01/09/2020

Old Indie Kid's Mixtape September 2020

Welcome to my first Monthly Blog of 2020.   Each month I pick my top twenty new songs (released or discovered) and put them in my monthly Spotify playlist which will be linked below and write some blurb on why I love these records.  I had been writing these regularly since November 2015 but I've been slack  haven't updated my blog since December.  

I spent much of January listening to the Britpop Banter Podcast @britpopbanter and created a Twitter account to get involved with the musical debates on old beloved albums.  However, once on Twitter I discovered so many fantastic bands coming out of the UK, mostly unsigned and a large community of like-minded (often mature/immature) nutters who love the old bands (Oasis, Roses, Charlatans, Ride etc) but were also open to hearing something new.  So hopefully if you're reading this you will stick the playlist on and enjoy some amazing new songs whilst reading my whitterings below.



1) Days Gone By by Dictator  @Dictator_Band
This Scottish's band's third single is an immense track that creeps towards your ears with menacing intent and contains dark hypnotic rhythms reminiscent of Dandy Warhols Come Down era.  Be warned, this music is infectious and will demand repeated plays as it worms it's way deeper into your mind.      

2) Brightstar by Social Room  @SocialRoomband
Starts with horns, the drums kick in, a powerful gravely voice and guitars begin to build to a killer chorus.  Social Room hail from Sunderland and this track is the lead song from a 5-track EP released twelve months ago.  They have a new single about to come out so give them a follow. 
   
3) Start Again by GreenCircles @greencircles74
The lead track from the new E.P. from Newcastle's GreenCircles. Amazing vocals here accompanied by some lush strings.  I've been following this band for about six months now and bought all their singles over on Bandcamp.  GreenCircles singles are fairly varied in style and you can hear influences from Primal Scream, The Stone Roses, Teenage Fanclub and especially the Liverpool music scene.  They haven't put a foot wrong in my book and are one of my top finds of the year.    
   


4) Chasing Gold by Crimson Bloom @CrimsonBloomUK
Crimson Bloom are my favourite new band discovered in 2020.  They were formed by Andrew Johnson (aka #MrBloom) a prolific singer songwriter with a plan to create an album in a similar style to The Stone Roses debut.  The Crimson Bloom band recreate the jangly guitar pop, indie rockers and spaced out baggy grooves from the late 80s/early 90s that first turned me on to great music. Crimson Bloom have two excellent albums and a selection of great T-shirts which can be found in my wardrobe and over on Bandcamp.  

5) Please Don't (In Isolation)  by Bloosoms & Courteeners  @BlossomsBand & @thecourteeners
Blossoms have been recording a series of isolation covers during their lockdown and remotely recording with other bands.  I don't know a lot about the Courteeners - I hear they are big in Manchester and Please Don't was probably a big hit back in the day but the song was new to me.  Listen out and name the snippet of another classic song they segue into on this version.     

6) Marmalade Dreams by Alligator Moon  @alligator__moon
Strange things are afoot in West Yorkshire and it involves the Alligator Moon, a time portal to 1967 and a field of magic mushrooms.  Whether these are linked or co-incidental needs further investigation.  Marmalade Dreams is taken from The Erractic Explosion of Colour & Compassion album released in April.     

7) Has It All Gone Wrong by The Jack Fletcher Band @jackfband
Good question?  In general - yes it has but the advice from this talented Wolverhampton band is to keep keeping on.  What else can we do?   



8) Reasons To Be (Spacekid Remix) by Moonlight Parade @band_parade
Another of my favourite new bands come from the South Coast and have two LPs, some EPs and a handful of remixes by the mysterious Spacekid.  This tune was released in February and is my pick of the trippy dance remixes.       

9) Lucy by DDE's @wearetheddes
The DDE's are a great Manchester band and their latest EP Calm Before The Storm is a sonic blast - four tracks all killer no filler.  

10) Behind The Sun by Eskobar 
This beast of a track comes from a Stockholm band that have been playing together since the mid 90's. 

11) Youth by Pioneers @UK_Pioneers
Southampton's Pioneers with a tale of hedonism - they play unglamorous indie rock n roll and sound like a laddish version of The Libertines.  Plenty to love here.     

12) Fake ID by Spyres @spyr3s
Two female singers in this this excellent Scottish indie rock band Singing about blagging their way into venues with fake ID.  Absolutely brilliant - only two songs on Spotify so far but they are gaining a huge following. 

13) Affliction by Pink Tide Great Three piece band from Teeside who unfortunately split up during the lockdown when one third quit the band.  Two thirds plan to continue working together and hope to re-emerge with a new band.  These are the times we are living in so if you can afford to, please support the artists you love.  Like my dentist once told me, "Only brush the ones you want to keep".    

14) Something's Gotta Give by Jamie Webster @JamieWebster94
Jamie just released his debut album We Get By in August and he's another massive talent emerging from Liverpool.  This is a savage take on the crooked clowns of the Boris Johnson government failing the country and "the dreamers left out to rot".  Heartbreaking but an amazing protest song.
  

15) Tangled Up by The Royston Club @TheRoystonClub
Welsh band from Wrexham who have just signed a management deal this week. They have clocked up over half a million streams on Spotify and sold out three gigs at the end of the year.  Great band - give their latest EP This State I'm In a spin.  

16) Nobody Else by Dylan John Thomas @DylanJohnThoma5
Young Scottish singer songwriter with some lovely songs and a big following.  This song was released in March 2019 and is close to a million streams now.  Not bad for a recording he made in his shed. 

17) On The Back Burner by The Reytons @TheReytons
The Reytons have been going for a few years now telling the tales of the Kids off the Estate. The Reytons sound like the early Arctic Monkeys and the lyrics are just as good which obviously very high praise from me.  Perhaps they stole Alex Turner's notepad and gave him a wedgie for good measure?   

18) Ripley Jean by Afflecks Palace @afflecks_palace
Back to Madchester for the latest baggy revivalists.  Afflecks Palace will release their 2nd EP Everything Is An Attempt To Be Human in Mid September which will include Ripley Jean, It All Comes Around and Pink Skies. They are touring the UK later this year.    



19) Can't Get Out Of Bed by The Mariners @TheMarinersBand
This is the closing track on 60's inspired debut album The Tides of Time.  They are releasing this fantastic album on vinyl via their Bandcamp site from 4th September.  I have the CD and it is wonderful to play and look at. #GetOnTheBoat    

20) Marquee by Liam Hillier  @liamhillyermus1
 Playing out with another Scouser crooning his heart out.  Liam is a great songwriter - follow him, listen to his songs and share them widely.      

If you heard something you like, please follow the bands on Twitter, Spotify, Bandcamp or just start to follow them around if you see them in the street.  As I mentioned above, if you love 'em and can afford to support them, then buy a ticket, t-shirt, vinyl, CD or download.  Streaming pays almost nothing to the artists and they've had a tough year with no gigs.  

See you in October 
Cheers Danny x @oldindiekid1 

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