Snow Music

For no particular reason, other than that we have lots of snow, I’ve decided to write an irritating ‘top ten’ style list of music vaguely related to snow. This might be annoying, but I couldn’t just say it was snowing and leave it at that, because I did that last year. Don’t despair though, because I think it’s actually quite an interesting list, and I’ll try and make it even more interesting by rambling on about things as I go along. So, without any further ado, on with the list:

1. Doves – Snowden: This would probably wind up in any kind of top ten I made, whether connected with snow or not. I don’t know what the song’s title actually refers to – maybe it’s someone’s surname? Obviously it’s not the mountain because that’s Snowdon. For what it’s worth, I’ve never seen any snow on any of the occasions I’ve been to Snowdon.

2. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow: As with the previous song, this band ought to appear in any top ten. Catch a fantastic performance of it here on YouTube from the Jools Holland show, the undisputed home of fantastic performances.

3. O.R.N. – Snow: Good luck getting your hands on this classic. You can make me an offer for the CD single, or the vinyl version, if you like. Otherwise you’ll probably just have to take my word for it being worth of being in the list.

4. Sister Sledge – He’s The Greatest Dancer: I was torn between this and Lost In Music, but I chose this. It’s so good that Will Smith took a small sample and made a hit record from it, with that sample being the only redeeming feature. As usual.

5. Andy McKee – Drifting: Everyone on the internet has seen this video at least four times, according to the stats, but forget the video and buy the album, it’s worth it. If you haven’t seen the video, see it. Be warned though, if you play guitar, you’ll probably do nothing else until you’ve learned to play this.

6. Kings of Leon – Velvet Snow: What’s not to like about Kings of Leon? Doesn’t everyone like them? You decide.

7. Emily Remler – Snowfall: Not really my favourite Emily Remler track, by any stretch of the imagination, but I sneaked it in here because it has the word snow in the title, and because of the brilliant album it’s from, East to Wes. That’s not a typo, Wes refers to Wes Montgomery, another favourite guitarist of mine. Foolishly though, he never recorded anything snow-related so he can’t be in the list.

8. µ-ziq – Iced Jem: The most tenuous snow connection in the whole list. Almost everything by Mike Paradinas is good though. If you don’t know that already (and the odds are very much against it) then educate yourself.

9. Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars: I feel like I ought to be a teenage girl to like this, but I like it anyway, although if challenged I’ll just claim I was running out of snow music.

10. Faithless – Drifting Away: I know I did the drifting thing already, but this is a classy track from a classic album, Reverence. It’s every bit as good as the other nine – I wasn’t running out at all, and these aren’t in order anyway.

11. (Bonus Track) Underworld – Blueski: On it’s own, probably not likely to end up in anyone’s top ten eleven of anything. Not that it doesn’t deserve it, mind you. But it doesn’t exist on it’s own, it’s part of Second Toughest In The Infants, a truly magnificent album.

Ok, end of list. I’m going to make a bet that nobody on the planet but me is familiar with all eleven of those. But what would be in your list that I missed? Answers below…