The Dynamic Four* – Let’s Make Love

Reggae music is something I keep meaning to explore. It is one of several genres (along with maybe Bluegrass, Jazz and Blues) I feel like with some concerted effort I could really get into. To date I have hardly posted anything but that is something I intend to fix in 2013 if possible. If only there were more hours in the day to listen to music!

This is taken from a compilation on Soul Jazz records called Studio One Roots (in this case volume three). I stumbled across it on YouTube a while ago and have been enjoying it since. I have found it’s laid back charm to be a particularly good way of calming a racing mind.

/RjK

*Artist #594

Gardens & Villa* – Neon Dove


I spent all weekend listening to this track from Gardens and Villa, a bunch of five college friends hailing from Santa Barbara, CA. Their name is taken from the street on which they reside and the washed out, lo-fi music they make also reflects this setting. It reminds me a little of a long, sunny day at the beach (not that I get to enjoy many of those in Dublin).

Gardens and Villa:

 /RjK

*Artist #593

Aloe Blacc* – I Need A Dollar

This track was released a couple of years ago by Californian singer Aloe Blacc. I liked it at the time but had forgotten about it until I heard it played in a bar while socialising over Christmas.

/RjK

*Artist #592

Franz Ferdinand* – Take Me Out

My choices have taken a rather esoteric turn of late so I wanted to return to something slightly more recognisable, for a day anyway!

I was reminded of this track after stumbling across a YouTube playlist compiled by 6music (the best radio station ever). It celebrates their 10th birthday by compiling “100 of the greatest tracks to have been released in their lifetime”. It still has an all time great intro and such a catchy guitar riff, it’s a dancefloor classic and the stuff that indie dreams are made of…

/RjK

*Artist #591

Melbourne Metro Trains* – Dumb ways to die | (GPF)

Wikipedia is a dangerous place! I have lost hours of my life meandering about it’s vast expanses. Those are hours I’m never going to get back. I got stuck in a bit of a wiki rabbit hole last night, first stumbling across Internet memes which in turn led me to this track. Don’t even ask!

Randomly it’s a public service announcement from Melbourne Metro Trains. While it’s very simple, I can see why it went viral. The hook has completely infected my brain and I have been unable to shake it all day. It should come with a health warning of it’s own!

/RjK

*Artist #590

Roosevelt* – Sea | (NAT)

This is a nice and light. A perfect summer tune! If only the weather matched the vibe of the song. For some reason the adjective that comes into my head when I hear it is Balearic. Not if this is at all accurate but it somehow seems fitting.

Roosevelt hails from Cologne, Germany and is signed to the Greco-Roman record label. When choosing his DJ name he obviously wasn’t thinking of how to optimise for use with search engines! Hence I don’t know too much about him. But sometimes that’s okay.

/RjK

*Artist #589

Fela Kuti* – Water No Get Enemy

As I mentioned at the weekend I have noticed a World Music deficit of late. I have been researching and listening to as much as I can in order to try and close this gap.

You won’t be looking into the genre too long before coming across Fela Kuti. The Nigerian troubadour is veritable world music royalty and a pioneer of Afrobeat music. He also found time to be a prominent political activist and all around interesting chap!

I really like how this track contrasts most of the other African music I have posted so far. I tend to be drawn to relentlessly upbeat, energetic sounds. This is much more languid and funky, and those horns are irresistible!

 Fela Kuti:

/RjK

*Artist #588

Oasis – Champagne Supernova


There are two reasons why Oasis have been on my mind recently. Firstly, I was at a pub quiz and one of the questions was “what were the band Oasis originally known as?” The answer is at the bottom, kudos if you know it, it was news to me.

Secondly, someone referred to the Wonderwall Generation in my company (I am kicking myself that I can’t remember the exact context, I think it was sporting). It made me smile initially and then I realised it was a pretty apt way to think of the mid-90’s and probably that I am not far off being a part of said generation.

I have somehow only featured Oasis once so far, posting the peerless Slide Away what is now nearly two year ago! Champagne Supernova is also a classic and perhaps a slightly unappreciated one compared to Don’t look back in anger and Wonderwall, the two biggest hits off the seminal 1995 album (What’s the story) Morning Glory. True story – it was the first ever CD that I owned.

Someday you will find me, caught beneath the landslide in a champagne supernova in the sky…

There is the added bonus of a pretty epically 90’s video here too…

/RjK 

**Oasis were originally know as The Rain

Sigur Rós – Njosnavelin



I thought something mellow was in order to help cope with the jarring prospect of the first Monday morning of 2013. The ever-soothing sounds of Sigur Rós will do just the trick.

This is taken from their 2002 album ( ). There is a pretty apt video here too, which I take to be their native Iceland. Hopefully the combination will help ease the pain a little.

/RjK

William Bell* – I Got A Sure Thing

I can be guilty of getting distracted by things that are shiny and new. As I mentioned yesterday, as part of choosing my 30 favourite tracks of 2012 I also reflected on the music I have posted recently. Just as I realised that I needed to post more World Music, I had also been neglecting my first musical love, Soul.

This has been somewhat addressed by posting James Brown, Fontella Bass and The Impressions over the past fortnight, but I can still never get too much Soul.

William Bell is a favourite who I was surprised that I hadn’t posted already. He is from Memphis, Tennessee and made his name on the hometown Stax label alongside such other great as Otis Redding and Issac Hayes. I first heard his music unwittingly, as he seems to be a favourite of hip hop producers who seem to sample him extensively.

A few years ago I had the thrill of fulfilling a dream and visited Memphis and Soulsville USA, the Stax rexording studio which is now a soul music museum.

Soulsville USA:
/RjK
*Artist #588