Prefab Sprout - Steal Your Thunder

Andromeda Heights, Prefab Sprout's excellent 1997 album, may not be their best, but I'm pretty sure it's the most accessible. It's simply a great collection of easy-to-like tunes, with enchanting melodies and "nice" lyrics. "Steal Your Thunder" has a melody to die for, and just goes to show what an extraordinary songwriter Paddy McAloon is. Brilliant!

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Stan Ridgway - Walkin' Home Alone

Q: What's the loneliest-sounding song in the entire history of the universe?
A: Stan Ridgway's "Walkin' Home Alone"

Stan Ridgway, formerly of Wall Of Voodoo, went solo in 1986 with the album The Big Heat, which is just as much a short story collection as it is an actual singer/songwriter record. There' a dynamic, not to say a dimension, to Ridgway's lyrics rarely found in popular music, with themes ranging from femme fatale getaway drivers wielding guns and lipstick to Marine ghosts saving the day during the Vietnam war - and there's "Walkin' Home Alone", quite possibly the saddest song ever about a guy trying to go it alone after his girlfriend or wife has left him. And Ridgway saves the saddest part until the end of the song singing, "So put another quarter in the jukebox, Pete, but don't play that one with the sad trombone, 'cause tonight, I'll be walkin' home alone". Heartbreaking, yet hauntingly beautiful.

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David Bowie - Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)

After David Bowie's surprising comeback to the record business with last year's The Next Day album, he's come across as possibly even more adventurous and exciting as ever. For his new compilation Nothing Has Changed (where the three disc deluxe edition is organized in reverse chronological order), he's recorded one new song, a seven minute free-form jazz piece, that's slightly atonal and quite demanding, a collaboration with New York composer Maria Schneider. In a way he seems to be taking the route of Scott Walker, whose voice bears a certain resemblance to Bowie's own - or vice versa. "Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)" sports a four minute video edit that you can watch by following the link below, with a lyric video made to look like a 1940's or '50's noir film. Be sure to check out the full seven minute version as well, it's worth an effort.

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Daryl Hall feat. Rumer - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

Daryl Hall of famous Philly Soul/pop duo Hall & Oates has got his own TV show called Live from Daryl's House where he hosts famous and/or semi-famous guests that he plays and prepares food with, obviously creating a nice atmosphere along the way. I have never seen the show myself but I stumbled upon this awesome clip where he and Rumer perform the 1981 Hall & Oates classic "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)". It may not be better than the original but it's really, REALLY good. Please enjoy these close to six minutes of soul magic.

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Grace Jones - Private Life

Grace Jones' version of the 1979 Pretenders song off their eponymous debut album, far surpasses the original. The following year Jones went to the Compass Point Studios in Bahamas to record Warm Leatherette, the first of three legendary albums, with Chris Blackwell, Sly and Robbie and their gang. The reworking of "Private Life"" is one of the best recordings of everything they did for all three albums. Grace Jones delivers the lyrics directed at a man who pathetically tries to chat her up discussing his marital problems with ice cold detachment and a certain well-deserved cruelty. As great as the original is with its excellent reggae arrangement it pales in comparison with what the pros can do, as evidenced here. Having said that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Chrissie Hynde and her band's delivery.

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Nick Drake - River Man

Today it's exactly 40 years since Nick Drake died from an overdose of antidepressants, 26 years of age. Whether it was intentional or not has never actually been uncovered, but the poet/singer/songwriter did suffer from mental problems. He recorded three astounding records that established him as one of the finest of songwriters of his generation, notably Five Leaves Left (1969), Bryter Layter (1970) and Pink Moon (1972). "River Man" is from the first of these, and just maybe my very favourite song of his. It has some serious competition though, so it's hard to tell for certain, but this little gem is definitely among his best no matter how you look at it. It's a quiet masterpiece expertly produced by Joe Boyd with a dramatic string arrangement by Harry Robinson that just nails the song completely. Magic may be at work here, it's just beautiful!

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Echosmith - Cool Kids

This song just gets better and better every time I hear it. "Cool Kids" was released in Echosmith's home country USA last year, lifted from debut album Talking Dreams, but entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 87 this summer, eventually peaking at a respectable 13. It's a wonderful song about teenage insecurity, about not fitting in, feeling isolated and alone, wanting to be noticed, and of course it resonates with millions of kids around the world. Musically it's got an 80's vibe, reminding me of several bands, but let me say that it sounds like a cross between early Talk Talk and Australian pop band Icehouse. It's about to become a worldwide hit, unsurprisingly so.

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Tommy Tokyo - Ved porten til et eventyr

Tommy Tokyo har gitt ut sin første norskspråklige single, "Ved porten til et eventyr", en utspekulert iørefallende folk-poplåt som gjøres unna på tre raske minutter som gjør at du får lyst til å spille den på nytt umiddelbart etter at den er ferdig. Igjen og igjen. Dette er dessuten ren feelgood. "Ved porten til et eventyr" kan best beskrives som livsbejaende og positiv og er en hyllest til familien og til kjærligheten, første smakebit fra albumet Hev deg over det derre der som slippes i februar. Produsent er pophelten Kyrre S. Fritzner som en gang for lenge siden frontet det utmerkede bandet The Rambelins, men som nok er aller best kjent for å ha produsert deLillos' klassiske album Neste sommer - blant annet.

Hør i WiMP

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Yes - I've Seen All Good People

"I've Seen All Good People" is the most well-known song off the 1971 album The Yes Album, split into two parts, called "Your Move" and "All Good People". The former was released as a single, and is Yes at their most melodic, which is somewhat rare come to think of it. The British prog-rockers may have been ridiculed for their frankly quite exhausting and challenging compositions, but "I've Seen All Good People" equals seven minutes of very good music. To learn more about it, I recommend that you read the short Wikipedia article, but you'll probably be happy enough with just the song, to be accessed by following the link below. Fabuolus stuff, really!

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Pet Shop Boys - Did You See Me Coming?

Pet Shop Boys, namely Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, just may be my very favourite pop act. For close to 30 years now they've recorded so many great pop songs that I've lost count a long time ago, and the hits, as they say, just keep on coming. Although Pet Shop Boys will probably never again enjoy success like they did in the late 80's and early 90's, they still feel and sound both current and important. When compiling my list of the 100 best songs of the 00's recently, I included their 2009 song "Did You See Me Coming?" off the Yes album, and why I put in on a mere 48th place I cannot say. It's better than that, one of the most uplifting songs of their entire output, and although it only reached number 21 on the UK singles chart upon its release, I still think of it as a brilliant number one single - in a perfect world, that is.

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Sondre Lerche - Sentimentalist

Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche is currently touring Japan to promote his new album Please, after what appears to have been a successful string of concerts in North America and Europe, which ended in two concerts in Oslo last Saturday that I sadly missed due to me being at work in the Canary Islands. That aside, here's "Sentimentalist", the stand-out track and latest single of the new album, a killer song where the protoganist is so at the end of his rope that it just plain hurts. The video perfectly captures the mood of the song, and although Please is an overall excellent album, "Sentimentalist" really stands out. It's a melancholic masterpiece and one of Lerche's best songs to date, 13 years into his recording career, and one of the songs of 2014. Please enjoy it, and if you're interested, have a look at the interview I did with Sondre prior to the tour.

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ABBA - an essay, videos and playlists

In an essay written for Universal Music, I talk of how my love for music started and what the music of ABBA means to me. Unfortunately (?) it's in Norwegian, so if you're interested you'll need to access our good friend Google Translate. If not, just follow the link below and go the videos and the playlist I've compiled in Spotify and WiMP to listen to my favourite ABBA songs.

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Bryan Ferry - Let's Stick Together

When Wilbert Harrison's anthemic "Let's Work Together" was remade and recorded by Bryan Ferry as "Let's Stick Together", the title track of his third solo album in 1976, he pretty much made it his signature song, and it has remained so ever since. I saw Ferry perform live a few weeks ago and as one of the encores it was also a highlight of the concert. Here's the original '76 video where Ferry sports a moustache that does him no favors, but apart from that everything looks and sounds amazing. What a performer!

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Queen Forever - an essay about the strange new compilation

Yet another essay written in Norwegian for Universal, this about the rather curious, slightly conceptual new Queen compilation, featuring three "new" songs, including a duet between Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson called "There Must Be More To Life Than This". The compilation focuses on lesser-known Queen songs, of which quite a few are lifted from the band's later albums. It's a strange, but interesting mix. So access Google Translate and have a look at the essay below. Scroll down and you'll see that the link also features a playlist with my own personal Queen favourites, compiled both in Spotify and WiMP.

Read, listen and watch a few videos

The New Basement Tapes - an essay

So here's another essay in Norwegian, this time about the amazing and very exciting The New Basement Tapes project which was led by ace producer T-Bone Burnett and features Elvis Costello, Jim Jones of My Morning Jacket, Rhiannon Giddens of Carolina Chocolate Drops, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and a certain Marcus Mumford of... yes indeed, Mumford & Sons. This was written on commission for Universal music and of course it features a link to the actual album for you to hear. And don't forget that Google Translate just might be your best friend here.

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Randy Newman - We Belong Together

There are several Randy Newmans: The Randy Newman who's witty and sarcastic ("Short People", "It's Money That Matters", "A Few Words In Defense Of Our Country"), there's the Randy Newman of heartbreak and/or guile ("I Want You To Hurt Like I Do", "I Miss You"), there's Randy Newman the chronicler ("Louisiana 1927", "Dixie Flyer"), and there's Randy Newman the feelgood purveyor of Disney/Pixar themes. "We Belong Together" is his fantastic Academy Award-winning theme song from 2010's Toy Story 3, a timeless love song if there ever were one. It's an absolute joy to hear any time, night or day, a song that, to use the words of Marvin Gaye, "makes you wanna holler".

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Tommy Keene - Places That Are Gone

Tommy Keene is an American power pop singer/songwriter who will most certainly remain obscure beyond his death, but with songs like "Places That Are Gone" he's written himself into the hearts of anyone that loves bands like Big Star or Gin Blossoms. Initially the song appeared as the title track of a 1984 EP, then re-appeared as part of the awesome 1986 album Songs From The Film, produced by legendary Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick. T-Bone Burnett and Don Dixon also produced tracks on the album, a classic known by too few.

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Fountains Of Wayne - Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart

Fountains Of Wayne can do lots of different stuff, but at heart they're the best power pop band that money can buy. Or can't buy. Whereas most of their songs are often really incredible and impressive story songs, "Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart" is nothing more than a bunch of great riffs and a fantastic sing-a-long chorus clashed together, and boy does it work! No story at all, just some great lines and some kind of rock star "wisdom" thrown in: "Someone's gonna break your heart one cold grey morning, but she sings: Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh..." Seeing as this was the lead single from their last album to date, 2011's Sky Full Of Holes, isn't it about time for a new album soon?

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The 100 best songs of the 2000's

The time has finally come to end the madness with the 100 best songs of the oughties, from 2000 until the end of 2009, that is. More than any of the previous lists, this was really hard to edit down to a managable 100 acts, and I had to sacrifice lots of favourites. Nevertheless, this is an awesome list, and I waited until now to publish it because my favourite song of the entire decade, The Margarets' pop jewel "Alain Delon", was not on WiMP. By greasing a few wheels it will be available come Friday, so until then you "only" have 99 greats songs to enjoy. So be sure to tune back in on November 14.

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1. The Margarets - Alain Delon
2. Daft Punk - One More Time
3. Richard Hawley - Hotel Room
4. Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better
5. Madrugada - The Kids Are On High Street
6. Odd Børretzen & Lars Martin Myhre - Sommersang
7. Wilco - Impossible Germany
8. Jace Everett - Bad Things
9. Josh Rouse - Come Back (Light Therapy)
10. Odd Nordstoga - Kveldssong for deg og meg

11. Sigur Rós - Untitled 5
12. Elbow - Friend Of Ours
13. Klovner I Kamp - Nattens sønner
14. The Roots feat. Cody Chesnutt - The Seed (2.0)
15. Prefab Sprout - Music Is A Princess
16. Alison Krauss - You're Just A Country Boy
17. Henning Kvitnes - Sånne som oss
18. Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around.../...Comes Around
19. Hal - Play The Hits
20. Shakira - Underneath Your Clothes

21. Sondre Lerche - Days That Are Over
22. Weezer - Island In The Sun
23. Michael Bublé - Haven't Met You Yet
24. Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
25. Elvira Nikolaisen - Love I Can't Defend
26. Eminem feat. Dido - Stan
27. The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You
28. Sade - By Your Side
29. Lily Allen - LDN
30. Muse - Uprising

31. Paal Flaata - Laura Mills
32. R.E.M. - Leaving New York
33. Rosanne Cash - Motherless Children
34. Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation - Shine It All Around
35. Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
36. Jason Mraz - Make It Mine
37. Solomon Burke - Fast Train
38. Britney Spears - Oops! ... I Did It Again
39. MGMT - Time To Pretend
40. Fountains Of Wayne - Hackensack

41. Stereophonics - Maybe Tomorrow
42. Kings Of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance With You
43. Gyllene Tider - Du måsta skämta
44. Rodney Crowell - I Wish It Would Rain
45. The Divine Comedy - Absent Friends
46. Jim Stärk - Do It Right
47. Bob Dylan - Thunder On The Mountain
48. Pet Shop Boys - Did You See Me Coming?
49. Jarle Bernhoft - Sunday
50. The Waterboys - Everybody Takes A Tumble

51. Motorpsycho - Go To California
52. Marit Larsen - If A Song Could Get Me You
53. Duffy - Mercy
54. Röyksopp feat. Erlend Øye - Poor Leno
55. The Killers - Human
56. Super Furry Animals - Juxtaposed With U
57. Minor Majority - Alison
58. Razorlight - America
59. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
60. Manu Chao - Me Gustas Tu

61. Elton John - This Train Don't Stop Here Anymore
62. Mercury Rev - Vermillion
63. George Michael - Amazing
64. Scissor Sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancin'
65. Bright Eyes - Soul Singer In A Session Band
66. Nelly Furtado - I'm Like A Bird
67. Paperboys with Madcon - Barcelona
68. Veronica Maggio - Måndagsbarn
69. Paolo Nutini - Candy
70. The Black Eyed Peas - Shut Up

71. Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott - 4 My People (Basement Jaxx Remix)
72. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor
73. Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
74. Badly Drawn Boy - Once Around The Block
75. Lloyd Cole - Woman In A Bar
76. The Coral - Dreaming Of You
77. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Easy Money
78. Neil Diamond - Man Of God
79. Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell Williams - Drop It Like It's Hot
80. The xx - Night Time

81. Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
82. Outkast - Hey Ya!
83. Johnny Cash - The Mercy Seat
84. Coldplay - Fix You
85. Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
86. Eddie Vedder - Society
87. Gluecifer - Easy Living
88. Rilo Kiley - The Absence Of God
89. Adele - Chasing Pavements
90. Foo Fighters - Wheels

91. Tinariwen - Cler Achel
92. Lady Gaga - So Happy I Could Die
93. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Murder On The Dancefloor
94. Lene Marlin - You Weren't There
95. Sugababes - Freak Like Me
96. Fun Lovin' Criminals - Mi Corazon
97. Alicia Keys - Fallin'
98. Madonna - Hung Up
99. Travis - Sing
100. Rufus Wainwright - Dinner At Eight

Patty Loveless - You Don't Even Know Who I Am

Sometimes country songs are the simplest yet wisest songs of any. There's nothing spectacular or even very dramatic about Patty Loveless' 1995 hit "You Don't Even Know Who I Am" (from the 1994 album When Fallen Angels Fly), but it's a totally unpretentious song about a married couple that has long since fallen out of love with each other, sung from both points of view. It doesn't exactly hurt that it's a very pretty song too, a great ballad sung by Loveless in her amazing voice. This is classic country music.

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Crosby, Stills & Nash - Carried Away

"Carried Away" is a beautiful piano ballad written by Graham Nash for the 1977 Crosby, Stills & Nash album CSN. It's a short, reflective meditation on the elusivesness of life itself, with some gorgeous harmonies to back it up. Simply a stunning song.

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Bryan Ferry - Soldier Of Fortune

November 17 sees the release of Avonmore, Bryan Ferry's first album of new songs since 2010's Olympia. The 10 track album includes the recent Todd Terje collaboration where Ferry did a guest spot on a take on the Robert Palmer classic "Johnny & Mary", and of course also recent single "Loop De Li". Now a third track from the album appears called "Soldier Of Fortune", a slow-moving, lovely ballad on which Johnny Marr turns up with a beautiful acoustic guitar pattern. Mark Knopfler also appears on the album, as well as Flea, Nile Rodgers, Ronnie Spector and others. I think we may be on for a real treat with Avonmore. Let me also mention that I saw Ferry perform live in Oslo less than two weeks ago, a great show featuring lots of Roxy Music stuff and some of his very best solo tracks. Ferry is 69 years old, still sounding like he's in his prime.

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Chvrches - Dead Air

Oh joy! Scottish electronica trio returns with a brand new track commisioned for the new Hunger Games movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1. "Dead Air" is once again a beautiful pop song fronted by Lauren Mayberry's astounding voice that somehow manages to sound chilly and ethereal and genuinely warm at the same time. Is Chvrches the best current synth-pop band? I think so.

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Listen to the new Röyksopp album in its entirety now

Norwegian electronica duo Röyksopp claim that the album The Inevitable End will be their last. They will still record music, but not focus on the traditional album format. Of course it remains to be seen if that will actually be the case, but with the new album title they certainly lay down a good foundation for the claim. Anyway, the album is released on Monday, but can be streamed in its entirety on Spotify starting today.

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Music To Make You Smile - mørketidsspesial

I've compiled a new playlist for Norwegian streaming service WiMP, featuring 100 songs that should make you smile. It helps during the winter months, trust me. Below is the text I wrote in Norwegian (Hello, Google Translate!) and of course a link to the actual music.

Mørketid, schmørketid... Høstmørket er her, og snart er det enda dypere vintermørket over oss. Det betyr ikke at vi bare trenger å fyre opp i peisen, åpne rødvinsflaska og mure oss inne med dystre og melankolske låter med for øvrig utmerkede artister som Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell eller Nick Cave. Vi går like gjerne i motsatt retning.

De siste tre årene har jeg lagt ut temalisten Music To Make You Smile på forsommeren for å feire den lyse, fine tida - med til dels florlett, happy feelgoodmusikk. Men så slo det meg at det kanskje er nå vi trenger noen musikalske lykkepiller for å holde den kalde, fine tida på en armlengdes avstand. Det hender jo at det er litt OK.

Av de 100 låtene på lista er de aller fleste udiskutable feelgoodlåter, men jeg har også lagt inn noen få sanger som er mer melankolske og dvelende - og triste. Det disse likevel har felles er at de er såpass positive og oppstemte at de fortjener en plass her. Så hvis du stusser over at Lars Beckstrøm synger om bekjente som dør i "Drøm" eller at fortellerstemmen i Fountain Of Waynes vakre "Hackensack" låter litt sørgmodig når han synger til barndomskjæresten, er det altså en tanke bak.

Nok om det. Nå er det bare å skru på musikken og la solskinnet falle inn i øregangene dine. Her er mer enn seks timer med udiskutabel glede i Music To Make You Smile-redaksjonens eksklusive "mørketidsspesial". Kos deg!

Listen (WiMP)

Spotify

Listen to the new Rumer album in its entirety now

Rumer's brand new album, Into Colour, is released next Monday, but you can stream it through the Guardian website starting today. This is her second collection of original songs, following debut album Seasons Of My Soul (2010) and the covers collection Boys Don't Cry (2012). The singer whose voice has been likened to that of Karen Carpenter has a very good ear for intoxicating melodies, and it's just so good to have her back.

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Jim Stärk - Morning Song

Norwegian pop band Jim Stärk is a vehicle for singer/songwriter Einar Stokke Fadnes. His ability to write exceptional pop hooks can be heard in "Morning Song", lifted from Morning Songs, a 2004 release that apparently is the best selling EP in Norwegian history. That particular EP is also worth listening to due to an awesome cover of Townes Van Zandt's "Like A Summer Thursday" that I think exceeds the original. But for now, here's "Morning Song".

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Bee Gees - You Win Again

What a lovely song! Then again, it's Bee Gees, so why shouldn't it be? The brothers Gibb always had a knack for wonderful melodies, and those harmonies are almost unequalled in pop music. To some the production of their 1987 hit "You Win Again" may seem dated, but I have to say I love it.

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The 50 best songs of the 1950's

Well, the madness finally continues, but has been decimated. A friend of mine pointed out that he would look like a poseur if he compiled a list of 100 songs by different acts from the 1950's, and the same goes for me. 50 songs on the other hand is no problem, so here you go, playlist in WiMP and all. Enjoy the feast!

Listen

1. Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode
2. Peggy Lee - Fever
3. The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five
4. Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me
5. Elvis Presley - That's All Right
6. Johnny Cash - I Walk The Line
7. Sam Cooke - My Foolish Heart
8. Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues
9. Little Richard - Lucille
10. The Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream

11. Buddy Holly - Rave On
12. Jacques Brel - Ne me quitte pas
13. Dion And The Belmonts - A Teenager In Love
14. Bobby Darin - Beyond The Sea
15. Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps - Be-Bop-A-Lula
16. Marty Robbins - El Paso
17. Ray Charles - What'd I Say (Parts 1 & 2)
18. Jesse Belvin - Goodnight My Love
19. Erroll Garner - Misty
20. Dinah Washington - Mad About The Boy

21. Louis Armstrong - La Vie En Rose
22. Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls Of Fire
23. Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You
24. Louis Prima - Buena Sera
25. Bill Haley & His Comets - (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock
26. Miles Davis - So What
27. Hank Williams - Hey Good Lookin'
28. Carl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes
29. Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - Why Do Fools Fall In Love?
30. Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young

31. Chubby Checker - Let's Twist Again
32. Sidney Bechet - Dans les rues d'Antibes
33. Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons
34. Bob Grabeau/Disney Choir - Bella Notte
35. Little Anhony & The Imperials - Tears On My Pillow
36. Nat King Cole - Autumn Leaves
37. George Jones - White Lightning
38. Richie Valens - Come On, Let's Go
39. Duane Eddy - Rebel Rouser
40. Roy Orbison - Ooby Dooby

41. Patsy Cline - Walkin' After Midnight
42. The Isley Brothers - Shout (Parts 1 & 2)
43. The Platters - Only You (And You Alone)
44. Dean Martin - That's Amore
45. John Coltrane - Blue Train
46. Harry Belafonte - The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)
47. Barbara Pittman - I Need A Man
48. The Champs - Tequila
49. Mitch Miller - Theme From The River Kwai - Colonel Bogey
50. The Five Satins - In The Still Of The Night