this tune by Francis and the Lights sounded so good on Zane Lowe last night

Joe writes: If James Blake had tried to write Wonderful Tonight (if only), it might have sounded a little like this.

"I'm gonna stop wasting my time" - RIP Lou Reed

Joe writes: Sad Song, from the amazing album Berlin, is my favourite Lou Reed track and one of my favourite tracks of all-time

AWOLNATION - Sail as featured on the trailer to The Counsellor

Joe writes: I'm not sure how much I actually like this tune but it's such an obvious, infectious hit. UK radio should be playing this a lot, especially Radio 1, and they are not - yet. It features on the trailer to the new Ridley Scott film The Counsellor.

Also, check this out:

Monkey Safari - Coming Down (Hi-Life Radio Edit)

Joe writes: Lovely tune brought to light by the Majestic Casual YouTube channel. It's pretty much the natural follow-up to So Good To Me by Chris Malinchak.



It's based around Bon Iver's cover of Coming Down by Anais Mitchell. Here's the original:



And here's the cover:

I think Arctic Monkeys will win the Mercury Music Prize and deservedly so

Joe writes: They are great and their album is great. But Laura Marling's music affects me in a way no other contemporary artist does - I'm in awe, I'm sad, I'm uplifted. I get the same feelings from listening to Blue or Blood On The Tracks (which I do a lot).

Young Fathers - LOW

Joe writes: I heard this on Zane Lowe tonight. Best Scottish hip hop track ever?

For The Good Times - Perry Como

Phil Writes:  This is a Kris Kristofferson song.  Normally, I think he performs his own songs best.  But I really like this version.  Perry Como had a very relaxed voice and though he may be out of fashion now he had a weekly TV show that, at a time when we only had a couple of TV channels (if we were lucky), showcased a lot of great songs and singers we might otherwise never have heard:

How Long Will I Love You - Ellie Goulding and The Waterboys

Phil writes: Ellie Goulding has a good version that is likely to become a classic wedding song (according to her and I think she's right).  It also features on the soundtrack of Richard Curtis's movie 'About Time':



The original is excellent and I love this live acoustic version, slower than the original, including a Cohenesque introduction from Mike Scott:

Only You - Yazoo and the Platters

Phil writes: Heard the Yazoo song the other day and was reminded how good it is:



Not surprisingly, the title is not unique to this song, and I've loved this Platters track from the moment I first heard it many moons ago:

Heart - Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters (live)

I was listening to the radio in Florida, and heard what I assumed was the new country smash by Tricia Yearwood or similar. I turned out to be Heart covering this Elton John song with its wonderful chorus melody. Of course. If there's a studio version I can't find it so here it is live in Seattle: