Greatest Hits Volume 1

 

 

A round up of the Greatest Hits of this blog so far ..... my own personal favourite tracks. Over the next few weeks I'll pick what are, for me, the tracks that have struck a chord with me. My friends will tell you I am notoriously fickle when it comes to my "new favourite band .... currently Rhye, by the way) so a track has to be extra-special to stay the course

 

Careful What You Wish For (from the album We Fell To Earth - 2009) - WE FELL TO EARTH

For me, a better band than the much-lauded The XX, this band is known more in America for composing the theme to their version of "The Killing". Sparse, electronic, backdrop behind haunting vocals, they are an excellent live band as well.

 

 

Them And Me (from the album The Alternative To Love - 2005) - BRENDAN BENSON

Although known mostly for his co-writing and performing in Jack White's The Raconteurs, he has been a solo artist of note for some time. In fact, I would go so far as to say he is one of the great singer-songwriters. It is no accident that his songs are actually the best in The Raconteurs' songbook

 

 

 

Lovesick (from the album Real Life Is No Cool - 2010) : LINDSTROM & CHRISTABELLE

 

Hans-Peter Lindstrøm used to play keyboards in a Deep Purple cover band (WARNING: This track sounds nothing like Deep Purple!). Christabelle Silje Isabelle Birgitta Sandoo does not actually record with him. He sends her the music, and she records the vocals. She makes the lyrics up as she sings!

This should make for a totally chaotic album, but in fact produces a modern dance album of quality and distinction

 

Edition 56

 

Black Egg - SNAKE & JET'S AMAZING BULLITT BAND - from the album Stuff That Rotates

 

 



A Danish duo who draw their primary inspiration from 1960s garage rock and surf music, creating tracks with authentically seedy organ licks and rough-edged bluesy guitar. They are not straight-ahead revivalists, though, mixing in a fair amount of raw post-punk attitude and the occasional electronic embellishment to make for a skewed modern take on vintage rock & roll with an unambiguous sense of fun

 

 

 

Crystal Vases - THE LAST ROYALS - from the EP The Last Royals EP

 

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY and previously known as The Early Hours, The Last Royals are yet another duo.  I can go no better than the words of this reviewer "Crystal Vases is a chirpy paean to a failed relationship replete with jangly guitars, handclaps, self-defeat and vocalist Eric James' inherent charisma."

 

That does some up this song exactly!

 

 

 

 

Dancing Shoes - BRODKA - from the EP LAX

 

Proving once again that pure pop music crosses all boundaries, and also a bit of a first for this blog.  Mokika Brodka is Polish ... Monika Brodka won the Polish version of "Pop Idol" in 2004.  Most of her songs are sung in Polish.  This one isn't. This one is simply a glorious pop song that cannot help but cheer up your day

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volume 55

 

Kingfisher Call Me - THE RUBY SUNS - from the album Christopher

 

 

The Ruby Suns combine psychedelic indie pop with world music influences, drawing inspiration from the travels of the group's only permanent member, Ryan McPhun.

 

 

Although born and raised in California, McPhun's thirst for adventure eventually drew him halfway across the globe, where he ventured into Africa and Thailand before settling in New Zealand. Auckland's music scene was rich, and the multi-instrumentalist spent time in various pop groups (the Tokey Tones, the Reduction Agents, and the Brunettes) while fronting his own act, Ryan McPhun & the Ruby Suns. After releasing a self-titled debut under that moniker, the band shortened its name to the Ruby Suns

 

 

 

 

The Queen Bee Is Dead - THE GREEN PAJAMAS - from the album Death By Misadventure

 

 

The neo-psychedelic band the Green Pajamas were founded in Seattle in 1984 by Jeff Kelly and Joe Ross. A lifelong music fan, Kelly began composing his first songs at the age of 11, forming a group called the Electric Garbage Cans; after his parents purchased him a reel-to-reel tape recorder, he spent his teenage years compiling literally hundreds of cassettes of original material.

 

 

After graduating college, Kelly briefly joined a new wave band dubbed the Larch; he met Ross at a party soon after, and formed the Green Pajamas, informed by their mutual love of the Beatles and inspired by the Los Angeles "paisley underground" community.

 

 

This is from their ... wait for it .... thirtieth album.  Not heard them all ... not heard any others, actually ... but if they are half as good as this one, they'll by just damn fine!

 

 

 

 

 

The English Blues - MATTHEW EDWARDS & THE UNFORTUNATES - from the album The Fates

 

 

Now, I've brought you some fairly obscure music in the past, and several that were not available on either iTunes nor Amazon, but few have been as good as this album.

 

 

Matthew is no stranger to the music scene, having relocated from the UK to San Francsisco.  Formerly with a band called The Music Lovers, he put together The Unfortunates and recorded this album, which he describes thus:

 

 

The Fates is post-divorce, post-car crash and post-dreams: A love song to the listless. A black-humored chronicle of a place and a time not so long ago in my past. Of nights spent walking and drinking alone

 

 

Whatver! ... its a pretty ace album!