music: Bjork - Debut (1993)

Debut does not exactly represent Bjork’s willingness to try every single weird sound that exists. 

It’s a trip hoppish album with quite a few danceable tracks (big time sensuality, there's more to life than this,  to name a few) and it's quite safe if compared with her sometimes completely novel (some say crazy) approach to making music (earth intruders anyone?).

But it only goes to show the diversity of this woman’s work, her range is ever expanding. Some call her over the top, I call her a genius. She’s still way ahead of her time musically. 

Plus she's really cute and totally huggable. 

Along with the following Post (1995) and Homogenic (1997), this album is my Bjork’s favourite.

Reminds me of:  Sigur Rós, early Tricky, Portishead, Trip hop, Massive Attack, Stephanie Sednaoui (great music vids), Anthony and the Johnsons

8/10 Me loves. My number one reason to want to visit Iceland, despite the cold. 

music: The tallest man on earth . Shallow Grave (2008)

Kristian Matsson's voice is fantastic...

Yes, the similarities with Bob Dylan are unavoidable and his simple use of guitar makes for a really striking similarity. 

But The Tallest man on earth stands on his own right as a great composer. Songs like Where do my bluebirds fly had me smiling long after listening to them. 

His music is light and simple (one man’s voice and his guitar) and that's where his magic resides.

Reminds me of: Bob Dylan, sunrise/sunset, American folk music. 

8/10 I highly recommended it for “those” bad days, it will lift your spirits. 

music: Richard Hawley – Richard Hawley (2007)

The first thing I thought upon hearing troublesome waters was…. hmm, this feels like Johnny Cash…

This ex Pulp member has a voice of gold. 

I’ve been listening to Sunflower, Time has made a change and my favourite Naked In Pitsmoor for the last 3 hours or so, and it just keeps getting better.

His sound is both masculine and warm. 

Although some might consider him a crooner, I think he has the voice of an old jackal.  A guy who’s been there, has loved and suffered. And now sings about his experiences and memories.

Actually for some dumb reason I think that that’s how David Carradine  would sound if he ever made an album as Bill, from the movie Kill Bill… It might be the timbre of his voice... oh well, me and my theories…

Reminds me of: Johnny Cash, David Fonseca, Mark Knopfler, Frank Sinatra

7/10 Solid  and beautiful singing. 

music: PJ Harvey . uh uh her (2004)

Polly Jean Harvey is the Devil.

She’s raw, she’s loud and her music is not exactly radio friendly.

But to call her a great musician and awesome lyricist is a serious understatement. I personally see her as the female equivalent of Nick Cave. Of course the Boatman's Call album and they having worked together in other projects, can only reinforce this notion. 

She sings with everything she has.

I absolutely love what she is able to accomplish with her voice, the way she sings about pain, about love and about life. My favourite track on this album is you come through for me. This songs gives me goosebumps, it's perfect.

Reminds me of: Man size, Nick Cave, L7 (the energy, not the tampon...), Anais Nin’s Under a glass bell, seagulls and small boats on the shore

9/10 This is not MTV

music: Smashing Pumpkins . Mellon collie and the infinite sadness (1995)

This album is nothing short of magical, from the beautiful first track that names the album, to the radio friendly tonight, tonight with its violins and Billy Corgan’s unique voice. To one of my all time favorite songs: the wonderful 1979.

Mellon Collie will definitely take you places. In my case, it reminds me of the insecure (but free in a way that only teenagers can be) boy I used to be. 1979 in particular reminds of all the possibilities, fears and expectations I used to have as a 17/18 year old... I was a seriously fucked up kid, therefore pretty normal :)

While it is true that the track listening could have been arranged differently, and some tracks like we only come out at night kind of stand out as odd in the middle such of great tunes, this album can still be considered a classic.

Reminds me of : teenagehood, Larry Clark kids, Sofia Coppola's Virgin Suicides, having crushes on pratically every girl I met, feeling awkward afterwards :)

8/10 Smashing Pumpkins at it's best. 

music: In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 (2008)

I grew up listening to Waldemar Bastos voice on the radio. He is hands down one of the most beautiful voices the Angolan and African music market has ever heard (those who’ve heard velha chica, know exactly what I mean).

His interpretation of love is blindness alone makes this album unique.

When combined with giants like Angélique Kidjo (reinterpreting mysterious ways) and Vusi Mahlasela (sometimes you can’t make it on your own), you have a veeeery special record in your hands.

Track Listing:
1. Angelique Kidjo “Mysterious Ways”
2. Vieux Farka Touré “Bullet The Blue Sky”
3. Ba Cissoko “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
4. Vusi Mahlasela “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own”
5. Tony Allen “Where The Streets Have No Name”
6. Cheikh Lô “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”
7. Keziah Jones “One”
8. Les Nubians “With Or Without You”
9. Soweto Gospel Choir “Pride (In The Name Of Love)”
10. Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars “Seconds”
11. African Underground All-Stars Featuring Chosan, Optimus & Iyeoka “Desire”
12. Waldemar Bastos “Love Is Blindness”
 

Reminds me of: Jubilee 2000, U2, Africa, Angola, IMF vs Africa, Mali Music by Ko Kan Ko Sata Doumbia, Toumani Diabate, Afel Bocoum and Damon Albarn

8/10 Rip it, download it or steal it, but have it in your album collection.

music: Sun Kil Moon - April (2008)

Some say that music is memory. And this concept is true in Mark Kozelek’s music and lyrics. 

While sharing his experiences in songs like Tonight In Bilbao, one cannot help but look back into the past for similar feelings of belongingness to a geographic place. 

In my case, this song reminded me of my town, Luanda, seen from the eyes of a kid on the passenger seat of my mother’s car.

I really recommend this guy's music, his voice is that of a man who has somewhat lived and is trying to look back into his past, without necessarily trying to explain it. In that sense (lyrically) his songs remind me a lot of  Leonard Cohen’s later albums.

Although not in this album, Sun Kil Moon's epic song Duk Koo Kim, is an all time favourite of mine. Read the story behind the music.

Reminds me of: Leonard Cohen's Avalanche and In my secret life, Duk Koo Kim VS Ray Mancini the fight, meeting with old friends, Jeff Buckley singing Halelujah, Dr.House

9/10 A very special album