Elliot Smith – In the lost and found
I needed somethign mellow this morning to soothe me after what has been a long week and I came to this. It is taken off the excellent, if bleak, album Figure 8.
Elliot Smith was a talented but troubled guy. Posting Joy Division a few days ago made me think of him.
Jill Scott – Family Reunion
I love this song’s warmth. It is languid and full of rich imagery. Every time I hear it I feel like I am at the barbeque, eating the green potatoe salad, listening to uncle Jerome and watching Cousin Ruby shaking her good hip and body.
It is taken from the excellent album Beautifully Human, which has a paricularly good cover (the backdrop of this video).
Tom Vek – C-C (You set the fire in me)
A bit of a blast from the past today, with Gideon Coe mentioning on his show that this guy was going to be releasing some new material soon. This happened while I was procrastinating about what to post, so it seemed like a sign and who am I to argue with the cosmos? I really like it anyway. It has a slow burning quality that builds to a compelling finale.
I was taken aback by the strange experience of hearing this track (by a relatively obscure English songwriter) playing in a musty thrift store in Los Angeles a few years ago. Sorry for the somewhat naff video, couldn’t find anything better.
Athlete – Westside
Another favourite from University. This was my soundtrack for many a rainy walk to a math lecture.
I also had a memorable night watching these guys play at the Spring and Airbrake (that takes me back) what seems like an eternity ago (probably 2004 or 2005).
I never really had much love for the white stripes. They were a bit too strange for my liking. However, I was out and about trying to raise some hell recently and a DJ played this. It might have been the most perfect marriage of song and mood I had ever experienced (I was the better for a few pints of Guiness).
Short, energetic and raucous – if you need to get your blood racing, I suggest giving this a look. Also, the retro Lego video is a winner.
/RjK
Much to my delight I found a mint condition 45 of this in my local thrift store on Saturday. It is a great song, one of my very favourites of the 2000’s (perhaps less of an accolade than I mean it to be). At the time of it’s release (2005) I could very much relate to the sense of yearning for something different I heard in the song. I still love it – an atmospheric, relentless anthem.
Doves are great live band and having seen them 3 or 4 times they have never disappointed. They put on the best visual show I have ever experienced. You can see some of that from the video here, which is very arresting and clearly gave some inspiration to Little Comets.
I was big on Josh Rouse while at university culminating in seeing him play an excellent gig what seems like a lifetime ago in Belfast. I had subsequently forgotten about him somewhat.
This track, taken from the album of the same name, shuffled on to my MP3 player this week and reminded me how much I enjoyed it. Gentle and contemplative, it made me think of some happy times gone by.
/RjK
I love this song’s simplicity…
/RjK
It’s funny how music can transform you to a different time and place. Sometimes even a different world. I first heard this a few days after moving to California from Belfast and found it very striking. Now every time I hear this I return to that time of my life. To feeling like that naive guy – full of fear and wonderment, exhilarated and out of my depth in equal measures.
Maybe that is the reason I am fond of this but the fact it is a snarling anthem both relentless and compelling also helps.
/RjK