Top Ten Songs of 2013...

After much, much thought, my favourite songs from this year. I write this with the disclaimer that I've only just had a chance to listen to Lady Gaga's 'Artpop' and while I think it's fantastic and is definitely making my Albums of the Year list, I haven't had enough time to let the songs fully soak through (though I absolutely love Dope and Gypsy). I also have not heard the Beyoncé album yet.


1 - The Lovely Wars - Young Love

I've listened to this so much this year. An excellent pop song. I think Ani has one of the best voices in Pop. We did an interview for godisinthetv earlier this year.






2  - Marcus Reeves - Radio Head

Nothing to do with the band. Another great pop song, perfect really, reminding me of a cross between Lifestyle and The Elevator Drops. The Soft Close-Ups did a gig with Marcus in his Quicksilver persona at the end of September and everybody loved his camp macabre cabaret.





3 - Teeth Of The Sea - Responder

This track is just KILLER. Their 'Master' is my Album of the Year. At one point during the listening party, everyone in the room looked up at the same time, nodding their heads to THE AWESOMENESS.





4 - Rodion G.A. - Alpha Centauri

Wonderful. So glad to have discovered this man's music. My Quietus review says "Chirping space birds herald opener ‘Alpha Centauri’ and it is impossible to deny just how HUGE this is that’s moving into being. A galactic synthesis of opposites, as enchanting twilight and glorious dawn merge into one. Harmonious unity between man and machine, looseness and precision, huge wobbly waves wandering over its robotic pulse, flowing aswirl in a celebratory cosmic dance. The eternal moment mystics speak of. And then, just as smoothly, letting go of even this." 





5 - Violet Hours - Your Ghost

Forget what I said in the intro about needing time to digest new music. This song is wonderful, truly beautiful, and I haven't been able to stop listening to it since I heard it last week. A free download so do grab it. Singer Jo Bevan also fronts Desperate Journalist.





6 - Keith TOTP & His Minor UK Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - Lonely This Christmas

Another new one, released last week (free download EP), though I had heard Keith do this live before. Truly the definitive version of the Mud classic. Guest spoken bit by Eddie Argos.





7 - Suede - Barriers

A great song from one of my favourite bands of all-time. This is the one that has stayed with me all year since the release of the new record.





8 - Keith & Aug - This Is The Song (That Would Have Made You A Star)

Another free download from Keith TOTP and myself this time. It might be bad form to put one of your own songs on such a list but I truly love this one. It ROCKS. And that's mostly down to Keith who did the words and made my music into a song (by demanding E be the only chord in it) and the awesomeness of the rhythm section of Eric Donohue and Patrick Ahern. We recorded this during the sessions for The Soft Close-Ups album (out February 2014) and it was a blast to play with those guys.





9 - OMD - Night Café

I just love this song. It's classic OMD and pop perfection.





10 - The Lovely Wars - Let's Blow The Whole Thing Up

The Lovely Wars again. There were a lot of other songs I was considering for this list. But this deserves it.  I've listened to LBTWTU a ton this past year and have put it on a few mix cds. I love it. Great energetic pop.







Honourable mentions:

Mikey Georgeson & The Civilised Scene - Candyfloss

Great song and cover art from Mr. Georgeson. Having heard the new album I can safely say it will be one of the best of 2014.





The Secret History - Eleanor (The City & Sea)

Fantastic pop song from an excellent pop record.





OMD - Helen Of Troy

More new classic OMD.






Rihanna - Stay

I hardly ever listen to the radio when I'm on my own but whenever I was driving around with my sister Meg this year and this would often be on. I think it's lovely.




Makthaverskan - Asleep


Gorgeous pop from these Swedes. The album is very good too.

Psychic TV & PTV3 - Papal Breakdance/Redscroll Records

Last night I finally made it to Redscroll Records in Wallingford, CT. Never thought I'd ever be impressed by a record store again but this place is ASTOUNDINGLY GOOD. Tons (3 rooms) of vinyl, cool zine/books section (with 'The City Is Ablaze! - The Story of a Post-Punk Popzine 1984-1994' book that I'm gonna buy as soon as I get some money. Nice Throwing Muses interview as well as The Stone Roses, Pale Saints, Nirvana, My Bloody Valentine, Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., Mudhoney, and loads more!). Staff were nice and helpful, they've got everything, all thousands upon thousands of records, in a database to look up for you. And I was looking for any of Alex Fergusson of Alternative and Psychic TV's solo recordings.

So it was a nice coincidence that the Psychick Videos were playing when I walked in the store. I hadn't heard their Mr. Alien Brain Vs. The Skinwalkers album and I immediately fell in love with 'Papal Breakdance':





so much so that when I got back in the car, I shut off the stereo so I could keep singing it to myself.

Further coincidence being the I had Thee Psychick Bible along with me to read at dinner. Interesting stuff.

What I Played At Firehouse 12, New Haven, CT 14 August 2013

Had a lovely time DJ'ing with one Jim Psarras at Firehouse 12 last night. First time DJ'ing in the States, first time DJ'ing with vinyl (awesome to go through all my old records again), and first time DJ'ing with an ipod. As it was me and Jim, we decided to have the last half hour be all Van Halen and Iron Maiden as a tribute to our youth, growing up together with a shared love of music.

Set 1:

Curve - Horror Head (12" Remix)

Siouxsie & The Banshees - Song From The Edge Of The World (Columbus Mix)

Saint Etienne - Like A Motorway (album version)

Always - W.C. Fields

OMD - Electricity (album version)

New Order - Face Up

Action Biker - Smash Hit Producer

Set 2:

May Roosevelt - The One With The List

Jah Wobble & Julie Campbell - Feel (my favourite song of the new Millennium)

The Long Blondes - Giddy Stratospheres

Johnny Boy - You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve

Medicine - The Pink

The Kid - Transient Dance

Deaf School - What A Way To End It All

Mr. Solo - All Will Be Revealed

Dracula's Daughter - Candy

Roxy Music - Pyjamarama

Funkadelic - Good To Your Earhole

David Bowie - Speed Of Life

Matt Berry - Take My Hand

Subliminal Girls - Self Obsession Is An Art Form

Help Stamp Out Loneliness - Record Shop

Pris - Blu Tack Baby

The Indelicates - Ill

Set 3:

Van Halen - Somebody Get Me A Doctor

Van Halen - D.O.A. 

Van Halen - Light Up The Sky

Psychic Youth 7"...

My friend Jim was playing me some ace stuff the other night which I'll be putting up here in an attempt to get this blog going again.

First up is the Psychic Youth 7" from 1982. It was their only release and I can find out no other information about the band except that they were from Long Island, NY (or at least that's where the pressing plant they used was located). Apparently, despite the name, they have nothing to do with Genesis P. Orridge or Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth.

Some great minimal synthpop reminiscent of early Depeche Mode. I like the B-side best with its female vocals but the A-side is really good too.

B - The Future Now:



A - Step In Time:

R.I.P. Clive Burr/Gogmagog...

I just found out the sad news that Clive Burr, drummer on the first three Iron Maiden albums, died on March 12th. I loved Maiden growing up, still do. Nice obituaries here and here.

The Prisoner, from The Number Of The Beast album, live in Hammersmith 1982 with Clive on drums:



And I only just learned about the supergroup Gogmagog!  I feel like I should've known about, and would've been very excited about, them years ago. Notable for its combination of past (Paul Di'Anno, Clive Burr) and future (Janick Gers) Iron Maiden members as well as original Def Leppard guitarist Pete Willis.  I especially find this interesting as in the excellent Iron Maiden: The Early Days DVD, someone at EMI was talking about Maiden and Def Lep being the two biggest New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands at the time of them signing Maiden (1980-ish) so it's nice to see them converge here.

Gogmagog only released one 3 track EP, I Will Be There, in 1985. Nice catchy glam metal/hard rock but a bit of a punky snarl that I'm really enjoying. All 3 songs:

I Will Be There:



Living In A F*cking Time Warp:



It's Illegal, It's Immoral, It's Unhealthy But It's Fun:

The Wolfgang Press - Chains

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

Yesterday I was driving home and nearly lost control of the car as my mind wandered into considering what if The Wolfgang Press reunited in 2013 and I hit some ice on the road. I've never been big on reunion shows but Chains (from Funky Little Demons) had just come on an old mix cd I had found. Such beautiful Pop. A perfect summer evening song, when the twilight is descending and the shadows come alive with magic.