Lady Of The Sunshine

Joe writes: I have this CD with no information on it. It's somewhere between a stripped down Kings Of Leon and Fleet Foxes, and it's really good, especially the first five tracks. I googled the title and artist (Smoking Gun by Lady Of The Sunshine) and it turned up nothing, which added to the intrigue.

It turns out it's a solo album by Angus Stone of Angus & Julia fame and it's due out in April. Here's one of those opening five tracks. There are even better ones awaiting you on the album.

Lady Of The Sunshine - White Rose Parade (not on Amazon yet)

Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes

If you can't wait for the official release and you haven't discovered how easy it is to rip from YouTube to mp3 yet, go to www.vidtomp3.com

RIP John Martyn

John Martyn - May You Never (Amazon)

Tommy Reilly

World's Greatest Music writes...

I think Tommy Reilly is going to be big and this is his best song.

Human by The Killers

World's Greatest Music writes:


Over the Christmas holidays I decided that this was my favourite track of 2008. Current single Spaceman is very good too.

The Killers - Human (Amazon)

Get Behind Me Satan And Push

Joe writes:  I heard this in a vintage clothes store in Brussels. Brilliant but rather hard to find track. It may be from 1968, or the 70s, but it sounds older than that.

Billie Jo Spears - Get Behind Me Satan And Push (not on iTunes or Amazon)

two great American pop records

World's Greatest Music writes...

T-Shirt by Shontelle which is my favourite R&B record (well, pop really) since Umbrella.

And Love Story by Taylor Swift, an awesome pop song that reminds me of Oh Romeo by Mindy McReady.



Shontelle - T-Shirt (Amazon)

Taylor Swift - Love Story (not on Amazon or iTunes UK yet although the video is on iTunes. Record companies eh?)

Mindy McReady - Oh Romeo (Amazon)

I was listening to Radio 2

worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:

Something I rarely do, but on Saturday mornings there's that incomprehensible programme on 5 Live where everyone talks rubbish very fast and a bell keeps ringing. I heard this track and was fascinated by the sound before I realised what it was. Many years since I last heard it but one of the many great Bowie tracks.



Apparently it was his first single after Space Oddity (it bombed). I actually bought Space Oddity as soon as I heard it but this passed me by until I caught it on 'Aladdin Sane'. Marc Bolan played guitar on the original.

David Bowie - The Prettiest Star (Amazon)

Insensitive by Jann Arden

Joe writes: Brilliant track that was a minor UK and bigger US hit in the post-Jagged Little Pill era. They don't make them like this anymore, sadly, although I see Jann is still making good music.

Jann Arden - Insensitive

best bootleg I've heard for a while

Joe writes: it's If You Love Me by Brownstone meets Love's Theme by The Love Unlimited Orchestra

the songwriter BC Jean's original demo of If I Were A Boy

World's Greatest Music writes...

I much prefer this to Beyoncé's saccharine version, on which she oversings.

BC Jean - If I Were A Boy (demo)

More Louis

worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:

I keep thinking that there are people out there who might not have heard this incredible Hot Seven track, and everyone should hear it at least once. Here's Armstrong at the height of his power, laying down (over 80 years ago, for God's sake) a track which even today sounds breathtakingly inventive. Notice how the other musicians struggle to keep up - even the great clarinet virtuoso Johnny Dodds cannot match him, though if you heard him without Louis you'd think he was an incredible musician - which he was.

Louis Armstrong - Potato Head Blues (iTunes)

Coolio

World's Greatest Music writes:

Gangsta's Paradise is returning to the UK charts as Coolio is on the TV. Gangsta's Paradise is one of the all-time great pop hip hop records, but so is C U When U Get There, my personal favourite Coolio track. Imagine how big Coolio would have been if C U When U Get There had followed soon after Gangsta's Paradise instead of there being an almost two year gap between the two. Now he's reportedly being paid a measly £30,000 to appear on Celebrity Big Brother. Sad.

Coolio - C U When U Get There

Satchmo Night on BBC 4

worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:

This was an excellent series of programmes for anyone looking for great music. You don't have to be a 'jazz fan' to appreciate much of his output. One of his most memorable achievements was recorded in 1938 It contains some amazing trumpet playing and one of the first recorded scat vocals. Enjoy (ignoring the oddly uninspiring animation - this seems to be the best audio version on YouTube):



Louis Armstrong - West End Blues (iTunes)

Happy Birthday Röyksopp

World's Greatest Music writes...

I recommend downloading this free track Happy Birthday from Röyksopp's website, firstly because it's rather good, and secondly so you can play it at birthday parties and put it on birthday mixtapes.

Röyksopp - Happy Birthday

I'm thinking about changing this blog

Joe writes:

Amazon's mp3 download store is almost what I've been waiting for. With one click, you can get good quality mp3s with no DRM, often for 69p which is still too expensive but heading in the right direction. The range is of course smaller than Amazon's CD store (not to mention the torrent sites, Limewire, the Hype Machine etc), but a fair proportion of the tracks on this blog are available there.

So can we still justify posting links to download free mp3s of tracks that are available on the Amazon store?

Maybe we should post a YouTube link (like the Primitive Radio Gods one at the bottom of this post) or an Imeem link (like the Slightly Stoopid one on the next post down) for listening purposes, with an Amazon link for anyone who wants the mp3?

What do you think?

Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside A Broken Phone Box With Money In My Hand (Amazon)

Slightly Stoopid - 2am

Joe writes:

Slightly Stoopid are a very successful touring band in America (what is it with American touring bands and stupid names?). They are less well known in Britain but held in high regard within a certain scene. With 2am, they do the white reggae thing really convincingly. This could be a hit in the UK.

Slightly Stoopid - 2am (not on iTunes UK but it is on iTunes US)

2 am - Slightly Stoopid

The Temper Trap are a buzz band who deserve the buzz

Joe writes:

They should be around for many years (they've already been around for a few). They can really play live as well.

Thanks to Captain Obvious for the link.

The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (not on Amazon or iTunes yet)

I meant to write about this earlier - Davy Graham died

Joe writes: Read an obituary for more about Davy.

Anji is flawless.

And I couldn't resist an Angie thread as that name features in the title of Helen Reddy's finest hour, and one of the Stones' best songs as well. But I have managed to resist posting Anyone Can Fall In Love by Anita Dobson, good tune though it is.

Davy Graham - Anji (iTunes)



Helen Reddy - Angie Baby (Amazon)


The Rolling Stones - Angie (Amazon)

 

The perfect gig?

Phil writes:

Caught Leonard Cohen on the final gig of his 2008 European tour. A sensational evening. Everything was just right - setlist, voice, dancing (!), band, backing vocalists, sound (which is usually poor at the MEN arena), large screen video, poetry. One of those artists who's written so many great songs that it's very difficult to select one but I think this has to be it, a haunting, subtle, mysterious track that I never tire of. My son is also fascinated by it and once emailed me about it at 3am. Amazingly, 'at four in the morning' (a rare sleepless night) I read his email and replied. 'Hallelujah' is also a favourite but is now in danger of being done to death and I couldn't help noticing that even L. Cohen has followed most of the cover versions by singing 'do you' etc instead of 'do ya' and so repeatedly spoiling the rhyme scheme. But I guess it's his song so he can do that.

Leonard Cohen - Famous Blue Raincoat (iTunes)