January’s a month of greyness and the rather tough return to reality after the Christmas and New Year festivities really lends itself to finding solace in some good music. While there have been plenty of new tracks out this month, for some reason I’ve found myself listening to old and forgotten tracks that normally fall foul of the skip button on my iPod. A few of them are mixed in here along with some new stuff that is just as good!
Calvin Harris – “Thinking About You”
A song off of Calvin’s most successful album to date, 18 Months, it managed to pass me by and get caught up in the fold of his new tracks. It’s so similar to the sort of songs on his new album that I would never have been able to tell without checking it out. It’s light and poppy with the trademark dancey style he has.
The Killers – “Sam’s Town”
It’s the opening track to their second album, but when you think of The Killers’ top hits it doesn’t come anywhere close despite being a great crossover between their angsty and teenage style of Hot Fuss and the sort of dustbowl dreamers they became with Sam’s Town. It’s got a great chorus that’s just as anthemic and sing-along friendly as anything else they’ve done and when I heard it again for the first time in years this month it re-captured my imagination.
Phillip George – “Wish You Were Mine”
Taking a Stevie Wonder song, pitching it up and laying it over a deep house beat might not sound like they key to success, but that’s how it proved for Phillip George as he scored a chart hit with this song. It’s pretty subdued, but not to the point of being laid back, and is a good background track although perhaps not a floorfiller.
Pixies – “Where Is My Mind?”
A song that defines a sort of tortured mind idea with the wailing guitars and lyrics that just scream of unhappiness and confusion. In terms of atmosphere there’s not many other songs that do as well as this, and although I’m sure the influence runs the other way this reminds me greatly of Les Savy Fav whose album Root for Ruin is one my favourites.
Klingande – “Jubel”
This song did well last year but I only really gave it the time it deserved this month. This soft and horn-infused song really reminds me of Bakermat’s music, which I really like, but this song adds in some nice and thoughtful lyrics as well as a killer plucky guitar section in the middle that really gives the song some character.
Dillon Francis – “Without You” (feat. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs)
Managing to keep a song this quiet and still making it have a good rhythm and flow to it is quite impressive. I haven’t really heard much of Dillon Francis’ music, but if it’s as laid back as this I definitely should. It’s a great song when you want to calm things down a little.