Smashing Pumpkins – The Boy
(B-Side of 1979, USA, 1996.)
One of my favourite James Iha-Smashing Pumpkins songs. Embodies the pureness, innocense, naivety and insecurity of being in love.

ZWAN – El Sol
(Mary Star Of The Sea, USA, 2002.)
And while we’re at it (Billy Corgan et al), a wonderfully light ZWAN song that fits the season :)

Architecture in Helsinki – Wishbone
(In Case We Die, Australia, 2005.)
A very addictive, cute-sy song that might send you bouncing through the whole house.

Editors – French Disco
(All Sparks EP, UK, 2006.)
A Stereolab cover, but done in a purely Editors-style. I want to have sex with Tom’s voice.

Schrottgrenze – Am gleichen Meer
(Chateau Schrottgrenze, Germany, 2006.)
While the music might not be exactly on the innovative side of things, the lyrics are disquietingly realistic.

Shout Out Louds – A Track And A Train
(Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, Sweden, 2005.)
Just a nice little song to sing along to.

Seachange – In
(On Fire, With Love, UK, 2006.)
Oh, I love their new album but this song in particular because it features the most addictive chorus ever, it just makes me dizzy, literally. Fantastic lyrics!

Stars – Calendar Girl
(Set Yourself On Fire, Canada, 2005.)
This song keeps a perfect balance of beauty and pathos. Highly recommended.

Cocco – Onsoku Punch
(From the single Onsoku Punch, Japan, 2006.)
Cocco’s back after 5 years (minus the Singer Songer project last summer) with a new single. Don’t let the first 30 seconds fool you: this is not some Avex techno-pop tune but sexy (mainstream) rock that leaves you wanting more.

Hotaru – Kaijin Nijuu Mensou
(From the maxi CD Kayou Suspense Gekijou, Japan, 2002.)
I’ve probably uploaded this a million times before, but… my mission will only be fulfilled once every single human being on this planet has heard this song. No. But! This is brilliant. Infectious might be an even more appropriate word. (And don’t let me get started on what a great band Hotaru were ;_;)

Remioromen – Shouwa
(From the album Asagao, Japan, 2003.)
Ah the old times, when Remioromen weren’t huge and sounded like a younger copy of Mr. Children. I still love them and am extremely looking forward to their new album out in May but I suppose I’ll always prefer their earlier stuff like this wonderful, (slightly emo-ish) song.

Maximo Park – A19 & Isolation
(From the album Missing Songs, UK, 2005.)
A19 is Maximo Park at their usual: retro greatness with amazing hooks; the John Lennon cover Isolation shows a more experimental side of the band.

The Strokes – Electricityscape & Ize of the World
(From the album First Impressions of Earth, USA, 2005.)
I had to overcome all my prejudices against this band because their new album is actually quite good and a lot more diverse than the two previous ones. Some songs on it are impossible to get out of your head; I especially like the contrast between the verse and the chorus of Ize of the World, the combination of addictive pop and angry hard rock; and no, there’s nothing wrong with the end of the song – just listen to the lyrics and you’ll understand the rather abrupt ending.

Babybird – You’re Gorgeous
(From the album Ugly Beautiful, UK, 1996.)
A huge hit back when it was released as a single, this fantastic little pop song stands out from the rest of radio hits with absolutely hilarious lyrics about… pimping… with a twist!

Sleeper – Sale Of The Century
(From the album The it Girl, UK, 1996.)
Oh no, now I’m digging out the old Britpop stuff to revive my early teenage years! Run, everybody! No, seriously. I loved Sleeper because Louise’s lyrics were always slightly cheeky but also, and most importantly, observant and very accurate in describing modern relationships. This song is a perfect example of those characteristics. Very catchy, too.

Black Box Recorder – Child Psychology
(From the album England Made Me, UK, 1998.)
A haunting song about a girl who one day suddenly stops talking. The line “Life is unfair. Kill yourself or get over it.” got it banned from British radio/TV. Wonderfully cynical, very typical of the band.

The Smashing Pumpkins – The Tale of Dusty and Pistol Pete
(From the album Adore, USA, 1998.)
An almost-folk song (including a very pretty chorus with wonderful, warm vocal harmonies) by one of the best American rock bands of the 90s.

Editors – All Sparks & Crawl Down The Wall
(From the album The Back Room, UK, 2005.)
The Back Room is one of my favourite albums of the year, I’ve been constantly listening to it over the summer. A fantastic debut with songs that combine desperation and hope, songs driven by an overwhelming urgency, songs so hypnotic that the term “dark disco” which the band coined for their sound seems perfectly fitting.
All Sparks is one of those hypnotic and highly addictive “dark disco” songs, absolutely irrestistible.
Crawl Down The Wall, which is a bit heavier and rawer but no less beautiful, is taken from the Cuttings CD that came with the 2CD Limited Edition of the album and was previously released as a B-side of the single Munich.

Bloc Party – Tulips & Skeleton
(From the Silent Thoughts EP, UK, 2004.)
I fear I’ve overplayed Bloc Party’s debut album Silent Alarm since it’s come out earlier this year. The Bloc Party I’m now playing on heavy rotation is the Japan-only Silent Thoughts EP which is just as brilliant as their debut CD. (What else could you expect? Bloc Party are hands down the best band ever in the history of man. Period.)
Tulips is a touching downtempo song, as close to a ballad as it can get for a Bloc Party song. (It always almost breaks my heart when Kele sings the line “If you promise to let it grow” for the last time in the song, it’s that beautiful.) I ♥ the drums.
Skeleton is quite the opposite of Tulips, starting slowly and then quickly building up to an almost raging chorus.

blur – On the Way to the Club
(From the album Think Tank, UK, 2003.)
I love how all the elements of the song come together at the beginning; first it’s just the drums, then some background noise comes in, followed by the bassline, the guitar etc. A perfect late-at-night song that ends in lots of noise, loops and distortion.

Morcheeba – The Sea.
(From the album Big Calm, 1998.)
Wonderful groovy but calm pop song which provides both a rather realistic view of the crowds on the beach and a dreamy reflection of summer days by the sea.

Spitz – Umi o mi ni ikou.
(From the album Mikazuki Rock, 2002.)
A typical Spitz song that is all happy and optimistic on the surface but makes you feel aware of worries and slight troubles if you read between the lines.

Maximo Park – The Coast Is Always Changing.
(From the album A Certain Trigger, 2005.)
The band’s debut single; also to be found on their debut album. I love the lyrics because they are realistic and witty (‘Age makes no difference till you open your mouth.’) but also quite poetic with the sea as a symbol of life and of what lies before you.

blur – Clover Over Dover.
(From the album Parklife, 1994.)
A very beautiful melancholic little song from one of the most important albums of the 1990s.

The Verve – Lucky Man.
(From the album Urban Hymns, 1997.)
The exact antithesis of Clover Over Dover by blur – but just as beautiful, of course. It doesn’t mention the sea directly, but it’s as graceful as a bird floating over the endless blue of the sea.

Interpol – Take You On A Cruise.
(From the album Antics, 2004.)
Dark, sensual and sexy, like the majority of songs by this band.

My musical preferences aren’t limited to certain genres or the fact that a band is signed to an indie or a major label. Reflecting my personal taste in music, most songs uploaded are by British and American rock/guitar pop bands; there’s also the odd mainstream pop song and a bit of electronica and Japanese stuff whenever I feel like it.

Files will remain online for as long as I like. Try a link; if it doesn’t work anymore, the file has already been deleted.

The usual rules apply. Delete after 24 hours if you do not own the actual CD. BUY the CD if you like what you hear because this is a vital way of supporting the artists!