And maybe no more so than on the singer-songwriter's latest record, The Happiness Waltz, an album that marries both his past, and present – revisiting an earlier era, where his music was heavily influenced by the 'soft rock' of the 70's, and combining it with lyrical tales drawn from the here and now – his modern day-to-day life, one deeply enriched by his children and family. It may have been 15+ years - from roots in rural Nebraska, through time in 'Music City' Nashville, TN, and to the current day relocated to a new home in cosmopolitan Spain – but it seems that the song spirits have been constant companions for Josh Rouse. I feel lucky in that, after years of being blessed by their presence, the song spirits are still moving through me" I pick up a guitar from time to time and it spills out. HIP HOP CLASSICS - A Tribe Called Quest - 'Electri."Songwriting for me is something I have to do to stay on the sunny side of life.TUESDAY BLUES! Radiohead - The Daily Mail.WEDNESDAY CLUB - The Clash - Complete Control.THURSDAY I'M IN LOVE - Massive Attack - 'Special C.DYLAN COVERS #30 - LAMBCHOP - You're a big Girl no.SATURDAY NIGHT JUKEBOX - Seal -Future Love Paradise.TUESDAY BLUES! Scott Matthews - Elusive.WEDNESDAY CLUB - Kris Kristofferson - To Beat the.WORLD MUSIC CORNER - Kanda Bongo Man - 'Zing Zong'.DYLAN COVERS # 31 - Billy Joel/Phil Collins - The.GUEST SPOT # 30 - Widowspeak - 'In The Pines'.TRACKS OF THE WEEK - Azealia Banks, Lazarus and th.TUESDAY BLUES! Fink - This is the thing.WEDNESDAY CLUB - The Doors - 'Touch Me'.
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WEDNESDAY CLUB - Kingston trio - Greenback dollar.DYLAN COVERS #33 Jeff Buckley - Mama You been on m.
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GUEST SPOT # 32 - Cake - I Will Survive.SATURDAY NIGHT JUKEBOX! - Cut Copy - Future/Need Y.TUESDAY BLUES!!! Bombay Bicycle Club - Rinse Me Down.WEDNESDAY CLUB - Scott Mackenzie - What's the Diff.Nguuni Lovers Lovers - 'Cheza Ngoma' (2011) Taken from a day time Aussie show with presenter, Ray Martin, successfully channelling the Lego man look and a glimpse (1st second of the video, blink you'll miss it) of a young Russell Crowe, probably when he played a bad boy on Home and Away or something. Despite this, it's unlikely I'll be doing any 'Kwassa Kwassa', the signature, 'all in the hips' dance associated with Soukous so watch the video instead. It's a joyous form of music with a great feel which always makes me smile and move some part of my body, sometimes involuntarily. I've always loved that infectious guitar sound so synonymous with Soukous music but I just didn't know where to start, that was until I saw him play on Jools Holland some years back, I bought a couple of albums and it went on from there.
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Great name, great song! Kanda Bongo Man, no, not a superhero you'd be a fool to mess with but probably one of the most famous Congolese 'Soukous' musicians.