None of these songs would be played in NG1

Sooz reminded me that I hadn't posted in a while the other day, and so I return to appease my adoring fans and satiate your cravings for phat ch00ns. Also, my conscience dictated that this blog has to have at least one post that doesn't feature songs that would be played in Nottingham's favourite den of sin and iniquity. And Spooks is on soon - I'm so excited I can't sit still!

Actually, work has just been grinding down my motivation to find new music (and do anything else) recently. The real world sucks! But my dear sister was home at the weekend, together with her usual demands that I fill up her iPod with the middle-of-the-road's latest and greatest, so I was prodded in to finding some exciting things to restore my musical karma.

I'm going to start off with my new favourite song. It's by Lupe Fiasco (who I've posted before), and is called Daydreamin'. It uses that incredibly catchy "Daydream, fell asleep among the flowers" sample that Beta Band and i-monster used a few years ago, and its become the most played song on my iPod in about two weeks. If you like this, his whole album is fantastic.

Lupe Fiasco - Daydreamin'

Next we'll have some jingly-jangly indie pop, because everyone loves jingly-jangly indie pop. This band is called The Morning Benders (not a name that does much for my no-NG1 policy) and the song is called Grain of Salt. It cheers me up every time I listen to it

The Morning Benders - Grain of Salt

Thats all I've got for the moment, so here's a kitty to tide you over till next time:

The Importance Of Keeping Your Clothes On

I'm sat here crying at X Factor, this could not be more embarrassing. The sudden rush of 'Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong', when the old man who only had one last chance got through, pushed me way over the edge. Go you, ugly old man!

I felt it best to set the mental scene before beginning this entry, perhaps by way of explanation/excuse.

Now I've noticed a general lack of Australians in this blog, obviously a huge oversight on my part, and thus have decided to rectify this forthwith. I'd never heard of Augie March until about a week ago but am reliably informed they are huge down-under. I love this song for two reasons a) because it appears to come from an album called 'Moo, you bloody choir' and b) because the title 'Thin Captain Crackers' makes me think of Parrots and as I've spent/wasted much of last week playing Monkey Island 2 I felt it was appropriate.

Obviously.

Thin Captain Crackers - Augie March

(have to avoid the urge to offer a running commentary on X Factor, the current glasweigan woman is almost fluorescent from overtanning, eww, take note children of essex)

This song is just, bizaare. I tend to think of them sounding a bit like Jamie Liddell but in reality they are dub-reggae-funk or something. It's 9 minutes long so you can basically split it in three parts, the first -brilliantly- funky bit, the second pretty but unnecessary gospel bit and the third odd and disappointing dodgy keyboard/saxophone ensemble. Listen and love the first bit and download their song 'This Room' if you enjoy it.

Wandering Eye - Fat Freddys Drop

It's that time again, I don't think NG1 ever played this song but I might well have exploded if they had done. They only place i've ever heard it out was this amazing bar in Budapest, whereby I went mad and stepped on many angry Hungarian toes. Anyone know 'sorry' in Hungarian?

Anyhoo I digrest, great great dance/pop fabulousness, cannot fail to make me smile.

Push Up - Freestylers

You know what, it's been way to long since we've had something bordering on rock on here. I want loud, snarling guitars, throaty vocals and an obvious drug habit, yeah!...On second thoughts lets just have Dogs Die in Hot Cars instead to celebrate my return to (deserved) dossing around as a scummy student:

Lounger - Dogs Die in Hot Cars

And so to Guildford!

There's So Much That We Need To Share

Right so it has actually been ages since I updated this, for which I offer no apologies because I'm just that sort of girl.

The true reason for my absence was forgetting my username and not having the drive to fill in the appropriate form. Lala. I've been preoccupied with researching conspiracy theories about driving test examiners (bastards) and worrying about the outbreak of potential bird flu that our road experienced (6 pigeons dead in two days, result!). Sadly it seems we got the woman from Defra excited for nothing as I bet it will turn out they all had this: http://environment.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,,1871512,00.html

Poor birdies :(

Anyway to business! I'm loving the current(yes yes I know it's been happening for years, i had to start the intro some how) pop trend for mildly sampling older songs and turning them into far greater songs. Or something like that. Prime examples of this are S.O.S. and Maneater, easily the two best pop singles of 2006 thus far. This song overcomes the handicap of having been featured in John Tucker Must Die and is just fab:

Chelsea - Stefy

(It also defys the rule that all things called Chelsea are crap, so full marks to Stefy.)

People get preoccupied with the idea that mashups are a lesser form of musical output because they require less creativity. Bollox. This Johnny Cash v. Wu Tang Clan shows how the most unlikely collaboration can really turn out brilliantly:

Johnny Cash Rules Everything Around Me - Iron Monkey

To commemorate the utter fantasticness of Pearl Jam at Reading I was going to put Iron Man by Black Sabbath up here but I thought that might be a little counterproductive in getting people to read this. In a complete turnaround we havesomething nice and pretty up here instead. If it hasn't already been used expect this song to pop up in a nice dramatic part of either the OC or Greys Anatomy. Probably after a blazing row, tears, lots of 'damn' and 'hell, and things being smashed.

'the clouds in your eyes
down your face they pour'

Closer - Joshua Radin

And to round things off we need a good NG1 song (<3). SuperJupiter have a stupid name but the pretty decent *cough* Napolean-Dynamite rip off *cough* video for this song just about redeems that. Enjoy:

You Know - SuperJupiter


(....go West Ham yeah!)