Song: This Ain’t No Goodbye
Artist: Train, San Francisco
Album: Save Me, San Francisco, 2009
Notes: Defying all the chart-odds, band keeps coming back with one more hit - but this one got lost. Fronted by affable, bright and dedicated Pat Monahan who co-writes all their songs.
Song: Bonny
Artist: Prefab Sprout, Scotland
Album: Two Wheels Good, 1985
Notes: One of the most underrated bands of the 1980s led by the singer-songwriting genius of Paddy McAloon. Timeless lost pearl which gets better with each listen.
Song: You’re The One That I Want
Artist: Angus & Julia Stone, Australia
Album: Big Jet Plane EP, 2010
Notes: Deft, sensitive folk makeover of the popcorn hit by JT and ONJ from the original 'Grease' film soundtrack, impossibly pulled off by the inventive Aussie sibling duo.
Song: You Are Not Alone
Artist: Eagles, Los Angeles
Album: Long Road Out of Eden, 2007
Notes: No other melodic rock group makes it sound this easy. Forged by the perfectionist inclinations of Don Henley and Glenn Frey (the latter inked this one). The Eagles stand at # 5 on the list of the best-selling music acts of all time in the US, just behind Led Zeppelin and just ahead of Billy Joel.
Song: Don’t Wanna Cry
Artist: Pete Yorn, Montville, NJ
Album: Back and Fourth, 2009
Notes: Many predicted big things for Yorn after his sterling debut album in 2001, but he's never really nailed it down - though still recorded some fine music, including this overlooked acoustic nugget (which was also featured on soundtrack to 'My Sister's Keeper'
Song: Satellites
Artist: Samantha James, Los Angeles
Album: Subconscious, 2010
Notes: Lovely, soothing, popish electronica from dance singer-songwriter who is also the granddaughter of a British-American composer, David Rose - who wrote the iconic burlesque instrumental 'The Stripper.
Song: Autumn Leaves
Artist: Ed Sheeran, England
Album: Plus, 2011
Notes: Delightful, just right for a Sunday, yet another strong cut from Ed's superb freshman album. Still only 20 years old, a top new tunesmith from the north of England.
Song: Your Heart Is As Black As Night
Artist: Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa, Los Angeles/New York
Album: Don't Explain
Notes: Old-school smokey gem from a sturdy new collaborative set of jazz and blues updates by pianist/singer Hart and guitarist Bonamassa.
Song: I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down
Artist: Elvis Costello & The Attractions, England
Album: Get Happy!!
Notes: So much great music by Elvis has flown under the mainstream radio radar over the years including this up-tempo roller from one his best albums.
Song: Unplayed Piano
Artist: Damien Rice & Lisa Hannigan, Ireland
Album: Digital single, 2005
Notes: Damien penned this song as a tribute to Burma's pro-democracy beacon, Aung San Suu Kyi and performed it at the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize concert in Norway. Beautifully intertwined, yearning vocal styling with still-rising Dublin songstress, Hannigan.
Song: Peggy Gordon
Artist: Sinead O'Connor, Ireland
Album: Sean Nos Nua, 2002
Notes: Whatever you think of her often bizarre behavior, she possesses one of the truly great female voices in contemporary music - as proved here on her treatment of an old Irish folk tune. From easily her best album (deleted, naturally).
Song: Old Pine
Artist: Ben Howard, England
Album: Every Kingdom, 2011
Notes: Superb new music we just don't want to lose in the first place: rollicking indie-folk, deft guitar work, a shimmering cut on his debut album. Belies his mere 23 years.
Song: A Little Love
Artist: Nina Simone, Tryon, NC
Album: Baltimore, 1978
Notes: Simple, effortless, soulful, too good for prime time, too good for anything - the mournful brilliance of the late icon at her most restrained.
Song: First Train Home
Artist: Imogen Heap, England
Album: Ellipse, 2009
Notes: First class pop-electronica, the first single from her third solo album - a hit in Canada, but nothing down here. Imogen is incapable of recording boring music.
Song: Last Train Home
Artist: David Mead, Nashville
Album: Almost and Always, 2008
Notes: Lovely ditty featured a couple of times on ABC-TV's 'Private Practice' but otherwise overlooked. Mead really deserves more notice, a consistently high quality singer-songwriter part of the cool non-country movement in Nashville.
Song: Love & Mercy
Artist: Brian Wilson, Los Angeles
Album: Brian Wilson, 1988
Notes: Beach Boys' alumnus' very first solo single. Typically brilliant harmony-laden bridge is exceptional. These days Brian wisely stays away from the very weak karaoke-like Beach Boys concerts staged by some of his former band mates.
Song: The Price of Winter
Artist: Amazing Pilots, N. Ireland
Album: Hello My Captor, 2005
Notes: Extremely obscure but winning A+ lo-fi indie pop-rock from the only album recorded to date by Belfast duo, brothers Paul and Phil Wilkinson. Serious music mining.
Song: Big Man
Artist: Boy & Bear, Australia
Album: Moonfire, 2011
Notes: Intriguing new cut by indie folk/rock five-piece from Sydney (though recorded in Nashville). Current album well worth checking out.
Song: U.F.O.
Artist: Coldplay, England
Album: Mylo Xyloto, 2011
Notes: Short mellifluous diamond tucked away on their new global chart-topping album (with a cool extra ambient soundscape at the very end of the song). It's not in Coldplay's DNA to record an album without a brace of top-notch melodic gems included.
Song: Just Be Good To Me
Artist: S.O.S. Band, Atlanta
Album: On The Rise, 1983
Notes: No rules on L&F: a mighty R&B belter from the '80s, written and produced by the best R&B songwriter/production duo of the era, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (who also helmed hits for Janet Jackson, George Michael and the Human League). Extra fab.
Song: Love Is Everywhere
Artist: Call, Santa Cruz, CA
Album: Heaven and Back, 1987
Notes: Outstanding and entirely overlooked modern rock who recorded 10 albums over 20 years together. Composed by their lead singer and guitarist, Michael Been. Parent album has, of course, been deleted.
Song: Love Is Everywhere
Artist: Bob Schneider, Austin, TX
Album: I'm Good Now, 2004
Notes: Maybe the best ballad on this week's show. Eclectic simplicity and a restrained string arrangement - Bob's also such a thoughtful lyricist: 'And it was all well and good until she met this young man. A young pilot named steve with a beautiful tan. He spoke English and French and he swam like a swan. He had a mouth full of teeth and more style than Cezanne.'
Song: Video Games
Artist: Lana Del Rey, New York
Album: Video Games EP, 2011
Notes: Wonderfully original balladic bent from a major new talent. Real name is Elizabeth Grant, US-born but based in London. A striking looking young lady with the biggest lips since Jagger.
Song: Palaces of Montezuma
Artist: Grinderman, Australia
Album: Grinderman 2, 2010
Notes: Critics' darling Nick Cave's alt-rock combo from down under, a terrific lost gem from their sophomore long-player. Rhythm track borrows stylistically from the next classic:
Song: Sympathy For The Devil
Artist: Rolling Stones, England
Album: Beggars Banquet, 1968
Notes: Devilishly singing in the first person narrative as Lucifer, it was mostly written by Jagger. Hard to believe that this iconic recording is now more than 40 years old.
Song: Rise To The Occasion
Artist: Climie Fisher, England
Album: Everything, 1988
Notes: A light pop gem by the British duo of Simon Climie and Rob Fisher: the latter was a former member of hitmakers Naked Eyes, while Simon went on to become a top producer (notably for Clapton).
Song: Rambling Man
Artist: Laura Marling, England
Album: I Speak Because I Can, 2010
Notes: One if L&F's favorite nu-folksters with a literate nugget from an ace CD which landed on several end-of-year top 10 album lists by newspapers and magazines. Just released her third outing, 'A Creature I Don't Know'.
Song: No More Sad Songs
Artist: Kyler England, Los Angeles
Album: Hum, 2011
Notes: Promising easy flowing indie pop from LA-based songstress. Album produced by Bill Lefler who's worked with Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers and the great Laura Jansen.
Song: On A Bus To St. Cloud
Artist: Trisha Yearwood, Monticello, GA
Album: Thinkin' About You, 1994
Notes: "You chase me like a shadow, And you haunt me like a ghost, And I hate you some, and I love you some, But I miss you most'" - clearly the saddest song of all time, a haunting, ghostly, top-drawer lost diamond by Mrs. Brooks (more talented than her husband?)
Song: My Kind of Lady
Artist: Supertramp, England
Album: Famous Last Words?, 1982
Notes: Who doesn't like great sax? Deeply unfashionable but winning almost doo-wop flavored pop-rock gem from a group who were always at their best when both Rik Davies and Roger Hodgson were both still in the lineup (reunite fellas).
Song: Invitation
Artist: Balligomingo, Chicago
Album: Not available, 2010
Notes: Dreamy electronica, a lush rewarding soundscape created by Garrett Schwarz (aka Balligomingo). Former top computer boffin for IBM before focusing on music, two albums since 2002 - this track unavailable.
Song: Where Do You Think You’re Going?
Artist: Dire Straits, England
Album: Communique, 1979
Notes: Superb fret-work finale by Mark Knopfler on a completely overlooked bubbler from his signature band. He's built a sterling solo catalog since the last Straits album (20 years ago).
Song: Holding Me
Artist: Allison Park, Pittsburg, PA
Album: Listen EP, 2011
Notes: Simple singer-songwriter groove from a new talent from her fresh-as-a-daisy maiden EP. She's a big fan of Jason Mraz and Adele. More at www.allisonparkmusic.com.
Song: I Won’t Let You Go
Artist: James Morrison, England
Album: The Awakening, 2011
Notes: Splendid first single - already ignored by radio (criminal) - from British blue-eyed soul sensation who looks a bit like Chris Martin and sings a bit like his heroes, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding.
Song: It’s OK
Artist: Sandrine, Australia
Album: Dark Fades Into Light, 2008
Notes: Lovely wispy vocal style from Sandrine Daniels, another under-appreciated female talent from down under. At least half-a-dozen good tracks on this album which was recorded in Woodstock, USA.
Song: Made Me A Man
Artist: Isaac Russell, Bakersfield, CA
Album: Isaac Russell EP, 2010
Notes: Extremely promising new talent, recorded this ace cut when just 18. He took up 14 - a hot bidding war among top record labels began when he was 17 won by Columbia Records - but his first recordings have already got away from everyone.
Song: Fergus Sings The Blues
Artist: Deacon Blue, Scotland
Album: Where The World Knows Your Name, 1989
Notes: Great horns. Worthwhile Scottish band who never really got any traction in the US, but cut some terrific albums in the '80s and early '90s. Led by songwriter, Ricky Ross.
Song: Always Got Away
Artist: Martin Sexton, Syracuse, NY
Album: Sugarcoating, 2010
Notes: Often called the thinking man's songwriter, the witty and ever thoughtful Sexton is unmissable in concert. Described by John Mayer as 'the best live performer I've ever seen'.
Song: My Sweet Lord
Artist: Hurray for The Riff Raff/George Harrison, New Orleans/England
Album: Not available/All Things Must Pass, 1970
Notes: Two versions of a glorious song, leading off with a very obscure and stripped-down update by the brilliantly named Hurray for the Riff Raff impossibly segued into the original by George.