8 July 2013

Another Monday, another week to get kicked off.

Nothankyou - Know Yourself
John: I've barely been able to tear myself away from this since I first heard it. This is a collaboration between Tom Vek and Dirty Projectors vocalist Olga Bell and it's flipping brilliant. This is out on a double-A side single released on August 5.

Hookworms - Radio Tokyo
John: We like these. From Leeds, this is off their album 'Pearl Mystic' and is probably the most accessible record on there.
Carolyn: What - in terms of length?
John: Yes and less... experimental.

Owiny Sigoma Band - Harpoon Land
John: Another band we've had before, taking London beats and Kenyan traditions. Short and sweet, that's off 'Power Punch' which came out in April.
Carolyn: It sounds like it should be older than a couple of months ago. Stuff I like normally turns out to be 20 years old and more.


Cover Version Corner
Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band/The Black Keys - Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles
John: I've been threatening to play Beefheart for ages, and finally I have. That's a relatively easy way in to his oeuvre, before it all went a bit skew-whiff with Trout Mask Replica. That's off the 1972 album 'Clear Spot'. Then the Black Keys version which is remarkable for sounding more Beefheart than Beefheart did and is off a split single with the Flaming Lips from 2009.

Pinkunoizu - Moped
John: New stuff from Denmark. That's off an album called 'Drop' which is out next month.

Toy - She's Out Of My Head
John: We like these and we've not played them for a while. This isn't off their critically acclaimed album 'Toy', rather a B-side to the single version of My Heart Skips A Beat which we've also played. Really like that.

Disclosure - Stimulation
John: A proper foot-stomping, old-school floor-filler. These are big and, for me, won Glastonbury. That's the third track we've played off their hit album 'Settle'.

Boards Of Canada - New Seeds
John: I'm a big fan of these and a new album is something to savour. Dark, moody, brooding, cinematic... The album is 'Tomorrow's Harvest' and came out last month.

Hot Chip - Dark And Stormy
John: New stuff from these, which is always fun. Hopefully a new album to follow shortly.

One Degree Of Separation
The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray
Lemon Jelly - Space Walk
John: Not a tricky link this week. If life gives you lemons, play Lemon Jelly - that's what I reckon. That's off 2002's 'Lost Horizons' album and features astronaut Ed White on 1965's Gemini 4 mission which is one of the more unique samples you'll find. Before that, Evan Dando and the Lemonheads off the 1992 album of the same name.
Carolyn: Given it was an easy link today, is next week's going to be one of your obscure ones?
John: I don't know yet.

Young Rising Sons - I Want It All
John: I like Twitter. It allows me to share the stuff I play each week and also allows people to recommend stuff to me. Which these did. They're from New Jersey, have an album called 'Highway Town' out now and available for free download. Very commercial, that, in a Black Keys style.
Carolyn: By commercial do you just mean that I like it?
John: It has mass appeal is all. I just hope they appreciate we don't have a wide listenership and I'm not a massively influential player in the music industry.

Inspiral Carpets - Directing Traffik
John: Unmistakeable. That's off their 1990 debut album 'Life' and is probably my favourite of all their stuff.
Carolyn: 1990... I feel old.
John: Still going strong and making new stuff. More power to their collective elbow.

The Horrors - I Can See Through You
John: From Southend, this is a couple of years old now, off 2011's 'Skying'.


And that's your lot for this week. That's all packaged up for you in a neat YouTube playlist except the Hookworms track which is over here.

1 July 2013

Back once again with a bunch of stuff to get you going for another week.

Gesaffelstein - Pursuit
John: Now consider your week kicked off. That's fabulous.
Carolyn: It's very bassy.
John: I know. Great innit. Gesaffelstein is a chap called Mike Levy and he's from Lyon.

Can - I Want More
John: From the 1976 album 'Flow Motion', we play that so you can see the lineage of a number of contemporary bands - Hookworms, Toy and others - from the Teutonic origin. These hail from Cologne and were part of that whole German experimental scene in the late '60s and early '70s.

Temple Songs - Passed Caring
John: I really like that. Short, punchy, lots of reverb. They're from Manchester and this is their debut single.

Cover Version Corner
Woody Guthrie/Ry Cooder - Vigilante Man
John: Woody Guthrie, a bit of a hero. That's from 'The Asch Recordings vol 3' from 1944 and it's become a bit of a blues staple. Ry Cooder's version was on 1972's 'Into The Purple Valley' album, but that recording was from an edition of The Old Grey Whistle Test.
Carolyn: We normally play two totally different versions of a song here. I'm not getting that.
John: Different techniques with the slide guitar and that. Also, I was short of a bit of inspiration this week. Fundamentally, though, two great records.

RoBoT//aLiEn - Jeremy Kyle vs Mad Dog Dion
John: Brand spanking new. RoBoT//aLiEn is a singer/songwriter from Chorlton near Manchester and the album is 'You're The Problem That Will Not Go Away'. 17 tracks, 40 minutes.
Carolyn: I really like that. Bit of a jump from the previous two records though.

Eccentronic Research Council - Another Witch Is Dead
John: These are from Sheffield and sound like nothing else. This is taken from last year's album '1612 Underture' which is all about the Pendle witch trials and features Maxine Peake on vocals.
Carolyn: Twinkle from dinnerladies. Among other things.
John: I was going to play this anyway, but late last week they put out an EP called 'Bun Fight In The Open University Staff Room' which is flipping brilliant. They're also a great follow on Twitter, @The_E_R_C

Parquet Courts - Stoned And Starving
John: Love this. Sounds like Julian Cope in his late '80s pomp, which is never a bad thing as he's always been one of my favourites. Parquet Courts are from Brooklyn and this is off 'Light Up Gold' from last year.

Disclosure - Confess To Me
John: These are the next big thing, we've played them before and consider that another Monday night banger from the smash hit album 'Settle'. They stormed it at Glastonbury over the weekend, so I'm told. I don't really know, I wasn't there. All that dirt, all those people... It's not really for me.
Carolyn: No, I can't see you there. Well I can, but not happy. Just scowling at people.

Pixies - Bagboy
John: New stuff! From the Pixies! No Kim Deal, which is sad, but new stuff from the Pixies! For the first time since 2004. That's just great and I've basically had it on a loop since I first heard it. Get it as a free download now.



One Degree of Separation
TV On The Radio - Dancing Choose
The Adverts - No Time To Be 21
John: It was no time to be 21 in 1978 and I suspect it very much remains the case today. That's The Adverts from the album 'Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts'. Before that, TV On The Radio from 2008 and Dancing Choose from the album 'Dear Science'. Your link is TV - On The Radio and Smith, lead singer of the Adverts.
Carolyn: That's really tenuous.
John: TV. It's TV. What's wrong with that?
Carolyn: Hmmm....

Catfish and The Bottlemen - Homesick
John: From Llandudno, this is their debut single. It's very commercial and I think it'll be a big hit.
Carolyn: Yeah, I mean I like it, but can see it would have wide general appeal.
John: I think it'll go well in America as well. Fair play to them. They've honed a sound in the pubs and clubs and they're going places. Just remember where you heard it first.

Deerhunter - Dream Captain
John: Again, loads of reverb and a really good feel to it. They're from Atlanta and have been around long enough. This is off their sixth studio album, 'Monomania', which came out in early May and I'm only just getting round to.
Carolyn: Still working through that backlog?
John: We're getting there.

Femme - Double Trouble
John: Femme is Laura Bettinson, vocalist with Ultraista, but this is her solo project. She's from Coventry and this comes out on July 22. I'm saying that's got hit written all over it.

And here's all that wrapped up in a YouTube playlist, except for the RoBoT//aLiEn track which is over here.

24 June 2013

Last week, I got talking about long records and the concept that anything above eight minutes really sorts out the men from the boys. It so happens that there are a couple of new releases of quite a weighty size and after playing 21 records last week, I felt a contrast was required.

Hookworms - Away/Towards
From Leeds, we've had these on before. I really like what they do. The album 'Pearl Mystic' came out in March. They like a long record.

Cover Version Corner
Pink Floyd/BEAK> - Welcome To The Machine
BEAK> are from Bristol, ex-Portishead man Geoff Barrow is heavily involved. As opposed to north-east supergroup B>E>A>K>. This can get confusing. Their version sounds a bit Joy Division-y, all bleak and metallic like. Before that, Floyd from 1975's 'Wish You Were Here'.

Four Tet - Unspoken
Kieran Hebden records as Four Tet and that - all 9'30" of it - is quite excellent. Got a bit of a DJ Shadow feel to it which is never a bad thing if you ask me.

Champions League - Paris Is Our Playground
Not an overly long one, this. Champions League are a couple of lads from Paris and that's off an album called 'Please Don't Go' which comes out on Wednesday - June 26.

One Degree of SeparationHey, Rube! - Mengi Dem Disco Leggi
Cabaret Voltaire - I Want You (Extended 12" version)
That Cabaret Voltaire record is from 1985 and, frankly, sounds like it. They were from Sheffield and you get the feel of the other things going on around the time there - Human League and all that malarkey. It is a bit dated. The album is 'The Covenant, The Sword and The Arm Of The Lord'. Hey, Rube! are from Hull and that very jaunty track is off 'Can You Hear Me Mutha?' and your link is Stephen Mallinder who has been in both bands.

Holy Ghost! - Dumb Disco Ideas
Now this is a belter. From New York, Holy Ghost! are Nick Millhiser and Alez Frankel and that's off 'Dynamics' which is out about now.



Shit Robot - Feels Real
Marcus Lambkin from Dublin is Shit Robot. This is a new release and hopefully signifies a second album is in the offing.

Sultans Of Ping FC - Where's Me Jumper?
Here's a self-indulgent piece of nostalgia. Also Irish - from Cork this time - this was a minor hit back in 1992 and came off the album 'Casual Sex In The Cineplex'. I think we can all sympathise with the difficult themes raised in the song.

And that's your lot. I'm actually surprised I managed to get ten records in - thought it'd be single figures. Anyway, all that's in a YouTube playlist here for your delectation.

17 June 2013

A full 100 minutes of the show tonight due to a combination of poor planning and unforeseen circumstances. Oh well, an opportunity to work through that ever-growing backlog.

Ruen Brothers - Walk Like A Man
John: Sounding like they're from 1960s Tennessee or something, these lads are very much au courant and from sunny Scunthorpe. They are Henry and Rupert Ruen and that's their debut single.

Disclosure - When A Fire Starts To Burn
John: Another pair of brothers, this time from Surrey. Guy and Howard Lawrence are Disclosure and they're very much the new big thing. Their debut album 'Settle' came out two weeks ago and went straight to number one.

Bat For Lashes and Toy - The Bride
John: Take two of our favourite bands, mix together and tell them to make a record with Jefferson Airplane overtones and this is what you get.
Carolyn: That does sound a lot like White Rabbit. I liked the start and the end, but it went a bit strange in the middle.
John: No idea if it's anything other than this one-off, but I hope it is. Marvellous stuff.

Cover Version Corner
Inspiral Carpets/Carter USM - This Is How It Feels
John: From the Carpets' debut album 'Life' from all the way back in 1990. Carter had it on the B-side of After The Watershed a year later.
Carolyn: All I know about Carter is the rugby tackle on Phillip Schofield.
John: After The Watershed was what they played immediately before that incident.

Hooded Fang - Ode To Subterranea
John: We're awaiting a new album from these. 'Gravez' - with a Z, inevitably - is it and is due soon. A bit of good old San Francisco psychedelia from Toronto.

Money - Bluebell Fields
John: A new band, these are a four-piece from Manchester and this is their debut release. They've just signed to Bella Union records and the finishing touches to an album are being applied sort of now. That's awfully relaxing.
Carolyn: I'll say. Nearly dozing off, here.

Virals - Wax Work
John: Something a bit livelier then. Virals is Shaun Henscher from Worcester and that's available as a free download right now.

Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams
John: We've played a few tracks off the hit album 'Lonerism' and this is the latest. Top notch.

Jagwar Ma - Man I Need
John: And another Aussie band with a smash on their hands. This is the Sydney duo's (Tame Impala are from Perth) latest release from the album 'Howlin''.

One Degree of Separation
The Durutti Column - Sketch For Summer
Neon Neon - Hammer And Sickle
John: That's the second single from Neon Neon's second album 'Praxis Makes Perfect' which is a concept album about Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, the subversive publisher and left-wing agitator during the Years Of Lead - the 1960s to '80s in Italy, a time marked by tit-for-tat political assassinations and complete political turmoil. Before that, The Durutti Column from back in 1980 off the debut album 'The Return Of The Durutti Column'. They were named after Buenaventura Durutti, Spanish anarchist who was active pre- and during the Civil War.
Carolyn: Wow. Not just a music show, this...
John: That Durutti Column album - on Factory - was notable also for coming in a sandpaper sleeve, an homage to Situationist writer Guy Debord whose 'Mémoires' did likewise, in order that other books on the shelf are destroyed every time you take it out. Not the only time Factory did something daft with a record cover - the Blue Monday 12", for instance, which famously cost more to produce than it was sold for.

Liars - I Saw You From The Lifeboat
John: This is off the forthcoming album 'Synth's Not Dead' and boy am I glad it's not.
Carolyn: I didn't like it.
John: I appreciate it's an opinion-divider. Personally, in an era when a lot of music is made with computers, there's still room for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.

Art Brut - We Make Pop Music
John: I'm not a fan of bands putting new material on 'best of...' albums, but I'll let them off. That's off the new album 'Art Brut Top Of The Pops' and is an anthem to misanthropy. Misanthem?

Time and Space Machine - River Theme
John: Wasn't that pleasant? That is on the flip side of the Dubwood Allstars single we played last week.

Fuck Buttons - The Red Wing
John: Always exciting to get new stuff from these, a Bristol duo comprising Benjamin John Power and Andrew Hung. This is off the forthcoming album 'Slow Focus'.

Temples - Colours To Life
John: Bringing a bit of psychedelia to Kettering, this is their second single and comes out on June 24, so you're bang up to date with it.


Mount Kimbie - So Many Times, So Many Ways
John: From the album 'Cold Spring Fault Less Youth' which came out a few weeks ago, I really like that. All floaty and light and... ahhhh....

Outfit - I Want What's Best
John: A new band, a Liverpool five-piece. This is their first single off the album 'Performance' which is out in August.

The Juan Maclean - You Are My Destiny
John: John Maclean from Rhode Island performs as The Juan Maclean. I don't know.
Carolyn: To differentiate from the main protagonist of the Die Hard films? Could disappoint a lot of people if they're expecting someone in a vest.
John: That's been doing the rounds for a while and is part of the massive backlog I'm getting to clear out today.

Kurt Vile - Air Bud
John: Let's end on a summery one. Again, it's been around a wee while, off the album 'Wakin' On A Pretty Daze'.

Phew. A marathon session. Here's all that in a bonus long-format YouTube playlist, except the Time And Space Machine track which is here.

10 June 2013

What with Bank Holidays and a Monday night game of rugby league that took broadcast precedence, it's been a couple of weeks. That means we've got a massive backlog which we'll start working through now.

Drenge - Backwaters
John: I like these. Brothers Eoin and Rory Loveless from Castleton in the Peak District, but now firmly established in the Sheffield pantheon. This is the new single, telling of those years growing up in the middle of nowhere, and was launched with a great video.
Carolyn: We'd play them a lot more if they didn't swear quite so much. This is a family show.

The Orwells - Mallrats (La La La)
John: That's how you end a record. From the suburbs of Chicago, these are five teenagers making raw, energetic music. Sort of sounds like early Strokes or Hives.
Carolyn: Another tale of misspent youth as well. Are you trying to tell us something?

The Dubwood Allstars - Under Dub Wood
John: What a treat. I've been trying to insist to people how good that is and telling them that it's Richard Burton reading Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood over the top of a King Tubby dub beat and it sounds ridiculous. But it's anything but. It works and it's great.
Carolyn: It's certainly very interesting. The echo effect on Burton's voice adds a depth to it as well.
John: It came out recently on a limited edition 7" on Rivertones Records.

Cover Version Corner
The Psychedelic Furs/The National - Pretty In Pink
John: Now, I think the organ on the National's version of that lends it a melancholic tone that the original doesn't have and makes it a very different thing to listen to.
Carolyn: Yeah, it changes the whole tone. I wondered where it was going when the organ kicked in.
John: That's off 'Daytrotter Session' from 2007. The original is from 1981 and the album 'Talk Talk Talk'.

Mutiny On The Bounty - Myanmar
John: So that's what all the kids are listening to in downtown Luxembourg.
Carolyn: When you said they were from Luxembourg, I did wonder what language they were going to sing in. Answer: None.
John: They call it 'math rock', a term that I don't really get. Sounds more like prog for a new generation to me.

Billy Bragg - Handyman Blues
John: A new album from the Bard of Barking, his 15th, called 'Tooth And Nails' and it's less political and more love songs.
Carolyn: A nice change of pace and just a really nice song. All I could think while listening to it is you, yesterday, mowing the lawn and one of the wheels falling off the mower.
John: I got it back on! The album came out in March and a cracking video of this was released last week. Directed by Johnny Vegas, it stars a Who's Who of British comedy.


Splashh - All I Wanna Do
John: We've had these before and we have been expecting an album at some point. Now we know that it'll be called 'Comfort' and this will be on it and I really like it. That's Splashh with two aitches.
Carolyn: Of course with two aitches...

One Degree of Separation
Jurassic 5 - Swing Set
Delta 5 - Mind Your Own Business
John: Delta 5, from Leeds, very much part of the thing termed post-punk, that was from 1979. And before that, Jurassic 5.
Carolyn: The link being the number 5 then, I presume?
John: Of course.
Carolyn: You could have gone for Five Star.
John: But I don't like them. That Jurassic 5 track is off the 2000 album 'Quality Control'. I thought it'd be right up your street.

Inspiral Carpets - Fix Your Smile
John: If I'd not said that this was an Inspiral Carpets record, I reckon you'd have worked it out for yourself. The unmistakeable organ stylings of Clint Boon. That was their release for Record Store Day in April which we've had a few things from.
Carolyn: You're right, it's fairly distinctive.
John: I went to see them in March as a birthday treat. Brilliant.
Carolyn: And the audience full of blokes your age, give or take, all in polos, jeans and trainers trying to rediscover lost youth.
John: Like that's a bad thing?

Waldeck - Midsummer Night Blues
John: That's Klaus Waldeck from Vienna off an album called 'Ballroom Stories' from 2007. We play that because it's been midsummery lately.
Carolyn: And a sample of Ella Fitzgerald.

Marnie - The Hunter
John: This is ex-Ladytron singer Helen Marnie going solo. This is the first single off her solo debut 'Crystal World' which is out some time this month.

And that's all we've got time for. We've barely made a dent on that backlog. Ah well, it'll keep. Here's all that in a YouTube playlist except for the Dubwood Allstars track which is here. Go here and listen to it. Here. Over here. Go. Go now.

20 May 2013

A lot of instrumental electronica today. But don't let that put you off... But first, something topical.

Billy Bragg - Sexuality
John: His biggest hit from back in 1991, off the album 'Don't Try This At Home', and full of still-relevant themes as the marriage equality bill is currently being discussed in the Commons. Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals - still much missed.

Kraftwerk - Expo 2000
John: Not one of their more well-known ones. Imagine life in the 21st century.... That's a non-album single from 1999.
Carolyn: So life probably not that different.

Apache Tears - Barricades
John: A local band, these guys met at Rastrick High School. I heard this a couple of weeks ago and was fair blown away. It's their debut single which comes out on June 3 and I'll certainly be keeping an eye out in future. And was that a hint of of the Manic Street Preachers I could hear?
Carolyn: I see what you mean. A little bit, perhaps.

Cover Version Corner
Thin Lizzy/Happy Mondays - The Boys Are Back In Town
John: Different and yet immediately familiar, that Happy Mondays track was a B-side and appeared on their Greatest Hits album of 1999. Thin Lizzy, of course, requires no introduction. Off 'Jailbreak' from 1976.

Vessels - Attica
John: I'm absolutely blown away by that. Now, we went to see Public Service Broadcasting last week which gave lie to the notion that playing electronic music live is easy and just a few key presses. This was recorded live at The Garage in Leeds - that being their home town - and is an impressive sight.
Carolyn: I remember seeing the Pet Shop Boys and Chris Lowe didn't look like he was up to much. But PSB were working really hard. It kind of changed my outlook a bit.
John: This single came out last month. A real cinematic quality to it.


Jon Hopkins - Open Eye Signal
John: That split the room... I flippin' well love it and have had it on a loop for much of last weekend.
Carolyn: It wasn't bad, but I'm not as into it as you clearly are.
John: That's off the album 'Immunity' which is out June 3.

Physics House Band - Titan
John: Public Service Broadcasting plugged these on their Twitter last week, so naturally I followed it up and... wow. Three lads from Brighton, a multitude of instruments and a real energy to it. That's available as a free download and is off their debut EP 'Horizons/Rapture'.

One Degree of Separation
Jesus And Mary Chain - Some Candy Talking
Primal Scream - Invisible City
John: That's the new single off the latest Primal Scream long player 'More Light' which came out last week. Before that was the Jesus And Mary Chain from back in 1986. The link is Bobby Gillespie, driving force behind Primal Scream who was in Jesus And Mary Chain up to 1985.

Teleman - Steam Train Girl
John: Three ex-Pete And The Pirates combining to make something quite lovely.

Daft Punk - Giorgio by Moroder
John: Now, Daft Punk. You can't fail to have heard that they've a new record out - 'Random Access Memories'. It's all about collaborations and the debut single, Get Lucky, is precisely what you'd expect of a Nile Rodgers record. Polished within in an inch of it's life, but... but what? And some of the other tracks on the album leave me similarly cold, but this? This is a work of art. Giorgio Moroder talks through his career and it's period equipment for each stage of his life. But then, they also said they'd given him a microphone from the future at one stage, so that might be horse manure.

Keel Her - Don't Try This At Home
John: To prove the power of social media... We played Keel Her last week and Rose - who pretty much is Keel Her - got in touch with me on Twitter, saying thanks for playing her record. I said if she keeps making great music, I'd play some more, so she sent me this.
Carolyn: I hope she doesn't think you're some media mogul or this station gets a million listeners. But it was very nice anyway.

Junip - Your Life, Your Call
John: The latest single from these, off the album 'Junip'. Right out of the Hot Chip/Dutch Uncles envelope.

Still Corners - The Trip
John: Still Corners are Greg Hughes and Tessa Murray from London and this is the first track off the album 'Strange Pleasures' which came out a fortnight ago.

Here's your YouTube playlist with all that on bar the Teleman record (see link above for that one). Bank Holiday next week, so we're on holidays.

13 May 2013

Another Bank Holiday last week meant another week off for us, but we're back and we brought some thumping tunes.

Kraftwerk - Radioaktivität
John: The original of this was out in 1975, off the album also called 'Radioaktivität', but this version is from 1991's 'The Mix', an album of remixes of their bigger hits. It started as an homage to the discovery and power of nuclear energy, but as time went on became more and more anti-nuke. I'll put both on the playlist for comparison's sake. I think I prefer them in German.
Carolyn: More authentic maybe?
John: Perhaps. Just a bit more exotic. We play that as our cat died last week and it was her favourite song.
Carolyn: Well, she liked the flashing lights.
John: Basically the same thing. Either way, she was transfixed by it and we both miss her.

Brannigan Dobson: August 2000-May 2013

Rex The Dog - Do You Feel What I Feel
John: Bloomin' love that, I've been listening to this most of the week.
Carolyn: Heavily influenced by Donna Summer, I'd say. Like all of it.
John: Think you're being a bit harsh. Rex The Dog is Jake Williams from Brighton and this came out last week.


Public Service Broadcasting - Inform Educate Entertain
John: Finally, the album came out last week and we've got our hands on it. This is the title track and is a bit of a sampler for the rest of the album, so if you like this, you're quids in.
Carolyn: We do, and we're off to see them at the Leadmill next week.

Cover Version Corner
The Cure/Art Brut - Catch
John: I think the Art Brut version is where Eddie Falco finally just gave up pretending to have some singing ability, but they're about so much more than that. We play that as there's a new greatest hits album out - 'Art Brut Top Of The Pops' - which this features on. It first appeared on an NME album of Cure covers, 'Pictures Of You', in 2009. The original was on 'Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me' from 1987.

Musa Okwonga - Heavyweight
John: Some spoken word from poet/sports writer/journalist/author/broadcaster/polymath Musa Okwonga, subtitled 'A Love Letter To London'. I think a lot of that applies to the rest of Britain as well.
Carolyn: Yes, possibly. And it's not a town. It's a city. A mega-city.

The Fall - Sir William Wray
John: Out today, the 30th studio album by The Fall. It's called 'Re-Mit' and this is the first single off it which came out at the back end of last month for record store day. As noisy and belligerent as ever.

Razmataz Lorry Excitement - China Town (Razmataz Lorry Excitement remix)
John: To Newcastle now and also out today, this is off an EP of remixes of China Town. The original came out in December last year on the album 'If It Takes Me All Night'.
Carolyn: Sounds very '90s. I can see me dancing to this in the Plaza.
John: Not that there's anything wrong with that.

One Degree of Separation
Aphex Twin - Analogue Bubblebath 1
Cocteau Twins - Pearly Dewdrops' Drop
John: The Cocteaus from Grangemouth, that's from 1984. Aphex Twin is Richard James from Limerick and that's off the 'Didgeridoo' EP from 1992.
Carolyn: The link being twins then?
John: Yes, but not quite. They're all called twins without being twins. There's four of them in the Cocteaus, for starters.
Carolyn: And they're not related.

Keel Her - Riot Grrrl
John: How many people are playing on that record, d'you reckon?
Carolyn: One.
John: Dammit. That's Rose Keeler-Shaeffeler from Brighton.
(We have subsequently been told that there were three people playing on that track)

Gladkazuka - El Untitled
John: A big hello to the nation of Colombia. These are from Medellin and it's off an EP on Cómeme records which I'll be keeping an eye on in future.

The Crookes - Bear's Blood
John: From Sheffield, this is their new single which comes out on May 21, so you're bang up to date with it.

And that's your lot. Gladkazuka and PSB aren't on the YouTube playlist we've put together, but there are links to find those tracks elsewhere.