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A clear view of the stage….
The first in a strictly non-sequential series…. Advertisements Continue reading A clear view of the stage….
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Top Tracks of 2017 #1 – Slowdive, Algiers, Arcade Fire & Parov Stelar
If one theme emerges as I look back through the choices we have all made over the last twenty days then, aside from all the wonderful … Continue reading Top Tracks of 2017 #1 – Slowdive, Algiers, Arcade Fire & Parov Stelar
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Top tracks of 2017 #2 – The The, The Belligerents, The Charlatans, James Dean Bradfield
The blog has been running for over five years and this is our sixth annual ‘festive twenty’ When the blog was named The Uncertain Smile, there … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #2 – The The, The Belligerents, The Charlatans, James Dean Bradfield
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Top tracks of 2017 #3 – Arcade Fire, Winston Surfshirt, Fleet Foxes & more Beck
Richard: I loved ‘Everything Now’ after about 30 seconds and have continued to love it all year. Perhaps the album didn’t quite live up to expectations … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #3 – Arcade Fire, Winston Surfshirt, Fleet Foxes & more Beck
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Top tracks of 2017 #4 – The Horrors, Slowdive, Elbow & Beck
A couple of days ago I was listening to an Ultravox track and lamenting that bands don’t seem to do ‘proper’ videos anymore. Promos tend to … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #4 – The Horrors, Slowdive, Elbow & Beck
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Top tracks of 2017 #5 – Prophets Of Rage, Frank Carter, MGMT & Eli ‘Paper Boy’ Reed
Richard: So Christmas is less than a week away and we are now into our all important top five choices… Prophets of Rage remind me of … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #5 – Prophets Of Rage, Frank Carter, MGMT & Eli ‘Paper Boy’ Reed
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Top tracks of 2017 #6 – Gary Numan, Conor Oberst, Methyl Ethyl & Ride
A second appearance for Gary in the rundown so far. Roy opted for the lead single ‘My Name Is Ruin’, but I am going to go … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #6 – Gary Numan, Conor Oberst, Methyl Ethyl & Ride
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Top tracks of 2017 #7 – Public Service Broadcasting x2, Liam Gallagher & LCD Soundsystem
We have had a couple of overlaps between our lists so far, but I suspect that, based on conversations this year, this may well set up … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #7 – Public Service Broadcasting x2, Liam Gallagher & LCD Soundsystem
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Top tracks of 2017 #8 – Roger Waters, Loyle Carner, The Slow Readers Club & BNQT
Ian’s #9 from Robert Plant was mighty fine for a 69 year old, but here is – I suspect – the oldest artist to feature on … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #8 – Roger Waters, Loyle Carner, The Slow Readers Club & BNQT
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Top tracks of 2017 #9 – Saint Etienne, The Horrors, Teleman & Robert Plant
One of the albums of the year for me (and a lot of music journos, judging by the end of year lists) was Home Counties by … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #9 – Saint Etienne, The Horrors, Teleman & Robert Plant
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Top tracks of 2017 #10 – Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark, Gary Numan, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever & The Breeders
So we are into the top ten. Two things can tend to happen as we approach the summit, based on previous years. Our choices tend to … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #10 – Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark, Gary Numan, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever & The Breeders
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Top tracks of 2017 #11 – Future Islands, St Vincent, Cherry Glazerr & Alejandro Escovedo
After my last choice led to accusations of my being ‘wilfully eclectic’, I am heading back onto safer territory with Future Islands, a band most right-thinking … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #11 – Future Islands, St Vincent, Cherry Glazerr & Alejandro Escovedo
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Top tracks of 2017 #12 – Tom Adams, the National, Everything Everything & Mac De Marco
I suspect today’s choice could prove to be divisive. The moment I heard this track I loved it, but I suspect it may not be everyone’s … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #12 – Tom Adams, the National, Everything Everything & Mac De Marco
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Top tracks of 2017 #13 – Honeyblood, Daughter, Tash Sultana & Mogwai (again)
My number 13 choice is a rare (for me) bit of guitar-based indie rock. This is ‘Babes Never Die’ from Scottish duo Honeyblood. Shame that Buffy … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #13 – Honeyblood, Daughter, Tash Sultana & Mogwai (again)
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Top tracks of 2017 #14 – Cigarettes After Sex, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alt-J & Kasabian
If this track wasn’t on the soundtrack of the revived Twin Peaks then they missed a trick (I don’t know, as I don’t have Sky Atlantic). … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #14 – Cigarettes After Sex, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alt-J & Kasabian
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Top tracks of 2017 #15 – Soulwax, Seaford Mods, Ist Ist & Mogwai
As Ian highlighted in his first post, this list is primarily about single tracks as opposed to albums, but sometimes I will post a track mainly … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #15 – Soulwax, Seaford Mods, Ist Ist & Mogwai
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Top tracks of 2017 #16 – Loyle Carner, Orbital, Gang Of Youths & Jesus & Mary Chain
Followers of this blog may recall that I am a sucker for a gospel choir, so this immediately stood out on the radio and I resolved … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #16 – Loyle Carner, Orbital, Gang Of Youths & Jesus & Mary Chain
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Top tracks of 2017 #17 – Hannah Peel, Pumarosa, Todd Rundgren & Ride
My second instrumental so far, Hannah Peel’s Archid Orange Dwarf is taken from her album ‘Mary Casio: Journey to Cassiopeia’. As I hinted on Roy’s #18 … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #17 – Hannah Peel, Pumarosa, Todd Rundgren & Ride
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Top tracks of 2017 #18 – LCD Soundsystem, Bishop Briggs, Morrissey & Gulp
From the LCD Soundsystem ‘comeback’ American Dream album this is the lead track Tonite. I use the inverted commas, as for some artists the gap between … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #18 – LCD Soundsystem, Bishop Briggs, Morrissey & Gulp
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Top tracks of 2017 #19 – Four Tet, Fatima Yamaha, Grandaddy & Confidence Man
My next artist, Kieran Hebden – aka Four Tet – was born just across the river from me in Putney. I heard this a few times … Continue reading Top tracks of 2017 #19 – Four Tet, Fatima Yamaha, Grandaddy & Confidence Man
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Top Tracks of 2017 #20 – Gorillaz, Cabbage, Nadine Shah & K. Flay
So we’re back, against the odds we have nearly made it through 2017. So every day for the next twenty we will pick a favourite track, … Continue reading Top Tracks of 2017 #20 – Gorillaz, Cabbage, Nadine Shah & K. Flay
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Protest Songs Day 10 – Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Bob Marley, Archie Roach, King Crimson, The Who & XTC
In making my choices I’ve tried to avoid songs that have already appeared on this blog at some point in the past. So that has ruled … Continue reading Protest Songs Day 10 – Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Bob Marley, Archie Roach, King Crimson, The Who & XTC
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Protest Songs Day Nine: Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Asian Dub Foundation, Skyhooks, The Farm & Cyndi Lauper
Has there ever been a Protest Song more misunderstood than ‘Spasticus Autisticus’ by Ian Dury? Released in 1981 to mark the International Year of the Disabled, … Continue reading Protest Songs Day Nine: Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Asian Dub Foundation, Skyhooks, The Farm & Cyndi Lauper
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Protest Songs Day Eight: Aretha Franklin, Gossip, Midnight Oil, The Herd & The Wonder Stuff
As we have established, not all protest songs are about global realpolitik, some operate at a very basic human level and the message of Aretha Franklin’s … Continue reading Protest Songs Day Eight: Aretha Franklin, Gossip, Midnight Oil, The Herd & The Wonder Stuff
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Protest Songs Day Seven: Bruce Springsteen, Manic Street Preachers, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Elvis Costello & The Specials
A protest song about poor quality satellite television? Well I do work around the TV industry, what did you expect? True, the song started life as … Continue reading Protest Songs Day Seven: Bruce Springsteen, Manic Street Preachers, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Elvis Costello & The Specials
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Protest Songs Day Six – The The, Dead Kennedys, The Saints, Kevin Gilbert, The Jam & The Housemartins
I’m currently reading the Johnny Marr autobiography and I must be one of the few reading it actually thinking “enough of this Smiths … Continue reading Protest Songs Day Six – The The, Dead Kennedys, The Saints, Kevin Gilbert, The Jam & The Housemartins
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Protest Songs Day Five: Pet Shop Boys, M.I.A., Billie Holliday, Nellie McKay, Public Enemy & Tracy Chapman
Protest songs come in many shapes and genres, as the last four days have so ably demonstrated. Our correspondents have nominated variously punk, rap, soul, folk, … Continue reading Protest Songs Day Five: Pet Shop Boys, M.I.A., Billie Holliday, Nellie McKay, Public Enemy & Tracy Chapman
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Protest Songs Day Four: Timezone, The Temptations, Public Image, Ian Gillan, Yes & Sting
Timezone is a one-off collaboration from 1984 between John Lydon, Afrika Bambaataa and Bill Laswell. I have this somewhere on a 7 inch single which fades … Continue reading Protest Songs Day Four: Timezone, The Temptations, Public Image, Ian Gillan, Yes & Sting
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Protest Songs Day Three: Artists United Against Apartheid, Faithless, The Pogues, Billy Bragg, Marillion & Cher
Whilst Band Aid was truly a remarkable event at the time, it’s dread legacy was the charity single in which artists gather to sing a single … Continue reading Protest Songs Day Three: Artists United Against Apartheid, Faithless, The Pogues, Billy Bragg, Marillion & Cher
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Protest Songs Day Two: Aswad, The Equals, Bob Dylan, The Staple Singers, Paul Kelly/Kev Carmody & Ralph McTell
‘African Children’ is a song I have loved and returned to regularly for over 30 years. Recorded in 1981, musically the song is a glorious dub … Continue reading Protest Songs Day Two: Aswad, The Equals, Bob Dylan, The Staple Singers, Paul Kelly/Kev Carmody & Ralph McTell
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Protest Songs Day One: Rage Against The Machine, Helen Reddy, Nina Simone, Woody Guthrie, The Clash & Lou Reed.
It may seem wholly obvious to start a blog about protest songs with Rage Against The Machine, but I make no apologies. However I’m resisting the … Continue reading Protest Songs Day One: Rage Against The Machine, Helen Reddy, Nina Simone, Woody Guthrie, The Clash & Lou Reed.
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Coming soon: Protest Songs
There’s something in the air this summer. The times are a changin and to catch the mood from next Wednesday (July 11th) for ten days we … Continue reading Coming soon: Protest Songs
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Best of 2017 so far…
Slightly later than usual, due to a much later Easter than normal, here is a quick rundown of my favourite tracks of the years far. Eighteen in … Continue reading Best of 2017 so far…
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Top tracks of 2016 – Our Number Ones: Michael Kiwanuka, Teleman & David Bowie (again)
We’ve been exchanging these lists of our favourite tracks of the year for a couple of decades now and decided to do this more recently in a daily … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 – Our Number Ones: Michael Kiwanuka, Teleman & David Bowie (again)
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Top tracks of 2016 #2 – David Bowie, The Wedding Present, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Yesterday Andy described what David Bowie meant to him and chose ‘I Can’t Give It All Away’ from the amazing Blackstar album. My choice today is … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #2 – David Bowie, The Wedding Present, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
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Top tracks of 2016 #3 – Radiohead, David Bowie & Underworld(again)
Some music becomes irrevocably linked to the year or the events it accompanied – Ghost Town, Shipbuilding, What’s Going On, Ball Of Confusion, even Nessun Dorma. We’ve questioned on this … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #3 – Radiohead, David Bowie & Underworld(again)
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Top tracks of 2016 #4 – Primal Scream, The Wytches, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Earlier in the countdown, Roy nominated Primal Scream’s ‘100% Or Nothing’ from the ridiculously named but ludicrously good ‘Chaosmosis’ album. I usually allow myself at … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #4 – Primal Scream, The Wytches, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
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Top tracks of 2016 #5 – Suede, Massive Attack & Radiohead
Into the all important Top Five with a track from my favorite album of the year. This is a tricky one. A recent GQ list has … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #5 – Suede, Massive Attack & Radiohead
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Top tracks of 2016 #7 – Pet Shop Boys, Mogwai & Last Shadow Puppets
Something a bit more upbeat for my number seven choice, a great pop song and classic Pet Shop Boys. I play the ‘Super’ album a lot and … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #7 – Pet Shop Boys, Mogwai & Last Shadow Puppets
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Top tracks of 2016 #6 – Underworld, P J Harvey & Black Mountain
My second British synth duo in a row. My first ever music post on this site, when we started doing these lists online in 2012, was … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #6 – Underworld, P J Harvey & Black Mountain
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Top tracks of 2016 #8 – Daughter, Syd Arthur & Jaguar Ma
Twenty eight tracks nominated so far by three pundits across twenty-eight different artists and finally we come to our inevitable artist overlap. As nominated by Roy at #10, this is the sublime Daughter, but a different track from the same … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #8 – Daughter, Syd Arthur & Jaguar Ma
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Top tracks of 2016 #9 – James, Toy & PJ Harvey
I am sticking with the political theme of my last choice with this video for the James track ‘To My Surprise’. The video was made much earlier … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #9 – James, Toy & PJ Harvey
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Top tracks of 2016 #10 – DJ Shadow feat. Run The Jewels, DIIV & Daughter
We are into the top ten. I can hear the TOTP countdown music in my head as I type. I first heard this track over the … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #10 – DJ Shadow feat. Run The Jewels, DIIV & Daughter
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Top tracks of 2016 #11 – The Kills, Temples & Primal Scream
Are videos still a ‘thing’ now? This year I saw the wonderful film Sing Street – all about a young Irish band in the 80s and their … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #11 – The Kills, Temples & Primal Scream
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Top tracks of 2016 #12 – Beck, Slaves & Trentemøller
No stranger to our lists over the years, Beck released what seemed to be something of an ‘orphan’ single earlier in this year which apparently indicated … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #12 – Beck, Slaves & Trentemøller
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Top Tracks of 2014 #13 – Herizen Guardiola & Two Door Cinema Club
The best soundtrack of the year has to be that for ‘The Get Down’, the Netflix series in which fictional protagonists become entwined with the Bronx disco scene … Continue reading Top Tracks of 2014 #13 – Herizen Guardiola & Two Door Cinema Club
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Top Tracks of 2016 #14 – A Tribe Called Quest & Chemical Brothers
This one is a current favourite , as heard only this morning on the excellent Huey Morgan Show – ‘We The People’ by the legendary A … Continue reading Top Tracks of 2016 #14 – A Tribe Called Quest & Chemical Brothers
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Top tracks of 2016 #15 – Steve Mason & Palace Winter
From Steve Mason’s wonderful ‘Meet The Humans’ album this is ‘Alive’. I could have picked any number of tracks off the album, but this has an … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #15 – Steve Mason & Palace Winter
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Top tracks of 2016 #16 – Jean-Michel Jarre, Edward Snowden & Warpaint
After a tranquil visit to an Icelandic church yesterday it’s time to dive back into the global madness of 2016 with this track from Jean-Michel Jarre’s … Continue reading Top tracks of 2016 #16 – Jean-Michel Jarre, Edward Snowden & Warpaint
Cartoons…
Here are some of my latest cartoons, the product of an excellent course at the City Lit last Autumn run by Litza Jansz, which I highly recommend. No explanations given – if they need explaining then they don’t work! When … Continue reading Cartoons…
