America – Horse with no name
America seemed like the right band to post on July 4th. Happy Independence Day to my American friends.
It’s also a pretty good song in it’s own right. It has a quintessentially 70’s sound, and I love it’s mellow sound and eccentric lyrics. It’s another track I know well from my father’s mixes which we listened to during long (and hot) car journeys to and from France and Spain on family holidays in my youth.
The L.O.X. – Recognize
This has been speaking to me today. It classic hip hop – strong rhymes over a great beat. It was produced by DJ Premier, a true hip hop hero and maker of many amazing beats. Also, Jadakiss’ easy bravado and lyrical dextrerity is top notch here.
L dot O dot X dot at the end…
I thought I would summarise the blog so far as I reach the mid-point of my year and head for home so to speak.
5 favourites that I didn’t know in January:
Jai Paul – BTSTU
Yeasayer – Ambling Alp
Miami Horror – Holidays
Delorean – Stay Close
SBTRKT – Hold On
A couple of other things I love:
UNBELIEVABLE and joyous video: Nguuni Lovers Lovers – Christmas Kitui
Another great video (for a very different reason): Van Halen – Jump
Anyway, thanks for sticking with me. Feel free to leave some feedback. Here’s to another great 6 months.
Peace.
The Flaming Lips – Race for the prize
This feels apt today. It is 4 minutes of pure sunshine. I have just spent the afternoon enjoying some spectacular London weather and am about to head out and RIP IT UP (East London watch out). This is the perfect thing to speed me on my way.
It is also post number 183 which marks the exact mid point of my year in youtune. Thanks for sticking with me. It’s been so much fun thus far. I hope you might have discovered some good music, I know I have found more than I imagined possible in January.
David Bowie – Modern Love
As I approach the half way point of my 365 day odyssey, it was gnawing at me that I hadn’t posted David Bowie yet. It was yet again another case of too many great tunes to choose from.
I love this track because it is so energetic and 80’s – a floorfiller. It is impossible to hear this and not want to shake your booty. It is taken from Let’s Dance, one of my most played LP’s.
SBTRKT – Hold On
I clearly have no idea what Dubstep music is. Can anyone enlighten me? This, apparently, is dubstep. I image it to be significantly more energetic and raucous than this. But you live and learn. Clearly I am nowhere near hip enough to get it.
Anyway, labels matter little to me. All that matters is that I really like it. SBTRKT (like subtract I think), apparently performs in the mask he is sporting in the video above.
This is a little bit bubblegum but it is infectious and hard to dislike. It is a favourite party song, being relentlessly upbeat and catchy. It also has a purity that is sadly missing in more recent music.
Yuck – Get Away
This is just fresh. I haven’t been so excited by a song for a while. It is energetic, rich and textured, and I think the video is great. It kind of reminds me of Jai Paul, in that the sound is so bold and brimming with modernity.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have been over the past few days (while not distracted by Glastonbuty).
Eels – Susan’s House
The last of my 3 Glastonbury posts, Eels are playing tonight. They are a bit of blast from the past for me. Susan’s House is taken from Beautiful Freak, which was one of the very first records I ever bought. I loved this track, it is so mellow and filled with strange and meandering lyrics, I found it captivating.
People say that back then, she really wasn’t that crazy.