All of the songs listed below were personally chosen by the artist or blogger above. I got in touch with a lot of artists and bloggers who were all kind enough to get back to me and take part in Desert Island Discs. If you’re unaware of the concept behind Desert Island Discs, check out the basic pitch I gave the artists and bloggers I got in touch with.  You can support the artists featured by clicking on the album cover and buying their music.

While I (Jess) did research on the track selections for the Jensen Sportag intro just over a month ago, their remix of Teeel‘s “Ojai Valley” caught my ear not only for its contrasting transformation, but also for his wide-spanning vocals and perceptive lyrics. As I make my way into researching his catalogue, take a look at the influences and must-haves of James Smith for this week’s Desert Island Discs; it should be apparent through the selection how he gets his preference for painting a Kubrick-ian vision with his music.

Connect with Teeel – Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Official

Wendy Carlos – “The Funeral of Queen Mary”

Obsessed with the 1971 film, A Clockwork Orange, I cannot express my passion for the heavenly synth-drenched soundtrack. Walter, now Wendy Carlos composed the soundtrack with MOOG synthesizers, which was one of the first times electronic music was featured in film. This song takes me right back into Stanley Kubrick’s timeless classic. A perfect way to start my day on the island.

Air – “New Star in the Sky”

Two of my favorite french producers make the sweetest and most romantic electronica using their massive instrument collection. I’m sure you’re familiar with their soundtrack work in “Virgin Suicides” “New Star in the Sky” is one hell of a sexy track that is a mix of of 70s prog rock, spacey experimental and elevator porn music that’s sure to tell a beautiful story. The vocoder vocals blew my mind when I heard this song live.

Tycho – “Dictaphone’s Lament”

I’ve pretty much broken the “Past is Prologue” album from Tycho from playing it so much. Scott Hansen creates some of the most amazing music and is also a fantastic visual artist as well. He’s perfected his craft and created a brand. I can honestly listen to his music on repeat, especially if I was stranded on an island. Beautiful melodies and distant reverb take me away to that special place in “Dictaphone’s Lament”.

Telefon Tel Aviv – “The Birds”

“The Birds” is an amazing electronic composition from Josh Eustis and the late Charlie Cooper. This song takes flight into a beautiful dream of pulsating synths, stuttering drums, epic vocals and drowning pads. Telefon Tel Aviv have created an own-able sound and have been at it forever. True pioneers in electronic music.

John B. – “Midnight Air”

I’m a big drum n bass fan and John B. is one of my all-time favorite producers in this genre. He’s written everything from beautiful trance inspired electrostep tunes that utilize gorgeous strings, layered pads and vocals to wicked bass heavy, rinsed out old school jungle. No matter what style, John B. conveys an idea and nails it every time. His electro/80s approach takes drum n bass music to another dimension and has it’s own uniqueness. “Midnight Air” is a personal favorite that I’ve listened to hundreds of times.

Tool – “Lateralus”

Tool is one of my favorite bands and write some of the most intricate and thought provoking music. They’ve managed to stay creative and true to their art and not selling out too bad. In Lateralus, Maynard James Keenan’s verses form the first few Fibonacci numbers, ascending and descending. They always put thought and emotion into their songs, videos and live performances. They are truly amazing.

Aether – “Anywhere”

This re-imagining and use of vocal sample “I’m not going anywhere” is amazing. Aether’s entire album could play on the island forever and you would get a full range of emotion from happy to sad. Nostalgia and good vibes come off this track leaving an amazing impression on the soul. Aether takes Vinyl dirt, smooth ambience, thumping drums, hints of guitar, sweet sample hooks, puts them in a blender and everything comes together like it was meant to be.

The Album Leaf – “Red Eye”

The Album Leaf aka Jimmy Lavalle has developed his own unique style of easy listening with his signature rhodes piano, live strings and vintage synths. With the help of Joshua Eustis from Telefon Tel Aviv, The Album Leaf get a nice treatment of glitch, bleeps, and hits. “Into the Blue” is an amazing album and one of my favorites and I feel “Red Eye” captures the essence of the entire concept in this epic 7-minute track.

Silver Sea – “La Lluvia”

This song from the first album of Silver Sea, one of my side projects with guitarist, David Payne. This music is actually perfect for chilling on the beach and relaxing. “The Lluvia” (The Rain) would be a good song for the end to the the day, sitting in my man-made hut and watching the sun set. Tropical rains trickle down to replenish the island which ends up casting a rainbow in the sky. Perfection.

All of the songs listed below were personally chosen by the artist or blogger above. I got in touch with a lot of artists and bloggers who were all kind enough to get back to me and take part in Desert Island Discs. If you’re unaware of the concept behind Desert Island Discs, check out the basic pitch I gave the artists and bloggers I got in touch with.  You can support the artists featured by clicking on the album cover and buying their music.

Today’s Desert Island Discs is brought to you by new blog on the blogk, Daniel from The Higher Octave.  His selection below is one of the more impressive ones I’ve featured on here and he introduced me to a couple of gems, even if I still find it difficult to get into Pavement…..or really Wilco for that matter, but his first choice is a great song.

Connect with The High Octave – Twitter | Website

Billy Bragg & Wilco- “California Stars”

I first heard “California Stars” in the transition summer between my senior year of high school and freshman year of college. Most nights I would wander off into the country fields of campus and lay in the grass staring at the sky. It’s this song that constantly reminds me how great of a summer that truly was, and for that I can never let it go. The mixture of the swirly country violin and reverberating guitar twangs is a perfect stage for Jeff Tweedy’s voice, and for five minutes at a time I actually feel that I’m back in those fields watching the stars.

Nas- “N.Y. State of Mind”

If all of hip hop was wiped off the face of the Earth, and you could only pick one album to reconstruct the genre, what album would you choose? In my mind there is no other album better suited than “Illmatic.” And it’s on “Illmatic” where you’ll find one of my favorite songs of all time: “N.Y. State of Mind.” Whether it’s the beginning slams of Premo’s beat or the continuing hooks found in Nas’ verses, I find this song to be the golden gem on “Illmatic” that sets up everything else to come.

Colin Hay- “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You”

Over an acoustic guitar, Colin Hay pitches to us one of best love songs ever to grace the stage. It’s amazing how much pure emotion the song captures, but it’s even more amazing how he can strike perfection with a topic that has lost all sense of dignity.

ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION- “Rewrite”

For quite some time I relied heavily on Japanese rock. It was a positive filter for me after realizing that a lot of the music I was listening to was quite poor. Because of this, I discovered bands like The Pillows, Dir en grey and ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION. “Rewrite” is one of my favorite pop jams because of its emotion. The chorus is loud and threatening, and the vocals are literally biting at your ears.

The National- “Secret Meeting”

If I could only live with eight songs for the rest of my life and NOT have something by The National, I think I’d just give up listening to music right then and there. “I’m sorry I missed you, I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain.”

Aska- “There Are Many of Us”

Never a song to go off wildly on a beaten track, “There Are Many of Us” stays on its pitch from the start to finish capturing a unique sense of “the moment.” It’s incredibly trite, yet unbelievably soothing as it basks you with its moving rays of beauty. Aska captures emotion without risking too much, and it’s this approach that makes the song so appealing to me.

Pavement- “Shady Lane”

Pavement is one of the big reasons why I wish I were a bit older in the 90s. Their eccentric style literally defined the decade in rock, and it was Malkmus’ lyrics that always hooked me. On “Shady Lane” we learn about telling people off in the hotel lobby, going Dutch on a blind date, and getting an emery board rash, but the thing that gets me is that it’s one of Malkmus’ few songs where you can pick out its motive. In light of all your complications and disagreements in the world, all you should be worrying about is how to enjoy your life. The songs coda hits you perfectly on the head with this as it gently glides on light-hearted guitar plucks that resemble the clearest sense of a good day.

Nico- “These Days”

Nico may not have the perfect voice, but she makes “These Days” a perfect song. Written by Jackson Browne, Nico takes wonderfully constructed lyrics and makes them her own. I find this song to be absolutely flawless. Enough said.

All of the songs listed below were personally chosen by the artist or blogger above. I got in touch with a lot of artists and bloggers who were all kind enough to get back to me and take part in Desert Island Discs. If you’re unaware of the concept behind Desert Island Discs, check out the basic pitch I gave the artists and bloggers I got in touch with.  You can support the artists featured by clicking on the album cover and buying their music.

Today’s Desert Island Discs comes all the way from the gorgeous country of Greece on the cusp of the Mediterranean sea, with Keep Shelly In Athens, a two-piece that I’ve posted many times before and who are seemingly incapable of setting a foot wrong.  Everything they’ve been releasing lately, whether it’s new tunes, remixes, b-sides, or videos, hit all the right spots, makes its way around every blog and site on the planet and is met with almost universal acclaim.   They’re set to play their first ever live show in London on June 7th at Madam Jojo’s so if you’re around you might wanna check that out.

Below are the eight pieces of music they’d take with them to be stranded on a desert island with, including one of their own that I added.

Keep Shelly In Athens – “Running Out Of You”

Connect with Keep Shelly In Athens - Facebook | Twitter | MySpace | Last.fm | Website

1 ~ Gang Gang Dance – “Glass Jar”

In a way an epic track, which, however, fills our heart with sun every time we listen to it.

2 ~ Gold Panda – “Marriage” (Star Slinger Remix)

Whenever we are a bit down, we have to listen to it immediately. Something like an anti-depressant, really.

3 ~ Memoryhouse – “Heirloom”

A trademark track for the sound of Memoryhouse, a band which makes you travel around the earth and the universe with its every track or remix. However, you have to complement listening to this song with viewing the video made for it by Jamie Harley, to understand why this track and generally the music of Memoryhouse, if it had a face, it would be the face of Tina Aumont.

4 ~ Cali Swag District and Toro Y Moi – “Teach Me How To Dougie”

When we first listened to it we could not believe how beautifully “Thanks Vision” matched with “Teach Me How to Dougie”. The music of Toro Y Moi truly lifts this track off.

5 ~ Okinawa Lifestyle – “So Near”

There it is, then, a track that we could call sexy or, if you prefer, sensual. We love it!

6 ~ Cocteau Twins – “The Itchy Glowbo Blow”

There are no words to describe how much we love this track. But even if there were, it would not matter. The only thing that matters is this ambience, these melodies, these words. Haven’t you pressed play yet?

7 ~ Groove Armada – “Paris”

This intro, these synthesizers, these lyrics take your breath away, they bring back so many memories; and even if you do not have such memories, you will have to invent them. Perfect!

8 ~ Vangelis – “The Bounty (End Theme)”

If you sit on a beach and gaze out at the sea, or on a rooftop at a big city and you stare at the chaos below, or on a mountain and you stare at the fields or the stars, or if you are simply in your room but you listen to this music, then you too might feel that there is indeed within us this thing that in the old days they called a soul.

All of the songs listed below were personally chosen by the artist or blogger above. I got in touch with a lot of artists and bloggers who were all kind enough to get back to me and take part in Desert Island Discs. If you’re unaware of the concept behind Desert Island Discs, check out the basic pitch I gave the artists and bloggers I got in touch with.  You can support the artists featured by clicking on the album cover and buying their music.

Today’s Desert Island Discs is brought to you by Steffaloo, our most recent addition to the growing list of Ones To Watch.  While I go more extensively in the introduction piece that I wrote up about her, these selections depict the sunny disposition Steffaloo intends to stay in if stranded. Check out her must-have list and while you’re at it, check out her must-hear exclusive, “On Fire” [via Losing My Edge], below.

Connect with Steffaloo – Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | Tumblr

1 ~ Feist – “Inside And Out”

It was impossible to choose just one track of Feist’s, because all of her music slays me haha.. so I chose two , but I chose this song mainly because the lyrics destroy me…they communicate things that I myself have expressed in other ways, perfectly, and the way she sings it melts my soul. It never gets old.

2 ~ Feist – “Feel It All”

I love this one because it reminds me to feel life…all the beauty and joy that it entails, it makes me automatically happy to be alive. You can dance to it or you can sit and think to it.

3 ~ Billie Holiday – “Sun Showers”

This was also a tough choice, because there are so many songs by Billie that I would choose – “Body & Soul”, “Strange Fruit”, and of course “You Go To My Head”.  This one however, seems to be just the right mix between nostalgic and hopeful. It has a way of simply taking from your chest all the things you’ve carried all day…and it just…sets you free I suppose.

4 ~ Purity Ring – “Ungirthed”

Lord knows if I’m stranded on an island I’m gonna need to get my dance on, and this is definitely the song that never fails to get me moving. That, and it just makes me flat out happy!

5 ~ Clive Tanaka – “Neu Chicago”

This is a whole album that I would love to take with me on a stranded island, but I suppose this song will suffice. No matter what you’re feeling, this song will make it all feel better.

6 ~ Stevie Wonder – “Overjoyed”

This is one of my favorite songs…you just can’t go wrong with Stevie and this song just fills me up with joy.

7 ~ Telepopmusik – “Breathe”

Just like the lyrics say, this song reminds me to breathe…kinda takes my mind off of all the heavy things going on and lets me take a deep breath, let out all the heaviness.

8 ~ Jesse Woods – “Neon Rose”

I’m pretty sure I could listen to this song on repeat forever. There’s something about the tone in his voice, the words…it makes me happy and desirous all at the same time.

Connect with Steffaloo – Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | Tumblr

All of the songs listed below were personally chosen by the artist or blogger above. I got in touch with a lot of artists and bloggers who were all kind enough to get back to me and take part in Desert Island Discs. If you’re unaware of the concept behind Desert Island Discs, check out the basic pitch I gave the artists and bloggers I got in touch with.  If you’re an artist or blogger and want to take part,  just send your submission with the eight pieces of music (not the actual mp3s) and some words about each one to admin (@) listenbeforeyoubuy (dot) net.

Today’s Desert Island Discs is brought to you by Nobody Wave, a duo from LA whose homeless-lookin’ surf-pop has had them (wait for it) making waves in and around their native LA, all down to the fact that we gave them the famous LBYB bump (not true).  I owe the guys an apology though, when I initially asked them to do this for me they were more than forthcoming, sending it over within a couple of days….well, that was back in February and I’m only just getting around to posting it, so six thousand apologies to Nobody Wave.

Unfortunately the guys have parted ways and Nobody Wave are nobody more, however they are playing a farewell show this Summer in Thousand Oaks and singer Chris is working on releasing new music from a new project in the near future.  Yay!

1. Deerhoof – “L’ Amour Stories”

I first heard this gem back in high school when I was going through a brief Internet radio phase — the moment those choppy chords kicked in, I was a Deerhoof fan for life. It’s a key island tune because of the way the dual guitars interact, racing against each other and finishing the other’s sentences. There are so many Deerhoof songs that I love, but this was the first.

2. Black Dice – “Things’ll Never Be the Same”

I’d definitely need an experimental jam for the island that’s both trance-inducing and wild, so I could get some excess energy out every once in a while. This song has the most amazing and messed up vocal track of anything I’ve ever heard — it’s like “The Great Gig in the Sky” as done by a drugged-out former hardcore band. Sometimes I would bike around my suburban hometown and listen to this, wondering what the world would be like if Black Dice was popular.

3. Respira – “Thinning Threads”

This one’s a hometown favorite — Respira was a Thousand Oaks local band that taught me so much about tasteful guitar riffs and musical community. They succeeded in being both melodic and dramatic without venturing into melodramatic emo territory. Sadly, the dudes broke up before anyone outside of Ventura County really caught on. They never got the recognition they deserved.

4. Flying Lotus – “Do the Astral Plane”

Although this pick is pretty new, I’ve been listening to it on repeat since last April. Cosmogramma was far and away my favorite record of 2010, and this song’s future disco habitat has so many layers and playful rhythms. If I’m ever rescued from the island years later, “Astral Plane” is still going to sound ahead of its time.

5. The Beatles – “Tomorrow Never Knows”

I definitely need a Beatles song on the list, and this track was my gateway to years of Fab Four obsession. It all started when my good friend Kai played it at band practice back in middle school, and listening to it now still conjures up strange visions. Proof why John is the man.

6. Madvillain – “Raid”

The beat on this song is so sick. I love everything about MF Doom and Madlib; when combining forces, they’re unmatched. Bizarre rhymes, obscure vintage samples and no traditional choruses, just stream-of-consciousness flow.

7. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “Love Comes to Me”

One of my favorite acoustic songs — Will Oldham pairs hopelessness and love in a beautiful way. The lyrics, melody and Oldham’s vocal performance with Dawn McCarthy comes together so naturally. I’ll play this one when I feel bummed out on the island and want a bummer of a song to make it official.

8. Electric Light Orchestra – “Turn to Stone”

And for the opposite effect, I’ll take ELO along because listening to “Turn to Stone” will make the worst island scenario seem fun. It’s a classic pop song and you can’t stay in a bad mood after listening; it just reeks of positivity and 70s silliness.

All of the songs listed below were personally chosen by the artist or blogger above. I got in touch with a lot of artists and bloggers who were all kind enough to get back to me and take part in Desert Island Discs. If you’re unaware of the concept behind Desert Island Discs, check out the basic pitch I gave the artists and bloggers I got in touch with.  If you’re an artist or blogger and want to take part,  just send your submission with the eight pieces of music (not the actual mp3s) and some words about each one to admin (@) listenbeforeyoubuy (dot) net.

Today’s Desert Island Discs is brought to you by Alice Gun, A classically-trained multi-instrumentalist who records at her home in North London and in an isolated Lakeland farmhouse. She released her debut single, “The Swimmer” in 2009.   Since I featured her back in February she has been a “Tune of the Day” with Rob da Bank, had sessions on the BBC and most recently received 4 star review in Artrocker.  Her debut album Blood & Bone, will be released digitally on 21 March 2011 and physically on 4 April 2011 through Ambiguous records.

Connect with Alice Gun - MySpace | Web | Facebook

1. Thelonius Monk – “Bemsha Swing”

I only discovered Thelonius Monk’s music recently, when I was in the process of recording Blood & Bone, and it was a revelation. This number in particular, with its irreverent, honky discordant-ness sets your teeth on edge in a uniquely pleasurable way. It burrowed into my imagination immediately, and ended up having a big influence on the last track I wrote for my album: Ravens. His name isn’t half bad either.

2. Sparklehorse feat. Polly Harvey – “Eyepennies”

This duet is all the more heartbreakingly beautiful for its restraint – a wonderful piece of songwriting. I first heard it performed live by Mark Linkous and PJ Harvey at the Barbican about ten years ago at a night run by Howie Gelb. I was going through a real musical desert at the time – I thought I was never going to play again – but this night changed everything.

3. The White Stripes – “Catch Hell Blues”

I also play cello with Mr David Viner and we spent the summer of 2007 touring Europe with the White Stripes (which ultimately turned out to be their last tour). This track takes me back to the first night of the tour, in Vienna. We arrived at this gigantic venue in our tiny van, and walked into the empty auditorium carrying our one battered instrument each. They were soundchecking Catch Hell Blues and all I could think was: OH MY GOD.

4. PJ Harvey – “Rid Of Me”

Picking a favourite PJ Harvey track is hard. She follows her own musical path with a bloody-minded determination which I admire enormously, and even when I hate what she’s doing I find it hard to tear myself away – my very first gig outing was a trip to see her Dry tour back in 1992. Is this Desire will always be an eternally interesting album for me – I wanted something of that shifting texture for Blood & Bone – but there is no beating Rid of Me for absolute sweat-licking, visceral power.

5. Charles Spearin – “The Happiness Project”

An album rather than a track, the Happiness Project is a collection of instrumentals built around samples of interviews Spearin did with his people in his neighbourhood talking about happiness. It is funny, moving, disorientating and incredibly imaginative – and amazingly, his band can recreate it all live too. If I’m ever feeling disillusioned or uninspired about making music, this album gives me a joyous kick up the ass.

6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Maps”

Writing a good love song, without falling back on sexiness, is just about the hardest thing you can do. But the Yeah Yeah Yeahs nail it with Maps. Her crazy performances often overshadow that fact that Karen O is a beautiful top line writer (which really comes through when you listen to their acoustic versions), while Brian Chase is a genius drummer – and Nick Zinner’s guitar playing just makes you want to drop your trousers. I love them.

7. Heinrich Biber – “The Mystery Sonatas”

I trained as a classical cellist and that plain, stately style that you find in string music from the late 17th/early 18th century is something that underpins a lot of the music I write. I am a sucker for an open fifth. If I wasn’t taking this piece for violin by Biber – which aches with an other-worldy melancholy – it would probably have to be something from the Bach Cello Suites. Or fast-forward to the 20th century and the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No.1.

8. The Kinks – “All Day And All Of The Night”

For no other reason than it’s a perfect pop song. I wish I’d written it.

All of the songs listed below were personally chosen by the artist or blogger above. I got in touch with a lot of artists and bloggers who were all kind enough to get back to me and take part in Desert Island Discs. If you’re unaware of the concept behind Desert Island Discs, check out the basic pitch I gave the artists and bloggers I got in touch with.  If you’re an artist or blogger and want to take part,  just send your submission with the eight pieces of music (not the actual mp3s) and some words about each one to admin (@) listenbeforeyoubuy (dot) net.

Today’s Desert Island Discs is brought to you by the letter Knox Road.  When I started LBYB one of the blogs I would regularly go to and look up to was Knox Road and as such was one of the first sites I contacted about doing a Desert Island Discs for me.  Both myself and Lee have kept in contact over the last few months and whilst there have been delays on both of our ends, here you have the eight songs that he’d want to be stranded on a desert island with.

Connect with Knox Road – Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

“When I told Frank I’d contribute a Desert Island Discs piece, I knew I’d be accessing a deeply buried box of fragile emotions. It’s a big share for me, contributing the songs that actually keep me sane. Good music, by (my) definition, is insane – it can make us feel foolish. And that’s what’s so great about it.

I’m one of those twenty-somethings, so most of the songs that have a great emotional impact on me are of the modern variety — you won’t see any classics on this list, simply because they don’t have the same effect on my imagination.”

1. The Album Leaf – “Wishful Thinking”

I need a song to be entirely instrumental. It’s slow, yes, and it’s probably going to make me depressed (wtf, Lee, you’re totally off-base with this desert island thing!), but the song rises and falls, and it becomes a soundtrack to my travails. I can be what I want to be.

2. Death Cab For Cutie – “The Sound of Settling”

Despite the insanely catchy chorus, this song will never get old. It compels me to action. So when I’m sitting there lazying about, getting my tan on on this (hopefully sunny) island, I’ll go crack some coconuts, or something.

3. Florence & The Machine – “Cosmic Love”

This song grabbed me by the horns as soon as I heard it and it already holds a special place with me. So much going on at once, makes me feel like I’m surrounded by a crowd. I’ll need as many people as I can get on this deserted island. …In my mind, of course.

4. The National – “Baby, We’ll Be Fine”

No National = no life. Inclusion is necessary. This is one of their best, so it comes with.

5. Radical Face – “Doorways”

I heard this song for the first time this year, yet it struck me as close to one-of-a-kind. I can’t help but think of what it was like to be a kid, and I’ll need a lot of that as my beard grows to indeterminate lengths.

6. Stars – “Elevator Love Letter”

One of my favorite songs ever. Need I say more? Okay, fine. “Elevator Love Letter” is that rare song that fully envelops me in its sound, with a light synth, electro-acoustics, and otherworldly (which I guess I wouldn’t need here? Whateverrrr.) Amy Millan vocals.

7. Okkervil River – “Unless It’s Kicks”

Upbeat, slowly building, and certainly not lacking passion. It gets me moving!

8. Justin Bieber – “One Time” (Editor’s note – The only reason this is going up is because I like Lee, although it was still a difficult choice to do so)

To remind me I’m probably better off on the deserted island.

All of the songs listed below were personally chosen by the artist or blogger above. I got in touch with a lot of artists and bloggers who were all kind enough to get back to me and take part in Desert Island Discs. If you’re unaware of the concept behind Desert Island Discs, check out the basic pitch I gave the artists and bloggers I got in touch with.  If you’re an artist or blogger and want to take part,  just send your submission with the eight pieces of music (not the actual mp3s) and some words about each one to admin (@) listenbeforeyoubuy (dot) net.

Today’s Desert Island Discs is brought to you by Dead Models, a U.K. four-piece who released their debut EP a couple of months ago, which can be yours for the sprightly sum of about $3.   Since I featured them back in April they’ve since signed to White Noise Records and (as I said) released their debut EP.

Keep up to date with Dead Models – MySpace | Twitter | Label

0. Dead Models – “Rosy”

1. The Beatles – “Please Please Me”

Gotta have a Beatles song. Although the later stuff is better in songwriting terms you can’t knock the classics.  Simple stuff that sticks in your head for the rest of your life.  Everything about The Beatles is great, their story is better than any movie could ever conjure up.  Makes you wanna be in a band.

2. The Ronettes - “Be My Baby”

Possibly the best pop song of all time, everything about the song is great.  It’s perfection, really upbeat and only a few minutes long.  Really memorable, I think its one of those songs that is etched into your brain from a young age and everyone knows it, I couldn’t get bored of it.

3. The Percy Faith Orchestra – “Theme From A Summer Place”

No matter how many times I hear this song I still get the hairs standing up on the back of my neck.  That’s pretty much just a natural physical sign of greatness, you can’t argue with something that happens without thinking.  I recently heard the original version with lyrics but I still prefer this.  It sounds so massive!!

4. The Doors – “The Soft Parade”

The Doors are one of the greatest bands of all time.  This album is sort of unregarded as far as their legacy goes but it’s amazing. Full of strings and horns. This would be a great song to have and to listen to endlessly.

5. Jimi Hendrix – “Purple Haze”

One of the most exciting songs going.  It gets the heart racing straight away.  No matter where you are if this song comes on it catches your attention. It’s got a psychedelic feel to it that you’d want if you were starting to go deranged on a deserted island.

6. Oasis - “Acquiesce”

Oasis get knocked now mainly cos they aren’t seen as cool or relevant but noone has come close to inspiring bands in the UK.  When they were big they were massive and seemed to have everything that an aspiring musician would want.  The music is just simple stuff but carries a swagger that can lift you in any mood.  This song was a B-Side so it’s not one that has been overly played to death, a proper feel good song.

7. The Strokes - “Hard To Explain”

This ain’t that old but it changed everything. I remember waiting outside the local music shop on a bank holiday to get the album when it came out. It blew my mind, changed my whole outlook on music. I listened to the album 3 times back to back on repeat, I’d never done that before or since. Just reminds me of a great time to be starting out in a band.

8.George Harrison – “My Sweet Lord”

Utterly brilliant. So what if it sounds like that song “He’s So Fine”. This song takes that great melody and runs with it. The slide guitar is so good, I love that Sleepy Jackson copied the sound on “Good Dancers”.  This is one song that will never get boring, just spell binding. The drums don’t come in untill about the 2nd verse and it’s unnoticeable that they were absent, one of the best songs of all time and another classic that has Spector tagged to it.

All of the songs listed below were personally chosen by the artist or blogger above. I got in touch with a lot of artists and bloggers who were all kind enough to get back to me and take part in Desert Island Discs. If you’re unaware of the concept behind Desert Island Discs, check out the basic pitch I gave the artists and bloggers I got in touch with.  If you’re an artist or blogger and want to take part,  just send your submission with the eight pieces of music (not the actual mp3s) and some words about each one to admin (@) listenbeforeyoubuy (dot) net.

Today’s Desert Island Discs is brought to you by the letter Kisses. When I wrote about the duo from L.A. a few weeks back I said “It’s yet another summer-sounding onslaught with tight hand-clapped beats backed by ethereal synths and waves of background sounds” and nothing has changed since then.  Jesse (singer) was extremely fast in getting back to me for this so huge thanks to him for doing this for me (and you).

Keep up to date with Kisses – MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Site |

0. Kisses – “Bermuda”

1. Sufjan Stevens – “Concerning The UFO Sighting Near Higland, Illinois”

Whenever I turn on Illinois this track immediately sucks me in. It’s such a beautiful and simple song with a fantastic piano part.

2. David Bowie – “Sound and Vision”

“Low” is a fantastic record and this is probably my favorite song on the album. The drum sounds Bowie and Eno were getting on this record are great and the guitar lick and vocal takes on the track are equally impressive.

3. Belle & Sebastian – “If She Wants Me”

This song reminds me of studying abroad in London and drunkenly stealing a massive “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” poster on the streets of Madrid with my friend Erin. Although I love “If You’re Feeling Sinister”, I feel that this record is one of their most underrated.

4. Arthur Russell – “Make 1,2″

Although I love many Arthur Russell song’s I appreciate this one for its playability during dj sets. The beat is simple and hits hard and the vocal lines have great emotion and intensity.

5. The Blow – “Parentheses”

Parentheses reminds me of my senior year in college and working at Force Field PR. We were working this album and I remember being so excited to be associated with a company that was working on the record. The track is beautiful and sentimental in all the right ways.

6. The Tough Alliance – “Neo Violence”

Although The Tough Alliance are constantly being named dropped by artists, I am not sure if their music translates to a wider audience. During DJ sets people complain about the vocals being whiny and grating. I feel that their production and songwriting prowess is unmatched in their specific genre and I personally am a fan of the vocals. This track has a killer video as well.

7. Erlend Oye – “Every Party Has A Winner and A Loser”

This song reminds me of when I first started dating Zinzi, my junior year of college. We were in London at the time and she played me this track. I will always have fond memories of it and Erlend’s beautiful voice.

8. Lou Reed – “Street Hassle”

This song is poignant, dramatic and cool all at the same time. Many of Lou Reed songs make you feel cool but only a few make you actually feel something emotional and this is one of them. The string parts are fantastic.

All of the songs listed below were personally chosen by the artist or blogger above. I got in touch with a lot of artists and bloggers who were all kind enough to get back to me and take part in Desert Island Discs. If you’re unaware of the concept behind Desert Island Discs, check out the basic pitch I gave the artists and bloggers I got in touch with.  If you’re an artist or blogger and want to take part,  just send your submission with the eight pieces of music (not the actual mp3s) and some words about each one to admin (@) listenbeforeyoubuy (dot) net.

Check out previous Desert Island Disc submissions from artists and bloggers.

Today’s Desert Island Discs is by Houses.  The Chicagoan is gearing up to release his debut album “All Night” on Lefse and his only publicly available song was on Pitchfork’s Forcast back in May.  Give his tune “Endless Spring” a listen below and then get stuck into his detailed DiD below.

Keep up to date with Houses – MySpace | Twitter | Label (Lefse)

0. Houses – “Endless Spring”

1. Clem Snide – “When We Become” (live at KEXP)

When most artists write summer songs they end up these little candied gems – saccharine sweet and nauseating if you eat too many in one sitting. “When We Become” is an honestly beautiful song that lays on a soft bed of nostalgia (which literally translates to “A painful yearning to return home”). I’ve spent many days and nights driving aimlessly by myself with this song on repeat, and after a few hours/days/years, I always return home.

2. Eluvium – “New Animals From The Air”

There are a few albums that I don’t listen to casually. That I can’t just throw on to fill space. That I prefer to listen to alone. “Talk Amongst the Trees” is at the top of that list. I remember the first time I shared this album with someone else. My girlfriend and I had only been dating a short amount of time, (but it was the kind of time that made days seem like minutes, and months seem like years) and I asked her to come watch a meteor shower with me. I believe it was the Perseids. I put on this album and we laid on the hood of my car feeling the warm rumble of bass through the windshield and watching stars fall. It was one of the more memorable days of my life.

3. Stars of the Lid – “A Meaningful Moment through a Meaning(less) Process”

Stars of the Lid is the kind of music that (depending on the amount of people in the room) will bring two people very close together, or force a group of people into deep introspection. I’ve never experienced the latter, I can just picture it happening very easily. I played a show in Iowa in the absolute middle of nowhere after finding out that a lost friend of mine had died several years prior to me finding out. I emailed his mother and she responded by asking us to play a benefit show in his home town. We arrived to find the whole town a mess. Everyone was drunk and depressed, the cars were all covered in dust, and everyone we met were on the edge of breaking down. His family was no exception to this rule. The night before the show, me and my girlfriend were put up in a room in their home – his old bedroom covered in photos of him. I laid awake for several hours before turning on this album. We turned all the lights out and imagined it was our home. It was extremely cathartic and this album is now a necessity for me. I may not listen to it on a daily basis, but I wouldn’t know what to do without it.

4. Neutral Milk Hotel – “Oh Comely”

There is too much to say about this tall and swaying masterpiece of music. Too many times I’ve seen people try to put their experience with these songs into words. There are no words that I know for this album. What I can say is that every time I hear the first chords of “King of Carrot Flowers”, I can remember the exact moment I heard it for the first time. I was 15 and laying on the floor of a friends room after eating a handful of blotter acid and doing a large amount of highly cut cocaine. My nose was bleeding and I was all alone in the room, completely unprepared for what was about to happen. A girl who I hardly knew came into the room for only a minute, just in time to see my situation and decide to do me one of the biggest favors of my life. She put a burnt copy of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea into the cd player, pressed play, then assured me that I could keep the album when I was done. I let it play and repeat for several hours until getting up, sneaking the keys out of the nearest coat and stealing someones white Jeep while they were passed out drunk in the next room. I drove as far as I could to watch the sun come up and laid outside on the asphalt in some state of complete awe. I kept the disc and still have it to this day.

5. Madeleine Peyroux – “A Prayer”

“A Prayer” is possibly one of the most beautifully sad songs I have ever heard. Madeleine Peyroux’s music is vastly different than this one song, and I’m not actually too fond of it, but this song makes me want to lay down in the middle of the street whenever I hear it. It’s power is overcoming.

6. The Tallest Man on Earth – “The Gardner”

There is something so familiar about this album that I can’t put my finger on. The talent and creativity of Kristian Matsson is truly amazing to me. His songs immediately feel like something you’ve always wanted but never had. I have no great story behind this choice. “Shallow Grave” is a simple and breathtaking collection of songs that have complimented so many moments of my life since I came to own it. This album has the ability to quell my nerves like none other.

7. The Smiths – “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore”

My mother bought me this album for my 16th birthday. I remember immediately connecting with it. It was my first exposure to the whole ‘these songs sound happy, but really aren’t’ (i.e. the 1980′s). I was amazed. I made instant favorites of “Asleep” and “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” – of course I did, I was 16, it took a while to get into some of the less obvious tracks. It’s a huge album, and not all those songs are mind blowing, but enough of them are to make it on this list. It was also the catalyst for my love of bands like Joy Division and The Psychedelic Furs, and I am forever grateful for that.

8. Sparklehorse – “More Yellow Birds”

From the opening title track to it’s very last, this album is as gut wrenching and stunning as they get. Mark Linkous provided some of the most bittersweet arrangements and gorgeous harmonies I’ve had the pleasure to hear*. It is a sincere shame that he chose to end his life the way he did, but he left a treasure chest of heartbreakingly genius work behind, and in his death his songs gain new meaning. This record especially. What wonderful days and nights these songs have given to me.

*If I had the chance to work with Tom Waits, I’d let him call the shots too, but “Dog Door” is an awfully dissonant speed bump on this otherwise lush and sleepy record.