I was driving to New York last week, listening to a podcast (Mysterious Universe). The guys that run that ‘cast have great taste in music and they are constantly introducing me to new bands.

One such band is Wave Machines and the track I liked (and bought there and then) is called Keep the lights on. You can watch the video below.

I should add that I really love the 80s sound in this track. It’s got a great retro feel and hits all the right buttons for me.

Where do you get information on new bands? Do you listen to podcasts or keep track of new tunes via interesting websites? Share your sources with Tunesmate!

We all have them. There’s a song, now and again, that you find your foot tapping along to, despite your better judgment.

You think, “What? Do I like this song? It’s not even remotely my kind of music! What’s wrong with me?”

I’m willing to share one of my guilty pleasures with you, if you share some with Tunesmate.

UK singer, Little Boots, released a really catchy tune last year called “My Remedy” and I just love it. There’s a few other geeky things I like about her too, though, mostly her choice of musical instruments. One in particular appeals to me; the Tenori-On. You can see it sitting on her keyboard at the start of the video. It’s the device with flashing lights, and it’s very cool. There are apps for the iPhone that let you experience the instrument, which effectively lets you build short musical loops. I’m oversimplifying, but that’s basically it.

So, check out one of my guilty musical pleasures and share one of yours with us here at Tunesmate.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McdqerXrwXE

I have never owned a Led Zeppelin album.

In many ways, I should probably have to hand in my “card” as a music blogger, fan and, indeed, as a musician. It’s a shocking oversight on my part, especially given my love for bands like Rush who owe their style and existence to Led Zeppelin.

I’m not quite sure why I never really got into the band. I had heard the classic songs, of course, though I may not have always known they were by LZ. Still, more recently, I’ve had the feeling that I owe it to myself to start listening properly.

I bought Led Zeppelin IV last week and I’ve been listening to it during my commute. Needless to say, I’m loving it. A lot of other music makes more sense now.

Are there bands or musicians you’ve just never listened to, or pursued? Any surprising or glaring holes in your musical experience? Am I the only one?

I hope not!

I was at Giant Eagle on Saturday afternoon, when they started playing “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” by Melissa Manchester. It had been a while since I heard this song; it had been on a1982 compilation album,  a two-tape pack that my parents bought for me along with my first Walkman. It really did “take me back” to that Christmas.

Can you remember where  you were when you heard a particular song or album for the first time? Do you associate a particular song to a very specific place and time? When you hear a tune on the radio, or in a store, does it “take you back?”

Share your stories!

A couple of years ago, Canadian emo-crooner Alanis Morissette was in the middle of recording Flavors of Entanglement when she decided to take a break from the deeply emotional work.

She decided to record a slow acoustic piano version of My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas. Her version is very tongue-in-cheek and a great example of the sense of humor many musicians possess.

Take a look at the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np-AE8gQ3EA

Most examples on YouTube have embedding switched off, so just click through the link above.

It’s one of my personal theories about music. If a tune is good, it’s always good, no matter what you do to it, whether it’s covered by another artist, remixed or mashed-up.

Perhaps the best example of this is Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. When Johnny Cash covered it, even Trent Reznor had his doubts. But after he heard Cash’s version, he said the following:

I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone. [Somehow] that winds up reinterpreted by a music legend from a radically different era/genre and still retains sincerity and meaning — different, but every bit as pure

Not every cover version works, perhaps. A few, like the above, actually reinvent the original song and improve upon it. Others, like all the songs being covered on the TV show Glee try to retain the spirit of the original. I’m a huge fan of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ which has been on the show (and will be on the Season Finale tomorrow night). I also used to believe that some songs were sacred, but I do quite like the Glee cover. Is it because the song is so good that it works no matter who sings it? I think so.

Another (more obscure) example is the song Just Good Friends by the Scottish singer, Fish. He originally recorded that track for his album Internal Exile but later released it as a duet with Sam Brown. The original song was more or less a rock piece, but the duet was more country. Amazingly, re-recording the song as a duet added some layers of complexity to the song, changing it into something slightly different than the original, but just as good.

So, what do you think? Are there songs that remain good no matter what? Let us know!