Mixtape April 2017

This month has a bumper crop of new music to enjoy - so much so that there isn't even room for the obligatory track by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.  I'm sure normal service will resume next month.  But when Gorillaz, Slowdive and Saint Etienne emerge from hibernation in the same week you have to find the room somewhere.

1) Progress by Public Service Broadcasting - Continually experimenting with new ideas and techniques, reconstructing, developing, modernizing.

2) Star Roving by Slowdive - An epic return of woozy atmospherics from the pre-Britpop dark ages of Shoegazing.

3) Andromeda by Gorillaz featuring D.R.A.M. One of four new tracks released ahead of new album.

4) Do You Wanna Get Into Trouble by Soulwax - AKA 2manydjs released a great new dance album.

5) True Lovers by Holy Holy - The first of 2manyAussieRockers on this month's playlist?

6) The Two Of Us by The Jesus And Mary Chain - LOVE this - Isobell Campbell (ex Belle & Sebastian) duets with William Reid on the first JAMC album in 19 years.

7) Want by Adam Counts - Someone sampled Sarah Blasko's 2009 hit "All I Want".

8) Escape by Tricky - Trip hop instrumental.

9) Heather by Saint Etienne - Dark synths announce the first new music from St Etienne since 2012.

10) Going Backwards by Depeche Mode - First DM song I've liked in 27 years.  Not a great return ratio.

11) Saturday by Real Estate - The unofficial soundtrack to Johnny Marr's daydream.

12) Dodged A Bullet by Alice Jemima - Hails from Devon and makes great music.

13) Gurzle by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - New from Perth's Class A garage rockers.

14) The Weather by Pond - Continuing the altered Western Australian state of consciousness.

15) Double Darkness by Big Scary - Echo piano and dirty beats lifted from their "Animal" album.

16) Bellyache by Billie Eilish - Californian singer with a poppy murder ballad.

17) Sold My Medicine by The Mysterons - Music from Amsterdam.

18) Monday Morning, Somewhere Central by Ultimate Painting - Has a lovely VU vibe.

19) Midnight At The Plutonium by The John Steel Singers - Indie pop from Brisbane.

20) You and Yr Friends by Football Club - New Anthem from Melbourne's version of The Libertines.

Open playlist in Spotify 

Mixtape March 2017

Some excellent albums and singles have been released in the last few weeks and these 20 tracks come highly recommended by the Old Indie Kid.

Open playlist in Spotify 

1) Always Sad by The Jesus And Mary Chain - Great news the JAMC are back together!

2) Strange Medicines by 485c - Looking forward to hearing more from these Londoners in 2017

3) Home Is A Feeling by Ride - Another influential 90's indie band have reformed.

4) Just A Boy by Jaws - I know very little about them but they made the cut.

5) White Man by Macy Gray - little bit of racial and sexual politics.

6)  Elevator by Holy Holy - New album out now from these Aussie retro guitar troubadours.

7) Home Soon by Dope Lemon - Angus Stone's funky stoned return.

8) Melting by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - from their new album Flying Microtonal Banana

9) Darling by Real Estate - New Jersey's Beach-core survivors

10) Jungle by Tash Sultana - Best Australian reggae since Men In Work's Land Down Under?

11) The Scientist by Corinne Bailey Rae - Coldplay cover from the 50 Shades Of Grey sequel.

12) L'Heure des Sorcieres by Methyl Ethel - New album from Perth's coolest band is released on Friday.

13) Golden by Kingswood - More Aussie AOR.  I need to have a word with myself - I'm getting soft.

14) Johny by Sofi Tukker - Words can't do it justice so I won't even try.

15) She by Apes - Yet another Australian indie band...

16) Who Knows (SHY FX Remix) by Protoje featuring Chronixx - One of my favourite reggae tunes given a dnb remix - not sure if this sub gene will catch on but too interesting to ignore.

17) Slow Slippy by Underworld - I have pinpointed the peak 90's moment as when Renton lights Begbie's cigarette and gets a face full of smoke to the opening chords of Born Slippy.  This remix from T2 Trainspotting soundtrack is both familiar but distorted.

18) Does It by Tricky featuring Casisdead - The whispered sound of claustrophobia.

19) Thick Girls Knock Me Out by The Dandy Warhols - Rocking Out

20) Snowdonia by Surfer Blood - A real progression from snotty surf punks to 60's tripsters