This song is just fucking awesome. I will never forget the day I heard it for the first time.
By the Pixies off the album 'Doolittle' (1989).

This is not about musical talent. More just the funniest thing you might ever see.
Please enjoy

. rush

This song was shown to me by a great friend. A warrior of mighty musical variations. I had heard of Rush before, but they were quite far down on my list of music to listen to. This song has made all excuses wasted, and should do for most people I hope. I absolutely love the Gary Numan- esque synth sound that they have going. This song is called Tom Sawyer off the 1981 album 'Moving Pictures'.

My best friend is coming back home for two weeks. This song is perfect for occasion and the weather. It's a simple song, off a beautiful album, mentioned before on CellarDoor. It's 'My Best Friend' by Jefferson Airplane off the album Surrealistic Pillow (1967)

nick cave always and forever

In 2007 Grinderman hit the world of Nick Cave fans with fists of poetic hysteria. I'm in that world, and loving every punch. Please close your eyes and open your ears. This is Heathen Child off the simply titled album Grinderman 2 (2010)

I am currently obsessed with the artist Link Wray. I always knew of the song 'Rumble' which is awesome, but now I'm getting into his other music. Wow!! I cannot get enough. I love the rough surfer sound, it's sheer musical wonderment! Anyway because I love dinosaurs so much, here is the song 'Dinosaur' off the album Jack The Ripper (1963).

Two posts ago, I mentioned songs that get covered by a bunch of different artists. I forgot to mention 'I Put A Spell On You' which is one of those amazing songs that you can never get sick of.

Screaming Jay Hawkings wrote the song in 1956, which I will add last, mainly for impact as it's the best version in my opinion.

Here is Nina Simone's very famous take. God what a voice.



This is Creedence



Nick Cave, does my favourite cover.



I grew up watching this movie over and over. This is just for fun from the movie Hocus Pocus, with Bette Midler singing.



Marilyn Manson's (urgh)



Many others have done covers including the very awesome Bees. Also the Animals, Jeff Beck, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Iggy Pop, Bonnie Tyler, Katie Melua (I'd rather have cat aids thank you- side for RSR) and many others.

But finally here is Screaming Jay Hawkins. I suggest watching to the end, it really is phenomenal what this man can do with his voice.

Here is the Editors. They are most osomo. Here is In This Light and on This Evening, off the 2009 album of the same name.

Transformation

This post is simply about a song that gets spread across so many different bands. Examples are Sweet Jane, Hallelujah, Like a Rolling Stone and so many other amazing songs that musicians can't help but make covers of. So I'm going to post every version of a song that I can think of. See if you think its too much, or an amazing transformation. The song is Have Love Will Travel, orginally written by Richard Berry in 1959.

Here's the original.



This is The Sonics version- and possibly the most famous cover.



Here's Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi's take on it.



The Black Keys, of course. I particularly like this version because it's so heavy on the bass.





Paul Revere and the Raiders did a cover too, but there's no YouTube clip, and I'm too lazy to look for another one, but it's pretty cool. Bruce Springsteen preformed it live a couple of times and according to Wikipedia, there are a bunch of other bands, one of which is a Japanese band called The Portugal Japan, I have never heard of them, but I intend to find out more. I am trying to slowly immerse myself in the world of Japanese rock.

Many of my friends feel that Genesis is not an easy band to listen to. They are completely right, you really have to have an emotional connection to them to withstand the scattered and maniacal perfection of their music. For me it lies in the album Selling England by the Pound (1973) and the song In The Cage off the double album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974). The song is about a man who falls asleep, a sleep so deep he's close to death. In this dream he is in a cage of stalactites and stalagmites. He calls for help from his dead brother who is beyond the cage. His brother wont help him as he is in a different world, finally he scatters himself into a million different pieces and flies from the cage and is dead. He can now join his brother. Well thats my interpretation. See what you think

This song, along with Human League's 'Don't you want me' pretty much defined a huge part of last year for me. I will always love Gary Numan, the dirty old man that he is. Anyway, I get quiet emotional when I hear this song. It's 'Are Friends Electric' off the album Replica's (1979).

Here is Jesus and Mary Chain playing Just Like Honey, off the album Psychocandy (1985).

I love early soul music. It's so simple but and so catchy. There's Diana Ross and The Supreme's, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and of course the godfather of soul himself James Brown. Today I'm going to add a song that seems to appear in British Rom-Com's almost as much as The Kinks or Al Green. Smokey Robinson's- The Tracks of My Tears off the album Going to a Go-Go (1965)

Today is for the Blues.

ok I'll start with Robert Johnson- the guy who inspired Eric Clapton and so many others. He's part of the 27's club too. He does that thing that a lot of blues artists do, where not all but most of his songs will start with a very similar riff if not the exact same. Anyway you know him, you love him- here is Me and The Devil Blues.



Earlier I mentioned how blues artists often start their songs with the same riff. Now the people that, to me anyway, are the best at that are The Ink Spots. My father got me into music, but my mother has slipped in her influences along the way. The Ink Spots has been with me since I was little. They did a lot of songs with Ella Fitzgerald at one point too. But for now this is one of the few songs without their famous intro. This is Mama Don't Allow.



one more from The Ink Spots-



Ok Odetta. I love her so much. You can't really describe her, you just have to turn off the lights, lie on the floor and listen. At times I can hear Joan Baez in her voice, or rather while listening to Joan Baez, I can hear Odetta.
Anyway this is the clip that they used in Martin Scorsese's 'No Direction Home' the biopic of Bob Dylan.



Get hold of her albums if you can, but in the mean time here is my favourite clip of her performing with Johnny Cash.



Ok next is Jack Whites bestie- Son House. His tempo is painful but the best part of his music.



There is so much more, but for me the best part of the Blues is discovering and moving slowly through it. Hope you enjoyed this though.

The Bees are nice. I like them. Here is These are the Ghosts off the album Free the Bees (2004). They strike me as a band that are awesome recorded, but you just know that they would be incredible live. Come to South Africa!!!

I am a huge fan of Neil Young. Crosby, Stills and Nash are cool too, but Neil Young is just one of those artists I could listen to forever and not get sick of. This is my favourite song of his. It's off the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969), yes it's long but it's just so good.

I wasn't going to post anything today, I just didn't feel musical. But then my dad put Peter Gabriel's live dvd called Growing Up on, and it was very loud and it was very awesome. I have always been a Peter Gabriel person, as opposed to a Phil Collins one. In fact, if I remember correctly just the other day my friend David and I were in a pub called Kimberly Hotel, shouting at the tv very loudly 'Put the microphone down Phil Collins! Get back behind your drums where you belong! No body likes you anymore!' There may have been a little more slurring involved but I forget such things. Sorry back to my point, an ex introduced me to Genesis and I've loved them since, also I think Selling England by the Pound was voted number one Prog Rock band of all time, but don't quote me. It's weird seeing Peter Gabriel old though... getting distracted. This song is from his solo career off the album Up (2002).

This song is perfect for this weather. This is my I'm a white girl who can sort of, but not really rap song. Anyway this is of course the awesome Skee-Lo I Wish (1995).

right. so last night I got quite drunk because I was sad that I missed the band The Easy Star All Star's, they played at the local watering hole for hipster sluts and mental midgets, most call Assembly. Easy Star All Stars are this awesome band that do dub/reggae covers of Pink Floyd, Radio Head and some unknown guys called The Beatles (?). Anyway today I will not post a song from them- I'm just saying I got drunk because I was sad I couldn't see them. And now it's Happy Hangover Day!! So I'm listening to my favourite hangover musics, namely the SOundtrack for Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The song I'll post will be........Oh Girl by Evil Superstars.



ok one more! this is I Wanna Be Your Dog by the ever loved Stooges. Best hangover music.

yay for fridays! today is something chilled and old school. Everyone knows who DJ Shadow is (if not check out Endtroducing (1996) it's in the Guinness Book of Records as the first album made entirely from samples of other music.) Anyway he got together with Dan the Automator (Handsome Boy Modelling School- check it out)and produced an album using music from 70's Bollywood movies by brothers Kalyanji and Anandji. Anyway the collaboration was entitled Bombay the Hard Way (1998) and has tracks with the names 'Swami Sufari' and 'Fists of Curry'. It's an awesome album- the kind my dad-who hates electronic music- totally loves. Anyway this is my favourite piece from the album, hope you dig it as much, and please wait for the beat.

Happy Wednesday!

This song by Jefferson Airplane off the album Surrealistic Pillow (1967), has had me transfixed for the last couple of weeks. It's a simple riff, but the tone they use on the guitar is amazing. It really is one of those add-to- soundtrack-of-my-life songs, for me anyway  : ). Hope that other people like it as much. I'm not sure what the clip for Betty Boop is, but I think it's kinda cool. If you have never sat on the living room floor and listened to your parents record of Surrealistic Pillow, please give it a try, it's quite an emotional album- not just hippie noise.

This song is off the album The Isness (2002) by Amorphous Androgynous (One of Future Sound of London's many alias's) I have only met one person who's heard of this album and she was the one who gave it to me. As you can see by the hits on Youtube, it's fairly unknown. I love the entire album and really think it's worth the effort to download it. From one song to the next it's very different, which I like. If this hasn't helped you decide on whether you like them, then listen to the Guru Song, off the same album.

Ok one more. This is for one of my favourite girls in the world. It's also Lou Reed, as it is of course Lou Reed Day. Meg is one of the two most awesome Italians that ever happened to the world. The lyrics for this song are pretty rad so make an effort to look them up. It's off the album The Velvet Underground (1969).

Today is Lou Reed day.

Because I haven't added a post in a few days I'm going to add three songs- all Lou Reed. Because its raining and warm and perfect for Lou Reed.

Here is Perfect Day, an obvious choice, yes. From Transformer (1972)



This is Walk on the Wild Side from the same album mentioned above.



And finally, this song sparked my love of Lou Reed. There is a great cover by the Cowboy Junkies (more on them in the future!) actually there are a lot more covers of this song. Anyway the one here is from Velvet Underground off the album Loaded (1970)



More on Lou Reed. If you like him please try get a hold of the double disc album called The Raven (2003) It's a concept album bringing together short stories of Edgar Allen Poe. It features David Bowie, Anthony Hegarty, Willem Dafoe and Steve Buscemi among many many others.

Um.. yeah. The Pixies is my all time favourite band. They seem to be one of those bands that people either would die for, or really don't like. Everyone though seems to love 'Where is my Mind?'. Anyway for those of you who don't know much about their music, I urge you to look beyond 'Where is my Mind?' and 'Here comes your Man.' After all the best thing I got out of a seven month relationship, was a gold edition of Sofa Rosa on vinyl. If it's a little too abrasive at first start with 'Hey' or 'Cactus'. Anyway the song I've posted now is 'Caribou' off Come on Pilgrim (1987)

My life long love affair with Nick Cave

I love this song so much. Personally I prefer the acoustic version. However the lyrics for the original I think are better. If you're a real Cave fan, then watch the live performance from St. Lukes - I just love watching him swagger.

Oh- this is off B-Sides and Rarities (2005) Disc 1.

OK the reason why I first took interest in Holly Miranda is because one of the guys from TV on the Radio (who I absolutely adore) produced her album and Jaleel Bunton and Kyp Malone (also TV on the Radio) feature. This song is off Magician's Private Library (2010). Hope you like. And if you don't know Tv on the Radio here is a little taster.

Día de los Muertos

OK this is less about the music and more about the video. Enjoy kids! Happy Día de los Muertos!

I love this band. They're what I call Japanese Adventure Rock. Yes, I'm now inventing my own genres of music... wait, maybe it already exists. Nope it doesn't. Yay! Ok I hereby put my flag all over that term. Anyway, this song is awesome. They are awesome, and I love Dinosaurs.

hmmm... ok one more for tonight, then bed time, well green tea, arrested development and then bedtime. For those of you who live in caves this is a song by The Raconteurs (with beloved Jack White) called Carolina Drama from Consolers of the Lonely (2008). The whole album is Osomo.

Second time success

So there is a clear break since my first few posts and now. Truth is I forgot what I called my blog and was too lazy to figure it out...
anyway SONG FOR THE DAY- YAY!!

this song is my ring tone and I quite simply cannot get enough of it. It's off Lucky Shiner (2010). Wikipedia doesn't offer much info on Gold Panda, but I'm excited for more of him in my life. If you like this, you'll also enjoy his song 'Same Dream China'.

Li'l Red Riding Hood

Stumbling

Like any twenty-something without a proper job, the Internet is like a third, more worldly parent to me. I have a facebook account (sad face) and youtube and wikipedia have robbed me of months of living that should have been in the sun or trying to fix the world or something. Instead I've been hovering over my keyboard with zombie like enthusiasm, occasionally laughing at fat people and The Oatmeal. But then one day a totally radical thing occurred!! Someone, some amazing person, told me of this thing called stumbling. It has opened a whole new world to me, so many more ways for me to waste my precious time on earth which should be spent reading Tolstoy or learning Spanish or making sandwiches for the poor. "Nay!" I say! I shall Stumble instead. So you have to ask yourself one big question. Have you Stumbled?

If not click here. 

Cannonball

So Kim Deal is basically a musical goddess. The end of the Pixies was a sad day indeed. Although this song by The Breeders lends itself to one of the top ten most amazing bass riffs ever created.