My 100 Desert Island Songs, Pt. 2

Part 1 here. And so it goes on…

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dredg – The Canyon Behind Her
I’m not completely sold on dredg, but this song is one that really shows there’s a very talented band in there somewhere. Powerful stuff.

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Einstürzende Neubauten – Feurio!
Those crazy Germans are at it again, banging their home-made instruments and rambling in a language I don’t understand.

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Envy – A Will Remains In The Ashes
The slow burn harshness of this song is awe inspiring. Envy expertly walk a fine line between beauty and abrasiveness that’s no better demonstrated in this 10+ minute epic.

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The Fall – The Classical
I love this upbeat tempo, coupled with lyrics that swing between impenetrably bizarre to outright offensive. Mark E. Smith is a grand showman.

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Foetus – Suspect
“Grand high exalted ruler, my kingdom for a horse. I know an even quicker way than a Mexican divorce” – Need I say more?

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Franz Schubert – Ellens Dritter Gesang (Ave Maria)
This song can be interpreted and performed so many ways, but my favourite is the version in Fantasia. Few songs carry a greater sense of beauty and peace.

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Frédéric Chopin – Prelude, Op. 28, No. 15
A work of art that’s gone down in history as exactly that. In my mind it’s the perfect piece to complement being trapped indoors while listening to the rain.

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Fuck Buttons – Race You To My Bedroom/Spirits Rise
This sounds like techno that’s blue-screen’d. There’s a perfect balance of thick ambiance, with a synth melody struggling to pierce through.

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Giles Corey – Blackest Bile
I love how every instrument is expertly engineered and tweaked to add to the mood, from weakening the vocals, muffling the guitar, and making the percussion resonate like the devil’s footsteps.

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Godflesh – Christbait Rising
There’s plenty to love hear, from the forceful and raw attitude of the vocals, the rumble of that low tuned bass, and the mechanical and powerful drumming.

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Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Blaise Bailey Finnegan III
I love the passion and conviction in this song’s monologue, which the band exploits masterfully with strings, piano and much more.

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Gojira – Ocean Planet
I love Gojira’s wonky beats and thick riffs, and here they seem more powerful than ever. There’s a neck-breaking climax at the end which uses some whalesong, it works.

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Goon Moon – Apple Pie
Experimental … stoner… folk.. maybe? Whatever it is, it’s undeniably infectious, with lyrics that are hard not to love.

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Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood
This has a rap verse I pretty much know backwards at this point, and it’s supported by that delightful off-beat horror music.

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GZA – Swordsman
In my opinion, and many others, this man is one of the greatest lyricists in modern music. His wordplay, rhythm and imagery and something to behold.

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Have A Nice Life – Bloodhail
I love the sound of Have A Nice Life music, everything seems to blur and echo, and that signature percussion adds an atmosphere of despair. This song in particular has vocals akin to emotional blood-letting.

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James – Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)
My taste changes so often it’s a bit ridiculous, but this is a song I’ve loved for quite a few years. A beautiful rock song that wears big emotions on its sleeve.

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Janelle Monáe – Cold War
I don’t know what to say, I’ve never been an R&B fan, but this is an amazingly catchy and thoughtful song.

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Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah
If this rendition doesn’t move you then I guess you don’t have a pulse.

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Joanna Newsom – Kingfisher
The best effort I’ve heard from this harpist and quirky vocalist. She shows a masterful use of string instruments, tempo and mood.

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Johann Pachelbel – Canon In D
A bit of a cliché choice, it’s been overdone in weddings and jewellery commercials, but I can’t help it. It’s far and away my favourite piece of chamber music and maybe my favourite song overall.

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Johann Sebastian Bach – Air On The G String
Every time I’ve seen this song in film it’s been in the context of murder or death. It certainly does have that sort of vibe to it, very tragic and beautiful.

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Kashiwa Daisuke – Stella
This song is enough to convince me that Kashiwa Daisuke is one of the greatest music minds around today. He is simply a master of digital manipulation and sampling, and if that idea makes you scoff you need to listen to this.

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Keiji Haino – Koko
The Japanese guitar maestro produces a thirty minute epic of gentle guitar drone, multi-layered to perfection. By the time those soft vocals come in I’m already lost.

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Khoma – The Guillotine
Such a great use of throaty bass effects and violin. A plodding song with a great heavy climax.

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Koh Otani – Epilogue ~Those Who Remain~
An extended rendition of the orchestral Shadow Of The Colossus theme that’s equal measures triumphant, reflective and heavy hearted. A very appropriate musical eulogy to the events transpired.

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Low – Words
Gentle, slow and emotional, with vocals by Sparhawk that glaze the song with a sense of hopelessness. One of those songs that always makes me stop what I’m doing and listen.

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Mark Hollis – A Life (1895-1915)
So gentle it’s barely there, but incredibly beautiful. When that piano comes in my breath just goes.

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Massive Attack – Teardrop
That heartbeat, those lonely piano notes, that amazing voice. A perfect song.

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Mastodon – Capillarian Crest
One of the greatest metal breakdowns I’ve ever heard, just when you don’t think it’ll get more energetic, it does, and does again.

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Melt-Banana – Shield for Your Eyes, a Beast in the Well on Your Hand
Madness, but not to the point of losing structure or glossing over instrumental skill. This song had me at that first bassline.

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Moderat – Out Of Sight
It’s hard to put my finger on, but there’s something sad about this song’s use of thick beat, light synth effects and gentle vocals. Electronic music really has the power to be as beautiful as anything acoustic.

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The Mountain Goats – No Children
A song that makes the disintegration of a marriage sound terrifying and utterly destroying.