DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime

This is one of my all-time favourite summer songs, nay, one of my all-time favourite songs. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's "Summertime" (1991) is the perfect soundtrack to any outdoors activity during lazy summer days, whether it's having a barbecue, "riding around in your jeep" or anything else as described by Will Smith a.k.a. The Fresh Prince. The song is so laidback you could fall asleep if it just hadn't been so incredibly good, just being a perfect hip hop song in every way. This is one of the songs it's impossible not to like.

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Orchestral Manouevers In The Dark - Walking On The Milky Way

"Walking On The Milky Way" was Orchestral Manouevers In The Dark's last UK Top 40 hit when it was released in 1996, and simultaneously their biggest hit and first Top 20 entry in more than five years. Only a few months later, Andy McCluskey who had run the outfit alone since his original partner Paul Humphreys left in 1989, dissolved OMD entirely, but the pair reunited in 2006 and have released two albums since, both of them pretty good. More a synth-pop band than anything else, OMD surprised people with "Walking On The Milky Way" which is more chamber-pop in the vein of mid-period Beatles and quite possibly also the reason for the single's success. It still sounds fresh, 18 years on.

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Jonathan Richman - That Summer Feeling

Another of my all-time favourite summer songs is Jonathan Richman's masterpiece "That Summer Feeling". This is Jonathan at his trademark sweetest and coyest where he suggests that "that summer feeling is gonna haunt you for the rest of your life", being right of course, and even more so than he ordinary would've been because of this song. When I hear this I am haunted by summer - in a very good way. Lifted from the long unavailable 1983 album Jonathan Sings! What's up with that?

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The Lotus Eaters - The First Picture Of You

Summer is fast approaching and so it's time to dust off some of my favourite summer songs. Otherwise almost completely unknown 80's British pop band The Lotus Eaters' 1983 single "The First Picture Of You" is a pastoral delight that couldn't have come from anywhere but England with its air of Brontë- or Austen-like imagery. It virtually smells and tastes of summer, of tumbling about in fields and sniffing the warm air, feeling it caress your skin. It was a Top 20 hit in the UK, and also charted in Italy, France and Spain. Even though The Lotus Eaters only released one album, 1984's No Sense Of Sin, they came back together in the early 2000's to give it another go and has released two albums since, according to their Wikipedia article. They will probably not be remembered for any of these, but "The First Picture Of You" has a life of its own. It's just one fabulous song!

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HIT ALERT! Ingrid Michaelson - Girls Chase Boys

Indie pop darling Ingrid Michaelson recently released her sixth album Lights Out, and althoug having had songs in TV shows like One Tree Hill, Grey's Anatomy and The Vampire Diaries, she's never had a big hit. That is about to change with the advent of current single "Girls Chase Boys", a totally irresistable and quirky pop song that totally came in under my radar a few days ago and has been drilling itself into my subconscious. When I heard it in an HM shop today (yes, I did!), I knew it's about to become a hit, not only for the fact that it was played in such a shop, but more for how good it sounded. If anyone bothers to watch the video - a tribute to Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistable" - as well, so much the better. This is amazing stuff and a perfect pop song!

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Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud

Maverick British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran - still only 23 years old - is preparing his second album x (pronounced "multiply"), and in doing so popping up here and there, including the odd soundtrack work. He's written the theme song for the movie version of John Green's novel The Light In Our Stars, the beautiful "All Of The Stars", and of course "I See Fire" for Peter Jackson's latest Hobbit movie. Two days ago he appeared on the BBC show "Later with... Jools Holland", performing a brand new song called "Thinking Out Loud" with Holland, formerly of The The, Squeeze and more, doing piano duties, helping out Sheeran and his acoustic guitar to great effect. The thing with Ed Sheeran is his amazing songs. He's an old school tunesmith, a true craftsman, and very, very good at it. "Thinking Out Loud" could be exhibit A in any court.

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Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes

Last night I was fortunate enough to see Peter Gabriel on his current Back To Front tour when it hit Norway. This is where he plays his 1986 album So in full with the same musicians that played on it, namely Tony Levin, Manu Katché and David Rhodes, but before doing so they run though a score of hits and sundry album cuts, creating a fantastic evening altogether. Among the many highlights "In Your Eyes" from So really stood out. It's one of the great love songs of our time, immortalized by John Cusack in Cameron Crowe's directorial debut Say Anything... from 1989, when his character stands outside the window of love interest Ione Skye with a ghettoblaster belting it out loud as can be. It's an iconic film moment, and the song is one of several awesome tracks on So, a true classic if there ever was one. Here's an 11 minute live version from 2012 that is unbelievably good, with guest appearences from Turkish (?) saz musician Toir Kuziyev and singer Sevara Nazarkhan. The stuff that dreams are made of... and then some.

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New playlist! Music To Make You Smile 3

For the third consecutive year I've compiled a playlist that I've named Music To Make You Smile for Norwegian streaming provider WiMP. As the title suggests these are songs that will surely get you in a good mood - now that spring, or summer, is upon us.

As was the case for the two previous lists (Music To Make You Smile 1 and Music To Make You Smile 2) this is a very diverse playlist, with new and old songs scrambled together, covering numerous genres, including irresistable dance music, cool reggae, laidback electronica, amazing pop songs, a few nice country tunes and even a bit of punk rock. Most people should find a lot to make them smile here when the party moves outdoors and the sun is shining, including tracks by Daft Punk, Kiss, Clean Bandit, Laid Back, Dierks Bentley, Haddaway and James Brown, and Norwegian acts such as Vazelina Bilopphøggers, Kaja Gunnufsen and Oslo Ess.

Enjoy!

Music To Make You Smile 3

 

Sondre Lerche - Bad Law

"Bad Law", the first single from Broooklyn-based Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche's forthcoming new album, is a different beast from what we've come to expect. Then again, what do we really expect from him, other than that he is bound to surprise and from time to time do the unexpected? In an interview with the NRK P3 radio channel he describes "Bad Law" as a "feelgood song to release all your inner muck that should preferably be played all through the summer night", which I guess is as good a description as anything else I could have come up with. It's a rhytmic and pretty straightforward pop song, with a frenetic guitar and a noisy drum break that seems to explode out of nowhere at certain times, creating a wild turmoil that gets its release when the song returns to its "normal" self, but still ends in the same craziness. It's an amazingly cool song that needs a few spins to reveal its several layers and general catchiness, and coming from Lerche, it's an uncommonly "simple" composition, as it's only built around four chords. The new album titled Please (a nod to Pet Shop Boys, perhaps?) will be released some time this autumn.

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Sam Smith - Leave Your Lover

Having helped Disclosure and Naughty Boy secure huge hits with "Latch" and "La La La", falsetto-voiced Sam Smith has taken his own good time in preparing his debut album In The Lonely Hour. The day is finally upon us as his record is in the shops on Monday - and what an album it is! Granted, I've only played it a few times, but I can safely say it's a beautiful album, allowing Smith's astounding voice to shine like the beacon it is. The songs seem pretty diverse but fit well together, making In The Lonely Hour a nuanced and extremely pretty album. Although a very different singer, the theme of loneliness and heartache follows two other great crooners from the history of popular music, namely Frank Sinatra and Roy Orbison. They're spiritual kin, if nothing else. After the fabulous songs "Money On My Mind", "Lay Me Down", "Stay With Me" and "Not In That Way", "Leave Your Lover" is his latest single and video, an absolutely gorgeous ballad, and achingly sad, of course!

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Greg Kihn - Thunder Road

"Thunder Road" is probably my all-time favourite Bruce Springsteen song, mostly due to the lyrics, about the nameless narrator and Mary and their "one last chance to make it real". They're stuck in a rut, desperately needing to get out, to get somewhere, to break free. It's a paean to the blue-collar youth that figured in Springsteen's early songs, ending in the hopeful "It's a town full of losers, and I'm pulling out of here to win". The startlingly vivid imagery of the lyrics before they head out is Springsteen at his absolute best. Still, the original studio version that appeared on 1975's classic Born To Run, although good, is not my favourite recording of the song. I think the live version on the 1975-1985 box set is far superior, and also I really like Greg Kihn's 2000 version from his True Kihnfessions album. It's got the drive and power that Springsteen's own original lacks, and I think it strengthens the song. Kihn, who enjoyed a moderate hit with "Jeopardy" in 1983, is largely forgotten but he definitely deserves some recognition.

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Peter Gabriel - Red Rain

The coming Friday is the day I will finally experience Peter Gabriel live. For some mysterious reason I have managed to avoid going to any of his former shows here in Norway, so when he's here to perform the entire 1986 So album as well as other tracks from throughout his solo career, it's about time.

Two days ago my acquaintance Bård Larsen wrote an essay about Gabriel, and So in particular, in Norwegian newspaper Klassekampen, and in a rough draft of the article he claimed that "Red Rain" was Gabriel's best song. I dismissed it out of hand but when listening to "Red Rain" again I can see why he thinks so. Hell, even Gabriel considers it to be among his very best songs. As many will know this is the opening track from So, marking Gabriel's return to recording after a four year hiatus, following his fourth consecutive self-titled album from 1982. With So and the help of producer Daniel Lanois Gabriel opened up his sound to expose new vistas and in a way came up for air. Although the release of the album had been preceded by the surprisingly upbeat and radio-friendly "Sledgehammer", the hi-hat, subsequent instrumentation and crystal clear production of "Red Rain" were the elements that truly defined Gabriel's new direction, and the song is, of course, a true masterpiece.

So when my friend thinks "Red Rain" is Gabriel's best song, who I am to say otherwise? Similar arguments can be made for several more of Gabriel's songs, including my own favourite, the 1980 single "Games Without Frontiers", and other So tracks as well. So here's to Gabriel as one of the world's most interesting and exciting musicians and songwriters, and to Lanois as one of the world's cleverest producers. We are so (sorry, pun intended) looking forward to Friday's show.

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Dierks Bentley - Pretty Girls

American country singer Dierks Bentley goes from success to success with his listener-friendly pop-infused songs with their downhomey feel, talking about the big things in life - love, life, friendships, death - in little ways. That's evidenced in his recent single "I Hold On" taking its cue from his father's death almost two years ago now, but my favourite track on current album Riser is "Pretty Girls". Mysteriously, three singles have been released from the album so far, and this is not among them. "Pretty Girls" is a total redneck song, but in a good way, talking about the boring life of a small town that lights up when boys and girls meet up, hang around, listen to country music and drink beer: "Me and the boys kickin' back in our shades, watching pretty girls drinking "tall boys", swingin' their hips to a country song." With its laidback groove and sweet melody, it's the perfect country summer song.

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Helle's Kitchen's rock'n'roll fiskeboll playlist spessial

My beautiful and talented wife Helle is currently participating in a food competition on Norwegian TV2 called Norges grillmester, a barbecue show where ten pairs of (mostly) amateur cooks compete, doing different and quite difficult chores in each program. Being a cook, music is often an essential element in the kitchen, so here's an excellent playlist featuring some Helle's favourite tunes. You'll be treated to classics and hidden gems alike, from a wide variety of acts, ranging from the Ministry to Justin Timberlake, from The Smiths to House Of Pain.

Her favourites by other bands like Rolling Stones, Breeders, Sisters Of Mercy, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Led Zeppelin, Jane's Addiction, Pixies, Joy Division, The Chemical Brothers, Blur, Dead Kennedys and lots more are also here, for a total of 40 awesome songs, so do check the list out. Below are links to the playlist both in Spotify and WiMP, depending on what you subscribe to. Note however, that the Zeppelin track is not in WiMP as they have only signed a streaming deal with Spotify. Regardless of that sad but in this case insignificant fact, this is a playlist you'll surely enjoy - either cooking on your own or just having a party.

Spotify

WiMP

 

Michael Jackson Hologram - Slave To The Rhythm

Apart from the winners themselves, who cares who won prizes at last night's Billboard Awards? The real draw was undoubtedly the performance of "Slave To The Rhythm" (not to be confused with the Grace Jones song of the same title) by Michael Jackson's hologram! Yes indeed. Evidently this has taken six months of carefully planned choreography and computer wizardry and the result is simply amazing. As someone said, "if Michael Jackson's hologram goes on tour, I'm buying tickets". The song is taken from the new Xscape album featuring never before released recording by Jackson who passed in 2009.

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Bob Dylan - Full Moon And Empty Arms

A few days ago Bob Dylan unexpectedly posted a new song on his website, a cover of Frank Sinatra's 1945 recording "Full Moon And Empty Arms". The song was written by Ted Mossmann and Buddy Kaye and based around Sergei Rachmaninoff's 1901 composition "Piano Concert No. 2 in C Minor." It's been covered by everyone from Robert Goulet to The Platters, but Sinatra's rendition remains the most famous. The song will appear on a new album to be released later this year, with the probable title of Shadows In The Night. As yet, no release date has been confirmed, but this is exciting. "Full Moon And Empty Arms" promises good things.

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Paolo Nutini - Scream (Funk My Life Up)

Scottish singer/songwriter Paolo Nutini has so far released two unremarkable but occasionally good albums, These Streets (2006) and Sunny Side Up (2009), but with the month old third album Caustic Love he's seriously upped the ante. It's an exhilarating exercise in old school soul, channeling the works of Otis Redding, Bobby Womack, Percy Sledge, Lee Dorsey, Marvin Gaye and more, resulting in a surprisingly organic and - at least on the surface - heartfelt record. The musicianship throughout is ace, and Nutini's rusty yet sensitive voice sounds like a cross between Joe Cocker and Terence Trent D'Arby. First single "Scream (Funk My Life Up)" is, as the title indicates, one of the funkiest of the bunch, a great party song that lets its hair out and then some. Caustic Love is the fastest-selling album in the UK so far this year, and it's becoming a hit both across Europe, and in Australia and New Zealand. No wonder, this is the good stuff!

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Billy Bragg - The Milkman Of Human Kindness

Armed with an electric guitar and highly political songs, Billy Bragg entered the music scene in 1983 with a seven song EP called Life's A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy that clocked in at a total of around 15 minutes. Opening song "The Milkman Of Human Kindness" is basically a simple and very sweet love song though, nowhere near as angry as some of Bragg's other songs, and just very, very good.

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Ed Sheeran - All Of The Stars

Ed Sheeran has apparently become the go to-guy for movie directors wanting a big ballad to feature during the end credits of their films. First Sheeran wrote the majestic "I See Fire" for Peter Jackson's latest Hobbit movie, The Desolation Of Smaug, and now he's been approached by Josh Boone (or his people) to write a song for his movie adaptation of John Green's beautiful novel The Fault In Our Stars, a love story about teenagers with cancer. Not a very nice subject, it's a novel that's richly moving, so let's hope the film does it justice. At least Sheeran's song is very good, another big ballad that is sure to sit well with his ever-growing fan base.

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U2 - Bad

"Bad" off 1984's The Unforgettable Fire is among U2's most popular songs that has not been released as a single. After the mainstream success of their 1983 album War, the Irish band sought out a breezier and richer sound on the follow-up and employed Brian Eno and his engineer Daniel Lanois, an unknown at the time who pretty much made his name with his work for U2 and, later, Peter Gabriel. "Bad" is a beautiful song about heroin addiction, which steadily builds in intensity and is one of the key songs on The Unforgettable Fire. Although a live favourite, I've chosen to enclose the studio version below. Listen, and enjoy!

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Prefab Sprout - Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone)

"Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone)" was Prefab Sprout's very first single, released on the local Newcastle indie label Kitchenware in August 1982. I still think it's one of Paddy McAloon's finest songs, a crisp-sounding and oddly charming pop song from which title the first letters spell Limoges, the French city where his former girlfriend was staying at the time. It didn't appear on their thrilling debut album Swoon, but is available on the 1999 compilation 38 Carat Collection. The version below is a live take from 1985 though, sounding great - of course.

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Justin Timberlake - Not A Bad Thing

Stupid, stupid me! Last night Justin Timberlake performed in Oslo, and I was not present. I didn't buy tickets because I don't like the venue, but how ridiculous is that? Very! Instead I attended a surprisingly boring concert with Swedish band Kent. In the clip below Justin's performing his latest single "Not A Bad Thing" from The 20/20 Experience 2 on The Tonight Show with a full band, and it's fantastic. As was, I'm sure as everyone I know who was there loved it, last night's show. Next time!

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HIT ALERT! Hedegaard - Happy Home

Sometimes there pop up songs that are just... nice! Danish DJ and producer (Rasmus) Hedegaard's new single "Happy Home" is exactly that. A very pretty and simple melody, that is perfectly constructed, performing its magic in ways you don't really notice, getting under you skin and staying. The vocals are performed by Danish actor and singer Lukas Graham (born Lukas Forchammer), and the lyrics are actually pretty silly, exploring the perils of fame and looking at "values" like being a good son, grandson, friend, lover etc, you know, "not changing". Yet it's a totally irresistable song, quite downbeat, ridiculously catchy and, again, it has to be said, nice. I love it!

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HIT ALERT! Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea - Problem (two versions, including Ellen performance)

A smash hit more or less upon its release, Ariana Grande's new single "Problem" bears all the hallmarks of a future classic. It's contemporary in every sense of the word, a knock-out pop/dance/rap song that is about to top charts around the world less than two weeks after its initial release. It's the lead single from the American singer's forthcoming second album and features an intermission by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. Below you'll find the lyric video for the studio version with Azalea, as well as Grande's guest spot on The Ellen DeGeneres Show two days ago which is absolutely stunning. The 20 year old Grande sings, dances and moves like you've never seen in a perfectly choreographed performance, like she was born to it. As a (female) Norwegian radio host said this morning, she is perfect - both beautiful and talented - and nothing about her is fake. Ariana Grande will become a huge star this year, I'm sure.

Studio version with lyric video

Ellen DeGeneres Show performance

 

Camp Sounds - Sing (The Night Is Still Young)

Now here's a name to remember. Camp Sounds is a Norwegian synth-pop trio that has just released their second single, the ridiculously catchy "Sing (The Night Is Still Young)". Evidently they have been working in the studio for a long time, and I guess that means a debut album is in the works. If more songs are anywhere near as good as this one or the previous single "Meantime", we're definitely in for a real pop treat!

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Lee Brice - I Don't Dance

American country artist Lee Brice is soon to release his third album, which, as far as I can tell, has no release date yet. The title track "I Don't Dance" has been released as the first single though, a beautiful, slightly up-tempo ballad, with a nice piano, subtle synths and a good beat separating it from the more traditional country music that we know and love. In country terms Brice must be considered "modern", but he's very, very good with a powerful, distinctive voice.

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Bow To Each Other - Swim Out

Just a few months after the release of their brilliant debut album The Urge Drums, Norwegian/Canadian synth duo Bow To Each Other is back with a brand new single. "Swim Out" is another superbly melodic exercise in dark and sinister electronic pop music. Check it out!

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The Roots feat. Modesty Lycan and Greg Porn - When The People Cheer

The Roots is still the coolest hip hop collective ever, having made it big as house band on The Jimmy Fallon Show, but first and foremost releasing excellent records. The upcoming ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (released May 19) is probably no exception, at least not if we're to judge by the awesome first single "When The People Cheer". Laidback and very very cool, featuring guest spots from rappers Modesty Lycan and Greg Porn. Now, watch the great lyric video.

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China Crisis - Wishful Thinking

An 80's classic, pop duo China Crisis' 1983 single "Wishful Thinking" is still a delight. A pastoral pop song, as English as Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters combined, was their biggest hit, their only entry into the coveted Top 10. It was also their best single, although "Black Man Ray" is pretty good too.

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Damon Albarn - Hollow Ponds

As good as Damon Albarn's brand new, first ever proper solo album Everyday Robots is, one song stands out among its many brilliant tracks. "Hollow Ponds" is beauty incarnate, a slow-moving, slightly experimental, imaginatively arranged song that apparently references key moments from Albarn's personal and professional life. However you wish to enterpret the lyrics, the song is a stunner. And by all means, the rest of the album is wonderful as well. Here's a live version, but be sure to look up the studio version as well, because of its excellent production.

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Robbie Robertson - Fallen Angel

You can safely say it took Robbie Robertson a while to record his first solo album after The Band called it quits. Almost 11 years in fact, from The Band's star-studded farewell concert The Last Waltz in November 1976 until the release of his eponymously titled debut solo album in 1987. But boy, was that some record! Produced by Daniel Lanois featuring clients of his like Peter Gabriel and U2, as well as Maria McKee, BoDeans, Manu Katché, Tony Levin and former The Band colleagues Rick Danko and Garth Hudson. "Fallen Angel" features Peter Gabriel on additional vocals and is a tribute to Robertson's former bandmate Richard Manuel who took his own life in 1986. It's the opening track on the record, and absolutely brilliant. Lanois' majestic musical landscapes is mixed perfectly with Robertson's Native American roots and Gabriel's world music antics, and it all fits together so beautifully it's hard to believe.

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The Autumn Defense - Why Don't We

The Autumn Defense is an American duo composed of John Stirratt who used to play bass in Uncle Tupelo and Wilco and partner Pat Sansone whose work includes playing for Joseph Arthur and Josh Rouse. The latter could actually have written "Why Don't We", the best track on the band's new album Fifth (no points gained for guessing how many albums The Autumn Defense have released), a laid back, bossa nova-flavoured soft rock masterpiece reminiscent of 70's delights such as America, Bread, Billy Joel, certain Fleetwood Mac tunes, Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, Jackson Browne and so forth and so on. It's up-tempo and utterly tuneful, a perfect summer song if I ever heard one.

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First Aid Kit - Cedar Lane

"Cedar Lane", the second single to be released from Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit's forthcoming album Stay Gold, is not as immediately catchy as the first one, "My Silver Lining", but then again, how could it possibly be? "Cedar Lane" is a great song, a sweeping country ballad that also bodes very well for the album. The release is only a month away now, at June 10. Looking forward to it!

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Style Of Eye feat. Soso - Kids

This song sounds so incredibly Swedish! A brilliant dance track that combines Hi-NRG and EDM with a very catchy melody, with guest singer Soso singing her English in a strange accent that actually sounds like it's caricatured. It adds to the overall hedonistic pleasure of the lyrics, and the song itself is performed and written by Swedish DJ/producer Style Of Eye, known to his mom as Linus Eklöw. This is great stuff, the ultimate Ibiza song for anyone who also like Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta and their like.

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Mr. Probz - Waves (Robin Schulz Remix)

A number one hit across Europe, including Norway, Sweden, Germany and UK, Dutch electronica/hip hop artist Mr. Probz has really made it thanks to the German DJ and producer Robin Schulz' remix of his 2013 single "Waves". Having become famous these last few weeks, Mr. Probz who initially gave away his debut album The Treatment for free through his Soundcloud page has, understandably, stopped doing so. His music is worth buying though, and the fact that the "Waves" remix has become a massive hit in unsurprising. It's a glorious song!

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Transvision Vamp - I Want Your Love

Transvision Vamp was a late 80's/early 90's British rock band fronted by Wendy James, a platinum blonde singer who really knew how to pose. Their finest moment was undoubtedly "I Want Your Love" from their 1988 debut album Pop Art, a song that peaked at number 5 in the UK singles charts and even went to number 1 here in Norway. There's nothing about this song and its video that is not sexy, from Wendy James' raw cooing, oooing, aahing and screaming, to the other band members' cool-looking wallowing in rock'n'roll cliches to the song itself which utilizes every trick in the book. Basically the song does the same as Billy Idol, The Cult and other acts did when they were in peak form, and it's fun, sexy, hedonistic and very catchy! I love it!

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Kent - La Belle Epoque

I dag slippes svenske Kents ellevte album, Tigerdrottningen. Etter en gjennomlytting vil jeg si det er en strålende plate, melodiøs så det holder (som alltid), og den vitner om en musikalsk utforskertrang som ikke ser ut til å stoppe. Tigerdrottningen er en klart moderne plate der de elektroniske virkemidlene ofte havner i front, og mer enn gjerne driver de for øvrig veldig gode popmelodiene ut på dansegulvet der det passer seg. Den første singlen "La Belle Epoque" er ikke blant dem, men elektronikken er til stede i fullt monn. Det er en mørk tilstandsrapport fra det svenske "folkhemet" anno 2014 - slett ingen belle epoque, skal vi tro på vokalist og tekstforfatter Joakim Berg. Fantastisk låt fra det jeg tror vi kan kalle en fantastisk plate, må bare høre den noen flere ganger først!

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