The Hidden Cameras ~ The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Is it too early to start posting Christmas tunes? Well, I just did! 🎄🎅

Men I Trust ~ Billie Toppy

 I like this a lot! They've nailed that motorik sound. 👌

The Magnetic Fields: live at the Apollo, London, 31.08.22 (with Darren Hanlon)

Hello readers! It's been a while, yadda yadda yadda, you know the score... 

I would like to share with you some videos that I took on a recent trip up that London. It was my sixth time seeing my all-time faves the Magnetic Fields play live, and my fifth time seeing the wonderful Darren Hanlon. 

I wouldn't consider this a 'proper' review, for I am bad at writing those, but I have to say two things: 

1) That as well as being a top singer-songwriter, Darren Hanlon is also very, very funny and an excellent storyteller. Seriously, if the music biz doesn't work out, Daz should probably consider a career as a stand-up comedian. 

2) As for Mr Merritt and co., they sounded just heavenly. Unbelievably beautiful. Mine was a natural high 🤗 (oh, alright, it might've been the three plastic-beakersful of expensive yet horrible-tasting London wine I'd already drunk). So, to the videos! (Which - disclaimer - may be a little shaky due to the aforementioned London wine.) 

Right Here

Darren ended his set by going off-mic with this cover of one of my favourite songs by the Go-Betweens. 

Born on a Train

Desert Island

Smoke and Mirrors

The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side

Sung by guitarist Anthony Kaczynski. Nice job Anthony!

All the Umbrellas in London 

Before playing this song Stephin teased us, saying that it was embarrassing to play this in London and he wasn't sure if they should. 🥺 (He followed that up by saying that they were playing Paris the following week, where Love Goes Home to Paris in the Spring was also part of their current set!) 

100,000 Fireflies 

Part of their encore. Gave me all the feels, as the youngsters say. 

The full setlist can be found here.  

Should you wish to download mp3 versions of these tracks, I've made them available to download here. Your ears will thank you for it. 🤗

Oh, and I came home with a Magnetic Fields tea towel! What do you think about that? 😁

Drizzly. ~ Bitter to See You

I just can't get enough of this debut single from all-woman Indonesian pop-group Drizzly.: short, sweet, and neat as a pin. 

Then there's the delightful follow-up single, If We Know Each Other Well Enough, Maybe We Can Go on a Date (featuring Raka Pradana). 

I hope they make more music very soon! 😺

Ex-Vöid ~ Bigger Than Before // No Suits in Miami ~ Nothing Ever Happens // Yumi Zouma ~ Present Tense

I haven't posted for a while, sorry 'bout that! While I've been stuck indoors this past week recovering from Covid, the new records from Ex-Vöid (London), No Suits in Miami (Lund, Sweden), and Yumi Zouma (Christchurch, NZ) have been giving me life. 😍 Here's a taster. Enjoy! ♥

 

Papercuts ~ I Want My Jacket Back

Now this is what I call classic indie-pop: sunshiney, jangly, it's a foot-tapper for sure! From Papercuts' forthcoming album Past Life Regression, released 1st April '22 on Slumberland Records. 

Blood Cultures ~ Set it on Fire

Wonky, blissed-out dreampop that sounds like an old Saint Etienne cassette that's been sitting in the sun. 

Discovered via the Instagram page of Thurston Waffles. Who the feck is Thurston Waffles, I hear you ask? Why, he is hands down my favourite internet cat! Long live Thursty the Shrimp King! 😻🦐

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No Suits in Miami ~ The Robins Sang

Hello, is it me you're looking for? That's right, All Dressed Up in Dreams is back for 2022! 

I have had this new single from No Suits in Miami on repeat all week, which I can only describe as pure Sarah Records; an energising slice of catchy janglepop goodness. I really hope there is a new album in the offing. 🤞 Update: there is!