Fleet Foxes - wading in waist-high water, 2020

"From the opening chords, the album is a return to the sunny west coast breezy form after the brooding, moody political “Crack Up,” in 2017, which was the first Fleet Foxes album after drummer Josh Tillman went on to form Father John Misty."

The Style Council - shout to the top live, 1986

"The Style Council is rock’s most underrated band of all-time. Many of you will be scratching your heads at that statement. How in the heck can a man who grew up in Central Indiana, spent four short years in Southwestern Ohio, then moved back to his hometown, the one in which our said hero claimed to which he would never return, to raise his family, ever hear of the UK-centric and generally altogether European artist The Style Council?"

The Beatles - thank you girl live, 1963

"The writing of “Thank You Girl” can easily be narrowed down to February of 1963 during their British nationwide tour with Helen Shapiro. Since February 11th, 1963 was the date for recording of their first British album “Please Please Me,” and the song did not appear on that album, it obviously didn’t exist yet since they would have premiered the song on that day if it had. And since Lennon later confirmed in 1980, as detailed in David Sheff's book "All We Are Saying," that the song “was one of our efforts at writing a single that didn’t work,” it had to have been written before February 28th, 1963, since this was the confirmed date when their next single “From Me To You” was written. Since “Thank You Girl” ended up as the b-side to that British single, it had to have been written sometime between February 11th and 28th of 1963, using the working title "Thank You Little Girl."

Lullatone - race against the sunset, 2013

"Race Against the Sunset" is a song by Lullatone, a Nagoya, Japan-based music group known for their whimsical "pajama-pop" style, blending twee pop, indie pop, and electronica. Released on June 11, 2013, as part of the Summer Songs - EP, the track is 2:48 long and features a playful, lo-fi sound with ukulele and piano, often described as catchy and fun to sing along to."

My Morning Jacket - bermuda hwy live, 2004

"Early Recordings is a compilation album series by Louisville, Kentucky rock band My Morning Jacket. It was released in 2004 on Darla Records. The two constituent albums, called chapters, are called The Sandworm Cometh and Learning respectively. Danny Cash created the graphic design to both albums and played bass and keyboard on the second. J. Glenn performed drums for the series and Johnny Quaid played guitar. "Two-Tone" Tommy played bass for the first album, but Quaid took over for the second."

Moby - in this world, 2002

"I absolutely love the song In This World by Moby, and the video that goes with it. There’s just so much that you can take from the video and many elements that I feel that I can identify with quite a bit, and of course those aliens are super cute!"

The Style Council - walls come tumbling down live, 1986

"One song that I heard probably for the first time in 20 years was 'Walls Come Tumbling Down' (1985) by The Style Council. The Style Council lasted 1983-9, having 16 Top 40 hits but no No.1s. Interestingly they combined a somewhat at times overly polished, self-consciously snappy image with songs that were either almost like easy-listening, notably, 'Long Hot Summer' (1983), almost 'power' pop songs like 'Shout To The Top' (1984) to those like 'Walls Come Tumbling Down' which were very political. The most prominent member of the group was Paul Weller (1958-) who also wrote 'Walls Come Tumbling Down'. By the time he did, he was already very successful from his career with The Jam (1972-82; recording from 1977; 18 Top 40 hits including No. 1s in the UK) who had had a Mod style with a support for Britishness but also often challenging lyrics to social and political issues. The strength of many of their songs was carried on into some of The Style Council's work with almost classic styling that seemed to refer back to music of the 1960s referenced by The Jam's style. Saying this, the 'Sound Affects' (1980) album had almost psychaedelic elements, almost as if, like The Beatles, The Jam had evolved into this phase. The politics of The Style Council was far more apparent than even in songs like 'Eton Rifles' (1979) and 'Town Called Malice' (1982). I have been tempted however, to write how relevant I feel those songs remain recalling 1980s problems now we face so many of them again in the 2010s."

The The - slow emotion replayed, 2025

"Matt Johnson has a penchant for covering and reinventing his own songs as with ‘This Is The Day’, ‘Infected’, ‘Armageddon Days’ and others. The original version of ‘Slow Emotion Replay’, appeared on Dusk, released in 1993. This new version, ‘Slow Emotion Replayed’ was recorded in Studio Cinéola, London, featuring Matt Johnson on Omnichord and vocals, Barrie Cadogan on electric guitar and backing vocals, James Eller on bass and Gillian Glover also providing backing vocals. The B-side of this single is entitles ‘Crow Commotion Displayed’."

Sintra, 17 de Junho de 2025 a quatro dias do solstício de Verão

Nation Of Language - i'm not ready for the change, 2025

"Nation Of Language recorded Dance Called Memory with past producer Nick Millhiser, of Holy Ghost! and the current LCD Soundsystem touring lineup. “Inept Apollo” is on the album, and so is new single “I’m Not Ready For The Change.” It’s a blinky synth track with a rickety drum-machine beat and a whole lot of dreamy effects on the vocals and guitars. I’d say it fulls up a room quite pleasantly."

The Beatles - across the universe, 1970

"On 4 February 2008, at 00:00 UTC, NASA transmitted the Interstellar Message "Across the Universe" in the direction of the star Polaris, 431 light-years from Earth. The transmission was made using a 70-metre antenna in the Deep Space Network's Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex, located outside of Madrid, Spain. It was done with an "X band" transmitter, radiating into the antenna at 18 kW. This was done to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the song's recording, the 45th anniversary of the Deep Space Network (DSN), and the 50th anniversary of NASA. The idea was hatched by Beatles historian Martin Lewis, who encouraged all Beatles fans to play the track as it was beamed to the distant star. The event marked the first time a song had ever been intentionally transmitted into deep space, and was approved by McCartney, Yoko Ono, and Apple Corps."

Hibou - cityscape, 2025

"This infectious uptempo guitar track offers a bright glimpse into what we can expect from the upcoming album 'It Seems To Me’, arriving this summer via Spirit Goth Records."

The Beatles - i've just seen a face, 1965

"I've Just Seen a Face" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released in August 1965 on their album Help!, except in North America, where it appeared as the opening track on the December 1965 release Rubber Soul. Written and sung by Paul McCartney, the song is credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The song is a cheerful love ballad, its lyrics discussing a love at first sight while conveying an adrenaline rush the singer experiences that makes him both enthusiastic and inarticulate."

Suede - trance state, 2025

"Later this year, the glammy Britpop greats Suede will release their album Antidepressants, which they recorded with longtime producer Ed Butler. Suede’s music has been remarkably consistently strong over the years, and it sure seems like they’ll keep the streak going with this new record."

Fait-divers by Thomas Merton

The direct existential grasp of reality in itself can be presented in a parable, a fable, or a funny story. (Thomas Merton)

Fait-divers on happiness

Suffering was temporary until we started trying to make happiness permanent.

Fait-divers on the internet

The biggest trick the internet ever played is convincing people that humor is a substitute for argument.

Fait-divers on books again and again

Communists tried to dumb down people by banning books. Capitalism, however, lets you buy them so that you put off reading them forever.

Fait-divers on books again

You read a good book, but a great book reads you.

Fait-divers on books

If you read for the purpose of education and not pleasure you'll end up with neither.

Fait-divers by Vala Afshar on time

Time doesn't wait for anyone, so don't wait for it. (Vala Afshar)

Brian Wilson - good vibrations, 2004

"As a solo artist, Wilson rerecorded "Good Vibrations" as the closing track on his 2004 album Brian Wilson Presents Smile. This extended version included lyrics by Tony Asher and a different bridge section, both originally written in 1966."

Paul McCartney - can't buy me love live, 1989

"Paul McCartney's return to the stage in 1989 for the Flowers in the Dirt tour was heavily hyped, since it was not only his first extensive tour since the '70s, but also marked the first time he incorporated large portions of the Beatles' catalog into his set list."

Fazerdaze - misread, 2017

"Morningside, the debut album from Auckland’s Fazerdaze, is a dream-pop record with both of its feet on the ground. You can let its tide-like synths and effortless guitar wash over you like a breezy, late-summer haze, or you can pull on the album’s narrative thread and follow Amelia Murray’s eminently relatable message about young life’s transitional moments."

The Style Council - the lodgers live, 1986

"Home and Abroad (styled Live! The Style Council, Home & Abroad. on its cover) is a live album by the English band The Style Council, released in 1986. It was recorded on the tour supporting the band's 1985 album Our Favourite Shop."

Fait-divers

Typos are the last gasp of individuality.

Fait-divers by Sarah Kay on authenticity

"Authenticity is something that cannot be fabricated." (Sarah Kay)

Fait-divers on blue by Rebecca Solnit

The world is blue at its edges and in its depths. This blue is the light that got lost. Light at the blue end of the spectrum does not travel the whole distance from the sun to us. It disperses among the molecules of the air, it scatters in water. Water is colorless, shallow water appears to be the color of whatever lies underneath it, but deep water is full of this scattered light, the purer the water the deeper the blue. The sky is blue for the same reason, but the blue at the horizon, the blue of land that seems to be dissolving into the sky, is a deeper, dreamier, melancholy blue, the blue at the farthest reaches of the places where you see for miles, the blue of distance. This light that does not touch us, does not travel the whole distance, the light that gets lost, gives us the beauty of the world, so much of which is in the color blue. (Rebecca Solnit)

Fait-divers by HopeJahren

There isn’t anything in the world that can’t be fixed by some combination of love and work. (Hope Jahren)

Fait-divers on information and data

The meaning of the word "information" has changed from "learning" to "data", and we with it.

Fait-divers by Vinod Khosla

“The more credentials somebody has, the more assumptions they make, the less they test them, the more likely they are to fail” (Vinod Khosla)

The Beatles - i'm looking through you, 1965

“I’m Looking Through You”, written in the most part by Paul McCartney is one of the finest songs on Rubber Soul, as it contains a typically ingenuous melody and a rather insightful lyric, and a wonderfully bizarre organ part. One of McCartney’s most mature lyrics of the period, he sings “I’m looking through you/Where did you go?/I thought I knew you/What did I know/You don’t look different but you have changed/I’m looking through you, you’re not the same”. The song also contains a wonderfully friendly melody and some great singing, especially McCartney’s lead vocal. One of the minor gems of The Beatles canon."

Fait-divers on optimism and pessimism

Optimism is a form of pessimism because it assumes that there's something to improve.

Fait-divers on faith and despair

Optimism is an alienated form of faith, pessimism an alienated form of despair.

Fait-divers

The uncomfortable luxury of changing our mind.

Hooverphonic - out of sight al stone mix, 2000

"The Belgian band Hooverphonic formed in 1995 by original members Alex Callier, Frank Duchêne, and Raymond Geerts. The three first met up and formed a band called The Love Letter Boxes in 1994. The format of music they played can best be described as "60's-inspired naive pop".

The Style Council - long hot summer twelve inch version, 1983

"In 2007, the BBC described Weller as "one of the most revered music writers and performers of the past 30 years". In 2015, Pete Naughton of The Daily Telegraph wrote, "Apart from David Bowie, it's hard to think of any British solo artist who's had as varied, long-lasting and determinedly forward-looking a career." In 2012, he was among the British notables selected by the artist Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork—the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover—to celebrate the British social figures of his life."

Fait-divers on books

A bad book is one you never finish reading. This is also what makes a great book.

Fait-divers by Lisa Randall on art

"Art allows us to explore the universe through a filter of human perceptions and emotions. It examines how our senses access the world and what we can learn from this interaction — highlighting how people participate in and observe the universe around us. Art is very much a function of human beings, giving us a clearer view of our intuitions and how we as people perceive the world. Unlike science, it is not seeking objective truths that transcend human interactions. Art has to do with our physical and emotional responses to the external world, bearing directly on internal experiences, needs, and capacities that science might never reach." (Lisa Randall)

Neil Young - talkin to the trees, 2025

"Neil Young has announced a new album—his first with his recently assembled touring band, the Chrome Hearts. He leads Talkin to the Trees with a reliably on-the-nose protest song, “Lets Roll Again,” rallying the American car industry to “protect our children” by manufacturing electric vehicles at a rate to match China, which is “way ahead—they’re building clean cars.” (“That’s hard to swallow!” he adds.)"

The Beatles - i'll cry instead, 1964

"I'll Cry Instead", unlikely as it may seem, was ... an unheralded slice of Lennon autobiography. The sheer admission of weakness was news in itself, but Lennon later saw the middle eight of the song – with its terror of being seen as weak, and desire to hide from the public gaze – as an honest personal statement."

Fait-divers by Kafka

"Just be quiet and patient. Let evil and unpleasantness pass quietly over you. Do not try to avoid them. On the contrary, observe them carefully. Let active understanding take the place of reflex irritation, and you will grow out of your trouble. Men can achieve greatness only by surmounting their own littleness." (Kafka)

Fait-divers on black-hole computing

"After you die, your body’s atoms will disperse and find new venues, making their way into oceans, trees and other bodies. But according to the laws of quantum mechanics, all of the information about your body’s build and function will prevail. The relations between the atoms, the uncountable particulars that made you you, will remain forever preserved, albeit in unrecognisably scrambled form – lost in practice, but immortal in principle."

Fait-divers by Alexandra Horowitz

The thing you are doing now affects the thing you see next. (Alexandra Horowitz)

The Embassy - it never entered my mind, 2002

"The Embassy is a Swedish pop duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999 by guitarist/vocalist Fredrik Lindson and keyboardist/programmer Torbjörn Håkansson. Their music blends disco, twee pop, and pub rock, often described as "underclass disco" with a post-modernist, anti-rock aesthetic. They gained attention for their provocative live performances, including using cardboard instruments and playback, which made them both loved and loathed. Their debut album, Futile Crimes (2002), included the single “It Never Entered My Mind,” released via their label International (formerly Service). This track, part of their early work, showcases their ironic yet earnest style, influencing artists like Jens Lekman and The Tough Alliance. Other albums include Tacking (2005), Sweet Sensation (2013), White Lake (2018), and E-Numbers (2023). Their music often mixes earnest lyrics with mischievous undertones, creating a paradoxical listening experience. They’ve toured globally, including Japan and Europe, and are known for their club music influences and innovative live setups, like manipulating stage lighting."

Fait-divers: humour?

Everything has been said before. But it would be worthless if you couldn't say it again.

Fait-divers on storytelling

Storytellers are concerned with the question of how to endow experience with meaning.

Fait-divers on reality by Kafka

“Reality is never and nowhere more accessible than in the immediate moment of one’s own life. It’s only there that it can be won or lost.” (Kafka)

The Beach Boys - good vibrations, 1966

"The maestro has passed - the man was a open heart with two legs - with an ear that heard the angels. Quite literally. Love and Mercy for you and yours tonight. RIP Brian."

The Beatles - i'm happy just to dance with you, 1964

"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and recorded in 1964 by the English rock band the Beatles for the film soundtrack to A Hard Day's Night. Lead vocals are by George Harrison, whose performance in the film marked the first mass media depiction of Harrison singing lead."

Fait-divers on empathy and compassion

"Empathy is a gateway to compassion. It’s understanding how someone feels, and trying to imagine how that might feel for you — it’s a mode of relating. Compassion takes it further. It’s feeling what that person is feeling, holding it, accepting it, and taking some kind of action. In metta or loving-kindness meditation practice, one can silently repeat phrases to others as a way of acknowledging them and our own interconnectedness. It’s easy and highly portable. When I’m on the train, I silently repeat phrases like, “May you be happy; may you be safe; may you be at ease; may you be free from suffering,” to the passengers, particularly those who look like they need it most. This plants the seeds of compassion, and we can find ourselves acting in compassionate ways that never would have occurred to us before. As it turns out, this ancient practice has some amazing scientific discoveries to give it cred."

Fait-divers by Seneca

If you would not have a man flinch when the crisis comes, train him before it comes. (Seneca)

Fait-divers on happiness, depression and sadness

The difference between happiness, sadness and depression? Happy people look sad, sad people look depressed, and depressed people look happy.

Fait-divers by Thomas Merton

We have what we seek. It is there all the time, and if we give it time, it will make itself known to us. (Thomas Merton)

Beach Vacation - i fell apart, 2020

"Initially they do a Cocteau Twins meets modern jangle-gaze vibe perfectly, with Break The Ice, I Fell Apart, Glitter Hands and the suplerlative closer, Don’t Stay Away, adding the slightest of late 80’s swirling, melodic gaze inflections to a vocal delivery that simultaenously assumes introspection and a sense of the confessional. It’s all beautifully soft and tremulous. However, the best of the album thrives on an increased sense of potent in Our Night Is Falling, If I Could Bring You Back, Mustang and Cure My Boredom. These tracks, to varying degrees, strip away the the swirling dreamy inflections and leave a crisper, more uncluttered sound, in which the jangled melodies are allowed to resonate and chime by process of spatial elimination. It’s a glorious, bombastic ying to the album’s fluffier yang."

Fait-divers by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

"Care granted to the sick, welcome offered to the banished, forgiveness itself are worth nothing without a smile enlightening the deed. We communicate in a smile beyond languages, classes, and parties. We are faithful members of the same church, you with your customs, I with mine." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

Fait-divers

We live in an age where we write and photograph everything, but read and look at nothing.

Fait-divers by Vincent Van Gogh on depression

“One feels as if one were lying bound hand and foot at the bottom of a deep dark well, utterly helpless.” (Vincent Van Gogh on depression)

Fait-divers on black holes

You wouldn’t even necessarily notice a black hole. You’d only notice when you tried to escape.

Fait-divers on pronoia and the universe

Pronoia: the universe is conspiring to help you.

Fait-divers on humility by Thomas Merton

It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility. (Thomas Merton)

Fait-divers by Thomas Merton on silence

Contradictions have always existed in the soul of man. It is only when we prefer analysis to silence that they become a insoluble problem. (Thomas Merton)

Fait-divers on wholeness

Wholeness does not mean perfection: it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life.

Fait-divers on mixing

"Neutrinos are not the only particles that exhibit mixing. Building blocks called quarks exhibit the property too. Physicists don’t yet know if mixing is an inherent property of all particles. But from what they know so far, it’s clear that mixing is fundamental to powering the universe. “Without this mixing, without these reactions, there are all sorts of critical processes in the universe that just wouldn’t happen,” McFarland says. “It seems nature likes to have that happen. And we don’t know why.”

Fait-divers on emptiness

In true emptiness, there is no I to be confused and nothing to be confused about.

Fait-divers on happiness

Happiness doesn't require an activity just like boredom doesn't require the absence of activity.

The Mamas And The Papas - california dreamin live, 1967

"John Edmund Andrew Phillips (August 30, 1935 – March 18, 2001) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was the leader of the vocal group the Mamas & the Papas and remains frequently referred to as Papa John Phillips. In addition to writing the majority of the group's compositions, he also wrote "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" in 1967 for former Journeymen bandmate Scott McKenzie, as well as the oft-covered "Me and My Uncle", which was a favorite in the repertoire of the Grateful Dead. Phillips was one of the chief organizers of the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival."

Damien Jurado - arkansas, 2010

"a folk-rock song with introspective lyrics exploring themes of love, blame, and escape"

Fait-divers on humour and internet

Internet privacy is amazing because humanity spent 5000 years to develop technology that lets you write things that nobody else read.

Fait-divers on attitude by Gerry McCann

The best reason to do something is simply because it is the right thing to do. (Gerry McCann)

Stereolab - cybele's reverie, 1996

"Cybele's Reverie is an EP by English-French rock band Stereolab, released on 19 February 1996 by Duophonic Records. Its title track serves as the lead single from their fourth studio album Emperor Tomato Ketchup. The four-track EP is the only one by Stereolab on which none of the songs are in English: the title track, "Brigitte", and "Young Lungs" are in French, and "Les Yper-Yper Sound" is an instrumental."

Fait-divers on charity by Thomas Merton

Charity is without fear: having given all that it has, it has nothing left to lose. (Thomas Merton)

Fait-divers on storytelling

Storytelling is the essential human activity. The harder the situation, the more essential it is.

Fait-divers on attitude again

If you’re not ready for everything, you’re not ready for anything.

Fait-divers on attitude

He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.

The National - nobody else will be there, 2017

"It’s about marriages falling apart," frontman Matt Berninger said of it. "I’m happily married, but marriage is hard and my wife and I are writing the lyrics together about our own struggles, and it’s difficult to write, but it’s saving my marriage."

Owe Almgren And Sisters Of Invention - across the universe cover, 2021

"Their latest album, a collaboration with their father Owe Almgren, was released in 2021. "Owe Almgren & Sisters of Invention Does The Beatles Nordic Noir", an album with interpretations where the musicians aimed to capture an atmosphere of a more melancholic character."

Fait-divers on the universe

We're all living in a black hole: The bold theory scientists can't disprove.

Fait-divers on music and silence

People who are unable to endure silence do not deserve music.

Fait-divers: The Lucifer Effect

"The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil is a 2007 book which includes professor Philip Zimbardo's first detailed, written account of the events surrounding the 1971 Stanford prison experiment (SPE) – a prison simulation study which had to be discontinued after only six days due to several distressing outcomes and mental breaks of the participants. The book includes over 30 years of subsequent research into the psychological and social factors which result in immoral acts being committed by otherwise moral people."

Fait-divers on behaviour

"People in virtual environments tend to behave in ways that are expected of their avatars. For example, if you embody a tall avatar, you’ll negotiate more aggressively than if you were given a shorter body. And behaviour in virtual environments can continue to influence you after you exit VR. In another study, people who embodied avatars that looked like older versions of themselves were more inclined to save for retirement after they returned to real life. Such psychological changes are of great concern when it involves violence or criminal activity in the virtual world."

Fait-divers on attitude

In all things: let love guide you, let truth test you, let success humble you, let dreams awaken you, let meaning free you.

Fait-divers on listening

Listen to others with an openness that allows them to be as they are, or as they think themselves to be.

Fait-divers on humour

Humor is overrated. All it shows is that you are so privileged that you can afford to laugh.

The Beatles - can't buy me love, 1964

"While in Paris, the Beatles stayed at the five-star George V hotel and had an upright piano moved into one of their suites so that songwriting could continue. It was here that McCartney wrote "Can't Buy Me Love". The song was written under the pressure of the success achieved by "I Want to Hold Your Hand", which had just reached number one in America. When producer George Martin first heard "Can't Buy Me Love", he felt that the song needed changing: "I thought that we really needed a tag for the song's ending, and a tag for the beginning; a kind of intro. So I took the first two lines of the chorus and changed the ending, and said 'Let's just have these lines, and by altering the second phrase we can get back into the verse pretty quickly.'"

The Flaming Lips - when you smile, 1995

“When You Smile” is transcendently beautiful and foreshadows their future pop brilliance."

Fait-divers on Love by Einstein

"There is an extremely powerful force that, so far, science has not found a formal explanation to. It is a force that includes and governs all others, and is even behind any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet been identified by us. This universal force is LOVE." (Albert Einstein)

Fait-divers by Milan Kundera

The absolute absence of burden causes man to be lighter than air and his earthly being, and become only half real. (Milan Kundera)

Letting Up Despite Great Faults - bishops, 2014

"Bishops" is a track from the 2014 album Neon by Letting Up Despite Great Faults, an American indie pop/dream pop band. The track features vocals by Annah Fisette and is described as having a darker, more pounding take on the band’s dreamy, shoegaze-inspired sound. Critics noted its catchy vocals and electronic dream pop elements, fitting into the album’s nostalgic yet urgent vibe."

Fait-divers on curiosity

Curiosity when looking up doesn’t take anything from you. This curiosity just gives.

Fait-divers on honesty and compassion

"Honesty without compassion and understanding is not honest, but subtle hostility." (Rose Frarnzblau)

Fait-divers on perspective

A sense of perspective may be among the most critical qualities.

The Beatles - i should have known better, 1964

"I Should Have Known Better" is a song by English rock band the Beatles composed by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and originally issued on A Hard Day's Night, their soundtrack for the film of the same name released on 10 July 1964. "I Should Have Known Better" was also issued as the B-side of the US single "A Hard Day's Night" released on 13 July."

Fait-divers by Thomas Merton

The man who fears to be alone will never be anything but lonely. (Thomas Merton)

Fait-divers

Like a little lighthouse, in the blue shadows.

Fait-divers on universe

"We waved at the universe, and it waved back. The odds of that happening were, well, astronomical."

Donovan Woods - portland maine, 2016

"Woods' song "Portland, Maine" (co-written with Abe Stoklasa) has also been recorded by Tim McGraw. Woods' song "Leaving Nashville" (also co-written with Abe Stoklasa) has been recorded by Lady A singer Charles Kelley."

Enya - to go beyond two, 1987

"...reflection on the future..."

Fait-divers by Gerry McCann on Love

Hatred is the ultimate failure; it leads to total emptiness. Only Love can set us free. (Gerry McCann)

Fait-divers on Love

Understanding is love’s other name. If you don’t understand, you can’t love.

Fait-divers on art

One of the reasons we admire or like art, if we do, is that it reopens us in some sense.

Fait-divers on books

Seeing someone reading a book you love is seeing a book recommending a person.

The Beatles - i don't want to spoil the party, 1964

"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was featured as the twelfth track on the 1964 album Beatles for Sale. "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" was also released on the Beatles for Sale (No. 2) EP. It was later released as the B-side of the US single "Eight Days a Week", and then as the fifth track on the North America-only album Beatles VI. The song reached number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100."

Imagine Dragons - it’s time, 2012

"There's so many times you wake up at 3 a.m., grab a recorder on the iPhone and say something — a lyrical idea or melody —a nd then you lay it out in Logic later on and sometimes it makes no sense. We sat with 'It's Time' for a year or year-and-a-half. Sometimes you just have to let a song sit for a while. There's just something really special about it. I wrote it during a very hard time in my life. I had dropped out of college, and I was just sitting down at my computer, and I came up with this rhythm. And the words just wrote themselves. I knew I had something special coming. When a song is most honest and most raw that's when you know you're doing something right. A lot of my favorite artists are able to be in touch with their problems and put it through melodies. It happens all the time with bands."

Club 8 - stay together, 2025

"Club 8, the Swedish indie pop duo consisting of Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård, released their single "Stay Together" on June 6, 2025. The track is part of a series of singles released by the band following their 2024 album, A Year With Club 8. Described as a blend of dream-pop and shoegaze influences, "Stay Together" features the duo’s signature melodic style with introspective lyrics and a modern yet nostalgic indie pop sound."

Ford Chastain - long gone, 2025

"Listening to his music is an experience in itself; I find myself returning to it time and again. The tracks are a vibrant blend of summer-infused melodies and upbeat rhythms, enveloping the listener in a dreamy soundscape that instantly hooks you."

John Murry - photograph, 2012

"Murry's debut solo record, The Graceless Age, details his struggle with substance abuse."

The Style Council - the lodgers or she was only a shopkeepers daughter extended mix, 1985

"As well as the song's single release, it has featured on various compilation albums released by the Style Council. The song was included on The Singular Adventures of The Style Council, The Complete Adventures of The Style Council, and Greatest Hits."

Roger Waters - wish you were here live, 2025

"Waters has noted that the collaboration between himself and Gilmour on the song was "really good. All bits of it are really, really good. I'm very happy about it." Gilmour has playfully called "Wish You Were Here" "a very simple country song" and stated that "because of its resonance and the emotional weight it carries, it is one of our best songs."

Yndling - before it gets dark, 2025

"The song is part of a five-track EP that blends dreamy synths, reverb-heavy guitars, and introspective lyrics, characteristic of Yndling’s style inspired by bands like Mazzy Star and Beach House."

Sufjan Stevens - run away with me, 2020

"The Ascension is more weary than angry, with Stevens fighting against hopelessness while trying to cheer himself with kaleidoscopic arrangements as danceable as anything in his catalog."

Genesis - in the wilderness, 1969

"Songs which were primarily or wholly written by Banks-Gabriel include "The Serpent", "The Conqueror", "In Limbo", and "The Silent Sun", while songs which were primarily or wholly written by Phillips-Rutherford include "In the Wilderness". "Window" is a rare example of significant collaboration between the pairs; the music was composed on the roof of Thomas's house by Phillips and Rutherford, and the lyrics were written by Gabriel."

Sintra, hoje, 6 de Junho de 2025, há uns minutos atrás

Frank Turner - the fastest way back home, 2009

"My skin has thickened. I've got much better at weathering internet storms – and they pass very quickly. The internet is, generally speaking, a fantastic thing, a wonderful boon for humanity. It gives everyone a voice, which is a double-edged sword. The instinctive egalitarian democrat in me thinks that's a good thing, but at the same time it means that every bored, ignorant, bile-filled arsehole can send me hatemail. And they do."

Sufjan Stevens - video game, 2020

"Video Game" is a song written, recorded, and produced by American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens for his eighth studio album, The Ascension (2020). It was released as the album's second single on August 13, 2020, through Stevens' Asthmatic Kitty label. It has been called a synth-pop song with lyrics that describe the effects of social media upon society."

Zager And Evans - in the year twenty-five twenty-five, 1969

"In the Year 2525" is a song about the journey of mankind over a 10,000-year span. It predicts that man's thoughts, relationships and body will be negatively impacted by technological advances and ends with man's extinction."

Fait-divers on the brain and the music

Mystery of 101-year-old master pianist who has dementia. When it comes to music in general, we don’t have a great sense of where it exists in the brain.

Fait-divers on attention and consciousness

Attention is a series of beginnings, those mental rebirths that occur in consciousness when it heeds time’s instants.

Fait-divers on the mind and the brain

The mind isn’t locked in the brain but extends far beyond it. If the mind is not bounded by the brain or the skin, where does it stop? What is the boundary line?

Fait-divers: Brian Eno, the universe and music

"He was investigating the structure of the universe, not inspired by music, but with music."

Fait-divers by Charlie Chaplin

"Look up to the sky. You'll never find rainbows if you're looking down." (Charlie Chaplin)

The Beatles - all my loving, 1963

"It was the first song [where] I'd ever written the words first. I never wrote words first, it was always some kind of accompaniment. I've hardly ever done it since either."

Bear's Den - longhope, 2019

“We wanted to make an EP that felt intimate, nostalgic and felt united by the theme of winter. It was a chance between albums for us to work on and explore something more musically sparse and lyrically reflective, working with our longtime friend, collaborator, and producer Ian Grimble. The EP is a collection of songs united by a sense of what winter means to us. In all its beauty, sadness, stillness and its ability to transform and bring things back to life.”

Pink Floyd - embryo, 1970

"Embryo" (sometimes called "The Embryo") is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd. It was written by Roger Waters, recorded in 1968, and regularly performed live in 1970–71, but never released on any regular Pink Floyd album. A studio version appeared in 1970 on the rare multi-artist album Picnic – A Breath of Fresh Air, which was reissued in 2007, and the 1983 band compilation Works. Live performances expanded on the studio original, stretching beyond ten minutes. Multiple renditions of "Embryo" appeared on the band's 2016 box set The Early Years 1965–1972; two versions were also included on the smaller 2-disc compilation The Early Years 1967–1972: Cre/ation."

Mojave 3 - who do you love, 1998

"Rolling Stone called the album "stunning" and "an unerring collection of floating, giant little moments." The Washington City Paper wrote that the album "showcases [Neil] Halstead’s considerable songwriting talent." The A.V. Club praised the band's "subtle and simple, yet surprisingly full-sounding, instrumentation, which includes doses of organ, horns, and pedal-steel guitar."

Guillemots - ice room, 2010

"Ice Room" is a song by the indie rock band Guillemots, featured on their 2011 album Walk the River. The track, written by the band, explores themes of emotional vulnerability and the struggle to let go, set against a backdrop of vivid imagery."

Fait-divers on art and attitude

Art isn't there to change your life, but how to look at it.

Fait-divers on art and chaos

Art has something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos.

Fait-divers on art

A real work of art destroys, in the consciousness of the receiver, the separation between himself and the artist.

Fait-divers by Muhammad Ali

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." (Muhammad Ali)

Coldplay - a head full of dreams, 2015

"The song "fades in with distantly chiming bells, a synthetic dance pulse, a drum set shuffling complicatedly, and a guitar repeatedly drawing a high, short melody".

Public Service Broadcasting - late night final, 2013

"Inform - Educate - Entertain is the first album by alternative British group Public Service Broadcasting. It features samples from the British Film Institute (BFI) and The National Archives (UK) and features themes from the first expedition of Mount Everest, the invention of colour television, road safety, fashion, the creation of the Spitfire plane and Thomas Woodrooffe's 1937 radio broadcast at the Spithead Review."

The Beatles - all you need is love live, 1967

"Broadcast at the height of the Vietnam war, Our World was the first live multinational satellite TV production. 14 countries participated, with The Beatles representing the UK."

Fait-divers on Love

A physician once said, "the best medicine for humans is love". Someone asked: "what if it doesn’t work?" He smiled and said: "Increase the dose."

Fait-divers

When you read a statistic, of any kind, be sure to ask how – and more importantly, why – the statistic was generated.

Fait-divers: humour on pessimism

Pessimism is the art of feeling worse when things get better.

Fait-divers on kindness and education

If you reward a baby with a gift for being kind, the propensity to help will decrease by up to 40 percent.

Fait-divers on peace by Elie Wiesel

“Peace is our gift to each other.” - Elie Wiesel

Fait-divers on silence by Paul Goodman

"the musical silence that accompanies absorbed activity"

Fait-divers on attitude by Gerry McCann

"Beware of trying to influence others by superficial tricks. Character ethic is deep and real." (Gerry McCann)

Fait-divers on attitude

What we perceive depends on what we look for.

Fait-divers on cynicism by Maria Popova

"Cynicism is a hardening, a calcification of the soul. Hope is a stretching of its ligaments." (Maria Popova)

Fait-divers on attitude by Ghandi

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. (Ghandi)

Fait-divers on randomness

"A random universe is hard to prove.”

“The statistical definition of random would be that two events are entirely unconnected”

"in reality, it’s almost impossible to prove that two events are unconnected"

random = we don't know? (there’s a problem with using the word "random")

Fait-divers on ego by Eckhart Tolle

“The moment you become aware of the ego in you, it is strictly speaking no longer the ego, but just an old, conditioned mind-pattern. Ego implies unawareness. Awareness and ego cannot coexist.” (Eckhart Tolle)

Laurent Voulzy - rockollection zero zero eight, 2008

"Rockollection 008" is a 2008 re-release by French artist Laurent Voulzy, celebrating the 30th anniversary of his 1977 hit "Rockollection." The song, originally a nostalgic blend of French lyrics by Alain Souchon and covers of 1960s English-language hits, was reimagined in this version with a duration of 15:43. It’s part of the album Recollection, certified platinum in France. For the first time, Voulzy included a French song, Michel Polnareff’s "L’Amour avec toi," alongside covers like The Beatles’ "Ticket to Ride," The Troggs’ "With a Girl Like You," and The Buggles’ "Video Killed the Radio Star." The tracklist features classics such as "Paint It, Black," "Eleanor Rigby," and "California Dreamin’."

Ozark Henry - it's in the air tonight, 2010

“Early in my career, I met David Bowie. He taught me that ego doesn’t matter. It is the work connecting us – the music we leave behind – that matters most. I never forgot this lesson.”

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - stay, 2017

"From the initial rush to the all-too-familiar crash, the Pains have spent the better part of a decade charting the highs and lows of young love. But Berman, like many of us, isn’t quite so young anymore. What happens when all the love in your life is no longer as fleeting as a three-minute pop tune? Echo of Pleasure tries to get to the heart of the matter."

Belle And Sebastian - black and white unite, 2002

"Much like the film Storytelling itself, which was drastically edited and censored before finally reaching theaters at a running time just short of 90 minutes, Belle & Sebastian's music for the movie barely appeared in the final cut. All of their work appears on Storytelling, for better or worse - it's an occasionally jumbled, yet undeniably pleasant, collection that unsurprisingly feels like a hybrid of a proper Belle & Sebastian album and a more traditional film score. The strings, horns, and harmonicas that drive instrumental tracks like "Freak," "Night Walk," "Consuelo," and "Fuck This Shit" have a definite retro vibe that also extends to songs like "Wandering Alone" and "Black and White Unite," which sounds a bit like the band covering Simon & Garfunkel's soundtrack for The Graduate."

Fait-divers: God and Thomas Merton

Infinite sharing is the law of God’s inner life. (Thomas Merton)

Bear's Den - conversations with ghosts, 2019

“I wrote this while I was in Mexico. I was surrounded by Mexican culture and became fascinated in their perception of death with, for example, the Day of the Dead. I wanted to know more about it and read the book Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo. The story is about a guy who goes back to his family’s town which had turned into a ghost town. In the story, you don’t know who’s alive and who’s dead because they’re all communicating with each other. Coincidentally, I’d read another book just before that one called Lincoln in the Bardo, which is set in a graveyard and follows ghosts who talk to each other. All these stories were going around in my head in Mexico came together in this one song.”

Mint Julep - holding on, 2025

"Dream Shoegaze at its best. Close your eyes and let the dreams flow in."

Pet Shop Boys - i get along, 2002

"Written as a love song, Neil Tennant has stated that "I Get Along" is also a commentary on the then fraught relationship between British prime minister Tony Blair and New Labour architect Peter Mandelson after the latter had to resign again from the British Cabinet when he was involved in a second major scandal. It is the first in a trilogy of songs about Blair, followed by "I'm with Stupid" (2006) and "Legacy" (2009). The phrase "rock royalty" was inspired by t-shirts worn by Stella McCartney and Liv Tyler at the 1999 Met Gala, and the line, "The big boys are back and we need them", came from an interview with Richard Ashcroft in NME. The song, like its parent album, also stands in contrast to the Pet Shop Boys' predominantly electronic catalogue of songs. It opens with a piano and features a rock-style guitar, played by Johnny Marr, with percussion by Jody Linscott and bass guitar by Steve Walters. There are only sparse actual synthesised sounds in the song."

Mazzy Star - fade into you, 1993

"Fade into You" is a song by American alternative rock band Mazzy Star from their second studio album, So Tonight That I Might See (1993). The song was written by lyricist Hope Sandoval and composer David Roback, who also served as producer. The song reached number three on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1994 and is Mazzy Star's only single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 44. The song also charted at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and number three in Iceland. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked "Fade into You" at number 468 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Pitchfork included the song at number 19 on their list of the "Top 200 Tracks of the 90s". Australian alternative music radio station Triple J ranked the song the 32nd greatest of 1994."

Fait-divers on attitude

Before speaking, ask yourself: is this true? is this kind? is this necessary? is this helpful? If the answer to one of these questions is no, stay silent.

Fait-divers on attention and love

With the utmost love and attention the man who walks must study and observe every smallest living thing.

Fait-divers

Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over.

The Flaming Lips - fight test, 2002

"I am really sorry that Cat Stevens thinks I'm purposefully plagiarising his work. I am ashamed. There is obviously a fine line between being inspired and stealing. But if anyone wanted to borrow part of a Flaming Lips song, I don't think I'd bother pursuing it. I've got better things to do. Anyway, Cat Stevens is never going to make much money out of us."

Sufjan Stevens - tell me you love me, 2020

"This song is lyrically and melodically simple, but sometimes less is more."

Fait-divers on attitude

The biggest gift you can give is to be absolutely present.

Fait-divers: Meet the philosopher ducklings that indulge in abstract thought

“This remarkable research demonstrates that baby ducklings spontaneously notice abstract relationships in the world around them,” says Elizabeth Brannon at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “Most people are aware that a baby duck will imprint on a random object – that is, they will follow it around as if it were their mother – but this shows that they can actually imprint on a concept as well, and without any training.” Kacelnik doubts whether it would be possible to engender abstract thought in older ducklings and ducks, given that the motivation to grasp the information is instinctive after hatching. “Logic dictates it would be more difficult after filial imprinting is complete,” he says."

Fait-divers

Clouds are in love with horizons.

Fait-divers by Thomas Merton

We live in a state of constant semiattention to the sound of voices, music, traffic, or the generalized noise of the happenings around us. (Thomas Merton)

Fait-divers by Niels Bohr

Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself its own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it. (Niels Bohr)

Fait-divers by Milan Kundera on kitsch

"In the realm of totalitarian kitsch, all answers are given in advance and preclude any questions." - Milan Kundera

Fait-divers on cynicism

Cynicism is simple but unhelpful. Instead, embrace a different perspective to learn and evolve.

Fait-divers - thoughts

When all of our external conditions are stripped away, be they fortuitous or wretched, who are we?

Fait-divers on interpretation

Once a poem is made available to the public, the right of interpretation belongs to the reader.

Ride - i don't know where it comes from, 1994

"Carnival of Light is the third studio album by British rock band Ride, released in June 1994 via Creation Records. The album is named after a lost song by the Beatles. The album showcased the band's shift from shoegazing to a more traditional, folk rock sound. It was well received by some critics, magazine Select calling it "another fantastic British album in the old tradition" and reached the UK Top 5. However, by the end of 1994 even the band members had become disillusioned, referring to it amongst themselves as "Carnival of Shite", although in a 2022 interview Andy Bell stated that he had "made peace with it."

Fait-divers by Sylvia Plath

Then bed, and again the luxury of dark. (Sylvia Plath)

Fait-divers on attitude

All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.

Fait-divers by Vala Afshar and attitude

We are defined by how we *respond* to adversity. (Vala Afshar)

Fait-divers by Pope Francis on our common humanity

Each one of us can be a bridge of encounter between diverse cultures and religions, a way to rediscover our common humanity. (Pope Francis)

Fait-divers: society

Finally, rich people convinced poor people that their greatest enemies are even poorer immigrants.

I Break Horses - ascension, 2014

"Ascension" is a song by the Swedish duo I Break Horses, from their 2014 album Chiaroscuro, released by Bella Union. The track features an '80s synth-pop sound with Maria Lindén’s vocals blending into a lush, atmospheric soundscape, evoking themes of love and forgiveness. Critics describe it as optimistic and dreamy, with a layered, electronic texture that contrasts with darker tracks on the album."

Fine Young Cannibals - i'm not the man i used to be, 1988

"Written by lead vocalist Roland Gift and bassist David Steele, "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" contains prominent drum beats with keyboards and finger-picked guitar accompaniment. The song utilises, throughout the track, a sample from "Funky Drummer" by James Brown. Allmusic writer Jo-Ann Greene described the song as having "a futuristic jungle beat and an almost housey production".

Fait-divers on the attention of the universe

We might have come along so that the universe could look at itself... we’re almost obliged to pay attention.

Enya - it's in the rain, 2005

"A small oasis. A harbour. A haven. The sound of the rain can soothe the mood. Quiet moments of reflection and imagination."

Fait-divers on attention

To be a moral human being is to pay, be obliged to pay, certain kinds of attention.

Fait-divers by Pope Francis on Love

Love, by its nature, is communication; it leads to openness and sharing. (Pope Francis)

Fait-divers by Martin Luther King on peace

"violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones. Violence is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding: it seeks to annihilate rather than convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends up defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers."

REM - imitation of life, 2001

"In the booklet for R.E.M.'s 2003 "best of" album, In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003, the band states that the song's title comes from Douglas Sirk's 1959 film of the same name, which none of the band members had ever watched, and that the title is a metaphor for adolescence and adulthood."

Fait-divers on thoughts

"It’s not clear how your brain decides which are the right connections, but it’s obvious that the farther your brain can roam, the better. Research has shown that your brain builds bigger creative webs when you’re in a positive mood. This makes sense, because when you’re anxious you’re less likely to take a chance on creativity. Even when resting or taking a break, anxious brains tend to obsess on linear solutions. This may be part of the reason that when you bring a way to record your thoughts into the equation—such as a notebook, voice recorder or word processor—the thoughts worth recording become scarce."

Beirut - fountains and tramways, 2007

"Pompeii is an EP by Beirut, released in 2007. It features only the work of Zach Condon and pre-dates the Gulag Orkestar debut album. While initially only available exclusively through eMusic and Rough Trade Digital, it later could be found on iTunes and Amazon. The Amazon version included a third song called "Monna Pomona". The album cover features Zach Condon (on the left) and his younger brother Ross Condon (on the right)."

Bear's Den - napoleon, 2016

"I’ve never really talked about the lyrics of ‘Napoleon’. It’s a song about my mother who has struggled with an alcohol addiction for a long time and most recently has also been struggling with dementia. When clearing out and moving her into an assisted care home from her old house a few years ago now, I stumbled onto this old wooden pencil case that belonged to my grandmother, my mother’s, mother. It was clearly from back when she was a kid at school and she’d carved the words ‘it’s not too late to mend’ onto the pencil case and when i saw those words, I totally fell apart. It was like she was talking to us from beyond the grave or something and in seemingly such a difficult moment, she was out of nowhere saying something so intrinsically positive and fundamentally true."

John McKeag - if cover, 2013

John McKeag · IF (Pink Floyd cover)

 

"I was born. Then I did some stuff. I'm still doing some stuff. I hope to do stuff for some time longer but Tomorrow Never Knows...."

Pink Floyd - if, 1970

"Written and sung by Roger Waters, like "Grantchester Meadows" before it, "If" carries on a pastoral and folky approach, but instead deals with introspection."

Bear’s Den - auld wives, 2016

"The new track, which presents a dynamic progression from their folk roots, is a deeply personal one to singer Andrew Davie who explains its meaning: “Where my grandparents live in Scotland, and where my mum grew up, there’s this cottage I used to go to write. It’s always been a bit of an escape for me but also reminds me a lot of growing up, which has always been a trigger for me with songwriting. Nearby there’s three rocks called the Auld Wives Lifts. No one knows how they got there, and there are faces carved into the rocks. There’s all sorts of folk tales around them that have stayed with me growing up. The song is about my grandad who lived near there. He developed Alzheimer’s in his old age. Knowing someone, and them not knowing you any more, is a difficult thing to go through. Auld Wives became this way of talking about it, of venting about that feeling, and make more sense to me.”

Stars - what the snowman learned about love, 2003

“What The Snowman Learned About Love” is a lyric book that I illustrated for a song of the same title by the band Stars. It’s a very short but beautiful song about how a snowman falls in love with the sun, but due to the sun’s heat begins to melt and eventually dies. While the story is quite dark, the song is written in a really sweet and almost lighthearted way. It is sad but beautiful."

Stars - this is the last time, 2014

"The track features the band’s signature blend of introspective lyrics and lush, electronic-infused pop melodies. It was written by Torquil Campbell, Amy Millan, and other band members, reflecting themes of love, closure, and emotional finality."

The Style Council - long hot summer live, 1984

"The Style Council is rock’s most underrated band of all-time. Many of you will be scratching your heads at that statement. How in the heck can a man who grew up in Central Indiana, spent four short years in Southwestern Ohio, then moved back to his hometown, the one in which our said hero claimed to which he would never return, to raise his family, ever hear of the UK-centric and generally altogether European artist The Style Council?"

Cemeteries - nightjar, 2015

"The whole basic idea is that this witch was burned in this small town and then 100 years later she's returning to punish the sins of the people's forefathers that killed her. In a weird way that's kind of the overarching thing but I also don't really like to say that because there's so many other little ideas in there."

Fait-divers by C. S. Lewis

Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief. (C. S. Lewis)

Fait-divers

Nothing is easier than having an opinion and nothing is harder than changing it.

Del Amitri - i won't take the blame, 1992

"Justin Currie was born in Glasgow and established the band Del Amitri in the early 1980s[1] after putting up a sign in a music shop asking for other people who could play instruments to get in contact with him."

Echo And The Bunnymen - in the margins, 2005

"In the Margins" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen that was released on 31 October 2005 in the UK and on 3 November 2005 in the US It was the second single to be released from the 2005 album, Siberia. It reached number 226 on the UK Singles Chart."

Sufjan Stevens - ativan, 2020

"Lorazepam, sold under the brand name Ativan among others, is a benzodiazepine medication. It is used to treat anxiety (including anxiety disorders), insomnia, severe agitation, active seizures including status epilepticus, alcohol withdrawal, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting."

Bear's Den - broken parable, 2016

"From start to end, this song is perfection. With excellent percussion, a very interesting electronic riff, and an unexpected melody on the choruses, I couldn’t find a moment of this song that warranted any criticism. The lyrics discuss loss and regret, providing an intimate look into the narrator’s insecurity."

Sufjan Stevens - ursa major, 2020

"Ursa Major is visible throughout the year from most of the Northern Hemisphere, and appears circumpolar above the mid-northern latitudes. From southern temperate latitudes, the main asterism is invisible, but the southern parts of the constellation can still be viewed."

Slowdive - catch the breeze, 1991

"Just for a Day is Slowdive's first album, and it shows; when one listens to the magnificent sound of Souvlaki or the brilliant experimentation of Pygmalion, it becomes clear that Just for a Day was only a step toward the greatness they would later achieve."

Bear's Den - above the clouds of pompeii, 2014

Bears Den · Above The Clouds Of Pompeii

"'Above The Clouds Of Pompeii' is a song we first started playing in the back of a VW camper van on our first ever tour and we've played it live at every show we've ever played since. We're really excited to finally be able to share this song with people as it's one of the first songs we as a band all connected with and the song that our audiences have most connected with."

The Beatles - it won't be long, 1963

"the song marked the beginning of the Beatles reaching a broader audience beyond their original youthful fanbase from their Liverpool club days."

Fait-divers on attitude

Stay grounded, keep breathing, observe the experience, don’t take it literally, and don’t get too attached to it.

Fait-divers by Sylvia Plath

“Farm work is one of the best jobs for getting to know people as they really are” (Sylvia Plath)

Fait-divers on depression and sadness

The difference between sadness and depression is that sad people don't smile.

Far Caspian - first day, 2025

"A nostalgic and heartfelt love song, “First Day” opens up with bright, rhythmic guitars alongside a simple and steady drumbeat, all accompanied by a music video featuring a fish-eye lens view of residential houses, flat blocks, building construction and rainy parks."

Isobel Campbell And Mark Lanegan - it's hard to kill a bad thing, 2006

"Ballad of the Broken Seas is an album by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, their first collaboration. It made the shortlist for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize and was one of NME's top one hundred albums of the decade. The Mercury nomination provoked some criticism, as Lanegan was American and the award is for British and Irish artists only. However, Campbell wrote most of the tracks and produced the album. Campbell had written the music and some of the lyrics before sending it to Lanegan."

Bear's Den - isaac live, 2014

“It’s great to be playing in Cambridge again”, lead singer Andrew Davie tells the audience. I bet he says that to all the cities. An unfortunate tale unfolds about their last show at a different venue here in 2012, when a sound technician let the band get through a significant portion of their first song before switching the house sound on."

The Mountain Goats - cry for judas, 2012

"It's a song about the shame that you carry within you throughout the world and that you can never seem to shrug yourself free of. You will get free of it someday, but I personally can't tell you how because I don't know."

The Moody Blues - tuesday afternoon live, 2000

"Hall of Fame is a live album by the progressive rock band the Moody Blues. It was recorded at a concert performed at the Royal Albert Hall, which included backing by a live orchestra. The album was released on 8 August 2000. It is the second Moody Blues live album to feature a live orchestra, with the first being A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. This is the last live release to feature Ray Thomas."

Fait-divers: meditation

Don't underestimate the healing power of these three things: music, the ocean, and the stars.

Fait-divers: meditation by Thomas Merton

We have what we seek. It is there all the time, and if we give it time, it will make itself known to us. (Thomas Merton)

Pet Shop Boys - always on my mind seven version cover, 1987

"In 1987, the Pet Shop Boys performed a synth-pop version of "Always on My Mind" in Love Me Tender, a television special produced by Central Independent Television for ITV in the United Kingdom. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of Presley's death, the programme featured various popular acts of the time performing cover versions of his songs. The Pet Shop Boys' performance was so well-received that the duo decided to record the song and release it as a single."

Sufjan Stevens - landslide, 2020

"Absolutely loving the album, but I do wish there were some more tracks like it throughout. It comes as a respite from the overwhelming sadness and droning, while still staying true to the sound of the album. Also, the guitar solo is amazing."

Bear's Den - isaac, 2013

"I believe Bear’s Den is so amazing because after listening to their songs on repeat for a few days, as one does when they discover new music that they love, I started finding connections between a few of their songs. Their songs are a bit ambiguous so I could just be making up connections and shaping them to fit with the music but if not, this band has managed to tell a complete story through at least four different songs which is so cool."

The Durutti Column - the rest of my life, 1994

"Despite being issued additionally on CDRom (in a sandpaper sleeve again) and garnering favourable reviews, the album sank without trace. I think it is one of DCs best 5 albums, but in an age of Brit-pop, Blur and Oasis, no-one cared. Many songs remain the equal of his key early material - "The Rest of My Life" and "Beautiful Lies" being the stand-outs. Also once again, the instrumental tracks strengthened Reilly's reputation as a masterly guitarist - "Blue Period", "My Irascible Friend" and "For Colette" are all utterly wonderful and still timeless."

Fait-divers on dreaming

Dare to dream. You will wake up, but at least you got some sleep.

Black Marigolds quoted in Cannery Row of John Steinbeck

When the record had
finished, Doc wiped his hands and turned it off. He saw a book lying half
under his bed and picked it up and he sat down on the bed. For a moment he
read to himself but then his lips began to move and in a moment he read
aloud—slowly, pausing at the end of each line.
Even now
I mind the coming and talking of wise men from
towers
Where they had thought away their youth. And I,
listening,
Found not the salt of the whispers of my girl,
Murmur of confused colors, as we lay near sleep;
Little wise words and little witty words,
Wanton as water, honied with eagerness.
In the sink the high white foam cooled and ticked as the bubbles burst.
Under the piers it was very high tide and the waves splashed on rocks they
had not reached in a long time.
Even now
I mind that I loved cypress and roses, clear,
The great blue mountains and the small gray hills,
The sounding of the sea. Upon a day
I saw strange eyes and hands like butterflies;
For me at morning larks flew from the thyme
And children came to bathe in little streams.
Doc closed the book. He could hear the waves beat under the piles and he
could hear the scampering of white rats against the wire. He went into the
kitchen and felt the cooling water in the sink. He ran hot water into it. He
spoke aloud to the sink and the white rats, and to himself:
Even now,
I know that I have savored the hot taste of life
Lifting green cups and gold at the great feast.
Just for a small and a forgotten time
I have had full in my eyes from off my girl
The whitest pouring of eternal light—
He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. And the white rats
scampered and scrambled in their cages. And behind the glass the
rattlesnakes lay still and stared into space with their dusty frowning eyes.

Fait-divers on books

Finishing a good book feels like losing a friend. Finishing a great book feels like gaining one for life.

Fait-divers on metaphors by Susanne Katherina Langer

"a metaphor is apt to be more revealing than a literal statement... In the history of language, in the growth of human understanding, the principle of metaphorical expression plays a vastly greater role than most people realize. For it is the natural instrument of our greatest mental achievement — abstract thinking." (Susanne Katherina Langer)

Neil Young - the emperor of wyoming, 1969

"Being the opening track on Neil Young's self-titled solo debut album, "The Emperor of Wyoming" is in some ways the song that first introduced the general public to Neil Young as a solo artist (he'd already achieved a degree of notoriety with Buffalo Springfield)."

Club 8 - staying alive, 2025

"Since Club 8 began submitting their music to us, we have eagerly covered their work on a regular basis. They have become one of my favorite discoveries on the blog in recent years, despite the fact that they have been a significant part of the Swedish music scene for much longer. Their songs always transport me back to the times when I was captivated by the dreamy, hazy sounds of Radio Dept., with that enchanting blend of shoegaze and indie pop that is so hard to define yet so easy to fall in love with."

Sufjan Stevens - goodbye to all that, 2020

"He takes us on a sonic journey through anxiety, questioning his steadfast embracement of religion, and, in total Stevens fashion, death, and though none of it is particularly joyful, it’s beautiful from start to finish."

Saint Etienne - alone together, 2024

"For an amazingly long time, Saint Etienne have deftly blended and updated the cool bits of past forms with the sounds of now. Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley, and Pete Wiggs have made music that's danceable, joyous, peppy, and sometimes mournful. Now, in 2024, they've turned their sights on years gone by, with a release that is heavy with a sense of time spent, and regrets weighed and assessed. That said, it's also quite possibly their loveliest record to date."

Fait-divers by Jean Baudrillard on information and meaning

"We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning." (Jean Baudrillard)

Fait-divers

Life is dark. Enjoy the stars.

Outros olhares: Bruxelas, Dezembro de 2016

Bear's Den - agape, 2013

"The opening title track tells of the horror of contemplating life without this 'agape'."

Fazerdaze - last to sleep, 2017

"Side one kicks off with ‘Last to Sleep’, which sets the bar inordinately high. It begins with a deceptively simple drum, bass, guitar construction with Amelia trademark vocal stamping its mark from the outset. It is a vocal style at once relaxed but emphatic, laid back but precise, relaxed but urgent. The song has its own precise internal momentum and builds as keyboard layers are added."

Beach House - space song, 2015

"I don't need to analyze it because I'm grateful for it. I don’t think it's just that song, but if that is the gateway, then I'm happy about it. We both feel lucky that younger people keep discovering us and we're able to keep making records."

Fait-divers on attitude

Dear humans: You are all born of and will end up as star stuff. There's no need to be cruel to each other during the transition.

Fait-divers on parables by Yann Martel

“A parable is an allegory in the form of a simple story. It is a suitcase that we open and unpack to see its contents.” (Yann Martel)

REM - every day is yours to win, 2011

"I feel like this song is about trying to make someone understand that despite the many struggles they’ll have to face in their life, the world is theirs to make great and everyday is theirs to win. It’s about being hopeful and optimistic for the future. The title of the song is also the message of the song. It’s advice that I’m sure a lot of parents give to their children." 

Such a great song!

The Moody Blues - the land of make believe, 1972

"It sounds like people who have a feeling of happiness, are very optimistic and only see the good things in life. Still, it feels a bit sad for me."

My Morning Jacket - x-mas curtain, 2001

"That song was about a time when we were very poor and our old drummer and myself would go into various departments stores and steal things [laughs] and give 'em to people, kind of in a Robin Hood way. Give 'em to people including ourselves, 'cause we didn't have any money and we thought it was okay to steal [laughs] like VCRs and stuff from [more laughs] departments stores. We thought we were being like vigilantes for justice. Uhm, we'd take like a VCR and a couple of Walkmens and some batteries and stuff and put them on the bottom of the cart and then put a big bag on dog food on top of 'em all and then have the cashier woman scan the dog food and usually they wouldn't see all the [laughs] hundreds of dollars of electronics underneath. That's why the song kind of references being a criminal that doesn't break the law at Christmas time."

The Smiths - oscillate wildly, 1987

"Initially the very notion of instrumentals was motivated by me. I suggested that 'Oscillate Wildly' should be an instrumental; up until that point Johnny had very little interest in non-vocal tracks. There was never any political heave-hoing about should we - shouldn't we have an instrumental and it was never a battle of powers between Johnny and myself. The very assumption that a Smiths instrumental track left Morrissey upstairs in his bedroom stamping his feet and kicking the furniture was untrue! I totally approved but, obviously, I didn't physically contribute."

Fait-divers by John Rawls

The best way to measure a just society is whether you'd be willing to be thrown into it at random. (John Rawls)

Fait-divers on fake news

Outrage about "fake news" comes from the wrong assumption that readers base their opinions on the news and not the news on their opinions.

Fait-divers on hologram

"Space-time and the matter within it are treated as a hologram that arises from an underlying network of quantum bits"

Sintra, pôr do sol, ontem, 26 de Maio de 2025

Outros olhares: Madrid, Espanha, pôr do sol, ontem, 26 de Maio de 2025

The Cranberries - they long to be close to you cover, 2002

"when "Close To You" just dominated the summer of 1970 was how different it was from everything it was surrounded"

Beach Fossils - birthday, 2013

"The New York City dream pop band's second album sees them introduce a darker, more socially aware edge, though it trades their former instrumental rigidity for amiable, mid-fi college rock jangle."

Sufjan Stevens - the ascension, 2020

"The big moment, the big climax that the album has been leading up to since the offer given to Sufjan at the very beginning. And this is gonna be long. So let's just the key concepts out of the way first: change, moving on, self reflection, religious self doubt, the list goes on."

The Jesus And Mary Chain - happy when it rains, 1987

"Happy When It Rains" is a song by Scottish alternative rock group the Jesus and Mary Chain, released as the second single from their second studio album, Darklands."