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)

Crosby, Stills and Nash + The Band

Phil writes: I bought the Fleet Foxes album. Although they have a great sound, I don't think their songs are quite there yet. They have been compared to CSN and The Band, amongst others, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to post a couple of my favourite tracks from these two prolific sources of great music.

Crosby, Stills and Nash - Cathedral:


 (iTunes)

The Band - The Weight:


 (iTunes)

Save The World, Get The Girl

Phil writes: A great title for a great album. The King Blues have succeeded in producing one of those albums where every song is worth more than one listen. They remind me, amongst others, of Billy Bragg, Mike Skinner, Lennon, Everclear, and I guess they're inspired by most if not all of the bands mentioned in What If Punk Never Happened, the tour de force which makes such a perfect final track. There's even a song which sounds as though it might be a Nizlopi cover - it isn't, of course - is there such a thing? The success here is the extent to which the influences have led to some distinctive and memorable tracks with some great tunes and clever lyrics, rather than pale imitations, as is sometimes the case. You really need to get the whole album (Amazon) but the title track is possibly as good an introduction as any.

The King Blues - Save The World, Get The Girl (iTunes)

Boyzone have covered Tom Baxter's Better

Joe writes: Boyzone always had a knack of picking great songs to cover, although I must say their cover of Better didn't live up to their glory years on first listen. Good song though. Have a listen to Tom Baxter's original instead, as featured on this blog last year.

(iTunes)

wonderful footage of Miriam Makeba just now closing Newsnight on BBC 2

Joe writes: Steve Wright also played Pata Pata today. God bless the BBC.

There are two wonderful pieces on other blogs commemorating Miriam - Heart on a Stick which has great links to audio and video (the track Nongqongqo is beautiful), and SoundRoots which includes a statement from Nelson Mandela. God bless the bloggers.

Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata on iTunes

Immortal Technique

Joe writes: I've found another Immortal Technique track that I like almost as much as The Cause Of Death. It follows a well-worn formula but it's hard to resist thanks to the combination of a lesser known Bob Marley sample with IT's lyrics and delivery.

Immortal Technique - Mistakes (iTunes)

Dinosaur Pile-Up

Joe writes: A good band who remind me of my early radio listening experiences about 15 years ago, when Radio 1's Evening Session was dominated by the likes of Smashing Pumpkins and Dinosaur Jr. There's one specific band who Dinosaur Pile-Up really remind me of, but I can't think who it is.

Dinosaur Pile-Up - My Rock 'n' Roll (not on iTunes but another track of their is)

Sam Cooke's masterpiece

worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:

has been quoted more than once in all the comment on Obama'a historic victory. And the President-elect almost referenced it himself in his speech. It's a song that has often been covered - the Neville Brothers have a distinctive take on it.

Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come (iTunes)

Aaron Neville - A Change Is Gonna Come (iTunes)

Let Your Love Flow

Joe writes: This Bellamy Brothers soft rock classic is on the current Barclaycard advert on British TV (the one with the water slide).

I was surprised to discover no-one has posted this on a Hype Machine blog yet. There is one Bellamy Brothers track on a Hype Machine blog but that gets slagged off. I guess they can't compare to Of Montreal.



If you like Let Your Love Flow, you may love the Abandoned Luncheonette album by Hall & Oates and my favourite Bread track, Guitar Man (another track that is absent from the Hype Machine).

Mike Skinner disappointment

worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:

How could he appear live - with a gospel choir, for God's sake - and not do Never Went to Church? Otherwise the BBC Electric Proms show with choir and orchestra was impressive and he did play two of his best but Church is great music and a lot of his stuff isn't quite. It's often smart, funny, original - It Was Supposed To Be So Easy is one of my favourites - but not truly memorable.

The Streets - Never Went To Church (iTunes)

The Streets - It Was Supposed To Be So Easy (iTunes)

Day 'n' Nite by Kid Cudi

World's Greatest Music writes...

This has been going round my head. Big hit I think. I borrowed the link from the Cream Team blog.

Kid Cudi - Day 'n' Nite (there's only a remix available on iTunes so far)

Can't get this out of my head

worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:

Most readers of this blog probably watch Jools, though anyone can miss a week - I sometimes do. So you may not have caught Nicole Atkins a few weeks back. I'd never heard her before. I bought 'Maybe Tonight' the next day and I've played it over and over. It's one of those songs that gets straight to you and you can't believe it's not already a massive hit with its Bowiesque lyrics and strong tune. The performance is excellent as well. I love the way the opening ethereal strings are followed by the basic but effective beat. The song builds inexorably to the climactic chorus which doesn't disappoint. Apparently, Nicole Atkins has been compared to Orbison and you can see why. I'm surprised that she hasn't yet made it big. She surely will.

Nicole Atkins - Maybe Tonight (iTunes)

Sara Schiralli

Joe writes: Not sure where I heard about Sara but she is on MySpace (yes, really), and her music is lovely.

Sara Schiralli - Bang Bang (iTunes)

Another 'Blind Willie McTell'

worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:

When the The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 appeared in 1991 fans were amazed that one of Dylan's greatest songs, an outake from Infidels, had been left on the shelf for 8 years. Now the eighth 'official bootleg' album Tell Tale Signs has appeared and we find a track left off Time Out of Mind 11 years ago which will almost certainly be acclaimed as another lost classic. As with some of the best Dylan songs, it sounds like some other song you can't quite identify and yet it's really unlike any other song you've ever heard. If you're quick, you can follow this link to hear the whole album which is released on 7th October.

Bob Dylan - Red River Shore (Amazon)

Bob Dylan - Blind Willie McTell (iTunes)

the original demo of Without You, the song made famous by Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey

Joe writes: The person who sent this to me wrote "Think you might be interested in hearing this. The original demo (different middle eight and no chorus!) of 'Without You'. This is Peter Ham at his Fender Rhodes in 1969 knocking out a song that would earn the industry millions and that he would never see a single penny from and that would ultimately drive both him and his best friend and co-writer to commit suicide. This is the most tragic tale in the annals of pop."

For more on this, read Peter Ham's Wikipedia entry, or this piece from his official website, written by the mother of his child.

Peter Ham - Without You (demo) (not on iTunes, but here's a link to buy the album from whence it came, on Amazon.com)