3WTM October Playlist

Just me (John) this month but I've got a bumper selection of songs for you. A real mix of new bands and old bands returning with new material.  Check them out on Apple and Spotify as normal.

Up All Night - Beck
A few (normal) people on Twitter were saying how good this track so I had a little listen. Not what I would normally expect from Beck but good all the same.

Rosie - Jordan Allen
What a great find. Sounds like Pigeon Detectives to me.

Room In My House - Shed Seven
Back with a new album and out on tour again, it seems like all the nineties pop bands are coming up with songs and touring again. It makes it even harder to believe that the music industry is poor. Either that or there isn't any better work out there for musicians.

Under A Million Lights - Tom Chaplin
More new material from Tom, once of Keane, maybe he's more than a flash in the pan now he's writing his own tracks.

Take Me Home - Milburn
The brains behind Milburn, Joe Carnall, has been working closely with Reverend and the Makers and I incorrectly credited John McClure with writing Juliet Knows (by RatM) when in fact it was Joe. This track with Joe's original band is not in the same vain but has a nice little hook to it.

Hourglass - Imitating Aeroplanes

Tord Øverland Knudsen out of The Wombats is part of this band and it has more of a Norwegian feel than The Wombats do. In fact I would never have put the two together. I enjoyed it nevertheless.

Can't Do - Everything Everything

More quality from EE, as I said last month, nothing new in terms of style but great all the same.

Distance Yourself - Baby Strange

The lead singer's voice has a bit of the Ricky from Kaiser Chiefs about it.

Loveblood - Sundra Karma

Always makes me thinks it is Arcade Fire when it comes on. 100% compliment. I discovered this after featuring one of Sundra's other songs on here.

New Home - The Bay Rays

I feel like this has an 70s or 80s rock feel to it but as they're a bit before my time I can't say that for sure. A good, upbeat track.

Losing Your Love - Paris Youth Foundation

This Liverpool band have been described as Wolf Alice meets The Strokes by the NME.

Black Magic - The Amazons

My daughter was disappointed when this wasn't Little Mix - I wasn't!

Go - Valley Lodge

I've got this from Shazaming a football related programme, maybe Final Score on the BBC? It's got a real hook of a riff! UPDATE: It's from the excellent Thrice Champions Podcast, they use it on the intro.

The Man - The Killers

I'm enjoying this track from The Killers, quite a lot of synths but that's no bad thing.

Oxygen - Catfish and the Bottlemen

I've always enjoyed CatB without me really getting in to them. This suggests to me I should be checking out more of their material.

Dangerous Day - Space

I was a big fan of Space back in the day and I was interested to hear what new material from them would be like. It's not bad but I'm not jumping for joy just yet. Shared more out of interest than anything else.

Almost Human - Air Traffic

Somehow two of my email addresses are subscribed to Air Traffic's mailing list. So I was fully aware they were touring again and they have released this single as part of their tour. Not bad guys.

Friend of a Friend - Red Rum Club

Another Liverpool band who are missing a trick if you ask me, if I was them I'd have my logo with the two Rs backwards as a nod to The Shining.

Detectorists - Johnny Flynn

The theme tune to the excellent BBC Four comedy written by Mackenzie Crook which he stars in alongside the brilliant Toby Jones. It's a slow moving comedy about two guys who spend most of their time with their metal detectors, making them "detectorists".

Go Mental - Robbie Williams

Not politically correct in this time of mental health awareness as my wife tells me but I can't help yelling along as well as joining in on the soul side of the song.

Holy Mountain - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

I know this song is everywhere but I'm really enjoying it. I was surprised to hear my colleagues don't feel the same, including a long time Noel fan. Is it just me? Comment below to give me your view. The sample is The Ice Cream and their track, The Chewin' Gum Kid.

Caught By The Wind - The Stereophonics

I like their latest single and it's great to see them doing so well twenty years and ten albums since they burst on to the scene. Hurry up and wait indeed.

Warriors - Too Many Zooz

The latest iPhone advert track, Discovered playing in a subway allegedly.

One of Us - New Politics

Danish pop band from Copenhagen, they've been around for years but this is one of their latest tracks.

3WTM Latest Playlist

A playlist of what music we have just discovered, new or old, that we feel needs sharing. We hope you find a gem or two. Stream on Apple or Spotify as normal. If someone fancies checking the Apple one and letting me know it works, that would be much appreciated.

Chris' Selection:

Beehive – Mark Lanegan Band – Gargoyle 2017

I like Mark Lanegan. His voice is a bit like Iggy Pop turned down a notch. Apparently, he can be a bit dour. This puts me a little in mind of House of Love.

Guns – Broken Witt Rebels – Georgia Pine EP - 2016

Vocally this reminds me a little of Kings of Leon – a great track that skips along nicely. Guitar-based I might add.

Comeback Kid – Kasabian – For Crying Out Loud – 2017

This was in my playlist of the week from Apple Music and very good it is too. I was mainly drawn to it for the title of the album to be honest – ‘For Crying Out Loud’ is a phrase I might well use in exasperation when a stronger phrase would be more apposite. You tend to know what you’re going to get from Kasabian, and this delivers.

Arabian Heights – The Afghan Whigs – In Spades - 2017

I’ve never heard of these but they’ve been around quite a bit. They’re an American group who were around in the late 80s and 90s, but then split up. They reformed in 2011. Anyway, this track sounds very polished. I love the guitar playing in it and the general feel.

Evergreen – The Darling Buds – Evergreen EP - 2107

I used to love The Darling Buds – one of the first indie bands I got into. I saw them play at The Leadmill and remember them coming out and dancing next to us later in the evening. Well this is very much like them – makes me think a little of The Bangles I suppose.

Teardrops In A Hurricane – Jordan Mackampa – Tales From The Broken – EP – 2017

There’s something about this that reminds me of Black and Gold by Sam Sparro. It doesn’t have quite as strong a beat – but it is a steady and consistent beat. Gorgeous vocals – very laid back.

Million Dollar Secret – Lucius – Tales From The Broken – EP – 2017

Also quite laid back. Lucius are a 4-piece from Brooklyn with just a couple of Eps to their name. No drums – no guitars. Ambient synthy sounds.

On Her Journey To The Sun – Rikard Sjöblom’s Gungfly  - On Her Journey To The Sun – 2017

Prog rock? Psychedelic pop? Lovely lilting feel and great instrumentalisation with some great solos. Soaring vocals in places.

Delirium Tremendous – Felix Hagan & The Family – Delirium Tremendous – Single – 2017

Would this be classed more as pop? Who knows? It’s very catchy. In places it makes me thing of Rock Lobster. It is very catchy and probably the track I enjoy most amongst my selections this month.

John's Selection:

Better - Matthew Ebel - Cognitive Dissonance

Matthew Ebel is a great talent and Cognitive Dissonance is a good album but he and it doesn't know what it wants to be. One second he's Ben Folds (piano, odd swearing, humour), next second he's Dave Grohl (singing style) and then on some tracks he goes all Daft Punk on us. I urge you to listen to the album just to appreciate his chameleon style. In this track he's just Ben and Dave but you get the picture. Will be interesting to see if my friend Spanners likes the track.

Juliet Knows - Reverend and the Makers

Wisely John McClure has let his pal Joe Carnall (of Milburn fame) sing the lead vocals on this and it lifts it up to the levels it deserves. I'm sure John would admit that he's not the greatest singer out there but what he adds as a front man and lyricist shouldn't be questioned. This is the second single off the forthcoming album that I have already pre-ordered.

T-Shirt Weather - Circa Waves

This track is a few years old and one I've just discovered - or at least it has now come in to my consciousness. The band, from Liverpool, released their second album last year and are well worth checking out.

Imagine Life - Thirteen Senses

Another song from the past that I have just discovered. I actually came across this track on a podcast about cycling. I believe a member of the band are really in to their cycling and allowed the excellent The Cyclist Podcast to use their music. The element that got me was the hook that sounds not dissimilar to Arcade Fire's Wake Up although when listening to the track as a whole it's harder to spot. See if you agree.

Junk Food Forever - The Amazons

Having run out of podcasts and struggling to find anything of quality on my usual radio stations, I turned to Radio 1. Well I was taken back when this quality, guitar based track came on. From Reading and included in the station's "Sound of 2017", they're pretty good!

Desire - Everything Everything

More of the same from Everything Everything, so much so that I had to check it was a new track. Sometimes we just want bands to give us more of what they do best and EE deliver.

Bring You Down - The Real People

1995 / 1996 was my era for music, I inhaled every guitar band I came across and loved every minute. So when I came across a band I'd not heard of from that time I had to learn more. This track is great, how did I miss it? It turns out they were big friends of Oasis as they gave them a scouse helping hand when the Mancunian scene was a little less friendly.

Young Love - The Lottery Winners

This is a pop song that I've had on my playlist for quite sometime, I really need to share it. It's "just" a catchy tune that won't go away. We all know that any song like that isn't "just" anything. Enjoy this earworm.

3WTM April and May Playlist

Each month we put forward the tracks we've been listening to. Usually more new music because that's how it goes month to month but if we've found any gems from the past then we add those to. We were aiming for April for this one but it's more like May in the end! Stream on Spotify or the not so good Apple Music.

John's Selection

Amigo – Chef’Special

It’s a nice upbeat track that’s a bit Vampire Weekend like. Chef’Special are a band from Haarlem in The Netherlands.

Shake – The Rassle

The Rassle are a band we featured a good while back on the back as they evolved out of the excellent The Virgins band (worth checking out Rich Girls if you don’t know that track already). Never hitting the highs of The Virgins, The Rassle have however produced some quality pop tracks over the years.

The Time I Met The Devil – Brave Giant

Seems I really like a banjo (or is it a mandolin?) in a song and this rattles along at a great pace. You can’t help put tap your foot.

Back Then – Formation

Wow, on a roll this month and really happy with these tracks. This duo are from London and that’s about all I know sadly. They have an album out so I’m off to check that out. You should too.

Silver Heat – Ten Tonnes

Ten Tonnes is the alias of a 19 year old and wow, I’m impressed. It seems a really grown up track, I think you’re going to like people.

(Don’t Let Them Catch You) Crying  – Madness (Leo Zero Tufnell Remix)

This is great, reminds me of the great Abdomo song (No 1 by Grove Armada) that just eats away at you over time and by the end it’s sunk its teeth in to you and won’t let go.

Chris's Selection

Whisper I’lllistentohearit – Spoon, Hot Thoughts.
I’m new to Spoon I think, but they’ve been around since 1993 – they’re from Austin Texas. This song is a very open sounding arrangement – guitars, synths, a straightforward drum beat. It perhaps makes me think a little of Arcade Fire.

Wes Come Back – Rodes Rollins – Young Adult EP. I think this young lady is American too and at the start of her career from the look of things. This song is very laid back. It reminds me a little of Underwater Love by Smoke City.

Somebody Better – Black Honey – Somebody Better Single. This is a group from Brighton and a belter of a song – again, they haven’t got much out.


Please Me – Puppet Rebellion – Please Me Single.
Manchester band (who've featured on the blog before - JL). Possibly aimed at a younger audience, maybe not, this is a decent enough song. It puts me a little in mind of Two Door Cinema Club in places.

3WTM February Playlist 2017

So each month we choose some tracks that have been hitting the right notes, we then share them as a playlist on Spotify and Apple Music. Check 'em out!

Chris' Tracks

New Estate – Giant Rooks – New Estate EP – A German Alt-Pop quintet apparently. Upbeat guitars, synth, piano – vocals hint a little at Alt-J.

Fly-By Alien – VANT – Dumb Blood – I think VANT are reasonably well known. Probably at the heavy end of stuff that I like, but good.

The Lost Sky – Jesca Hoop – in a complete U-turn from VANT – simple acoustic guitar, light female vocals, plucked cellos? A bit of a folky feel to this, beautiful and interesting. Great harmonies. Jesca Hoop is from California, but gave up the California sun in 2008 to move to Manchester (of all places).

Up to the Surface – Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound. Cloud Nothings are an American indie-rock band. This track is OK, but maybe a bit steady.

Overflow – Ten Fé – Hit The Light. Ten Fé are a London based act. This track puts me slightly in mind of Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap, but it’s only a passing resemblance, and probably down to the bass part. Is there a bit of Ultravox in there?

Six Flags in F or G – Surfer Blood – Snowdonia. Rock Lobster.

Substitute – Billy Bibby and The Wry Smiles. Were the wry smiles a reaction to the name ‘Billy Bibby’? Who knows? Oh – apparently he used to be the guitarist with Catfish and the Bottlemen. A pretty good song, all in all.

Evening Prayer – Half Waif – Life Will See You Now. A bit of an odd one this. It’s a song about a bloke who made a 3-D print of a tumour he’d had removed. Or more, it’s about the relationship of the songwriter to the bloke who made a 3-D print of his tumour. I saw someone on line compare to The Human League in style and it seems a reasonable observation to me.

Dama de Lavanda – The Paperhead – Chew. Well this starts out with a similar guitar riff to Morning’s Eleven by The Magic Numbers. A bit of trumpet gives a mariachi feel in places.

John's Selections

The Kids Don't Wanna Come Home - Declan McKenna

Winner of Glastonbury's Emerging Talent Award. Brazil was his big hit of the time. I'm off to check it out.

Fill In The Blank - Car Seat Headrest

I heard of them through Twitter, I get the feeling that's a strategy rather than by chance.

Blown Rose - Blossoms

OK I'm a bit late with this one. I've been listening to it for a while and it's hear for anyone who has caught this emerging band yet.

Great Pile Of Nothing - Mozes And The Firstborn

It's got a real feel of American indie, early nighties maybe. However they're from the Nederlands, this is off their second album released in 2016.

The Walker - Fitz and the Tantrums

Somehow I've ended up on their mailing list and until now they've not hit the mark. I like this though, especially the whistling. Boom!

Pentagrams - Deja Vega

No idea how I stumbled across this track but I know it's not recent, from the end of 2015. Good track though, worth sharing.

Feeling OK - Best Coast

I've been listening to this track since April so I don't know how I've passed it up each month, it certainly deserves our attention. It's off their California Nights album released in 2015.

3WTM January 2017 Playlist

A monthly run down of what we've been listening to. Available on Apple and Spotify.

John's Selections:

Virgin Suicide – Virgin Suicide

A Danish band who have supported The Charlatans and have been The Guardian’s band of the week. They’ve got an indie guitar pop sound with an American west coast feel.

Public Display of Affection – EAT FAST

I can't find out much about this band but I don't think that matters. They've got an album out and seem to have their own sound and I like it.

The King And All Of His Men – Wolf Gang

I like discovering music in different ways and would happily use Shazam in a cinema if it wasn’t frowned upon. This song was used by the BBC on their football programme Final Score. Having found Pumpin Blood through the same programme, they clearly have good taste. I enjoyed finding this the other day and following it to find Lion In Cages, another quality song by the band. Sadly the London based band split in 2015.

Gonna Die Alone – Hanni El Khatib

What a cheery thought. I do like the song though. He’s been around since 2010 and this is a recent track released in 2016 from the San Francisco artist.

Silk – Wolf Alice

I hadn’t got Wolf Alice before. I’ve revisited their music on a couple of occasions because of recommendations but still I didn’t get them. Then I saw the Trainspotting 2 trailer. Music put to images, especially ones stirring up feelings of nostalgia, wow that’s a great thing in life. Wolf Alice I get you now.

Oh Mary – Kulashaker

This song has been on my Spotify for a while and it’s taken a while to grow on me. “Oh Mary what have you done?” You’ve given me a new track to enjoy by a band I used to love.

Satisfaction - The Bay Rays
As they supported The Slaves I'm guessing Neil's heard this band already but for those of you who haven't (including me before now) then this band are worth checking out. They're still touring if you want to catch up with them.

One Drop - Be Charlotte
19 years old and from Scotland. You can tell the later from the music and it works. You certainly wouldn't tell her age from the track. Some real talent right there.

Good Girls - Crystal Fighters
A band on their third album and they've finally come on my radar. I can't work out if I've just missed everything or they've finally broken through. A bit of both I guess. They sound like a dancey version of Vampire Weekend.

January 17 – Chris’s Choices

Drifting Apart – Goan Dogs – Drifting Apart (Single). Haunting, captivating and beautiful (despite the negative theme). I like this song so much that I dare not listen to the other two singles that Goan Dogs have released, if that makes sense.

Glue Bag Flags – Smoove & Turrell – Crown Posada. A great upbeat soul track.

Do You Have A Name – Glass Caves – Do You Have A Name (Single) – Pontefract based Alt-Rock with one album to their name.

Empty Promises – Mainland – Empty Promises (Single) – strong track which sounds very similar to Bloc Party’s Luna with vocals by the singer from The Walkmen – to my mind anyway.

Terribly So – Howe Gleb – Future Standards. I’m not sure how this crept into my weekly playlist from Apple. Think Leonard Cohen with a jazz/swing feel.

Diary – Weyes Blood – Front Row Seat To Earth. Clear female vocals over simple piano arpeggios start this atmospheric song off

Badguys – Christopher Paul Stelling – Badguys (Single). Great track with a quirky time signature

Pulling At The Grey – Young Romance – Another’s Blood.

Modern Contemporary – Rainbow Arabia – L.A. Heartbreak.

The Pact – Puppet Rebellion – The Pact (Single)

The State I’m In – Josephin Ohm + The Liberation – The State I’m In (Single)