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 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 October 2017

There is an electronic flavour to this month's playlist with many groups releasing new tunes in the last few weeks.  The second half is a more mixed bag of indie scmindie covers and full on rock.

1) Everything Is Never Enough by Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp's latest single taken from their seventh album "Silver Eye".

2) Non Believer (Groove Armada's Remix) by London Grammar
Never been a fan of London Grammer, to me they are a moany version of The XX.  Luckily Groove Armada have the skills to improve any source material they remix.

3) Be Friends by Alice Ivy
Summertime good vibes with samples, raps and beats.

4) Chameleon by Pnau & Mele
Pnau are a funky Sydney dance outfit who deliver the goods on this remixed single.
The original version and video are below.



5) Black Rainbows by Cut Copy
Another Australian dance act from Melbourne who have been releasing tunes since 2004.
They have just released their fifth album "Haiku from Zero" and this track is quality.

6) Dive (Colorama & Shawn Lee Remix) by Saint Etienne
St Etienne need no introduction.  This remix is a mint eight minute workout of their recent single.

7) Lullaby Horizon by Way Out West
Bristol dance veterans doing what they do best - trancey chillout tracks.

8) Strange Waves by Shock Machine
Another slice of synthetic pop genius.

9) Poor Man Dan by Diane Coffee
When the drummer left Foxygen to form his own band he seems to have taken the pop spark with him and Foxygen have been in decline ever since.

10) No Diggity by Alice Jemima
I read recently that people who enjoy this song are more likely to be psychopaths - It's a fair cop!



11) Auld Reekie Blues by Reverend And The Makers
Single taken from their 2017 album "Death Of A King".

12) Waterfalls by Kyle Craft
A cover of the excellent TLC song.

13) Stop by Lisa Mitchell
Another cover by an Australian songstress who has just released an EP of cover versions tackling songs by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Placebo.  This one sounded familiar and I couldn't believe who sang the original until I google it.  If you can pick it then shame on you!

14) Up All Night by Beck
The wait is almost over - Beck will release his long awaited new album on the 13th October.  It will include the hits "Dreams", "Wow", "Dear Life" and this one "Up All Night".



15) Isn't Love by Citizen Kay
Australian skip hop artist Citizen Kay originally came from Ghana before he moved to Canberra asa child and has just released his "Belly of the Beast" album.

16) Asshole by The Creases
One of the highlights taken from the Brisbane band's "Tremolow" album.  Such a joyous chorus to sing along to.

17) The Line by Foo Fighters
The singer used to play drums for Nirvana.  This is how he spends his retirement.

18) How Far Must We Go? by Horsebeach
Taken from the Manchester band's third album "Beauty & Sadness".

19) Chateau by Angus & Julia Stone
Taken from the album "Snow" which is becoming one of my favourites of the year.

20) The Finish Line by Embrace
It is now the twentieth anniversary of the release of the first Embrace singles and they are back with a single taken from their eighth album expected in early 2018.