FaltyDL* – Straight and Arrow (NAT)
This one’s a grower. Some song make me instantly fall in love with them and other it takes me some time to realise that I like them. This was in the latter category. What really drew me in was the vocal sample, it’s so smooth and hypnotic but also urgent at the same time.
The song’s mellow nature has been a welcome calming influence on me as it has been a manically busy week so far.
/RjK
*Artist #564
The Supremes – Love is like an itching in my heart
Classic Motown. As I have mentioned before The Supremes are my favourite Soul Band (maybe even my favourite band full stop) of all time. It just doesn’t get much better than this.
Love is like an itching in my heart and baby, I can’t scratch it…
/RjK
The Walker Brothers – The sun ain’t gonna’ shine any more
The reason for posting this is that Scott Walker, lead singer of The Walker Bothers has a new record out next week. Interesting note about the band – none of them were originally called Walker nor were any of them brothers, I kind of like that though.
They are favourites of my Dad’s and were staples of his summer mixes, particularly the eccentric Jackie which I posted last year. I also really like their sound, it is perfectly 60’s.
/RjK
Neutral Milk Hotel* – Two-Headed Boy (Helen Chandler guest post)
This is such an intense 4 and a half minutes of a song. Jeff Mangum beats the acoustic guitar like it’s a percussion instrument and shout-sings the often mystifying lyrics and you feel like you could get drunk and sing along.
Two-Headed Boy reminds me of a time, a few years ago, when I seemed to want to shout it at the top of my lungs whenever I got drunk with my friends. I think they got sick of that pretty quickly.
Jeff Mangum played Whelan’s in Dublin earlier this year, after rescheduling from November 2011. I couldn’t make the new date, but I heard that he played this song and wished that I could have been there, whiskey in hand, enjoying its fierce intensity.
/HC
*Artist #563
Haim* – Forever
This is fun. It reminds me of the 80’s female singers that I was exposed to by my dad when I was very young. Gloria Estefan or Neneh Cherry maybe (which reminds me I should probably post something by them soon too), which is no bad thing.
Haim are from Los Angeles, California and are made up of three sisters.I like the video here too, it complements the song well.
My only reservation about this song it that my dad also introduced me to it. I thought that trend had reversed long ago! He has recently discovered Spotify which means he probably hears more new music than I do.
/RjK
*Artist #562
Mylo* – Sunworshipper
I wanted to dial up something soothing to ease my fragile state and this is what I came up with. It also really reminds me of my year in Berkeley and in particular being in a similarly delicate state while driving out of Las Vegas.
It is taken from Mylo’s classic Destroy Rock and Roll album which still makes me want to MOVE whenever I hear it.
/RjK
*Artist #561
Dee Lite* – Groove is in the heart
At a really old friend’s wedding today so I wanted to post something that I might hear later on. This is classic wedding reception fodder…
Groove is in the heart…
/RjK
*Artist #560
Werkha* – Le Roitelet (NAT)
I really like the contrasting sounds in this track from Manchester DJ Werkha, which is out on the Cool Kid Music label. The energetic, ultra modern beat and the languid, silky smooth vocal (there is also something alluring about French too, right?) shouldn’t really compliment each other but somehow they just do.
/RjK
*Artist #559
Broken Social Scene – Sweetest Kill
A mellow, sombre track to steady myself in the middle of a busy week. It is taken from Canadian band Broken Social Scene’s fourth album Forgiveness Rock Record which was released a couple of years ago.
In other news I went to see The Picture of Dorian Gray last night in the Abbey Theatre. As you might imagine it was fairly dark but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
/RjK
Sly and The Family Stone* – Can’t strain my brain
I have been on the listen out for some Soul music as it probably has been under represented on my personal playlist of late. It will always be my fist musical love by my inner magpie has been drawn to things shinier of late.
This is taken from Sly and The Family Stone’s 1974 album Small Talk. It’s just a perfect later soul/funk track. Super smooth vocal and just a hint of horns. Doesn’t get much better than that.
/RjK
*Artist #558