Mixtape March 2018

Summer is officially over in Australia.  But I won't mope about it as there is plenty of new music to enjoy and several more months before it actually gets cold or wet.  Here's to a long Autumn!

1) In The Air by DMA'S
Love this new song - one of their finest - a real maturity.

2) Lay It Down by Black Gold Buffalo
London based group with a  few singles under their collective belts now finishing off their debut album.

3) Bullet Proof by This Is The Kit
What a voice and what a talent!  Kate Sables is the first of two artists from the English City of Winchester to grace this month's playlist.  Heartbreaking song.  Bullet Proof (I'm Glad I'm Not).



4) Does This Last by Boo Seeka
Straight Outta Sydney - lush layered dream-hop not afraid of a catchy chorus.

5) Charlie by Alice Ivy
Australian Alice Ivy has released her debut album I'm Dreaming which is 36 minutes of blissful Avalanches influenced, beats, samples, raps and songs.

6) I'm Waiting For My Man by Beck
Velvet Underground wrote the original about scoring from their dealer over 50 years ago!




 7) Riverview Fog by The Sadies
Opening track from the latest album by the Canadian indie folk rockers.

8) High Enough by K.Flay
"Love Is The Drug" is the message from this American artist.



9) Something For Your Mind by Superorganism
This list is taking something of a narcotic twist - so why fight it?  Here is a collective operating out of London with their debut album due any day now...



10) S.I.A. by GUM 
Perth associate of the Tame Impala crew with his latest slab of funky synth rock.

11) Surface To Air by Django Django featuring Self Esteem
Django Django have gone from strength to strength with their third album containing their best collection of tunes.  Think The Beta Band remixed by Hot Chip... Hmmmm...

12) Treetops by Cloud Control
Cloud Control drift out of Sydney's Blue Mountains making dreamy psychedelic pop.


13) Far From Earth by Stonefield
The Lindlay sisters wallow in old school heavy metal riffs and cliched space exploration/final countdown themes.  I just can't help enjoying it all.  Rock On!

14) Distant Colours by Manic Street Preachers
New Manics is a return to heart on their sleeve passionate rock.

15) 1933 by Frank Turner 
Written in 2016 in the aftermath of the Brexit vote whilst touring the US tour during the last presidential election.  It was enough to anger this folk rocker from Winchester into penning a punky protest song.

16) Everything Is Now (Part Two) by Belle and Sebastian
My favourite Scottish band ever have released a trio of EPs over the last few months fifteen new songs without the burden of expectation that an album brings. 

17) Me and Michael by MGMT
Taken from the excellent new album Little Dark Age.  Very 80's feel here. Is that still in vogue?

18) Fever Dream Girl by Kyle Craft 
New album Full Circle Nightmare on the Sub Pop label.



19) Call Me If You Need Me by Vance Joy
His second album Nation of Two has just been released and will be huge hit propelling Vance Joy towards the top.  The album contains a several excellent singles which will now get wider exposure.

20) Buzzkill by Ash
Short, sweary punky pop song about the death of Summer.  Appropriately timed for the Southern Hemisphere where the 1st March marks the official start of Autumn.

Mixtape January 2018

Happy New Year - this is the first playlist of 2018 and rounds up the newest tracks that have piqued my interest in the last month and a few monster hits that I missed the first time around.

1)  Letter Down by Theo Verney
Theo is a masively talented musician from Brighton in the UK.  His debut album One Small Piece was released in July and includes this prime example of 60's influenced heavy rock.

2) Get By by Diane Coffee
Diane Coffee is the former drummer in Foxygen who has gone on to produce classic camp indie pop records.  This is too catchy to resist.

3) Mourning Sound by Grizzly Bear
This was a single released earlier in 2017 by these US rockers taken from their Painted Ruins album.

4) Give Me A Minute (Stickybuds Remix) by Fort Knox Five
Funky hip hop fresh out of Washington DC.  Their are only four members of the Fort Knox Five but they thought Five was more hip hop than Four.

5) Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man
Alaskan rock band who released this excellent track from their Woodstock album and it was well received all over the world.

6) Holy Mountain by Noel Gallagher & The High Flying Birds
The most joyful tunes ever penned by Noel - he may as well have screamed "It's Christmas" in a Noddy Holder impression.  I'm hoping he avoids an Oasis reunion when his solo career is producing such gems.



7) International Blue by Manic Street Preachers
This sounds like it could have come straight off their most commercial album Everything Must Go which indicates the Manics might be heading back to the mainstream again. in 2018.

8) Monkey Disco (Jono Ma Dub Remix) by The Babe Rainbow
Australia's The Babe Rainbow with a track from their debut album remixed by the man behind Jagwar Ma - taking the lunacy further back into the primeval jungle.

9) Juice (Purple Disco MachineRemix) by Chromeo
Canadian Funk outfit continue the grooves with their Juice single.  The remix is provided by equally funky German house producer Purple Disco Machine.

10) Cabrona by Gin Wigmore
New Zealand singer who released four singles in 2017 so a new album must be incoming shortly.

11) The Priest by Johnny Marr
Former Smith produces the backing track for this tale of homelessness voiced by Shameless actress Maxine Peake.



12) Shasta (acoustic) by Blonde Ambition
American artist whose latest single is backed by a collection of acoustic versions from his debut album.

13) Your Light by Total Giovanni
Laidback groovy track from the Melbourne band.

14) Cast In Stone by Winston Surfshirt
A track that demonstrates the creative genius that flows from this Sydney band.  Tempo changes, wild mood swings and over eight minutes of quality music, lyrics and raps that hints at a fantastic career to come.

15) All Is Known by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Gumboot Soup was the fifth album released by KG&LW in 2017.  It is a varied collection of songs that didn't fit with the themes of their last four albums.  Gumboot Soup is their twelfth album in five years.  The mad bastards!

16) Delusion by Stonefield
The Heaviness continues with the spaced out soundscapes and hypnotic riffs from these Australian sisters.

17) Time by Lee Fields & The Expressions
Classic soul musician with another brilliant song.  If you like this then check out his 2012 album Faithful Man which remains a firm favourite of mine.

18) Come As You Are by Big Scary 
Triple J's Like A Version cover sessions have recently been made available via Spotify and they contain a host of amazing live covers including this one of the Nirvana original. 

19)  Galvanize by Pete Tong with The Heritage Orchestra
It's all gone a bit Pete Tong, the Superstar DJ has teamed up with an orchestra to release his second collection of Ibiza Classics recorded with guest vocals and a full orchestra.  The Chemical Brothers released the original electronic version of Galvanize back in 2004.

20) California by The Growlers
Playing out with The Growlers and their feel good indie rock ode to their home state of California.