Monthly Archives: May 2011

Kelis – Millionaire

I just think this song is cool. When Kelis first comes in her vocal is smooth as silk.
Papa I’m a millionaire, but I ain’t moving in the right direction.
Perfection…
/RjK

9th May

Scott Walker – Jackie

The sad news today about John Walker of The Walker Brothers made me think of this.

It is another song from the mythical paternal mix tape that is the distillation of many long car journeys in my youth to and from the Continent on family holidays. It is perhaps the song I most vividly recall – full of such eclectic and colourful lyrics and full of such flamboyance. This maybe a product of it being a translation of a song orignally sung in French by Jacques Brel.

Both Scott Walker and The Walker Brothers made some great music and are well worth some investigation.

If I could be for only an hour, if i could be for an hour every day.

Jeff Buckley – Last Goodbye

Sunday is always a more circumspect day for me. I have wanted to post this for a while and it seems like a good choice today, with it being a little less spritely than the music I have posted in past few days.
It is taken off the staggering Grace, one of the first albums I was truly mesmerised by. It is so moving, full of angst and steepling vocals. Jeff Buckley’s was a tragic story, which makes the album even more poignant.
I have heard rumours recently that a biopic of his life is to be made in the near future.
/RjK

7th May

A Tribe called Quest – Can I kick it?

It’s Saturday so I wanted to post something that makes me happy and I would want to hear at a party. Also, it is a while since I posted any hip hop. So I did the calculation, cranked the handle in my brain and it spat this out. It also puts a smile on my face and makes me want to move when I hear it. You can’t ask much more from a party anthem.

Dodgy – Good Enough


A couple of days ago I posted an REM track from the first album I remember purchasing. It got me to thinking about the music I liked when I was younger than I can now imagine, before De La Soul blew my mind and opened my eyes to the world of music beyond the limited horizons offered in Northern Ireland in those days. It was a very rich seam of music to mine and expected plenty of music from that era in the coming weeks and months. Britpop may seem a little naff now but you can’t fight nostalgia.

Also there has been some remarkably good weather in London over the past few weeks. I thought it would be good to post 4 minutes of pure sunshine to mark this rare phenomenon.

/RjK

Aside

The Beatles – Revolution

I thought it best to post something slightly less esoteric today. I don’t think there can be many more things as ubiquitously popular as The Beatles. And rightly so.

I agonised about which their songs to post. They made so many great records, from the earlier trailblazing pop to the later, more conscious and world-weary stuff like this. It was all great.

In the end I went for this as George Harrison’s guitar is so startlingly good good. Also, it still sounds really fresh and raw which, given that it was recorded 43 years ago is quite an achievement.

Nguuni Lovers Lovers – Christmas Kitui


And now for something completely different! A few things inspired me to post this by Kenyan band Nguuni Lovers Lovers:

1) It is JOYOUS

2) Paul Simon – As I mentioned I have been listening to Rhythm Of The Saints endlessly recently and the fact it features world music heavily inspired me to do some investigating.

3) Tom Ravenscroft – As I mentioned in a previous post he played a song by these guys which was captivating and motivated me to hunt them down.

4) The video – HOW amazing is it? The couple dancing together in time fills me with such happiness. I need to find myself a dance partner and bust out some of those moves one evening. London won’t know what hit it! Not to mention it generally charming old-fashioned and low budget feel.

5) Sammy – My good friend commented on last night’s post from Namibia. This is for you buddy. I am more jealous than I can convey.

I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I have been.

Aside

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – Don’t do me like that

I think this is a great rock and roll song. It really reminds of a very happy year I spent having the time of my life in Berkeley, California.

Aside

FM Belfast – Underwear

FM Beflast are an Iclandic electro pop band. Interesting name for such a band. Not sure where it came from. Any ideas?

It feels like a while since I posted something fresh. It has a typically Scandinavian sound – simple and fun.