TuneSmith

The Phoenix Foundation

Buffalo

When? You need an indie fix

Why? It’s all your favourites rolled into one

In this age of instant information, it’s puzzling that the Phoenix Foundation has managed to thrive for 10 years in their native New Zealand, but remain largely under the radar of the UK’s music press and blogger army. They’re now on their fourth album; it was only with the release of their third, Happy Ending, that music hounds began paying attention ¬– something that this band definitely deserves. With Buffalo, Sam Scott and the other five Foundation members continue to blossom, managing to be original yet clearly inspired by landmark acts such as the Smiths, House of Love, the Stone Roses, Flaming Lips and the Beta Band. Tracks like 'Pot' show theirs is an indie-pop sound that’s both immediately comforting and genuinely inspiring – in the same way Super Furry Animals often were. Those who still need convincing should check out the title track. You’ll hear a band that may have taken 10 years to arrive in your headphones, but have used that time to craft a refreshing indie-pop sound that most groups today would never be given the chance to foster.

Ray Charles

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

When? You’re driving in the rain, cross-country

Why? These heart-break ballads are timeless

A seminal record made against the wishes of his label, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music had the audacity to mix black soul with white country and folk. Recorded in 1962, before Martin Luther King was at his most prominent, Ray Charles – the furiously talented, drugged-out singer/band leader – turned this music on its head by employing an R&B and jazz form that was both shocking for its time, and a masterstroke. Hailed as an American classic, it gave birth to timeless singles such as the choir-soaked 'I Can’t Stop Loving You' (which sold in its millions despite being seen as the album’s worst-produced track). The longing in Charles’ voice on 'Born to Lose' and 'You Don’t Know Me' was brilliantly pitched against his piano blues, and the album’s lush orchestration that somehow never crosses into over-sentimentality. As with its contemporary rock and roll, this marked the coming together of black and white roots in the popular consciousness. Less shocking, perhaps, but no less beautiful today, it remains a true friend to late Saturday nights, or fragile Sunday mornings.

Journalist, DJ and music consultant Rob Wood is director of Music Concierge, which provides bespoke music-programming services to hotels. Email him at: rob@musicconcierge.co.uk