Beirut - Elephant Gun

Beirut, the band not the city, have so far released three albums and a bunch of EP's. Let's try not to categorize the music too much, as it's the weird and wonderful brainchild of Santa Fe native Zach Gordon, who obviously is not one for having labels stuck upon him. "Elephant Gun" featured on two 2007 EP's, one of which bore the title Elephant Gun, and sounds like Calexico on acid or something, an impression which is not at all diminshed by the strange video you'll see here. Anyway, please enjoy, this is such a feast!

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Pet Shop Boys - New York City Boy

A few weeks ago I visited New York City for the first time, amazingly late considering I'm 46 years old, not to mention an experienced travel journalist. Oh well... it's just one of those things, I guess. Needless to say I had a fine time, and I was quick to understand what lies "where 7th Avenue meets Broadway" as Pet Shop Boys sing in their masterful hi-NRG song "New York City Boy" from 1999. That's where you find all the lights of Times Square, as seen in this video too. You gotta love it!

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Georg Levin - Runaway

You can hear new music in the most unexpected of places, like hotel lobbies. The other day I was waiting for a taxi in the lobby of Andersen Hotel in Copenhagen, a very nice new hotel in a bad neighbourhood, and the song "Runaway" was playing. Using the MusicID app on my iPhone, I learnt that it was by one Georg Levin, a German guy, that apparently has released two albums. The soulful and melancholy-sounding "Runaway" was released in 2009 as the first single from the 2010 album Everything Must Change. A very nice song, especially if you like Avalon-era Roxy Music or Icehouse.

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Michael Jackson - I Just Can't Stop Loving You

Michael Jackson is infamous for his many gross ballads, but a few of his slower songs are undeniably very good. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a simple, well-written love song, far from turkeys like "Heal The World" or "Earth Song". It was the first single off 1987's Bad album, a surprising choice for first single, but of course as we know in hindsight it fared very well indeed. The female duet partner is Siedah Garrett, who co-wrote "Man In The Mirror" that also featured on Bad.

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Sade - Cherish The Day

Sade is one of my very favourite artists, a singer whose voice is beautiful far beyond your ordinary pop star, with looks to match it. She's sort of unreal. "Cherish The Day" is taken from her fourth album, 1992's Love Deluxe, and as great as her songs come. The thing is, there are so many of them I can't really pick favourites, they just blend into a bigger body of work. Wonderful song, wonderful arrangement, laidback, elegant and very tasteful.

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Bangles - Some Dreams Come True

I just received the reissued edition of Bangles' third and, for many years, last album, 1988's Everything. Although I remembered it to be great, I have to admit I'd forgotten some absolutely brilliant songs on it. "Some Dreams Come True", co-written by drummer Debbi Peterson and one Walker Igleheart who's credited with keyboards and programming on the album, is a fab power pop song with some great hooks and Bangles' trademark, killer harmonies. Lovely!

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Sophie Solomon feat. Richard Hawley - Burnt By The Sun

This I would at least call semi-obscure. Sophie Solomon is a British violinist of the decidedly versatile kind, that in 2006 recorded a beautiful almost-pop album called Poison Sweet Madeira. Among its many fine songs was "Burnt By The Sun" where she enlisted the one and only and very talented Richard Hawley to sing. The blend of Hawley's beautiful, beautiful voice, the wonderful melody, Solomon's gypsy violin and latin rhythms is simply fantastic.

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50 synth pop classics

And the hits just keep on coming... here's my list of 50 synth pop classics from the colourful 1980's. Once again, it's made exclusively for streaming service WiMP. If you don't subscribe, you still get to listen to 30 second excerpts from each of the fabulous tracks, from Human League's "Don't You Want Me" to Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark's "Electricity". Fabulous stuff. The essay is of course in Norwegian, so let me suggest Google Translate if you're not fluent in my language. You never know what to expect then, do you?

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HIT ALERT! Gabrielle Aplin - The Power Of Love

British singer/songwriter Gabrielle Aplin is a new talent who very probably will get some major recognition in 2013 when she releases her debut album.Upon the strength of a few EP's and a knack for doing great cover versions, she was recently commisioned by the British department store John Lewis to record a version of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's classic ballad "The Power Of Love" for a Christmas TV ad. Here's the full version, complete with a wintry and very atmospheric music video where Aplin's voice perfectly captures the mood of the song, that despite what many people think isn't a Christmas song. It was released as a single in November 1984, with a Godley & Creme-directed, nativity-themed music video, as well as a christmassy sleeve, thus it was turned into a Christmas hit. This new version is genuinely beautiful. Hope you like it.

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Vampire Weekend - Walcott

Brooklyn-based band Vampire Weekend's self-titled 2008 debut album produced several singles, including the fabulous "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", but why "Walcott" was not among the single releases is beyond me. It's an absolute stunner of a pop song, a cross between Ben Folds Five and Undertones, with the former's sense of true musical ability and the latter's punk attitude and pop sensibility. Amazing!

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