Th' Faith Healers Peel Session (1991)

Classic Peel Session by Th Faith Healers - frantic, groovy, clanging, lurching Krautrocking genius.

Headfuck Disco fodder of the highest order from a band that emerged during Too Pure's golden period. Moonshake, PJ Harvey, Stereolab, Seefeel and Pram - all on the same label? What the hell was in the water at Too Pure Towers?

'Coffee Commercial Couple' is a driving beast of a tune, seemingly improvised vocal snippets adding to the intrigue. A juggernaut.

'Bobby Kopper' begins spartan and sinister before a snarling vocal is matched by a rolling, almost Stray Cats guitar. The rhythm section keeps it all grooving along nicely.

'Jesus Freak' is a trashy, messy scrawl of guitar with frenzied vocals and strung-out interludes.

Great stuff.

Download Th' Faith Healers 'Coffee Commercial Couple' (Peel Session, 1991)
Download Th' Faith Healers 'Bobby Kopper' (Peel Session, 1991)
Download Th' Faith Healers 'Jesus Freak' (Peel Session, 1991) 

Talking Heads 'Once In A Lifetime (Same As It Never Was) (Liquid People Dub)' (White Label, 2001)

Classic Talking Heads re-rubbed for the discerning dancefloor.

This take on on of Talking Heads' finest moments builds on the perpetual motion of the original with heavy filtering on the vocals, a nice repetitive 'blip', a lithe deep house rhythm.

Top piece of remix business.

Download Talking Heads 'Once In A Lifetime (Same As It Never Was) (Liquid People Dub)' (post punk, alternative, remix, mp3) (Mediafire)

Pulp 'This Is Hardcore' (Live at Wireless 2011)

A triumphant, epic performance from the live comeback.

'This Is Hardcore' is probably the single that signalled the end of Pulp's mainstream career. A bitter, twisted ballad of self-disgust and disillusionment.

It shouldn't work in the wide open spaces of a festival-style gig but it's just so big in scope and almost operatic in scale that it stands up to scrutiny.

Download Pulp 'This Is Hardcore (Live at Wireless 2011)' (indie Britpop mp3) (Box)

Billy Bragg 'Levi Stubbs' Tears' (Go! Discs, 1986)

Heartbreakingly beauty wrought from six strings and a voice*. Incredible.

One of the endlessly fascinating things about music is how, using the same tools, some people can create magic and some create dross.

Whenever I go back and listen to Billy Bragg I'm taken aback at how he created tension, passion and heartbreak using the simplest of palettes. Totally at odds with the prevailing production values of the time.

Maybe it's the storytelling or the intensity - who knows, but this is a magical record.

* Okay, there's a bit of tambourine towards the end and some bongo and flute on the outro.

Download Billy Bragg 'Levi Stubbs' Tears' (indie mp3) (Mediafire)

Destroyer - Leave Me Alone (New Order cover) (Mojo, 2012)

Nice cover of the 'Power, Corruption and Lies' classic.

The stand-out track from the current Mojo covermount CD see Destroyer deliver a lovely cover of this early New Order gem.

Interweaving lines of guitar give way to a calm verse that has a slight Postal Service vibe to it. The intensity builds with the guitars coming back in, spiralling off into infinity.

Download Destroyer 'Leave Me Alone (New Order cover)' (indie alternative mp3) (Badongo)