I’ve briefly introduced you to Polly with ‘Down By The Water’ which we used as our base inspiration for ‘This Is Not a Horror’ but she has written so much great music and is by far one of my favourite musicians of all time. She is the only artist to ever win the Mercury Music Award twice. The second win was last year with ‘Let England Shake’ which is the album that got me into her. It’s an anti-war record which she spent years researching for with the aim of putting the horrors of war into simple but powerful words. She achieves this perfectly in this haunting song which in which she plays an autoharp. PS she played one of the ‘Let England Shake’ tracks on the Andrew Marr Show. David Cameron was a guest and she slated him over arts cuts.
Belle and Sebastian- The Stars of Track and Field
Belle and Sebastian are one of the few bands that genuinely make me happy. They are whimsical right up to the point of stupidity but they hold back just enough to make the songs meaningful. I think they are very human and they pick out their everyday characters from cafes and shops and schools and all the places that other bands think are dull. This song which I discovered this week when I decided to delve into their back catalogue is such a nice song I fell in love with it after the first listen. It has that classic Belle humour and I’m glad I discovered it just after the London Olympics!
Manic Street Preachers- Peeled Apples
I was annoyed when you dismissed the Manics- you’re not the only one to do so either. They’re one of Britain’s best rock bands and shouldn’t lose credit because they try and get some time on the radio. In fact their softer songs are often the most powerful ‘If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next’ for instance was their first US number one and takes its title from a slogan used by left-wing Welsh fighters in the Spanish Civil War after a nationalist bomb killed a child. The genius of that song is that it was a hit - it wasn’t hidden on an album as a n obscure song about the Spanish Civil War but instead grew into a global warning against political impotence. ‘Peeled Apples’ is off one of the Manic’s more controversial albums- ‘ Journal For Plague Lovers’. The songs on the album are heavy and the lyrics are dark (taken from poetry left by their guitarist Richie before he went AWOL, presumed dead, over a decade ago.) The album cover is a painting of a young boy with the plague and was banned from supermarkets. ‘Peeled Apples’ it’s opening track is a solid rock song and the lyric ‘bruises on my hands from taking my nails out’ is one that I am very jealous of.
Radiohead- Go To Sleep (Live on Jools Holland)
Radiohead at their best- an unbelievably tight rhythm section which provides a scaffold for Jonny and Thom to put on electric performances. Jonny’s guitar goes through Max/MSP computer software (popular with electronica and experimental artists) for his solo at the end. This is one of the songs that took me to a new level of music when I was young. After watching Radiohead pull off songs like this I stopped listening to music and started immersing myself in it.
Brian Eno- Big Ship
You always ask me what electronic music I like and the short answer is Brian Eno. This track which features Phil Collins on drums is not quite electronic music (more of a synth heavy track) and was written in his transition period from Glam Rock to Ambient (which he invented.) It’s a lovely little soundscape that goes everywhere and nowhere - which is exactly what I want out of my electronic songs. I like the title too. The best electro artists seem to have a childlike approach to their song titles and compositions which is refreshing.
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