Mix #19

No Best Ofs here, just another playlist. Merry Christmas!

Mix #19

Old: The Pharcyde, Beat Happening (we just reissued their catalogue), Beefheart, some banging Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sonic Youth, Bauhaus, Pavement (Malkmus played this one at his recent Moth Club), ABBA (always and forever) and Tricky. 

New: Pozi, couple of Blood Orange bits, Caroline Polachek (the video is the best thing), TNGHT came back, Tierra Whack, Caribou, Sudan Archives, Buscabulla (a new signing to us, v good), Lankum, Bombay Bicycle Club, Helado Negro, Nick Cave (looking forward to the shows next year), Disq (this song is so great), Dry Cleaning, Joanna Sternberg and Yves Tumor. Plus big up Barry.

New to me: Roberto Cacciapaglia, Mike Edge, U.N.P.O.C. (very Pixies), Michael Orr (reissued this year) and Julie Covington. 

We finish with one of the biggest singles of the year "Sunglasses" by one of the best new bands: Black Country, New Road. 

David Alan Harvey

Other things that have been happening apart from losing an election. I visited Charleston House (the former home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant of The Bloomsbury Group), went to the Gormley exhibition at The Royal Academy and took a day trip to Liverpool for the Keith Haring one. Explored Dorset and Shropshire. Saw Rosalia for the second time, saw Lizzo for the second time (but the first time since "Juice"), went to see Death of a Salesman starring Wendell Pierce. Watched the new Ken Loach and Parasite. And most excitingly perhaps, went to Lewes for their annual fireworks - was as good as I thought it would be!

Mix #18

This has ended up been really long. 

Mix # 18

Returns from Neil Young, Chromatics, Iggy (not sure about all the songs mind), Sheer Mag, Richard Dawson, Girl Ray, Angel Olsen (this one is particularly brilliant), Grimes ("and I like it like that"), Anna Meredith, LDR and Holly Herndon. 

Oldies from Frank Ocean, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Broadcast, Slint, Roy Orbison, The Cramps, VU and Delta 5. 

Elsewhere, I've been slow to the Nao album, but this song is so good, Koffee, Squid, Robert Wyatt - sidenote check this cover from Squid, Haruomi Hosano, Pavement's cover of Bunnymen, Mort Garson, Silver Jews (I've heard two covers of "Trains Across The Sea" in the last month, rest in power DCB) and have been mildly obsessed with "Baby" by Donnie & Joe Emerson this summer gone. 

Castells, Tarragona © Reuters

Summer is most definitely gone. I spent the ends of it camping in 30mph winds in Dorset, sleeping in an English Heritage site overnight without a tent (aka my first microadventure), bowling around End of the Road festival, clubbing in Berlin and scoping out Millennium Mills as part of Open House London. 

I also went here and nearly threw up, but I think that's the appropriate reaction. That article linked is a good and interesting read. 

The photo above reminds me of Guy Bourdin, would like to visit this festival. 

Mix #17

This playlist starts with Scott Walker and ends with Cassius, Philippe Zdar's brilliant and joyful band. 

Mix # 17

Elsewhere, a great song from KAZU and the return of Jai Paul and David Berman! There are two Steve Lacy tracks because I've been waiting for this record. New stuff from Gia Margaret, Flying Lotus, Kevin Morby, Black Midi (not my fave new London band), Bill Callahan, Sleater-Kinney (we will miss you Janet), Roisin Murphy (it's one of two proper bangers here, the other been new Daphni). I've been a bit slow to Yves Tumor but after seeing him at Primavera, I'm in.  

I have watched the video for FKA Twigs' "Cellophane" numerous times, plus her Practice video on the time and energy it takes to create art. 

Oldies include Massive Attack, Chrome, Protomartyr (just reissued by us), Strawberry Switchblade, George Harrison, The 13th Floor Elevators (recommended just before Roky Erickson passed away), James Yorkston, Big Star, Prince and Robert Wyatt. 

Tom Hegen

Other things I have been up to; I visited The Homewood, a wonderful modernist National Trust property in Esher. You have to book a few months in advance but it's well worth the wait and suprisngly convoluted journey. 

Trying out the carbonara and lemon meringue at Circolo Popolare - Gloria's sister restaurant and equally hot. Yum tum and loved the kitschyness of it, even if I think they could have taken it up a notch. 

Visiting our fair seaside towns of Deal, Southwold and Aldeburgh. Deal is home to the UK's only post-war pier.

Mix #16

Look at all the peaches! And behold, a new mix for May. 

Mix #16

The Passenger - dir. Michelangelo Antonioni

That new Aldous Harding video is great - Amish but make it big. Other new music from Lafawndah, Weyes Blood (her underwater artwork is very cool), Cate Le Bon, Sharon Van Etten (Despite going back to Tramp all the time, I've been slow on coming to this record, however, this is great - heartfelt Springsteen vibes), Fat White Family (such a disco banger), Yo La Tengo, The Comet Is Coming (jazz bass), Kindness, Edwyn Collins, KOKOROKO and Hot Chip return - rejoice!  

New things to me: NOV3L, Gaijin Blues, Nardeydey, Spelling, Acetone's version of the Midnight Cowboy theme (dreamy), Charlotte Adigéry, Alan Hull, Jake Xerxes Fussell (top voice too), Anna Domino and Weval. 

And then splashes of Stereolab (love their art so much), Silver Jews (had I forgotten about David Berman's voice - straight there), Channel Tres, Alex Chilton (from Big Star), Gorky's, The 5th Dimension, Wiley... 

And yes, I grew up in Streatham. 

Mix #15

Whilst mostly been compiled in November and December, this playlist fits the mood of January, easing you back into life. With a blast of punk in places. 

The Christmas break was nice, went to Rye for a couple of clear, cold days where we lit fires, made fish pie, learnt dance routines off YouTube and had to take our jumpers off (due to dancing in front of a roaring fire). I also stayed on a fort off the coast of Portsmouth. Despite this happening in 2018, 2019 will be the Year of the Fort.

Now to Mix #15

Sophy Hollington

That Kleenex song is in the same vein as Suburban Lawns (if you remember that from a playlist past), Hen Ogledd is Richard Dawson's other band, Jib Kidder reminds me of Animal Collective - nice underwater vibes. There is some sweet harp courtesy of Mary Lattimore, a 1969 corker from Phil Cordell, new sounds from BEA1991. I'm mildly obsessed with that Julia Jacklin song and this playlist wouldn't be complete without the song of the best Christmas parties, 'Thank U, Next'. 

Ursula K. Le Guin sadly passed away last year. Having been introduced to her work by This Is The Kit a few years back, I've still not managed to read any of her books but the track here is her imagining the language of The Kesh - a future tribe of indigenous people living an anti-colonial existence 500 years from now, that she wrote about. Elsewhere,  Insecure Men are doing a shadowy Hawaiian tinged number called 'Ulster', Cate Le Bon has produced the new Deerhunter and a beautiful Dolly Parton song used in Netflix's Dumplin. 

There are three songs from 2019 on this list - Fat White Family with their disco return, Hand Habits and the absolute banger 'Juice' by Lizzo, with a cracking video to match.

And there we have it. 

Other things, we visited London's first International Airport last weekend, aka Croydon Airport - fun little place to go if you're in Waddon. Off to see Sorry To Bother You tomorrow but still very much keen to see Mary Poppins Returns and The Favourite. Oh and I'm doing Vegan January - it's hard. 

The illustration if by Sophy Hollington, I bought the Autonomic Tarot Deck by her and David Keenan last year and since bought a lovely moon linocut from her. She is great.

Mix #14

It's time for a new playlist.... this one has taken a while to put together so I can't remember where half the songs have come from... as usual though, I have pilfered some from the artists I work with. 

Mix #14

Some new including Value Void, Madeline Kenney, Mattiel, True Blue, Squid, Black Belt Eagle Scout, FUR, Cornelia Murr, Ohtis and Adrianne Lenker.

Some less new including serpentwithfeet, Leon Vynehall, Robyn, The Goon Sax (what an absolute tune), Low, Fatima, Sharon Van Etten, Christine and the Queens and Noname.

Some old including Sun Ra, Genesis, The Sonics, The Jellies, Donny Hathaway, The New Dawn, Charles Aznavour, T. Rex and Modern Lovers (always).

Some Domino: Tirzah, SASAMI, Julia Holter, Anna Calvi ('Swimming Pool' was in my head for most of my holiday in Puglia), Bill Ryder-Jones, Richard Dawson (his End of the Road set was incredible), Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks (seen them twice in the last month), Protomartyr and Villagers. 

I watched the Grace Jones doc (tis good) & the Barbra Streisand A Star Is Born on Netflix (also good). 

Imogen Cunnigham

I saw David Byrne in Brighton this week, the live show was incredible, rightly been lauded as the best show since Stop Making Sense. So joyful, so engaging, democratic, was like a play and a fair few Talking Heads songs were played... Bury me to 'This Must Be The Place'. 

I visited Liverpool for the first time, the Metropoloitan Cathedral is specatular, so much stained glass in a 60s dream. I also went to Cornwall again, this time for Halloween but more on that next time. Might try and get there again before the year is out. 

Mix #13

This first song by Nino Ferrer is so bloody good. I hope you all agree. 

The rest of this playlist delves into a fair bit of older stuff: Erykah Badu, The Three Degrees, Neil Young, Parliament, Blind Willie Johnson, Nick Drake, a Devo interlude, Paul McCartney , Nick Cave (his Primavera set was incredible!), Section 25 (new to me), Nu Shooz.

Plus new Haley Bonar - though she's just going by HALEY now, Young Fathers (love seeing how far these guys have come & rightly so), Oneohtrix Point Never, Junglepussy, Beach House, Mitski, Janelle Monae, Christine & The Queens, The Goon Sax, Amyl & The Sniffers, LUMP. I might have to buy the Kadhja Bonet, Kamasi Washington and Kali Uchis albums - a lot of good stuff on there! 

Mix 13

Juno Calpyso

Other highlights from Primavera last month were Thundercat, James Holden & The Animal Spirits. We visited Casa Vicens - Gaudi's first house and after visiting Barcelona 6 times previously, I finally went inside Sagrada Familia - what a wonder. 

Earlier this month I also visited Mersea Island and lunched at The Company Shed. So much food, it's BYOB (B standing for bread and wine here).

I watched my first Agnes Varda film, Cleo from 5 to 7, part of the BFI's season. Get involved