The Bees 'The Rip (Portishead Cover)' (2010) (mp3)

Nice live session cover of Portishead track 'The Rip' rendered pretty faithfully by The Bees.

Download The Bees 'The Rip' (mp3) (Mediafire)

The Boo Radleys 'Zoom' (Creation, 1994)

Loitering on a 'Giant Steps'-era b-side is this wistful take on Fat Larry's Band's end-of-night smoocher.

'Zoom' is rendered simply on acoustic guitar, a smattering of tambourine and a trumpet solo. It's a laid-back but sweet take, just played for the love of the song. With all the Boos' usual production layers stripped away Sice and Martin's harmonies shine through.

Download The Boo Radleys 'Zoom' (mp3) (Divshare)

James Iha 'Silver String' (Hut/Virgin, 1998) (mp3 download)

Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha obviously wasn't wasting his downtime between touring and playing some part in the creation of brain-wettingly good alt-rock albums likes 'Gish' and 'Siamese Dream'. (Though legend has it that Billy Corgan played practically everything himself on 'Siamese Dream'.)

In 1998 he quietly released a stunningly gentle and beautiful album called 'Let It Come Down'. No liquid guitar solos, no shrieking vocals and no explosive drums. So something of a departure from the alt-rock dynamics of the Pumpkins.

'Let It Come Down' features some gorgeous harmony vocals and guitar lines wrapped around lush country-rock-flavoured songwriting. It was an absolute treat and, unfortunately, something of a secret treat, meaning that it is still his only solo album. He has since played the role of gun-for-hire in other people's bands, which is a shame.

'Silver String' is so sweet and languid, Iha's acoustic guitar and rich vocal supported by full band and strings.

Simply beautiful.

Download James Iha 'Silver String' (mp3) (Mediafire)

Ben & Jason 'Air Guitar' (Go! Beat, 1999) (mp3)

Ah, pity the empty trophy cabinet of the "Intelligent Singer-Songwriter"...

How many worthy but doomed of these folk are there? For every Divine Comedy or Ben Folds that crosses over to sustained success there must be hundreds who don't make it. Ed Harcourt anyone?

Ben & Jason sadly fell into the latter camp, though a run of four albums suggests that someone believed in them enough to give it a bloody good go.

'Air Guitar' is an exquisitely constructed, irresistibly melodic and insanely catchy concoction. It consists of sweetly strummed guitar, mellow and wistful vocals, what sounds like a recorder (is that even allowed?) and assorted clanking noises in lieu of percussion.

File under gorgeous.

Download Ben & Jason 'Air Guitar' (mp3) (Mediafire)

Ride 'Like A Daydream' (Creation, 1990)

Wow. That intro still sounds as citrus fresh as it did the first time I put the needle onto side one of the 'Play' EP.

A backwards cymbal creates a rush of sound, breaking into wonderfully urgent distorted guitar. Then you're hit with peals of melodic lead guitar. The track practically hurtles through its three minutes leaving you breathless as the guitars rush to the end.

And so the sad-choirboy shoegaze vocal style was unleashed on the world (well, a few thousand sixth-formers/students in the UK - and maybe it was the Pale Saints what did it first) and Ride had their breakthrough record. Just immaculate.

Hopefully it's sunny where you are today and this sounds good.

Download Ride 'Like A Daydream' (mp3) (Mediafire)