Tracks of the Year 2019

Here are my top 40 tracks of 2019 presented in reverse order with obligatory playlist.

40) Rocket Fuel by DJ Shadow feat De La Soul


39) Black Star Dancing by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

38) Hot Motion by Temples

37) Tonight by Katy J Pearson

36) Symbols Of Joy And Eternity by Sundara Karma

35) Lo/Hi by The Black Keys

34) Dancing In Love by Alice Jemima


33) Sunrise by Alice Ivy

32) Northern Holiday by Kaiser Chiefs

31) Blame It On The Summertime by Miles Kane

30) Sad Boi by Seratones

29) Final Form by Sampa The Great

28) Blankenship by DIIV


27) Summer Lover (MBRZ Remix) by Cub Sport

26) Forget Your Name ( Kevin Parker Alt Mix) by Mini Mansions

25) To Feel Good by Swim Deep

24) Cool As Hell by Baker Boy

23)  Nobody’s Home by Mallrat featuring Basenji

22) Go by The Black Keys


21) Wandering Star by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

20) Record Collection by Kaiser Chiefs

19) Lost It Mode by Fiction

18) Bust This Town by Stereophonics

17)  Clouds Of Saint Marie by Ride


16) Must I Evolve? by JARV IS...

15) Bad Guy by Billie Ellish

14) Salted Caramel Ice Cream (Moscoman Remix) by Metronomy

13) Remember The Name by Ed Sheeran feat Eminem & 50 Cent

12) Got To Keep On by The Chemical Brothers

11) Sister Buddha by Belle and Sebastian

10) Inappropriate Behaviour by Lime Cordial

9) Don’t Look At The Sun (Or You’ll Go Blind) by Pond

8) Melody Of Love by Hot Chip

7) Graveyard Of The Outcast Dead by Frank Turner

6) Once by Liam Gallagher

5) Salt & Pepper by Dope Lemon

4) Make A Move by Winston Surfshirt

3) Charlie by Mallrat

2) Patience by Tame Impala

1) Borderline by Tame Impala

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 Oct/Nov 2019

As I failed to get my playlist/blog sorted for October, I've skipped it and instead have a bumper double album for November.  Like all good double albums there is something for everyone and some tracks that you may wonder how they made the final cut.  I refer you to the Brexit Disco stomp of track 20 as an example.  No blurb this time or I will never release this!

1) Blame It On The Summertime by Miles Kane



2) Bored and Razed by The Saboteurs

3) Chrysalis by Empire of The Sun

4) Rocket Fuel by DJ Shadow featuring De La Soul

5) Mucky Weekend by Dub Pistols featuring Rodney P

6) S T A R by Underworld

7) I'm Good by GRiZ

8) Nuff Respect by The Allergies featuring Andy Cooper



9) Don't Look At The Sun (Or You'll Go Blind) by Pond

10) When She Finds You by Shakespears Sister featuring Richard Hawley

11) Context by The Temples

12) Waiting For A Check by Heaven the Dude featuring Fat Tony and Dent May

13) Good Times by Genesis Owusu

14) Smile by Winston Surfshirt

15) I Know Where The Summer Goes by Belle & Sebastian

16) Bust This Town by Stereophonics



17) Better Than Ever by Flight Facilities featuring Aloe Blacc

18) World I Share by Swim Deep

19) All The Good Girls Go To Hell by Billie Eilish

20) Backstop by Article 54

21) Arabesque by Coldplay

22) A Dream Is All I Need To Get By by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

23) It Might Be Time by Tame Impala



24) Silver by DMA'S

25) Nobody Else by The S.L.P.

26) Paradise by Golden Features & The Presets

27) Moonlight Run by Boo Seeka

28)  Uneventful Days by Beck

29) Head Case by Steve Mason

30) Forgot Your Name (Kevin Parker Alt Mix) by Mini Mansions

31) Monuments by Temples

32) Bad People by Boy & Bear

33) Warning by Pepper featuring Stick Figure

34) Cannibal Tree by Yenkee

35) Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You) by Bombay Bicycle Club

36) Can You See Me Now by Miles Kane

37) Inappropriate Behaviour by Lime Cordiale



38) Wessex Boy (Early Demo Version) by Frank Turner

39) Setting Sun (live acoustic) by Oasis

40) By Myself by Fidlar

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". 

Mixtape June 2019

Approaching the middle of the year my thoughts begin to turn to the annual and end of a decade lists.
However first I have to go through the motions of the June playlist which has inappropriate Summer vibes (for Australia), plenty of dance tracks and a smattering of covers.

1) To Feel Good by Swim Deep
Four years since their debut album Swim Deep return with uplifting and laid back gospel tinged electro-pop.

2) Go by The Black Keys
Summertime Blues Rock from America's Sweethearts.  The video shows the true story of their reformation after couples therapy.  New album coming in few weeks.



3) Summer Lover (Summer Remix) by Cub Sport & EMBRZ
Continuing the theme of Summer for you lucky bastards in the Northern Hemisphere.

4) More To Life by Albert Hammond Jr.
Fun Fact: Solo Stroke Albert's dad is also a famous musician and songwriter whose compositions include The Hollies "The Air That I Breathe", "Whitney Houston's "One Moment In Time", Aswad's "Don't Turn Around" and Starship's "Nothings's Gonna Stop Us Now".

5) Midnight Love by Sloan Peterson
Top indie guitar rock n roll from a great Sydney band.

6) Rattling Rose by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Noel keeps on churning out the hits.  I'm hoping to see him later this year as the support act for U2's 2019 Joshua Tree Tour.

7) So Sweet by Thomaz Krauze
Just discovered this guy today.  He appears to be a prolific European producer nonspecializing in funky house tunes like this one.

8) Solid Gold (Illyus & Barrientos Remix) by PNAU
We are now into the dancey section which seems to have dominated this month's playlist.  Trance pop from Australia's PNAU who are celebrating their twentieth anniversary of their 1999 debut album.

9) (Vi-Vi) Vicious Games by Paranoid London
London acid house act who are due to release their second album later this year.

10) Rock Non Stop by Cassius
Crossing the channel to France now for some tasty funky house.

11) Find Another Way (Djrum Remix) by Morcheeba
The distinctive vocals of Skye Edwards given a drum n bass tickling.

12) Lost It Mode by Friction & Linguistics
If you prefer your beats harder and dirty, Friction will sort you out with something to gurn to.

13) Homicide by Logic & Eminem
Logic & Eminem rapping very quickly and if you can listen fast enough it's very funny.

14) I'm Still Here by Modest Mouse
Back to guitars with a short catchy track from the Modest Mouse.

15) Alone by Richard Hawley
A quality song and a top voice. 

16) Melody Of Love by Hot Chip
Britain's Favourite Band

17) More Than I Do by Sleeper
A blast from the past - Sleeper with a bitter-comical song about divorce. 

18) Ordinary World by Joy Williams
Finishing off this month's playlist with a trio of covers.  Firstly a tear-jerking  piano ballad cover of Duran Duran's 1993 hit.

19) Beautiful Stranger by DMA's
Sydney's Oasis wannabes cover Madonna's hit from the Austin Power's movie.  This recording comes from DMA's MTV Unplugged session.

20) Can't Stop by Hilltop Hoods
Adelaide's hip hoppers with a faithful cover of the Chili Peppers recorded for Triple J's Like A Version.  Faithful until they insert Phil Collins into the mid-section!