nosaj thing - 'eclipse/blue'

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It's a trippy little number that sounds like it's a mash-up of Radiohead remixes (this is a good thing) and features a wonderfully minimalist video by Daito Manabe. It's also the first single from their album 'Home' released in early 2013. One to look out for, for sure.

rhoda dakar - 'landlord'

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By all accounts Ms Dakar is one of the loveliest singers you could hope to meet. I'm glad because I've always had this idea that she's a cool cookie.

the pipettes - 'pull shapes'

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A great tune from 6 or 7 years ago by a Brighton band with more line-up changes than the Drifters. Why did they ever have to ruin a great concept with a career-change towards disco?

beach house - 'wild'

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Very nice although I think I need to watch the video again and then I might understand it.

jungle fire - 'comencemos (renegades of jazz remix)'

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The Saturday night get-your-groove-on continues with something a bit more laid back, a bit more grown up, a bit more the type of tune you could take home and introduce to your parents. Don't worry though, it's still as funky as a 3 week old pair of Bootsy Collins' underpants. The vibe is jazzy with a strong Latin accent and a horn section that rocks.

dj rhiannon ft. clinton sparks - 'nasty bitch (trap remix)'

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Two raunchy videos in one night? Fuck yeah! This is straight out of the Major Lazer school of dance tunes. It's a floorfiller, it's in your face and it's insanely catchy. Oh and it's NSFW....but you knew that already didn't you?

lovage - 'stroker ace'

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Some would probably say that it's a bit early in the evening for some laid back vocals over a trip hop drumbeat but I've long been of the opinion that any time of the day is the right time for great music. And if you throw a sultry female with a sexy French accent then that would be lovely too.

Let me just add as a postscript that this comes from the album 'Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By'. Has there been a finer album title in the history of recorded sound?

para one ft. jaw - 'when the night'

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What better on a Saturday night than a dirty, funky tribute to late night chat lines complete with mostly undressed ladies fellating gherkins and bananas. I think you'll like this song but, as you can probably guess, the video is definitely NSFW. 

smith and mighty - 'bass is maternal'

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And I'm adding this, just because.

barry adamson and nick cave - 'sweetest embrace'

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After a bit of a drinking session with a good friend that I hadn't seen for a long time, we inevitably ended up watching Acid House. It's an acquired taste. This is part of the soundtrack, a dark tune for a very dark film.

isaac hayes - 'hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic'

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Taken from his 1969 super-smash 'Hot Buttered Soul' and produced by Stax co-owner, no mean musician himself Al Bell. Marvell Thomas (son of Rufus and brother of Carla) also had a major part in this. The song itself is longer than the title which takes some doing but the concept of the album was to explore some of the deeper reaches of soul music and there was a free-form feel to it making it feel almost a jazz piece.

depeche mode - 'useless (kruder and dorfmeister remix)'

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It's a classic, for sure.

michael mayer - 'lamusetwa'

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Every once in a while you hear a dance tune that makes your drop. This, the 2nd track from his new album 'Mantasy' is a case in point. Michael Mayer never ever disappoints.

xxyyxx - 'about you'

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It doesn't get more languid than this. Great tune, mind just don't put it on at a happy hardcore gig.

philip selway - 'a simple life'

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He shocked a fair few people when he released this solo album a year or two back. Drummers really shouldn't be this good with a guitar and microphone. The radiohead drummer's album is a beautifully constructed collection and has got nowhere near the recognition it deserves in my opinion. This is the third track from 'Familial', I hope he doesn't leave it too long before another.

soft cell - 'so (warm acid edit)'

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If you ever get a chance, have a listen to some Soft Cell B-sides and you'll find that they were often as good as the other "proper" side of the record. 

ike and tina turner - 'rock me baby'

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No denying the both of them had talent to spare.

pau casals - 'bach cello concerto no.1'

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Music is my passion and even more considering that I possess no musical ability whatsoever. I managed to just about play the bugle when I was in the 5th Worthing Boy's Brigade when I was a child but I was, frankly, rubbish even at that. I can't DJ and my singing voice is not pleasant. This talent void makes me appreciate those who have genuine abilities. 

My girlfriend introduced me to the music of her fellow Catalan Pau Casals, recently. A multi-instrumentalist, he found fame and fortune as one of the great cellists of the 20th century. I've listened to quite a few performances on Youtube now and there is, underneath the genius of his interpretations a lingering melancholia and it's not difficult to see why. He was a proud Catalan and fiercely outspoken against the Franco regime that killed so many of Casal's fellow countrymen and oppressed many more. His disgust of this oppression and the lack of response from other nations meant he was unable to return to his homeland after exile in the 1930s. The defiant speech "I Am A Catalan" given to the United Nations in 1971 when he was a very old man is an extremely moving spectacle and he delivers it with grace and dignity. 

Here he is in 1974 playing the famous Bach Cello Concerto number 1. 

As a footnote, his christian name was Pau, not Pablo as he was referred to in his lifetime. Pau is a Catalan name, Pablo is the Spanish equivalent. 

abi wade - 'heavy heart'

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One of the benefits of being up and about early is the feelgood factor of catching up with new music as you sit in a dimly lit room getting lighter and lighter with the sun rising on this cold morning. This has certainly lifted my spirits.

terry callier 1945 - 2012

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Another great that I never got to see in concert. I think I may have seen him at a festival a few years back but I never really liked festivals and lack of sleep and too much alcohol always made them forgettable experiences. Sorry about that Mr Callier, my fault entirely. Back to the great man and I'm proud to say that he was extremely well regarded over here in the UK and collaborated with British artists old and new who looked to him for inspiration again and again. Here he is with Beth Orton at the Jazz Cafe performing 'Dolphins'.  

I wouldn't be doing him justice if I didn't also add a track of him on his own. Here he is with a wonderfully tender "What Colour is Love?". I'd just like to point out that this is a live recording in 2005, over 30 years since he first wrote it and sounding as heartfelt, as fresh, as beautiful as when it was first performed.