When I write, I write to music. I have in fairness mentioned this before, but these posts seem surprisingly popular for what amounts to Mark’s favourite obscure bands and musicians, so what the hell here is another little collection of musical joy.

The music changes, depending on mood, and what I am writing. Often times the music influences the words, not so much on a individual basis but in sense of place, emotion and feeling. So sometimes the right music is needed for what I am attempting to write. As it hard to write intense emotion while listening to Aqua singing Barbie Girl…

I am glad to report I have still never deliberately listened to Aqua singing Barbie Girl…

Usually I choose what I listen to, and let it just slip in the background but on occasion I just stick on You Tube and let it throw music at me with the joy of algorithms. This can lead to odd choices and chance discoveries and occasionally unexpected joys of discovery, or rediscovery.

Just about every time the algorithm spits out anything by Unwoman for a start, though she is a fixture of my playlists these days… but sometimes one must wander through the temple

But then there are the more delightful and unexpected ones like this by The Edan House.

For those unaware of them, The Edan house is a collaborative musical project, best described as Progressive melodic goth, started by Stephen Carey (This Burning Effigy) that includes among many others Simon Hinkler (The Mission), Julianne Regan (All About Eve) Tony Pettit (Fields of the Nephilim).

I have two of their album and never remember to play them because who remembers to play albums these days, but they are fabulous.

Finally, since this is a post about joy that started with singer and cellist Unwoman I’ll round this off with another cellist though this one ‘play it wrong’ though does so in a delightful way.. With The Dead South, a band playing their own version of Bluegrass country, despite been from a little way north of the Mason Dixie line.

Oh did I say finally…

Well finally apart from this sort of ‘cover version’ of Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah… Praising a slightly different deity. Because sometimes the star’s just are right…