Song title: Paris Collides
Artist: RUFUS DU SOL
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
Its one of those songs that seems custom made for headphones. Put it on and drift away on an ocean of snyths and vocal effects.
Original video located here. Accessed 14th December 20189/span>
Song title: How to Make Gravy
Artist: Paul Kelly
Year: 1996
Why I like this song:
Still one of the greatest Christmas songs ever written. Having a song told through the perspective of guy in the slammer sounds like a bizarre idea but it works so well here. And I still get the shiver up my spine with the last stanza: "You know one of these days / I'll be making gravy / I'll be making plenty / Gonna pay them all back...."
Original video located here. Accessed 9th December 2011
Song title: Autobahn
Artist: Kraftwerk
Year: 1974
Why I like this song:
Recently I got ahold of Kraftwerk's landmark album Autobahn.
From the outset, it seems that this album's reputation lies in it's title track: A twenty-plus minute epic that simulates a car journey and is largely recognised as a foundation stone for electronic music.
They aren't kidding.
Of course, saying so does a tremendous disservice to the rest of the album which are all superb and mark the transition point where Kraftwerk went from experimental to something more easily embraced.
Still I look forward to the day when I get to go on a long car journey and have this playing
Song title: Nobody Does it Better
Artist: Radiohead
Originally Done By: Carly Simon
Year: 1995
Why I like this song:
How's this for an awesome cover?!
Original video located here. Accessed 2nd December 2011
Song title: Reptile
Artist: The Church
Year: 1988
Why I like this song:
I said I'll look into more of the Church's discography so I took a stab at Starfish, their greatest album (apparently).
It was pretty damn good too. If the Blurred Crusade was all about the psychedelica, then this comes across as more refined, with the sound more expansive, the guitars more solid and a band that is sounding like a complete more than ever before.
Apparently this album was difficult to make but one wouldn't think it: The finished product is nothing less than a triumph.
Original video located here. Accessed 28th November 2011
Song title: When You Were Mine
Artist: The Church
Year: 1982
Why I like this song:
Lately I've been becoming acquainted with The Church.
The Church are one of those Australian bands: They've been around for so long and have had numerous songs that are instantly recognisable. They have garnered respect and have never really left the public consciousness.
Looking back at their big album from 1982, the Blurred Crusade, it strikes me just how out of step it is from other music at the time. It sounds like the jangle pop similar to the Smiths and R.E.M, but with a much harder edge. The dual guitar attack works wonders and has a creativity that puts a lot of other cats to shame - and has aged better too.
Seems I have come across something that bears further investigation....
Original video located here. Accessed 25th November 2011
Song title: A Thousand Years
Artist: Christina Perri
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
I never thought much of Christina's previous song Jar of Hearts so hearing this ......something else.
It has a sincerity and vulnerability that isn't heard much elsewhere and here it works wonders.
Maybe Christina should ditch the attacks on previous boyfriends and do more like this because it seems to be more successful.
Song title: Head Like a Hole
Artist: Devo
Originally Done By: Nine Inch Nails
Year: 1997
Why I like this song:
This shouldn't work but somehow, in it's own bonkers way, it does.
Original video located here. Accessed 21st November 2011
Song title: I Want to Choke Your Band
Artist: Beatallica
Year: 2009
Why I like this song:
Lately I've been listening to Beatallica.
As the name suggests, it's a parody band that sounds like someone tried to combine the Beatles and Metallica in some illegal mad scientist laboratory.
And the outcome is downright hilarious.
Original video located here. Accessed 11th February 2017
Song title: Door to the River
Artist: Manic Street Preachers
Year: 2002
Why I like this song:
Currently dealing with a break up.
Need something to listen to.
This will do.
Original video located here. Accessed 14th November 2011
Song title: Father's Day
Artist: Weddings Parties Anything
Year: 1992
Why I like this song:
Listening to the Weddo's King Tide album got me inspired so I sought out the Difficult Loves album.
If people know this album it's through this: it's lead-off single. It may sound joyous but it's not a song I can listen to easily: largely because it's told through the perspective of a divorced father as he describes his life.
Still if a song can have such power then it must be doing something right.
I do recall back in the day this song being a sizable radio hit - which is odd considering the subject matter.
Original video located here. Accessed 3rd July 2024
Song title: Monday's Experts
Artist: Weddings Parties Anything
Year: 1993
Why I like this song:
Recently I've been listening to Weddings Parties Anything.
I recall back in the mid-nineties these guys were having some really good hits that managed to get some radio play (and this was one of them) but they have since become forgotten. I suppose that tends to happen given the passage of time but these guys are better than that - not least through Mick Thomas' song-writing and his willingness to keep the tradition of story-telling going.
As for this song, who can't relate to this? And it still sounds fresh years later.
Original video located here. Accessed 6th April 2014
Song title: Following My Own Tracks
Artist: The Whitlams
Year: 1995
Why I like this song:
Recently I've been listening to the Whitlams album Undeniably.
While the Whitlams became huge off of the back of Eternal Nightcap and No Aphrodisiac, it would be easy to forget that they were originally three guys: Andy, Stevie and Tim.
I knew little of the Whitlams pre-No Aphrodisiac, bar the delightful I Make Hamburgers, so hearing this album is quite a surprise: Lead vocal and song-writing duties are split between Tim and Stevie and there is plenty of humour throughout. Certainly there are signs of the depression that dogged Stevie, not least in the above song, but this is certainly a different beast compared to what would come afterwards.
And for that reason alone, to deserves to be remembered.
Song title: Lullaby
Artist: The Cure
Year: 1989
Why I like this song:
And now, to round out this run down of Halloween-themed songs, another stab at the obvious. Funny how the longer this rundown went, the more submissions I made to the obvious....
Well you can't have discussion of nightmare-inducing music without mentioning the Cure so here we are, at their most sinister (yet strangely seductive...).
Song title: Dragula
Artist: Rob Zombie
Year: 1998
Why I like this song:
It's industrial enough for the metal heads and goth enough for the goths....
....but personally this always struck me as a mainstay for computer nerds. Seriously: if you were a computer nerd in the late nineties you had this song on the hard-drive - or you knew someone who did.
Certainly a mark of the power of this song that it unites such disparate groups....
Song title: Sympathy For the Devil
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Year: 1968
Why I like this song:
This song may sound tame when compared to countless Black metal bands that followed in it's wake but it still has it's own brand of evil. Must be down to the congas and Mick's gleefully warped performance.
Song title: Whatever Leads Me to You
Artist: Geoffrey O'Connor
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
No doubt this is going join the ranks of 'love songs that are actually sinister' but it's in good company (Every Breath You Take anyone?)
But still, the production on this is top notch, with some striking elements all coming together to make a solid whole (the violin solo being of particular note)
Song title: Time Warp
Artist: Original cast of Rocky Horror Picture Show
Year: 1975
Why I like this song:
Another obvious choice but admit it: You can't deny the sense of fun this song provides. After all, it's just a jump to the left...Song title: Thriller
Artist: Michael Jackson
Year: 1982
Why I like this song:
With this blog I have vowed to make a committed effort to eschew the obvious.
So would excluding Thriller from a collection of Halloween-themed songs would be a surprise but including it loop it around again. Meaning we have reached some sort of singularity here.
Song title: I am the Resurrection
Artist: Stone Roses
Year: 1989
Why I like this song:
Well the Stone Roses have reformed so I encourage you all to click the play button to this video, turn it up real loud and jump around the room to this now rather aptly titled song
Song title: Up Jumped the Devil
Artist: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Year: 1988
Why I like this song:
Seems you can't have a collection of Halloween-themed songs without mentioning the king of goths himself.
As for this, it sounds bonkers, sinister and comical all at once.
"And down we go.."
Song title: Army of Me
Artist: Bjork
Year: 1995
Why I like this song:
Another slice of nightmare fuel - and that's even without that bonkers video. The pounding beats, the thick bass and Bjork's detached vocals make for something that will but the fear in anyone.
Funny how metal bands try to freak people out but they get upstaged by an exercise in mood.
I wonder how many teenage girls went goth upon hearing this song?
Song title: The Trial
Artist: Pink Floyd
Year: 1979
Why I like this song:
It may come at the climax of the Wall but this doesn't sound out of place on a Halloween-themed playlist. Must be the ghoulish-sounding voices throughout.
Song title: Turkish Song of the Damned
Artist: The Pogues
Year: 1988
Why I like this song:
It sounds like a full blown nightmare - at least by Pogues standards - but this is still a Pogues songs so the Dancing a Song of the Damned still sounds like a lot of fun.
Song title: Don't Fear the Reaper
Artist: Blue Oyster Cult
Year: 1976
Why I like this song:
I came to this song through a friend and, as I recall, I came away not knowing to make of it. But in time, I came around to it. Its spooky in its sound, the guitars are great and, remarkably, there is an undercurrent the lyrics of living life to the fullest....
Song title: Hell
Artist: Squirrel Nut Zippers
Year: 1996
Why I like this song:
A truly demented swing revamp with some snappy lines ("All the things you try to hide / Will be revealed on the other side!") and screams.
Welcome to Hell indeed
Song title: Come to Daddy
Artist: Aphex Twin
Year: 1997
Why I like this song:
Fitting for Halloween: Demented song accompanied by a nightmare fuel video
Song title: Little Ghost
Artist: The White Stripes
Year: 2005
Why I like this song:
Its October and with October comes Halloween. So from now until November, I'm going to ramble about suitable songs for a spooky time.
So lets start with a curveball: This is a strange opener and an equally strange song but it's kinda cute.
It may sound like it's written for kids (I can imagine this being sung in a kindergarten class.....albeit a very strange kindergarten class) but hey, it's a singalong and damn good one at that
Song title: No.1 Crush
Artist: Garbage
Year: 1995
Why I like this song:
I didn't think much of this song when it first came up but within time, as well as some life experience, I came around to it. It's moody, it's frightening and Shirley Manson is delivering a performance akin to a zombie that won't lay down and die.
Original video located here. Accessed 26th September 2011
Song title: Amor Fati
Artist: Washed Out
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
Like walking out of the house and into sunshine.
Original video located here. Accessed 6th February 2016
Song title: Perfect Circle
Artist: R.E.M.
Year: 1983
Why I like this song:
It's official: R.E.M. have called it a day.
Some cynics would think they should've done it years ago but this is still the endpoint for one of the most successful bands ever and that should at least shed a tear or two...
Personally, I've been on quite the journey with this band.
In early primary school I became of them through being freaked out by the video to Orange Crush.
In late primary school I knew of Everybody Hurts through it's emotional weight.
In high school I was puzzled by their recent but I rediscovered their eighties efforts.
In university I came to love them, having listened to Reveal lot.
And in the post-university years I heard their first clutch of albums - their independent era which is regarded by some as their best.
In any case, the story of R.E.M. is one of being a pioneer for alternative rock and one that altered the course of history of popular music.
Here's to you legends.
Song title: Anarchy in the U.K.
Artist: Frazier Chorus
Originally Done By: Sex Pistols
Year: 1989
Why I like this song:
I've talked previously how the best covers are the one's that make the original unrecognisable.
And then there's this.....
Not much I can say expect it's perplexing to hear energy and anger being replaced with.....lethargy?
Really this is the sound of a revolution where no one bothered to turn up.
Song title: Reptile
Artist: Smashing Pumpkins
Originally Done By: The Church
Year: 2008
Why I like this song:
This is a cover I never would've guessed. I love the Pumpkins and I love the Church so seeing both come together is fine by me
Original video located here. Accessed 29th August 2011
Song title: Junk of the Heart (Happy)
Artist: The Kooks
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
Currently experiencing problems with my romantic partner - and to that end this song has been handy to have around...
Original video located here. Accessed 9th December 2012
Song title: Never Tear Us Apart
Artist: INXS
Year: 1987
Why I like this song:
Given that I've been listening to INXS lately, it would be somewhat inevitable that I would come to what is widely regarded as their best album Kick.
Yeah it's all right.
As for this song, it's funny hearing it now because for years, particularly as an eighties kid, it was one of those song that was always there: The opening strings, Michael's vocals and that sudden stop. You know the song but somehow, it's always the parts of it; never the whole thing.
Although to this day, I find it hard to listen to this song without striking some melodramatic pose.
Original video located here. Accessed 15th August 2011
Song title: Tuesday
Artist: You Am I
Year: 1996
Why I like this song:
Recently I have been listening to You Am I's Hourly Daily album.
Back in the mid-nineties, there was a time when these guys seemed unstoppable: They were the biggest act in the land, they had a monumentally successful album, they were scooping up the ARIAs and they were inspiring many young people to get a guitar and get a band together.
So it is interesting to hear this album now: Did I miss something back then that many people latched onto?
I will admit that presenting the album as a day, from dawn to evening, is effective. Granted it worked for the Moody Blues but this is the same formula wrung through an Australian perspective. And that perspective being that of suburbia.
Furthermore, the album itself certainly has a freshness about it that is undeniable.
Its debatable whether or not this album would've succeeded without that of Oasis' (What's the Story) Morning Glory but if this was the Australian answer to the trends of Britpop then hey, why not?
Original video located here. Accessed 8th August 2011
Song title: Everyday I Love You Less and Less
Artist: Kaiser Chiefs
Year: 2005
Why I like this song:
On the same interstate trip where I saw Gomez, I also saw the Kaiser Chiefs - and both were playing on different nights at the same venue.
The support act for the Kaiser Chiefs were Stonefield. Turns out the four sisters could certainly rock hard. Of particular note was one song they did where each of the sisters sung a verse each and a cover of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love.
But yeah, the Kaiser Chiefs delivered a great show. Like Gomez, the audience participation in certain songs helps. Now one would think that a bad thing but as it turns out it is truly an unforgettable experience to be in the same room as a whole lot of people going "Ruby-Ruby-Ruby-Ruby-Aaaahaaaaahahahaaaa".
Original video located here. Accessed 6th August 2010
Song title: Bring It On
Artist: Gomez
Year: 1999
Why I like this song:
Recently I went to Melbourne to see Gomez perform live. It was another case of me waiting a long time for the opportunity to see band I like and it was worth the wait.
Years ago, I was told that Gomez can deliver a superb live shows and, as it turns out, they can indeed. Fantastic live show helped along by a lot of raucous singing/audience participation (always a good sign).
Song title: Feel So Close
Artist: Calvin Harris
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
Some songs make you get up and dance - and then there are some that do it in such a manner that it is near impossible to resist. And this song belongs in the latter category.
It may be repetitive and annoying but it sure makes me get out of my seat so it must be doing something right.
It must be that bass line...
Original video located here. Accessed 25th July 2011
Song title: New Race
Artist: Radio Birdman
Year: 1977
Why I like this song:
Lately I've been listening to Radio Birdman.
Along with the Saints, Radio Birdman were Australia's premiere punk band. Legendary in reputation and respected by many bands that came after. An intimidating prospect to be sure but I will give it a shot...
I already knew this song, along with Aloha Steve and Danno, and pretty much identified it as early punk with it's volatile nature and ferocity. And as it turned out, it was a mission statement: It's is gleeful in it's fury and sounds like it could collapse any minute.
Honestly? This leaves a lot of more recent punk songs for dead. Can't beat the classics.
Song title: Your Racist Friend
Artist: Bodyjar
Originally Done By: They Might Be Giants
Year: 1999
Why I like this song:
Having been acquainted with punk rock in my teens I have heard plenty of covers done in the punk rock style, given them a punch - intentional or not - the original lacked.
And this is the case here: This is by no means a slight on the originial but listening to this, one gets the feeling Bodyjar gave the song the bite it needed.
Original video located here. Accessed 18th November 2021
Song title: Everything's Fine
Artist: The Saints
Year: 1978
Why I like this song:
I heard the Saints debut album, (I'm) Stranded, so why not explore their discography further?
Thing this, everything that followed (I'm) Stranded was going in odd directions, not least the incorporation of horns.
Still, I did like this song of their third album, Prehistoric Sounds. Granted I already knew it from Ed Kuepper's version of it but this seems more ragged. And pretty damn good at it too.
Original video located here. Accessed 8th December 2012
Song title: Don't Change
Artist: INXS
Year: 1983
Why I like this song:
Lately I've been listening to INXS.
I was never into INXS when I was a kid. It seems like a dumb thing to admit to seeing, at the time, they were Australia's greatest pop music export, had many hits on the radio and could command fans and acclaim. I however couldn't get into them.
But that was then: Could adult me find a fresh perspective?
Okay fine I admit it: I know these song and, however overplayed they may have been over the years, they are still well-crafted songs, blending rock and dance elements into something snappy. And int eh case of the above song, it certainly charges out the speakers and grabs the attention.
Meaning it has done it's job with flying colours
Original video located here. Accessed 27th June 2011
Song title: Lose It
Artist: Austra
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
........agonising over the decision to make or break during a relationship under pressure...
Original video located here. Accessed 24th June 2011
Song title: King of Vice
Artist: Ed Kuepper
Year: 1991
Why I like this song:
The opening to one of my favourite albums ever. It certainly is a gamble to open an album with a nine-minute epic but never once does this drag. So many things going on at once and none of it sounds out of place.
You wouldn't think this came out the same year grunge exploded as it sounds worlds apart but that's what make sit so compelling.
Original video located here. Accessed 4th January 2018
Song title: Spirit Got Lost
Artist: Mental As Anything
Year: 1983
Why I like this song:
Recently I got a hold of the Mental As Anything album Creatures of Leisure.
It's a fun listen however I can't deny it sounds remarkably similar to the Cats and Dogs album (both albums share the same producer). Guess one sticks with what works.
Is it their best? One would think so. Especially since it starts with the above being both freaky and jaunty at the same time.
Song title: Stuck in the Middle With You
Artist: The Whitlams
Originally Done By: Stealers Wheel
Year: 1995
Why I like this song:
A snappy cover that somehow has far more energy than the original. But what stands out for me is that even though this is a cover it somehow conveys the sense of camaraderie the original Whitlams had.
Original video located here. Accessed 27th May 2011
Song title: Jungle
Artist: Emma Louise
Year: 2010
Why I like this song:
The sound of a crumbling relationship...
Original video located here. Accessed 13th June 2015
Song title: Nights in Venice
Artist: The Saints
Year: 1977
Why I like this song:
Lately I've been listening to The Saints.
The Sex Pistols and the Ramones may have spearheaded the first wave of punk in the seventies but there was also these guys: the Saints. Not as wide renowned but no less important.
Really this is the punk blueprint being fed through an Australian filter: The guitars roar like no other, the rustiness is prominent and the whole thing sounds like it was recorded in one go.
So very much a punk band.
And it is utterly glorious. Still sounds fresh and fiery over three decades later. And, dare I say it, shows up a lot of recent punk bands.
Song title: Nothing Else Matters
Artist: Metallica
Year: 1991
Why I like this song:
I have an anecdote with this song: Like most schools, my primary school played songs to signal that break time was ending and everyone needs to return to class. Of course, I could say my school played Metallica and leave it at that. But I've a memory attached to this song.
Picture this: I'm in a hallway at my Primary school. The hallway in question has the lights turned off and the only light is through the sunshine coming in the window. I'm working on something. Then, this song comes on, I quietly pack up and head off to class.
Some songs require the right atmosphere.
Song title: In Our Circles
Artist: Guineafowl
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
It conveys the sense of marching to the horizon with one's head held high. Great guitar too
Original video located here. Accessed 27th April 2013
Song title: Deep Water
Artist: Middle East
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
Looking out the window on a rainy day.....
Song title: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Artist: Cat Power
Originally Done By: Rolling Stones
Year: 2000
Why I like this song:
As mentioned previously, the best kind of cover is the one that makes the original unrecognisable. And this is a stellar example of that notion. Indeed, it took me ages before I realised this was a Rolling Stones cover.
Indeed, take away the most distinctive moments of the original, the chorus and the guitar riff, and you have to work hard with what's left. And here, it works wonders.
Original video located here. Accessed 28th March 2011
Song title: You Don't Love Me Anymore
Artist: 'Weird Al' Yankovic
Year: 1992
Why I like this song:
I recently had the pleasure of seeing 'Weird Al' Yankovic live.
This is not the first time I've seen Weird Al live. But that time I had to live early so this time I was able to see the show all the way to the end.
Of course I knew what to expect but that didn't make it any more enjoyable: Polka medleys with footage of the originals on the screen. Star Wars numbers complete with a plethora of cosplayers. Costume changes. Some truly witty songs with some on-stage lunacy. And some animation clips to accompany the songs.
And for me my favourite moment was You Don't Love Me Anymore where Al was accompanied by his guitarist and replicating a joke for the video (see above), where, in-between verses, Al picks up a guitar, looks like he's going to play it but casts it aside and continues singing. And he stretches this joke out through the song. Now on paper that may be a bad move but it was still funny.
All in all, a great show.
Original video located here. Accessed 25th March 2011
Song title: He Gets Me High
Artist: Dum Dum Girls
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
Just when you think that maybe the music of the present isn't for me and my time has passed, a song comes along and says: "That's what you think!"
I will admit I do love me some dream pop and this is it in it's finest. Of particular note though is the lead singer, who does her job with authority, proving that confidence can indeed sell anything
Song title: Streams of Whiskey
Artist: The Pogues
Year: 1984
Why I like this song:
It's St Patrick's Day so this seems like an ideal choice. It may be early Pogues but already their strengths were evident: A pumped-up take on folk music, an appreciation for Irish history & culture and an ability to write some great drinking songs
Song title: Run
Artist: Spiderbait
Originally Done By: The Goodies
Year: 1993
Why I like this song:
In late 1996/early 1997 Spiderbait were a huge deal and, naturally, I got on that bandwagon. I did seek out the Run EP, largely based on the name recognition alone, and I found this song. It took me a while to realise it was a song that came from The Goodies (the credit to Bill Oddie should've been a dead giveaway) but what does it matter? This cover rocked hard.
Original video located here. Accessed 9th March 2011
Song title: That's No Way to Tell a Lie
Artist: James Dean Bradfield
Year: 2006
Why I like this song:
I'm a big fan of the Manic Street Preachers. So when I heard James made a solo album I was intrigued: Did he have something of his own say? Could he produce something of his own without the aid of his bandmates? I was disappointed by Know Your Enemy and Lifeblood so could this work out?
Well the answers to all of the above questions is a resounding yes. Here, James sounds revitalised, being aware of his strengths and playing to them. He's rocking it up like there's no tomorrow and playing every song-writing trick he can think of (guitar solo, 'sha-la-las', synthesizer, handclaps).
Seems James had something to prove and he succeeded better than anyone could've hoped for.
Original video located here. Accessed 31st October 2018
Song title: An End Has a Start
Artist: Editors
Year: 2007
Why I like this song:
It comes charging out, as if it picked up the baton left by Joy Division.
Of course such comparison are inevitable but it still rocks hard and I enjoyed this album when it was originally released.
Original video located here. Accessed 2nd March 2011
Song title: We Used to be Friends
Artist: The Dandy Warhols
Year: 2003
Why I like this song:
Pretty much what I play when my number of Facebook friends decreases.
Still, one of the strengths of the Dandy Warhols is their sarcasm and this has it in spades. Plus, it's a handy song to have when you have to contend with someone...less than reputable.
And it's for that reason that I keep coming back to it.
Song title: I Follow Rivers
Artist: Lykke Li
Year: 2011
Why I like this song:
Behold the Swedish Yandere
This works for me. through the bizarre production (particularly with that distorted glockenspiel sample) and Lykke's voice. It sounds spooky but sure isn't dull
Song title: My Girl
Artist: Temptations
Year: 1964
Why I like this song:
One of the most recognizable openings ever with the finger-snaps and the guitar riff. I'm amazed how many can pick up this song and immediately enjoy it - but such things happen for a reason. You see, this song describes a true strength in a relationship, when you in something so strong, you feel the world is at your feet, it's pretty much all you'll ever need and you just want to tell everyone about it.
I have always had a long-standing grudge against love songs as they described an idealized situation and nothing of what's it really like - this song however, along with the others I've listed above, remains a delightful exception. And how can you see no to it? I guess it's fair to say that everyone has felt at some stage exactly like this: Being in love and everything is now viewed in a much brighter light and having the enthusiasm to say, Hey this is a Relationship that works.
"All I can talk about is My Girl"
Song title: Unchained Melody
Artist: Righteous Brothers
Year: 1965
Why I like this song:
Yeah we all know this one but seriously: no amount of bad karaoke versions (or pottery scenes) can ever tarnish the timeless wonder this songs provides.
Song title: At My Most Beautiful
Artist: R.E.M.
Year: 1998
Why I like this song:
Michael Stipe once said it isn't easy trying to convey genuine feelings in a song and, as a result he was working on this song for a very long period of time. Thus, when it was finally done he was really proud of the end result.
And so he should be. For me this song really does a great effort in capturing little moments in a relationship. Little moments that make any relationship what it should be: Special. Key amongst them is the repeated line: "I've Found a Way to Make you Smile" but some of the other lines work equally well. Indeed, this song is the type that quietly sneaks in and builds a connection without the listener realizing it. And if that isn't the mark of a great song, I don't know what is.
Song title: The Ship Song
Artist: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Year: 1990
Why I like this song:
Now this is how you write a love song! I have had great respect for Mr. Cave's talents in writing a love songs. He has said that emotionally-based songs should be the real deal and not be in any way false - and for that I take my hat off to him.
The Ship Song I feel fulfills these objectives with ease. Listening to it, I hear something of beauty - comparable to watching a glacier melt. Everything works, the sweep of the song writing, the use of the piano and xylophone, the steady dream beat and the utilization of the layered vocals. Everything about it has this passionate, commanding tensity to it that reduces my speech to a whisper. To convey such emotion within a songs is nothing short of an achievement.
Indeed, it makes you wonder why no one has ever written anything to match, or even surpass, it. Maybe there is no need. Or maybe everyone is too scared to.
Song title: Happy Together
Artist: Turtles
Year: 1966
Why I like this song:
Again, this a song that succeeds through having a winner of a chorus. A proud declaration describing feelings that anyone can relate to all in a cheerful manner. And that is precisely the point: This songs really conveys what it is truly like being in love. Genuine emotions that anyone can relate to are spelled out in the lyrics, Similarly the vocal delivery ranges from uncertainty, to eagerness to full-blown confidence within a short space of time.
Better still, the song establishes the idea that when you're in love, everything looks different and you gain a much better perspective on the world around you. You and the other person make each other happy and it means so much. Seeing as this song can accomplish all of this, it's small wonder it has withstood the test of time.
Song title: It's Because I Love You
Artist: Master Apprentices
Year: 1970
Why I like this song:
In the history of the love song there have been some some horrifically treacly rubbish (if I ever hear Lady in Red ever again i think I may have to kill someone) - thus I proudly point to this song as being one of these exceptions of a love song with actual BALLS. An artifact from the early seventies hippy era of Australian rock - and one of those songs that has a quality to it that can only be described as timeless. A simple declaration of love over a some nicely played acoustic guitar, soon gives way to the unforgettable chorus of: 'Do what you want to do/Be what you want to be/Yeah'. Essentially, this is a song of two halves, where in the verse we see the cause and in the chorus we see the effect. After all, when you're in love, anything really seem possible.
And like many songs on this list, this song also bears a particular personal resonance: I remember one time when I was feeling depressed, this song came on the stereo and Kathleen encouraged me into a singalong with the chorus in an effort to cheer me up. Sometimes, little moments can mean so much
Song title: Geeks in Love
Artist: Lemon Demon
Year: 2010
Why I like this song:
A gem from an Internet-based songwriter/animator. At first glance, it may seem kind of daft - but ultimately, it's strength lies in truth. That truth of being with someone who can understand what you say, the embodiment of a bond that only the two of you understand, the idea of being someone whom you can do things with, the notion that you will both succeed when no one else will realize it, the strength of being able to make the other genuinely happy and being a part of something that could only be described as special. And let us not forget: it's actually quite a catchy song.
In fact that I'd go so far to say that if I ever get married this song WILL be played at the wedding
Song title: Love Goes On!
Artist: The Go-Betweens
Year: 1988
Why I like this song:
Speaking from experience, when I have been in a genuine relationship, everything changes. The world looks different, you suddenly find yourself capable of doing things you never thought possible, light comes in where once was darkness, you find yourself starting out on something truly great and a general enthusiasm for life comes rushing in. And all of these emotions are encapsulated within this song. Such infatuation is conveyed in the song with such ease and such sincerity (the use of the exclamation mark in the title is a subtle indication) it makes you wonder why other song-writers even bother.
Song title: Something
Artist: Beatles
Year: 1969
Why I like this song:
In terms of conveying genuine emotion in song, this is a textbook example. Strangely enough, every time I hear this song, the emotion seems different. Is it affection for someone special? Is it the hopelessness of knowing someone whom is forever out of reach? Is it lovesick desperation? Or is the acceptance of something that's doomed to fail? But, of course, if the reaction is different every time then that is the mark of a truly great song.
Original video located here. Accessed 11th November 2014
Song title: Unfamiliar
Artist: Ride
Year: 1991
Why I like this song:
Shoegaze par excellence. It rocks hard and the guitar effects are fantastic but the real MVP is the drummer, going at it like there's no tomorrow.
I got into this band in recent years and finding their material much to my liking. I didn't know much about shoegazing but perhaps this a field worth exploring....
Song title: Highway to Hell
Artist: Ed Kuepper
Originally Done By: AC/DC
Year: 1995
Why I like this song:
The best kind of cover is one that completely transforms the song. This one of them.
Whereas the original was a declaration of defiance from an unrepentant troublemaker, this sounds like something from a horror movie.
Sounds like a journey leaden with dread...
Original video located here. Accessed 7th November 2012
Song title: D.C.
Artist: Died Pretty
Year: 1991
Why I like this song:
A true classic from early 90s Australian music. Okay sure it may not have enjoyed some chart success but what is here is truly irresistible.
From the piano that starts the song (show me a better intro) to the string section throughout this is indeed a work of genius.
If only all goodbyes were this buoyant
Original video located here. Accessed 27th January 2019
Song title: Anniversary
Artist: The Cure
Year: 2004
Why I like this song:
A moody masterpiece and the best song on the Cure's self-titled album.
If anything, it sounds like a cousin to the songs on Disintegration
Original video located here. Accessed 15th December 2018
Song title: Numbers
Artist: The Church
Year: 2002
Why I like this song:
One would think that any act that has been around for more than two decades would slow down. That is not the case here. A moody number that can proudly stand alongside the Church's best work.
Original video located here. Accessed 14th January 2014
Song title: Alive
Artist: Pearl Jam
Year: 1991
Why I like this song:
Words alone can't describe what a revelation this song was: I was nine years old, I heard it and immediately I latched onto it with the fascination one gets when they encounter something new.
It was loud, different, ragged and oddly uplifting.
And in the years to come I would face adversity in various forms. And which case, this song was handy to have around for such situations. Granted that wasn't what Eddie had in mind when he wrote this lyrics but he can still be proud that the song has given similar meaning to many listeners.