I Will Follow You Into the Dark
by Death Cab For Cutie
"No blinding lights or tunnels to gates of white"

I have a bit of a sentimental attatchment to this song although I try not to think about it sometimes. Regardless of that, this song is perfect and beautiful. I absolutely adore Ben Gibbard's voice and the way it handles the lyrics. The guitar is very twinkling and gorgeous too. I love indie/ folky stuff like this. It's so pure and unadulterated... this song feels particularly organic and natural.

I'm not making much sense tonight but that doesn't make my suggestion any less valid.

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

Under Paris Skies
by Whistlin' Tom

This song was used in an advert a couple of years ago and I fell in love with it completely. I tracked down the artist and went to his site to buy a copy of his album which is really very beautiful indeed. He sent it to me with a sweet little note and I received an email from him a couple of weeks later. I thought I better brag there for just a minute.

I couldn't find a full recording so here is the ad. Otherwise, I think you can listen to it on his site but don't quote me on that. Oh, beauty <3

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

Losing My Religion
by REM
"Every whisper of every waking hour,
I'm choosing my confessions..."

My dad has been a big fan of REM for as long as I can remember, which naturally imprinted on my taste in music. I remember going on holiday to Derbyshire when I was about 15, and for the whole car journey I was listening to an REM compilation I had made and reading James Patterson books. So in a strange way, I ended up associating REM with grizzly images. It's a little strange.

Anywho. One of the things I rather like about REM are the way that their lyrics tend not to mean an awful lot, like Placebo's songs. Their lyrics are just a beautiful mesh of lots of words and images that create this strangely overwhelming tapestry. More importantly, their music is amazing enough to make up for this. This twinkling, perfect harmony of guitars and accompanyment... it's bliss.

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

Wherever You Will Go
by The Calling
"You'll need love to light the shadows on your face"

I think this song became a favourite of mine thanks to the boom of music channels, hehe. I used to watch a lot of Kerrang, MTV2 and Q as well as Magic. Anyway, this song was played a lot for a couple of months and I rather love it. His voice is really beautiful and bizarrely low for his appearance. He looks like he should have a really high pitched voice.

Honestly, my love of songs like this makes me feel a little bit dirty and conformist, haha. It's so mainstream!

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

Enola Gay
by Orchestral Manoevers In The Dark
"Enola Gay, you should have stayed at home yesterday"

I remember my dad playing this song to me in his car a couple of years ago. It has this real sense of positivity which is a little strange considering the subject matter! They are one of the few groups whose music can always cheer me up and make me feel upbeat. The melodies and beats are just blissful every time. I think those qualities sing through in a lot of music from the 70's and 80's though.

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

Song To Say Goodbye
by Placebo
"You were always one of those
Blessed with lucky sevens
And a voice that made me cry"

I love this song with all my heart. Placebo were my true teenage obsession. I was totally fixated on them and nothing else to the degree that I became obsessed with The Smiths because Brian Molko mentioned them once. The same goes for The Pixies and The Eels, strangely. I bought every single Placebo Album, as well as the singles and the re-release of Sleeping With Ghosts.

This song has a real feel of desperation and passion mixed together into this ugly mess. The instrumentation is gorgeous and very hanting indeed. The mix between the piano and the electronic instrumentation is perfect.

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

Bitter Sweet
by Venus in Furs
"I've opened up my heart,
So many times
But now it's closed"

I only really got into this sort of music about a year ago when I watched Velvet Goldmine for the first time. Having watched it, I found myself listening to Brian Eno and Roxy Music for the first time, regardless of the fact that my dad had been suggesting I listen to it for quite a long time.

However, I thought I would post the cover version for the film because it brings up a lot more emotion up for me. I think I prefer the production which is just different due to changing technology. Also, Thom Yorke's voice is amazing on this record.

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

Runaway
by Del Shannon
"I wonder why she ran away
And I wonder where she will stay
My little runaway..."

My first memory of this song was in Frankie and Benny's and it came on and my dad said it was a classic. And he was right. Boy howdy. It would be dispectful for me to dare to even try to describe how perfect this song is.

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

Violet
by Hole
"And the sky was made of amethyst"

Wayne introduced me to Hole when I was fourteen. I think at first I was particularly attracted to them because of Courtney Love which is a little bit embarrassing. I mean, to think that I was so shallow! Anyway... this is another song that I have chosen based mainly on the lyrics. They use a lot of colour in their songs and I think I react well to colours in songs. Either way, I think that one of my favourite things is still Courtney Love. I just can't help it.

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

Stay Together
by Suede
"We will dance in the poison rain..."

I used to listen to this song when I started secondary school. I have always used music to make me feel less alone so I listen to passionate love songs in which you can really hear the warmth and compassion and it makes me feel less hollow when I am feeling low or numb. This is one of those songs, in which the lyrics have such a unique sentiment that it defeats that sense of cliché you get from a lot of love songs.

The guitar in this is so beautiful... very haunting.

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

A Little Time
by Beautiful South
"Tongue so sharp, the bubble burst..."

This is one of the less predictable of my favourite songs. I have no idea when or why I fell in love with this song. I think that one of my favourite things is how sharp the lyrics are. In a way, even though the story of the song is fairly sad, it makes you think... which is nice. It isn't just another love song where they "um" and "ah" and end up together. It's a little grittier than that and I love it.

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

Mad World
by Gary Jules
"I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had."

I realise that this song has to be one of the most depressing songs of all time but it's beautiful all the same. I love how the lyrics get across this feeling of monotony without the song itself being boring. In fact, the song itself is extraordinarily beautiful. Tony, if you don't like this song, I am going to be forced to mock you.

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

Lovestain
by José González
"You left a lovestain on my heart
And you left a blood stain on the ground
But the blood comes off easily."

I think this is probably my favourite song off of his first album. Obviously 'Heartbeats' was a big song for everyone but I really connected with this one. I love the imagery! I rather like 'Broken Arrows' as well. In fact anyone who doesn't own the album should defnitely get it because it is so calming and every track is perfect. It cannot be faulted.

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

Breakfast in America
by Supertramp
"I'm playing my jokes upon you, while there's nothing better to do"

I love this song lots. I love the whole Breakfast in America album. It's magical. Somehow, it sounds to me like you could make a great musical out of it. The music is very atmospheric and has a real sentimental edge. Plus, they have great voices... very Bee Gees. And oh, instrumentation is amazing. I couldn't find a great version but this one on youtube is pretty close :)

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

Babies
by Pulp
"I want to take you come, I want to give you children..."

I started listening to Pulp when I was about 13 because a couple of bands I was into listed them as an influence. I started with His n' Hers which is a great album and I still think of it as their best. This song caught my attention though. It really stuck with me. The guitar is so bouncy and lovely... and the story has a real feel of nostalgia.

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

Pink Bullets
by The Shins
"When the kite lines first crossed, we tied them into knots
To finally fly apart, we had to cut them off..."

I got into The Shins thanks to my dad, quite a few years ago. I don't remember how it happened but I remember him buying the album for everyone's birthday for a couple of years, in hope of spreading the word. We remember him buying their album, Chutes Too Narrow at Lets Buy Some Music in Hythe when I was maybe 14/15? I saw the artwork and fell in love with it.

Anyway, this song is probably my favourite even though it is actually one of their very few sad songs. I specifically love The Shins for being so upbeat but this song is just too beautiful to miss. The guitar is perfect and James' voice is so flawless. And as always, Little Miss Lyric Fiend here is going to mention how amazingly poetic the lyrics are. They conjure the most dreamlike images in your mind as well as getting across a very stark picture of the nature of relationships.

Yummy!

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

Pure
by Lightning Seeds
"I wish you'd never learnt to weep..."

So, this is my second favourite love song! I absolutely love the sound of his voice with the brass noises. The lyrics are so romantic too... filled with total and utter passion! The amount of passion and beauty in this song is truly overwhelming sometimes. Give it a listen! I swear you'll enjoy it!

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

My Girl
by The Temptations
"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day..."

This song is beautiful in the purest sense of the word. It speaks of love in the most innocent and touching way that I've ever heard and that is why this is my favourite love song of all time. I think tomorrow I will post my second favourite. I am in a lovey mood :)

I absolutely adore the guitar in this... and the vocals... it is all completely perfect. Nothing in this song needs changing. I love music from the days of quality control, haha.

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

UFO
by Newton Faulkner
"They come in peace, we stay in war..."

I saw this song performed at Electric Gardens last year and it was probably my favourite. Having said that, he performed a little bit of Rusted Root's "Send Me On My Way" which is an amazing song. I may have to post that one sometime soon! Either way, he is an amazing performer to he degree that Electric Gardens was the first time I saw him and I bought his album a week later. He even performed the Spongebob Squarepants theme tune for us! *dances*

Back to this song! It's very funny. I think it's because the lyrics are so conversational that I enjoy them so much. Generally, Newton Faulkner's lyrics are very clever and I am a sucker for good lyrics.

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

Martha's Harbour
by All About Eve
"I felt safe and sound, but needed the danger."

I fell in love with this song when I was much younger and my mum used to play it in the car. A lot of the music I heard in her car has stuck with me until now. I really got into All About Eve when I was about 15, and my thirst for female vocalists started to really flourish.

This song is one of their most beautiful. The accompaniment on the guitar is so soothing and rythmic - very reminiscent of the wash of the tide. I don't think I have ever met someone who didn't like this song. So if you don't like it, you should get to a doctor fairly promptly.

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

Friday I'm in Love
by The Cure
"I don't care if Monday's blue, Tuesdays grey and Wednesday too..."

I'm incredibly tired today so if this isn't entirely coherant I apologise! One of the things I always thought was a little bit daft was how people pin The Cure down as a depressing band but with songs like this, how can you call them depressing? This song is uplifting, fun and very happy. It shows a real zest for life! The guitar is very bouncy and melodious and that is what really makes this record.

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

Girl Afraid
by The Smiths
"I'll never make that mistake again..."

I got into The Smiths when I was about 14. At the time I felt very alone and it was bands like The Smiths and Placebo that soothed my heart a little. They let me know that it was alright to be different and to feel desperately alone. This song is particularly beautiful in that way. It is kind of soothing to hear this touching story of two desperate souls. I think a lot of the songs by The Smiths are like that and that is why I love them so much!

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

Open Heart Zoo
by Martin Grech
"Clever talk won't impress me."

This is the song that made me fall in love with Martin Grech when I was about 15. Martin Grech truly is a musical genius because no matter what genre he writes in, he manages to create this beautiful and perfect music. I am particularly fond of a song of his called 'The Heritage' at the minute but I couldn't get hold of that one. His most recent album 'March of the Lonely' was so different to his other stuff but I totally welcomed it because he pulled it off so (seemingly) effortlessly. Most of his music has been very dark and become heavy but this album is acoustic and very pretty.

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

Pop Music
by M
"Boogie with a suitcase, forget about the rat race"

There isn't a more enjoyable song than this in existance. I became addicted to it last summer when my dad played it in the car. At the time, I remember making a point of mocking him over it but I had already been infected with it's cheesey poison. The lyrics are complete nonsense and it sounds like a parody of itself. And that is exactly what I love.

That, and how very catchy it is.

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

The Art Teacher
by Rufus Wainwright
"I was just a girl then and never have I loved since then."

Onto a male singer/songwriter! I got into Rufus a couple of years ago thanks to a friend I had at the time who I was totally in awe of. She was always quoting Rufus so I gave him a listen and saw everything she loved about him instantly. Even though his voice is far from being considered traditionally 'perfect', I wouldn't want him to sing any other way. His words often slur and merge together but with the instrumentation and his beautiful lyrics, his voice becomes perfection.

I particularly love this song because he really gets across the total admiration and love you can have for a person without ever telling them about it. Other than that, the piano is haunting and melodious in the most extraordinary way and is always welcome in my ears!

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

Death Came and Got Me
by Rosie Thomas
"Death already came and got me because I'm not living anyway."

Okay, so I've got a thing for female singer/songwriters. I bumped into this song using Pandora. Shortly afterwards I ended up buying both of her albums and I completely fell in love with her. Her songs are so twee; especially the lyrics. Having said that, this is one of her darker songs so it doesn't really come through as much. What I really love about her songs is that they all speak to me of childhood and the struggle between feeling trapped and feeling free. I wonder if anyone else sees that or whether I just read that because that's the kind of person I am.

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