Eels

There's an Essential Eels album out. Last Stop: This Town is so good they put it on there twice.

Eels - Last Stop: This Town (iTunes)

song for Bobby Fischer

Joe writes: I was away this weekend so I felt sure another blog would beat me to it and post Cue Fanfare by Prefab Sprout in tribute to Bobby Fischer.

I recommend The Guardian's Bobby Fischer obituary for the story of a truly remarkable life, written by a fellow chess player.

I also recommend Prefab Sprout's debut album Swoon, from which Cue Fanfare is taken. It's raw but dazzlingly intelligent and ambitious (a bit like Bobby Fischer I guess), and it's probably my favourite Prefab Sprout album.

Prefab Sprout - Cue Fanfare (iTunes)

Du Hast Den Schönsten Arsch Der Welt by Alex C feat. Y-Ass

the next Basshunter?

Alex C is Alex Christensen

Babel Fish informs me that the title means "You haste the most beautiful ass of the world"

Thanks to the excellent Pop Unlimited blog for telling me about this track some time ago

Alex C feat. Y-Ass - Du Hast Den Schönsten Arsch Der Welt (not on iTunes UK yet)

Going To California

A lovely, simple, plaintive track from Led Zeppelin IV that didn't make it on to Mothership

Led Zeppelin - Going To California (iTunes)

more Chasing

This time for Gemma Hayes who was Mercury Music Prize-nominated a few years back.

Chasing Dragons is from her forthcoming third album The Hollow of Morning which is short and dark (my kind of album).

It's an "end of relationship" song (as are many of my favourite songs), and for me it's the best thing she's done.

Gemma Hayes - Chasing Dragons (Amazon)

Lisa Hannigan (and Damien Rice)

Joe writes: There is new solo material coming soon from Lisa Hannigan who sang vocals on both the Damien Rice albums but is no longer working with him. I'm really excited about this new material. Damien is possibly my favourite artist of the millennium so far and Lisa could be great on her own.

So here's a seasonal a capella cover from Lisa, and her own version of Cannonball. I've also posted the Billie Holiday version of Don't Explain which Lisa covers, as does Cat Power on her forthcoming covers album.

I really think the second Damien Rice album should have sold better. The record company blame the artist for refusing to allow them to do radio mixes until it was too late. I think they picked the wrong second single in Rootless Tree. Anyway, I suspect in time the album will be recognised as a classic. The first half of the album is one awesome, brutal song after another. My favourite is probably The Animals Were Gone - such a great opening line and title. All the lyrics are great in fact. And it's kind of seasonal.

Lisa Hannigan - Silent Night (iTunes)




Lisa Hannigan - Cannonball (Damien's original version on iTunes)




Billie Holiday - Don't Explain (iTunes)




Damien Rice - The Animals Were Gone (iTunes)

Chasing Pavements and Rainbows

Joe writes: The new Adele single, written with Eg White, is properly great. A cool artist, doing a song that is basically Gabrielle. It's going to be huge.

I keep wanting to call it Chasing Rainbows which is of course Shed Seven's finest moment.

Adele - Chasing Pavements (it's not on iTunes yet and a company called Web Sheriff on behalf of Adele and XL Recordings have asked me not to link to the mp3 - see comments below where there are a couple of links)




Shed Seven - Chasing Rainbows (iTunes)

Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric

Joe writes: The Proclaimers have just covered this song. I suppose it suits them but it's a straight cover and rather uninspired.

Andy Davies, sidekick to Jonathan Ross on his Radio 2 show, was putting together a tribute album where a number of artists covered this song, but I don't think it will ever see the light of day.

There's only one version you need to be honest.

Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World (iTunes)

Plastic Little and The Cure

Joe writes: I didn't actually hear Plastic Little on the radio today but I heard both Jo Whiley (Radio 1) and George Lamb (6music) talking about the fact that were going to play Plastic Little.

I wonder what track they played? Certainly not the piece of filth that is Get Close. Janet Street-Porter could read out the phone book and it would still sound good, as long as Close To Me by The Cure was the backing track.



My other favourite Cure track is In Between Days (of course). Here's the demo with almost no lyrics - it sounded great even in that form.

Cat Power's latest covers album

The first track from Cat Power's forthcoming Jukebox album has just gone up on iTunes. It's an new original song called Song To Bobby apparently about meeting Bob Dylan, and very nice it is too (here's the iTunes UK link).

The rest of the album is covers plus one new version of an old Cat Power song. All the originals are worth owning, especially Lost Someone by James Brown Live at the Apollo (the other amazing live recording in the world apart from The Dance by Garth Brooks), the Theme From ‘New York, New York’, Dark End of the Street, and Don't Explain by Billie Holliday. I've restrained myself to posting just one of the originals, my new favourite Janis Joplin track, Woman Left Lonely, written by Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn (the latter of whom also co-wrote Dark End of the Street).

iTunes should do an album of "Buy the originals". I think I'll suggest it to them.

Janis Joplin - Woman Left Lonely (iTunes)

Radiohead's In Rainbows album sleeve

as I've just been sent Radiohead's album sleeve, here it is:


and here's my favourite track from the album, which is their best since OK Computer

Radiohead - House Of Cards (buy from iTunes - yes, Radiohead are on iTunes with In Rainbows)

I hate live recordings except for this one

I mean, what's the point? It's like taking a photo of a painting through the window of an art gallery at night, when the lights are off.

I see there's a Garth Brooks compilation out in the UK this week. This gives me an excuse to post one of my favourite songs of all time, The Dance. It's such a great lyric and, I think, the right philosophy to have about relationships (better to have loved and lost...). The original studio version of The Dance is almost perfect but if you want that, buy the album. I've posted a live recording - one of the few I like - where Garth manages to preserve the basics of the original version, while the crowd of what sounds like millions sing along to every word. It's incredibly exciting.

Garth Brooks - The Dance (Live) (there is basically no Garth Brooks music on iTunes at present)

The Dance was written by Tony Arata. You can hear his version of the song and buy his CD at CD Baby.

almost a month on, I can officially announce that the best track from In The City 2007

is Mielato by Patrizia Laquidara



(not on iTunes UK so here's a link to iTunes Italy)

Put A Penny In The Slot by Fionn Regan

I first heard Fionn Regan when Jonathan Ross played this track on Radio 2, and it's still my favourite track of his. Now it's his new single.

Fionn Regan - Put A Penny In The Slot (iTunes)

Anna Ternheim

Anna Ternheim is playing some UK dates soon. More details on her MySpace.

I love her track Shoreline. I first heard it in a weirdly sped up version which I downloaded from somewhere or other. It's a cover of a song by Broder Daniel who were described to me as a Swedish equivalent of The Stone Roses - i.e. very influential on Swedish guitar music without achieving massive sales.

Anna Ternheim - Shoreline (Radio Version) (not on iTunes UK yet)

Anna Ternheim - Shoreline (sped up version) (definitely not on iTunes)

Broder Daniel - Shoreline (iTunes)

two great but very different records for fireworks night on Monday

The Force & Styles record is probably my favourite happy hardcore record. I heard it first on John Peel.

I've never been sure about Embrace but the closest I came to being sure about them was this song.

Force & Styles - Fireworks (not on iTunes sadly)
Embrace - Fireworks (iTunes)

Leona Lewis

I had written Leona Lewis off but Bleeding Love is one of the singles of the year.

This could also be a no. 1 for her if released - a cover of Run by Snow Patrol recorded for Radio 1's Live Lounge yesterday.

Leona Lewis - Run (click here to hear the whole Live Lounge session on Radio 1 Listen Again for a limited time only)

click here to buy Bleeding Love on iTunes

David Ford

I'm a big fan of David Ford. I like the passion and the vitriol. Here's the best track from his new album, a real anthem called I'm Alright Now which I think is his new single in the UK. And the best track from his debut album, which was one of my favourites of that year, I Don't Care What You Call Me, in its full glory (over six minutes long).

David Ford - I'm Alright Now (the label asked me to delete the mp3 link so here's a link to the video on YouTube (iTunes)
David Ford - I Don't Care What You Call Me (iTunes)

Paul Simon dance bootlegs

I really love both of these but I'm posting the links now mostly so that any recent visitors to the blog know it's not just about country music.

Paul Simon - Diamonds Dub by Tangoterje (iTunes link for the original, and a link to buy the vinyl)

Georgie Glamour feat. Simon & Garfunkel - Silence (iTunes link for the original)

Alison Krauss

is a wonderful pure-sounding vocalist who is about to have a no. 2 album chart entry in the US and the UK with Robert Plant.

Other blogs have featured tracks from that album so here are some classics from her catalogue.

Her early compilation Now That I've Found You was successful in the UK, and paved the way somewhat for the later success of Eva Cassidy, then Norah Jones, and then Katie Melua. A great cover of Baby Now That I've Found You was the single which I think I'm right in saying was playlisted by Radio 1. Her cover of Keith Whitley's song When You Say Nothing At All was also great, and inspired Ronan Keating's later hit version. I bet that's the first mp3 blog post to mention both Ronan Keating and Katie Melua.

Her cover of The Three Bells was on an album called Tribute To Tradition that only seems to be available second hand at present. It's a straight cover so I've posted the Browns original as well, but they're both magical. When you're as good as Alison, you can afford to keep it simple.

Finally, Down To The River To Pray (which should be called Down In The River To Pray) was on the phenomenally successful Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack.

Alison Krauss - When You Say Nothing At All (there's only a live version on iTunes but it sounds OK)

Alison Krauss - The Three Bells (not on iTunes)

Jim Ed Brown & The Browns - The Three Bells (iTunes)

Alison Krauss - Down To The River To Pray (iTunes)