Johnny Cash is a singer-writer of country music born on February 26th, 1932, at Kingsland, Arkansas. He sold more than 90 millions albums during his 50 years carrier.

He was very close to his older brother Jack, so he has been shocked when, aged 14, he hurt himself with a circular saw and died.

At an early age, he began working in cotton fields where he is imerged in folk, country and gospel.

He signs his first album with Sun Records in 1954. At this time, he plays with “the Tennessee Two”.

In the beginning of the 60s, he plays more than 300 times on the same tour. He begin to drink huge quantities of alcool, takes amphetamines and barbiturates. He is soon to become alcoolic and drug addict.

In 1965, on his way back from Mexico, he was arrested by the narcotics squad who seeks heroin. He was only carying amphetamines (legal at this time), he is released.

In 1968, thanks to June Carter and her family, he managed to quit drugs after a month of isolation.

Close to the end of his life, he meets the producer Rick Rubin with whom he released a serie of 6 albums on which we can find cover songs from various artists such as: U2, Nick Cave, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden or even Leonard Cohen.

He dies on September 12th, 2003, only 4 months after the death of his wife June Carter.

“my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt”

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Further information on Wikipedia [en]
‘Hurt’ Live on Youtube
Buy American IV: The Man Comes Around on Amazon.com

Sparklehorse is an American indie rock band sailing between pop and folk music. In 1995, the band, led by its frontman (Mark Linkous), released a first Lp : Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot. A confusing opus: Travelling through melancholic pop and “starving rock”, Sparklehorse suggests a paradoxical music. Something like Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde !

If the American band knows how to make and build indie-rock hits (“Someday I will treat you good”, “Tears on a Fresh Fruits”), it is also gifted for “drumless” dark pop-songs (Spirit Ditch).

“Homecoming Queen” is one of these. The song serves at front door of this debut album and shows off Sparklehorse’s savoir-faire for straightforward, slow and black pieces to advantage. Shy notes are haunted by faraway ghost sounds and led by the bewitching voice of the singer.

The music draws its inspiration from nature, and especially animals. Pretty logical when you know that Linkous shuts himself away in his North Carolina farmhouse. His music is full of Spleen, haunted by two massive overdoses (1990, 1996).

After all, Linkous’ voice is one of his great qualities. Mixing his own singing with the pieces he composes, this artist has a talent for songwriting, especially melodies. Arrogant or intimist, it depends on the song.

“A horse, a horse
my kingdom for a horse
rattling on magnetic fields

Teeth what were sharp
are ground down and done
my crooked spine
becoming more brittle
what once grew straight
and tall towards the sun
absorbing back down
to dirt like a sponge”

Download audio file (Sparklehorse.mp3)

SparkleHorse Official Website
SparkleHorse Official Myspace
Further information on Wikipedia [en]
Buy Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot on Amazon.com

This british alternative rock band was formed in Abingdon by Thom Yorke (voice), Jonny Greenwood (guitar), Colin Greenwood (bass and keyboard), Ed O’Brien (guitar) and Phil Selway (drums).

The track ‘How to disappear completely’ is extracted from the album Kid A, fourth album of Radiohead. This album is an important step in the carrier of Radiohead. It is more experimental, with electronic sounds and free jazz influences (huge inspiration of another artist: Nujabes).

Unlike most of the tracks of this album, in that song the guitar keeps a huge presence and stays all along to take us by the hand and lead us into this spleen-esque track.

“That there, that’s not me
I go where I please
I walk through walls
I float down the Liffey
I’m not here
This isn’t happening
I’m not here, I’m not here
In a little while
I’ll be gone
The moment’s already passed
Yeah, it’s gone”

Download audio file (Radiohead.mp3)

Radiohead Official Website
Radiohead Official Myspace
‘How to disappear Completely’ Live on Youtube
Buy Kid A on Amazon.com

Xiu Xiu band took its name from the Chinese film of the same name released in 1998. It was composed in San Jose, California by Jamie Stewart, Yvonne Chen, Cory McCullough, and Lauren Andrews.

They are primarily known thanks their participation on many compilations which were released even before they produced their first album in 2002.

When listening to their songs we can clearly distinguish the influences of groups such as The Cure or Joy Division. They use electronic sounds mixed with powerful rhythms and rock loops. All these combined with the voice of Jamie Stewart full of concealed energy but so stunning.

The song Clowne Towne is taken from the third album of the group Xiu Xiu: Fabulous Muscles, released in 2004. Most tracks of this band deal with dark subjects such as AIDS, war or suicide. Clowne Towne is no exception to the rule, and we can feel all the melancholy and spleen in this song.

“Your true father smashed his hands through the glass
And failed out of the priviledged life of his dream
Your true love has drunk herself into not being able to pay her rent
Or keeping her own word to her own self
Your true brother has betrayed you over and over
And looked you in the eye
Your true self has become weak and alone and annoying
And a true ridiculous dumb-ass.”

Download audio file (Xiuxiu.mp3)

Xiu Xiu Official Website
Xiu Xiu Official Myspace
Xiu Xiu – Clowne Towne Live on Youtube
Buy Fabulous Muscles on Amazon.com

OutKast is an american group of hip-hop coming from Atlanta, Georgia. They get known by the originality of their musical style, composed of a mixture of funk, electro, rock, soul, jazz and crunk.

It is one of the most rewarded group of hip-hop of all time with six Grammy Awards. Their double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is one of three albums of hip-hop to be certified diamond.

This double album released in 2003 is actually composed of two solo albums. The song My Favorite Things is on Andre 3000’s album: The Love Below.

This track, far away from commercial successes as The Way you Move and Hey Ya!, is a sad ballad sung by André 3000 in duo with Norah Jones.

“Baby, take off your cool
I wanna see you, I wanna see you
Baby, don’t be so cool
I wanna see you, I wanna see you.”

Download audio file (Out-Kast.mp3)

OutKast Official Website
OutKast Official Myspace
Buy Speakerboxxx/The Love Below on Amazon.com

The Beach Boys is born in 1961 in Hawthorne, in the suburb Los Angeles. It is composed of three brothers: Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson; their cousin: Mike Love, and their neighbour: Al Jardine.

Their first track Surfin’, written by Brian (who will become the main composer and leader of the group) and Mike, is released in December 1961. It becomes a great success and step up to the second place in Los Angeles. It helps the band being spotted by Capitol Records.

From 1962 to 1965, they released 6 albums which all rank in the top 10 sales in the USA. The Beach Boys are then considered as the only American group able of competing with the British flood led by the Beatles.

The competition between Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney pushed the two men to excel and the successes keep coming. While John Lennon and Paul McCartney write Revolver to answer to the album Today!, Brian Wilson is focusing its efforts to surpass Rubber Soul with his album Pet Sounds that will be his masterpiece.

The year 1966 marks the beginning of the decline in the group as it was formed. Brian Wilson begin working on an ambitious project: the album Smile. The other group members are reluctant to this project and start questionning his leadership role.

Brian Wilson can’t handle the stress of road travel, composing, producing and maintaining a high level of creativity. His mental problems become more present and he stays in his bed, paranoid and obese. In 1983, Dennis Wilson, after an abuse of drink, drowned accidentally. Then in 1998, the group loses Carl Wilson died of lung cancer. Al Jardine then left the group. Mike Love remains the only member of the original band.

The 90 years are also punctuated by trial between Brian Wilson and Mike Love mainly about Beach Boys’ song copyrights.

Download audio file (BeachBoys.mp3)

Beach Boys Official Website
Lonely Sea on DailyMotion
Further information on Wikipedia [en]
Buy Surfin’ USA on Amazon.com

The Doors is an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles. It combines Jim Morrison’s singing, Ray Manzarek’s keyboard, John Densmore on drums and Robby Krieger on guitar. This is one of the most famous band of its time especially because of the Jim Morrison’s lyrics and his tendency to excess in all areas.

The first album recorded by the group in the studio in 1966 and released in 1967 is named The Doors. According to the group, the success of this album is due to the extensive tests, night after night, when they were in session at Whisky A Go Go. It was at one of these concerts that Jim Morrison on LSD, improvised these words during the song The End: “Father. Yes son? I want to kill you. Mother, I want to fuck you all night long”. They were fired from the bar without even being able to finish the song.

Part of the lyrics of End Of The Night is inspired by the novel “Journey To The End Of The Night”, the first novel by Louis-Ferdinand Céline, which was published in 1932. On the other hand, the phrase “some are born to sweet delight, some are born to sweet delight, some are born to the endless night”, is a quote from Auguries of Innocence poem written in 1803 by William Blake.

Download audio file (TheDoors.mp3)

The Doors Website
The Doors Myspace
Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger Video Interview
Further information on Wikipedia [en]
Buy The Doors on Amazon.com

Morphine is an alternative rock band formed in 1989 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, by the bassist-singer Mark Sandman (who previously played in the group Treat Her Right) and Dana Colley (member of the group Three Colors Boston) on saxophone. They are accompanied by Jerome Deupree playing percussion from 1989 to 1993, then Billy Conway from 1993 to 1999.

The composition of the group is unique for a rock formation because it does not use any guitar. Sandman plays a bass that has only 2 strings, usually tuned on the same note and played with a slide. Colley brings his hoarse saxophone. The singing, on its side, is cynical and ironic.

The album Yes, the third conducted by the group and produced by the Rykodisc label, is released in 1995, at the top of their success. Notoriety helping, their contract was bought by Dreamworks in 1996.

On July 3, 1999, during a concert in Rome, during the tour to accompany the release of their fourth album, Sandman collapsed, victim of a heart attack, aged of 47.

Download audio file (Morphine.mp3)

Further information on Wikipedia [en]
Buy Yes on Amazon.com