"Diamond Dogs" - We Miss You David Bowie

I am deeply saddened about the passing of David Bowie. He was one of the most innovative musicians and artists of all time and his influence and music will live on in our hearts and minds forever. It's hard to put into words how much his music means to me so I have put together a small collection of some of my favorite artists covering classic Bowie songs. I hope you enjoy them as much as i do. "Look up here, I’m in heaven. I’ve got scars that can’t be seen”.... Rest In Peace David Robert Jones.

Beck "Diamond Dogs"

Beck puts his one of a kind stamp on one of the most infectious and flamboyant tracks of Bowie's career. The pulsating beats, experimental electronics and underlying atmospherics are simply incredible and make it one of the best salutes to the "Thin White Duke" ever made.

Dinosaur JR "Quicksand"

From the "Whatever's Cool With Me" E.P. I always feel like J Mascis unique voice adds a haunting element to this classic tune from "Hunky Dory". The song is said to be heavily influenced by both Buddhism and occultism. It also references the magical society Golden Dawn. I revisit this version regularly and it never fails to charm me.

Nico "Heroes"

Backed with a swinging beat and more driving bass presence Nico's version of this song from Bowie's legendary "Berlin" period is incredibly comforting and fun. "Hero's" is said to be the most covered song of Bowie's catalog after "Rebel Rebel".

Candy Snatchers "Suffragette City"

Virginia punk rock n roll maniacs The Candy Snatchers blazed through one of Bowie's most raw and raunchy songs, led by the in your face attack of vocalist Larry May and the buzzsaw flair of guitarist Matthew Odietus. The B-Side to their "Survival Of The Fittest" 7" single released in 2000.

M Ward "Let's Dance"

A captivating rendition of the title track from Bowie's 1983 smash album. M Ward brings his gruff yet welcoming stoic stance to this timeless song in fine form.

"Five For Friday" with Chris Kessler of Terra

Canadian post punk/dark wave band Terra have just released their debut four song E.P. "Couldn't Save This" on limited edition 10" vinyl and cassette. The bands music embodies rhythmic and dissonate sounds with an emphasis on catchy melodies and astute vocal phrasing. Vocalist/Guitarist Chris Kessler shares some of his favorite songs in this weeks edition of "Five For Friday" but fist enjoy the energetic sounds of the bands song "I Fold".

Gary Numan - Down in the Park

Arguably one of the best segments of the 1982 compilation "Urgh! a Music War." Gary delivers an impeccable performance as he powers around the stage on a motorized chair.

Wall of Voodoo - Lost Weekend

Telling a story through song is a difficult balance, equal parts phrasing, melody and lyrical content. Through these elements, Lost Weekend paints a picture of a down on their luck couple with dreams gone astray.

Parquet Courts - Content Nausea

Throughout the songs rapid dead pad lyrical delivery, Andrew savage articulates a hopeless dystopia, full of quasi-cynicism and loneliness. Content Nausea is an astute observation of modern life at its worst.

AFI - God Called in Sick Today

The 12th and second last track on AFI's 1999 release, "Black Sails in the Sunset," God called in Sick today recalls the best of late 90's melodic post hardcore.

New Order - Ceremony

Appearing on multiple recordings, including the 1987 singles compilation "Substance," Ceremony bridges the gap between the late Ian Curtis and post humously formed New Order.

"This is why events unnerve me, They find it all, a different story, Notice whom for wheels are turning, Turn again and turn towards this time, All she ask's the strength to hold me, Then again the same old story, World will travel, oh so quickly, Travel first and lean towards this time."

"Five For Friday" with Jen Hingley

Hailing from Manchester England Jen Hingley makes pop songs drenched in heavy guitar fuzz and noise. Her debut album "Autonomy" was just released in limited edition cassette format by us here at CMM. Adopting a DIY/punk ethic to create her album Hingley played every instrument and recorded it entirely by herself. Enjoy her picks for this weeks "Five For Friday" feature but first watch the video for her song "It's In Your Eyes" and order the cassette at www.custommademusicva.com

Elliott Smith - Sweet Adeline

I’ve been inspired big time by Elliott’s knack of rich, varied chord progressions - as this song has when it kicks in. He was of course an amazing songwriter and lyricist, but this is weirdly probably one of the most underrated things about his work which I think elevates it more than many realise.

Cloud Nothings - Psychic Trauma

The end of this song is one of the best, most shambolic but brilliant things I’ve ever heard (mainly down to that insane drumming). I’ve followed Cloud Nothings for a few years from Dylan’s one-man-band solo origins to the louder, more energetic sounds of now and thought everything they've ever put out has been pretty solid. I guess it’s also super inspiring to hear that someone has actually recorded every instrument on a song all by themselves (as Dylan did in the early days). If no one had told me that then I suppose I might have been less likely to try it myself. Tom Vek and Speedy Ortiz have also really inspired me in their DIY ways.

Smashing Pumpkins - Quiet

It’s all about the fuzz. There’s something magic about how that guitar sound surrounds your ears, it’s just so rich sounding. Inspired by the album Siamese Dream in general, my friend and I ended up honing our own guitar sound which we like call ‘dreamtone’, which is made it onto my album a bit. Fuzz-wise I also appreciate My Bloody Valentine in a big way.

Reuben - No One Wins The War

I started listening to Reuben when I was 15/16 and something just clicked, changing everything. It’s melodic, it’s dissonant, the time signatures often shift - it just engaged me so much and still does nearly 10 years later. Reuben have long-since disbanded but I’m very thankful for the three albums that they made. They’ve definitely made their mark me in terms of the kinds of chords that I sometimes think I can get away with using. I also love how this song starts and ends with the same riff, clever stuff.

Yourcodenameis:Milo - I am Connecting Flight

Like Reuben, YCNI:M were a band that I saw a lot around Oxford / London in the post-hardcore scene of my youth. The layers of guitar and the drum sound are great to me, but the most important thing is the overall energy. I can’t detach this song from the feeling that you got when you were hit live with all that noise and movement. I also reckon the production on the album does a really good job of representing that chaos and that roughness.