reasons for "multiculturalism"

I'm reluctant to share this. It's too good. Paul W-F, a brilliant photographer who also loves music, sent me this via Spotify and I just can't stop queuing it. A secret one of Damon Albarn's excursions: from a 2002 album called 'Mali Music' on which he collaborated with Malian musicians Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabaté and Ko Kan Ko Sata.

A medley of my two favourite covers by the blind Puerto Rican singer and guitarist José Feliciano. Wonderful.

Heard this on Desert Island Discs this morning, with Felicity Green who is utterly fab. The Cuban Compay Segundo composed - or should I say dreamed - this song in 1987.

The beautiful José Gonzalez cover of Massive Attack's 'Teardrop'.

a couple of cute pop-slash-indie songs

'Sex With An X' - The Vaselines

The Vaselines' comeback last year. Repetitive, but puts me in a good mood and the video is so cute.

'Big Wave' - Jenny and Johnny

I like this pair. They're a couple: Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice. Simple, sunny, happy, flou. Cool, yet not in an Hey-I'm-so-cool way.

Chill Out

Here is a chill out mood playlist I've been listening to recently that you may like some of.

'Another World' by The Chemical Brothers

This one is from their superb 2010 album 'Further'. All its songs are worth a listen, notably 'Swoon' and 'Dissolve'.

'New Theory' by Washed Out

This amateur music video is sweet and the song is nice, spacey Chillwave Synthpop. Ernest Greene is the guy's off-stage name, he comes from Georgia and he was discovered à-la-Lily-Allen via Myspace before being brought to everyone's attention by music bloggers, like Pitchfork.

'Drinkin' in L.A.' by Bran Van 3000

This was the Canadian band's first single in 1998. Another one that's best served with cold beers and sunshine.

'Que Sera' by Wax Tailor

Came across Wax Tailor thanks to the Klapisch film Paris. Perfect "easy listening". And this video's pretty quirky. Here is a link to the slightly longer version on Spotify.

'Ghostwriter' by RJD2

I was introduced to RJ by a friend who works in a recording studio and was involved with one of his albums. Since then I've noticed this song in particular cropping up in random places; it's been used in a number of adverts.