Pick These Up

The Honeymoon Machine -
While the current trend in indie rock music has been the reintroduction of the synthpop sounds of the 1980's, The Honeymoon Machine, named after Steve Mcqueen's 1961 film, turn the other cheek and look further into the past. On their album Transistor Go Go, the U.K. band seems to pay homage to their biggest influences. The tracks 'Every Little Stone' and 'Who You Are" echo of Pink Floyd; whereas other numbers call to mind a range somewhere between Dylan and the Rolling Stones (is it by coincidence they have a Jagger-esque song titled 'Angie'?). Preferring slide guitar over the current keyboard craze, The Honeymoon Machine could settle nicely with fans of bands like The White Stripes, The Strokes, or Doves.
Other key tracks: 'I'll be Your Dog', 'Faith in People'



Verve Remixed - The Verve Music Group, which for decades and decades has established itself in the groundbreaking recordings of jazz musicians, recently released a box set of its Verve Remixed collections. Spanning three compilations made between 2002 and the present, this set showcases some of the world's top DJs and producers creating their own remixes of some of the most influencial jazz songs ever recorded. Whether it's Bent remixing Billie Holiday's 'Speak Low' or Felix Da Housecat's take on the Nina Simone classic 'Sinnerman', this album contains some fantastic, modern spins on those artists who started it all. Not only a well-conceived and well-executed chillout/dance compilation, the Verve Remixed set sheds some accessible light on the spirit of those early jazz musicians who may be overlooked by a large percent of today's generations. This is one of the best compilations I've heard in a long time.

Other key tracks: Nina Simone's 'See-Line Woman (Masters at Work remix)'; Astrud Gilberto's 'Who Needs Forever (Thievery Corporation remix)'