Johnny Marr - Easy Money

Track 2 off of Johnny Marr's new album Playland and the first single to be released

with the state of the charts at the moment, it 

probably won't chart, but its a great track none the less!!

George Ezra - Budapest

Keep hearing this on the radio, I was a bit shocked to see the video and find the guy was a 21 year old white guy. Reached the sunny heights of No 68 in the UK charts last month.........bloody criminal!

The Faces - Stay With Me

Been a while since I posted, so I thought I'd throw in one of my favourite 70's classics.

"Stay with Me" was written by Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood and was first released 

on the Faces in 1971 on their album A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... To A Blind Horse

It reached No 6 in the UK and No17 in the USA

Dimas III - I won't love you again

I heard this track for the first time the other day, listening to Huey Morgan on his Radio 2 show. Not sure when this was released as I'm finding it a little hard tracking down anything about Mr Garza. Its kind of a cross between Doo -Wop and James Brown Soul??? If that makes any sense???
Well I like it anyway!

David Allan Coe - Sweet Vibrations

I was driving to work the other day listening to the radio when a song came on, which annoyed the hell out of me, Florida Georgia Line feat Nelly - Cruise. What an absolute pile of sh!t. And then the DJ announced that its been No1 on the US Country Charts for 24 weeks. Why? This is not Country Music, its Pop!!!

So I thought I'd treat you all to a proper bit of Country from David Allan Coe's 1975 4th Album "Once upon a Rhyme.

That's more like it!!!!

The Vaccines - I Always Knew

I Always Knew was released in the UK in November last year, it was the third single from The Vaccines second studio album, "Come of Age". As with most of the modern music I seem to like it got nowhere in the UK charts, reaching the staggering climbs of No 169!!!!

This track reminds me of the 60's band "The Tornadoes", that twangy Joe Meek sound is just brilliant!

The Doors - Touch Me

Today's post is a tribute to the Doors keyboard maestro Ray Manzarek, who died earlier this week. Touch Me was realised late in 1968 and reached the No 3 spot in  the US charts early in '69. For some reason it failed to chart here in the UK??
This is one of my top 5 Doors tracks, honestly I could have picked any track.

RIP Ray

The Black Keys - Little Black Submarines

"Little Black Submarines" is a song by American rock band The Black Keys. It is the fourth track from their 2011 studio album El Camino and was released as the album's fourth single on October 8, 2012. The song begins as a quiet acoustic ballad before transitioning to a loud, hard rock arrangement in the second half. Critics praised the song and called it one of the highlights from El Camino. The song was a success on rock radio, reaching number two on the Alternative chart in the US and the Alternative Rock and Active Rock charts in Canada. The group filmed a music video with director Danny Clinch at the Springwater Supper Club and Lounge, a dive bar in Nashville, Tennessee. "Little Black Submarines" was certified gold in Canada.

Unfortunately it didn't even make a dent in the UK charts, what's the world coming to??

Hanni El Khatib - You Rascal You

I heard this track for the first time last week, on an advert for Sky Atlantic, I thought it was The Black Keys?? How wrong was I?

El Khatib is of Palestinian and Filipino descent. He grew up in San Francisco, where he became an avid skateboarder. He performed music on the side while working as creative director at the skateboard fashion label HUF

In 2010 he released two singles on Innovative Leisure, a subsidiary of Stones Throw Records. His debut album, Will the Guns Come Out, was released on September 27, 2011. The album features eight original songs and three covers. His second album will be produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.

He describes his songs as being for anyone who has ever been shot or hit by a train. His musical style includes elements of garage rock and blues.

During his live performances, El Khatib is accompanied by drummer Nicky Fleming-Yaryan, a friend from high school, and guitarist / keyboardist Hayden Tobin. They performed at the South by Southwest festival in March 2011, and at Bonnaroo in June 2011. They have opened for Florence and the Machine.

His music has been used in television commercials for Captain Morgan, Nike and Nissan, as well as the HBO series Hung, the Showtime series Californication and the feature film, For a Good Time, Call.... and most recently, for the 2013 Superbowl ad for Audi with his song, "Can’t Win ‘Em All". 

Tame Impala - Elephant

This track is featuring heavily on TV adverts in the UK at the moment, its a great trip back to the Psychedelic 60's with Lennon-esqe vocals and a great buzzing guitar riff.

"Elephant" was the first track to be released from Tame Impala's second album Lonerism and the video was filmed by artist Yoshi Sodeoka, with live footage provided by The Silentlights.
Frontman Kevin Parker has been reported as saying that the song is not really a song about being a loner, but a song about the bully. He goes on to say "It's the guy who thinks he's great, the jock. Imagine a real reclusive guy who's a bit bitter about this guy who thinks he's great. Which is the opposite vibe of the loner, so it presents him in the worst light."

Little Green Cars - Harper Lee

This songs been driving me mad for a couple of weeks, I kept hearing it on the radio but could never find out who sang it. Finally found out earlier in the week after speaking to my daughter!!
As far as I know this is their follow up single to "The John Wayne"

From http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p010q6bc/profiles/littlegreencars

"Having wooed stateside crowds with a series of shows through 2012, Dublin five-piece Little Green Cars are ready to charm domestic audiences with their forthcoming debut album, Absolute Zero.

The five-piece - fronted by the duo of Stevie Appleby and Faye O'Rourke - have a fine foundation to build from in the shape of their single The John Wayne. Its dusty percussion and vocal harmonies place it somewhere beside Mumford & Sons and The Maccabees; and, certainly, Little Green Cars possess the potential to emulate these acts' achievements.

Absolute Zero has something of a hit-maker at its helm, too - producer Markus Dravs has previously worked on releases by Arcade Fire, Björk and Coldplay. With the band forming five years ago, some might deem the debut a long time coming; but on the evidence of what's been heard so far, it's clear that a great thing is coming to those who've waited."

Pulp - Babies

"Babies" was originally released as a single on the Gift record label in 1992, but it failed to chart. A remixed version featured on the album His 'n' Hers and the original single mix on the album Intro. In 1994 "Babies" was re-released on the Sisters EP and reached No 19 in the UK chart.

Haim - Don't Save Me

Recently the winners of the BBC Sound of 2013, Haim were formed in 2006 by sisters Este, Danielle and Alans Haim. They'e been compared with 70s soft-rock legends Fleetwood Mac, however, they like to insist that their influences are a bit more up-to-date, revealing they are big fans of 90s girl groups TLC and Destiny’s Child, but also claim to be fans of Kendrick Lamar, Jessie Ware and Azealia Banks. Consequently their music sounds a bit like girly folk-rock with a few R&B/hip-hop stylings thrown in for good measure.
So far its reached UK No 32, I don't think it'll get any higher when the chart is full of crap pop and even worse R+B dance dross!
Personally I think they've a very quirky 80's sound, but hey that's me!

Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound

Firstly I'd like to wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year and thanks for following and commenting on my weird and complex taste in music!!

Of Monsters and Men are a five-piece indie folk/indie pop band from Iceland, formed in 2010. The members are co-singer/guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, co-singer/guitarist Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson, guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson,and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson. Try saying them names after a few beers!

 The band won the Músíktilraunir in 2010, an annual battle of the bands competition in Iceland. In 2011, Of Monsters and Men released an EP entitled Into the Woods. The band's debut album My Head Is an Animal (2011), peaked at No. 6 on the US album chart and No 3 here in the UK. Its lead single "Little Talks" was an international success, reaching No 12 in the UK and No 31 in the US, but it did make it the  No1 spot the  US Alternative Songs Chart and in their homeland.

Unfortunately the follow up “Mountain Song only reached UK No 66 and US 106!! I think it’s the better of the two to be honest, but hey that’s me!

I couldn’t find an official video for the song, but I’ve included a live version as well, which is just as good if not better than the studio version.

Jake Bugg - Lightning Bolt

One of my favorite's of the year, Jake Bugg's Lightning Bolt has just been re-released, I hope this time around the song gets higher than the UK no 88 that it reached earlier in the year.

Bugg was born in Nottingham England he  was chosen by the BBC to appear on their "Introducing" stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival aged 17, and because of this was given a contract by Mercury Records.  His songs were then placed on various BBC Radio play lists and one of them, "Country Song", was selected for use in a national TV beer commercial for Greene King IPA.

In August 2012 Bugg was a supporting act for Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds at Belsonic Music Festival, Belfast. On 22 May 2012, Bugg appeared on the BBC music programme Later... with Jools Holland. On 1 October 2012, he performed live on the BBC Radio 6 Music programme Live at Maida Vale. Bugg's debut album was released on 15 October 2012. Talking about Bugg and his debut Clash magazine hailed the "precocious talent fusing retro folk with blistering contemporary rock riffs".

The Vaccines - Norgaard

"Nørgaard" is the fifth single from English indie rock band The Vaccines from their debut album, What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?. The single was released in the United Kingdom  on 19 August 2011. As per usual the youth of today are more interested in manufactured pop crap, so this one only reached the miserable heights of No 84 in the UK charts, but I think its a great song!

The Strokes - Machu Picchu

The Strokes are an American indie rock band. Formed in New York City in 1999, the band consists of Julian Casablancas (vocals), Nick Valensi (lead guitar), Albert Hammond Jr. (rhythm guitar), Nikolai Fraiture (bass) and Fabrizio Moretti (drums)

“Machu Picchu” by The Strokes  is the first track from their fourth studio album, Angles, released on March 18, 2011 in Australia; March 21, 2011 in the UK; and March 22, 2011 worldwide. It’s their first album since First Impressions of Earth in 2006.

Although the song received loads of airplay here in the UK, it seems it was only released as a single in France, where it reached the sunny climbs of No 87 in the charts…….bloody criminal!

The Lumineers - Ho hey

A great new song, recently reached No 12 in the UK charts and No 17 in the US, it makes a change to have something decent in the chart for a change, not the usual crap! or am I getting old??

Eddie Cochran - Somethin' Else

Don't need to say too much here, reached UK No 22 and US No 58???

Eddie Cochran - Drum City (Guybo)

Yesterday would have been Eddie Cochran's 74th birthday, so I thought I'd post one of my favorite instrumental's by the man himself. It's always been a favourite of mine and in my opinion is better than the original version of Guybo. The drum sound is excellent!

Drum City was an overdubed version of "Guybo", which was recorded on 25th August 1959.
Guybo aka Drum City was released in the U.S under the name of Cochran's band, The Kelly Four, who were Connie 'Guybo' Smith on bass, Dave Shriver on bass, Gene Riggio on drums and Jim Stivers on piano.