My friend Olga is the hardest working music blogger on the intergooglewebtubes..  Her Rock Britain blog is mandatory reading for anyone who wants to keep up on the UK music scene: well-written, informative, interesting stuff.

What really blows me away about Olga is that she covers the UK scene so well from her home in Moscow.  She really is a wonder, and with her schedule I’m surprised that she found the time to write a “Deep Cuts.”  She laid down some tasty cuts for you, so let’s get to it:

Music taste is a curious notion: some are attached to a strict set of genres and don’t wary their routine, while others are always ready for new discoveries. Most certainly, I belong to the latter category. Even despite my obvious gravitation towards heavier styles of music, I’m not snobbish when it concerns this art in general and am open for most genres. It just must feel good.

 My taste in music started shaping at the age of about 10 when my child mind first perceived the magic of music. Back then it was pop that took me in its firm embrace and didn’t let go for the following 7 years until Queen interfered in its domination in my life and started averting me to rock music slowly, without much resistance from my side though.

 Then years of searching and trying a great number of music styles followed and my wanderings took me as far as R&B, soul, pop charts classics, dance music and even extreme metal directions. These wanderings obviously triggered some genetic mutation and graced me with the music taste I now have.

 By my very early twenties this whirlwind of experiments had stopped and I found my taste pretty much shaped as to what I like and what don’t. However, my iPod collection is still a huge mish-mash of genres that are sometimes hard to imagine jumbled up in one playlist and to say nothing of in one person’s mind. But it’s all about feeling good, remember?

“We are the Champions,” Queen. Queen were the band who began the revolution in my likes and dislikes in music and above all, they are the band whose songs send nothing but chills down my spine: a truly mighty collective who had a huge influence over me.

“The Bitter End,” Placebo.  Placebo’s poisonous and witty songs are a necessary dose of these two notions in my life. I absolutely love their alternative, sharp, sarcastic tunes and the way this band speak their mind – something that resonates with me for sure.

“The Kill,” Thirty Seconds To Mars.  Mars’s music has some powers over me which are very much beyond my own understanding. Open to experiment, mingling huge, atmospheric rock melodies with electronics and impressive instrumentation and making their band ethics involving much more than just a music collective, but a clan of like-minded individuals all over the world, Thirty Seconds To Mars make highly delicious music cocktail for my heart and soul.

“Red Flag,” Billy Talent. I’m a bit of a rebel at times and in need of gritty, loud, in-your-face punk rock. When Billy Talent soundtrack the riot in my head, the whole world can wait.

“Bedshaped,” Keane.  My love of everything beautiful finds its reflection in music too. Keane’s piano-driven rock is exactly my definition of beautiful music that propels mellow reflections accompanied by a cup of tea.

“Better Than Love,” Hurts. What first began as guilty pleasure, turned into full-time love affair between me and Hurts, who now occupy the place of one of my most favourite bands. The elegance and aristocracy of Hurts and their music simply couldn’t leave me indifferent for too long as I love my music beautiful, remember?

“The Depths,” Of Mice & Men.  You didn’t expect me to get that brutal, did you? However, here I come with my favourite hardcore band. After all, we all need a bit of healthy aggression in our lives from time to time.

“A Ton of Love,” Editors.  Eerie, quirky, elaborate music is among my all-time favourites for its atmosphere and sophistication. Post-punk from Editors is just right up my alley for that exactly reason and besides a very good late night listen.

“Inhaler,” Foals. I do love a bit of good, quality indie from time to time and I mean good and quality. If an indie band don’t sound like a million other indie bands, they’ll easily find their way to my music collection just like Foals did. And oh, if you haven’t seen them live, do yourself a favour – avert that misfortune and thank me after.

“Links 2-3-4,” Rammstein. Germans are experts in making industrial music. Especially when sung in German, it has a strange, hypnotic fascination for me, which I can’t explain in simple words – you know, the one that puts you in the state of awe. That’s how Rammstein affect me and that’s exactly why they’re generously present in my music collection.

 So, if you are still with me and have managed to digest the music meal I’ve cooked for you, well done: you’ve just understood my music world a bit better. Here’s a tasty bonus for you!

“Bones,” Young Guns:

Are you interested in writing your own “Deep Cuts” to share with your WIM-minded brothers and sisters?  Leave a comment or send me an email at: jostaffordjr@gmail.com.