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Radiohead's In Rainbows album sleeve
2007-11-15 13:12:00
as I've just been sent Radiohead's album sleeve, here it is:and here's my favourite track from the album, which is their best since OK ComputerRadiohead - House Of Cards (link to buy the discbox and buy the download or get it for free if you wish)
More About: Album , In Rainbows , Adio , Rainbows , Sleeve

I hate live recordings except for this one
2007-11-13 12:04:00
I mean, what's the point? It's like taking a photo of a painting through the window of an art gallery at night, when the lights are off.I see there's a Garth Brooks compilation out in the UK this week. This gives me an excuse to post one of my favourite songs of all time, The Dance. It's such a great lyric and, I think, the right philosophy to have about relationships (better to have loved and lost...). The original studio version of The Dance is almost perfect but if you want that, buy the album. I've posted a live recording - one of the few I like - where Garth manages to preserve the basics of the original version, while the crowd of what sounds like millions sing along to every word. It's incredibly exciting.Garth Brooks - The Dance (Live ) (there is basically no Garth Brooks music on iTunes at present)The Dance was written by Tony Arata. You can hear his version of the song and buy his CD at CD Baby.
More About: Hate , Cord

almost a month on, I can officially announce that the best track from In Th
2007-11-13 11:03:00
is Mielato by Patrizia LaquidaraPatrizia Laquidara - Mielto (not on iTunes UK so here's a link to iTunes Italy)
More About: Track , Month , Anno , Mont

Put A Penny In The Slot by Fionn Regan
2007-11-09 16:15:00
I first heard Fionn Regan when Jonathan Ross played this track on Radio 2, and it's still my favourite track of his. Now it's his new single.Fionn Regan - Put A Penny In The Slot (iTunes)

Anna Ternheim
2007-11-07 12:08:00
Anna Ternheim is playing some UK dates soon. More details on her MySpace.I love her track Shoreline. I first heard it in a weirdly sped up version which I downloaded from somewhere or other. It's a cover of a song by Broder Daniel who were described to me as a Swedish equivalent of The Stone Roses - i.e. very influential on Swedish guitar music without achieving massive sales.Anna Ternheim - Shoreline (Radio Version) (not on iTunes UK yet)Anna Ternheim - Shoreline (sped up version) (definitely not on iTunes)Broder Daniel - Shoreline (iTunes)
More About: Anna

Andrea Bocelli's greatest hits
2007-11-04 19:35:00
Bocelli is brilliant.My two favourite tracks are Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro) obviously, and I Believe.I Believe didn't make it on to his current Best Of album so here it is:Andrea Bocelli - I Believe (iTunes)
More About: Greatest Hits , Hits , Greatest , Andrea Bocelli

two great but very different records for fireworks night on Monday
2007-11-03 04:24:00
The Force & Styles record is probably my favourite happy hardcore record. I heard it first on John Peel.I've never been sure about Embrace but the closest I came to being sure about them was this song.Force & Styles - Fireworks (not on iTunes sadly)Embrace - Fireworks (iTunes)
More About: Great , Night , Monday , Records

Leona Lewis
2007-11-01 22:23:00
I had written Leona Lewis off but Burning Love is one of the singles of the year.This could also be a no. 1 for her if released - a cover of Run by Snow Patrol recorded for Radio 1's Live Lounge yesterday.Leona Lewis - Run (click here to hear the whole Live Lounge session on Radio 1 Listen Again for a limited time only)click here to buy Burning Love on iTunes

David Ford
2007-11-01 14:32:00
I'm a big fan of David Ford . I like the passion and the vitriol. Here's the best track from his new album, a real anthem called I'm Alright Now which I think is his new single in the UK. And the best track from his debut album, which was one of my favourites of that year, I Don't Care What You Call Me, in its full glory (over six minutes long).David Ford - I'm Alright Now (iTunes)David Ford - I Don't Care What You Call Me (iTunes)

Paul Simon dance bootlegs
2007-10-30 16:01:00
I really love both of these but I'm posting the links now mostly so that any recent visitors to the blog know it's not just about country music.Paul Simon - Diamonds Dub by Tangoterje (iTunes link for the original, and a link to buy the vinyl)Georgie Glamour feat. Simon & Garfunkel - Silence (iTunes link for the original)
More About: Dance , Bootlegs , Paul Simon

Alison Krauss
2007-10-30 14:56:00
is a wonderful pure-sounding vocalist who is about to have a no. 2 album chart entry in the US and the UK with Robert Plant.Other blogs have featured tracks from that album so here are some classics from her catalogue.Her early compilation Now That I've Found You was successful in the UK, and paved the way somewhat for the later success of Eva Cassidy, then Norah Jones, and then Katie Melua. A great cover of Baby Now That I've Found You was the single which I think I'm right in saying was playlisted by Radio 1. Her cover of Keith Whitley's song When You Say Nothing At All was also great, and inspired Ronan Keating's later hit version. I bet that's the first mp3 blog post to mention both Ronan Keating and Katie Melua.Her cover of The Three Bells was on an album called Tribute To Tradition that only seems to be available second hand at present. It's a straight cover so I've posted the Browns original as well, but they're both magical. When you're as good as Alison , you can a...
More About: Alison Krauss , Kraus

country music death no. 2: Frank Callari
2007-10-30 02:57:00
Frank Callari has also died. Frank managed Ryan Adams and Lucinda Williams so here are two of their best tracks.Ryan Adams - New York, New York (iTunes)Lucinda Williams - Greenville (iTunes)
More About: Music , Country , Country Music , Death , Frank

country music death no. 1: Porter Wagoner
2007-10-30 02:25:00
Porter Wagoner has died. I don't know Porter's own material that well but he helped bring Dolly Parton to America's attention and inspired her song I Will Always Love You - two amazing claims to fame as far as I'm concerned.Dolly claims that Elvis Presley wanted to record I Will Always Love You but this fell through when Dolly refused to give up a share of the writing credit on the song. Maybe it was karma when, many years later, Whitney Houston made it one of the biggest hits of all time. Whitney or whoever did the vocal arrangement could have asked for a share of the writing in the new version because they add some wonderful melodies.Porter Wagoner - I've Enjoyed As Much Of This As I Can Stand (iTunes)Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You (iTunes)Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You (iTunes)
More About: Music , Country , Country Music , Death , Porter Wagoner

Cham - Ghetto Story
2007-10-26 16:57:00
I've had this track on my computer for 18 months but I've only just round to listening to it properly. What an incredible vocal.Cham - Ghetto Story (iTunes)

Republic Of Loose
2007-10-26 16:18:00
I was pleased to see that Republic Of Loose have finally found a champion in the British press in Lisa Verrico.They are a truly amazing live band on their day, and Girl I'm Gonna Fuck You Up from their debut album is a solid gold classic as far as I'm concerned.Republic Of Loose - Girl I'm Gonna Fuck You Up (not on iTunes so here's a link to buy the album from Amazon)

(If You Want It) Do It Yourself
2007-10-25 02:52:00
(If You Want It) Do It Yourself is a really brilliant Gloria Gaynor track that should be much better known. There's a dance version soon to be released so perhaps the original will be better known before long. Wonderful verse, awesome chorus, a lyric that says a lot, and I'm not normally particularly interested in videos or YouTube clips but skip forward to 2.05 in the below and you'll see why I've posted this one:Gloria Gaynor - If You Want It (Do It Yourself) (iTunes - and there's at least one awful re-record on iTunes as well so make sure you buy the right version which clocks in just under six minutes)

Midlake (updated)
2007-10-19 12:07:00
I didn't like Midlake until I heard playing in a second hand clothes shop the other day (thanks to Shazam for identifying it for me).Despite having grown up an indie kid, I don't really get that whole North American indie intelligentsia Arcade Fire/Interpol/Shins/Bright Eyes thing apart from a couple of tracks here and there. This is one of those tracks - it's kind of beautiful.It also reminds me a little of The Last Time I Saw Richard by Joni Mitchell, possibly my favourite track from possibly my favourite album of all time, BlueMidlake - Bandits (iTunes) Joni Mitchell - The Last Time I Saw Richard (iTunes)

Band Of Horses versus Point Break
2007-10-18 10:02:00
Many an mp3 blog has already featured the beautiful track that is Funeral by Band Of Horses , but this is surely the first mp3 blog to point out the similarity with Freakytime by Point Break .Point Break's subsequent single What About Us was glorious too. If Freakytime had been their first single and What About Us their second, I think they would both have been number ones. Unfortunately they released two other rubbish singles first so it was an uphill struggle by the time Freakytime came on. Mind you, Angels by Robbie Williams overcame such problems.Anyway, here's:Band Of Horses - Funeral (iTunes)Point Break - Freakytime (iTunes)Point Break - What About Us (iTunes)
More About: Versus

Warren Beatty vs Carly Simon vs Helen Reddy
2007-10-12 01:31:00
Carly Simon had had breast cancer when she recorded The Bedroom Tapes album, so called because a studio had to be built in her daughter's old bedroom to enable her to make the album.She thought it might be the last album she was able to make, and used it to settle some old scores. There are some wonderful and vitriolic tracks on there, my favourite of which is Scar. You're So Vain is famously rumoured to be about Warren Beatty and I have it on good authority that Warren may also be the old flame who makes an unsavoury appearance in Scar.Carly Simon - Scar (not on iTunes US - which surprises me as the album gave her a commercial comeback there - or UK which doesn't surprise me as the album was barely released here)Carly Simon - You're So Vain (iTunes)I discovered Helen Reddy recently and mistook her voice for Carly Simon's at first.Helen Reddy - Angie Baby (iTunes)

Love Becomes A Savage
2007-10-04 01:41:00
Stephen Duffy's group The Lilac Time have a new album so here's my favourite Lilac Time track, Love Becomes A Sava ge .The Lilac Time - Love Becomes A Savage (iTunes)

Blueberry Pancakes
2007-10-04 01:18:00
I heard this on Colin Murray's Radio 1 show last night. A singer songwriter track with pleasant echoes of the grunge era.Fink - Blueberry Pancakes (iTunes)

Rogue Wave
2007-10-02 02:04:00
I downloaded a Publish My Love by Rogue Wave weeks ago and finally got round to listening to it tonight. I've forgotten why I downloaded it but I'm glad I did - it's good, but not as good as another track I found by them tonight, California.Rogue Wave - California (iTunes)

Good Girls by Wale
2007-09-28 12:14:00
It seems I'm about eight months late on this but I've just discovered it as I was checking out Cousin Cole remixes after someone recommended him. I love it. I think I marginally prefer the remix to the original but both versions are great. And "Good girls never give it up on the first night" is such a great hook.Wale - Good Girls Wale - Good Girls (Cousin Cole Remix)Wale's MySpace (nearly 1.6 million plays)Cousin Cole's MySpace

Bed by J Holiday
2007-09-28 11:21:00
This is no. 5 and climbing on the Hot 100 in the US and I'm sure it will be a huge hit in the UK too. It's good enough to be an R Kelly single! I've stolen the link from the excellent Mixtape Maestro blog. I hope he or she doesn't mind. Nice to see a blogger writing about R&B (there aren't too many doing that, unless you count MIA as R&B).J Holiday - Bed (iTunes)Mixtape Maestro are also pretty early on the new Natasha Bedingfield track which features Sean Kingston. This will be the first single from her second album in the US and I think could save her ailing career in the UK.

Serj Tankian from System Of Down has a solo record
2007-09-27 00:38:00
http://www.myspace.com/serjtankian if you want to hear tracksI will just use it as an excuse to post Chop Suey which was almost unique amongst rock records of the time in managing to be hard, cool, melodic and modern all at the same time. Wonderfully clean sound as well.System Of A Down - Chop Suey (iTunes)
More About: Solo , Record , Serj Tankian , Stem

The Beast In Me
2007-09-26 02:57:00
This is on a BBC trailer at the moment for some drama with the annoying Irish guy out of Cold Feet.What a track though! Covered by Johnny Cash and featured on the Sopranos soundtrack which I guess is where the BBC picked up on it.Nick Lowe - The Beast In Me (iTunes)

The Devil Has All The Best Tunes
2007-09-19 20:02:00
The first record I remember buying (as opposed to having bought for me) was Prefab Sprout's Nightingales/The Early Years EP on 7". It took me a while to get into it but they were possibly my favourite band for a long time.The A side featured a harmonica solo from Stevie Wonder.The B sides were two early singles, released in 1982, prior to their first album Swoon (which is my favourite Prefab Sprout album).I was going to post The Devil Has All The Best Tunes and I even went to the trouble of ripping it from vinyl. But, although it's quite charming, I wouldn't mostly have been posting it because of the title and it doesn't qualify amongst the world's greatest music.Maybe Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone) doesn't either but it did signal the arrival of an incredibly ambitious group who sometimes fulfilled that ambition.Prefab Sprout - Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone) (iTunes)
More About: The D , The Devil

The devil doesn't have all the best tunes
2007-09-19 19:47:00
Christian records are generally very melodic, uplifting, well produced, and occasionally hilarious.And no, I'm not counting U2 et al. To qualify for my Christian list you have to be really brazen about your religious beliefs.Here are six of my favourites:Michael W Smith - Love Me Good (iTunes )Reeve Carney - Think Of You (not on iTunes UK but there is a version on iTunes US)DC Talk - Jesus Freak (iTunes)Newsboys - Take Me To Your Leader (iTunes)Margaret Becker - Clay And Water (iTunes)Matthew West - Next Thing You Know (not on iTunes UK but it is on iTunes US)
More About: Devil , The D , The Devil

The Prophet by CJ Bolland
2007-09-18 02:32:00
I haven't got much to say about this. Just a dated but nonetheless good and evocative dance record that I heard somewhere recently.CJ Bolland - The Prop het (iTunes)
More About: The Prophet

Puressence
2007-09-13 16:58:00
I'm pretty sure it was Puressence who graffittied their name all over Manchester city centre before they were signed. This didn't endear me to them and nor did their first album, although I would probably hear something good in it if I listened again now.I thought their second album Only Forever was great and should have made them one of the line of massive British bands that ran Radiohead, The Verve, Manic Street Preachers, Travis, Stereophonics, Coldplay etc. James Mudrickzi has a really excellent voice.Now they're back on form and about to have a minor UK hit on a small independent label.Here are two tracks from their new album including the single Drop Down To Earth:Puressence - Drop Down To Earth (iTunes)Puressence - It Doesn't Matter Anymore (iTunes)Puressence - Street Lights (iTunes)And here are three tracks from Only Forever:Puressence - This Feeling (iTunes)Puressence - Palisades (not on iTunes yet)