Thanks to a fun Firefox extension called Stumbleupon, I found heromachine where you can design your own superhero. A nice way of passing a few minutes.
I’ve updated the RadioBlog jukebox …
Tyrannosaurus Rex: She Was Born to be my Unicorn:
Hard to choose a track from the Unicorn album, but this was the one that prompted me to repurchase it after all these years. Lovely little melody, nice arrangement (Tolkien by Phil Spector) and wacky lyrics: ‘Shoreside stream of steam cooking kings in cream of scream’
The League of Crafty Guitarists: A Connecticut Yankee at the Court of King Arthur:
This is a bit wacky too. The opening cacophony resolves into a mad Laurel and Hardy march, played by about a dozen acoustic guitars. Every time I listen the melody seems funnier.
Robert Fripp: Mary:
From his 1979 album Exposure, Fripp’s much-hidden soft side, sung by Terri Roche.
Paul Simon: Further to Fly:
From my favourite Simon album ‘Rhythm of the Saints’ – my favourite because it’s hard to ‘learn’ – you always hear something new in it.
Lisa Gerrard: Sanvean (I am your shadow):
In Dead Can Dance, she had Brendan Perry to balance her, making the music more accessible. This is from her solo album The Mirror Pool, but is less ‘out there’ than some of the tracks, and it chokes me every time.
Iron & Wine: Teeth in the Grass:
I know nothing about these people. I heard a song on the radio, liked it and by chance found an album going cheap in a shop that afternoon. It’s all very whispered and intimate.
Bryan Ferry w Anthony: Lowlands Low:
This is one of the many superb tracks from Rogue’s Gallery, a new compilation of pirate songs and sea shanties, also featuring Richard Thompson, Nick Cave, Lou Reed and all the Wainwrights (Loudon sings ‘The Good Ship Venus’)
Bruce Springsteen: Lucky Town:
From the album of the same name, not a great Springsteen album, but this is an example of the stompy stuff he does so well.
Plus two of my recent WaveForms instrumentals and a near-finished cut of my Roadblock.