dear and Blawan. The deluxe album edition will also feature photos from uber-cool iconographer Anton Corbijn.

As a bonus I've also come across the B-side to this song called "All That's Mine". Welcome back Messrs Gahan, Gore and Fletcher.

clu ft. gemma dunleavy - 'moonrunner'

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Once again the rail companies have proven that they are unable to run a metaphoric piss-up in a brewery and so I am back at home and ready to start my working day having been up since 6 am and walked in the rain to and from Brighton station. On the plus side, an unplanned detour to McDonalds for a cup of tea meant that I was able to enjoy the in-store blues that they had playing. 

Here's another little gem, a bit of downtempo electronica for you from Dublin two-piece CLU and featuring the vocals of Gemma Dunleavy. It sounds quite retro, it wouldn't have been out of place on a Smith and Mighty EP back in the very early 90s. To say that sound is right up my street is an understatement. It's up my street, in my house and sitting alongside me in a sexy negligee. Okay - enough bad metaphors, let's have the music.

johnny cash - 'help me'

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One of my proudest moments as a father was when my youngest asked for a Johnny Cash biography for his 9th birthday. He's going to grow up a fine man.

moog island

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I like this a lot; simple but incredibly creative. I wish I had this talent. This is Portishead's 'Mysterons' mooged to the max with a bit of improvised editing. 

in the mix

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What a miserable day. I've always disliked Tuesdays but I'm slowly building a particular resentment of this one. I'm going to try to lighten my mood by posting a few tunes that popped up on my iPod this morning. I can't promise it will work but I can guarantee that they are great songs.

iamamiwhoami - 'Goods'

EMA - 'Breakfast'

Tilly and the Wall - 'Hey Rainbow'

ariel pink's haunted graffiti - 'baby'

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Taken from their latest album is a rather dreamy version of a dreamy song, Joe and Donnie Emerson's 'Baby'. It's a risky departure from their edgy image but I think it works well. It suits my mood at this time of night and that time is bedtime! 

pete seegers - 'down in the valley'

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I don't ask for much in life but an ability to sing is a wish that I'll never have granted. I'm not even asking for a killer voice, just one that can hold a note so that I can sing in the shower without scaring the neighbours into locking their pets away for safety. And if I could pick just one tune to be able to sing then 'Down In The Valley' would probably be it. It's an old folk classic with the best known adaptation coming from Leadbelly who re-wrote a few lines to take account of his own prison experiences. Folk historian, civil rights activist and all round good egg Pete Seegers sings the Leadbelly version here with an even more stripped down performance, his guitar picking rising above a loud whisper only at the end of the tune. Beautiful.

hervé ft. katie stelmanis - 'save me'

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This is far more leftfield with a Gothic horror of a tune. Portishead influences are there by the bucketload and with Katie Stelmanis of Canadian band Austra providing the voice, Hervé's latest offering has more chills than the recent cold weather we've had here. And unlike the weather, I love this kind of stuff.

þórunn antonía - 'electrify my heartbeat'

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You might recognise the name from the much lamented band 'Fields' - 4 parts British, 1 part Icelandic with a subtle blend of electronica - too subtle by far for Atlantic Records who cancelled their contract a few years back and precipitating the band's break-up. I'm really pleased to see that Þórunn is back in business. Musically, it plays safe with her radio-friendly voice and standard love song lyrics. The synthesiser really lifts it up above the common herd and somehow gives the voice an extra lift. 

schtummcast010

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A friend recommended I give this podcast a listen and having done so it's only fair that I share it with you too. It's full of deep house loveliness with a really warm feeling to it. 

the quantic soul orchestra - 'assassin'

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How about this for a killer tune? 

tenor saw - 'ring the alarm'

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YES!

elvis presley - 'blue moon'

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After a fun evening watching a God-awful Jean Claude Van Damme film, so bad it was brilliant, we were channel-hopping and came across a documentary of Elvis Presley's Ed Sullivan Show performance in 1956. Quite literally going from the ridiculous to the sublime so I feel inspired to add a song by the King himself. I adore Elvis, I really do and it doesn't get much better than this - a cover of the Rodgers and Hart classic 'Blue Moon'. 

Thankyou. Thankyou very much.

petula clark - 'cut copy me'

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I hesitate to call her a grand dame of the British music scene as it makes her sound like one of those theatrical luvvies but I mean the words not in that sense but with the deepest reverence. This was from a recent EP and shows that she still has the voice and still has an ear for fresh pop. She sounds very like St Etienne here but then again St Etienne sound like Petula Clark so probably best to avoid any comparisons. Ms Clark is the real deal. Do check out too the remix versions online and she has a new album in the pipeline. Can't wait.

lánre part two

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Further to my last blog entry I had a lovely message from Lánre who has sent me a link to the official video of 'Má Gbàgbé' and it's only fair that I share it with you too. She is definitely a talent to watch and I hope she gets the success she deserves.

lánre - 'má gbàgbé'

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Stoke born and Lagos raised; it's a fascinating combination but there's no doubting that it has produced an exceptionally talented female singer-songwriter who draws equally from both country's cultures. 

old school hip-hop heroes

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Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick - 'La Di Da Di'

Eric B and Rakim - 'Paid In Full'

Schoolly D - 'Put Your Filas On'

Roxanne Shante - 'Roxanne's Revenge'

our broken garden - 'breathe'

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Taken from a recent Mojo magazine CD. My favourite Danish band have more than done the Floyd classic justice with this re-imagining. It's got a bit more pace to it than the original giving it an urgency  that changes the mood of the song to one of slight paranoia or panic. It works well.

jimmy cliff - 'vietnam'

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How many Vietnam veterans does it take to change a light bulb? What's that, you don't know? No, that's right because you weren't there man.

jorge benjor - 'mais que nada'

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Why not?

jean wells - 'have a little mercy'

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Old school northern soul never sounded better.

c & c music factory - 'make you sweat team bayside high trap the bass bootleg'

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I know what you're thinking but honestly, this is pretty damn good. I suspect it will divide opinion quite sharply but it has a very fresh and funky feel to it and if, like me, you're a fan of Diplo and his brand of in-your-face-get-off-your-arse-and-dance then you'll know what I mean. 

ed prosek - ''elena'

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Isn't social media brilliant at times? Take this tune for instance. I discovered this Californian born, Brighton based musician via Twitter this week. I I'm annoyed I hadn't heard of him before because his brand of personal, powerful and uplifting music is right up my street and now I've discovered him I'm going to listen a lot more. I'd made a mental note to check out his music last night but having the attention span of an 8 year old with ADHD really doesn't help. Fortunately I remembered this morning after a long session of listening to Townes Van Zandt and the Felice Brothers and Prosek's songs complimented the soundtrack to this Saturday morning magnificently.

sparklehorse - 'shade and honey'

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Sad songs say so much.

unknown mortal orchestra - 'swim and sleep'

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The website ourvinyl.com called this correctly by referencing the very 60s style drumming and classic guitar riffs. To me the vocals also have a retro feel to it also. Is that the ghost of the Manfred Mann band calling? I think this is a great song to sign off with. Thanks for putting up with my spamming tonight.

polly scattergood - 'disco damaged kid'

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Here's a very welcome return from my favourite Essex girl, Ms Scattergood. She's playing Brighton next Wednesday at the Green Door Store and I'm hoping she really mixes it up regarding her set with a healthy mix of old and new. This song is very much new and I think shows that she's really starting to come into her own with her music. It starts somewhat portentously and true to the song title the disco kicks in and hey presto, it's a perfectly crafted anthem. I've said it before but a talent this good deserves a lot of success.

funkenpumpen - 'city bossa cha cha (special tremble vemix)'

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Let's bring the blog back into a party vibe with this track from Dr Funkenpumpen - guaranteed to get your feet tapping and head nodding or your money back  - and Funkenpumpen doesn't do refunds. I've played this possibly half a dozen times on loop and am yet to tire of it. It has that endless quality to it that I love. It reminds me of Marvin Gaye's 'Got To Give It Up' in that respect. This doctor is definitely in the house.

scott walker - 'epizootics!'

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There's leftfield music, there's the down right avant-garde and then there's music that is so far out there that it's out of sight. Who better to take you on that journey than a man who has been doing his own thing for 40 odd years and to hell with everything else. It is of course Scott Walker and this is the first track from his recently released album 'Bish Bosch'. It's nigh on impossible to put a label on this one particular song let alone the entire album. The song titles give a clue as to the exotic flavour but all I can do is urge you to listen to it - actively listen to it - as you would have to with say, Captain Beefheart or Psychic TV. It won't be all plain sailing but it is worth it.

thom yorke - 'hearing damage'

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This Friday night blogging marathon continues, this time with a song that I haven't heard since it was released 4 years ago. Thom Yorke has deliberately sailed away from the mainstream with his solo projects as it has given him the space to experiment...and experiment he certainly has. It's not often been radio-friendly nor has he compromised his art for the sake of accessibility. This tune however, although heavy and brooding, is instantly likeable. It has the signature tune melancholia that English indie dance music does so well and perhaps that's why I feel it and why I get it. 

the only record shop in mauritania

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I've stumbled across a wonderful interview with Ahmede Valle, proprietor of the only record shop in Mauritania. He boasts an extremely eclectic stock that would put a few record shops in the UK to shame and its continued success proves that there is a healthy demand amongst his countrymen. I'm really quite in awe of the man who has made a business out of something that we both love. More power to his elbow, as long there is music in the world then there is hope.

cor de savina - 'requiem p'es sol'

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It's rather trippy but I like it. 

dionne warwick - 'the look of love'

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Quite possibly my favourite version of the Bacharach and David classic with Ms Warwick's golden voice providing the Rolls Royce finish to what is a masterpiece. They make it sound so easy.

happy birthday sade

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She's 54 today and still as stunning as when she burst onto the music scene in the 80s. Suffice to say, I'm a massive fan. I've played this before on my blog but it's worth another airing for a whole host of reasons. I'm still in love with Ms Adu.

omd - 'decimal'

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One of my favourite bands from my formative years have announced a new album, the aptly titled 'English Electric' to be released in April this year. OMD were hugely important to me as a child, it was through them and the likes of the Human League that I discovered Joy Division (who they supported back in the day)  and Kraftwerk and really began to appreciate electronic music.  I love how they flitted between experimental to unashamed pop so effortlessly. If they had been from another country rather than the UK they would have been cited much more often as a great influence but I think they suffered somewhat from the sheer numbers of great bands in the UK at the time that were pushing the boundaries of music far beyond what anyone could have imagined. They're back and I for one am eager to hear the whole album. Here's a sample of the first track to be released so far.

dntel - 'jitters'

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From the 2012 album Aimlessness, this is a rather ethereal piece of electronica that helped me pass yet another long commute to work this morning. It's very much in a Robag Wruhme style and no surprise that he has remixed this and it's rather good too. This is the original in all it's glory. 



wave machines - 'i'll fit'

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Here's the tune I promised you sent via a friend who certainly knows his onions, music-wise. The Wave Machines with some laid back loveliness. 

lomovolokno - 'she'

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A bit of a posting session tonight, I've got a corking tune that I'm going to post shortly but before I do this is an atmospheric bit of trip-hop for you.

factory floor - 'fall back'

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It's Friday night and although I'm at home with my children having a quiet one, I still think of Friday nights as dance music night, it just seems to fit. This is what can probably best be described as minimal electro in that Ladytron/Miss Kittin and the Hacker kind of way and has a tempo that's best played at the business end of a DJ set, not anthemic but definitely one to keep clubbers on the dancefloor. 

soko - 'first love never die'

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It seemed that the Amanda Palmer selection yesterday was very portentous for here is a song that I discovered today that could at a distance sound like one of Ms Palmer's more inward-looking tracks. And the video is quite lovely too so I urge everyone to give this a listen.

amanda palmer - 'no surprises'

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I met a new friend tonight, we had a lovely conversation, I thought and the subject inevitably veered at some point in the direction of music. I mentioned this blog and asked them to pick a song and I promised to put it here. Their choice was most excellent too: Radiohead's 'No Surprises'. Rather than stick with the original I am going to opt for Amanda Palmer's version which features on her album of ukelele Radiohead covers. I have this album on vinyl and it's very dear to me, not least because it took over 2 years to arrive after I initially ordered it. I must have emailed Amanda and her record company and distributors at least 100 times in that period. No worries, it arrived and it was worth the wait. It also came with lots of extra goodies that I still have not touched. The tunes I must have played a thousand times though. 

Amanda has her critics - her often abrasive and confrontational nature, the spat with her record companies, paying of band members with hugs and kisses in lieu of money and that was after she raised funds for the latest album from donations. My own personal bete noire is her Twitter addiction. I used to follow her but it just became far too much. It seemed to merge and become white noise and that was something I really didn't (and couldn't) associate with Ms Palmer. For all her perceived faults - or perhaps because of them - she remains a great role model for female singer/songwriters, her songwriting is up there with the best and of course there's the voice and what a voice it is. I urge people to check out the demo she did of Creep whilst nursing a hangover in Germany. It's on the Radiohead covers album too and widely available on the net. She holds the long note at the end for what seems forever yet over far too soon. I'm really looking forward to seeing her again in concert in a few months time.

I also think she is very sexy. Am I allowed to say that? I hope she doesn't mind, it's meant with the best intentions. She's certainly not a conventional beauty but she has wonderfully striking features that seem enhanced when she shares with us her wit and intelligence. I'm rambling, let's get on with the song. I hope my new friend approves.

syreeta - 'your kiss is sweet'

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I haven't heard this song in a long, long time and still sounds as fresh and quirky as when I first heard it as a small child back in the 70s. I googled her name and sad to say, she died in 2004. It's a shame, for sure.

jedi mind tricks - 'blood In blood out'

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I do like when hip hop looks leftfield for its samples and hooks. This offering from Jedi Mind Tricks takes heavily from Edita Piekha's "Nash Sosed". It's not every day you hear some hard as hell Philly rappers sampling cheesy Russian 60s pop either!