I'm delighted this week to give Herm the platform for this week's series of guest posts. Herm [http://www.myspace.com/hermwork] released their debut album 'Monsters' in March 2009 and is playing Whelans this coming Saturday to launch their new single 'Rearrange'.
7 Songs That Inspire Me
Tom Waits - Hold On
The master. We’re not fit to clean the mud off his boots. This song is just beautiful. The groove, the melody, the lyrics. Everything. His voice makes you feel like everything is alright with the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knII3S0MZtY
The White Stripes - Icky Thump
We’re gonna be covering this live on Saturday night. Not many people talk about Jack White’s voice but I think that’s the best thing about this band. This is my kind of song – lots of semi-incoherent shouting in between bursts of the kind of guitar riff electric guitars were made for.
Beck - Lost Cause
We get compared to Beck a lot, though I don’t actually own any of his albums. On the other hand, this song grabbed me from the first time I heard it. It’s off ‘Sea Change’, his break-up album and is one of those songs that I wish I could have written.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkNa5xzOe5U
Manu Chao - Me Gustas Tu
I’ve been to Spain a few times and the bits and pieces of Spanish I’ve picked up from Manu Chao albums helped out no end. His nursery-rhyme, almost childish lyrics tend to get lodged in the brain. This is one of his better known ones. Nice video too…
Nick Cave - Straight To You
From when he was at his peak. I love the way he can write such beautiful songs which take such a jaundiced view of love. This appears to be a celebratory love-song but when you listen to the lyrics carefully, you realize that it’s the furthest thing from it…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYbOHXMtelU
The Beatles – Happiness Is A Warm Gun
I had to include one of their songs. An annoying band for a songwriter in that you always end up finding your great ideas on one of their albums… This is them at their most adventurous: a song in three parts, each utterly brilliant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE2Vdcv9Q_o
The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
This song doesn’t get talked about as much as some of their other ones but for me it’s a masterpiece. Lou Reed wouldn’t be the best singer in the world - or even on his street - but his voice really gets you. (He also has a really great cameo on the new Gorillaz album if you get a chance to check it out…)
7 Songs That Inspire Me
Tom Waits - Hold On
The master. We’re not fit to clean the mud off his boots. This song is just beautiful. The groove, the melody, the lyrics. Everything. His voice makes you feel like everything is alright with the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knII3S0MZtY
The White Stripes - Icky Thump
We’re gonna be covering this live on Saturday night. Not many people talk about Jack White’s voice but I think that’s the best thing about this band. This is my kind of song – lots of semi-incoherent shouting in between bursts of the kind of guitar riff electric guitars were made for.
Beck - Lost Cause
We get compared to Beck a lot, though I don’t actually own any of his albums. On the other hand, this song grabbed me from the first time I heard it. It’s off ‘Sea Change’, his break-up album and is one of those songs that I wish I could have written.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkNa5xzOe5U
Manu Chao - Me Gustas Tu
I’ve been to Spain a few times and the bits and pieces of Spanish I’ve picked up from Manu Chao albums helped out no end. His nursery-rhyme, almost childish lyrics tend to get lodged in the brain. This is one of his better known ones. Nice video too…
Nick Cave - Straight To You
From when he was at his peak. I love the way he can write such beautiful songs which take such a jaundiced view of love. This appears to be a celebratory love-song but when you listen to the lyrics carefully, you realize that it’s the furthest thing from it…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYbOHXMtelU
The Beatles – Happiness Is A Warm Gun
I had to include one of their songs. An annoying band for a songwriter in that you always end up finding your great ideas on one of their albums… This is them at their most adventurous: a song in three parts, each utterly brilliant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE2Vdcv9Q_o
The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
This song doesn’t get talked about as much as some of their other ones but for me it’s a masterpiece. Lou Reed wouldn’t be the best singer in the world - or even on his street - but his voice really gets you. (He also has a really great cameo on the new Gorillaz album if you get a chance to check it out…)
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