Tracks of the Year 2019

Here are my top 40 tracks of 2019 presented in reverse order with obligatory playlist.

40) Rocket Fuel by DJ Shadow feat De La Soul


39) Black Star Dancing by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

38) Hot Motion by Temples

37) Tonight by Katy J Pearson

36) Symbols Of Joy And Eternity by Sundara Karma

35) Lo/Hi by The Black Keys

34) Dancing In Love by Alice Jemima


33) Sunrise by Alice Ivy

32) Northern Holiday by Kaiser Chiefs

31) Blame It On The Summertime by Miles Kane

30) Sad Boi by Seratones

29) Final Form by Sampa The Great

28) Blankenship by DIIV


27) Summer Lover (MBRZ Remix) by Cub Sport

26) Forget Your Name ( Kevin Parker Alt Mix) by Mini Mansions

25) To Feel Good by Swim Deep

24) Cool As Hell by Baker Boy

23)  Nobody’s Home by Mallrat featuring Basenji

22) Go by The Black Keys


21) Wandering Star by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

20) Record Collection by Kaiser Chiefs

19) Lost It Mode by Fiction

18) Bust This Town by Stereophonics

17)  Clouds Of Saint Marie by Ride


16) Must I Evolve? by JARV IS...

15) Bad Guy by Billie Ellish

14) Salted Caramel Ice Cream (Moscoman Remix) by Metronomy

13) Remember The Name by Ed Sheeran feat Eminem & 50 Cent

12) Got To Keep On by The Chemical Brothers

11) Sister Buddha by Belle and Sebastian

10) Inappropriate Behaviour by Lime Cordial

9) Don’t Look At The Sun (Or You’ll Go Blind) by Pond

8) Melody Of Love by Hot Chip

7) Graveyard Of The Outcast Dead by Frank Turner

6) Once by Liam Gallagher

5) Salt & Pepper by Dope Lemon

4) Make A Move by Winston Surfshirt

3) Charlie by Mallrat

2) Patience by Tame Impala

1) Borderline by Tame Impala

Mixtape December 2019

The final monthly round up of the decade and as Australia is baking in another December heatwave there is a Summertime theme to this month's playlist.  Keep Hydrated!

1) Wandering Star by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
I’m a sucker for chiming bells on a record at this time of year.

2) Kiss Like The Sun by Jake Bugg
A guitar stomper from Nottingham’s finest.

3) Ice Cream Party by Modest Mouse
A six minute sonic invitation and a welcome suggestion during the Aussie Summer.

4) Must I Evolve? By JARV IS...
Jarvis Cocker monologues set to unsettling musical jams like Pulp circa 1992.

5) Cane Fields by Natural High Music featuring Wayne Marshall, Jesse Royal & Kabaka Pryramid
Social justice message in a modern reggae song - however I don’t endorse fire starting in the cane fields.

6) Sunrise by Alice Ivy & Cadence Weapon
Great tune with summer vibes if you still have the motivation to jump around.



7) Beautiful World (acoustic) by The Beautiful Girls
An acoustic version of a 2018 single from these Aussie dub heads.

8) Your Capricious Soul by Michael Stipe
Another legendary frontman returns with new solo material after a quiet decade.

9) Hollow World by Elephant Stone
Psychedelic pop

10) Enjoy The Silence by Nada Surf
Lively cover of this Depeche Mode classic that is almost 30 years old. I’m feeling like Ancient Indie Kid now!

11) Everlasting Nothing by Beck
Beck has just released his 14th album Hyperspace and this electronic gospel number was co-authored with Pharrell Williams.

12) Show Love by Winston Surfshirt
Laidback grooves that will soundtrack another hot Aussie summer.

13) Talk Deep by E^ST
I can assure any youngsters that you will want sleep and talking deep all night will interrupt this.  Priorities change as you get older.
OK Boomer

14) Dance Monkey by Tones and I
This song now holds the record for spending the longest time at the top of the Australian chart (18 weeks so far).

15) Orphans by Coldplay
Coldplay have been on the scene for two decades now.

16) Get On by Easy Street
Australian band with a nod to Bob Dylan.



17) Roddy by Djo
Hard to describe but hard to dislike.

18) Out Of Control (The Avalanches Surrender Remix) by The Chemical Brothers featuring Bernard Sumner
The original is a pounding big beat monster from twenty years ago but this remix version has surfaced with the Avalanches chilling things out considerably.

19) Feel Good Summer by SCABZ
Don't be fooled by the title, this grungy takedown of entitled wankers and the end of the effin' world as we all burn together



20) White Wedding by Graham Coxon
A cover of Billy Idol's classic that didn't make his latest soundtrack.

Mixtape Oct/Nov 2019

As I failed to get my playlist/blog sorted for October, I've skipped it and instead have a bumper double album for November.  Like all good double albums there is something for everyone and some tracks that you may wonder how they made the final cut.  I refer you to the Brexit Disco stomp of track 20 as an example.  No blurb this time or I will never release this!

1) Blame It On The Summertime by Miles Kane



2) Bored and Razed by The Saboteurs

3) Chrysalis by Empire of The Sun

4) Rocket Fuel by DJ Shadow featuring De La Soul

5) Mucky Weekend by Dub Pistols featuring Rodney P

6) S T A R by Underworld

7) I'm Good by GRiZ

8) Nuff Respect by The Allergies featuring Andy Cooper



9) Don't Look At The Sun (Or You'll Go Blind) by Pond

10) When She Finds You by Shakespears Sister featuring Richard Hawley

11) Context by The Temples

12) Waiting For A Check by Heaven the Dude featuring Fat Tony and Dent May

13) Good Times by Genesis Owusu

14) Smile by Winston Surfshirt

15) I Know Where The Summer Goes by Belle & Sebastian

16) Bust This Town by Stereophonics



17) Better Than Ever by Flight Facilities featuring Aloe Blacc

18) World I Share by Swim Deep

19) All The Good Girls Go To Hell by Billie Eilish

20) Backstop by Article 54

21) Arabesque by Coldplay

22) A Dream Is All I Need To Get By by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

23) It Might Be Time by Tame Impala



24) Silver by DMA'S

25) Nobody Else by The S.L.P.

26) Paradise by Golden Features & The Presets

27) Moonlight Run by Boo Seeka

28)  Uneventful Days by Beck

29) Head Case by Steve Mason

30) Forgot Your Name (Kevin Parker Alt Mix) by Mini Mansions

31) Monuments by Temples

32) Bad People by Boy & Bear

33) Warning by Pepper featuring Stick Figure

34) Cannibal Tree by Yenkee

35) Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You) by Bombay Bicycle Club

36) Can You See Me Now by Miles Kane

37) Inappropriate Behaviour by Lime Cordiale



38) Wessex Boy (Early Demo Version) by Frank Turner

39) Setting Sun (live acoustic) by Oasis

40) By Myself by Fidlar

Mixtape September 2019

This is in my esteemed opinion, contender for playlist of the year. Enjoy!

1) Joy by Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird
Melbourne band to kick off proceedings this month.

2) Charlie by Mallrat
Great song and Mallrat & I both have dogs called Charlie.



3) You’re Either On Something by Temples
Psychedelic pop taken from the third album coming soon.  This song is so infectious it was in my dream this week and I woke up humming it.

4) I Can’t Grow Peaches On A Cherry Tree by Mystic Braves
A hippy strum-along song.

5) I Melt With You by Surfer Blood
A cover originally recorded by Modern English in 1982.

6) Something In The Water by Shannen James
Debut single by an Australian singer-songwriter.

7) Roots Girl by Eli Mac, Paula Fuga & Nattali Rize
Obligatory reggae track of the month.



8) This Is The Place by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Ten years on from the Oasis split, Noel is churning out the hits with beats and vocals replacing the usual guitars.

9) Jet by Shonen Knife
Brilliant cover of the Wings classic by the only Japanese band I know.

10) Every Little Thing by The Black Keys
Thankfully the Black Keys haven't turned their backs on dirty guitar riffs or tunes



11) Exit Sign by Hilltop Hoods, Illy & Eva Vandal
Aussie hip hop legends collaborate on a track about getting out of the club.

12) Remember The Name by Ed Sheeran, Eminem & 50 Cent
I first heard this Ed Sheeran song and thought great beat then Eminem and 50 Cent started rapping.  This is the most surprising collaboration of the year linking Ipswich and Detroit.

13) Junglist Warrior by Lady Waks, Deekline & Freestyles
Massive jungle tune based on Ini Kamoze's nineties hit Here Comes The Hotstepper.



14) Get Over Myself by Bootleg Rascal
More bloody great Australian music.

15) Clouds of Saint Marie by Ride
Shimmering guitars and dreamy vocals make this an instant favourite.

16) Angel Eyes by The Czars
Now this is my favourite ABBA song given a stripped-back gender reassignment.

17) Record Collection by Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chief's lead single from their latest album.  Clever lyrics and as catchy as the common cold.

18) Salted Caramel Ice Cream (Moscoman Remix) by Metronomy
A remix of Metronomy's latest iconic tune.  Lyrics are again off the chart. 

19) 2 Much by The Allergies & Andy Cooper
Keep 'em coming - I can't get enough of these tracks.

20) Forgot Your Name by Mini Mansions
A song about dancing and romancing off your face and having minimal recall.

Mixtape August 2019

1st day of August and I've finished my blog on time.  I'm going to give myself the rest of the month off.

1) The Graveyard of the Outcast Dead by Frank Turner
An alternative Christmas song about a dead Southwark prostitute. Better than it sounds!

2)  Give Me Honey by Dope Lemon
Stoner rock from Angus Stone.  The Album Smooth Big Cat is my favourite so far this year.



3) Impossible Knots by Thom Yorke
Could this be Thom's funkiest bassline ever?

4)  Fly (King Britt Remix) by Low
The haunting vocals from the lo-fi rockers given a subtle remix tweaking.

5) In My Mind by Alice Ivy featuring Ecca Vandal
Cut N Paste Dream Pop

6) Martini (Happiness Is Wealth Disco Remix) by The Presets
Aussie dance track stretching out over nine minutes

7) Jacuzzi Rollercoaster by Roisin Murphy & Ali Love
A duet featuring Ali Love and Roisin Murphy formerly of Moloko fame.

8) Melody of Love (Adelphi Music Factory Remix) by Hot Chip
An awesome remix that sounds like an early nineties rave track.

9) Bizarre Love Triangle Live at MIF by New Order & Liam Gillick
New Order have released a live remix album of their greatest hits.  Bizarre Love Triangle remains one of my favourite songs of all time.  Always fun to hear new versions but the vocals are rather weak on this recording.

10) Linked by Bonobo 
Only discovered this ambient groove artist yesterday, 21 years into his career.  His last full album Migration makes a sublime late night listen.  Co-incidentally he was born two weeks after me and grew up in Hampshire.  We have never (knowingly) met. 


11) Dancing In Love by Alice Jemima
Lush new single - love her voice.

12) Talk It Out by Matt Corby & Tash Sultana
Two Aussies collaborating on a laid-back duet.

13) Once by Liam Gallagher
Sounding more like John Lennon than usual - not a fan of Liam's solo career but this cuts mustard.

14) Rollin With The Flow by Kurt Vile
A fantastic good time stoner country rock ballad originally recorded by Charlie Rich in 1977.

15) Walking Away From Love by Steve Mason
More quality daftness from the former Beta Band man.   



16) How Can A Head by The Flaming Lips featuring Mick Jones
It is now twenty years since the amazing 1999 album The Soft Bulletin and this sounds just as good.  The Flaming Lips more often than not get too weird to enjoy but their latest album King's Mouth: Music and Songs is a return to form.  This is Mick Jones from Foreigner (not The Clash).

17) Northern Holiday by Kaiser Chiefs 
The Kaiser Chiefs just released an excellent new album called Duck which recalls the bands glory days.

18) Restless (Riddim Punks Remix) by The Skints featuring Protoje
This has everything.  London's Skints - check, Jamaica's Protoje - check and drum n bass remix - check.  Happy listening!

19) One Club Town by Real Lies 
Love the heavily sampled nineties track - still trying to figure out what it is??? Answers on a postcard please.

20) Bullet With Butterfly Wings by Karen O.
A smashing Smashin' Pumpkins cover.

Mixtape July 2019

July was getting away from me and I hadn't created my monthly blog.  I'm getting very slack but if you excuse the tardiness then you should enjoy my latest playlist of indie/dance/soul/pop.

1) Timee by Stevan 
Dreamy pop from a teenager from Wollongong.  I'm tipping him as one to watch.

2) Salt & Pepper by Dope Lemon
Angus Stone should always be watched.  This time he has a narcotic hook that buries itself deep in your brain.  New Dope Lemon album is out now.

3) Make A Move by Winston Surfshirt
More laid back grooves from Australia.

4) Teach Me About Dying by Holy Holy 
Holy Holy will release their third album next year and this is an excellent taster.

5) Lucifer by Charles Bradley
Posthumous release from the soul man singing  joyfully about Lucifer and Obama.

6) Sad Boi by Seratones 
Fantastic new song from Seratones.  Instant classic.

7) She's A Runaway by The Coral
Liverpool's The Coral are still recording great music currently influenced by 70s country pop.

8) Sail On by Noel Gallagher
It's almost ten years since Oasis broke up and if I had to pick sides I'ld definitely (not maybe) be in Noels corner. 

9) Repetition by Ride
Speaking of former Oasis members, Andy Bell's reformed shoegaze band are going to release their sixth album next month.

10) Frankenstein by Editors
"Won't you dance like a monster with me".

11) Be Someone by CamelPhat & Jake Bugg
Jake Bugg's distinctive vocals appearing on a pounding dance track.

12) So Far by Thomaz Krause  
Big in Brazil and seems to have unlimited supply of funky rhythms.

13) Spell by Hot Chip
Hot Chip's latest album A Bath Full of Ecstasy is full of gems. Great video too!

14) Sister Buddha by Belle & Sebastian
Chiming guitars and another song about finding yourself on a late night bus trip.

15) The Brazilian Hipster (Skeewiff Remix) by Fort Knox Five
Check it out ya, the funk soul brothers!

16) I'm In Love by Mini Mansions
LA Band making cleverly crafted dumb pop rock songs just like Supergrass used to.

17) Good Samaritan by The Hives
The Hives have been quiet for years.  It didn't suit them so they make up for it in these three minutes.

18) Drink Too Much by G Flip
Australian bedroom producer who drinks too much.

19) Family Of Aliens by Teleman
Melodic indie pop from a bunch of nerds - very Hot Chip.

20) People Know How To Love One Another by Kaiser Chiefs 
Ending with a big feel good anthem.  "And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make". 

Mixtape June 2019

Approaching the middle of the year my thoughts begin to turn to the annual and end of a decade lists.
However first I have to go through the motions of the June playlist which has inappropriate Summer vibes (for Australia), plenty of dance tracks and a smattering of covers.

1) To Feel Good by Swim Deep
Four years since their debut album Swim Deep return with uplifting and laid back gospel tinged electro-pop.

2) Go by The Black Keys
Summertime Blues Rock from America's Sweethearts.  The video shows the true story of their reformation after couples therapy.  New album coming in few weeks.



3) Summer Lover (Summer Remix) by Cub Sport & EMBRZ
Continuing the theme of Summer for you lucky bastards in the Northern Hemisphere.

4) More To Life by Albert Hammond Jr.
Fun Fact: Solo Stroke Albert's dad is also a famous musician and songwriter whose compositions include The Hollies "The Air That I Breathe", "Whitney Houston's "One Moment In Time", Aswad's "Don't Turn Around" and Starship's "Nothings's Gonna Stop Us Now".

5) Midnight Love by Sloan Peterson
Top indie guitar rock n roll from a great Sydney band.

6) Rattling Rose by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Noel keeps on churning out the hits.  I'm hoping to see him later this year as the support act for U2's 2019 Joshua Tree Tour.

7) So Sweet by Thomaz Krauze
Just discovered this guy today.  He appears to be a prolific European producer nonspecializing in funky house tunes like this one.

8) Solid Gold (Illyus & Barrientos Remix) by PNAU
We are now into the dancey section which seems to have dominated this month's playlist.  Trance pop from Australia's PNAU who are celebrating their twentieth anniversary of their 1999 debut album.

9) (Vi-Vi) Vicious Games by Paranoid London
London acid house act who are due to release their second album later this year.

10) Rock Non Stop by Cassius
Crossing the channel to France now for some tasty funky house.

11) Find Another Way (Djrum Remix) by Morcheeba
The distinctive vocals of Skye Edwards given a drum n bass tickling.

12) Lost It Mode by Friction & Linguistics
If you prefer your beats harder and dirty, Friction will sort you out with something to gurn to.

13) Homicide by Logic & Eminem
Logic & Eminem rapping very quickly and if you can listen fast enough it's very funny.

14) I'm Still Here by Modest Mouse
Back to guitars with a short catchy track from the Modest Mouse.

15) Alone by Richard Hawley
A quality song and a top voice. 

16) Melody Of Love by Hot Chip
Britain's Favourite Band

17) More Than I Do by Sleeper
A blast from the past - Sleeper with a bitter-comical song about divorce. 

18) Ordinary World by Joy Williams
Finishing off this month's playlist with a trio of covers.  Firstly a tear-jerking  piano ballad cover of Duran Duran's 1993 hit.

19) Beautiful Stranger by DMA's
Sydney's Oasis wannabes cover Madonna's hit from the Austin Power's movie.  This recording comes from DMA's MTV Unplugged session.

20) Can't Stop by Hilltop Hoods
Adelaide's hip hoppers with a faithful cover of the Chili Peppers recorded for Triple J's Like A Version.  Faithful until they insert Phil Collins into the mid-section!

Mixtape May 2019

This month there is a big retro indie-pop flavour to my mixtape.
I'm skirting the outer limits of indie credibility but I think I get away with it due to the dark undertones in many of these tracks.

1) Millennium Drive by BOO Seeka
Wake Up BOO! - Awesome new single from the NSW band.

2) Turn The Light by Karen O & Danger Mouse
Another cut from Danger Mouse's collaboration with the singer from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

3) Borderline by Tame Impala
Lush new single by Perth's biggest band.

4) Stay With Me by Hatchie
Chilled dance track which reminds me of a monster 90's tune - I'll leave you that as a puzzle to solve.

5) Everywhere by Roosevelt
Pretty faithful cover of an old Fleetwood Mac song. Couldn't escape this in 1988 and it used to annoy me but after three decades I can enjoy it. 

6) Easy Way Out by Leisure 
Came across this New Zealand band recently and they fall into the same groovy canyons as Parcels.

7) Hungry Child by Hot Chip
Hot Chip rarely disappoint and this new single starts slow and builds to a layed disco pop song.

8) Symbols of Joy and Eternity by Sundara Karma
This is just pure pop and they deserve to be massive.

9) Night Running by Cage The Elephant & Beck
Always a pleasure to hear Beck's drawl over a track.

10) Don't Get Me Started by Sloan Peterson
Another great single from the creative force of Sydney's Sloan Peterson. 

11) Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
She is one of the biggest pop sensations on the planet.  I didn't know.  I think I included her Bellyache single on this blog last year but I had no idea she was now world famous.  This should give encouragement to the other artists I champion!



12) Sins Are Forgiven by The Dandy Warhols
The hillbilly country twang of the Dandy Warhols at their best.

13) This Thing by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
All Hail the mighty King Gizz & the Liz Wiz - long may they rule the scuzzy universe.

14) Eagle Birds by The Black Keys
Big blues riffs and an infectious groove.  Top band.

15) Ur A Piece of Shit by Ali Barter
Sweary Aussie artist who has has the knack of crafting brilliant feminist rock n' roll.



16) Escape From Los Angeles by Holy Ghost!
80s electronic revivalists with a big slab of NYC disco.

17) Future Love by Ride
This wistful indie guitar pop is a sample of what to expect when Oxford's Ride release their second album since reforming. 

18) Black Star Dancing by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Noel doesn't take much time off - He's already back with new material.  Maybe the sibling rivalry is still pushing him to outshiiiinnne Liam? 

19) Passport by Circa Waves
Great piano driven ballad from talented Liverpool band. 

20) Nightshade by The Lumineers
Another piano based song with lyrics inspired by Game Of Thrones.  As Ramsey Bolton once said, "If you thought this would have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention".

Mixtape April 2019

Running two weeks late this month - been very busy but finally got around to compiling my monthly playlist.  Highly influenced by 90s techno, New York cool and Australian psychedelic rock.

1) Firestarter (Alviin Risk Remix) by The Prodigy
A modern remix of the Prodigy classic that is as in your face as the original was when it was first released back in 1996.  R.I.P. Keith Flint

2) We've Got To Try by The Chemical Brothers
Taken from the new album No Geography out on the 12th April which is shaping up to be a storming record.

3) In Degrees by Foals 
Hailing from Oxford and releasing two albums this year - very dance-able and clearly influenced by Cut Copy.

4) Patience by Tame Impala 
The welcome return of Perth's best band.  There is competition so they had better come up with the goods when their new album comes out.

5) Ray Of Light by Pond
Another challenger for Perth's best band - here performing a cover version of a Madonna song.

6) Real Tight by Methyl Ethel
The other contender for Perth's best band.  I love them all so long may they make interesting trippy sounds.

7) Boogieman Sam by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Could be the best Australian band from outside the Perth area? A bit of a T.Rex vibe on this track. 

8) Lux Prima by Karen O & Danger Mouse
This is nine minutes of lush quality music from producer Danger Mouse with vocals from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' singer.  It is the opening track of an album that deserves a listen.

9) Gummy Bear by Mini Mansions
Mini Mansions appear to be treading the same ground as Tame Impala's Currents.  It is fertile ground so who could blame them.

10) Before The Water Gets Too High by Parquet Courts 
This must be The Beta Band??? 

11) Salt Eyes by Middle Kids 
Aussie slacker indie pop.

12) Don't Be So Hard On Yourself by Alex Lahey 
More Aussie indie pop but with a saxophone solo.

13) Off My Mind by Richard Hawley 
A real rocker from the old Northern Crooner but check the similarity with Pretty Vegas by INXS.

14) Hot Pink by Cousin Tony's Brand New Firebird
Another Melbourne band who produce off kilter pop songs.

15) Face The Facts by Foxygen 
NYC hipsters reminiscing on life in the 70's that they are clearly too young to remember.

16) Steal The Show by The Allergies ft Andy Cooper
Allergies and Andy Cooper are always welcome on this blog and this track is a blinder.

17) Silver Lining by Sons Of The East
Melancholy guitar strumming building to a huge singalong chorus which never arrives...

18) 626 Bedford Avenue by The Drums
The Drums have now been around for ten years and this is their best work since the early days.

19) The Sun Also Rises by Sleeper
This was a surprise - I had heard that Britpop also-runs Sleeper were reforming but never expected I would enjoy their new material.  I hear they are touring the nostalgia circuit along with Embrace, Shed Seven and a host of other 90s bands. 

20) Rapture (Matt Darey Remix) by Erasure
A mental 90s trance remix of Erasure's cover of Blondie's 1981 rap hit.  This isn't new but its new to me.

Mixtape March 2019

Another batch of  music carefully stockpiled and placed in your bunker to get you through the month of March.  

1) Danger - Always Looking for Stranger by Gregg Diamond
A new disco classic with a retro funky 70's vibe.

2) Tough Enough by Ex Hex
Taken from the forthcoming second album - their first release in five years.

3) Ruiner by Methyl Ethel 
Opening track from the Perth band's third album Triage which is heavily influenced by the new wave sounds of the early 80s.

4) Times Won't Change Me by Circa Waves
Liverpool band about to release their third album.

 5) Chaos From The Top Down by Stereophonics 
Obviously inspired by the mess of the British Government.

6) Fast Times by Albert Hammond Jr 
Where are The Strokes?  Come-on guys - reform.  This is alright but it just hints at what we are missing.

7) Enough To Believe (Jamie Jones Remix) by Bob Moses
Excellent catchy modern dance track with some great production and dare I say "sick" beats. 

8) Gangster Trippin (Dan Aux Remix) by Fatboy Slim
The original was a hit twenty years ago and this cut up remix comes via New Zealand DJ Dan Aux.

9) Super Cool by Beck featuring Robyn & The Lonely Island 
Taken from the new Lego Movie - has Beck in funky pop mood - a companion piece to Everything Is Awesome from the first film.  Lyrically it is about staying in the movie to read the credits.  Radio Friendly Unit Shifter.  Yes I would sell out (make me an offer).



10) Be Yourself by Hilltop Hoods ft Ecca Vandal & Nyassa 
Hilltop Hoods have just realised their first album in five years.  This track seems to be built upon a loop of the intro to Harlem Shuffle.

11) In The Capital by Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever 

New music from RBCF - then again its all new music - that's the point.

12) What Can I Do If The Fire Goes Out? by Gang of Youths
 Still milking tracks from their 2017 album - but when it's this good I'll let it pass.

13) Staring At The Sun by Wooden Shijips 
Blissed out hippy shit akin to the Velvet Underground crossed with Spiritualized.

14) Something Tells Me by Meg Mac
Aussie singer with a new song that is destined to be huge.

15) Little Smart Houses by Sundara Karma
Taken from the second album by Reading's Sundara Karma.  Catchy indie pop.

16) Here by Sloan Peterson 
Another great release from Sydney's Sloan Peterson.

17) Heavy For You by The Heavy
Is it too heavy for you?  Actually it's not. In fact it could be much heavier.



18) Spooky Dub by The Nextmen Vs Gentleman's Dub Club featuring Hollie Cook
One of my favourite albums of 2018 gets the full dub version treatment. Tasty!

19) Right For Me by The Teskey Brothers 
Australian band from the Yarra Valley with their take on the Motown sound.

20) Ill Wind by Radiohead
This was released in January with no fanfare - I almost missed it.  Situation remedied.

Mixtape February 2019

This month there is a definite dance vibe to the playlist interspersed with a big old dub section and a few indie shmindie acts towards the end.  It's a strong set if I do say so myself - and I do.

1) Cool As Hell by Baker Boy
Awesome groovy track from the hottest act from the Northern Territory.

2) Lightenup (Alex Metric Remix) by Parcels 
One of my favourite tracks from last year remixed by the great Alex Metric who can always add extra funk to everything he touches.

3) Got To Keep On by The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are back in a rich vein of form lately after some frankly lean years.

4) Cyboogie by king Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
There is something very familiar about this release it sounds like Super Furry Animals covering Dark Side Of The Moon.  Great to have King Giz back after a year's silence.

5) Wide Awake by Parquet Courts
New York band banging out the percussion as if they were A Certain Ratio circa 1982.

6) B.L.M. by The Specials 
Autobiographical tale of the singer's family travelling as part of the Windrush generation and dealing with the attitudes they received in the UK and USA. Best new song I have heard from The Specials in the last 30 years - I am now checking out their new album Encore.

7) Meditate by Golden Features
Another wicked slab of Aussie Dance music taken from the excellent SECT album.

8) Break Down The Walls (Warm Up Jam) by Ian Brown
King Monkey s back with Ripples, his first album in ten years.  It's meant to be a grower - only the second half has grown on me so far.  This reggae cover of Mikey Dread is the final album track.

9) Teardrop (Mazaruni Dub One Remix) by Massive Attack  
A classic song given a dubby remix by the Mad Professor.

10) There Will Come A Time (We Will Die Remix) by Orbital ft Prof. Brian Cox
This remix features a Sane Professor and is even better than the real thing.

11) Forever Dub by Friction ft Kilo Bun 
Keeping it on a dub vibe but introducing some drum n bass beats.

12) Delete by Chase & Status ft Burro Banton
Again Son, Harder! 

13)  Stardust by Gentleman's Dub Club 

And relax - after all that dnb it's time to chill. 

14) Echo Arms by Mr Twin Sister 
Further chilled grooves from an artist from Long Island.

15) Beat 54 (Krystal Klear 12" Mix) by Jungle
From the XL Recordings label - a slice of pure disco heaven.

16) Nobody's Home by Mallrat & Basenji
A sweet collaboration from two Aussie artists. 

17) Confidence by Ocean Alley
Number One in the recent Triple J Hottest 100 countdown as voted by Australia's youth.  Being a grumpy middle-aged music fan I didn't enjoy much of the countdown and sadly now fall into the camp of old men shaking their fists at clouds.  This is a worthy winner from the popular tracks.      

18) Not Done Yet by Sticky Fingers
Taken from their recently released 4th album Yours To Keep, sees the band return after a few years off and infighting in the band.  A comeback record claiming they are far from over.

19) Fun Destruction by Teleman
"We're four boys in our corduroys" playing with their keyboards.

20) Got To Let The Good Times Back Into Your Life by Razorlight
I didn't expect to hear of Razorlight again after their song America was a hit in 2006 and composer Andy Burrows left to pursue a solo career and work with Ricky Gervais.  But surprisingly Razorlight resurrected themselves and returned last year with a new album full of feelgood anthems.

Mixtape January 2019 (Cover Version Special)

The final year of the decade has begun.  A decade that doesn’t have a recognised name to describe it.
I am looking forward to the Twenties when such issues are resolved and I can focus on proper problems.  However I have been on holiday and failed to create a playlist at the start of the month.  So here is a cover version playlist to make up for it.  Normal service will be restored soon...

1) Summer In The City by Johnny Marr and Matt Johnson
Reuniting Johnny Marr with his friend and singer from The The with a great cover of this ‘60s classic - originally written and recorded by The Lovin' Spoonful.

2) Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t Have) by Bob Evans
The original by the Buzzcocks was sung by Pete Shelley who sadly died in December 2018. R.I.P.

3) Faith by The Boy Least Likely To.
Early learning instruments well used in this George Michael cover.

4) I’m On Fire by Chromatics.
Bruce Springsteen song given stripped back treatment.

5) Linger by Freedom Fry
The original was a hit for The Cranberries and this cover is by the same group who also recorded an excellent version of 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins.

6) Let It Happen by Husky
A Tame Impala song covered by a Melbourne band

7) Eventually by Lucius
Another Tame Impala track performed here by Brookyn band Lucius.

8) Take On Me by Weezer
A-ha are one of my guilty pleasures. Weezer have just released the Teal Album comprised of covers so that is obviously album of the month.

9) Diamonds Are Forever by Arctic Monkeys
Brilliant Bond Theme from a terrible Bond movie.  If you enjoy 007 then check out the Smershpod Podcasts which review all the Bond films and then mercilessly rip them apart.

10) Love Is Blindness by Jack White
The former White Stripe covers a U2 album track from Achtung Baby.

11) Hungry Like The Wolf by Muse 
Muse with a live recording of the Duran Duran hit from 1982.

12)  Inbetween Days by Ben Folds
Ben Folds with a distinctive cover of this 1985 hit by The Cure.

13) Interesting Drug by OK Go
A cover of Morrissey's 1989 hit.

14) Don't Look Back In Anger by Portugal. The Man
Laidback version of the Oasis classic.

15) Bittersweet Symphony by Mondo Cozmo
Original by The Verve who stole the strings from a classical cover of the Rolling Stone's the Last Time.  This cover is several layers deep just like the film Inception.

16) Clint Eastwood by Naosol & The Waxx Blend
Sunshine in a bag.

17) I Believe In A Thing Called Love by Branches
Cover of the 2003 song by The Darkness

18) Synth For The Devil  by Jan Blomqvist 
A dance workout of a classic from The Rolling Stones

19) Do You Realize? by Blue Fringe
Cover of The Flaming Lips by an Israeli Band.

20) The Rip by Wilsen
Original by Portishead taken from the 2008 album Third.