#104

Hey!

I’m in a bit of a rush, but I also really want to share this playlist today, so let’s do this!

Kicking this one off, I have Zero 7 featuring Jose Gonzalez with a song called Futures.

What’s really cool about how I came upon this song and featuring artist is, I knew Jose Gonzalez’ music from before, and I really really liked listening to his work with a lot of collaborative artists (you might

remember me sharing the song ‘Cycling Trivialities’ a long time back). And then while I spent some time exploring more of Zero 7’s work, I stumbled into this beauty.

I was very pleasantly surprised.

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A Fleetwood Mac classic called Little Lies coming your way now.

To be very honest, I have way more Fleetwood Mac on my personal collection of music than I would’ve preferred. But I also don’t have the heart to remove any of it. So for now, I’m now just hoping it one day comes to a stage where I grow a larger collection of every other artist which will hopefully balance my playlist off.

I’d also like to think that One Cannot Have Too Much Fleetwood Mac.

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This next song’s been on my To-Share list for ages now. I just kinda forgot about it, and then saw it again earlier today when browsing through the list.

Grateful Dead with China Cat Sunflower.

I’m not actually sure what the song is supposed to mean; that song title doesn’t really help either.

Also, you should look up more of this band’s work if you haven’t already. very laid back, fun tunes.

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A louder track now, something I heard this morning and thought “Why Not?”

It’s Chevelle with Well Enough Alone.

There’s very few alternative hard rock bands I still listen to, and Chevelle is one of them. There’s something that isn’t quite dull about their music. It’s probably the lyrical quality teamed with Pete Loeffler’s powerful, well-controlled voice.

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A close friend of mine from Uganda shared this song with me yesterday

and was hoping I could explain what it was about. It was my first time listening to the song, but it instantly grew on me.

The song is called Tere Khayal and is by Nitin Sahwney, with Prasad Khaparde (voice) and Ashwin Srinivasan (flute).

It really is a very beautiful arrangement, featuring some very talented artists. FYI, the song title translates to “Thoughts of you”, and the song speaks of how thoughts of said person are often painful and make the protagonist want to break down.

Actually, I don’t think I described the song well enough.

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And with that, I close this playlist off.

Happy Listening!

#103

Hey there!

I decided to put this one together this morning before I start getting into the daily grind of work-practice-work.

First song I have for you is by the boogie blues American rock band ZZ Top.

On more than one occasion have I mistaken Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top for each other. They sound alike in more than one way, and speaking strictly about the musical colour- they both gave us these loud, energetic groovy tunes!

This song is called I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide.

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This next song is one I  heard for the first time this morning during my workout, and I loved it instantly.

It’s Kaleo with Way Down We Go.

Kaleo is an Icelandic blues rock band from 2012. Lead vocalist JJ Julius Son (Jökull Júlíusson) has a voice I CANNOT get over, and I can guarantee I’ll spend the rest of today checking this band out.

Credits to Jango Radio for giving me this song this morning.

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I now have Belgian trip-hop, electronica band Hooverphonic with their song called Vinegar & Salt.

There was a phase, sometime last year, where I spent a lot of time discovering newer artists in the downtempo and ambient space genres, and that is how I found Hooverphonic. I recently listened to Vinegar & Salt and decided to share.

P.S. There’s an acoustic version of this song that sounds even better.

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Here’s another song that made this list because I heard it this morning. Radiohead with Packt Like Sardines in a Crushed Tin Box.

I spend a good ten odd minutes on YouTube just looking for the album version of this song because that’s the one I’d heard and really enjoyed. The bass line is driving and it’s got a steady up-beat feel.

I finally settled for this Live version which was the closest to what I expected.

Putting this out here just because; I really love Radiohead! I’ve heard at least a hundred different tracks from several albums and am yet to find a song I didn’t like.

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I decided to close this playlist off with sometimes a little unconventional- It’s The Deftones with My Own Summer.

I’ve been listening to The Deftones since I was 12 or 13, and I haven’t really gotten over their music. It’s raw, if there ever was a good word to describe the sound and what it makes me feel at the same time.

Besides, Chino Moreno really knows ow to use that voice!

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Wow! What a playlist to start a day off with. I hope it gets you in the right spirits.

Happy Listening!

#102

Hello!

This one’s been longer than I anticipated. I’ll just get right to it. Here’s playlist 102-

I’m not sure why I decided to start with AFI, but anyway, I’ve got this emo, alternative American rock band for you with the song I Hope You Suffer.

To be honest, not a big fan of their work. This one song though, has something unique about it.

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This second song is called I am You  by Nightmares on Wax.

I think this is my second Nightmares on Wax song shared on this platform. I’ve spent some time exploring this artist’s work, and while I don’t enjoy all of it, I find that on occasion, depending on my mood and the playlist, his music stands out.

As for this particular song, I found myself listening to it this morning, and just as described above- it stood out.

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And now some Blondie.

Ahh… Good ol’ Blondie. I don’t think I ever get tired of listening to this group. I’ll admit I don’t have their extensive collection, but the few songs I’ve heard and frequent and all really good!

This song’s called Maria.

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Two things about this next song-

1. I heard the Live at Central Park version of this song just a few days ago, and I immediately knew what my next cover project was going to be.
2. This song just HAD to be part of this playlist. How have I not shared a Simon&Garfunkel song yet?!

This song actually needs no introduction. It’s a timeless classic, known by many, enjoyed by many.

It’s the Bridge Over Troubled Water.

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And to close this playlist off I have Kodaline with a really beautiful song called Way Back When.

I’ve heard this song on several occasions and it always manages to bring a smile to my face. That hopeful-for-the-future, happy-to-be-where-I-am smile. The lyrics are really beautiful and relatable, and that it otherwise needs no complicated musical direction is just perfect.

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That’s the playlist for you. I hope you enjoy listening to all the songs. I’ll be back with another soon.

Happy Listening!

#101

Hello there!

This post marks the start of something for me, although even as I say this, I’m trying to understand how anything changes at all.

Nothing changes.

Not on this blog, it won’t.

Well, here’s to making it to post 200 successfully!

Why not start this second set of hundred, loud, noisy, and energetic right?

Here’s Gomez for you with Get Miles.

At this point, I think I should mention that this entire playlist is an accumulation of songs I’ve listened to in the past two weeks and thought to myself “Why not share this?”

Honestly, I was surprised I hadn’t shared anything by Gomez in a while.

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The next song I have for you is a classic I’m sure you’ve heard sometime before. I don’t think there’s a lot of people out there who haven’t heard of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, or their super-group Genesis.

And from all the hit Genesis songs that I realize I could’ve instead shared, I decided I’ll give you Tonight, Tonight, Tonight this time.

I’ve always admired Phil Collins for the very talented musician that he is, but his voice in this song stands apart from the rest.

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So my brother and I have always enjoyed listening to music from the good old 70s, be it whatever genre. Elton John is one of those artists we’ve followed since a really long time as well. And very recently, I came across this MTV Unplugged version of his song Benny and the Jets, and I found that I just couldn’t get enough of how good a pianist this man is!

I mean, sure, he’s up there on that list of The Best Rock/ Pop Pianists of All Time, but watching him in this gig had me mesmerized beyond words could describe. Geez, what a performer!

(There might also have been drool.)

(Also, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else looks so smashing in hot pink before.)

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I  now have none other than The Man Robert Plant with Ship of Fools.

I’ve always enjoyed this song quite casually (not overly fond of it), but the other night, after a long day of work, listening to it felt really really good, and so I decided I should share.

 

I just realized that I’ve had a very British playlist so far.

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Electric Lights Orchestra now with Living Thing.

This song is just so much fun, I can’t think of any other way to describe it.

Right from the lyrical quality, to the musical arrangement, to the vocal parts and arrangements- this song is three and a half minutes of beautifully orchestrated fun.

Also, there’s something about those backing voices isn’t it? Almost like there’s a conversation they’re having.

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Had enough of the Brit scene?

I’ve now got American grunge super-group from the 90s, Mad Season, with Wake Up.

I’ve never been able to decide how I feel about Mad Season, Alice in Chains, and Layne Staley.

The confusion is because Layne plays a central role in all of it, and is also pretty important in my eyes (or ears) while I listen to either of the bands he was in.

Personally, I think I prefer Alice in Chains over Mad Season because, somehow, Staley seemed less lost for cause or damaged.

 

All that aside, his voice in Wake Up is simply… haunting.

The song itself is.

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That’s playlist 101 for you. I’ll see you around.

Happy Listening!

#100

Hey!

I know I should feel more excited about my one-hundredth post coming out on this blog, but I think I’m a little sad about it because a large part of me holds myself responsible for how late this has been.

Anyway, turns out I’ve had this blog going for longer than I’d remembered (since 2014!), and for that, I do feel really glad. I’ve enjoyed every bit of writing this over the years, am glad I began doing it, and I hope to continue until I run out of songs to share.

Let me give you playlist #100 now.

This is probably my first Cliff Richard share here. I decided to give you a catchy number called Wired For Sound.

Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of his music. But that said, he is an incredibly talented musician and I’ve found myself enjoying a good number of his more upbeat songs. Wired For Sound is one.

You’ve got to appreciate the lyrical quality and uniqueness of that melody line. I remember having a conversation with my Dad the first time I heard this song. I was confused and needed to clarify- “Dad, is it just me or is he singing about speakers?”

Turns out he really did sing about speakers.

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I now have a really fun track by Fleetwood Mac called Forever.

I’ve known this song a while but heard it recently and felt like adding it to this playlist.

I find it so interesting how vibrant in sound Fleetwood Mac were. On the one hand, Lindsey Buckingham brought a different colour to their music, and then there was Peter Green with a more bluesy approach to the song writing and musical arrangement itself.

I can’t take a side.

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How many different versions/covers of Wonderwall have you heard?

Well as many as those may be, I hope you haven’t yet heard Ryan Adams’ version of it, because that’s what I’ve got for you right now.

I think I discovered Ryan Adams in all his raspy-voiced glory on Jango Radio’s mellow summer music station. Of all his music I heard, I liked this cover the best.

It’s come to the point where I prefer this version over all others, and am considering covering it myself.

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Something smooth again, with Ilya, the English downtempo and electronica geniuses.

This track is called Soleil Soleil.

So here’s something interesting about this group-

Ilya have often been compared to Zero 7 and other post-2000 downtempo acts, whilst also being considered as continuing the trip hop tradition, originated in Bristol in the 1990s.

The pair has been self-producing most of their music ever since then, in their home studio near Bristol.

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I’m still unsure if this was a good idea or not, but something told me, as a musician, and this being my 100th, I should share something by … well … me.

I’m sharing with you my cover of Up Where We Belong.

Here’s the story- I’d recorded this video and cover for my Dad (who loves this song) for his birthday not so long back. I suddenly decided on the morning of his birthday’s eve that this is what my gift would be, hurriedly looked for sheet music, and then put together a voice and piano rendition of my own (several tweaks were made all along the song to suit my vocal range, ability to play and sing; and those general alterations you make as you go along trying to cover something.)

The original song is written by Joe Cocker (one of Dad’s favourites) and Jennifer Warnes.

I hope you enjoy listening to this.

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And that’s the one-hundredth playlist for you.

Happy Listening Folks!

Whoot! We Made 100!

#99

Hi!

I’ve taken a couple of days to put together some of the songs on this playlist, while some others were just thrown at me by YouTube. I hope you enjoy listening.

First one is T Rex with Cosmic Dancer.

In case you didn’t know- T Rex is a British classic rock band from the 60s. They were active just about 10 years, but short as that stint was, they gave us a lot of great music.

My brother and I enjoy listening to a lot of classic rock music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and T Rex is one among those artists we listen to quite frequently.

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So this second song is one I chanced upon the minute I logged into my YoutTube. The video thumbnail was curious enough, so I gave it a listen.

The music is great too.

It’s Half Alive with their single Still Feel.

So these guys are a brand new (2016) indie band, and if I’m right, the single “Still Alive” is VERY fresh (like this year, this month, fresh).

There’s nothing else I can offer as information unfortunately. Seems like I’m not the only one on the web trying to figure out where they came from.

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So I’ve been following NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts for a while and when the track On My Mind by Jorja Smith showed up on my recommendations, I loved it the minute I heard it.

Here’s me sharing this smooth, sexy-sounding arrangement with you.

Call me racist if you want, but nobody understands rhythm the way African-Americans do.

(P.S. The song ‘On My Mind’ is the first 3:15 seconds of the video I’ve shared. Or you could go ahead and listen to the entire Tiny Desk concert which is about 12 odd minutes.)

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And now I have Leon Bridges with a track called Beyond for you.

I think there’s something unique about all Leon Bridges’ music. They’re similar in the sense you’ll know that it’s him. But they all stand apart from each other as well.

Also, Leon Bridges has a really soothing voice.

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Closing this playlist with a song I’ve enjoyed for several years now.

It’s The Corrs with Runaway.

I think there’s something of an emotional connect I have with bands that create sounds like The Corrs do. It tugs at all the parts of me that scream Musician. And they’re also so close to home, in terms of what inspires their music I mean.

I’ve always enjoyed The Corrs’ music in Unplugged form over their album versions. Probably has something to do with the arrangement and the beauty of watching them play.

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So that’s it from me for now. Enjoy this one. I’ll share a new playlist with you soon.

Happy Listening!

#98

Hey there!

This post is coming to you super quick and it’s quite brief. I’m tired, and it’s late, but I see myself putting this off for another long week if I don’t share now.

Let’s go!

I WANTED to share this one TODAY. Probably the reason this playlist is also on time (in time).

I really love Sufjan Steven’s music, and his album Carrie and Lowell has been a masterpiece in so many ways. Just today, while listening to the track Blue Bucket of Gold, I rediscovered the beauty that this album is; and read myself its backstory which brought meaning to this particular song even more.

This entire album is so sad and joyous at the same time. It’s like a peaceful feeling of being liberated coming over you…

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I think mellow’s the mood on this playlist. The second

song I have is by Luke Sital Singh and is called Benediction.

I discovered Luke very recently (it’s only been a month) while tuned in to an easy listening playlist on Jango. Loved his voice, loved the lyrics, loved the feel.

And I’d like to share this with you.

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And now another I discovered the same way I found the previous song.

This one is called First Day of My Life and is by Bright Eyes.

I like how this song always makes me smile. It’s a cute, delightful little piece that talks about being stupidly happy in love, and it reminds me of being carelessly happy. And of being young.

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So I heard an MTV Unplugged version of Seal’s Crazy but thought I’d share the

original with you instead. Plus, I really wanted to listen to the original Myself. It’s been that long.

Watching the music video from now (so 90s!), and I’m wondering about when Seal stopped having all that hair. And now I’m wondering about how much I’ve aged if this music from my childhood is sooo yesterday.

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While on the topic of my childhood, here’s another I remember from back then. It’s Jamiroquoi with Love Foolosophy.

The video is nothing fascinating, but I really love how catchy the entire track is. His voice is also pretty awesome.

Enjoy away.

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Well, I’ll sign out now and get myself some shut eye.

Happy listening!