A.L. Harper

We all have them, songs that seem to touch a secret place in your soul – sometimes secret even from you. They can grow and occasionally fester like an open wound, or they can fill you up, inspire you, and occasionally even heal you. Sometimes they don't even reflect your musical tastes. They can be shameful secrets that you keep from family and friends. You feel like a drug addict craving your next fix. At times like those you thank the powers that be for MP3 players — the syringe of those suffering with this affliction.

This is the ninth instalment of songs that touch my soul. And as always this edition is full of passion, desire, and lust, and with summer on its way, this one is full of summery pop craziness. This is a form of therapy, this sharing of my neuroses, my secret inner lunacy, the big ball of crazy that is me.

“Near To You” - A Fine Frenzy

“He and I had something beautiful/ But so dysfunctional, it couldn't last/ I loved him so but I let him go/ 'Cause I knew he'd never love me back…” Every time I listen to this song I wonder if A Fine Frenzy - real name Alison Sudol - knows me. More than that, can she read my mind? Feel my ache? So perfectly do the lyrics fit my life that it would seem that she plucked the pain from my heart and verbalised it in a stripped down, alt.piano-rock song. Sung with the gentle passion and longing ache I feel every time I consider the past, and the cautious optimism in which I see the future, this song undoubtedly touches my soul because it reflects my current situation.

“Pon De Replay” - Rihanna

This is an easy one. “Pon De Replay” makes me want to dance, but then that's what it's meant to do. I want to get up and let my hips bounce, belly-dancer style, gyrating in time to the repetitive beat and bass line. This bare R&B/reggae/dancehall track is just repetitive beats, hand-claps, and lyrics that equal a great dance song. Not much more to it.

“Baby, Baby, Baby” - TLC

It's an oldie but a goodie. From TLC's début album Ooooooohhh…. On the TLC Tip , it was the second single released and their first number one single. TLC were all about empowering women, and I like that. “Baby, Baby, Baby” is a prime example of their never-sell-yourself-short attitude. They were hot and they knew it. Their message in this song hits home with me, as it should with every woman: “Well you wanna be loved/ Hey that's O.K./ Cause it falls in line right with my sexuality/ But you gotta be down/ A nickel gotta be true/ Cause otherwise this "B" ain't got no time for you… Well you want my heart/ And all my time/ Well it won't be there if you can't deal with my mind/ Cause a girl like me/ Won't stand for less…” I think that's a message most women would do well to learn, love, and live.

“Fever” - Kylie Minogue

I know pop music has a bad rep, but I really enjoy some pop music. I love Kylie Minogue's music. Kylie's brand of pop reflects her personality; it's fun, upbeat, happy, and can put a smile on your face in nearly any circumstance. Kylie has a unique way of being herself; she never pretends to be more or less than she is and she is never apologetic for her music or her style, and for that I really admire this pint-sized pop princess. The song “Fever” really represents the entire album and with summer just around the corner I have happy, bright, sunny pop music on the brain and Fever fits that bill completely.

Full of bouncy, happy disco-pop songs including that worldwide smash hit “Can't Get You Out of My Head”, Fever is the perfect summer album. With nearly every song a hit, it was considered Kylie's come back album after her departure from the Stock, Aitken and Waterman stable (famous producers of artists including Rick Astley, Bananarama, Samantha Fox, and Dead or Alive, among many), and a long hiatus from the spotlight after a disastrous few albums following the split. Fever was by far her most successful album, filled as it is with gorgeous electro-pop dance music. And it touches my soul, and my hips, and my tummy, and my toes, and my butt, and my smile…

“The Incidentals” - Alisha's Attic

Alisha's Attic is a band that had its success primarily in the UK. English sisters discovered by Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), they were active from 1996 with the release of their BRIT Award nominated début album Alisha Rules the World but broke up in 2001. “The Incidentals”, from their second album Illumina, speaks to the romantic in me, and again this one is about the lyrics. Although with acoustic-pop sounds that are bright and breezy, it really is a great summer love song, but what touches me about this track is its message; it's the incidentals that really turn me on, not the over the top, worn-out, tried and failed romantic gestures.

“It's just the little things, the incidentals/ It's like you wouldn't even notice when you really turn me on/ It's the little sparks that fly and then land like dynamite/ It's just, it's just the simple things, pure incidentals/ It's like stayin' up 'till midnight and talkin' about, absolutely nothing… It's like breathin' on the back of my neck and makin' me feel weak inside…”

That's where the real romance lies in a relationship, in the little things. Those are the things that really show you care about someone, that you're paying attention, and that you really understand. And in the end, once you have stripped away all the sex, politics, and tangible pleasures, all the crap that doesn't really make life better, when it's all stripped away, you just want someone who understands you. Someone who can see all your craziness, all the quirks and eccentricities, see all that, and love you anyway. Not just love you but see how beautiful all that is and adore it, too. Now that is romance.

You may not have heard of Tom Rob Smith yet but you will, and soon, as he is the next big thing in crime/political thriller novelists. Think Sue Grafton having drinks and a laugh with Ian Rankin at a party thrown by John Grisham and that should go some way to help you understand where Smith’s début novel Child 44 fits in. Based heavily on the life and crimes of Andrei Chikatilo, the Butcher of Rostov, Smith’s novel has everything; plot twists, political intrigue, unimaginable violence and even cannibalism. He weaves a completely believable tale that has the flavour of true literature about it. It’s penetrating and richly textured, with none of the glossed over plot holes or depthless superfluous characters that other such novels in this genre can suffer from.

One of Smith’s talents lies with his ability to be absolute, honest, raw, never grandiose, overwrought, or declamatory. And that ability ensures that Child 44 maintains a feeling of utter believability throughout. Smith paints a bleak, frank picture of life in communist Russia. So real, so frighteningly vivid are the images of this time and place it would be easy for you to believe that Smith is himself a survivor of that era, but in truth this 28 year old Englishman is probably only just old enough to remember what the cold war was like at full chill. So complex and deeply layered is Child 44 that even before publication it attracted the attention of Ridley Scott, who has already bought the film rights, and is working on adapting this intrigue filled novel for the big screen.

And it would be reasonable to assume that Smith might be resting on his laurels, but you’d be wrong. He is currently working on the sequel at is home in London. He was nice enough to take sometime out from his very busy schedule to have a chat with me about his new book. I was surprised by how unassuming and gentle he is, given the gruesome, grizzly crimes in his novel. Soft spoken, intelligent, open and welcoming Smith was an interesting and fun person to spend an afternoon talking with.

So tell us about your novel Child 44. It is a very violent novel but without ever feeling like the violence is gratuitous. Was that intentional?

Yeah, it’s interesting the question of violence because, it never really crossed my mind. I’m not particularly interested in violence from that point of view. I guess because lots of it is plucked from real sources, and actually often the case is I tried to find the least violent forms. For example the torture, the camphor oil, which was a treatment that was used. There were much more violent tortures, more bizarre that I could have used. At least with this one you could do something with it and it’s not about ripping someone’s fingernails off.

I think it was a very violent world, it was a very violent time, and people died easily. So yes it is violent. But I never felt like I was binding it in that way. The thing about a thriller is people being in danger. The danger in Child 44 is primarily from the State. It’s not from a guy with a knife, it’s not from a guy who’s going to cut your head off. The State is the threat here. The State is a threat to Leo. The State is a threat to Raisa.

Do you think the story is more about Leo and Raisa (the protagonists) than about the murders?

My approach to the serial killer aspect is that it is the way into this world. It strikes me that there are many different ways that you can spin a story but with a serial killer narrative you can have a great puzzle. Which is you have a kind of Moriarty like villain who runs around setting puzzles for your hero to solve. That’s great fun, I like that as much as anyone. But there are also investigations which are about the world in which they are set.

And your story borrows significantly from the life and crimes of Andrei Chikatilo. You even begin your story with a child being eaten, and that’s what happened to Chikatilo’s older brother in the Ukrainian famine.

He grew-up under the shadow of hearing that his brother might have been eaten. I thought, “well if we’re going to start with that we might as well have it there”. From a visual point of view. But the thing about that is… I spoke to an Italian journalist the other day and she was saying that she loved the book but she had one criticism; she never really got the psychology of my Andrei. And I said “I have read whole case studies about the real Andrei and if you asked me right now why he did what he did, I couldn’t tell you.” I could speculate, I could give you little bits and pieces, but just feels to me like, who knows. In the end the real killer, his motives were that he enjoyed inflicting pain.

He discovered very early on that he didn’t enjoy sex, he enjoyed suffering. How do you write about that? It’s like explaining someone’s preference for the colour blue rather than red. It just this insane destructive preference. And I though, “well we’re going to have to reconfigure it.”

That was the one part I have difficulty with myself. It’s difficult to follow his motive.

The thing about the psychology of the killer, I’m perfectly prepared to accept that this killer doesn’t exist. Serial killers are quiet uninteresting. They’re quiet difficult to write about because their motives are so closed. Their motives are like “because this is what I like. I like dominating. I like this, I like that.” It’s very simple and it’s very blunt. It’s very nothingy, like there is nothing there. It’s like trying to explain the psychology of a stone. There is a kind of deadness about it. So as soon as you try and do something from a narrative point of view, I think there is an element that doesn’t ring true.

Child 44 is a stunning success. Never weighed down with overdone or obvious political commentary, or excessive violence or melodrama. Smith’s writing is always austere and elegant. The literary equivalent of simple clean lines and great open spaces. Every word seems perfectly placed, meticulously considered for it’s brevity and weight, you never feel overawed or confounded. Each thought, motion, action and phrase is chosen as would be an ornament in a minimalists living room. This is a book I recommend you read now before you’re just following the crowd. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

Imagine living in a place where even suggesting there has been a crime is a crime. A crime against the state punishable by, at best, being sent away for a life of hard labour in a deserted frozen wilderness, and at worst, execution without a fair trial. Where your neighbours can turn on you and name you as a traitor and the police can search your home for any reason at any moment. A life where no one, not even your own family, can be trusted.

No, this isn’t modern day America, but 1950’s Stalinist Russia. It is the setting for the new crime thriller, Child 44, by Tom Rob Smith.

Security Ministry Officer Leo Demidov is a determined, charming anti-hero of sorts. A good man whose patriotism has led him to commit heinous acts against his fellow citizens “for the greater good” or so he tells himself. Lies, spying on friends and family, manufacturing evidence, even torture and murder are all acceptable as long as they help ensure the survival and security of Stalin’s “workers’ paradise”.

On the surface Leo is an idealistic war hero with a deeply held belief in the superiority of his country and the communist way of life. As he realises he is nothing more than an instrument of a fundamentally flawed, deadly, and unstoppable totalitarian regime, a crisis of conscience ensues. Slowly his beliefs decay and he loses the strong moral conviction that the innocent must sometimes be punished so no enemy of the state will escape.

When his wife, Raisa, is a victim of the system for which he was a most diligent drone, his life begins to unravel. When he refuses to denounce her as a traitor, he is demoted and humiliated. Even his parents are punished for his crime. He and Raisa are sent away from Moscow to the wastelands of the newly industrialised city of Voualsk.

It is in Voualsk that Leo discovers a true criminal, but how does a disgraced and politically persecuted man prove there is a serial killer on the loose, killing children across Russia? Leo and Raisa must work outside the law to find a killer in a political culture that doesn’t even admit they exist, and already wants him dead.

Child 44, Smith’s début novel, is a stunning success. Based heavily on the life and crimes of Andrei Chikatilo, the Butcher of Rostov, this is a tale that has everything: plot twists, political intrigue, unimaginable violence, and even cannibalism. Smith very expertly weaves a completely believable tale that hints broadly at the true horrors under the surface, only occasionally exposing you to them directly.

The violence is more implied than stated. When it is realised, the violence is uncompromising and unapologetic, but never excessive. One of Smith’s talents lies with his ability to be absolute, honest, and raw. He is never grandiose, overwrought, or declamatory. Smith’s ability ensures that Child 44 maintains a feeling of utter believability throughout. This is undoubtedly one reason why Ridley Scott has already bought the film rights, and is working on adapting this intrigue-filled novel for the big screen.

In Child 44 Smith paints a bleak, frank picture of life in communist Russia. So real, so frighteningly vivid are the images of this time and place it would be easy for you to believe that Smith is himself a survivor of that era. In truth, this 28-year-old Englishman is probably only just old enough to remember what the cold war was like at full chill. That doesn’t stop him from writing a complex and deeply layered novel that is startling and chilling in equal measure.

Unlike many crime novels Child 44 has a flavour of true literature about it, penetrating and richly textured, with none of the glossed over plot holes or depthless superfluous characters that other such novels in this genre can suffer from. Nor does it weigh itself down with overdone or obvious political commentary. Smith’s writing is always austere and elegant - the literary equivalent of simple, clean lines and great open spaces.

Child 44 is stark in more ways than one. Every word seems perfectly placed, meticulously considered for it’s brevity and weight, and yet you never feel overawed or confounded. Each thought, motion, action, and phrase is chosen as would be an ornament in a minimalist’s living room.

This novel is the first of three (according to Smith), the second of which he is currently working on. Let’s hope he finishes it soon, for he surely has a winner on his hands.

I have always been a very outspoken critic of the corn-fed, watered down, straight-off-the-tractor, comb-in-the-mouth, artistically barren music that is Christian “rock”. As far as I am concerned it has no redeeming artistic or social value, in that it neither inspires people to worship nor to appreciate great music. It is, in my opinion, just one more attempt to make Christianity appeal to younger people by showing them how much “fun” being a Christian can be. Not to mention the restrictions placed on Christian musicians by both the record labels and existing fan base, crushing out all true artistic growth, every spark of originality or individualism — as if being original or different were un-Christian or sinful.

That said, just because someone celebrates their love of a mythological being (God in this instance) by making artistically barren music doesn't necessarily mean they don't have talent, artistic vision or originality, nor does it mean that they are limited to that severely restricted genre. In the case of singer-songwriter Derek Webb - most famous as part of the Christian band Caedmon’s Call - and his equally talented and successful wife Sandra McCracken, that is certainly untrue, as evidenced by the release of their duet EP, Ampersand. It's beyond me why anyone who has enough talent to write music this hauntingly beautiful, touching, and gently passionate would want to confine that talent to the cookie cutter, formulaic music of Christian rock.

Ampersand is the first collaboration from these two deeply personal performers and a true joy to hear. Webb and McCracken's voices perfectly complement each other, harmonising playfully, dancing together in joyous vocal foreplay. McCracken's voice is a mixture of Emmylou Harris and Sean Colvin, rootsy, warbling, and gently, elegantly loving. And Webb's voice is a mixture of buttery smoothness and raw passion, like a good spicy whisky. And the same can be said of their musical styles; McCracken is a bit alt-folk, with country tinges and Webb, alt-country with rock colour. This collaboration sees the best that both these talented artists have to offer, what it doesn't offer are references to religion or Christianity – thank jebus.

Ampersand is filled with fabulous alt-country/folk-rock songs about two people who are very much in love. They write about their love in good and bad, passion and anger, willful selfishness and honest selflessness. In short, a happy marriage with all its ups and downs, love and hate, doubt and devotion. All the tracks have an honest, naked, comfortably exposed feeling, personal, but never leaving you feeling like a voyeur. Instead they open the front door and invite you in to witness their humanity and humility in the face of love. And that is just how each lyric seems to be approached, with love, as if each song were an offering to show their mutual love and respect. It's a humbling and enchanting thing to be party to.

Tracks to watch: “When the Summer's Gone”, a romantic rootsy folk track worthy of Harris or Colvin. McCracken takes lead vocals on this one with husband Webb in the background as they ask in perfect harmony, “When the summer's gone/ when the harvest comes and the leaves are red/ we'll remember then/ making love in the sun and the sand/ you are the one to whom my heart belongs/ will our love be strong when the summer's gone?”

In “Watch Your Mouth” it's Webb's turn on lead vocals. For this sexy, stripped back tune Webb's falsetto is perfectly equipped to carry this light but heartfelt track. “When the Lights Go Out” is a piano-driven song, with jingles of raining piano drenching you in smooth, mellow music, washing over you in much the same way as this entire EP does, less a flash flood and more a warm, inviting bath.

The Ampersand EP is a lush, mellifluous album, that feels like a deeply personal, but entirely comfortable glimpse into the hearts and minds of these two artists and happily married couple. Its only short-coming is its brevity; with only six songs you'll find yourself putting it on repeat so you can get just a little bit more and you'll end up listening to it over and over again. Let's hope this isn't their last collaboration.

Punk-pop band The Dollyrots may go down in history as the only good thing to come from the 2000 US Presidential elections, and by extension George W. Bush's presidency. So the story goes, Kelly Ogden (lead vocals, bass) and childhood friend and fellow student Luis Cabezas (guitar, piano) are attending New College Florida, preparing for medical school. On the night of November 7th they were watching the election results, when at four a.m. they found out that Bush had won and thought, “The world's probably gonna end anyway, and I don't want to go to med school.” So they decided to take their part-time college band full-time because, “We had no future anyways…” They may as well just be in a punk band.

So formed they began touring and creating their fun, poppy-without-compromising-punk sound. An accessible mix of fun bouncy melodies and harmonies but with all the ass kicking power and attitude of punk music. Their sound is a unique blend, precisely what pop-punk should be, honest, in your face, and accessible. If The Dead Kennedys and Gwen Stefani had a love child, they would have named it The Dollyrots. Punk music with pop sensibilities.

Much like Kelly Ogden herself. At first glance she could be mistaken for a pretty little thing with lots of curly blond hair, big doe eyes, and a baby-doll pout, and yet according to The Dollyrots website, Kelly just “might sucker punch you if you're dumb enough to try her patience”. In fact after interviewing Kelly I believe I am in the midsts of a full-on girl crush, she is an intelligent, witty, dirty-minded woman with a tough-girl attitude. Now before you get the horn imagining some Suicide Girl-on-girl action, I'm not talking about re-thinking my sexuality. No, just a good old fashioned, I-want-to-be-like-her crush. When we chatted, she was in the middle of the frozen Midwest at a truck stop on the way into Chicago on the Dollyrots latest tour. She was without sleep, wayworn, and coming down with a nasty cold, but still we laughed and talked like old friends, such was her friendly, open manner.

So tell us about your second album, Because I'm Awesome. Where did you get that name?

It's actually from the title track which is one of the more fun songs. It can be taken in different ways. When we wrote it, it was kind of a big F you to everyone who thinks they're better than the next person. When really they are just a big pile of crap. They've got no right to treat other people bad. The verses are meant to be sarcastic, the chorus is kind of a retort. But it's kind of hilarious because the song has been picked up by Radio Disney for example, as an empowering song for young girls. I was like “Oh! Okay. That's kind of interesting.” Not what we planned or anything. Then it's also been picked up by like punk-rock stations and XM Radio and mainstream alternative radio. So the song can be interpreted in different ways. Which is always cool, I think, in a song.

So how did you come up with the name The Dollyrots?

Well, when we first started out the music was very, very raw and punk-rock, it was really fast, very hard punk rock. Then I sang and my voice is so sweet. The words that I sang, a lot of time sounds like I'm being sweet, but it's not exactly the meanings. So we wanted to find two words that summed up the juxtaposition between my voice and the music. I feel like it's a good descriptive term. I hate when band names don't mean anything at all.

It does match your sound very well too. It's a bit, cheerleader with an attitude problem.

The thing is the recordings… the pop sensibilities come across much better on our recordings I think. Then live we're more of a punk-rock band. Yeah we're kind of a band that sounds really good, and polished and pop on our recordings, then we're this really good raw rock band live. Some people probably like the recordings better. Some people say that they like shows better.

So how long have you been on tour?

We've been on tour six or seven weeks. We have three more left. It's been a long cold one, it's kind of awesome. (laughing) I haven't seen a lot of snow in my life, I think I'm getting it all in right now, these two months. I think I will see enough snow to last a lifetime.

How has your tour been going?

It has been fantastic. The first night, I broke Chris' (Black, drums) nose.

(Laughing) How did you do that?

Well it was an accident. When it's a really good show, or a really crappy show, or sometimes just for fun, I like to jump into the drum kit or we jump off the drum kit or off of the stage. It just feels like a good time when you have a nice jumping ending to the set. And I jumped over the drum kit and I accidentally hit the wall with my head. Then I was still wearing my bass guitar and I let go of the bass to check my head because I thought it was bleeding, and as I let go of the bass I dropped it on Chris' face.

He said he felt like two crunches on his face and then all of the sudden he was like “Broken, broken! My nose is broken. My nose is broken!” I looked down and he was just pouring blood out of his nose. So we had that happen. Then a few weeks later we were in Columbus, Ohio, and I'm walking around on the ice and everything was fine and dandy, everything was cool. I was actually wearing snow boots but I didn't have them tied up. I went to get in the van, and I fell, like old-lady style, under the van. I sprained my ankle really, really badly. Then I got zombie foot. It literately looks like a zombie's foot. Right now it's yellow, purple, grey, and black and not very cool cause it hurts a little too. And I've had a cold the whole tour too.

If you would like to learn more about The Dollyrots, you can visit their website. To hear a few tracks from their album Because I'm Awesome you can visit their MySpace space.

Punk-pop band The Dollyrots sophomore album Because I'm Awesome is precisely what pop-punk should be; fun, honest, in your face, and accessible. Poppy without compromising punk. Their sound is a mix of bouncy melodies and harmonies, with all the ass kicking power and attitude of punk music. The Dead Kennedys love child with Gwen Stefani, nannied by The Go-Go's, playing tag with The B-52's. The Dollyrots come complete with fun to sing lyrics, driving guitars, a tough but pretty chick singer, and perfect radio friendly songs.

What more do you need?

Title track “Because I'm Awesome” is a sarcastic anthem of the tongue-in-cheek, Bowling For< Soup variety. According to frontwoman Kelly Ogden, “Because I'm Awesome” is a great big fuck-you to all those people who think they are oh so awesome. The witty banter-esque lyrics include the practically cheered (as in cheerleader) chorus “I’m a leader, I’m a winner, and I’m cleaner/ Cause I’m awesome/ I don’t need you cause, I’m neato and I beat you/ Cause I’m awesome/ That’s right!” With catchy hooks, great melodies, and the impressive driving guitar work of lead guitarist and founding member Luis Cabezas, “Because I'm Awesome” should be a hit song (video included below).

Second track “My Best Friends Hot” is an unrequited love song. Who hasn't fallen for a hot friend only to see them love someone else and treat you as a buddy? This track's truly melancholy subject matter is disguised by Ogden's baby doll voice and the upbeat hooks. So well disguised is the angsty desolation that you'll happily sing in a cheerful voice “My best friend's hot/ No matter what I do/ You'll love me not/ Nanananana/ Should I tell you now/ or go, go...”

Other tracks that make this album worth it. “Out of LA” the third track, shows off Ogden's talent as a bassist. The self-same upbeat hooks, melodies and vocals are joined by a pounding her bass for some chaotic fun. A playfully punk-rock version of the early 70's folk-rock hit song “A Brand New Key” with updated sounds and a punk attitude. Undoubtedly all of the sexual innuendo surrounding the original song is lost on a much too sophisticated modern audience. But that doesn't make it a bad remake, in fact just the opposite is true. Although I'm sure there won't be many radio stations banning it in fear that the key in its lock symbolises sex or that “new key” is code for “nookie”.

Also make sure you don't miss “A Desperate S.O.S”. A rapidly progressing punk song, that is The Dollyrots own “We Didn't Start the Fire”, and ends in true punk style with a yelled epithet “Our president is full of shit/ Our president is full of shit!” All in Because I'm Awesome is a fun, driving, fast-paced punk-pop album and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes either alt pop, punk rock or punk pop.

If you would like to learn more about The Dollyrots, you can visit their website. To hear a few tracks from their album Because I'm Awesome you can visit their MySpace space.

We all have them, songs that seem to touch a secret place in your soul – sometimes secret even from you. They can grow and occasionally fester like an open wound, or they can fill you up, inspire you and occasionally even heal you. Sometimes they don't even reflect your musical tastes. They can be shameful secrets that you keep from family and friends. You feel like a drug addict craving your next fix. At times like those you thank the powers that be for MP3 players - the syringe of those suffering with this affliction.

This is the eighth instalment of songs that touch my soul. And as always this edition is full of passion, desire and lust. This is a form of therapy, this sharing of my neuroses, my secret inner lunacy, the big ball of crazy that is me. Welcome to my musical schizophrenia.

“The Sweetest Thing” - U2

Ok yes, I know I've been hard on U2 but only because these guys are seriously talented and it pains me to watch them curl up and accept sainthood like a nun in medieval times. Joshua Tree Should have been the beginning of the amazing things to come. Instead… well history is it's own witness. Just because I'm hard on them now doesn't mean I never liked them. In fact, it's just the opposite. I was a punk/goth girl who loved U2, despite their lack of black clothes, mohawks, eye-liner or tattoos depicting the face of evil, even the words fuck you tattooed across their knuckles would have made them more acceptable.

We all know the legendary story behind this song by now. Written as an apology to Ali Hewson, a.k.a Mrs. Bono, after the rock star missed her birthday. To be fair he was in the middle of writing and recording his magnum opus, Joshua Tree. And to save himself, and possibly his marriage (although who would really divorce their husband over one missed birthday) he wrote his beloved, high school sweetheart a beautiful song.

The video is yet another tribute to his love. It features Bono clowning around a la Buster Keaton, numerous romantic trinkets to assuage the female temper, cameos from Boyzone (very successful Irish boy band), River Dance, Steve Collins (Irish middleweight boxing champion) and of course the rest of the band. Not to mention the numerous instances of the phrase “I'm sorry” that appearer through-out the video, on banners, cars and even an elephant. Why does this song touch my soul? Its sincerity. It makes me smile a gosh-that's-sweet smile. And personally I would much rather get a personal gift and an honest apology, than a bunch of fucking flowers. Wouldn't you?

“The Saddest Song I've Got” - Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox is arguably the coolest woman to ever warble down a mic. Her dulcet tones only add to her accessible brand of blue-eyed soul and without a doubt were a big part of the Eurythmics success. Let's face it, that deep, rich powerful voice is enough to soothe the savage beast in anyone. Truth is I could listen to Annie sing all day and night and never grow weary of it. “The Saddest Song I've got” touches me because of the deep heartfelt emotion, the plaintively begging quality of the Scottish songstress as she morns the loss of love, a relationship, friendship or possibly peace on earth as the video seems to imply, it's difficult to tell. What I can tell you is that the power, sadness, and pain are touching to the point of near tears. And she is ever so cool.

“Analogue” - A-ha

Maybe it's what's left of my school girl crush on Morten Harket and Magne Furuholmen, or maybe A-ha really are a great band. I've never been completely sure. Nowadays the trio all have rather successful solo careers, most notably perhaps Magne who not only has a solo album – with members from Coldplay and Travis as his backing band – but is also a very successful sculptor, painter and glass etching artist. He was even commissioned to design an official Norwegian postage stamp. In 2005 the boys from Norway released their eighth album Analogue. Maybe it's Harket's smooth, creamy voice, or the catchy riff, possibly it's the chorus that touches me “All I want you to know; I love you/ All I need is the time to show you”. When this song comes through my speakers, whether they be head phones, car stereo, or my computer, I want to shut my eyes, gently sway my head and get lost in a world where either Morten or Magne sing those fabulous words to me, and me alone.

“Sing For the Moment” - Eminem

Musically it's streamlined, elegant, smooth, but I love Eminem for his lyrics, and this one is a diamond in his already jewel-encrusted crown. In “Sing For the Moment” Mr. Mathers – aided by Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith – addresses the parents of the disaffected youth of white middle class America who, for reasons that seem to escape most parents, identify with him. He also talks to his critics who say that he promotes violence, saying that ultimately the offender is responsible. Personally, I think Eminem is to violent street crime what IKEA is to design, furniture haute couture.

I'm a big fan of Eminem, I admire him for his awe inspiring lyrical abilities, his strength in overcoming less than ideal personal circumstances, his sarcastic often self-depreciating wit and his fabulous body. I also think he is one of the most intentionally misunderstood artists on the planet (followed closely by Marilyn Manson). “Sing For the Moment” shows Eminem in all is glory, as an introspective, intellectual artist with the ability to truly see through and past what many are not willing to look at, at all.

“Tainted Love” (cover) — Marilyn Manson

There is something inherently sexual about Marilyn Manson and his music. There is no denying that goth, as a lifestyle choice, is now more mainstream than ever. Bands like HIM and Evanescence are reaping the benefits of this mainstream version — mallgoth as it's frequently referred to – of the goth aesthetic. Although Manson is undoubtedly the most high profile of these sudo-goth artists I doubt he would identify himself with them, as he sees himself more as a performance artist. He is absolutely, unapologetically Marilyn Manson. And he, as Alice Cooper before him, defies categorization. Shock-rock, glam-rock or alt-metal, I couldn't tell you. What I do know is that he makes my panties wet and as many of you know by now, that really is the door to my soul.

I grew-up listening to the early 80's version of “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell, but it's in Manson's version where the darkly romantic, heart-broken lyrics meet their match. Mason's gothic/hard rock flourishes and more substantial and sex soaked vocals add weight to what was bouncy, snyth-pop and flippant. Where Soft Cell's “Love” made you want to dance cheerily in an Eddie Murphy-dancing-like-a-white-man way, Manson's version encourages you to push your lover down on the bed, tear his clothes off with your teeth, mount him and ride him until all your anger is spent on one final sweaty, screaming climax of angry sex. Frankly, I'm a big fan of angry sex and Marilyn Manson brings that out in me, and a lot more too.

We all have them, songs that seem to touch a secret place in your soul – sometimes secret even from you. They can grow and occasionally fester like an open wound, or they can fill you up, inspire you, and occasionally even heal you. Sometimes they don't even reflect your musical tastes. They can be shameful secrets that you keep from family and friends. You feel like a drug addict craving your next fix. At times like those you thank the powers that be for MP3 players - the syringe of those suffering with this affliction.

This is the seventh installment of songs that touch my soul. And as always this edition is full of passion, desire, and lust. This is a form of therapy, this sharing of my neuroses, my secret inner lunacy, the big ball of crazy that is me. Welcome to my musical schizophrenia.

“Magic” – Colbie Caillat

With the recent changes in my personal life, romance has been on my mind again. I can’t help but think that this time, I want it all. Fuck settling for someone who is “close enough”, frankly I don’t need someone in my life just to fill space. This time I want it all, I want the fantasy. “Magic” is about the fantasy, that perfect chemistry in love. Caillat’s lyrics evoke the images and feelings of cold fire moving over bare skin with the lightest touch from a lover and the joy of seeing the face you adore, above you with love in their eyes. It’s an intoxicating image sung in a beautifully sweet, romantic, almost girlish way but with a sensual, lustful feel to it and decidedly big-girl lyrics like: “You've got magic inside your finger tips/ Its leaking out all over my skin/ Everytime that I get close to you/ Your making me weak with the way you/ Look through those eyes”. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Colbie Caillat knows what it means to be a woman in love.

“All Kinds” – Dan Wilson

And of course I want a man who can’t resist me. Who adores me, thinks that no woman anywhere was ever or has ever been as perfect and amazing as I am right now. Okay, who doesn’t want that? I think Dan Wilson sums it up beautifully when he sings to some very lucky girl: “You've got the kind of beautiful/ Makes the boys want to give up running all around/ You know the kind of magic spell/ Makes the wild, wild horses lay down on the ground”. “All Kinds” is the first track from his latest solo effort Free Life (one of my best albums of 2007) and like the rest of this poignant alt-folk-rock album it has the same mixture of acoustic and electronic instruments; feeling still, bare, evanescent but with a nearly orchestral quality to it. Dan Wilson seems to understand what many men do not, when you love us we don’t want there to have ever been anyone nearly as life altering as we are. And when we leave you, we simply want you to pine for us for the rest of your lives. Is that really too much to ask?

“Keith Don’t Go” (Acoustic Live version) – Nils Lofgren

There are musicians that the general public love – usually not terribly technically proficient but they have it and that makes-up for their weakness as a musician – and there are musicians' musicians. Usually technically perfect, always visionary, they break rules other musicians would never consider breaking, and are generally considered, by other musicians, to inhabit levels of genius. And every once in a while there are musicians who are both visionary genius and have that it factor. Bo Diddley, Eric Clapton, and Jack White to name a few obvious choices, are all visionary and talented with wide general appeal. One name that should be on that list is Nils Lofgren.

I have heard him referred to as Chopin with a guitar. And his live acoustic version of “Keith Don’t Go” is a prime example of how amazing a musician he is. Although he now works primarily with Bruce Springsteen as a member of the E Street Band, Lofgren is, in my opinion, far and away the better performer and the more talented musician and songwriter. You can judge for yourself, I have included the video of his mind blowing live performance below.

“Darkest Secret” – Sons of William

Sons Of William (SOW) make bluesy, carnal, dirty rock music, filled with the influences of the delta blues and classic 70’s rock sounds they grew up with. SOW weave rich tapestries of music that contain ear-catching musicianship, purely physical vocals, and intelligent, profound and always literate lyrics. Joe Stark, the band’s frontman, has an amazing talent with a guitar which is easily matched by his mellow, smoky, make-my-panties-wet voice. “Darkest Secret” has everything that I love most about SOW. Here they combine soulful guitar, coloured with classic rock, with oh-so-hot lyrics like "with a heavy hand, and a jealous glow, you touch me so sinful and slow” sung in Stark’s lazy southern drawl that is dripping with sexual promise, in perfect harmony with bassist and backing vocalist Jen Janet’s sweeter, feminine tones. They possess the enviable ability to create passionate, sensually driving emotionally haunting music that feels like an intimate caress from a long lost lover. It melts my heart and my loins every time I hear it. You really need to own this album.

“Come on Closer” – Jem

This is a deceptive track, hiding its erotic nature under a layer of electro-folk-pop. Jem’s 2004 debut album Finally Woken is rarely far from the top on my Sansa’s most played list and this song is only one of the reasons. It has a strangely ethereal quality with layers of synth woven through and supporting Jem’s gossamer, lithe, Beth Orton-esque vocals which are very soon joined by a heavily distorted, almost hard rock guitar riff. It sounds bizarre and believe me it is, but the rhythmic motions and contradicting musical styles create an erotic atmosphere, and it’s fabulous to belly dance to. But it’s the lyrics that are truly the sexual touch, hidden in what could be mistaken for a an almost cheery electro pop song: “Come on closer/ I wanna show you/ What I'd like to do/ You sit back now/ Just relax now/ I'll take care of you”. And that is just what this song inspires in me. Anyone feel like sitting back and letting me belly dance naked in their lap? Come let me show you how much pelvic control it takes to gyrate and grind slowly while straddling you.

“Keith Don’t Go” (Acoustic Live version) – Nils Lofgren

We all have them, songs that seem to touch a secret place in your soul – sometimes secret even from you. They can grow and occasionally fester like an open wound, or they can fill you up, inspire you and occasionally even heal you. Sometimes they don't even reflect your musical tastes. They can be shameful secrets that you keep from family and friends. You feel like a drug addict craving your next fix. At times like those you thank the powers that be for MP3 players - the syringe of those suffering with this affliction. This is a special two-part Valentine’s day instalment of Songs that Touch My Soul.

Valentine’s day probably originated with the 14th century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer (author of the very first work of fiction in English The Canterbury Tales) who romanticised in poetry the legend surrounding several early (Roman times) Christian martyrs, all named Valentine, to fit in with the Medieval court’s fashion for romantic love.

So romantic love is certainly the basis and the reason for Valentine’s day – well that and the card and chocolate industry need the yearly boost – but I can’t help but think that romantic love is only part of the story. So in this, edition of Songs that Touch My Soul we will celebrate ALL kinds of love and even heartbreak, because where one goes the other always follows. Just a warning, this may be more than just gently dirty, I frequently fall directly into smut.

“Strange and Beautiful” – Aqualung

“I’ve been watching your world from afar… To me you’re strange and you’re beautiful. You’d be so perfect with me but you just can’t see, you turn every head but don’t see me”. Stalker love is still a kind of love right? We’ve all been in the throes of obsessive love, think about your first crush, or that teenage worship of an actor or rock star. It’s not lasting love, it’s not really love at all, but it’s so excruciatingly exquisite; the pain, the desire bordering on lust, your first real tingles of sexuality. This song encapsulates all of that perfectly, summing it up with alarming and evocative lyrics and ethereal, haunting, carnal piano and synth music.

“Think Awhile” – Cary Brothers

Breaking-up is hard to do, even when you know it’s right. Cary Brothers seems to have had personal experience with the end of love. Here he so eloquently writes “I'm tired of hearin' everything you say/ It's rolling off your tongue across my face/ It seems the time to leave/ It seems we tried…” Haven’t we all been there? You don’t want to do the relationship anymore and now, staying isn’t any easier than leaving but still, it hurts. But you know that from this you’ll grow, move on, love again.

“Love Hurts” – Nazareth

What about broken-hearted love? Once you’ve been left bereft, alone and in pain, your heart ripped out, stomped on, but you still love them. Only Nazareth’s version of “Love Hurts” really manages to convey the heartrending intensity of a crushed spirit and burning love – and I’m not just saying that because they come from my Scottish hometown of Dunfermline. Dan McCafferty’s emotive vocals somehow seem to embody the acrimoniousness of being left, the deep-rooted fear that you brought this on yourself through some serious but unintentional sin. “Love hurts, love scars/ Love wounds, and marks…” Yeah but you get over it!

“Beautiful Freak” – Eels

This is what we all want isn’t it? Someone who can see through the facade we present to everyone else. Someone who loves the big ball of crazy we all are inside. Who not only loves our crazy, but adores us for our crazy bits but thinks they are as endearing as they are irritating. Someone who can just smile and shake their heads with bewildered love and joy when we cry at commercials, or panic over every little detail a thousand times, pack and re-pack our suitcases before we leave for an overnight trip, or get paranoid for no reason at all except our silly insecurities. “You’re such a beautiful freak/ I wish there were more just like you/ You’re not like all of the others/ And that is why I love you…”

“By Your Side” – Sade

“You think I'd leave your side baby? You know me better than that…” Of course you wouldn’t. Now you’ve found that one in a billion person who thinks your crazy bits are sexy no way you’re leaving, they’re stuck with you! Perfect romantic love, undying to the end of time, that’s the real fantasy. Yet it is one we all cling too, like drowning people to a life raft. Hope that true love really is out there is what keeps us celebrating a silly holiday, when we should be rejoicing in our love lives everyday. Remembering those little acts of romance everyday, that remind the person you love that you do indeed adore them everyday, and that you really are there for them when they need you. Sade, that Queen of cool jazzy soul music says it best in her breathy, sultry voice: “oh, when your cold/ I'll be there to hold you tight to me/ When your on the outside baby and you can't get in/ I will show you, your so much better than you know/ When your lost, when your alone and you can't get back again/ I will find you darling I'll bring you home…”

“Fuck You (I Want To)” – Get Set Go

Ok this one is pure lust. No love here, just sex. And what’s wrong with that? I think just sex gets a bad rap. I personally am a great proponent of just sex. Commitment scares the hell out of me! Strange thing about this little song is that it’s not particularly passionate, or lusty or even emotive. It’s an everyday regular pop song that sounds like The Beach Boys meets Blink 182. It’s the lyrics, and if you’re not paying attention to the song at first the lyrics are the hand under your chin yanking your head in their direction. “You look pretty cool, I think I wanna fuck you/ I do, I do, I do/ I wanna fuck you sore/ I wanna fuck you raw/ I wanna fuck you hard/ I wanna fuck all night long/ When you let me come inside/ It's like a little slice of suicide/ I wanna fuck you raw…” Let’s hear it for good old fashioned lust!

We all have them, songs that seem to touch a secret place in your soul – sometimes secret even from you. They can grow and occasionally fester like an open wound, or they can fill you up, inspire you and occasionally even heal you. Sometimes they don't even reflect your musical tastes. They can be shameful secrets that you keep from family and friends. You feel like a drug addict craving your next fix. At times like those you thank the powers that be for MP3 players - the syringe of those suffering with this affliction. This is a special two-part Valentine’s Day instalment of Songs that Touch My Soul.

Valentine’s Day probably originated with the 14th century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer (author of the very first work of fiction in English The Canterbury Tales) who romanticised in poetry the legend surrounding several early (Roman times) Christian martyrs, all named Valentine, to fit in with the Medieval court’s fashion for romantic love.

So romantic love is certainly the basis and the reason for Valentine’s Day – well, that and the card and chocolate industry need the yearly boost – but I can’t help but think that romantic love is only part of the story. So in this edition of Songs that Touch My Soul we will celebrate ALL kinds of love and even heartbreak, because where one goes the other always follows. Just a warning, this may be more than just gently dirty, I frequently fall directly into smut.

“Little On Up” - Nils Lofgren

Let’s begin with the purest, most incorruptible form of love; the love of a parent and child. In this song, guitar virtuoso Nils Lofgren (now with the E Street Band) sings a beautiful tale about a father raising his daughter alone. The honestly expressed love, pride, and respect of the lyrics touch a place in my soul that also seems to trigger my tear ducts. But who wouldn’t have a tear in their eye when hearing lyrics like: “I remember your birthday/ your first breath out of the womb/ we were all crying, you were screaming/ it was the most beautiful tune/ God needed mother in heaven/ suddenly it was just you and I/ I felt so shattered and useless/ if not for you, I'd have surely died”. Lofgren’s raw, natural vocals lend themselves beautifully to this sweetly nostalgic tale of one daddy’s love for his perfect little girl.

“Kind and Generous” – Natalie Merchant

It’s not just parents that love their children, sometimes children love them back. Now that I am the mother of a 14-year old daughter I know I understand my parents a lot better, and that understanding has led to a, sometimes heart-swelling feeling of love, respect and pride that I’m their child. This song by the former 10,000 Maniacs frontwoman is exactly what I want to say to my parents. So mum, dad “You've been so kind and generous, I don't know how you keep on giving/ For your kindness I'm in debt to you/ For your selflessness, my admiration/ For everything you've done, you know I'm bound, I'm bound to/ thank you for it….”

“These Words” – Natasha Bedingfield

Imagine your brother is a number one selling pop-star, you get signed to his label and many think it’s because of your older brother’s chart success. The label is piling on the pressure to write a hit pop song. Then your brother goes and writes yet another chart topper. You might hate them, unless you’re the Natasha Bedingfield, then you’ll just write something like: “Now you've gone & raised the bar right up/ Nothing I write is ever good enough/ These words are my own/ From my heart flow/ I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you/ There's no other way/ To better say/ I love you, I love you…” I guess you can love your siblings even when they are more successful. You have to put that rivalry away someday.

“Ugly” – Sugababes

Loving your family is important, but more important than that, and more difficult, is learning to love yourself. And for some of us it’s not just our own self-doubt we have to battle. In 2005 the British satellite TV station Sky One aired the programme Celebrity Mingers (the definition for a minger in the Urban Dictionary is “British slang term for someone so appallingly ugly, their appearance can cause gastro-intestinal distress, erectile dysfunction and/or vaginal dryness”) included in the list was Sugababes’ songstress Mutya Buena. The hit song “Ugly”, followed on their next album Tall in More Ways and tells you all you need about her reaction. “Everybody talks bad about somebody/ And never realises how it affects somebody/ And you bet it won't be forgotten/ Envy is the only thing it could be/ People are all the same/ And we only get judged by what we do/ Personality reflects name/ And if I'm ugly then/ So are you…” For the record, I don’t think she’s a minger.

“Bubbly” – Colbie Caillat

This perfect, gladsome, engaging love song captures perfectly the feeling a woman gets when she starts down that road to being truly in-love. The key to this elegant little song’s success is that the simple backing music of acoustic and electric guitar, some synth and drum, accomplices the light-hearted lyrics: “You've got me feelin' like a child now/ 'Cause every time I see your bubbly face/ I get the tingles in a silly place”. And the chorus of “They start in my toes/ And I crinkle my nose/ Wherever it goes/ I always know/ That you make me smile/ Please stay for a while now”…

“Like the Way She Moves” – Chris Isaak

“I was laying in bed trying to catch my breath. Half ashamed half smiling at the things we did. She made it clear from the start it was a one night stand. But I was thinking of ways to make her change her plan.” Ok this isn’t love, but it sure feels like it when it’s you lying in bed sweaty, sated and sleepy, you’ve just had the best sex of your life with a person who also made you laugh. It’s not love now, but why couldn’t it become love? Chris Isaak’s throaty, earthy vocals and the bluesy roots-rock guitar, accent the libidinous lyrics that express just that very feeling. This song is a delightfully lustful, sensuously naughty song that touches me in the centre of my carnal soul.