Merry Christmas to all my friends. 💗

Enjoy this throwback to the time when fluffmeister Nancy dragged her own present - some catnip-flavoured treats - out of the pile and started opening it with her teeth. Even though it looks faked, I did not stage this picture in any way - cross my ♥! 

Merry Christmas to all the kitties.  

From the compilation Cwistmas Twee (Total Gaylord Records, 2004). 

And now for a pair of festive gems released just this month. ✨🎁

I'd like to wish everyone who reads this a very happy, healthy and music-filled 2024. 🥂 All Dressed Up in Dreams will be back in the new year - stay tuned! 😻

The Ballet ~ Daddy Issues

Oh man, I love The Ballet with all my heart — so I was beyond excited for the release of their fifth album last month. Already I can say with 99% certainty that this is going to be my favourite record this year. 💜😭🔥 Have a listen below. 

Recently I did a deep dive, and discovered this: before forming The Ballet, Greg and Craig (plus their fellow grad student Emily) were in a band called The Mean Corner. They released one EP in 2004 called I Learned It By Watching You. This is my favourite track, "Who Is Sean Cody?"

Cascading synths; strummed Spanish guitar; boy-girl duetting; witty and heartfelt lyrics: what a perfect pop gem. 🥰💛 If anyone would like me to upload the rest of this excellent EP to YouTube, please just leave a comment below and I shall do it!

(P.S. Sean Cody is the name of a gay porn studio, in case you were wondering. 😏)

Just some songs for Chuck's coronation weekend.

Hello readers/comrades! 

In honour of Chuck getting a new hat, I present to you four specially selected golden bangers. Together they sum up my feelings about the whole thing. 

◼ FLAG // BURNER by Martha

(From last year's glorious full-lengther, Please Don't Take Me Back.)

 

◼ The Queen #1 by Jody and the Creams (AKA Ruth from Po!) 

◼ Finally, it wouldn't be a coronation without wheeling out both of these indiepop classics by McCarthy: 

Charles Windsor // Red Sleeping Beauty 

 

Peace out. ✌

Salt Lake Alley ~ Bankrobber

Continuing with the covers theme, this is Stockholm duo Salt Lake Alley - one of my top favourites of the last few years - putting their own jangly spin on The Clash. Gustav and Mikael say: 

"We tried to approach it like The Byrds approached Bob Dylan’s Mr Tambourine Man. In the end it probably sounds more like the UK circa 1989 than Laurel Canyon circa 1965." 

I say: "Certified banger!" 🏅

The Umbrellas ~ Promises

Poptastic San Francisco outfit The Umbrellas covering the Buzzcocks' classic? Don't mind if I do! 😏

This track is from Oakland Weekender 2022, an album of Buzzcocks covers which was jointly released by Slumberland and Emotional Response Records to accompany their three-day San Francisco Bay Area festival of the same name. I so wish I could have been there - the line-up looks incredible! 

Click here to download the compilation courtesy of this blog. ✨