HIT ALERT! Coldplay - A Sky Full Of Stars

...and all of a sudden there was a new Coldplay single out. "A Sky Full Of Stars" is the third single to be released from the forthcoming Ghost Stories album, out May 19, and it's the most immediate of the three - by a long shot. Personally I loved the wonderful electronic soundscapes of "Midnight" and the classic balladry of "Magic", but "A Sky Full Of Stars" could very well become one of Coldplay's biggest hits to date. Co-produced by maverick Swedish DJ/producer Avicii who also plays piano on the track, it's Chris Martin and Coldplay like you haven't heard them before, with a song that's carefully designed for dancefloors everywhere, with a lyric that's both cliché and cool at the same time: "Cause you're a sky full of stars, I wanna die in your arms..." and so on. It's simply dead catchy, and it could surely become one of this summer's big anthems. It has all the qualities needed, and I just love it!!!

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Ben Watt - Waiting Like Mad

Before he joined up with Tracey Thorn to become husband and wife duo Everything But The Girl, Ben Watt released a collaborative mini-LP with Robert Wyatt, and one solo album, the stunning acoustic masterpiece North Marine Drive, released in 1983. It features eight Watt originals and a striking version of Bob Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go", a song that perfectly matches the albums melancholic and sad mood. The very best song on it though is "Waiting Like Mad", possibly the saddest song ever written, with the protagonist experiencing the ultimate hurt and heartbreak and tumbling about in it. I think I can safely say it's among my all time favourite songs - Top 10, that is. As you may have noticed from my blogging lately, Watt has finally recorded his follow-up album, 31 years later, the wonderful and quite different Hendra. Check out both albums, but first, here's "Waiting Like Mad" for you.

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Neil Young - Needle Of Death

Neil Young's forthcoming album A Letter Home (May 26) is described as "an unheard collection of rediscovered songs from the past recorded on ancient electro-mechanical technology", and the songs in question are by Bob Dylan, Tim Hardin, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Ochs, Gordon Lightfoot and others. British folk legend Bert Jansch's classic heroin song "Needle Of Death" is the first song to be released from the album, a beautiful countrified version with only Neil Young and an acoustic guitar. The video and the music are both consciously scratchy, as Young and Jack White recorded the album acoustic and directly to vinyl, at White's label Third Man Records' 1940s phone-booth-size studio. A Letter Home will be released as a giga-sized box set as well as other, more "normal" formats.

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The Waterboys - Strange Arrangement

The Waterboys' 2007 album Book Of Lightning was a return to some of the qualities of the classic albums Fisherman's Blues and Room To Roam, and not only because of its folk-rock sound. It was simply a better collection of songs than Mike Scott had recorded in many years, and among the album's definite highlights is the song "Strange Arrangement". It's a beautiful ballad, led along by a haunting violin, a piano and Scott's telltale voice that at once whispers and shouts. This is Mike Scott and The Waterboys at the height of their powers.

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Coldplay - Midnight (Giorgio Moroder Remix)

At last, a week or so ago, Coldplay's single "Midnight" was released digitally, after it was first put up on YouTube in February as the first new song from the forthcoming Ghost Stories album (May 19). But not only was the astonishingly beautiful Jon Hopkins-produced song released in itself, simultaneously a Giorgio Moroder remix was released, and it's a fabulous companion piece to the original. The remix differs in several ways, not only because it's almost twice the length, but also because Giorgio has discofied it, adding a French voice speaking through a vocoder, a big choir and lots of other bits and pieces. It's stunning in every way, and it also retains Hopkins' trademark sound inbetween Moroder's many whims. I couldn't be more happy.

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Joy Division - The Eternal

Joy Division singer Ian Curtis killed himself at 23, and judging from songs like "The Eternal" you can safely say he had more than his share of gloom and inner demons. This song is as dark as it possibly gets, an ever so slow "death march", like always in minor keys, and with an utter resignation present both musically and lyrically. "Procession moves on, the shouting is over", messes Curtis at the start of the song and it goes on like that for six minutes. It might not be the most beautiful Joy Division song, but it comes very close. Lifted, as many people will know, from Joy Division's second album Closer, released in July 1980, two months after Curtis' death, and an undisputed classic.

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Daryl Hall & John Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

Saturday night should be a good time to post almost any Hall & Oates song. The Philadelphia pop/soul duo's string of hits in the 1970's and -80's simply brims with infectous and joyful melodies. "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" was a single released in December 1981, and it became a truly influential song. First, Michael Jackson lifted the bass line from it, and several years later De La Soul built their awesome 1989 single "Say No Go" around it. The original though? Still one hell of a great song!

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Tom Waits - Ruby's Arms

Is it really possible to write such a beautiful song as "Ruby's Arms"? Tom Waits' tale about a young soldier leaving his beloved Ruby in the morning for someone else to hold somewhere down the line is so drenched in heartbreak and hurt, it almost breaks you in half. And yet, it's impossible to not come back for seconds. And thirds. And so on. The orchestral arrangement makes it the ultimate sad and lonely ballad with sweeping strings and bright and clear horns, as well as a tinkling piano, bass and a subtle guitar. "Ruby's Arms" is the final track on Waits' last Asylum album, 1980's Heartattack And Vine, and marks the end of the first part of his career, before he returned three years later with the miraculous Swordfishtrombones.

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Lily Allen - Sheezus

The title track off Lily Allen's new Sheezus album is the fourth single released from it, before it's even out, which is finally happening next weekend. With first single "Hard Out Here" and a spat of recent interviews she's done her very best to criticise the music industry as she sees it today, as sexist, cowardly and shallow, and she does have some excellent points. In a recent Rolling Stone interview she said she would have loved to have "Sheezus" released as a single, but was told it wasn't up tempo enough and also has the word "period" in it. Well, now it has become a single despite her label's previous misgivings, and it's a good song, a fine combination of hip hop and electronic pop music, with a chorus in which she namedrops and partly ridicules her competition, such as Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Allen is navigating the same musical waters as many of these, playing the pop music game to its full extent but at the same time twisting and turning it around, and in doing so and being the person she is, her project turns into a lot more than just a record. Don't think for a minute though that she doesn't know what she's doing when she's criticising radio stations for being weak and cowardly, that's just a very good way to gain attention. The groundwork for the Sheezus release has been executed beautifully, and I'm pretty sure it's a wildly interesting album. We'll see in a few days' time.

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Royksopp & Robyn - Do It Again

This summer sees Norwegian electronica duo Röyksopp join forces with Swedish electronica maverick Robyn, going on a tour that I'm sure will be fabulous. The Scandinavian super-pairing will release a five track mini-album in late May called Do It Again, from which the title track is the first to be heard in full. They have previously released a snippet of opening track "Monument" and these two songs are full of promise for what's most certainly going to be a great record. According to the Röyksopp guys the mini-album "doesn’t sound like Röyksopp featuring Robyn or Robyn produced by Röyksopp, it’s just something else entirely". Bring it on!

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Kaja Gunnufsen - Ikke rart vi bli sprø ...og litt mer

Kaja Gunnufsen, det 25 år gamle stjerneskuddet som debuterte med det fantastiske albumet Faen Kaja i mars, har tilbakelagt sin første ordentlige turné som ble avsluttet med en svært vellykket konsert på Parkteatret for et par uker siden. Nylig var hun også gjest hos Christine Dancke hos NRK P3 der hun gjorde en akustisk versjon av singlen "Faen ta" og en super versjon av Kråkesølvs ferske "Ikke rart vi bli sprø", selvsagt på bokmål. Det er en transformasjon som funker helt utmerket, bortsett fra på refrenget der det faktisk ikke er mulig få til flyten annet enn på dialekt. Uansett, kjempefin versjon fra årets så langt beste norskspråklige artist som dermed - stadig i mine ører - covrer årets så langt nest beste norskspråklige navn. Klikk på linken under for å se og høre opptak av begge låter. Men ikke nok med det, jeg legger også ved lenker i Spotify og WiMP til en strålende remix av "Faen ta" utført av det Trondheim-baserte musikkollektivet Rytmeklubben. Herlig!

 

Kaja hos Christine Dancke

 

"Faen ta" (Rytmeklubben Remix) i Spotify

 

"Faen ta" (Rytmeklubben Remix) i WiMP

 

 

Everything But The Girl - Each And Every One

30 years old now, Everything But The Girl's second single and first major label release, "Each And Every One" from 1984, is a song that constantly calls me back. With its light jazz/bossa nova arrangement and Tracey Thorn's haunted voice, it's EBTG at their most beautiful. Thorn and partner Ben Watt have recorded scores of classics through the years, but this one may actually be my favourite of them all.

Watch and listen

 

DJ Cassidy feat. Robin Thicke & Jessie J - Calling All Hearts (Frankie Knuckles & Eric Kupper Remix)

Mysteriously, DJ Cassidy's old school disco/funk tribute "Calling All Hearts" have yet to become a hit single. An ode to Earth Wind & Fire, Chic, Brothers Johnson and others of late 70's/early 80's prowess, the song is everything these are and more, even featuring many of the musicians from the classic records, such as Nile Rodgers, Philip Bailey and John "JR" Robinson, as well as "modern" guest singers Robin Thicke and Jessie J. DJ Cassidy's debut album Paradise Royale will be released in May or June, featuring several more prestigious guests, among them R. Kelly who sings on new single "Make The World Go Round", Cee-Lo Green, John Legend and many more. Here now, is a remix of "Calling All Hearts", made by the recently deceased house legend Frankie Knuckles and his longtime confidant and friend Eric Kupper. Great stuff, of course.

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Lana Del Rey - West Coast

I'm excited about Lana Del Rey's upcoming album Ultraviolence. No release date has been set, but she's been working with one half of The Black Keys and in-demand producer Dan Auerbach and today first single "West Coast" was put up on YouTube. It's a sinister-sounding, dark and broody song, maybe even more cinematic than we're used to. Very promising indeed!

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Sigur Rós - The Rains Of Castamere

My favourite Icelandic band Sigur Rós appeared in a wedding scene in last night's episode of the HBO series Game Of Thrones, performing the song "The Rains Of Castamere" which was originally written and recorded by The National for the show's second season. As would be expected Sigur Rós transforms the song, giving it their own "elfin" spin - and not surprisingly, it's really beautiful.

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Razika - Oslo

De fire bergensjentene som utgjør Razika er utvilsomt Norges beste skapopband, med til nå to strålende energiske og melodiøse plater på samvittigheten. En god nyhet er at de er i studio for tiden, i gang med album nummer tre som jeg derfor antar blir utgitt i løpet av året. Det fikk meg til å spille noen gamle låter, og hvor irriterert jeg enn måtte bli over den smått bergenserarrogante hovedstadskritikken i "Oslo" klarer jeg jo heller ikke ta den veldig tungt eller alvorlig. "Oslo", fra fjorårets fin-fine plate På vei hjem er intet mindre enn en fantastisk låt som fortjener et gjenhør når som helst. Og jeg gleder meg veldig til ny musikk - måtte den komme før snarere enn siden.

Se og hør

 

Ultravox - The Voice

At the height of the first synth-pop era (there is a fair argument for another one going on at the moment), few bands were better than Ultravox. With their seemingly effortless run of three great albums in a row, Vienna (1980), Rage In Eden (1981) and Quartet (1982), they forever wrote themselves into the annals of popular music history. The songs were very European-sounding, quite pompous at that, and full of melodies to kill for. "The Voice" is among their very best singles, lifted from Rage In Eden. A classic if there ever was one.

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Robert Ellis - TV Song

Robert Ellis is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter whose new album (his third?) The Lights From The Chemical Plant has gained a lot of well-deserved attention. "TV Song" is a beautiful country tune, the opening track from the album that was released only a few weeks ago, and let me just say that I will not be very surprised to find it among 2014's best releases when time comes to add things up. Yes, it's that good.

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The Vaccines - Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)

What do you get when you put equal measures of Ramones and The Jesus And Mary Chain into a one minute and 22 seconds long pop song? The answer is "Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)", the debut single by British rock band The Vaccines, released in late 2010 ahead of their brilliant debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? This is such a good song that you can just put it on repeat for however long you feel like.

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Natalie Merchant - Giving Up Everything

Former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant hasn't released an album of original material since 2001's Motherland, and judging by new single "Giving Up Everything" it's way overdue. It's a wonderful song, sung by that voice, at times just whispering the vocals, at other times singing them with that beautiful intimacy we've come to love through the years, and leaving us wanting for more. The album it's lifted from is self-titled and released on May 5th. Should be good!

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Todd Terje - Leisure Suit Preben

The first of two Preben songs off Todd Terje's excellent debut album It's Album Time, with the video described as "a day in the life of Preben, a singer, dancer and party animal from Carl Berner, Oslo." Great, sleazy-sounding song and a great, sleazy-looking video.

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Glen Campbell - Galveston

What kind of world would it be if we didn't have Jimmy Webb's songs and Glen Campbell to sing them? A poorer place, that's for sure. Here's a 2001 live clip of Campbell performing "Galveston", a song he first recorded in 1969. He's doing a killer guitar solo that may surprise people that only think of him as a great singer. Campbell really knows how to play too as evidenced here. But first and foremost this is a song of astounding qualities, about a soldier on his way to battle, thinking of the woman he loves and dreaming of his hometown of Galveston, Texas.

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Thea & The Wild - Ropes (now with video)

Some weeks ago I wrote about Thea Glenton Raknes and her band Thea & The Wild's brilliant new single "Ropes". Now a video has been made, a grainy low-budget film shot in a basement that has a kind of "indie" feel to it. The song only gets better and better the more you hear it, and let me just repeat some lines from what I wrote previously that still sums it up pretty good: "...a (...) pronounced post-punk feel that combines the mystery of Siouxsie & The Banshees with the sexiness and pop sensibility of Blondie around the time of Eat To The Beat." It is, in other words, a great song!

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Cole Swindell - Chillin' It

The kind of country song that is everything the traditionalists probably hate, but still... as much as Cole Swindell is not a new Merle Haggard or George Jones, he's made a killer summer tune with "Chillin' It". Swindell has been writing songs for Luke Bryan, Craig Campbell and other modern country acts, and "Chillin' It", released last year, was his debut single that also appeared on his eponymous debut album. This is radio-friendly, carefree country rock that works in its own right, and "Chillin' It" is the sound of cruising in a nice car on a summer day with the top down, looking at the girls and having a good time, a bit like Don Henley's "Boys Of Summer", but without the melancholy. There's nothing not to like about this.

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Van Morrison - Someone Like You

A major reissue program of Van Morrison's catalogue was halted halfway through some years ago. A total of 15 albums were remastered and re-released with a few bonus tracks, but the last two batches of CDs never saw the light of day. That leaves a proposed 14 albums to be re-released (will they ever be?), including one of my favourites, 1987's Poetic Champions Compose. "Someone Like You" is one of the album's most popular songs, having been used in several movies - including Bridget Jones's Diary and One Fine Day - that has also become a favourite in weddings. And it is a beautiful song, Van the balladeer at his best and most soulful.

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Rodney Crowell - Frankie Please

Rodney Crowell's first proper solo album since 2008's Sex And Gasoline is finally out on Monday. Called Tarpaper Sky it's a collection of 11 fabulous songs from the former US country chart topper who kind of reinvented himself with 2001's album The Houston Kid and has made his best records in later life. Still only 63 though, his songs still seem like effortless creations, and what may be said as a first impression of Tarpaper Sky is that it's more diverse than we're used to. No surprises on the track "Frankie Please" though, an energetic country rocker about the titular Frankie, a woman who "tore through my life like a tornado looking for a trailer park", and musically reminiscent of Crowell's 1978 classic "I Ain't Living Long Like This". Great to have the man back!

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Sam Outlaw - Friends Don't Let Friends Drink (And Fall In Love)

Wow, what an amazing song and a great video too! Sam Outlaw is previously unknown to me, but what I can tell you is that he's a Los Angeles-based country singer/songwriter with a huge debt to classic singers in the genre such as Don Williams, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and their like. The brilliantly titled "Friends Don't Let Friends Drink (And Fall In Love)" is in every way a "good ol'" country song, lifted from a new EP simply called Sam Outlaw. His proper debut album was released last year, called Nobody Loves. The video featuring five kids dressing up as a band and performing "Friends Don't Let..." for their toy animals is incredibly cute. So please welcome Sam Outlaw, ladies and gentlemen!

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Coldplay - Magic

"Magic", the lead single but actually the second song to be released from Coldplay's forthcoming album Ghost Stories (the first being "Midnight"), is one of the most beautiful hit singles so far in 2014, a song that undoubtedly matches its title. A couple of days ago the video was finally ready, a wonderful silent movie-style film made by the renowned Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund, and starring Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi and Coldplay singer Chris Martin. You can safely say the video further fortifies the magic of the song. It's a stunner.

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Klaxons - There Is No Other Time

British indie band Klaxons surprisingly have collaborated with hit-making production duo Gorgon City for their new single "There Is No Other Time", the first release from their third album Love Frequency which is out on June 2. Although no strangers to the dancefloor, this is still a different and lots more accessible Klaxons than we've heard previously, and "There Is No Other Time" is simply an amazing song. It makes you want to go clubbing instantly.

Watch and listen

 

Listen to Ben Watt's new album in its enterity now

Ben Watt, known to many as the male half of Everything But The Girl, the female half being his almost life-long partner Tracey Thorn, is releasing his second solo album on Monday, 31 years after his first, the acoustic classic Northmarine Drive, one of my favourite albums of the 1980's in fact. Hendra is quite different. It has its share of ballads like its predecessor but the album features full band arrangements on most songs, and is also way more produced. Whereas Northmarine Drive basically was the sound of a young man and his acoustic guitar, Hendra sounds - at times at least - a lot more like a band record, with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler acting as a kind of musical director. (By the way, none other than Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour plays slide on "The Levels".)

After having leaked/released three tracks in the last few months, "Hendra", "Spring" and "Nathaniel", you can now listen to the entire album before its release on Monday. In short, it's a great album, but it's an album you need to listen to, spend some time to explore. Although the songs are as accessible as they come, it soon becomes clear that these are songs with several layers and possibly great depths. I'm really looking forward to get to know it more intimately, and also I'm sure it won't be that long a wait until Ben Watt's next record. It's so good to have him back, and especially, to hear that soothing, calming voice again. Bravo, Ben!

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SOHN - Lights

Tremors, the debut album by the British, Vienna-based electronica artist SOHN (a.k.a. Christopher Taylor) is out this week, and what an album it is! Drenched in synthesized colours and exciting rhythm patterns, it's a collection of surprisingly organic songs, with melodies to die for. "Lights" may be my favourite on the album, but the entire thing is worth checking out. That's why I include both a "4AD session" video for "Lights" as well as links to the album in Spotify and WiMP. Be sure to check this guy out if you like acts such as Darkside, Tythe and James Blake, and if you don't know any of these, be sure to check out SOHN anyway. It's worth it!

Watch the "Lights" video

Listen to the album in Spotify

Listen to the album in WiMP

 

HIT ALERT! Ed Sheeran - Sing

A brand new single from the wonderboy Ed Sheeran, the 23 year old British singer/songwriter who's enjoyed such success with his debut album + and the single "The A Team", and of course the recent Hobbit movie theme song, the majestic "I See Fire". "Sing" was put out only minutes ago, and is the first single from his upcoming June album x. The song is surprisingly funky, a bit Prince-ish even, compared to said hit singles, but sounds like a new hit all the same.

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Roddy Frame - Forty Days Of Rain

May 5 sees the release of Roddy Frame's eagerly awaited fourth album under his own name, as his first six was recorded under the moniker Aztec Camera, a band that appeared in several different guises, but always were, in effect, Roddy and sundry musicians. Seven Dials is the title of his new album, possibly named after the small area in London's West End, and featuring ten new songs. This is his first record since 2006's Western Skies, and to judge from first single "Forty Days Of Rain" we could be in for a treat..

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Åge Aleksandersen & Sambandet med Henning Kvitnes og Violet Road - Veien hjem

Åge Aleksandersen (og Sambandet) kommer med sin ørtende plate i juni, og i dag ble første single sluppet løs på oss. "Veien hjem" er en livsglad og rølpete countrylåt der Åge får ekstra hjelp fra Henning Kvitnes (som også inviterte Åge med på sin siste plate) og Violet Road, og som rett og slett er umulig å mislike. Det går unna i bra tempo, melodien er upåklagelig, og dette er jo også folk som kan spille. Stor moro, så se ikke bort ifra at dette kan bli en ny livefavoritt for Åge og co.

Se og hør

 

2014 - the year of dancing

I can hardly remember that dance music has had better conditions. Charts around the world are full of great dance songs, the one better than the next, and some of them by acts that are not necessarily that concerned about dance music to begin with.

Here's a playlist then with 30 great songs, guaranteed to make any party jump and sway, from Todd Terje's fabulous "Delorean Dynamite" to Calvin Harris' effervescent new crowdpleaser "Summer". On the way you're also treated to Pharrell Williams' "Happy" (of course, there's no way around it these days), DJ Cassidy's awesome disco treat "Calling All Hearts", Bernhoft's beautiful and soulful "Come Around", Tiëstos ridiculously catchy "Red Lights", Swedish falsetto hero Kim Cesarion's latest single "I Love This Life" and many more.

So, put on your dancing shoes and go nuts on the floor. You'll get the party started pretty quick, I'm sure!

Listen in WiMP

 

Listen in Spotify

 

 

Rainy Milo - Deal Me Briefly

Rainy Milo is an 18 year old British R&B singer/songwriter who released her debut album about a month ago, called This Thing Of Ours. "Deal Me Briefly" is one its several fine singles, a lovely song with slow hip hop beats, lucious hints of electronica, an intoxicating smooth soul/R&B approach and a beautiful but short trumpet solo. It sounds decidedly modern and British although it was recorded in San Francisco and was co-written with Australian electronica artist Chet Faker whose debut album is right around the corner as well. Rainy Milo is definitely a name to watch, she's got a fabulous sultry voice and a knack for writing exquisite songs. This is music for anyone who likes Sade, Lianne La Havas, Corrine Bailey Rae and the like, and you should indeed check out her album as well as this one song.

Watch and listen

 

RAC feat. Matthew Koma - Cheap Sunglasses

RAC is a Portuguese/American producer and songwriter whose real name is André Allen Anjos. He's just finished assembling his debut album Strangers which has been released in two parts. "Cheap Sunglasses" featuring vocals by Matthew Koma is a slightly African-inspired pop song from the second part of the album. A total of 16 tracks, the entirety of Strangers is worth checking out. It's diverse, catchy and exciting.

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Jason Derulo - Trumpets

If ever you need to get in a good mood, look no further. Jason Derulo's "Trumpets" off last year's Tattoos album is just the ticket, a vitamin pill of a song, life-affirming and sweet, full of warmth and humour, which is further underscored in the accompanying music video. A total feelgood song.

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Holy Ghost! - Bridge & Tunnel (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)

Norwegian DJ/producer Prins Thomas has made an electrifying remix of New York City synth-pop duo Holy Ghost!s "Bridge & Tunnel" from their second album, 2013's brilliant Dynamics. This is simply a stunning disco version of the track, more than seven minutes long which gives it time to steadily build momentum and hit your guts. Good times, indeed!

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Bryan Ferry - Don't Stop The Dance

It's a grand day, and here's why: It's Friday, spring is upon us, the sun is shining, Todd Terje's debut album It's Album Time is out (well, technically not until Monday but you can stream it here), and when I arrived at work this morning I got the news that Bryan Ferry will be attending Øyafestivalen in August. Here he'll share the stage with Todd Terje to perform their beautiful version of Robert Palmer's "Johnny & Mary" and possibly some other songs as well after Ferry has delivered a show that will include songs from throughout his career, including Roxy Music numbers. This will quite certainly be one for the history books, folks! To celebrate, here's one of my favourite Ferry songs, the timeless "Don't Stop The Dance" from his 1985 album Boys And Girls.

Watch and listen

 

We Have Band - Modulate

We Have Band is a British electronica trio about to release their third album towards the end of April called Movements. After the wonderful first single "Someone", today saw the group posting the second single "Modulate" on their Soundcloud page. It's an amazing pop song. I love it!

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Tommy Tokyo - Streets Of Bakersfield

Once again the Norwegian television show Trygdekontoret prove they have the most inspired musical choices in the country. They often invite artists to do somewhat surprising cover versions - or is it the other way around - and yesterday was no exception. The show's guest last night was the Norwegian singer/songwriter Tommy Tokyo doing a wonderful stripped down and very quiet version of the old Buck Owens hit "Streets Of Bakersfield", originally written by Homer Joy in 1973. Tokyo's version really gives the lyric the space and attention it needs, with the narrator's story perfectly coming to life.

Watch and listen

 

On my way to work - a short playlist

This morning while walking to work I set my iPod to random and really struck gold. With in excess of 25.000 tracks a lot can go wrong, but my 30-40 minute stroll was blessed with nine great songs. I was so lucky in fact I just had to compile a playlist (in Spotify and WiMP both) for everyone's possible enjoyment. Here you go!

WiMP

Spotify

 

HIT ALERT! Clean Bandit - Extraordinary

What happens when you blend house music and pure pop, adding strings and possibly also a guest singer? That's when you get "Extraordinary", the, excuse me, extraordinary new Clean Bandit single. Having conquered charts and dancefloors everywhere with the wonderfully life-affirming "Rather Be" featuring guest singer Jess Glynne these last few months, the British four-piece is still preparing their debut album New Eyes for a June 2 release. They just released the video for their next single featuring another wonderful singer, named Sharna Bass. And if you "Rather Be" made you happy, "Extraordinary" should do the trick all over again. It's another fantastic song, intensely catchy with an awesome feelgood vibe, and the video shot on location in Cuba adds a further dimension. For added cuteness, it includes a piglet that you immediately want to take home with you. The only bad news is that the single won't be released until May 19, but at least we can enjoy it here.

Watch and listen

 

The best mash-up EVER - Robin Skouteris - PopLove 2

A total of 56 songs with clips from around 60 music videos mashed-up and crunched beautifully into a 10 minute masterpiece of editing, that's what you get when you watch this. Put together by Robin Skouteris it's absolutely astonishing to watch and listen to. How he's fit all these songs perfectly together is hard to grasp, but here you go, a monster mash-up of recent tunes by Eminem/Rihanna, Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding, Ylvis, Daft Punk, Pet Shop Boys, Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, Kylie Minogue, One Republic, Icona Pop, Robin Thicke, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Naughty Boy/Sam Smith, John Newman, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Drake and many, many more. You'll also be able to download an MP3 of the track if you're interested, but the most fun is watching the video while listening.

Watch and listen

 

Dirty Vegas - Little White Doves

British electronica/house trio Dirty Vegas were semi-big in the early 00's, then disbanded, and came back together again and released the comeback album Electric Love in 2011. "Little White Doves" is one its singles, and features in a fabulous episode of the HBO show Girls, when Hannah and her ex-boyfriend Elijah is on a serious cocaine bender, her for the first time and possibly also him (they don't say). It's a brilliant party song, as is absolutely evidenced in that particular scene. Here is the music video though, which also manages to get the point across.

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First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining

Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg are First Aid Kit who enjoyed a major breakthrough with the 2012 album The Lion's Roar and its main single "Emmylou". Their close harmonies and sweet-sounding yet slightly unpolished sound understandably received a lot of attention outside their native Sweden, and they have now been signed by Columbia Records, home of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and other legends whose music seem to have influenced them. First single "My Silver Lining" from the forthcoming Stay Gold album is a joy to hear, recalling both the spaghetti western soundscapes of Lee Hazlewood and the more classic western sound of Marty Robbins and taking it into the 21st century. Stay Gold will hit record stores and streaming services on June 10. Looking forward to it!

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Listen to the Todd Terje album in its entirety now

Finally, after close to 15 years of DJing, recording, producing and remixing, Norwegian dance guru Todd Terje is releasing his debut album, jokingly titled It's Album Time. It's released on Monday, but you can stream the whole thing now. Included are the awesome version of Robert Palmer's classic "Johnny And Mary" featuring none other than Bryan Ferry on guest vocals, and the album ends with his best song, the incredible "Inspector Norse". Wait, I haven't really listened that much to the album yet, have I? There might be songs even better here. Please enjoy and have a reeeeeally good time, I know I am. This may just be one of the best almost-instrumental dance albums ever recorded.

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