I got turned onto the Peddlers from Mojoto on this site. Now I've been grabbing all I can get. Sometimes funky, often smarmy. Reminds me of a mix between Scott Walker and Tom Jones.

The Pharcyde poured a lot more into their second album "LabCabinCalifornia", a much more grown-up album, than their first. They are very talented lyricists: "Everytime I step to the microphone I put my soul on two-inch reels that I don't even own"... "You know I'll keep on rappin to tha break of dawn eventhough it is my soul that I do not even own."

A delicious slice of indie-pop. Very european sounding (influences by early Cardigans, Saint Etienne and Birdie spring to mind), this duo (consisting of Evelyn Pope & Bill Cowie) are actually from Boston. With all ingredients properly in place to conjure up images of a breezy summer day: Warm, analogue keyboards, horns, trumpets and some joyful flutes (played and arranged by Z� Luis) and very light and breezy female vocals.

Fred Barton is a musical comedy Genius! In the mid-1980's he put together a one-man (or woman) show in which he resurrected the classic Wizard Of Oz character, Almira Gulch. This track is described as the song that was "cut from the Wizard of Oz" while "Judy Garland got to sing 'Over the Rainbow'" [because] "somebody was working for her". His hilarious lyrics are side-splitting and right on the mark for the character he is protraying. Almira boasts of her ability to spoil frozen food just by walking thru the kitchen, kicking her obstetrician during her first visit as a child, and finding deliciousness in maliciousness at every available moment...

This one really has everything, to me. I'm not a connoisseur of the Beatles's 'White album', but I'm completely crazy about Ramsey Lewis's superb LP in tribute to it. The entire album has a delicious balance of crisp beats, electric piano, strings, and subtle touches of moog, played by the album's producer, Charles Stepney. I've chosen 'Julia' to recommend because I enjoy the way it changes mood - opening mournful and slow, and then getting very funky. But the entire album is really packed with winners; other highlights are a wacky and extremely funky 'back in the USSR', a superb 'Dear Prudence', and a great 'cry baby cry'.

This song starts off sounding like High School Musical but don't be alarmed, as it goes on it develops a deliciously psychotic feel. This song is quite different to other songs by Natalia Kills, but it is just as good if not better. I love this song because when I first heard it I didn't know what it was called and when I heard the lyrics "I'm rolling the dice, got the wind in my hair" I thought it was another ridiculously cheesy love song but then it went "I'm gonna kill my boyfriend" which intrigued me and I am so glad I kept listening because it just gets better and better.

A simple and groovy, mid-tempo easy pop tune with a nice wah-wah guitar riff and Jane B.'s trademark teen fox vocal. Everything apart from the words "Lolita go home" is sung in French. Jane B. didn't really know French and it sounds quite funny. Gainsbourg and Birkin must've had a hell of a relationship! Another classic in my dj set which again shows Gainsbourg's tremendous ability to write sunny bubblegum pop as well as arrange it deliciously.

Two and a half minutes of infectious, sunny folk-rock with extra added jazziness in the changes. The FAB were a Lovin' Spoonful spinoff of sorts, produced and overseen by the troika of Jerry Yester, Zal Yanovsky (RIP) and Eric Jacobsen. Bassist Kenny Altman, who wrote this gem, later wrote "Feelin' Blue" which was memorably recorded by Earth, Wind & Fire and today apparently is in the restaurant business. Too bad he's not still cooking up delicious tunes like these!

If there has been any really great re-discoveries in brazilian music as of late, Marcos Valle is one of them. The Samba 68' record is one of the few he gave to the USA, and we should be grateful!

This has to be THE most endearing duet I have ever heard. MV's wife of the time, Anamaria,joins him in a walk on the Impanema beach... hands clasped in the evening moonlight,stopping only to say to themselves "To look at delicious you, and know that it's all for me..." and continue their thoughts of possible love..." And you'd feel as I do, if you knew what I knew..."A childlike two-finger piano line emphasizes the naiveity of a young couple so eloquently and poignantly... against a backdrop of waves crashing softly from a string quartet....A song you'll never forget.

Although it's simple and rather well known, I never seem to tire of hearing this track. The blend of percussion, vocals and instrumentation is so delicious that people always stop to listen when I put it on. It's also a perfect distillation of what I think Latin Jazz should be - the horns, percussion and vocals are relentless and full of energy, but always tasteful.

I like this song for alot of the same reasons I like other Spoon songs-- driven melody and attractive vocals. The melody is driven as much by piano as guitar, which is always delicious. The song is also well-written; it's the all-around harmony of these different elements that make it have all the repeat value that it does.

the exellent title track from reggae ladies althea and donna's 1978 effort, uptown top ranking. don't know too much about them, except that this is a nigh-on perfect album. short and sweet (about 35 minutes), but without a single skippable track. great arrangements and vocals, though the lyrics seem to borderline between daft and genius in places. still, this is top class, and absolutely essential party music.