I sort of made this one up as I went along but really enjoyed it. I hope, as they say, you did too!

Agnes Obel – Falling, Catching. A recent discovery and absolutely delightful. She is Danish but lives and records in Germany. Easily one of my albums of the year and that’s why there are two songs on here.

Amiina – Over and Over Again. I recently saw them play at XOYO in London. They were great but the venue is shit, unspeakably shit. Do not go there. Amiina are Sigur Ros’s string quartet who play all sorts of weird and wonderful instruments.

The Besnard Lakes – Skyscraper Girls. Having lulled you into a false sense of Scandinavian security I hit you with 9 minutes of white noise. I find this band great to write or read to.

Band of Horses – Factory. I love the opening line to this song. Proper poetry like.

The Cardigans – You’re the Storm. This comes from the album Long Gone Before Daylight which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest and darkest pop albums of the past decade. Hugely under-rated and far more to them than that Lovefool song.

Talking Heads – Love-Building on Fire. A golden oldie.

Stina Nordestam – 125. How her songs can be so bleak and so darn catchy at the same time is beyond me.

Soko – Shitty Day. She’s French and was nominated for a Cesar for some movie she was in last year.

Smashing Pumpkins – Mayonaise. Billy Corgan is an odious little shit but his bad did make some wonderful music before they vanished up their collective arsehole.

Shannon McNally and Neal Casal – Pale Moon. I recently saw a photo of McNally and she is stunning. I like this even more now.

Ane Brun – Big in Japan. I could take or leave the original but am quite charmed by this cover version.

Robert Forster – Alone. Ditto.

Rickie Lee Jones – Altar Boy. Another wonderful opening line.

Red House Painters – Shock Me. Another album I like to play while writing.

Oscar Danielson & Emma Nordenstam – En Ganska Lyckard Kvall. She is Stina’s sister. I love the woompwoompwoomp in this song.

Agnes Obel – Brother Sparrow. More from the great Dane.

OP8 – Sand. Howe Gelb and Lisa Germano side-project from some years back. There’s a real Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwook vibe to the whole thing.

No Tomorrow’s Party – The Well. Some bloke created an album of sounscapes inspired by Haruki Murakami novels. Reminds me of David Sylvian. I think you can get the whole thing for free online.

The National – Conversation 16. Almost certainly my album of the year. Stunning stuff.