Do The Right Thing 25 years: Public Enemy - Do The Right Thing

25 years ago exactly, on June 30th 1989, Spike Lee's amazing film Do The Right Thing was released. 25 years on, it's still one of the best films I've seen, and so it's only fitting to show the opening credits, also among the best ever. Watching Rosie Perez dance to Public Enemy's "Fight The Power" during the entire opening that lasts for almost four minutes, you know you're got something coming. It's powerful stuff, choreographed, filmed and edited to perfection and the song remains Public Enemy's best. So there!

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Lloyd Cole with Jill Sobule - For The Good Times

In 2006 there was released a tribute album called The Pilgrim to legendary singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson featuring acts like Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Shooter Jennings (son of Waylon), Rodney Crowell and other more or less predictable names, people who are as familiar with Kristofferson's songs as it's possible. One track surprisingly stands out however. British singer/songwriter Lloyd Cole's take on "For The Good Times", on which he's enlisted the help of US indie darling Jill Sobule, is the most intimate, sensitive and intensely beautiful version of this song that I've ever heard. It's been recorded by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Ray Price, Al Green and countless others, but none of these versions are worth the dust gathered in the studio when Lloyd Cole recorded his quite, quiet, quiet take on this sad and wonderful song.

"Don't look so sad, I know it's over, but life goes on, and this old world will keep on turning. Let's just be glad we had some time to spend together, there's no need to watch the bridges we've been burning. Lay your head upon my pillow, hold your warm and tender body close to mine. Hear the whisper of the raindrops blowing soft against the window, make believe you love me one more time, for the good times. I'll get along, you'll find another, and I'll be here if you should find you'll ever need me. Don't say a word about tomorrow or forever, there'll be time enough for sadness when you leave me. Lay your head upon my pillow, hold your warm and tender body close to mine. Hear the whisper of the raindrops blowing soft against the window, make believe you love me one more time, for the good times."

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Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Jungleland

This version of "Jungleland", played live at London's Hammersmith Odeon, was part of the package when Columbia Records released a 30th anniversary edition of Bruce Springsteen's classic Born To Run album in 2005. Originally released in 1975 it was, of course, Springsteen's breakthrough album, containing some of his most well-known songs. "Jungleland" is the epic, 10 minute closing track, a fabulous tale of "The Rat" and his escapades, rightfully described on Wikipedia as mirroring "the pattern of the entire Born to Run album, beginning with a sense of desperate hope that slides slowly into despair and defeat." As good as Springsteen still is, I do miss the sense of urgency of his earlier songs, and his first albums, up to and including Born In The U.S.A., are his best. It's as simple as that.

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R.I.P. Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street

It's a sad thing when people die, and when they happen to be among the world's greatest soul singers, music suffers as well. Yesterday Bobby Womack died, 70 years old, from causes still unknown. Womack's name will live on though, and people will keep on playing the many fantastic songs of his, ranging from the 1964 Valentinos single "It's All Over Now" (listen to Rolling Stones' version here) to his 2012 comeback single "Please Forgive My Heart". And below you'll find "Across 110th Street", his 1972 single that may be the song he's most famous for. R.I.P., great man!

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HIT ALERT! Magic! - Rude

Canadian pop/reggae band Magic! released their debut single "Rude" last October, but it's the last month that it has gained real exposure. This week it's at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and I have to say it's one of the best songs I've heard in quite some time. It's a surefire hit, a fantastic tune with a melody to die for and an overall feelgood vibe, a song to equal anything by Maxi Priest, UB40, Aswad and other poppy reggae acts. "Rude" will most certainly be EVERYWHERE this summer, deservedly so. It's simply a ridiculously good pop song!

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Rolling Stones - Terryfying

Rolling Stones' 1989 album Steel Wheels was a very welcome return to form at the end of a decade that saw the band slowly fade from rock gods to... well, something less. "Terryfying" was the fourth and, dare I say, best, single off the album, a strutting, proud and boisteroussong that is primarily driven forward by Bill Wyman's steady bass and Charlie Watts' drums. It's unusually rhythmic for Rolling Stones with its swamp-rocky, Creedence-y beat and crystal clear production, and the fact that it stands a bit out from much of their other songs is of course what makes it so great.

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My fabulous summer playlist - 100 reasons to cheer

Wonderful summer, you are here! And any summer needs a good soundtrack. I have compiled a list featuring 100 songs, old and new, from across the world. Note that these choices are my definitions of what sounds like summer though. You may disagree with a few of them, but hopefully you'll still find lots of songs to enjoy through the next weeks and months.

I have compiled the lists both in WiMP and Spotify and they differ slightly because all my choices were not available from both streaming services. 95 out of 100 songs are the same though, so it shouldn't matter all that much anyway.

Spotify

WiMP

 

 

Deafheaven - Sunbather (full album)

American black metal/shoegazing band Deafheaven make some of the most intense music I've ever heard. I haven't played their second album, last year's astonishing Sunbather in a while, so when I heard it again yesterday I was really happy to do so. At first listen the band's music sounds like pure and utter noise, but dig a little deeper and you'll reap great rewards. There is method to Deafheaven's madness, there is melody within the noise, there is surprising beauty. Good luck in distinguishing the lyrics of singer/screamer George Clarke though. That is impossible. It's the energy that's the catch here, not the words. This summer I'll see Deafheaven live at Oslo's Øya Festival, and I'm SO looking forward to it! Meanwhile, here's the full album.

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Razika - Syndere i sommersol - nå med video

Jeg la ut denne for noen uker siden, men nå er videoen klar. Ekte gladvideo til ekte gladsang.

Du store min! Etter å ha hørt Razikas splitter nye single "Syndere i sommersol" på repeat en 10-12 ganger er jeg nærmest målløs, men jeg skal prøve å samle tankene for å beskrive denne aldeles uimotståelige sommerlåta. Dette er nemlig musikalsk solskinn av sjelden vare som viser en forståelse for popmusikken og dens aller beste virkemidler som er mildt sagt imponerende med tanke på at fire noenogtyveåringer fra Bergen står bak. "Syndere i sommersol" åpner fjellstøtt med lyden av en tamburin, et innsmigrende basstema og en umiddelbart gjenkjennelig basslinje lånt fra Iggy Pops adskillig mer dystre "The Passenger", før en basstromme melder seg på, etterfulgt av florlette "bap-bap-bara-ah-oooooooh"-harmonier og et lekent gitarriff av typen som ligger et sted midt imellom gammel rockabilly og afrikansk popmusikk (tenk Paul Simons "You Can Call Me Al"). Så, med en lett trommevirvel, er de fire jentene i gang med det som MÅ være årets beste norske sommersingle. Når Marie Amdam i refrenget med jublende røst synger "Sommer, sommer, sommer, sommernatten er altfor kort for meg og deg" og de andre jentene Maria Råkil, Marie Moe og Emble Karidotter korer av hjertens lyst, er det umulig ikke å bli revet med av den gode stemningen. Det er med andre ord bare å gratulere Razika på det aller varmeste, og legge til at jeg gleder meg intenst til å høre hele det nye albumet som er på vei. Og for dem som ikke vet det, er tittelen "Syndere i sommersol" hentet fra Sigurd Hoels flotte roman fra 1927, og sangen gir minst like gode assosiasjoner til uforglemmelige sommerkvelder som boken. Dans deg inn i sommernatten med denne!

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Michael Jackson's 10 coolest music videos

Today it's been five years since Michael Jackson - "the King of Pop" - passed away, and so it's a great opportunity to watch some of his many excellent music videos. Follow the link below, and you'll see ten of the absolute best.

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