Portishead - "Glory Box"

Bristol Trip-hop band Portishead were one of the most influential bands of the dance music genre in the 90's. Along with fellow Bristol band 'Massive Attack" they changed the musical landscape and took dance music to the indie crowd. They have only released three studio albums and one Live album in 15 or so years.... so the standard has been consistent throughout. "Glory Box" is from the 1994 debut album 'Dummy' and is so cinematic in a spy film kind of way. Probably the most recognisable Portishead song off a groundbreaking album that hasn't aged one bit.

Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You`re Naked

Ida Maria is yet another Norwegian artist on this blog. "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" is from her debut album 'Fortress Round My Heart' released in 2008. The album also features another Bitter FM favourite "Oh My God". Her style is full of intensity and the lyrics are more straight-up than ambiguous, as heard here on "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked". Ida Maria is a great new artist that isn't copying anyone or any style.... she is just being herself.
So what are you waiting for... turn this up and get naked.

Vampire Weekend - "Cousins"

Vampire Weekend now seem like they have been around forever. But "Cousins" is from the New York band's second album ' Contra' from earlier this year and it was only 2008 when they released their debut. Their self-titled debut album was a mix of indie rock and African musical influences, which has become a template for so many new bands. The sophomore album for any band isn't easy but when your debut is as big as Vampire Weekend's was, the pressure can be too much. However, they pulled it off and 'Contra' lived up to expectations. "Cousins" is like a kid after drinking too much raspberry cordial... everything is at full speed... the drumming and guitars are all over the place. Nothing deep and meaningful here, just a lot of fun.

Speech Debelle - Spinnin'

Speech Debelle is a rapper from London and Mercury Music Award winner in 2009. Her debut album 'Speech Therapy' was released in 2009 and won the aforementioned prize ahead of a strong field including Florence and the Machine. 'Speech Therapy' was a hip-hop album that relied more on true instrumentation (often acoustic) than samples and that is one of the many charms. "Spinnin'" was my first taste of Speech Debelle and it grabbed me instantly. I love the opening lines...
"This is for the tat on my wrist
This is for the black of my fist
This is for the s in my lisp"
An uplifting hip-hop gem.

Bluespeak - "The Blues Again"

Most Kiwis know Greg Johnson from years of solo releases and also 'The Greg Johnson Set' but there may be some people who do not know about his membership in the Auckland jazz band 'Bluespeak. With Bluespeak, Greg brings his trumpeting skills to the fore and also shares vocal duties. "The Blues Again" is from their 1993 album 'Late Last Night' and is another set of late night cocktail bar songs... best enjoyed with a drink in hand. "The Blues Again" is a tale of a fingernail sculpture artist with an insatiable appetite for nails.... narrated cleverly by Greg Johnson and backed by a cool jazz soundtrack. A lost classic.

Darlene Love - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"

Darlene Love was a member of 60's girl group 'The Blossoms' but became more known for her work with legendary producer Phil Spector, whether it was with The Blossoms or session back-up vocals or even uncredited lead vocals on singles such as The Crystals, "He's A Rebel". "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" was a credited solo Darlene Love song from the album 'A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records' which was later released as 'A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector'. The album is still regarded as the greatest Christmas album by many music critics. Expectations were high for the album to be huge, however, that all changed when it was released on the same day as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963.
Spector's distinctive 'Wall of Sound' production is part of the appeal here. Merry Christmas.

Screaming Blue Messiahs - "Wild Blue Yonder"

The Screaming Blue Messiahs were possibly the most underrated band of the 80's. The singer/guitarist Bill Carter has stated that he put so much into his live performances that he prepared all day beforehand and was so emotionally and physically exhausted afterwards. So I am a bit disappointed I never got to see them live, when they did supposedly come to NZ. "Wild Blue Yonder" was from their 1986 album 'Gun-Shy' and has an amazing drum sound, considering the era. It is now a myth (in the context of this blog title) but should have been a huge hit. In my Ponsonby flatting days, one particular flat (a big old villa in Brown st) we had huge parties and we had this agreement that the music had to be what people knew and could dance to etc. Our personal taste was not to get in the way.... it was a rule that worked well, for the success of the parties. However, I always broke that rule with this song and it always went down a treat.

Neil Finn & Johnny Marr - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (live 2001)

In 2001 Neil Finn started his '7 Worlds Collide' project in Auckland with a series of concerts at the St James Theatre. I was lucky enough to be at one of the concerts and it exceeded my expectations. Neil Finn invited a variety of guests, which included Eddie Vedder, Johnny Marr, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway, Lisa Germano, son Liam's band Betchadupa and brother Tim. For me, having Johnny Marr as a guest was a highlight... and any live version of "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" featuring the 'Smiths' guitarist was always going to be special, even if it didn't feature Morrissey. It's a big ask to cover any Smiths song, but Neil Finn pulls it off vocally. '7 Worlds Collide' was a great concept that Neil repeated in 2009 with a different guest list.

The Cribs - "Men's Needs"

The Cribs are a young English Indie Rock band with three brothers (including identical twins) and more recently they recruited Johnny Marr. Yes, the Johnny Marr from The Smiths. "Men's Needs" is from their third album 'Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever' from 2007. The album was produced by Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand and this single "Men's Needs" was a defining moment for them... taking them from cult status to rock stars. Vocalist and guitarist Ryan Jarman's girlfriend Kate Nash also recorded a version of "Men's Needs" which is also played on Bitter FM and enjoyed in a similar way to the original.

DIE! DIE! DIE! - "People Talk"

Die! Die! Die! are one of the newer bands signed to Flying Nun Records. They are from Dunedin and released their self titled debut album in 2005. "People Talk" was on their follow up album 'Promises, Promises' which was produced by Shayne Carter of Dimmer and Straitjacket fits fame. The punk/noise pop sound hasn't changed but they seem more proficient in their art... and the rhythm section seems to have been turned up. From what I have heard, their reputation as a live band is growing towards legendary status.

Lykke Li - "Get Some"

Lykke Li is a Swedish singer who arrived on the scene in 2008 with her brilliant debut album 'Youth Novels' and is set for world domination when she releases the follow up next year. I'm saying that on the strength of this first single from her forthcoming album. "Get Some" is certainly a current favourite here at Bitter FM. It has all of her dance/indie elements but this time with some tribal drums and strong lyrics... she is in charge now.

Ian Dury - "Wake up and make love with me"

We all know the hits Ian Dury had in the late 70's... "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick", Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" and "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3" to name a few. His 1977 album 'New Boots and Panties!!' was overflowing with Englishness.... stacked with eccentric and clever songs which were all delivered in his broad accent. "Wake Up and Make Love With Me" was probably more at the Disco end of the fusion of styles he dabbled in. Chaz Jankel was Ian Dury's co-writer for a lot of his songs and this is a good example of them at their peak as a songwriting partnership.

Bitter:Sweet - "Dirty Laundry"

Bitter:Sweet are a duo from Los Angeles with some dance/electronica credentials. Everything from lounge, trip-hop, jazz grooves and retro spy music to dance pop gems like "Dirty Laundry". It has a timeless beauty about it.... with a great beat, horn section (sample) and sensual vocals by Shana Halligan. Next time you do the washing... put this on and turn it up.

Bajofondo - "Pa' Bailar"

Bajofondo are a Rio de la Plata band and has members from both sides of the estuary, Argentina and Uruguay. Their music is an updated version of Tango in a similar style to 'Gotan Project' (Another Bitter FM favourite) which is also known as Electrotango. "Pa' Bailar" is from their 2007 album 'Mar Dulce' recorded in Buenos Aires. It features bandoneonist Ryōta Komatsu from Japan. It retains some traditional Tango elements but adds some fantastic contemporary touches. "Pa' Bailar" has taken Tango from the dance hall to the dance floor.

The SoftLightes - "The Microwave Song"

"The Microwave Song" has only recently been added to Bitter FM playlists and I can't believe it slipped under the radar until now. The Softlightes are a Californian band that could easily be described as overlooked. "The Microwave Song" was released in 2007 on their debut album 'Say No! To Being Cool. Say Yes! To Being Happy' in 2007. It is an alt-pop gem that arrives as a stranger and leaves as a friend. Cooked to perfection.

Teeth and Tongue - "There Is a Lightness To My Bones"

'Teeth and Tongue' is the name Melbourne based Wellingtonian Jess Cornelius goes by at present. She formerly fronted 'Moscow Schoolboy'. Her debut album 'Monobasic' was released in 2008 and is an intriguing collection of songs. On "There Is a Lightness to My Bones" we get to hear her impressive vocal range, with sudden changes in tempo. It starts off nice and slow with a beautiful keyboard backed verse.... you could easily think you were in a restaurant and expecting a cover of Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are" up next.... however, things do change in an instant. She basically threw away the songwriters manual with this song and what a great result. A fantastic song from an idiosyncratic singer/songwriter.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - "Hanuman"

This song by Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela has a brilliance about it that is hard to explain. We play them on Bitter FM and get the odd email enquiry about them. They have a unique style, which was probably developed and perfected with constant touring. I have been a big fan for a while but I hadn't seen a live (video) performance until I put this blog together.... and was I impressed? Fuck Yeah! Check it out.

Pony Club - "CCTV"

Pony Club is an Irish band featuring Mark Cullen as the main creative force. Pony Club had developed after a couple of previous band names. In 2002 they released their debut album 'Home Truths' and "CCTV" is from that album. "CCTV" is told through the eyes of a hoodie driving around and into the more affluent areas, which he describes as "where the houses get ugly - where everybody calls their first born Britney" and it is here that he is a star on their local CCTV. This is a song that plays like a movie in the head of the listener.

Teenage Fanclub - "Baby Lee"

Scottish band Teenage Fanclub have been creating nice Jangle Pop songs for about 20 years now. They have also had a few famous fans over the years, with Kurt Cobain once stating that they were the best band in the world and Noel Gallagher calling them the 2nd best band in the world... after Oasis I expect. The latest album 'Shadows' came out earlier this year and "Baby Lee" was the 1st single. "Baby Lee" is an uplifting acoustic folk pop song with plenty of the harmonies you would expect from them and with an extra teaspoon of sugar added... but no sickly sweet saccharine.
Sweet as Bro.

Beck - "Hotwax"

Beck was at a creative peak when he released 'Odelay' in 1996. The album was packed full of songs that taught the music industry how to sample songs in a more innovative way. Never before had so many genres been blended together.. or not as well as this, for sure. Beck had some expert help from the Dust Brothers producing. He either has the most amazing record collection or knows where to find some interesting samples. Most people, myself included, wouldn't know most of the songs that he sampled and that is what helped make this record so interesting. "Hotwax" has so much going on.... harmonica, distorted guitar, cool rhythm section, scratching and more guitar... all put together so skillfully with Beck's own style of hip-hop NOT from the hood. He was so far ahead of the pack, I find it hard to believe he was doing this as far back as 1996.

Carla Morrison - "Compartir"

Carla Morrison was part of Phoenix band 'Babaluca' until going solo recently. The songs with Babaluca were predominantly in English, with a few Spanish language songs. But with her solo career, she has gone back to her Mexican roots and recorded a debut album of Spanish language songs. The album 'Mientras Tu Dormias' was released a couple of months ago and is a great addition to the growing number of latin pop releases....(but Shakira fans should stay away). It's full of sweet tuneful songs and the vocals are sensational. "Compartir" grabs the listener after the first line and in my case it was the voice, not what was said, for obvious reasons. When I hear this song, I imagine her as a chanteuse in a latin club in Paris during the 60's.

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - "Pablo Picasso"

Like many artists from the late 60's onwards, Jonathan Richman was influenced by The Velvet Underground and that influence unmistakably comes through in his music. In fact, it was an infatuation he had with The Velvet Underground, which paid off when John Cale produced some demo recordings. "Pablo Picasso" was one of those John Cale demos. I think of Jonathan Richman as The Velvet Underground with humour and a little bit more upbeat.... or if Lou Reed got up on the right side of the bed. "Pablo Picasso" is more about the artist's womanising and status than any of his achievements.... whatever angle it is coming from, it is still hilarious.

Sinead O'Connor - "Last Day Of Our Acquaintance"

Okay, let's just forget the controversies, the pope incident, her outspoken comments that littered her career and basically everything else that she may be remembered for, other than her music. Although, I acknowledge, she brought most of them upon herself, which I don't even think she would deny and most likely she would still stand behind all the actions and comments. Anyway, now I've got that out of the way, it's time to reflect on a key moment in her musical career.... which was her 1990 album "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" which was critically acclaimed and sold truckloads, but with all of that, a lot of the best songs she has ever written were overshadowed, a little, by the huge success of the single "Nothing Compares 2 U". The songs were so strong emotionally, she was baring her soul. There were so many important songs on this album... "Jump in the River", "I Am Stretched On Your Grave", "The Emperor's New Clothes", "Black Boys On Mopeds" and "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance", which is a break-up song that doesn't hide any emotion.... the realization of a relationship gone stale and the sad acceptance of having to end it. Anyone that has been through a divorce or difficult break-up would appreciate the sadness of the final formality that, even if you are going to be better off, hurts like hell.... and in this song I can feel her pain. The song starts off so quietly and slowly builds to a climax, so much so, that it could even disguise the sadness, but of course, it doesn't do that.



This is the last day of our acquaintance
I will meet you later in somebody's office
I'll talk but you won't listen to me
I know what your answer will be
I know you don't love me anymore
You used to hold my hand when the plane took off
Two years ago there just seemed so much more
And I don't know what happened to our love
Today's the day
Our friendship has been stale
And we will meet later to finalize the details
Two years ago the seed was planted
And since then you have taken me for granted
But this is the last day of our acquaintance
I will meet you later in somebody's office
I'll talk but you won't listen to me
I know your answer already
But this is the last day of our acquaintance
I will meet you later in somebody's office
I'll talk but you won't listen to me
I know your answer already
I know your answer already
I know your answer already

Lead Belly/Nirvana - "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"

Lead Belly
Legendary blues artist Lead Belly has been influential to many musicians for as long as popular music has been around. This song "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" is a traditional American folk song recorded by many artists and in a variety of styles. However, Lead Belly's version is probably the best remembered and more recently Nirvana took it to a new generation. The song was originally known as 'In The Pines" and also known as "Black Girl" but seems to have settled as "Where Did You Sleep Last Night".



Nirvana
Kurt Cobain played guitar on a version of this song recorded by Mark Lanegan in 1990 and performed it with Nirvana many times after that... the most famous of those performances was for the MTV Unplugged in New York series in 1993. Kurt Cobain had first heard the 1944 recording by Lead Belly and kept the Nirvana versions true to that. That complete unplugged performance was amazing and Kurt Cobain even managed to make cardigans cool again.

Johnny Cash - "One"

With U2 in NZ recently, maybe it's time to have one of their songs.... but not by them, of course. I first caught U2 live at the Logan Campbell Centre while they were touring the 'Unforgettable Fire" album and it was fantastic. However, years later at Western Springs, I was much less impressed and things were getting predictable and even superficial. So that was about the time I moved on (after the Joshua Tree album). It's funny, because my flatmate at the time of the 'Joshua Tree' album hated them and we had lots of debates about them and I couldn't understand why he could not see any merit. I don't think it was him that finally convinced me, but not too long after, I think I had just tired of them... and suddenly we were on the same wavelength. However, I am not saying they didn't do anything great since then. I just wasn't a member of the U2 record buying public anymore. I also admit "One" is a great song.... but when I got Johnny Cash's 'American iii' album and heard his version, I was completely blown away. His interpretation respects the original, but at the same time, he makes it his own.... unlike anyone else. I think Johnny cash was at his peak with this album, during his American Recordings (late career) period. Dark and beautiful.

Sherlock's Daughter - "Song For Old People"

Sydney band 'Sherlock's Daughter' are a very recent discovery here at Bitter and a surprisingly good one, I must say. A mix of indie rock, dream pop and whatever else you want to add. They have been spending a lot of time in New York and have played CMJ... which is where I first heard them, via a NPR podcast about the CMJ festival. "Song For Old People" is a dreamy harmony layered song with a driving bass and beats that aren't intrusive but keep it all together. Real nice.

KATCHAFIRE - "On The Road Again"

Katchafire have become a favourite live band in New Zealand over the years and it is quite appropriate that they are touring this summer to promote a new album. The first single just happens to be about Katchafire touring and coming to a town near you. Enjoy it at the next BBQ or party you go to over the summer. In fact, download it, put it on your flash drive and then there is no problem if the next BBQ or party doesn't have it, for whatever reason. Spread the Katchafire love around this summer.

Phoenix - "Lisztomania"

French band 'Phoenix' have been releasing great tunes for at least a decade now, but only became international indie rock stars in 2009 with their "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" album. Although, we at Bitter FM can say that we were early believers because we have been playing their 2001 single "If I Ever Feel Better" since we started. We weren't the only believers though, they were still quite popular and toured America well before this album, but this album really did put them on the map. "Lisztomania" was originally a description for the hysteria regarding the fans of Hungarian composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt from the 19th century. 'Phoenix' have a unique style of writing and constructing songs and they could possibly be described as modern day virtuosos themselves. Every time I hear this song I am always amazed how unconventional it is, but at the same time, how incredibly well constructed it is.... like, how the fuck did they do that?

FAMILY CACTUS - "KINGMAKER"

Wellington band 'Family Cactus' certainly left an impression on me after the very first time I heard "Kingmaker", which was a single from their debut album 'Come Howling' released last year. Great vocals, nice harmonies and oh, so catchy. Let's hope 'Family Cactus' are not one of New Zealand's best kept secrets for much longer.

My Morning Jacket - "Death Is The Easy Way"

Kentucky band 'My Morning Jacket' formed in the late 90's and by the early 2000's they were an emerging force, critically and with their live performances (they may even be partly responsible for the big beard trend over the last decade or so). They were building a loyal fan base, through constant touring and consistently good releases. Singer and songwriter Jim James has recently been part of 'The Monstors of Folk' side project and also released a 'George Harrison' tribute EP under 'Yim Yames'. "Death is the Easy Way" comes from their second album "From Dawn" and is listed on the CD as "Death is My Sleezy Pay" but correctly titled on the liner notes. The reverb soaked vocals are a Jim James trademark and add more goosebumps to the listening experience. 'My Morning Jacket' are best consumed alone.... so when everyone has gone home after your next BBQ, grab another bottle and sit back and enjoy some hauntingly great music. Either 'At Dawn' or 'Z' would be a good place to start.