3WTM December 2015 Playlist

Again this month we have a collaboration between the three of us (Neil, Chris and John). If you enjoy the new style please leave us a comment, share with your mates or send us cash. We're not fussy. You can as before stream the playlist on Google Play, Apple & Spotify.

John's:

Hot Coals - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Now bear with this one, it's a bit slow to get growing, grating even at the start but is the long, whimsical kind of track that I'm hoping Chris and any of our readers may enjoy. If you're the kind of person who needs to be won over in the first minute this isn't the track for you. The piano on it is just beautiful and doesn't really start until nearly three minutes in. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros appeared on this blog back when their debut album was released - and what an album that was. I wouldn't have been able to guess it was them on this track based on that first album and so this really requires a listen with fresh ears.

It such a grower that even though I've written this while listening to it I cannot turn it off and move on to the next track until it's had its first full play.

The Big Blue - SULK

This band remind me of The Seahorses a bit and coming across this release from 2013 has been a real joy. It takes me back to 1990s indie and listening to other tracks from their album Graceless I can hear elements of The Stone Roses (on Back In Boom) and looking at the production influences they've had on that first album. They've had people who have worked with Pulp, Whitelies, Suede, Ride and Elastica. Check out the album if this is your cup of tea, new album out in March 2016.

We Can Do What We Want - Drenge

Knowing that they hail from the Peak District was enough to get me into this band and yet I'm late to the party. After all, our own Schonberg (Neil) gave them a mention for their quality debut in 2013. This is taken from their new album and is a real foot-stomper.

A Bar In Amsterdam - Katzenjammer

I was recently handed a CD at a Christmas curry night out of this band's set-list when a friend went to see them. Having an early start the next morning I popped it on in the car and it certainly got me going. He said they were fantastic live.

Waiting Around For Grace - Pond

What a terrible name but I guess they're saying their music is a diverse as the life you find in a pond. This track really kicks in after a minute gets lost about three minutes in and resets.

Neil's

1. The Noisy Days are Over - Field Music

The triumphant return of Field Music, with their irregular time sequences and Steely Dan-esque quirky prog rhythms.

Chris: OK – well I like this a lot. I might have to revisit Field Music, because on the strength of this, I don’t know what I didn’t get into previously. Fairly long and samey in structure. 4.1/5

John: 80s feel for me and while it's not quite a cow bell, satisfies the Will Farrell in me. Two minutes too long though.

2. Wide Open - The Chemical Brothers (featuring Beck)

The first of two collaborations this month. I found myself singing along to this track before I knew who it was. Beck does a great job of enhancing classic chilled out Chemical Brothers beats.

Chris: I really like this one too 4.25/5

John: I wouldn't have placed this as a Chemical Brothers track and I don't think it's the Beck element. It's them at their chilled out best.

3. The Zoo - Fews

This reminds me of mid-noughties indie rock, it wouldn't have been out of place on an early 3WTM playlist from 2005.

Chris: And this one. There’s a very 80’s alternative feel to it. 4.25/5

John: Wow we are going chilled out Neil. Flows over you nicely and the riff works great. 

4. Shut 'em Up - The Prodigy and Manfred Mann vs. Public Enemy

The second collaboration, classic Public Enemy lyrics scoured over equally classic Prodigy beats, with a Manfred Mann sample thrown in for extra epic anthem-ness.

Chris: And then this happens. The Manfred Mann bit is great, and then the rest of it kicks in – I try not to award less than 3/5, but I’m going for 2/5 – I like the picture of the fox though.

John: Love it. Can just imagine running to it, BOOM!

5. Be Right Back, Moving House - Ghostpoet

This one has grown on me over the last month or so, and if you can get over the slight affectation at the end of each line, I'm sure it'll grow on you too.

Chris: I listened to the Ghostpoet album when it came out and liked it, but decided it was one that I wouldn’t listen to all the way through again – it is good to hear isolated tracks from time to time though, and this is a great example of that. I’m going to go for 4/5 which matches the number of your tracks that I really like this month.

John: A track with depth for me and grows nicely over the six minutes. Leaves me wanting more at the end.

3WTM December 2015 playlist – Chris’s bit

Grimes – Flesh Without Blood – Art Angels

This was on my shortlist a while back, but I never got around to including it. I don’t know much about Grimes. Apparently she’s Canadian and has a variety of influences including genres I’m not particularly keen on. The album is OK, but I’m not hugely sold on it, but this track is very catchy. At a guess, I would think that it might be more John than Neil, but I could be wrong.

John: Not my cup of tea sadly. Heard the hype about the album and checked it out. It's nice enough but is the side of female vocals I'm not too keen on. Neither pretty or melodic enough.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Bone – Paper Mâché Dream Balloon

Again, I was thinking about this track last month. It has a very retro hippie feel to it and I think it might appeal to … Neil? It is very happy. The album it’s from is pretty good, and has songs with a similar vibe on it. They are Australian. Wikipedia helpfully inform me that one of the genres they might be assigned to is neo-psychedelia.

John: Gotta love that neo-psychedelia!? Upbeat pop on this one, checking out some of their other tracks I guess I can get the psychedelia tag a bit more.

Eliza Shaddad – Wars – Wars (single)

Not much to say about this really. I really like it, she seems to be another new artist with not much back catalogue. This month’s shortlist contained several songs from different acts that could all sit convincingly aside this on an album (to my ear at least).

John: A bit more my thing with sultry tones over indie beats.

Spring King - Who Are You? – Who Are You (single)

This is a cracking song which I would imagine has global appeal. Oh! Apparently the first ever band ever played on Apple Beats radio … and oh no! This song has been Annie Mac’s Radio 1 hottest record, so maybe this belongs on a ‘Whatsrightwiththemainstream’ blog.

John: It was on my list but you got in there first. Full throttle music, bet they're good live.

The Drink – The Coming Rain – Capital

OK, so this is the track I intended to feature last month, but I did a quick scan of the album and picked another (fine) track instead. I don’t want this to slip through the net though, so it’s another instance of a band featuring two months running.

John: Nice melodic backing with Simon and Garfunkel vocals sung by The Bangles. That's what it sounds to me anyway (refer to their cover of Hazy Shade of Winter).

3WTM November 2015 Playlist

This month we have a collaboration between three of the contributors to the blog over the years. Chris, Neil and John have come up with tracks for you to enjoy and Neil starts us off with tracks tailored to Chris and John's tastes. He'd make a great DJ as two of his tracks were on Chris and John's track listings already. The clear lesson is get your choices in early. I've added Neil's and Chris's private comments to me about the tracks, hopefully they don't mind and as they were never planned to be openly aired it may also explain the shortness or rambling nature to some of them. Plus the deal was I did the blurb for each song but this way I don't need to do that!

As before you can stream the playlist on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Music.

Neil:

First two for John:

Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, with Crescendo) by El Vy.
El Vy is fronted by the lead singer of The National, Matt Berninger, and this track has his trademark low voice all over it. I know you (John) were a fan of The National, so I'm guessing that you'll like this. It's fairly upbeat for the genre, and the song that follows it on the album is fairly rocky, but then it falls into 'samey' mode. I'll continue to listen though, because like The National albums, it's bound to be a slow burner.

John - "I would never have placed Matt's voice, with the sound of the whole track being a bit lighter than the stuff he's done with The National. Certainly a grower with a nod to the 90s with the sound in my opinion. Time to check out some more." Heart of Gold by The Sherlocks.
Hailing from Sheffield, The Sherlocks sound like what The Courteeners would have sounded like had they been born in Wincobank. I was first alerted to them about two or three years ago by a friend from Kimberworth Park. He'd been to see some 16 year olds play in my old local pub, The Domino (RIP) and had posted on Facebook "wow, these are the future of rock and roll" or something like that. Well, here they are.

John - "Already down on my list for this month they certainly do sound like The Courteeners and have been supporting them as well as Reverend and the Makers on tour recently - certainly my cup of tea. A nationwide tour is now planned by them for next year. It's a thumbs up from me."
Now, two for Chris: You and Him by John Grant.
You will be aware of John Grant from his 'GMF' track that featured on one of our previous mix CDs, an American who moved to Iceland to record his second album and never came back. Lots of quirkiness to his song-writing that I think might appeal to you, this one has some great rhyming in it, and a bit of funky electronic production that I've begun to see crop up in some of your listening choices.
Chris - "Well I was avoiding the John Grant album for ages. We all loved GMF, but I found myself wondering if I would like to listen to lots of songs like it - or if he was a one-trick pony kind of thing. Well anyway, I was trying out the 'Alternative' radio channel on Apple Music and it played the track I said I was thinking of putting on - Disappointing. Well I liked it right away so went ahead and downloaded the album. I've probably listened it through a couple of times. First time probably as background music and I liked it... He is witty, and I like his voice."
Times Square by Destroyer.
Our current mix CD has a reprise of this track from the Poison Season album, but this is the full song, great use of piano and saxophone in a full sound, and I love the drums on it.

Chris - "I'm not sure which version I've been listening to now as it's been the playlist I made myself having given my CD to a friend. Quite an astonishing co-incidence that I'd already decided that this was your kind of thing. Listening now, I agree, the drumming is good - it brings home to me how I tend to overlook the drumming when listening to a song. I like it, but maybe wouldn't seek it out to play it if you know what I mean." Finally, one for me: Trials of a Modern Man by Vangoffey.
Vangoffey is essentially Danny Goffey from Supergrass, and this song has all the energy and zip of a classic Supergrass track. I particularly like the 'first world problems' angle to the lyrics and the line "I've got a house and a car, kids and a wife, but I'm busting out my brains just to keep them in my life" is very poignant!

John - "I thought this had a real American feel to it and only once I'd read Neil's notes did I then make the connection with Supergrass which is easy to hear now I know. I've actually been disappointed by the music that Gaz Coombes has produced and so it's a good surprise to hear Danny's quality coming through - it's like Gary and Robbie from Take That both going solo all over again, it's always the ones you don't expect to succeed that do well."

Chris - "Trials of A Modern Man. Yep - like the song, but it probably earns the same 3.75 stars as the previous track for similar reasons."

On To Chris's Choices

Rock n Roll is Cold by Matthew E White.
Reminds me very much of J.J. Cale - chords are also very close to 'Country Girl' by Primal Scream.

Neil - "I like the Matthew E White track, very reminiscent of Phosphorescence."

John - "This song can pass you by but then when it stops you suddenly realise you've been nodding your head and tapping your feet."

Snakeskin by Deerhunter
This puts me in mind of Franz Ferdinand, and a specific track which I can't call to mind at the moment.

John - "As I promised to give a bit more blurb on the tracks I'll point out this is taken from their latest album, Fading Frontier, released in last month (October) and is their 6th studio album. The likeness to Franz Ferdinand for me comes from the tempo with both bands having quite distinctive singers."

Priestess by Puma Rosa.
Long, and despite it not developing massively towards the end I don't tire of it at all. Very atmospheric.

John - "Great for Chris to bring this to our attention especially as it became 'the second most blogged about song worldwide' not sure where the bio got its stats from but we certainly missed it. Zane Lowe gave it the world exclusive treatment on Beats 1 - that's where he's got to nowadays. This was the London band's debut single and we hope for more of the same"

Faultlines by Lanterns On The Lake. 
I might go so far as to give this one five stars.

Neil - "Saw Lanterns on the Lake at No Direction Home in 2012, you can get lost in their swirling, sometimes ghostly sound."

John - "I can totally get Neil's comments and can see why Chris likes them. It's taken from their current album Beings, I also like Ships In The Rain taken from the Newcastle band's 2011 album."

Potter's Grave by The Drink.
This will probably appeal to you both, but I could be wrong.

John - "I think if this track had a male lead we would be talking about how they are a mix between Vampire Weekend and Fleet Foxes. But they don't and further listening suggests that comparison is quite wide of the mark. For a band that only appeared in 2014 they already have two albums out, Captial, of which Potter's Grave is chosen from is their second album. A really good choice off the album, Roller one of the singles is also worth a spin."

John's choices:

Four of my bands have all had previous successes but get nowhere near the attention they should do. As a friend said to me as we were watching Reverend and the Makers "Why don't I know more about this band?".

The Writing's On The Wall - OK Go
I was pleased to discover that OK Go are still releasing music and despite the different theme to their it's still hitting the mark. With a sound so close to New Order's Temptation I had to check it wasn't some sort of weird cover or sampled. Not sure how New Order fans will feel about it but let's call it a homage to them rather than a rip-off...

Neil - "I really like the OK Go track and I totally dig the Temptation vibe, in fact they sound much like Grouplove would covering New Order. They seem to have lost the edgy sound of their early years (what was the song called with the treadmills in the video? - Here It Goes Again - JL) but they seem to be able to rock the mellower vibe."

Chris - "I can see what Neil means about New Order very much. Great track. 4.25 stars"

To My Surprise - James
After the very pleasant return to form on their last album, I was excited to hear they had a new album out in March and a new single out this month. To My Surprise has a different sound due to the electronic beats but there's no mistaking the distinct voice of Tim Booth. While this song doesn't hit the heights of the previous album I'm still hopeful of another strong long player as their first single of Petit Mort was not by anyway the best on the album.

Neil - "The James song is getting quite a bit of airplay, and rightly so. It's great that a band can be around so long but still be able to find a fresh sound- I know its more electronic than before but you still know its James. Just wish Tim Booth wouldn't take himself so seriously..."

Chris - "again I agree with Neil's comments. I'm keen to hear the rest of the album when it's out. James albums (to me at least) seem to have a couple of great tracks on and a bunch of so-so tracks. 4 stars."

Think Of The Sunshine - Hurricane # 1
So Andy Bell (he of Hurricane #1 and Oasis) decides to get Ride back together again. His old band mates clearly weren't put off by that as they got together and wrote a new album without him. I was a big fan of Hurricane #1 back at the time of their first and second album. Whether it was the weight of "selling out" to The Sun newspaper (Only The Strongest Will Survive was used in their ad) that caused them to split we'll never know. They certainly sound different after all these years and without Andy Bell's influence. This is as upbeat as the title suggests.

Neil - "Oh yeah, Hurricane#1. Well, its OK to listen to, but doesn't really get going for me, but maybe I need to listen to it a few more times to appreciate it. Its certainly got the hallmarks of the post-Oasis rock genre."

Chris - "I can see why Neil mentions Oasis. In our band, we cover 'Staying Out For The Summer' and 'She's Electric' - we could play just this song instead as is has large helpings of each of the others. Nothing wrong with it at all so 4 stars."

Last To Know - Reverend and the Makers
With a sound of Richard Hawley or Arctic Monkeys at their b-side best, this track sung by Ed Cosens is the other side to the band and reflects the new album much better than the "bangers" that McClure describes the bands singles as. If you've been put off by this band in the past or have not enjoyed recent stuff I urge you to listen to this track. With Joe Carnall (of Sheffield band Milburn fame) currently being part of the band it really has a new edge and sound on the album and live.

Neil - "I'm guessing this is a bridging song from the new album? Very much not in the vein of classic Revs stuff, and nice to know that Jon McClure can hold a note! (apart from it's Ed Cosens - JL) Would need to hear more to get a decent opinion."

Chris - "I completely agree that this is like Richard Hawley and The Arctic Monkeys. It's almost as if they're from Sheffield! Another good song - I like the instrumentation. I'm going 3.75 stars for this (just because I got bored of giving 4 stars)"

Infatuation - The Tapestry
This four piece from Manchester are a quite a difficult band to find anything about on the internet, you certainly don't want to confuse them with the band from Guildford. This track is from 2014 and you might also want to check out Right as Rain.

Neil - "The final song, Infatuation, is ace. I really like the unproduced garage feel to it, and firmly believe that it wouldn't be out of place played in between a Flowered Up track and a Happy Mondays track at a late 80s indie disco."

Chris - " wow, what an intro - it would need to be a terrible song indeed to fail after that start. Why does everything remind me of Franz Ferdinand though? Let's go 4.25 stars to redress the balance." - "The Franz Ferdinand track I had in mind was 'Walk Away' by the way - and coincidentally it was playing in the pub I was in this lunchtime."

3WTM October '15 Playlist

Just me left to my own devices today and I've got some corking tunes this month. I was asked recently by one of (our only?) reader if I particularly recommended any of the songs on the playlist. Well obviously I recommend them all as that's the whole reason behind it but in this time of fast food and 140 characters I understand we all want to accelerate to the good stuff. So I have highlighted the key tracks but you can check them out all out on Apple Music, Spotify or hopefully working for the first time, Google Play (thanks Neil).

C'est La Vie - Stereophonics

A band that has been made unfashionable by time alone. They've penned stonking track after track and while I'm not as big a fan as my friend who has named his company after them, I've certainly spent a fair amount of my time listing to their work. This is major highlight of the playlist.

Queen of Peace - Florence + The Machine

Certainly not a band struggling for recognition at the moment and her promotion to headline act at Glastonbury should be celebrated as another strong track hits our ears.

The Queen of Swans - Mercury Rev

Probably best known for their track Goddess on a Highway back in the nineties when they were loved by NME. I was surprised to see their name come up on latest releases and The Queen of Swans taken from their new album, The Light In You, is a good return to form for the band.

Capable of Anything - Ben Folds

Certainly a highlight of the playlist with a real magical feel to the opening and a message that can resonate with most people. It certainly reminds me of Parker Lewis and Patrick Wolf's The Magic Position.

Weekend - The Mispers

With a similar whimsical opening to the track above you get drawn in to the band despite their name and track title.

The Next Storm - Frank Turner

As I'm going to see him in November I'm getting in my revision from his latest album, I couldn't face doing a "going down a storm" cliché. D'oh.

No Hell - Cloud Cult

If Florence + The Machine are getting good coverage, Cloud Cult do not get anywhere near the international critical acclaim they should do. I can't work out if they don't tour in Europe because of environmental reasons or that they just don't want to but they would certainly be welcome with opened arms from our household.

Say You Don't Want It - One Night Only

Exploring further from last month's track I have found this cracking pop song that they released back in 2010. Sounding a bit like Ian Broudie (Lightning Seeds) and having the production values of one of his tracks it's what the Pet Shop Boys would sound like if they preferred guitars to keyboards.

Start To Run - Dexters

Another reappearance from last month's playlist as I explored Dexters back catalogue.

Honey - Swim Deep

Only dreaming while you're sleeping is a sin as we all know or certainly that's the mantra that Swim Deep seem to be repeating through this song.

Electric Fever - Free Energy

Another track from Free Energy this month and when you've heard this track you won't be surprised to hear that the 2012 track is inspired by You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet by Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

Unwind - Guy Garvey

Elbows front man goes it alone and this feels like he's very much returned to the music where Elbow began. Slow and not instant if you've read this far down in to the blog then you've probably got the staying power required to enjoy the track.

Just Like That - The Coronas

I have the feeling this song was selected as a single and then they had to address the slow start to the track. So what we've ended up with is a track hitting you between the eyes, calming down and revealing it's real qualities before getting up pace again by the end. See what you think.

Trust - Half Moon Run

I don't listen enough to music on the radio and even less to new music on the radio sadly. So when I keep hearing a band on the radio I know they must be gaining some traction. Check out Half Moon Run, I think I might be a bit late in telling you this...

Superhero Music - Fingathing

I know this isn't Chris's (note the apostrophes) cup of tea but as he's having a month off contributing to the blog I get to put it on. Hope the rest of you enjoy!

Enabler - Evans The Death

Having a cameo appearance from comedian Stewart Lee on one of your b-sides is pretty cool - on the a-side would be so last year. Check them out although any band that "distances themselves from indie pop" comes across as a bit snobby.

3WTM September Playlist - Chris's Half

Well, the first thing I must address is the apostrophe in "Chris's" - apparently it's OK to do that now, and I kind of like it because it mirrors what would be said in speech, so I'm going with it.

Right - so having got that little niggle out of the way, on to the music.

I've been compiling my own 'Good New Music' playlist for a while now, so these songs haven't necessarily found their way into my life solely in the last month, but who said they had to? Anyway, John suggested that I do 10 songs or so this month, and he'd do ten or so.

First up:

Get Into It by The Strypes from Little Victories

So this is brand new, and what a track, what an album! 'Eighty-Four' from the same album would not be out of place on The Arctic Monkeys' (no 's' added there) 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'. Anyway the rest of this playlist will struggle to continue where this track leaves off, it's such a cracker ...

Bad Boyfriend by Spector from Moth Boys

OK - so Spector featured last month, but I was going to add one of their tracks anyway - I heard this album about the same time as Little Victories, and it's another great one, as John suggested it might be. As I commented to John in an email, I can't decide if the singer sounds like the bloke out of 'The Editors', 'The National' or 'White Lies' or maybe all three?

Disco Bands by Sunset Sons from She Wants - EP

OK - so I've mentioned this band before (back in January I think), but there's much to like here - my kind of track exactly, driving and upbeat. I'd love for these guys to bring an album out.

Sorry I Stole Your Man by Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas from Secret Evil

OK - so I start all my comments with 'OK' - good job I'm not a proper writer or anything. So - this album is over a year old I think, but a deluxe version has been released or something like that and so it popped up on my radar. Another cracking album. In places, I am reminded of either Amy Winehouse, or The Noisettes.

Thames Soup by The Phoenix Foundation from Fandango

This track is a little more laid back. Oh blimey - the album's from 2013! Oh well, it's new to me. I don't really know what to say about it though ... moving swiftly on ...

Anywhere We Go by Kaptan from Anywhere We Go - Single

Very acceptable little indie tune - don't know much about these, I think they are very new, but the bloke behind them/it has done some other things before. Helpful, I know.

If Birds Wish To Fly by Corey Brown from If Birds Wish To Fly - Single

This track had me at the Hammond Organ riff intro. Again - I don't seem to be able to find out much more about Corey Bowen - oh apparently he's from Middlesbrough. Well I hope he goes on to make more like this.

Heart & Soul by VITAMIN from Heart & Soul - Single

It's just an OK track in reality - if I had to lose a track from this list, this would probably be the one.

Busy Earnin' by Jungle from Jungle

This is another discover from 6 Music (I must borrow my wife's car more often). Again, an album from last year. Funky? Groovy? I just like it.

Heroine by Gengahr by A Dream Outside

Please, someone tell me what the main riff sounds almost exactly like? It's easy, but I just can't place it. IT'S DOING MY HEAD IN! Anyway another great track.

Misfit by Starling from Misfit - Single

Hmm - should I end on a downbeat note? Why not. 'Pensive' might describe this track. I recently downloaded a 'Nordic Noir' playlist featuring songs that had been included in the soundtracks to the recent Scandinavian dramas which have been appearing on TV over the last few years, and this track would fit right in with those. I'm just going to check if it's on that list ... Ha! No it isn't! Well perhaps someone should put the Nordic Noir programme makes onto it!

OK - and for completeness, here's a link to the Apple Music playlist with John's songs added to my songs:

Apple Music 3WTM September '15 Playlist

I won't say any more about Apple Music other than that it works out well for my family. I feel a bit bad about abandoning Spotify, but I'm managing so far.

3WTM September Playlist - John's Half

So this month's music playlist has been split between myself and Chris and hopefully you'll get a good mix of music from us both. Although I have to say mine has gone more middle of the road than ever. Not intentionally but just how it is sometimes. The playlist as a whole is available on the excellent Spotify and the terrible Apple Music (see Chris's post for the link).

Five Green Bottles - The Bulletproof Bomb

They're a five piece band from South London, and you can tell hear it in their brawl. It works well as one of the more raw music tracks on this playlist.

Think Yourself Lucky - Frankie and the Heartstrings

After a début album like the one Frankie et al produced it's hard not to have a soft spot for them and despite them not hitting the same highs since this is certainly a strong pop song.

Wolves - One Night Only

I thought One Night Only disappeared along time ago but it appears they didn't. They wrote great middle of the road indie pop. They haven't strayed too far but they seem to still offer a solid track or two. This one matches in perfectly with Chris's recent Wolves obsession with tracks.

When Did Your Heart Go Missing? - Rooney

Another lightweight indie pop track that I can't help but warm to and how can you not when they're named after the principal from Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Planet Earth - Glass Pear

It's difficult to not compare this to ELO and All Over The World. It's not up there in terms of catchyness or quality but it's got a real similar feel to it.

Stay Strange - Dexters

Some terrible band names in this month's playlist and non more so than Dexters but don't judge a book by it's cover. They're a strong guitar band from London and the latest single Stay Strange has more depth to it than it at first appears.

Sylvia - Telekinesis

I'm guessing there aren't many baby girls called Sylvia and so the track name already sets your expectations at a certain level and genre. Described as indie guitar and power pop this band are a real find. The name being the alter-ego of Michael Benjamin Lerner from Seattle.

Bang Pop - Free Energy

70s inspired American guitar pop from Minnesota, works for me.

Pressure Off - Duran Duran

I've ummed and arrred about putting this on the playlist, it's getting radio play and is nothing new but I feel I have to share it with anyone who hasn't caught it yet. Brilliant nostalgic pop.

Let Me In - Grouplove

I know I put them on the playlist last month but I spotted another track not on either of their albums and definitely needed sharing.

3WTM August Playlist

For those eagle-eyed amongst you, you may notice the August playlist has come out in September but I'm sure you won't hold that against me as it's now on Spotify and Apple. Apple listeners sadly don't have two of the tracks. No YouTube clips this time. If you liked those let me know in comments but I think most people are streaming the playlist.

Black Widow - Reverend and the Makers

The Rev is back and this time there aren't any synths as his Mrs takes time off with the new baby - check out Makin' Babies also on the new album. The album is ready to preorder and you can get those two tracks now when you preorder. Which I have of course done.

No Drama Queen - Grouplove

Having seen Grouplove live a couple of years back with Schonberg I was amazed to find they'd released a second album without telling me. It didn't reach the heights of their great first album and I still hadn't followed them that closely so to find they'd released another track as part of a soundtrack was a pleasant surprise. Check it out.

The Blue Collars - Cheater

I've had a few songs of The Blue Collars on my "evaluate for the blog" playlist for a while now. As mentioned on a previous playlist they remind me of The Twang. The thing is they haven't quite got the melody element like The Twang and are a bit more raw. At times this is great and other times it can grate. If they can get the balance right they could be a band to be reckoned with.

Marching Orders - Editors

It's been a while since I've listened to an Editors track and the band have moved on enough to make their music sound fresh without losing their original appeal.

Brand New Day - Kodaline

Like Keane I guess. Well worth checking out.

Last Day Of Your Life - Glass Pear

If you're in to your cycling, as well as checking out my cycling blog you should also check out the excellent Cycling Podcast (I really can't recommend it enough). This track features as the intro and outro music. I thought it was just a piece written for them but it turns out it is a very accomplished track. Glass Pear are fronted by Yestyn Griffiths who is the younger brother of Jem, remember her? He even co-wrote some songs on her first album so a talented guy. Their guitarist and producer is Tom Welham and it turns out he's a cycling fan as far as I can work out and he is also the guitarist from Thirteen Senses. So during the Tour de France they also used a Thirteen Senses track on the podcast. 

Reconnect - Director

Another discovery through Spotify. Massive in Ireland back in 2006 this was the debut single from the band.

2468 - DJ Yoda

I've been a fan of DJ Yoda after downloading a set he did for Radio 1 quite a while back. I grabbed it off the excellent Pearson Towers web site which sadly, at the time of writing, seems to be no longer in operation. This is taken off his album Breakfast of Champions, which everyone knows is *insert your breakfast here*.

Baby Don't You Lie To Me - The Fratellis

Easy Money - Johnny Marr

OK so I'm slow on to this one but it's a cracking tune.

Marina & I - The Gorgeous Chans

Very Vampire Weekend, if that's your bag then this track will be too. This is the debut single from the band from Nottingham. Pretty tasty for a first effort if you ask me.

Shine - Years & Years

Finally something Years and Years has done has grabbed me and I get where they're coming from. Then again it took me longer than this with MGMT so guys it's me not you.

Cupboard Painted Red - Puppet Rebellion

As previously featured on this blog, the band come up with another strong track.

Daydreamer - Biopolar Sunshine

Dario G mixed with Semisonic. not really but kind of.

Stay High - Spector

The album is now out and on first listen it seems strong, Stay High is the latest single from the album, all have been solid tracks. Not just our house that plays 'veto' on films and songs then.

Walk In Space - Fingathing

Another track to go on the Space themed playlist (Schonberg and Crispie I'm talking to you). Fingathing remind me of Avalanches and Frontier Psychiatrist.

The Whip - Locksley

The Whip being the name of the track not the band. Fratellis-esque crowd anthem track.

Rise and Fall - Dorey the Wise

Starts off very jangley (maybe too much?) but a strong voice rescues the track. One for Frankie and the Heartstrings fans.

Roundabout - The Starkins

Quite a few finds through Spotify (I really must ditch either Spotify or Apple Music but Spotify is winning at the moment). This is one of them, they've got some more recent material but this is a good introduction to the band.

Mountain At My Gates - Foals

I've never really been in to Foals but I like this and I think I'll listen to more off their new album, out now kids.

Sing - Sounds Under Radio

Quite middle of the road but I like a good keyboard backed guitar band.

Frank Turner - Positive Songs For Negative People

Well well. I was beginning to despair. Whilst I've come across some great albums this year (by actively seeking out new stuff) only one or two had really hit the spot for me (Public Service Broadcasting and Django Django). Also, Apple Music hadn't really thrown anything my way that had caught my imagination ... and then came Frank Turner. New to me again (but of course checking back, he's been mentioned on here twice before) he's got a brand new album out, Positive Songs For Negative People. I read a little about him and at first thought 'Eton Old Boy - eugh', but why should that mean someone can't write good songs - of course it doesn't. There's a review of this album in the Guardian (where it only gets three stars!) here Frank Turner: Positive Songs for Negative People review, and it would seem that I seem to like music that doesn't demand much from the listener. Well, whatever it might say about me, I'm prepared to declare loud and clear that I think that this is a cracking album - just my kind of thing. Have a listen. There are links to a couple of tracks in the Guardian review.

3WTM July 2015 Playlist

Mwahahaha. John has left me in charge of compiling a playlist for July as he won't have much chance to do one himself.

Ironically, I'd just decided to stop trying to seek out great new music as John was doing such a great job with his playlists. I've also knocked Spotify on the head, with the advent of Apple Music - the £15.00 for the whole family was too good to refuse. I did have various difficulties in setting up Apple Music and Family Sharing or Apple Family or whatever it's called, but got there in the end, and we now all have our own personally tailored music experiences. I'm not too sure how good the tailoring is, but I'm sure I'll be swift to find out (see what I did there?).

OK - onto the music.

Well before I stopped my subscription to Spotify, I copied some of the tracks from my 'Good New Music' playlist into a new playlist, taking the opportunity to rename it ... 'Good New Music'. And it is some of those tracks that I will share, I think. However, I'll create a new playlist called '3WTM July 2015' and see how sharing that goes.

1. Laura Welsh - Break The Fall (Single)

What to say? She seems to be a relative newcomer with an album and a couple of EPs to her name. I suppose a comparison to Florence and the Machine is a bit obvious, but is the best I can do. This song dates back to 2014.



2. The Wombats - Give Me A Try - Glitterbug

Well they've been around for a while, but haven't yet made into my music collection - until now, that is. Good catchy song - bordering a little on dance, but luckily (as far as I'm concerned) not going too far into the territory.



3. Still - The Japanese House - Pools To Breathe In (EP)

There's probably a genre which sums this up perfectly, but I'm not too hot with genres - I'll go with ambient and minimalist. I have to be very careful listening to this around the house - the gentle laid back feel to it doesn't prepare you for the occasional expletive.



4. Wolves Without Teeth - Of Monsters And Men - Beneath The Skin

A return to the blog for 'Of Monsters And Men' who now have a second album out (and what a great album it is). I have three of the tracks in my 'Good New Music' playlist, but picked this one because it has 'wolves' in the title - I seem to have been noticing 'wolf' or various derivatives of it quite a lot recently in either song titles, or album titles - I even had a wolf-based playlist on Spotify (not transferred across to Apple yet). I see now that 'Running With The Wolves' by AURORA featured in a previous post of mine.



5. Good Morning Mr Wolf - Patrick Watson - Love Songs For Robots

Oh what the hell - now we're on the wolves, we might as well stay there for a bit. New to me, but Patrick Watson has been around for a while (9 years or so). I'm not even going to try with a genre for this - again, possibly though minimalist in places ooh - I see it says 'ambient' in his bio and 'electronica'.



6. Bros - Wolf Alice -  My Love Is Cool

Yay, another 'wolf' track - although it does go a bit against the grain to mention 'Bros' in a music blog! Hmm, take a sniff, then a sip, swill it round, spit it out, savour the flavour ... I'm getting Cranberries and Strawberry Switchblade and there my list of fruit related bands runs dry.



7. Higher (feat. Labrinth) - Sigma

OK - enough with the wolves ... and what's this? A dance track? Surely not? Whatever am I thinking of? I kinda like this, that's all.




8. Death Is A Girl - Mini Mansions - The Great Pretenders

Hmm, I'm still a little out of my familiar territory - what have we here? Maybe there's some Metronomy in there, maybe some Scissor Sisters, possibly some Depeche Mode - Apple class it as 'Rock' - I'm not sure that I'd agree.



9. Tear In My Heart - twenty one pilots - Blurryface

Phew - back in familiar territory (musically at least as I've never heard of twenty one pilots). I love the middle 8 in this, and I love the line 'cursing my government for not using my taxes to fill holes with more cement' even if they do mean tarmac.



10 Witness - Mew - + -

Now there's an album title to mess up my track title syntax (+ -). Ah - I see these are from Denmark and specialise in amped-up art-rock. I don't think I could have put it better myself - well you've just read my earlier efforts and you know I can't. I liked this track, checked out the album and liked it, but it went no further than that for me.



11. Even If I'm Loud It Doesn't Mean I'm Talking To You - Tove Styrke - Kiddo

Hey Mickey! 'Pop'? Eeek. Still - this is just good fun - very catchy.



12. Narrow Mouth - The Early November - Imbue

Possibly close to the generic American not-quite-grunge rock that many bands churn out and which can leave me fairly cold, these guys get it right and remind me of Medina Lake who I also like despite myself.



13. The Left Is Right - Desaparecidos - Payola

I've not got a lot to say about this.



14. Fall Again - Tremonti - Cauterize

Another out and out rock track, and again it puts me in mind of Madina Lake. There are plenty of guitars in here!



15. Trip Switch - Nothing But Thieves

It only seems right to end on a new track found through Apple Music (I'm still not sure how it's going to drip feed new stuff that I'll like, but it's early days).



16. The Road - Man Of Moon

Well, here we go - a new song found using Apple Music.



Now, can I share my Apple playlist?

Also - I must mention Everything Everything again - we can't have a month go by without mentioning them. I have to say that their new album Get To Heaven is outstanding.

3WTM June 2015 Playlist

Another month and some more cracking tunes discovered, new and old tracks in June's playlist. As before the playlist is available on Spotify. Enjoy!



It Gets Better - The Preatures
The Preatures are from Australia and I think I picked this track up through Chris co-writer of the blog. Great tip off Chris.




The Badest - DJ Yoda
I've always liked DJ Yoda's ability to mix music genres, often hip hop with 70s or 80s music. This has got that same feel, one of a few new tracks from his album I'm enjoying.




Me And The Devil - The Fratellis
The most played song on the playlist this month. A belter. I was a fan of The Fratellis before but this is awesome.



No No No - Yes Sunshine
A great find, suggested by Spotify I think.


Who Fell Down The Stairs - The Cheap Thrills
Another guitar band and another corker from the Liverpool band.



Watch Me Fall - Puppet Rebellion
The first band I have got in to from them following me on Twitter. I checked them out and sent them a complimentary tweet. Sadly they then sent me an automated tweet to check them out. #twitterfail.



Agree To Disagree - The Blue Collars
These guys remind me a fair bit of The Twang, maybe not quite as melodic but I bet they like party just as much!




Bullet Train - Two Weeks Running
Released at the end of November this is another track I'm just catching up on through Spotify. Other streaming services are available...


Right Action - Franz Ferdinand
OK so I was aware of this track already but it goes so well with The Fratellis song it just has to go on this playlist.


4th And Roebling - The Districts



Go - The Chemical Brothers
Another strong track from my Bros.



S.O.B. - Nathaniel Ratelif & The Night Sweats
A great foot tapping blues track. Son of a bitch, give me a drink!



All Day - Tom Williams
I always think of Tom as a friend of the blog but I guess that's just because we've featured him and he's kept going as long as we have.


All Your Friends - LIFE
I'm going to keep posting these guys so you might as well decide you like them now. Another stonking track from LIFE.


The Ballad of Mr. Steak - Kishi Bashi

Ex-Noah and the Whale - Fred Abbott - Free Download

It seems since Noah and the Whale split up (when did this happen, no one tells me nothing*) Fred has been busy and has carried on the Tom Petty sound in to his solo album material. I'm not sure if Funny How... is about being out of the band but it certainly seems more upbeat than a lot of the bands more recent material. His album is out on the 20th of July, make sure you don't forget to check it out.

*There's nothing more satisfying than throwing a double negative in to make me sound intelligent.

Public Service Broadcasting and Maccabees

I remember the cards you used to get in CDs that let you sign up to band's mailing lists. They'd ask you how often you bought CDs and what your other favourite bands. Presumably so they could get support act ideas. These two bands probably wouldn't have featured together on many of those cards but I bet they share some fans. Public Service Broadcasting remixing Marks To Prove It by Maccabees seems a genius move if you ask me. Does it work? Judge for yourself.

If the above embedded link doesn't work, try this instead http://www.vevo.com/watch/GBUV71500658

3WTM May Playlist

The 3WTM Playlist has been something this blog has prided itself in over the years but sadly it's been a bit sporadic at times. So three months in a row is not a bad record. Now check out these records.



Bad Boyfrined - Spector
I'm starting to get excited about the next Spector album. Having already enjoyed All The Sad Young Men and Don't Make Me Try it was definitely a relief to see them carry on the form in Bad Boyfriend. Their first album was hit and miss and failed to live up to expectations. Maybe this one meet them?



Collaborations Don't Work - FFS
Franz Ferdinand and Sparks (FFS) team up and then they tell us collaborations don't work. Except they do. This may be taking the piss out of themselves but you can't help but smile as you listen to it. Then you start singing along. Then you start singing it at work to your fellow collaborators. Still it's all good.



Our Last Shot - Groenland
This track starts of querky, the kind you get in an 'independent' film stacked with stars who want to 'just give something back to the industry'. Like the fake sentiment of the actors and actresses this song steadily turns in to something produced by the Brits School. Still worth of a listen and a part of this month's playlist. I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this song as it was released back in 2013 but it's worth your time.



When They Fight, They Fight - Generations
I'm guessing I discovered the last one on Spotify and this is no different and the two go well together. It's got a west coast surfer feel to this catchy, infectious pop song.



Sometimes I Feel So Deserted - The Chemical Brothers
As I'm doing a lot of running lately there are no better bands than The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, if you can call him a band as it's a one man name, (to quote the song) and The Chemical Brothers. Upbeat, great tempo, it's another one to pound the ears as I pound the streets.



Exodus of the Year - Royal Canoe
Another Spotify discovery and on my first few listens I wasn't too sure about it but each time it seeps in through every pore and draws you in to the song. Take a few listens and I'm sure you'll feel the same.


Regret - Everything Everything
EE, how do you do this? I start off thinking this isn't as good as the track I featured in last month's playlist yet it grows on me again and again. Now I think it's a solid track and can't separate the two.



Go Go Go - Life
For me Life are the next big thing. If only everyone else knew. They're like The Vaccines but a bit punkier and a bit cooler. This isn't their best track but certainly another step towards what I hope will be a cracking debut album.



Hold On Tight - Greg Holden
I feel it's not cool to like this song but having been introduced to it by Chris (co-writer of this blog) I think I can get away with it. It's all about appreciating what you have in life and I'm a big believer in that.


Flute - New World Sound
Not normally the type of track to feature on this blog but certainly one I enjoyed as is psyched me up for my 10K this morning. That and The Walk by The Foos had me buzzing on the start line and ready to go.


Loveblood - Sundara Karma
Another tip off by Chris and it's one of those tracks that I lazily compare to Arcade Fire. A band with such a diverse sound and such an energy that it's easy to link bands to. However I do think if like them you may like this.


Stupid Games - WATERS
I certainly get enough emails from the PR people for this band but again it was Chris's playlist on Spotify that I found it. Chris does seem to like new music with a hint of retro, especially if they've got synths. This ticks all those boxes.


Needle And A Knife - Tennis
They brought us the excellent Origins that featured on a previous blog and Needle and A Knife is another impressive track from this husband and wife duo from the states.


The Way That I Live - Ed Harcourt
The first of a few tracks that I've enjoyed from artists that have been on the blog recently. A big, strong ballad from the Mercury nominated artist.



Wrong Direction - British India
A recent track from the Aussie band, sounding great as I sip my Fosters.


Lonely At The Drop - Jimi Goodwin
Certainly some solid stuff from the ex-Doves man.

As always these tracks and others featured on this blog this month are available on our Spotify playlist.

A Few More Tracks To Share

Oops - forgot to publish this a couple of weeks ago - anyway, here it is.

Inspired by John's excellent playlists, I thought I'd share a few more tracks which seem to me to have something special. Many of these are already on my 'Great Songs To Share' Spotify list.

I'll start with an old track - and one which I'd never heard of until it was played on 6 Music the other night - it's 'Vitamin C' by Can from 1972. I'd never even heard of Can - they were apparently an experimental outfit who produced some stuff that even their mothers would struggle to like - well I don't think that's true of this track.





Right ... next up, Laleh and 'Speaking of Truth' - and OH WOW. A recent release is 'Speaking Of Truth - Orchestrated'


This has got absolutely beautiful orchestration in it, and stunning singing - I have listened to it many times. So, just now, when I was searching for the link to paste into this article, I found the original song from a couple of years ago - and what a cracking original. I think I probably prefer it, so here it is:



I have subsequently bought the album with the original on it, but had to buy an imported CD as it hasn't been released in the UK. It's a great album with some songs in Swedish on it.

Just another great song - I don't know anything about Aurora, but here she is with 'Running With The Wolves':



You probably don't need me to introduce you to this track, but it is stunning and is included anyway. The National and Sunshine On My Back



OK, next up, Zac Brown Band, Chris Cornel wtih Heavy Is The Head. Great.



Oh! No link! Yet another excellent Django Django track - Shake And Trouble, but it's not on YouTube or Soundcloud. Oh well - have a listen somehow if you can.

Calexico - Edge of the Sun

Sometimes my trawling of new releases on Spotify doesn't always catch everything I might like. An example of this is Edge of the Sun by Calexico. This showed up instead on the Amazon website as a new release. Incidentally, it is within Spotify's catalogue,

Well, I knew nothing at all about Calexico - a quick look at their bio on Spotify informed me that they produced an album in Europe when they first formed, but moved to the States and met with greater success over there. They are named after a town on the border between California and Mexico, despite being based in Nevada, and perhaps unsurprisingly, their music is an eclectic mix of styles drawing from international influences. I listened to a couple of tracks on Spotify and it was enough to convince me that I would like the album, so went ahead and bought a copy from Amazon. This is now twice in a row that I've got lucky with a purchase - what a fantastic album it is. And also, the bonus material in the 'deluxe' version in fantastic too.

My only issue with the whole album, and it is more of a personal foible, is that there are a couple of tracks with steel guitar in them. I just don't get on with the sound of a steel guitar. I associate it with country music, and I don't like country music - although that is a massive sweeping generalisation. It just grates with me - so there it is.

The only problem now is ... I was looking for a way to share a track and found this video on YouTube. It is the only song from the album with a video (as yet) ... but it's very odd. A bit unsettling actually. I'll share it anyway:

Django Django - Born Under Saturn

Well, it's release day for Django Django's new album Born Under Saturn. I see they've featured on this blog a couple of times. Well based on the quality of their last couple of tracks, I took the plunge and bought the album without even a preliminary listen through. It is rapidly turning out to be one of my best buys ever.


Never do I buy and album and then just sit and listen to it through - I normally listen in the car or something or, while I'm doing something else. Well, here I am, doing exactly that - too gripped to even go and get breakfast. Well I suppose I am typing about it at the same time. I'm also quite chuffed to be first person to review the album on Amazon - if only I could have sounded wise in it.

Link Here

3WTM April Playlist

This month I've taken the chance to further my music education by checking out current tracks as well as revisiting some older tracks. These are the best I've found.

New(ish) Tracks

First Light - Django Django



I'm not sure how I missed this one off last month's playlist. Schonberg introduced us to Django Django previously on this blog with the excellent Default. This is a lighter track, less foot stomping than Default but still has a quality to it.

Distance Past - Everything Everything



We're starting to get some sunshine and it's good to have tracks that can match that lift in mood. Give it chance it takes a bit to get going, as I write this I've had this track for a month and it's a real grower.

Hey Now - Matt and Kim



Despite the worst them having the worst band name on the planet Matt and Kim have managed to keep going and the upbeat New York duo keep the pace going with this ditty.

California - The Airborne Toxic Event



I know I keep going on about how The Airborne Toxic Event don't get enough airplay in the UK but they don't. So I'm behind most people finding out they have new material out. Check it out.

Chaucey P vs All the Girls In London - The Dandy Warhols



I've always followed The Dandy Warhols, not always liking what they've produced but they've never been that far wide of the mark. This is a pretty strong pop song, well worth a listen.

What Time Do You Call This? - Elbow



I really like Elbow, I really like Simon Pegg, how about a film with Elbow in and a song on the soundtrack by Simon Pegg! Well OK, maybe that wouldn't be good but the other way around... (it might be a tad to long but I'll let them off).

Ong Ong - Blur


I'm not a big fan of Go Out, the first new track I heard of Blur's. Don't get me wrong it's not bad but it's certainly not the track "equal to anything else in their back catalogue" as Spotify described the lead tracks off the new album. However Ong Ong had me hooked, an upbeat, summer style pop track. I think it's probably taken Damon this long to write a track like this and be comfortable enough in his own skin to let it see the light of day.

Come Home Baby - The Charlatans


Classic Charlatans, a distinctive sound that many have tried to reproduce but failed. It's nothing new but it's great that they can still acheive this level and that they're still making records. May it long continue.

Revision

I've used Spotify to look back at some bands that have featured on this blog over the years and see what they're up to now. Some haven't really produced anything since but had songs at the time that I either didn't mention or didn't even know about. In this section I'll let you know which ones are worth knowing about, new or old.

New Love - The Twang



This is what is clearly wrong with the mainstream, The Twang released a cracking debut (pop) album and yet their follow up didn't hit the same heights. That meant we didn't hear much of the second album or much of them since. While I have a feeling their distructive behaviour may have had a hand in that it has kept me from good songs such as Barney Rubble off the second album and this, New Love off the new album released at the end of last year. A new, more mature sound (not a translation for boring as can be the case) that you should check out.

Oh! - What A Glorious Thing - Akira The Don



I just happened to hear Huw Thomas on Radio 1 quite some years back (2004) as he was standing in for Zane Low. He played the Drinking Song by Akira The Don, a track commenting on the accepted nature of drinking and the not so socially accepted, less offensive act of smoking weed. I still play that song a lot so I thought I'd see if Akira had ever managed to reach the same heights. It turns out he's still creating thoughtful new material. This effort from 2006 is less social commentary more describing what he did on an average day. It's a nice upbeat track ready for the sun to come out, I even forgive him for the Lovecats element to the track.

Edwould - Larrikin Love



You may remember Larrikin Love from a playlist way back and the excellent banjo infested Happy As Annie. Sadly there isn't any new material however there appears to be an album of all the material that was created at the time. This track is similar to Happy As, strap yourself in as it starts at a lick.

I Can Make You Love Me - British India



Previous playlisters may remember British India for their track Tie Up My Hands from their 2007 debut album Guillotine. It was a strong debut but as an Australian band they don't get much coverage over here and I hadn't realised how much material they have released. I Can Make You Love Me seems to be their most popular track. It's taken from their 2012 fourth album. Last month they released their fourth album Nothing Touches Me and I've been enjoying the track Wrong Direction if you wanted more of the same.

Apple Of My Eye - Ed Harcourt



Ed Harcourt featured a while back with the excellent piano led Revolution In The Heart back in 2006 yet despite being nominated for the Mercury Music Prize back in 2001 he's never hit the mainstream. This song, taken from his debut album in 2001, Here Be Monsters is another great track that is one of those songs you just cannot see getting airplay on the radio but more people should know.

Satisfied - Esser



You've got to have a bit of fun in the playlist right? Esser appeared on the blog with I Love You. This was also off the first album, I don't think there was a second...

Tie Me Up With Jackets - Fight Like Apes


OK so Fight Like Apes may have a new album out but I'm going to introduce you to a song from 2009. Man I'm so up to date.

Further Reading

Following on from last months playlist I looked up some of the bands to see if the rest of what they've got to offer keeps the quality as high. These are the bands that made the cut which suggests they're pretty good.

Dream Lover - The Vaccines



I'm already a big fan of The Vaccines as you may know but this is something different for the band, it makes me excited as to where they can go with their music and in particular the new album. If you're not a fan this might change your mind.

The Ground Walks, With Time In A Box - Modest Mouse



I've been enjoying taking in Modest Mouse's back catalogue as they've not received the airplay in the UK that they have elsewhere. This however is one of their latest efforts and what a stonker it is. I think most regular readers of this blog will soak the 6 minutes of this track up and then put it straight back on.

The Big Bad Wolf - The Heavy


Soul rockers The Heavy featured on this blog a little while back with their track taken that was used on a Guinness ad. You may have noticed another track of their's, How You Like Me Now, being featured on another advert for clothing. I however wanted to point out The Big Bad Wolf off the same album as What Makes A Good Man. Good things do come to those who wait. Another excellent track to check out by The Heavy is Short Change Hero.

Feed The Mantaray  - Slaves



More full on ear throbbing from the two piece hailing from Kent. How difficult it will be for them to keep their sound fresh with limited instruments we will have to wait and see. Also check out their latest single Cheer Up London.

So want all the tracks in one easy playlist. Spotify it is...