Fuck You

Joe writes: Imagine how huge this would have been if it had been the follow up to Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

love this Sleigh Bells track Tell 'Em

(posted by Joe)

I love the Die Antwoord single

Joe writes: Well done to Radio 1 for adding this



and also Alors on Danse by Stromae in its brilliant original French language version

Taio Cruz - Dynamite

Joe writes: Not only is this the best Taio Cruz single yet but it sounds like a standard to me. It reminds me of Ring Of Fire.

It was written by Cruz, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, and Dr. Luke, and produced by Dr Luke and Benny Blanco.

Paul Simon

Joe writes: Whether you judge it influence or on quantity of great songs written, Paul Simon is one of the ten greatest artists of the rock 'n' roll era.

He also made a painfully accurate film about being a (fading) rock star, called One Trick Pony. It wasn't available for years but you can now buy the DVD on Amazon.com (you'll need a US or multi-region DVD player though). Here's a scene from it:

The soundtrack to One Trick Pony was possibly Paul Simon's least successful album but it's his second best, after Graceland - every song is a killer.

Rumer does a brilliant cover of Long Long Day from One Trick Pony:

While looking at Paul Simon videos on YouTube, I came across this joyous performance of Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes. Brilliant dancing and even better music:

a reminder about Rumer

Joe writes: I wrote about Rumer on this blog back in March:

http://worldsgreatestmusic.blogspot.com/2010/03/worldsgreatestmusic-writes-i-love-rumer.html

just saying!

I loved reading about Rumer on the A&M Records forum

A second consecutive Laura Marling single that I love

Joe writes: wonderfully retro yet modern and, despite the title, not at all depressing

Joe writes: I've just been doing what everyone else did five years ago

and spent a bit too long watching old clips on YouTube

Aretha Franklin doing I Say A Little Prayer on The Cliff Richard Show:



Nick Cave doing The Ship Song on Songwriters Circle:



Billy Bragg doing Levi Stubbs' Tears:

nice production by Bloodshy & Avant on Sky Ferreira's debut single One

(posted by Joe)

I love the Alicia Keys single

Joe writes: So good it could have been written by Prince in his prime

great song

Joe writes: I may have posted this song before but I think it's great and could even become a standard

Let Me Be Your Lover by Tom Hickox:

Joe writes: I wasn't a Laura Marling fan until now but I love Rambling Man

Joe writes: I've only just got the hook to No More I Love You's out of my head from Annie Lennox's version

and now Nicki Minaj has sampled it for her new single



Good track thanks to the sample, but Nicki's bits do pleasantly remind me of my favourite Cam'ron track Wrong Ones:



Here's the wonderful original of No More I Love You's by The Lover Speaks



The Lover Speaks - No More I Love You's

great tune from Foster The People called Pumped Up Kicks (posted by Joe)

I really like Yeah Whatever by Indian band The Supersonics

(posted by Joe, updated December 17th 2011)

Mumford & Sons somehow passed me by

Phil writes: This was a recommendation from Amazon. Can't believe I hadn't heard of them before. Sensational! It's called The Banjolin Song. And this is probably not their best as it's just the first that came up on YouTube.

good new Faithless single and video Not Going Home ("erotic" version!)

(posted by Joe)

first Charlie Gillett died, then Alex Chilton

Joe writes: sad day



Big Star - Holocaust (buy from Amazon)



Big Star - Thirteen (buy from Amazon)

and two artists Charlie championed:



Dire Straits - Romeo & Juliet (buy from Amazon)



Gurrumul - Bapa (buy from Amazon)

The last time I saw Charlie was at a Gurrumul showcase, having previously run into him at a Manu Chao gig in Paris and Joss Stone's debut performance. He was a man of taste and passion and he was very nice with it.

I love Rumer

Joe writes: Once in a while, an artist comes along with echoes of acts from the classic rock era like Joni Mitchell or Fleetwood Mac or Roberta Flack or The Carpenters. The problem comes when you listen to their music back to back with an album like Blue or Rumours; they invariably fall far short.

Not so with Rumer. She is an achingly great lyricist; an intuitive, unaffected soul singer; a wonderful songwriter.

Her music is so good it makes me wince. She is up there with the best of them.

And to cap it all, she has the great taste to cover Long Long Day from Paul Simon's One Tricky Pony.

(updated post)

no. 1 all round Europe - Alors On Dance by Stromae

(posted by Joe)