Rufus Wainwright - "Going To A Town"

I loved Rufus Wainwright's debut album but never really invested any more money thereafter, well, until I heard this song "Going To a Town" from his fifth album 'Release the Stars' released in 2007. He is the son of Loudon Wainwright III and the late Kate McGarrigle, the brother of Martha Wainwright and friend of Richard and Linda Thompson's son Teddy... oh, and also Leonard Cohen's daughter Lorca. So he is part of folk music royalty, you could say. Anyway, back to "Going To A Town" which is a personal display of disappointment towards America, a country that he loves, like a lot of us, but feels frustrated with the many current issues that seem to be turning people against the super power. The message is quite clear... but it does seem to come from someone with some sentiment.

Sarah Brown - "Hands"

Sarah Brown was born and raised in Blenheim but is now based in Auckland. She comes from a musical family, with music being a big part of her home schooling from her mother, it inevitably became a way of life. She released her self titled debut album in 2006 and also won the Juice TV video of the year award for the single "Hands"... and you will see why, below.... if you haven't already seen it. It is hard to believe she was just in her early 20's when she released her debut album. The songs were very sophisticated and mature for a young artist, as was the production by Rod and Murray Fisher from 'Goodshirt.' A perfect start to a great career.

Lindstrom feat Christabelle - "Lovesick"

Hans-Peter Lindstrøm is a Norwegian musician/producer and Christabelle is a Norwegian-Mauritian singer. They collaborated for an album 'Real Life Is No Cool' released early 2010, although, they have known each other since 2001 and had released a handful of singles together before finally completing an album. "Lovesick" was the single released to promote the album. The album is the best 80's disco of today... although, "Lovesick" is more of a beat driven modern classic with so much sex appeal, it is definitely the best place to start.

Taken by Trees - "Sweet Child O Mine"

This cover of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O Mine" from 'Taken by Trees' is one of two great versions we play on Bitter FM... the other one is by 'Luna'. Taken by Trees is Swedish indie pop artist Victoria Bergsman's solo project after the demise of 'The Concretes'. "Sweet Child O Mine" was not on either of her two Taken by Trees albums but was released as a single. She has changed it into a piano ballad with her trademark fragile but beautiful vocals. She was also a guest vocalist on Peter Björn and John's hit "Young Folks."



Peter Björn and John - "Young Folks"

Scala and Kolacny Brothers - "Seashell"/"Creep"

'Scala & Kolacny Brothers' are a Belgian girls choir along with conductor Stijn Kolacny and pianist/arranger Steven Kolacny. They are well known for covering popular songs... but completely reinterpreting them with their choir and piano arrangements... sometimes with strings and electronic beats added. You could say they are just another choir but the arrangements are something quite special. Their version of Radiohead's "Creep" introduced them to a huge international audience after it was featured in 'The Social Network' movie trailer. Their 2008 album 'Paper Plane' was an album of Steven Kolacny originals and "Seashell" is proof that they are more than a covers novelty act. Here are both songs performed live.

Black Box Recorder - "The Art of Driving"

Black Box Recorder is an English band featuring Sarah Nixey, Luke Haines and John Moore. Luke Haines, the main songwriter, was formerly in 'The Auteurs.' The music of Black Box Recorder is bleak, ironic and cynical at the best of times... ironic also because the whisper vocals of Sarah Nixey are on the elegant side, while the lyrics are often not what you expect to hear from the posh sounding Nixey. But in the end, everything just works so well... the Englishness, the twee, the everyday observations and just great songwriting... all in all, a unique but interesting musical project. "The Art of Driving" comes from their second album 'The Facts of Life' and while it may not have the hit single qualities of the title track, it defines their sound so well.

Mogwai - "The sun smells too loud"

Scottish instrumental-indie band 'Mogwai' have released seven studio albums and two soundtracks since forming in 1995. Their songs are predominantly instrumentals that typically build up slowly, often starting quietly and peaking loudly, ten minutes later. "The sun smells too loud" is from their sixth album 'The Hawk Is Howling' released in 2008. It is a pop centrepiece that is full of unspoken bliss.

Shirley Brown - "Woman To Woman"

(Woman 1)
Shirley Brown's "Woman To Woman" from 1974 was my highlight from an impressive Stax compilation album I bought quite a few years back. There are a couple of interesting things about this song, other than being a brilliant Stax single... I will get to that soon. First, I better explain a bit about the song. The song starts as a spoken narration, as in a phone call from one woman telling the other, after finding her number in her man's pocket, that her man is not going to be shared with her.... in other words, a subtle way of telling her to leave her man alone. Now, I'm sure you know exactly what my interesting points are, but here they are all the same... 1, I don't think any woman would choose to sing a song like this anymore. 2, Most women in the situation the protagonist is in, with her cheating man, would tell him to fuck off, these days. So this song may have a generational gap that may seem strange to the Generation X and Y's, but it is also an amazing slice of soul from the baby boom generation that perfected the genre, although innocent in comparison to the current soul releases. Shirley Brown was apparently a second choice after Inez Foxx turned it down... we don't know what Inez Foxx would've done with this song, but we do know what Shirley Brown did and it is nothing short of brilliant.

(Woman 2)
I love answer songs (or response songs) and "Woman To Woman" had an answer song released in 1975 called "From His Woman to You" by Barbara Mason. It starts off with the phone narration from Shirley Brown's "Woman To Woman" and then we hear the reply from the so-called mistress.... Some may say she was just cashing in... I say, "fucking clever."

(Woman 1)


(Woman 2)


Woman To Woman (Woman 1)

"Hello, may I speak to Barbara? Barbara, this is Shirley
You might not know who I am but the reason I am calling you is because
I was going through my old man's pockets this morning
And I just happened to find your name and number"

"So woman to woman, I don't think it's being
Any more than fair to call you and let you know where I'm coming from
Now Barbara, I don't know how you're gonna take this
But whether you be cool or come out of a bag on me"

"You see it doesn't really make any difference
But it's only fair that I let you know that
The man you're in love with he's mine
From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet"

"The bed he sleeps in and every piece of food he eats
You see I make it possible
The clothes on his back, ha ha, I buy them
The car he drives, I pay the note every month"

"So I'm telling you these things to let you know
How much I love this man
And woman to woman I think you'll understand
Just how much I'll do to keep him"

Woman to woman, if you've ever been in love
Then you know how I feel
And woman to woman, now if you were in my shoes
Wouldn't you have done the same thing too?

Woman to woman, can't you see where I'm coming from?
Woman to woman, ain't that the same thing you would have done?
Woman to woman, now should I dare step aside
And let her take what's rightfully mine?

Woman to woman, was I right or was I wrong?
I ain't gonna let you break up my happy home
Now, woman to woman, now you see I don't want no trouble now
I hope you understand, I love that man and he's mine

I'm talking to you woman to woman
You should be woman enough to understand
That man, I love that man, woman, woman
Woman to woman, he's mine and I ain't gonna give him up
No baby and I ain't lyin' now
The best of my I give to my man

From His Woman To You (Woman 2)

Now wait a minute, Shirley
I'm a young woman
And can't aford to all the things
You do for this man
I don't even have a job

And I can't buy his clothes
Pay his car note
And I surely can't keep
Money in his pocket

But I can give him what he needs
When he needs it
And that's all he expects from me

I can give him love
From his woman to you

There's a thing or two
I'd like to say
I don't care who claims this man
I'm gonna love him in a way

Woman to woman
He spent last night with me
Stayed here 'cause this is
Where he wanted to be

From his woman to you
I've got to make it
As plain as I can
Seems to me you're doing
Too much for the man

From his woman to you
Buying his loving
It's giving up yourself
And I feel sorry for you
I feel sorry for you

I don't mind sharing
If you don't bother me
I, I, I, I won't bother you

From his woman to you
I don't know what
You're gonna, gonna do

But he's been given me
What he's getting from you
Woman to woman, ooh
That's, that's the truth

From his woman to you
Seems like, seems like
You're the fool
I'm his only woman

And I love him
And I ain't about to give him
Give him up, up, up

I'm his only woman

Cults - "Abducted"

New York duo 'Cults' are another new band with 60's girl-group influences mixed up with some indie credentials. Both members Brian Oblivion (guitar, vocals) and Madeline Follin (vocals) are film students originally from San Diego and now studying in New York. They came out of nowhere and were reasonably mysterious but once the word got around and the hype increased, their anonymity was no longer an attraction... but thankfully their music still was.

The Jesus & Mary Chain - "Sometimes Always" with Hope Sandoval

Scottish band 'The Jesus & Mary Chain' were the ultimate shoegaze band. Formed in 1983 by brothers Jim and William Reid they created their sound by combining all their influences, which were The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, The Beach Boys, The Shangri-Las and Phil Spector... but some may say the distortion and guitar feedback sounded like nothing more than that itself, but others, could see a movement and a genre being born. Their debut album 'Psychocandy' was an important release on the musical landscape and is still on so many "best album's ever' lists. Their fifth album 'Stoned & Dethroned' featured a couple of guests... Shane Macgowan from the Pogues on "God Help Me" and Hope Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star on this song "Sometimes Always." It is a beautiful duet that was a near-hit single in the UK in 1994. It was one of those moments where you had never even thought of Mazzy Star and The Jesus & Mary Chain having much in common until this, and then realising how much they actually do.... a perfect match.

The Afghan Whigs - "My Curse"

The Afghan Whigs were a alt-rock band led by Greg Dulli... they had a soul influence to their alternative rock sound and their six albums between 1988 and 1998 were generally well received by critics. The 1993 album 'Gentleman' was, to me, their magnum opus with all Greg Dulli's emotions on display. However, the song that I go back to the most doesn't have Dulli on vocals, instead, it features guest vocalist Marcy Mays with a sensational performance. The song is "My Curse" and it still has all the hallmarks of a Greg Dulli composition but Marcy Mays is the real star this time.

Dead Moon - "Diamonds In The Rough"

Portland garage rock band Dead Moon were the ultimate DIY band. The three piece band consisting of husband and wife Fred Cole (vocals, guitar)and Toody (vocals, bass) along with Andrew Loomis (drums) self produced and self released their albums, on vinyl only, on their own label Tombstone Records until the interest from elsewhere grew and they subsequently released their material on CD. "Diamonds In The Rough" was released on the 'Nervous Sooner Changes' LP. The song lives up to its title.. as with all of their low-fi garage-punk material "diamonds in the rough" describes them perfectly.

The Sound - "Missiles"

London post-punk band 'The Sound' were probably the most overlooked band in the 80's and deserved much more recognition than they got. They were, however, much lauded by critics and had a cult following but their lack of any commercial success was not the only tragic story... keyboard player Max Mayers died in 1993 and in 1999 lead vocalist Adrian Borland took his own life after years of battling depression. Their tragic story is similar to that of 'Badfinger' (the Badfinger story is possibly the ultimate bad luck rock band story, from start to finish).
'The Sound' formed in 1979 and broke up in 1988 after five studio albums. Their debut album 'Jeopardy' was released in 1980 and features "Missiles" and if this is your first taste of 'The Sound' then you would quickly realise that Adrian Borland had an angry and intense delivery at times. It is amazing that this brilliant, yet emotional, song wasn't an anthem for the lefties at the time... it certainly struck a chord with me. This song could possibly be the most overlooked song off the most overlooked album... but most people couldn't really argue, because they probably haven't heard of either.

Ciccone Youth - "Into the Groove(y)"

'Ciccone Youth' was a side project for 'Sonic Youth' members Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley along with Mike Watt from 'Minutemen'. They only released a 3-track single in 1986 and an album 'The Whitey Album' in 1988. One song from the single and album was a cover of Madonna's "Into the Groove" which they changed to "Into the Groove(y)" and it contained some vocal samples from the original. The band name actually comes from Madonna's surname Ciccone and the album features her on the cover.... it is a Madonna tribute album of sorts, in a way only Sonic Youth could do. "Into the Groove(y)" is a surprisingly good tribute that would please Sonic Youth fans much more than Madonna fans. A highlight on what was predominantly an experimental album.

Mensch - "This Charming Man"

Because I'm such a 'Smiths' fan it is easy to be cynical about any covers of their songs. Jeff Buckley, yes.. but Mark Ronson, no. French duo 'Mensch' managed to pull off the Smiths classic "This Charming Man" from their EP 'Dance or Die'... they slowed it down, gave it a retro kraut rock beat and a vocal style a little like 'Nouvelle Vague'. A simple idea but a great result.

Sharon Van Etten - "One Day"

One of my great discoveries in 2010 was New York singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten. I caught on after the release of her second album 'Epic' in 2010 after she had released her debut 'Because I Was In Love' a year earlier. At only 32 minutes long, Epic is filler free and lives up to it's title because of quality songs rather than the quantity of them. She has such a beautiful soaring voice with the same effortless grandeur of Neko Case's... stunning, in other words. "One Day" is a pop moment on an album of heartbreak and feeling but she doesn't need our pity... she is too strong for that. You will enjoy every moment here. EPIC!


Live

Computers Want Me Dead - "Letters And Numbers"

Auckland electro-pop duo 'Computers Want Me Dead' arrived on the scene with an impressive single "We walk in circles" which went gold in NZ. Their latest single "Letters And Numbers" is just as impressive and has a video to match. They have a modern electro sound blended with a touch of retro synth. The debut album shouldn't be far away.

Braids - "Plath Heart"

Canadian band 'Braids' are continuing a trend with so many Canadian bands releasing interesting and complex music. 'Braids' singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston has a beautiful voice that takes "Plath Heart" to exceptional heights. Call it what you like... indie pop, dream-pop, experimental or avant-pop but whatever your take is, it is hard to deny it's beauty... which is truly engaging.

The Clean - "Beatnik"

My first Flying Nun purchase was the "Great Sounds Great, Good Sounds Good, So-so Sounds So-so, Bad Sounds Bad, Rotten Sounds Rotten" EP from Dunedin band 'The Clean' and that EP featured a fun organ lead song called "Beatnik" that even had a cool video... considering it was made nearly 30 years ago. David Kilgour hasn't changed much in appearance after all those years... the sunglasses are still worn constantly. These guys are the ultimate Kiwi cult band that basically created there own genre. No doubt, one of the most essential bands for me. "Is it wrong or is it right to be a Beatnik?"

Yello Featuring Shirley Bassey - "The Rhythm Divine"

Swiss band 'Yello' released their fifth album 'One Second' in 1987 and the single "The Rhythm Divine" featured Shirley Bassey on vocals... the song was written specially for her, with her voice in mind after they had approached her earlier about a collaboration. They certainly succeeded and took Shirley Bassey to a new generation... something the 'Propellerheads' continued in 1998 with their single "History Repeating" also featuring Shirley Bassey. It must be time for another collaboration.



Propellerheads - "History Repeating"

John Cooper Clarke - "Beasely Steet"

John Cooper Clarke still performs now but in the late 70's and early 80's he was the ultimate punk poet. He opened for all the punk heavyweights at that time but was well respected in his own right. John Cooper Clarke was also sometimes referred to as the bard from Salford... with hair that Ian McCulloch from 'Echo & the Bunnymen' would've been proud of. "Beasley Street" came from his 1980 album 'Snap, Crackle & Bop' and it is clear to us that the Manchester back street has a murky and sleazy story that is delivered in his unique style. The subject material may have been bleak but Thatcher's reign wasn't giving the working class much to celebrate. John Cooper Clarke's observations from those days are enlightening and entertaining.

Stateless - "Bloodstream"

Leeds band 'Stateless' released "The Bloodstream EP" in 2005 and the title track "Bloodstream" was also on their self titled debut album from 2007 as well as being released as a single to promote the album. They may be another rock/trip-hop hybrid... but they are not 'just' another rock/trip-hop hybrid. You may pick up some subtle 'Coldplay' similarities but that is not where they aim true. Being on the German dance label K7! tells us that they are more often on the trip-hop side of the ledger. As Chris James sings "You've gotten into my bloodstream" I realise that is exactly what this song does to me.