• This week’s post might also be a bit nostalgic, as my entry into the music world as a youngster included a lot of rap and hip hop…

    So, here’s some Wu-Tang Clan, a little KRS-One, another KRS-One (I could not choose), a little Busta Rhymes (among others), Jurassic 5, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Blackstreet.

    A compact week without a bonus session, but then again, 8 tracks instead.

    Enjoy!

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  • Well, last week was totally focused on good old music videos… and after that I got stuck (like so many times before) on YouTube looking around at all the wonderful things that were suggested… I then found these cool live/semi-live performances.

    First up is a guru who I’ve had the privilege of seeing live:

    Sting – Englishman in New York

    Today’s second song is a version of Free Fallin’ that I know as a Tom Petty song:

    John Mayer – Free Fallin’

    Third out is none other than Tracy Chapman – Fast Car.

    Last out, before today’s bonus, will be the song I see as semi-live… because it feels like it starts in the recording studio and ends on the live stage:

    Manchester Orchestra – The Silence

    So, how do you end such a nice live session?

    Well, of course with Simon and Garfunkel, but still not… I hand over to Nick & Simon.

    Enjoy!

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  • School break, at least for the school kids… and in my day, when I was young, school break could mean having time to watch TV… but come on, daytime TV back then was nothing to watch… luckily there was both MTV and ZTV broadcasting music videos…

    Here are some music videos that I remember often hoping would show up…

    First up is Peter Gabriel – Sledge Hammer, which was one of the first music videos I remember seeing, and being very impressed with… had never seen anything like it before… (and not since either, it turned out)

    Then there was a group and song that I never managed to remember, only that there were two of them jumping forward through the video and some strange person doing some kind of somersaults with a bunch of pillows on them… that was of course Fine Young Cannibals med låten She drives me crazy.

    Another video that I also hoped would come on, because of their super silly, yet classic dance, was Genesis – I can’t dance.

    The last one among today’s regulars was probably among the coolest music videos back in the day… as much colour, speed and excitement as you could get: MC Hammer – Can’t touch this.

    So… after four lovely nostalgic music videos… today’s bonus will be a little more modern… a music video that impressed me a lot when it came out… a single take (it seems) and yet it can’t reasonably be. Eagle Eye Cherry – Save tonight.

    Enjoy!

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  • Okay, the most important week of the year… I’m not saying why, but it is! 🙂

    For various reasons, I’ve had cause to be a little nostalgic, so both this week’s post and next week’s post will be taken and inspired from my childhood.

    If you had stood outside my boyhood room in the mid-nineties, it wouldn’t have been impossible for you to have heard the following four songs (maybe even one after the other):

    4 Non Blondes – What’s up?

    Mr. Big – To be with you

    Extreme – More than words

    The Cranberries – Zombie

    …and if there’s going to be a bonus today, I can’t really choose, Kris Kross or East 17?
    …okay then, one of each… 🙂

    Kris Kross – Jump

    East 17 – House of love

    Those of you who are observant will notice that there’s not a single YouTube clip in today’s post… that’s simply because next week it will be all videos! 🙂

    Enjoy!

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  • This week’s theme is the 80s… but I felt that was way too broad, so I had to narrow it down, but then the indecision kicked in… movie music or TV music… eh – screw it – let’s do both!

    The first song is a classic for me, both for the era it came out in and for the sounds and production…

    Axel F – Harold Faltermeyer, from the movie Beverly Hills Cop with Eddie Murphy.

    …and maybe you’re one of those who, just like me, parked themselves in front of the TV when any of the following TV series aired?

    Knight Rider

    Airwolf

    A-Team

    MacGyver

    …and a little more film perhaps, it was after all film and TV… 🙂

    Maybe this, from Rocky IV?

    …or this, one of several Queen-songs from Highlander?

    The ending will be a movie that has been around for many years, and which has also followed me as a book… Never Ending Story….

    Man, the 80s, so many cool synths… <3

    Enjoy!

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  • So this time of year, it usually starts to gear up for Mello*… *sigh* I’m not a big Mello fan… but I still have to admit that it is, after all, a big part of the music industry… and over the years there have been a few songs that have stuck with me…

    Som av is – Roger Pontare

    Then I drift a bit from Mello, at least musically, even though the next artist has actually been in Mello… and as a kind of “compatriot” with Pontare, he gets the honour of following up in this week’s music tips:

    Daniel’s Joik – Jon Henrik Fjällgren

    What comes next then? Well, away from the Mello track but still associating further along the thread that has now begun to spin in my mind…

    Return to Innocence – Enigma

    …and the step to the next song is not far either:

    Ameno – Era

    So… and a bonus on this, what could that be? No idea, the common thread has fallen away… and what does every proper Swede do when the conversation topics run out? Well, resort to the weather of course… so today’s bonus:

    Snow (hey oh) – Red Hot Chilli Peppers

    Enjoy!

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    *Mello is the Swedish music competition “Melodifestivalen” that decides what song that gets to represent Sweden in the Eurovision competition.

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  • Let’s try a second week with a theme. This week it will be one of the household gods, Michael Jackson.

    First up is a song that is his, but performed by someone completely different:

    Who’s lovin’ you – Kellis

    With Jackson, this giant, it’s difficult to find songs that aren’t overplayed, but two that I definitely don’t think are overplayed are (yes, I know, a little repetition from the Christmas calendar, but I’m thinking that not everyone has checked it out (yet)):

    A place with no name – Michael Jackson

    Hold my hand – Akon and MJ

    …and what should we end the regular section with? Maybe one of all the mighty power ballads Mr. Jackson has offered? Absolutely, but again maybe in a version by someone else:

    Earth song – Isgaard

    …or if you’re feeling a little more… hmm… relaxed…

    Earth Song – Moonraisers

    I had to think a lot about what would be this week’s bonus… but in the end the penny dropped, a man with humour, a man who is not like everyone else or does like everyone else, who has paved his own way through the world stars to shine at least as brightly and do his own thing, even though he has borrowed freely from others…

    Eat it – Wierd Al Yankovic

    Enjoy!

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  • This week’s theme (because I thought I’d try the concept of a theme) is brother. Feeling that it both limits and expands the selection, or maybe it’s mostly the mix that expands, because it’s difficult to find a bunch of songs with a common denominator, that are also a bit similar, or connected in some other way…

    First up is a cover of Modern Talking’s old banger:

    Brother Louie – VIZE, Iranbek, Dieter Bohlen, Leony

    The second song could be anything by the Bee Gees, but I’m thinking it won’t be, instead I’m thinking the second song for the day will be a Swedish one:

    Min bror och jag – Pontus & Amerikanarna

    The next song will be a nice tune from the soundtrack to ‘Oh brother, where art thou?’ so that we get some film into this post as well:

    Down to the River to Pray – Alison Krauss

    …my favourite version of the above song can be found here

    The fourth and final song will be none other than our beloved Avicii who is infinitely missed… what a talent, what music…

    Hey Brother – Avicii

    Okay then, as usual… a bonus… today’s bonus will be something that I’ve probably had in the Christmas calendar before, but which is so good that it bears repeating and listening to again!

    The bonus track! Magic!

    Enjoy!

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  • Alright, here we are back with the second week’s post on the music blog, this is going swimmingly…

    First up today is an acoustic version of a nice old Queen banger… a version that just whistled past my ears and I had to take a couple of steps back to understand what it was I was listening to and stayed put and let my ears be buttered a few more times…

    I Want it all – Peter & Bruno

    As the second song today, the choice has fallen on a song that I chose in much the same way that I choose wine (the few times I buy it) – I looked at the title and felt – yes, that’s a song I want to hear… and when my ears got a taste – yes, it’s a song I want to hear… several times! Into the playlist with it!

    Du äger ditt skimmer – Petra Marklund

    The next song made the synth-nerd in me go weak in the knees, electronic music with rich detail, depth and harmonies that make the goosebumps spread from the ears to the arms…

    Laminar Flow – Tommy Baynen

    The last song for this post will be something relatively fresh from the vinyl presses (or the digital equivalents), after a couple of listens I’m pretty sure this is another hit from Mr. Sheeran, but probably not a radio banger…

    Afterglow – Ed Sheeran

    …okay then… don’t nag… a bonus this week too… a riff that I hardly thought would come back in more iterations, but yes, it holds at least one more time…

    Take it slowly – Mike Perry

    Enjoy!

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  • Making a music advent calendar was fun… so I’m making a valiant attempt to continue, but updating every day doesn’t feel realistic, maybe once a week? I’ll try! 🙂

    In the advent calendar I talked a bit about the Ängelholm band Lillebror that I’ve had my eye on for a while… I’ve become aware of another song, which still doesn’t top the song in the Christmas calendar, but which is still among my favorites of their songs:

    A Day is Done – Lillebror

    Normally I’m not very fond of music where I don’t understand the vocals… but sometimes, like now, I stumble across something that just swings… and in this case (I have no idea about the artist(s) or the forms of collaboration) – I give you:

    Los Mismos – Cometa feat. War

    As a musical omnivore, my range is quite broad, so the transaction to the next artist, who I think does a lot of exciting, and to some extent groundbreaking, things – not least the first song I heard with her (Hide and Seek), I love this song for the combination of her voice, a stripped down arrangement with very nice synth vibes…

    Last night of an Empire – Imogen Heap

    How many songs is appropriate to present in a blog post like this? Four? Five? Let me know what you think! This time it will be four anyway. The last song out is the always amazing:

    Tribue – Tenacious D

    …this time in a nice live version, but the studio recorded version is of course also super nice!

    …okay then… a bonus… but then it has to be another nice tune from the aforementioned band… which also has a lovely and entertaining video, hence another youtube link…

    Rise of the Fenix – Tenacious D

    Enjoy!

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