January 2023

Oh, hello again! Long time no see, October 2021 was the last one of these and as usual I got bored and my attention/focus shifted. But I’m back, whether you like it or not. So sit back and enjoy half hour or so of the music that’s been entering my ears recently.

Bully – Where to Start

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“I don’t know where to start, I don’t know where to start with you. You turn me back into a child, erratic, desperate, sad and wild”

It’s a story as old as time – First album is gold (in this case Feels Like is one of my all time favourites!), Second album, a couple of hits but not so good and by the time the third album rolls round the ship has sailed and shiny new things are taking my focus. But a lesson for all, sometimes it’s worth having a revisit, just incase the album opener is fucking awesome. See?

Cloud Nothings – Wasted Days

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“I know my life’s not gonna change. And I’ll live through all these wasted days. Never thought that I’d end up this way. And I know it’s gonna stay the same. I thought I would be more than this”

So I’ve just got back from a recent trip to Brighton, following the mighty Arsenal! Last time I was in Brighton was about 10 years ago for the Great Escape festival, Hannah and I had just got together and this was our first time away together. We saw Cloud Nothings in some grimey club, the drummer in this song went on about a 15 minute drum solo. It was brilliant. I love Brighton.

Free Cake For Every Creature – In Your Car

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“Windows down in your stopped car
Radio picking up the distant city’s station
You pass me the glass, your lipstick in the rim
“Summer babe” narration, waiting, waiting”

One thing I absolutely love/hate these days is algorithms. It’s terrifying allowing computers in to your soul but Spotify just nail it! I’d made nine tenths of this playlist and after it finishes it just goes in to the suggested songs and nearly all of them were golden, this my favourite.

Japanther – First Of All

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“First of all, fuck you all”

When I was a younger man I very badly played the guitar to myself in my bedroom, the intro to this song reminds me of the sort of riff I’d be able to play at the peak of my powers. Then the first line of the song is ”first of all, fuck you all” – what’s not to love?!

Khalid – Young Dumb & Broke

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“So you’re still thinking of me
Just like I know you should
I can not give you everything, you know I wish I could
I’m so high at the moment
I’m so caught up in this
Yeah, we’re just young, dumb and broke
But we still got love to give”

Just before Xmas I started watching both series of BBCs The Outlaws. I like Stephen Merchant and love Christopher Walken, it was always going to be a winner. And it was. This song obviously sort of soundtracks the first series, not my normal cup of tea but I’m a sucker for a catchy melody.

LVL UP – Annie’s A Witch

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“Annie’s a witch, movin’ on all fours
She took me back to where I was before
When the flowers bloomed and I got bored
I felt a pull that I couldn’t ignore“

Fairly certain this was another Spotify suggestion from a different playlist, doesn’t matter all that much. Reminds me a bit of Weezer/Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin that sort of era of American Garage Band sort of stuff, y’know?

Martha – Ice Cream and Sunscream

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“I know you wish for fireworks to light your July sky
I was the dampest box of matches you could ever hope to find“

This is my absolute favourite recent discovery. It wasn’t but heading down a YouTube rabbit hole I ended up watching love versions of it and when it kicks in at the end, that kicks me right in the good place. Spotify also recommended another of there’s song about Rowdy Roddy Piper, again how can you not be all in?!

Royal Blood – Figure It Out

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“Nothing here to see, just a kid like me
Tryin’ to cut some teeth, tryin’ to figure it out
Nothing better to do when I’m stuck on you
I’m still, I’m here tryin’ to figure it out“

I assume all you hip kids know about Royal Blood? But I stopped reading the NME a long time ago so new music doesn’t exist after 2007, so once again this is a song from something I rewatched recently, this the Entourage movie. You can say what you want about Entourage, I don’t care – I love it.

Slow Pulp – At It Again

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“Oh, come on, please, don’t take it back
I should’ve known that I couldn’t make it last“

The most eagle-eyed/earred of you will have noticed this was actually on the October ’21 #leeshits. And as we know, to double down on a song in playlists is pretty much an absolute no no. To do it in two consecutive playlists is frankly ridiculous. It would also usually mess with my ever so minor OCD, but fuck it, right? It’s a new year and maybe 2023 is about breaking dem rulez 🖕

Veronica Falls – Broken Toy

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“For what it’s worth she said I tried so hard
For what it’s worth she said it wasn’t enough“

Just a lovely little ditty to finish on.