Shorter posts, links, or thoughts. No schedule, not heavily considered.
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Sleeping On The Sidewalk by Queen
What’s your favorite deep cut from an album? It’s 1977, I am 4 years old. Meanwhile, a band are recording their next, and sixth, album. Adjusting to a world of punk, still riding high after a tour featuring songs like Somebody to Love, Brighton Rock, and Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen headed back to the studio. During…
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Telegraph Road by Dire Straits
What song makes you feel like you’re in a different country? The first time I went abroad I was 15, a three week camping holiday in France. My main packing priority was my Walkman and a good selection of tapes (cassettes) I was still mostly in my parents musical realm but was delighted to have…
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Recently Read
A weekly recap of the articles and posts I’ve read that I think are worth your time. Mick Jagger Tells the Story Behind ‘Gimme Shelter’ and Merry Clayton’s Haunting Background Vocals | Open Culture — “We randomly phoned up this poor lady in the middle of the night, and she arrived in her curlers and…
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Tomorrow Never Knows by The Beatles
Share a song you feel was ahead of its time. There are some obvious tracks, Blue Monday (‘83) sounds like a track from the mid 90s club nights, I Feel Love (‘77) setting up electronica that wouldn’t appear for at least a decade, Teardrop (‘98) laid tracks for trip-hop artists to follow, and you could…
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Nolan
Becca and Jack are aware this weekend and I, unwittingly, have stumbled into a Christopher Nolan themed couple of days. I love movies, I love the art, the cinematography, the camera shot choices, the scripts, the characters arcs, the whole thing. From set design, lighting choices, editing choices and more, is utterly fascinating. I grew…
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Re: Everyone’s Packing Up
I read this post and found myself thinking: …and then what? Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand the reasons people are leaving, and I think many of those reasons are entirely valid. In fact, if you’ve been paying attention here, you’ll know that I’m one of the people considering such a move myself and…
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Blood by mary in the junkyard
What’s the last song you discovered and loved instantly? I tend to find new songs and instantly gorge myself on them. From unheard to on heavy repeat, I’ve always enjoyed that journey from ‘hey that’s interesting’ to ‘man this is catchy’ to ‘I love this track’. This track first appeared a couple of weeks ago,…
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Why all the songs?
A genuine question for you, dear reader, have you been reading the daily music-based posts? The ones with a track and artist as the title, you do realise it’s not just me reviewing the track itself? In fact it’s almost NEVER a review of the track, it’s an exploration of me. I’m asking because I’m…
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Fly Boy Blue / Lunette by Elbow
What’s a lyric that resonates deeply with you and why? "But there isn’t words yet for the comfort I get From the gentle lunette at the top of the nape of the neck that I wake to" Two songs in one, and a rich seam of lyrics to be mined. Guy Garvey is, without doubt,…
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Say No To Formulaic TV
Cue dramatic opening music, sweeping camera shots, a host appears… I don’t watch much “live” TV. The Great British Bake Off if the exception. Becca has said she is going to watch the upcoming Celebrity Traitors (largely for the ‘water cooler’ chat at her work). I will not be watching. Don’t get me wrong I…
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Everything In Its Right Place by Radiohead
If your life were a movie, what would its theme song be? I use the word melancholy fairly often when describing my moods. I don’t see it as a negative thing at all, it’s just how I’ve always been. I’m not overly pessimistic, but definitely not the most optimistic person. The moment I saw this…
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The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash
A song from a genre you didn’t think you’d like—what changed? Growing up, and through my time at Hospital Radio Lennox, there was one genre I just didn’t get. I begrudgingly would admit I enjoyed specific tracks but, the genre on a whole just wasn’t for me. It sounded like music for old people, those…
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The Fountain by DIIV
How do you discover new music, and what’s the latest gem you’ve found? I have two sources. Pitchfork (American skewed), and 6Music. I’m listening to the later at the moment, as I do most workdays when I can. 6Music, a digital radio station from the BBC, has been a source of new music for a…
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Northern Sky by Nick Drake
What is a song that feels like home to you? Physically, home to me is the house I grew up in, the place of my childhood. Emotionally, right now, home to me is sitting in the chair opposite me drinking coffee. This one is for her. “Northern Sky” by Nick Drake Listen on Apple Music…
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Recently Read
A weekly recap of the articles and posts I’ve read that I think are worth your time. Did it do the work? – Andrew Doran — A well considered article about AI and how it actually works, and what we need to question about how it does what it does. Good people refuse to do…
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Dancing Queen by ABBA
What’s the first song you’d play at a party? I’ve already suggested the track that popped into my head for this prompt. That’s how it starts, we go back to your house… And to be fair you can’t really go wrong with LCD Soundsystem to get things started (literally). Casting around for other ideas, I…
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Scottish Rain by The Silencers
What song do you associate with the current season? It does not always rain in Scotland. It’s a myth. But when it does it can be days of grey skies, from a constant smirr to a torrential downpour. Many memories of drizzle drenched days, as the temperature drops, the leaves turn and fall, and minds…
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At Last by Etta James
What’s your favorite love song, and why? Hard to beat a classic like this, not just the soaring melody, Etta’s voice, and the slower sensual pacing, but the whole idea of finding a love ‘at last’ sits well with me. Becca and I have been together for 8 years, and despite the age difference, since…
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Life is life-ing
Been a little quiet on here recently. No big reason, no drama, just a few little events, an overly busy work schedule and, you know, dad life stuff. The week after Madrid was manic, not helped by a distinct post-holiday slump that left me less than motivated to do much of anything. Last week included…
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Copacabana (At the Copa) by Barry Manilow
What’s a guilty pleasure song? I do not believe any pleasure is guilty. If something brings you pleasure then that is a good thing! Celebrate it!! I understand the thinking though, I’m sure there are some songs that we enjoy that fall outside the genres most of our friends would recognise as “ours”. For me,…