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".