David Bowie – Young Americans
David Bowie is 65 this week! It’s hard to imagine him as a pensioner. I doubt he will make much use of his free bus pass.
This perhaps isn’t his absolute best but it is so damn catchy I can’t resist it.
/RjK
Monthly Archives: January 2012
Top 30 of 2011
As promised, I have put together my favourite 30 songs in (rough) order. It was quite challenging to do it and I would probably make a different list tomorrow but it is a good reflection of the music that moved me most last year.
As ever for me it is a mixed list. Some old and new and some things that I discovered and re-discovered in 2011. Let me know what your big tunes of 2011 were.
1) Jai Paul – BTSTU – Based: London. Released: 2010. In a word: Hypnotic.
2) Nguuni Lovers Lovers – Christmas Kitui – Kenya. ?. Joyous.
3) M83 – Midnight City – France. 2011. Urgent.
4) Jóhann Jóhannsson – The Cause Of Labour Is The Hope Of The World – Iceland. 2011. Substantial.
5) tUne yArDs – Bizness – New England. 2011. Vivid.
6) Fox the fox – Precious little diamonds – Holland. 1984. Kitschy.
7) Paul Simon – Spirit Voices – New York. 1990. Dreamlike.
8) Arthur Russell – This is how we walk on the moon – New York. 1994. Otherworldly.
9) Phantogram- Don’t move – New York. 2011. Adroit.
10) Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Ffunny Frends – Portland, Oregon. 2011. Incessant.
11) Darondo – Didn’t I? – San Francisco. 1973. Bold.
12) Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Round and round – Los Angeles. 2010. Raffish.
13) Washed Out – Feel it all round – Georgia, USA. 2011. Languid.
14) Donald Fagen – I.G.Y. (what a beautiful world) – New Jersey. 1982. Charming.
15) Teena Marie – I need your lovin’ – California. 1980. Audacious.
16) Napoleon – Cleopatra – Sweden. 2008. Exuberant.
17) Air France – It feels good to be around you – Sweden. 2011. Sunny.
18) The Bar-Keys – Open your heart – Memphis. 1980. Funky.
19) Bibio – Lover’s carvings – England. 2011. Radiant.
20) Yeasayer – Ambling Alp – NYC. 2010. Relentless.
21) Best Coast – The sun was high (so was I) – Los Angeles. 2009. Hazy.
22) Low – Silver Rider – Minnesota. 2005. Ominous.
23) Graham Parker and The Rumour – Heat Treatment – London. 1976. Raucous.
24) Fitz and The Tantrums – MoneyGrabber – Los Angeles. 2011. Retro.
25) Miami Horror – Holidays – Melbourne, Australia. 2010. Ebullient.
26) Curtis Mayfield – Move on up* – Chicago. 1970. Coruscating.
27) Mr.Fingers – Can you feel it? – Chicago. 1986. Powerful.
28) Kanye West – Spaceship – Chicago. 2004. Clever.
29) Tears for fears – Everybody wants to rule the world – Bath, England. 1984. Retro.
30) Japandroids – Young hearts spark fire – Vancouver, Canada. 2009. Vigorous.
* Joint #1 for all time
RjK
1st January 2012
Kate Bush – A Coral Room
Hello 2012!!
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday and has recovered from last night’s festivities. I am back to London, feeling refreshed and ready for a big year (and for some great music).
This was probably my favourite song of the final months of 2011. It is taken from Aerial, Kate Bush’s staggeringly good 2005 album which I happily revisited over the autumn. It had slipped my mind when I posted her earlier in the year. Cloudbusting is pretty good too.
Put your hand over the side of the boat and what do you feel?…
I am currently working on my top tunes of 2011, look out for that tomorrow. It is proving quite challenging to whittle it down to a sensible number.
RjK