Song for Sunday

Manor – Architecture

Band/artist of the week: The National
Song of the week: Manor – Architecture

Song for Sunday

For a Minor Reflection – Kastljós

Band/artist of the week: The National
Song of the week: Young Galaxy – Talk to Her

Song for Sunday

Dean Wareham – Love is Colder Than Death

Band/artist of the week: Rodriguez
Song of the week: Young Galaxy – Talk to Her

Songs for Sunday

Lou Reed – Strawman


Lou Reed – Pale Blue Eyes

It was the South Bank Show that first introduced me to the genius of Lou Reed. It was 1986 I think and I was in my final year at high school, still 16 but beginning to explore backwards into the history of rock; mostly prompted by reading interviews with R.E.M. where they were talking about their influences. Peter Buck was talking about the Velvet Underground and a song called Pale Blue Eyes that R.E.M. had done a cover of and I must have seen a trailer for the programme, so I got my parents to video it. 10.30pm on Sunday was too late to stay up and watch it live, even with the sparse and flexible timetable of Sixth Year Studies.

The documentary opened up a whole new era and cast of musicians to explore and resulted in the purchase of White Light/White Heat. Even though my musical tastes had long before expanded beyond a weekly diet of Top of the Pops to The Old Grey Whistle Test and later The Tube, it is safe to say that I hadn't experienced anything remotely close to The Velvet Underground. The documentary stayed with me for a long time, but I never got that into the Velvet's music – although there was plenty to enjoy it was always off-set by those tracks which seemed designed just to test the listener's patience. An extension of the attitude outlined by John Cale in his famous quote, 'The only reason we wore sunglasses onstage was because we couldn't stand the sight of the audience.'

My next real encounter with Lou came with his 1989 solo album New York, which got a lot of plays in the EUOC minibuses to events. His fifteenth solo album, he clearly made a lot of music between leaving the Velvets in 1970 and this album, but for some reason I didn't ever get to hear much of it. I liked New York, especially the furiously vitriolic Strawman, but there were plenty other bands and albums that I liked a lot more. Apart from New York and a handle of other songs it just seemed like the further away from he got from the late sixties the less relevant he became.

So, I hadn't really thought much about Lou for a long time, but last Sunday we were watching a documentary about Paul Kelly and Lou's name came up as another famous rock survivor who managed to get through the heroin addiction and live a fairly long and happy life (undoubtably helped by his marriage to Laurie Anderson). Then on Monday the news that he had died at home and all the endless media that accompanies the death of someone so iconic and influential. These two songs may not be his best known or well loved, but they are two that mean a lot to me and I think show what a fine and talented songwriter he was.

Song of the week: Suede – For the Strangers
Band/artist of the week: Moby

Song for Sunday

East India Youth – Looking for Someone

Band/artist of the week: Mogwai
Song of the week: Mogwai – How to be a Werewolf

Song for Sunday

Lanterns on the Lake – Another Tale from Another English Town

Band/artist of the week: Mogwai
Song of the week: Moby (feat. Wayne Coyne) – The Perfect Life

Song for Sunday

Moby (with Wayne Coyne) – The Perfect Life

Band/artist of the week: Moby
Song of the week: Moby – Going Wrong

Song for Sunday

Chvrches – Recover

Band/artist of the week: Chvrches
Song of the week: Sebadoh – I Will

Song for Sunday

Manic Street Preachers – Show Me the Wonder

On holiday, so no song or band of the week. Normal service will be resumed next week.

Song for Sunday

Sebadoh – I Will

Band/artist of the week: Manic Street Preachers
Song of the week: Manic Street Preachers (feat. Richard Hawley) – Rewind the Film

Song for Sunday

Gang of Youths – Riverlands

Band/artist of the week: Glasvegas
Song of the week: London Grammar – Hey Now

Song for Sunday

Hoy – Get Some Sleep

Band/artist of the week: London Grammar
Song of the week: London Grammar – Hey Now

Song for Sunday

Suede – For the Strangers

Band/artist of the week: Mogwai
Song of the week: Suede – For the Strangers

Song for Sunday

Glasvegas – If

Band/artist of the week: The National
Song of the week: The National – Demons

Song for Sunday

Camera Obscura – Break It to You Gently

Band/artist of the week: Mogwai
Song of the week: Placebo – Nancy Boy

Song for Sunday

Rodriguez – Crucify Your Mind (Summer with Monika)

Band/artist of the week: Deptford Goth
Song of the week: Deptford Goth – Union

Song for Sunday

Little Green Cars – My Love Took Me Down to the River to Silence Me

Band/artist of the week: The National
Song of the week: Manic Street Preachers (feat. Richard Hawley) – Rewind the Film

Song for Sunday

Phosphorescent – Song for Zula

Band/artist of the week: The National
Song of the week: Lykke Li – Velvet

Song for Sunday

David Lynch and Lykke Li – I'm Waiting Here

Band/artist of the week: M83
Song of the week: Frightened Rabbit – Holy

Song for Sunday

Manic Street Preachers (with Richard Hawley) – Rewind the Film

I love the combination of Richard Hawley's and James Dean Bradfield's voices in this.

Band/artist of the week: The National
Song of the week: Idlewild – The Bronze Medal

Song for Sunday

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and Delta Goodrem – Bayini

Band/artist of the week: Frightened Rabbit
Song of the week: Moby and Mark Lanegan –The Lonely Night (Photek remix)

Song for Sunday

Frightened Rabbits – Late March Death March

Band/artist of the week: The National
Song of the week: Moby and Mark Lanegan –The Lonely Night (Photek remix)

Tour de France 2013

The race started a couple of hours ago, but still just enough time to get my predictions for this year's Tour de France. It is going to be an interesting race this year: no prologue, Pyrenees in the first week and, of course, no defending champion. Lots of rumours and intrigue flying around about the real reasons, but undoubtably it can only make life easier for the hot favourite, Chris Froome, and Team Sky.

Froome's form is superb and his results this year point to him being the man to beat, so can he take the one hundredth Tour de France as his first ever grand tour win? Well, it is the Tour and plenty can and will happen between here and the Champs Elysees, but basically the answer is yes. Same as last year his closest rival looks to be his Sky teammate Richie Porte and I reckon they will both be on the podium. Joaquim Rodriquez is a bit of a long shot and he has been pretty invisible this year, but the course has plenty that he will be looking forward to and I hope he can give Froome a run in the mountains. Mainly because I can't see anyone else being up to the job.

Evans and Contador will both be strong and consistent, but I can't see either of them getting onto the podium. Evans is going well this year, but the course doesn't really suit him and he just doesn't have the motivation that Froome and Porte have. Contador doesn't look anywhere near his best form, whether that is to do with a lack of chemically enhanced steaks or just the result of all the upheavals over the last few years, and I don't think he will really challenge. He has a strong team and may make the top five, but to be honest he looks like a relic from a past era already.

I am looking forward to the green jersey competition this year and can't believe anyone will get close to Cavendish. The course will make it difficult for Peter Sagan to challenge, although I bet he gets a stage or maybe even two, and I reckon Cavendish's closest challenger will be Andre Greipel.

And the maillot à pois will stay in France, although little Tommy will have to hand it over to Pierre Rolland. I hope Rolland makes top five, but the mountains jersey will be a nice consolation even if he doesn't manage it this year.

Right, the TV coverage must be about to start. See you in three weeks for the post-mortem. Oh, and don't forget to get your fantasy tour teams in here or here (my team is still called Green Wedgie and we have a league going on the SBS one called Green Wedgie vs the World – let me know if you want to join).

Yellow

1 Chris Froome
2 Joaquim Rodriquez
3 Richie Porte
4 Cadel Evans
5 Alberto Contador

Green
1 Mark Cavendish
2 André Greipel
3 Peter Sagan

Mountains
1 Pierre Rolland
2 Thomas Voeckler
3 Joaquim Rodriquez

Song for Sunday

Moby and Mark Lanegan – The Lonely Night

Band/artist of the week: Lykke Li
Song of the week: Lykke Li – Velvet

Song for Sunday

The Big Pink – Velvet

Not for viewers of a nervous disposition. Our friend from a few weeks ago Lykke Li does a wonderful version of this as well.

Band/artist of the week: Camera Obscura
Song of the week: Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Delta Goodrem and Musicians of the Sydney Symphony – Bayini (Live)