Cotton Eyed Joe
by Rednex
"Where did you come from?
Where did you go?
Where did you come from,
Cotton Eyed Joe?"

&

5, 6, 7, 8
by Steps
"A cowboy guy from head to toe"

I'm feeling very energetic and happy and hyper and wow. Yes. Um, strange choices... and two of them. I realise that this is UNPRECEDENTED but what can I say? Hyper.

These are songs that I have chosen as choices for Tony to dance to. So I expect for Tony to start dancing to one of these songs very very very very soon. VERY.

Steps link
Rednex link

I'm A Man
by Jobriath
"I'm a man
Light of step and soft of touch
A gentle man"

I got into Jobriath for absolutely the wrong reasons, not to mention the most superficial reasons of all time. Basically, some of the artwork in Velvet Goldmine was based on one of his album covers. And then I read about him and found out that he was a gay glam rock star. Next thing I know, a couple of his albums are on my Amazon Wishlist... and then... OHEMGEE, I own them.

Now, I have actually listened to his stuff... and I am actually surprised by the fact that I actually rather like it. Sadly, there is a bit of a shortage of his stuff on the internet. There's a song I really like called Inside. It's got some amazing piano-playing and his voice sounds lovely... but I could only find that tiny little clip of it. Which is a shame.

Anyway, have a little listen to this beauty.

Listen To It Here <3

Sandy
from Grease
"In heaven forever
And ever we will be
Oh please say you'll stay
Oh, Sandy"

I felt the need to post this one after it came on on the journey to work yesterday morning and Dave and I were just bellowing the lyrics, haha. As many many others, I have always been a big fan of musicals and let's face it; Grease is one of the best. I love 'Hopelessly Devoted To You' more than I can ever articulate.

Seriously though, there is nothing that singing along with John Travolta can't solve. FACT. Speaking of which, I need to phone Wall Street.

You gotta love it when he sings "why-ai-ai-ai-aiiiiii... Oh Sandy" at the end.

Listen To It Here <3

Waitin' For Superman
by The Flaming Lips
"Tell everybody waitin' for Superman
That they should try to hold on as best they can
He hasn't dropped them,
Forgot them or anything"

I probably only really heard this song for the first time this year. I find it somewhat endearing as I do with everything by The Flaming Lips. There's something about the lyrical style that's just very cute. I'm hoping these blogs will get a little more detailed soon. I'm just feeling very very lazy :)

Listen To It Here <3

Just The Two Of Us
by Will Smith
" daddy loves you, daddy loves, you, WOO"

jim says:
i mean, in a way its a really good song for parents
except for the whole
yknow
"just the two of us" part

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen.

jim says:
he's pretty damned handsome for a 40 year old

Have a great Christmas, my pretties!

Listen To It Here

Half-Jack
by The Dresden Dolls
"It might destroy me
But I'd sacrifice my body
If it meant I'd get the Jack part out..."

This song probably spoke to me the most out of anything else off the album. You can have some official brownie points if you can guess how I read this one.

As we all know, Amanda Palmer is utterly inspiring as a pianist, a poet and a vocalist. She is one of the most impressive musicians that I have come across. There is so much expression in the way she uses her voice, not to mention the way she uses the piano - and Brian's percussion adds a lot to the whole mix too!

Listen To It Here <3

Untitled 1
by Brand New
"Well I wrote your name
And burned it
To see the colours of the flame
And it burned out the whole spectrum
As if you were everything
Mine just burned gold
The normal flame
I am not anything

And all I remember
Is the feeling of waking up
We were kids
You were the sun
To which my eyes would not adjust
We were kids
I was a fountain
You could never drink enough

Then came all the boys
Who swept you up
Playing careless with your heart
Every night there was a new girl
Sitting beside me in my car

Something dies when you grow older
But you do the best you can
I am glad
I am glad you found a good man."

A friend of mine covered this ages ago and just recently I came across his cover and absolutely fell in love with the song. The lyrics are desperately sad but incredibly beautiful. They make me very very weepy. This is actually one of the few songs that I think require for all the lyrics to be posted.

Stunning.

Listen To It Here <3

Here's Where The Story Ends
by The Sundays
"I never should have said
That the books that you read
Were all I loved you for"

Dad lent me an album by The Sundays that I hadn't heard before so I've been listening to that and in pure enthusiasm for her voice, I thought I'd go ahead and post my very favourite Sundays song which I remember hearing a long long time ago in a parents car. The Sundays and The Cranberries are actually very very closely associated for me because of childhood car journies.

But yeah, the vocallist in the Sundays has this amazing, high-pitched but beautiful voice. It's kind of dusty too in places... I love it.

Listen To It Here <3

My Little Rainbow
by East River Pipe
"And it's alright now
My little rainbow"

Fred Cornog is, as far as I'm concerned, one of the most talented musicians in the world. I don't feel the need to justify this comment. Just listen to this song.

This isn't even NEARLY one of his best.

Trust Me <3

Missing
by Everything But The Girl
"And can I confess;
The years have proved
To offer nothing since you moved
And you're long gone
But I can't move on
And I miss you
Like the deserts miss the rain"

I chose this song today because it's feeling particularly relevant. I have been thinking a lot about past aquaintances; a fairly dreary topic to be dwelling on, really.

Anyway, I probably first paid attention to this track when I was about 12 and I used to listen to the Crush compilation on tape (a copy my mum had made) in my walkman, at night in bed whilst I was going to sleep. It also some Suede on there which has stuck with me too. Anyway, whilst being astounding... odd-looking, the vocalist has a really beautiful voice; it's so warm and rich. Yum, methinks.

I love the atmosphere of quiet desperation and longing. It's beautiful.

G'wan... Follow this link and have a listen

Electronic Renaissance
by Belle and Sebastian
"If you dance for much very longer
You'll be known as the boy who's always dancing"

I've just been talking to my cousin, who BY THE WAY, is totally awesome and has a fantastic taste in music. His music blog would be far superior to mine. Anyway, he mentioned Idioteque which I posted fairly recently, I believe. And it reminded me of this song as I got into this song at around the time that I fell in love with Idioteque. This song on the other hand reminds me of happiness and winter beaches, romance and happiness. It's utterly happy and gorgeous.

Do you trust me enough to follow the link?...

Listen to it here

Love Shack
by The 52s
"The love shack is a little old place
Where we can get together"

I'm feeling very rough... and this was the first song to pop into my head. I wish I had something insightful to have but the only thing I really have to say about this song is it reminds me of being about 6 or 7, in my mum's car on the way to my birthday party at Charlie Chalks.

Listen to it here

The Power Of Love
by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
"I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door"

My step dad was talking the other day about how this song is considered a Christmas-y song and always makes it onto Christmas compilations, even though the song has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas and actually just has the three wise men in the video. A fair point.

This song makes me want to run in slow motion. I hope that gives you a fairly good idea of what it's like. The vocals are pretty too :)

Just for giggles:
"This song is about true love.the mother & father of Jesus felt true love and she was giving birth to the son of god who had the truest love of all. If you dont understand dont dont posts stupid comments" - A comment there from the wise jeandonoh

Listen to it here, pickle!

Wish You Were Here
by Pink Floyd
"We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground"

I think it was Sam who introduced me to this song. And like I do with so many songs, I became attached to it almost immediately. I love how simple this song is. And the lyrics are really poetic. I rather like the sound of the vocals too... they're not perfect but they're pleasant.

And again, as you may have noticed, I've gone ahead and linked a student video because god knows, I loves 'em. I mean... just look at that guys hat. Genius.

Listen to it here, pickle!

Never Let You Go
by Jakaranda
"I've been waiting just to find somebody true
Somebody like you"

I posted the song from which the sample comes fairly recently. I just heard it in Parent Trap. I wish I had more to say.

Listen to it here <3

Tongue Tied
by Red Dwarf
"Girl, you make me tongue tied
Whenever you are near me
Tied tongue
Tied tongue
Whenever you're in town"

Okay, this song has been stuck in my head forever. I love it.

Listen to it here <3

Tokyo Moon
by Windmill
"The drugs were doing things you already could"

I pinched this album from Sam because the front cover was really lovely. So pinchy pinchy, listen listen and now love love. Love love love love love. His voice is really crazy but I got used to it really really quickly. I quite like high pitched male voices though to be honest... which is why I love Ben Gibbard and Brian Molko's voices.

But in all honesty I was feeling absolutely awful last night and I listened to this album on repeat for about six hours whilst writing a really boring essay and by the end of it I just felt relaxed and content. I love music that can do that to me... mellow me out a bit. God knows I need to be a bit mellower. I absolutely love the song Fluorescent Lights. It's so overwhelming. There's something about this album that puts me in mind of Sigor Ros or Death Cab. I think it's how it all builds up in the background.

Listen to it here <3

How To Disappear Completely
by Radiohead
"Strobe lights and blown speakers
Fireworks and hurricanes"

I'm a big Radiohead fan and have been for a fairly long time, I would say. Mainly I got into them as a result of having friends who were fans but also because my step-dad was... Which at the time was a happy coincidence because it meant I could slowly buy the albums, whilst listening to his copies of the ones I didn't have yet. I've always really wanted to see them live because I can't imagine how thrilling an experience would be. Besides, there is nothing I enjoy quite like live music. Having said that, I've not yet been to a film festival *drools*

Onto the song. I love the whininess of the guitar in this. And Thom's usual mumbliness. I love that about him, mainly because having heard his vocals in Venus In Furs for Velvet Goldmine, I know that he actually has a very impressive mainstream voice but chooses not to use it, which gives him a lot of artistic credit, I think.

Kid A is probably one of my favourite albums... along with Ok Computer. I just love how relaxing and sublime Kid A is.

Listen to it here

Tiny Vessels
by Death Cab For Cutie
"This is the moment that you know
That you told her that you loved her
But you don't.
You touch her skin and then you think
'Yeah, she is beautiful,
But she don't mean a thing to me.'"

I was listening to this earlier in the car. I got the album due to a relationship I was in at the time. And so I think the whole album holds a sentimental value to me. After it ended... and I suppose every other romantic encounter I have had... I have imagined that this is basically the thought that they had... that this song kind of encapsulates my life so far.

It's a really beautiful song though. Ben Gibbard's lyrics are always absolutely poetic... and they have a certain quality to them that makes them so much more hard-hitting. I imagine partly it's the use of quite vulgar words in conjunction with romantic images.

This link probably isn't the best for sound quality... but I feel no shame in admitting that I only picked it for the Lost link. Yeah, I'm a Lostie. And for the record, I hate Jack. And Tom <3>

Listen to it here

EDIT: I actually also hate Kate. John Locke, Benjamin Linus and Daniel Farraday are Gods, on the other hand. There are no nice Lost women. They all get on my nerves.

Delicate
by Damien Rice
"We might kiss when we are alone
When nobody's watching
We might take it home
We might make out when nobody's there
It's not that we're scared
It's just that it's delicate

So why'd you fill my sorrows
With the words you've borrowed
From the only place you've known
And why'd ya sing Hallelujah
If it means nothing to you
Why'd you sing with me at all?

We might live like never before
When there's nothing to give
Well how can we ask for more
We might make love in some sacred place
The look on your face is delicate"

Another bath song. I love the strings in this song. And his voice is gorgeous. I don't remember how I first came accross this song. And I can't describe what it is that I adore about it right now. So, basically, put your faith in me and I promise you'll be rewarded with gorgeousness.

Listen to it here!

Mr Tambourine Man
by Bob Dylan
"Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind,
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves,
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach,
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow."

About an hour ago, I was lying in a steaming hot bath, perfectly still. I was curled up in the corner with my eyes closed and Bob Dylan keeping me company. I've been feeling really bleak for the past couple of weeks but this song made me feel cradled and happy. The warm guitar is so soothing. And the eloquence of his lyrics is absolutely divine, and I have always found poetry comforting.

Earlier this week, I was lying on the beach and quoted my favourite line from Yeats' 'The Stolen Child'. And thinking about it now, Dylan's lyrics are just as sophisticated and gorgeous.

Listen to it here

Please Forgive Me
by David Gray
"Feels like lightning running through my veins
When you look at me that way"

Anyone who doesn't like David Gray is probably associated with baby-murder. This man has a gorgeous voice and his lyrics are utterly sumptuous.

I know I ought to say more than this but I can't bring myself to. This song is so simple and so gorgeous with it.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Dark and Long
by Underworld
"Screaming into the eye of the lens"

I bought Dubnobasswithmyheadman years ago when I saw it really cheap in Woolworths. It was easily the best find of the millenia. However, I only bought it for track six 'Dirty Epic' because I only had an edited version and this one was a full-length version. So I salvaged it and put it on my MP3 player, rather neglecting the rest of it. Then about a week ago, I put the album on in my room. I had all the lights off so the only light was from my laptop and it was just a gorgeous experience, listening to it from start to finish. And out of all of the tracks I think this one is my favourite. Having said that, there is a track called Tongue which is really relaxing. I love this strand of trance dance... it's so soothing. I can just lie in bed in the dark and listen to it and have all these different images wash over me.

I realise that it's not really to everyone's taste but I seriously recommend it; just lying down, in the dark, listening to Underworld.

Yum.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Red Rover
by Rosie Thomas
"Don't let her grow up like her mother
Heart so unconvinced
In a world so undiscovered
Asking for forgiveness
Not knowing how to forgive"

I wrote an essay about the music video for this once. I don't remember what I said... but it's true. So there. I love Rosie Thomas because she totally breaks my heart. I think one of my first blogs on here was one of her songs. This one is sung with her brother and I would like to think that it is very intimate but it's hard to know whether it's written from personal experience or not. Either way, it is another classic heartbreaking Rosie Thomas song. I adore Wedding Day too but I couldn't find that one! I think it's the idea of sadness within this twee picture that makes it so tragic.

I am reminded of One Hour Photo; the way Sy is hit by the tragedy of finding dysfunction in something that seems so perfect.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Harrowdown Hill
by Thom Yorke
"And where's the blood?"

This song is very macabre. It was written about David Kelly who I've actually heard a fair bit about recently, as Sam's mum was telling me about the book she read about him. And this song looks at the big question over him; did he really commit suicide? And if not, what happened? The echo in the vocals gives the song this perfect eeriness, considering the subject matter. And the lyrics are haunting.

You will be dispensed with
When you've become inconvenient
In the harrowdown hill
Where you went to school
That's where I am
That's where I'm lying down

In a way it reminds me of The Smiths' Suffer Litttle Children. It's the eerieness and the beyond-the-grave feel. Plus, the mention of the school gives it a far more poignant edge. It really brings the idea that this was a real person with a family and a past. I love the anger that is conveyed at the injustice of a person's life being taken so lightly, murdered or not. Because of course, regardless of whether or not there was foul play, his name shouldn't have been released to the public.

I can't take their pressure
No one cares if you live or die
They just want me gone

I really adore the rhythm in this one too. But my favourite bit is easily the little piano interlude at 3:37. The way it stands out and the gentle sound of it strikes me as being like a looming question in the back of your mind. It's so gorgeous and subtle but it adds so much to the dynamic of the song overall.

We think the same things at the same time
We just cant do anything about it

We think the same things at the same time
There are too many of us
So you can't count

I think this was Thom's first official solo release, actually. I might be wrong but I'm fairly certain that it was. And honestly, I think it's utterly striking and even more powerful than a lot of Radiohead's work. This song really sticks with you and makes an impression. This has been a really long song blog! I hope you listen to and enjoy the song because it really is exceptional!

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Rise
by The Frames
"Breathing in the night
There's nothing else I'm needing now"

There's something totally blissful about this song. The first time I heard it was over the summer at Elida's dance show. I wrote some lyrics down on my hand and searched them online and nothing came up. Tonight I went to another of her dance shows and they played it again. And this time I was early enough to get a programme, which said the name of the band in it, which made finding the song far easier.

So here it is: the song that makes the hairs on my neck stand on end. The piano is unimaginably wonderful. It skips about in a playfully melancholy way. And it's really breathtaking when the loud strings come in halfway through. And when they dip out and you hear the piano again. The construction is perfect.

Thanks to Dean for finding this one for me because I was having a hard time finding somewhere where you could listen to it!

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Bailamos
by Enrique Iglesias
"Tonight I'm yours"

I remember Enrique Iglesias but I probably couldn't name any of his songs, to be honest. Which is weird because I really love latin music. It's so fun and rhythmic and there is something very tense about it. Earlier this year my family went to see the Zorro Musical in London written by The Gypsy Kings and I found myself close to tears for most of it just because of how heartbreakingly passionate the music is. There's so much emotion in it.

And I love to hear guitars used like this.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

It's My Life
by Bon Jovi
"I'm not gonna be just a face in the crowd
You'll hear my voice when I shout it out loud"

You gotta love that dramatic guy at the beginning of the video "OHEMGEE!" He probably would have got there quicker if he took a cab.

Onto the song. This was on one of those awesome yearly hits CDs I would get when I was a kid and this is one of the songs that I remember sticking out. There were always a few that no one had really heard of but that were really good. There was a song that really stuck in my head one year and I adore it so I'll probably recommend that one tomorrow.

I love how cheesy but rocky this song is. It's got so much enthusiasm and it drips with determinism. And anyone who doesn't like his accent/hair/tight black shirt is daft. Yes, that's right. He's a sex symbol. Having said that I don't like that the video implies some sort of angsty teen message to the song like "Don't do anything for your mum - She only made you! It's your life."

This song is positive and motivational and wonderful.

Also, I like the little piano riff.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Trains
by Porcupine Tree
"Shiny and contured
The railway shines"

jim says:
around the 6 mins mark
jim says:
where the drums kick in again
jim says:
sexy.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Separate Ways
by Teddy Thompson
"And I don't care about you
If you don't care about me"

This song was in the soundtrack of My Best Friend's Girl and it totally blew me away. His voice is absolutely gorgeous. I sure do love haunting voices like these. I wish I had more to say about this but I know virtually nothing about him or the song and to be honest that is probably the best way to listen to a song. All I will say is that this is basically Indie music - acoustic guitar, beautiful male vocals. The lyrics are quite harrowing but in a passionate way... so that makes up for it. If you don't go and listen to this, you are wasting your life. Seriously.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

I Wish I Was A Girl
by Counting Crows
"And I'm going down to Hollwood
They're gonna make a movie from
All the thing they find crawling round my brain"

Would you believe me if I told you that I chose this song for the song and not for this fan video I found? I know I wouldn't believe me. But it's true, all the same, heh. I really love the accent in the vocals in Counting Crows. To be honest, this is the only song other than Colourblind that ever really caught my attention. I quite like the lyrics in this one.

And just because I can't finish this blog without mentioning it; Katherine Moennig is hot.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Hey
by The Pixies
"If you go, I will surely die"

I've been listening to Wave of Mutilation a lot recently and this song popped up in 'Zach and Miri Make a Porno'. And it was so well placed. And ever since I can't really get enough of this song. I associate it with real tension now. Yum. I wish I had more to say.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Sunglasses At Night
by Tiga and Zyntherius
"I wear my sunglasses at night
So I can, so I can
Keep track of visions in my eyes."

I stumbled accross this one back in the days of sitting in front of the music channels for hours at a time. I'm not sure what I was drawn to but I absolutely love this song. Something tells me it probably wasn't the song that caught my attention though. This track has a real Depeche Mode/ New Order feel to it. I really love the old electronic goth stuff you used to get. There's not much of it around now. It's all underground. Having said that, Marilyn Manson is around but he's a bit too heavy for my electro-goth tastes.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Bleeding All Over You
by Martha Wainwright
"Then my mind turns into my heart
And whispers into that dark cave
That I've been wronged"

I don't think I've posted anything off of Martha's newer album. To be honest, it wasn't as good an album as her first. I don't think this album was quite as raw as the first. But I think this song has a lot of feeling to it which is exactly what I love about Martha's songs. A lot of raw passion.

I really like the pity you feel for the character in this song... she really is a very pityful character.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Twist
by I Am Kloot
"Forget all about fact
"Evoke the rich tapestry of love and devotion,
Emote the sweet saccharine of all that devotion,
Forget all about that and fall in this ocean with me..."

I got into I Am Kloot after listening to From Your Favourite Sky in my step-dad's car. I love how broad the accent is. Phwoar. Anyway, I'm not really sure why I picked this one out of all of their songs. I think I have posted From Your Favourite Sky before. And I love Dark Star but that wasn't on YouTube. Um, but Twist is a pretty gross song really. It's got some hint at domestic abuse in it but then all of their songs have a certain darkness to them. Dark Star especially.

I love the tone to this.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Crazy
by Patsy Cline
"Oh.. crazy
For thinking that my love would hold you"

Her voice is so dreamy. I'd like to go to sleep to this song. It's very comforting and relaxing. But beautiful all the same. It's kind of sad to hear a song with so little self-confidence in it though. There isn't really any redemption for her... which is a bit bleak. There's usually a little bit of angst but this hasn't got that.

But it's still gorgeous. So there.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Sunchyme
by Dario G

Just recently I have been listening to this song a fair bit. It's got this amazing cheeriness to it. A feeling of pure contentment, joy and warmth. And that really works in the video too. I actually adore the video. It's extraordinary.

But back to the song, it's upbeat and it's glorious.

Listen to it here

Suffer Little Children
by The Smiths
"Edward see those alluring lights?
Tonight will be your very last night."

I have been a big fan of this song since I first listened to The Smiths all that time ago. I was really into serial killers as a child and so I read a lot about them. And naturally Myra Hindley was one I got to fairly quickly, after Aileen Wuornos and Mary Ann Cotton. What I always found disturbing about Hindley was not so much that she killed children and was a woman (which is what got everyone else) but that she didn't really want to do it - she just followed Brady around like a love sick puppy. Which is a little strange. Brady was completely insane and that so often gets tiptoed over so that people can start cringing about Hindley.

Anyway, enough of that. I actually think I should post all the lyrics to this one because it is so harrowing and poetic that I think everyone should read these words. They are very haunting.

Over the moors,
Take me to the moors,
Dig a shallow grave
And I'll lay me down.

Leslie Ann and your pretty white beads
Oh, John you'll never be a man
And you'll never see your home again

Oh Manchester,
So much to answer for

Edward see those alluring lights?
Tonight will be your very last night.
A woman said, "I know my son is dead
I'll never rest my hands on his sacred head."

Hindley wakes and Hindley says
"Oh, wherever he has gone, I have gone"
But fresh lilaced moorland fields
Cannot hide the stolid stench of death

Hindley wakes and says
"Oh, whatever he has done, I have done"
But this is no easy ride for a child cries:

'Oh find me
Find me and nothing more
We are on a sullen, misty moor.

We may be dead and we may be gone
But we will be right by your side
Until the day you die
This is no easy ride
We will haunt you when you laugh
You could say we're a team
You might sleep but you will never dream...'

Oh Manchester, so much to answer for.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Dirty Diana
by Michael Jackson
"I'll be your everything
If you make me a star"

This is one of my favourite Michael Jackson songs. It has everything in it that I love about his music. It has passion and rhythm, great vocals, atmosphere. I am a massive Michael Jackson and if I keep talking, this blog will descend into rants about his innocence and how he has been bullied. That poor, beautiful, eccentric man.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Too Bad
by Nickelback
"Father's hands are lined with guilt
For tearing us apart"

This isn't exactly in tune with my normal recommendations but I sure do love this song. Just recently Nickelback seem to have become kind of popular but at the same time they've lost a lot of the painful lyrics they used to use. I don't want to use the word depth because I think it would be an exaggeration, but suffice to say that their new stuff is far shallower. I rather like his gruff voice. It matches his face.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Alright
by Supergrass
"We are strange in our worlds"

This song is a classic. It's so bouncy and happy. I finished editing the film that Dean and I have been working on for the last two weeks. This song is as happy as I am feeling :)

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Swim With The Tide
by The Creep Bed
"And the boats that line the shore
Have seen every corner"

If out of all the songs I recommended this year, I had to choose a single one to keep, it would be this. I can't possibly try to argue that I am not at all biased in this case, but it's irrelavent because this song is actually gorgeous. Alex's voice was always had a beautifully haunting quality about it. His lyrics always touched me too; they're so full of emotion. They overwhelm me.

I actually recommend listening to the EP if you get a chance. You can download it here. My favourite track is probably Wax Fruit.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Ticket To the Moon
by Electric Light Orchestra
"And the tears I cry might turn into the rain
That gently falls upon your window"

I always confuse ELO with The Alan Parsons Project because I got into them at around the same time, on a holiday to Falmouth. This song is really pretty. It's from their concept album which also featured the song Here is the News which was kind of funny. I'm not sure if it was meant to be funny though.

I love the lyrics to this song. They're very pretty...

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Travellin' Through
by Dolly Parton
"I'm a puzzle, I must work out where all my pieces fit"

I saw an interview with Dolly Parton on TV recently and was really struck by her. I always felt that she'd been made out to be a really shallow figure in the press. And true, she's not exactly Einstein but she's got such a lot of heart. And it's one of the things that really comes accross in the music she sings. She's got all that American spirit that's so overwhelming without all the dodgy prejudice that usually seems to come with it.

I really love this song because it's got a real message of acceptance and being happy in who you are.

My blogs here are getting quite spread out... hopefully once we've finished this assignment, the pressure will be off a bit and normal service will resume :)

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Nothing Else Matters
by Metallica
"Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters"

I have no idea when or why I got into this song. But as far as I am aware, it is actually the only song by Metallica that I remember listening to. I quite like his voice. It fits really well with the style of song and the sound of the instruments. The style and sound kind of reminds me of a heavy REM, hehe.

This was a very lazy post, I know. But in my defence, I'm not wearing socks. Is that enough defence?

By the way, I adore the instrumental bridge.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Hot One
from Velvet Goldmine
"And you're the grand one
But darling, I'm a mess"

Okay, yes. More Velvet Goldmine songs. I can't help it! I am just head-over-heels in love with this film. It's the most beautiful thing since the Garden of Eden. True. I'm not sure what to say about this song because whatever I say is tainted with incredible bias because I always see Jonathan Rhys Meyers kissing Ewan McGreggor when I hear it.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Here Comes Your Man
by The Pixies
"Take me away to nowhere plains"

I started listening to The Pixies again lately after digging one of their albums out of my collection. I love how they have two distinct styles to their name - one of them being quite heavy, and the other being very upbeat and light. This song is one of the latter. It's very bouncy and beautiful.

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

The Exact Colour
by Pure Reason Revolution
"You've seen the exact colour of my blood"

Um, I've been getting really lazy with this blog but here goes with a post! This is one of the few songs that I actually have on my computer. I took them all off of here a long time ago and now and then I copy some back on. So I have some Martha Wainwright, some 90s dance music, the Rocknrolla soundtrack and then some random songs like this one. I have never heard anything else by them so I won't pretend to have this depth of knowledge or background to offer.

But. I like how this is one of those songs where vocals aren't really necessary because the music is so fantastic underneath. Much like a lot of Radiohead songs. Having said that, the beauty is that it means that the vocals bring in this extra layer, this extra depth which make the song as a whole all the more delicious. Therefore, it doesn't really matter what the vocals are saying so you tend to find that these kind of lyrics make no sense but are just filled with gorgeous words strung together.

REM and Placebo were always a little like that too. Anyway. Enough rambling :)

Listen to it here
And have a nice day!

Big Sur
by The Thrills
"So much for the street lights
They're never gonna guide you home"

This is one of those songs that encapsulates the memory of a summer for me, and an old boyfriend. He really loved The Thrills at the time and recommended them to me. And now I recommend them to you!

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Sunburn
by Muse
"No one ever dared to break these endless lies"

I was thinking today about how much I miss Muse. Showbiz was always my favourite album so I thought I'd pick a track off of that one. I love the passion and the intensity that Muse create. There is a real drama to their songs :)

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Blowin' In The Wind
by Bob Dylan
"How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?"

I don't have an awful lot to say today. I'm incredibly sleepy and so all I will say is that I am feeling a little over-emotional, so I thought I'd pick a song that overwhelms me. This song is beautiful... very gentle but it makes an impact all the same.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

My Sweet Prince
by Placebo
"Me and the dragon can chase all the pain away"

Another Placebo song, I know. But I just can't help it. I was listening to Without You I'm Nothing today which is probably my favourite album because it has this track on it as well as my absolute favourite Every Me Every You. I remember when I first watched Cruel Intentions (which opens with Every Me Every You) and I instantly adored that film for that song being in it. At the time I was a huge Placebo fan and so anything Placebo related was automatically deemed heavenly. Which is why I started listening to The Eels and The Pixies.

But less about that song and more about this one. I love the simplicity and the sadness in this song. It's gorgeous how desperately depressing this song is. I read an interview with Brian once and he said that this song is about his addiction and infatuation with drugs. Although another thing I heard was that a female friend of his wrote the chorus lyrics on the mirror in lipstick before leaving. Which would be "My sweet prince; you are the one".

But I think this is the kind of song that you can let speak for itself really. It means so many different things to me!

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Sirius/ Eye in the Sky
by The Alan Parsons Project
"I aint gonna live anymore believing some of the lies
While all of the signs are deceiving"

This is actually the first two songs from the EP together. The first leads into the second so it's nice to hear them together. I bought a copy on a holiday to Falmouth a few years ago. Thinking of it in parts, I adore the dramatic sound of Sirius as opposed to the kind of mundane sound of Eye in the Sky which is kind of dwindling. But both sides of it are equally pleasant.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Runaround Sue
by Dion
"I should have known it from the very start
This girl will leave me with a broken heart"

Another oldie! I absolutely love music like this. This has a Runaway-esque feel to it, in that it's a really lively upbeat song in the music, but the lyrics are actually quite sad. You don't really get that anymore.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
by The Hollies
"If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another"

I recently started a new job and they have a CD at the shop which occaisionally gets played, and when it does, it is always a pleasure to hear it. There are some fantastic songs on it and one of them is this one. It's a real classic and as soon as I hear that whining harmonica, I want to sway! The lyrics to this one are really beautiful too... very heartfelt and touching.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

The Day Before You Came
by ABBA
"It's funny but I had no sense of living without aim
The day before you came"

This song makes me a little teary, because it puts this incredible importance on the person in question (although cancer has been suggested by some fans?) , and how this mundane and structured life is just turned upside-down. I love the idea of the vast change that this turning point has on the character. I think also, I find the song quite intense because the vocals are so impressive. I think ABBA have always had that quality - the vocals were always a real tribute to their talent.

Either way, this is definitely my favourite ABBA track, perhaps because it has a lot of depth and raw emotion in it. God knows that happy music is a beautiful thing but I can't help being attracted to the more melancholy side of music.

I hope you enjoy the song - and also, that you enjoy the student video. It's not very well shot but you've still got to love student videos!

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Vincent O' Brien
by M.Ward
"He only sings when he's sad
And he's sad all the time
So he sings the whole night through..."

My friend Jan recently recommended this song to me and now I will recommend it to you. The guitar has this gorgeous, warm feel to it - just like his voice. In every sense, this song is nothing but beauty - there isn't a moment of harsh sound in this song, and I love music like that. Music that is just pleasure the whole way through.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Take The Skinheads Bowling
by Camper Van Beethoven
"Some people say that bowling allies all look the same"

I am ridiculously tired. Which is why I have recommended this song. It was the first song to pop into my head and boy, does it make me laugh. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

It's Been A While
by Staind
"It's been a while since I could look at myself straight"

The album that this track is on was one of the first non-pop albums that I owned. I fell in love with the track thanks to the wonders of taking days off of school in Year 9 and Music Channels. I have a particular love of heavy rock with pretty sections, which is why I listen to I Am Ghost I suppose :)

Anyway, I heard an acoustic version of this song once but I can only find live versions with loads of people screaming. Which I don't fancy listening to, personally - and so I will not recommend it!

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

The Gun
by Lou Reed
"The animal dies with fear in his eyes"

Another song from the Rocknrolla soundtrack *giggles* Again, I love the grittiness. But I also love how dark and stylish this one is. And the guitar is gorgeous.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Funnel of Love
by Wanda Jackson
"It's such a crazy crazy feeling
I get weak in the knees
My poor old head is a-reeling
As I go deep into the funnel of love"

This song is in Rocknrolla which is how I fell in love with it. And boy, did I fall in love with it! She reminds me so much of Del Shannon. She has this dirty, gritty voice but it sinks into these beautiful tones. I love female vocals. There is nothing bad I can think of saying about this song.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
by The Crash Test Dummies
"And when they went to church
The shook and lurched all over the church floor"

I've recently become really interested in this song. A long time ago, I saw it mentioned on a "the most annoying songs" show, but I couldn't agree with that label less. I love the accent in the vocals - it really stands out. And the chorus bit is strangely beautiful.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Confide In Me
by Kylie Minogue
"We all get hurt by love
And we all have our cross to bear"

I haven't posted in a while and I thought for my first post back I would post this one. I think, if I'm honest, what first attracted me to it was the video. It's so stylised and sexy. However, I started listening to the song more and it has a lot going for it. I love the sound of her voice in this song - it's a nice mix between being quite feeble and being quite menacing. And the use of synthesizers and strings works really well.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Take On Me
by A-ha
"Today's another day to find you"

Surely there isn't anyone who dislikes this song! It's so bouncy and cheesey and the video is legendary! I hope you enjoy reaquainting yourself with it!

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

This Mess We're In
by PJ Harvey and Thom Yorke
"You look me in the eye, directly"

I don't remember how I first came accross this song, like I do with most, but it has really stuck with me. I love how Thom Yorke's voice works with PJ Harvey's - it's so important in a duet that the voices create something more by being used together. I wish I had more to say but I don't.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Cabin Fever
by Muppet Treasure Island
"I'd like to get my hands on
Whoever wrote this script!"

I desperately wanted to get the actual clip from the film but this is a song blog and so it is the song that matters. I found this one, which is a POTC fan-video. So there is a short clip at the beginning...

Anyway, I have a really adoration of this song because when I was little, my friend Sophie and I used to watch Muppet Treasure Island a lot and we used to play the video game. I got a bit older and I never really grew out of it and I think it stuck to my dad as well. It's still a fairly common occurance that we'll say, out of the blue "I've got Cabin Fever!" "I've got it TOO!"

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.

Lumberjack Song
by Monty Python's Flying Circus
"On Wednesdays I go shopping
And have buttered scones for tea!"

I never really watched Monty Python until my late teens. But I used to listen to the songs a lot - and sound clips from the shows too. Either way, I've always been particularly fond of this one.

Listen to it here!
Then you may thank me profusely.