Next weekend it’s the Tramlines festival in Hillsborough Park in Sheffield. Heroes from the past like Madness, James, and The Coral; superstars of the presnt like Sam Fender and Becky Hill; great indie rock and post-punk from Working Men’s Club, Yard Act and Just Mustard; and a good scattering of young up-and-coming artists.
It’s been fun checking out all the bands and putting together a festival taster playlist. I may just do a couple more of these before the festival season ends.
This has ended up as basically an alternative UK hip hop and grime playlist. I’m not sure that Hollie’s poem counts as hip hop, but I reckon you’ll like it, and the American Nappy Nina is in there too just because she’s fab.
Once again the standout track is at the end, so give yourself time to listen to the full seven minutes of Lowkey’s Letter to the 1%.
An Irish alternative rock playlist (with a little bit of hip hop thrown in). It’s only when you actually put these things together that you realise just how much exciting new music is coming from the other side of the Irish Sea. It’s a virtually unknown artist though who steals the show – don’t log out until you’ve heard Lauren Ann’s killer version of Teenage Kicks.
This week the US Supreme Court struck a devastating blow against abortion rights. My heart is weeping for all the women who will suffer, and the women who will die, as a result of this cruellest of judgements.
My playlist this week is for anyone recovering from hard times and trauma. Let these songs by women help you to find peace and strength.
Rumbles from the Underground is my new weekly playlist.
Expect a variety of themes, and an emphasis on new music.
For my first list, the music is all new and fresh … and also dark, edgy and dangerous.
It’s my last day in isolation following a mild dose of Covid 19, so I thought how about a quick playlist. These are songs released in the first three months of 2022. You’ll have heard of a few of them, but this hasn’t been a big year so far for the big hitters. It’s when you burrow down in the underground that a lot of the really exciting stuff is happening.
My first project for 2022 is to assemble some Spotify playlists of music by decade.
Here’s the first fruits. The lists will inevitably grow in size as we move closer to the present day, but part of the idea also is that every list is a working document which may well be added to over time.
These two lists are countercultural lists. Prepare yourself to enter the dark underbelly of the Jazz Age: far away from the bright lights of Broadway, a world of wild rhythms, hard drinking and hard drugs; of strong women artists who took no prisoners; and a new age of political folk song inspired by the Great Depression …
1920s
1930s
These are the sounds that have excited me most in 2021.
Here are 80 reasons why I love the current music scene in the UK (and Ireland). And why you should, too.
It feels really good to be posting exciting new content on this site once again.
On this page, published last month, I explored the world of jungle and drum & bass.
And on this page, published today, I unveil my selection of 66 protest songs from the 21st century.
If you’re someone who’s interested in protest music, this will blow your mind. And hopefully inspire you in all kinds of ways !
I hope you enjoy, and I look forward to reading your comments on the page.
I’ve made a new playlist. And it’s well above average, if I say so myself.
Bass City Rollers: the Sounds of Jungle and Drum & Bass is made up of 30 lovingly selected tunes from three decades of jungle and drum & bass music.
Check it out here –
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Music to die for 