1. Blossoms – There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)
2. Natalie Prass – Short Court Style
3. Tim Burgess- Clutching Insignificance
4. James – Busted
5. Tom Cochrane – Life Is A Highway
This Monday, is St George’s Day. As with all Saints Days, this blog will do a chart. In fact two charts. Enjoy.
FIVE SONGS BY ENGLISH ACTS
1. Marillion – Cover My Eyes
2. Duran Duran – Ordinary World
3. Oasis – Don’t Go Away
4. The Human League – Don’t You Want Me?
5. The Cure – Friday I’m In Love
FIVE SONGS BY BANDS FEATURING A GEORGE OR SINGERS CALLED GEORGE
1. Wham! – Freedom
2. One Night Only – Say You Don’t Want It
3. The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps
4. George Baker Selection – Little Green Bag
5. George Ezra – Budapest
1. Paramore – Hard Times
2. Kasabian – Bless This Acid House
3. Prince – Deliverance
4. Camens – Boys Will Stray
5. Spoon – Hot Thoughts
Today is Robert Smiths’s birthday, and it’s his favourite day of the week. It’s the first time it’s fallen on a Friday since 2006, and won’t happen again until 2023, so he had better enjoy it.
To celebrate, here’s a The Cure Top Five
FIVE SONGS BY THE CURE
1. Friday I’m In Love
2. Lullaby
3. Hot Hot Hot
4. Close To Me
5. In Between Days
This Sunday, is St George’s Day, so time to lie back and think of England with some themed playlists for you
FIVE SONGS BY SINGERS CALLED GEORGE OR BANDS WITH SOMEONE CALLED GEORGE
1. Wham! – Freedom
2. One Night Only – Say You Don’t Want It
3. George Baker Selection – Little Green Bag
4. George Ezra – Blame It On Me
5. The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps
FIVE SONGS BY ACTS FROM ENGLAND
1. Pulp – A Little Soul
2. Depeche Mode – Enjoy The Silence
3. Cast – Finetime
4. The Beautiful South – Ole Red Eyes Is Back
5. Duran Duran – Ordinary World
Gig news, Paramore are coming to Belfast. The downside is, i’m already going to see The 1975 that night. If their marketing team had any brains, they could get them to do a gig at the bar of a South Belfast hotel and call it “PARAMORE AT THE PARADOR”
No doubt you all saw May’s big announcement on Tuesday morning. Brian that is, not Theresa. “Queen” are coming to The Odyssey in November. I’m not a big fan of him as a solo artist (apart from What Do You Want From Me?) but Adam Lambert is a capable vocalist and Queen + Adam Lambert looked decent at their BBC New Year’s Eve concert in 2014/2015. However, £74? For £74, i’m expecting Freddie Mercury and John Deacon on stage, and David Bowie to make a guest appearance on Under Pressure.
Ever since BBC Four had a night of programming dedicated to Depeche Mode, i’m been rediscovering how brilliant they are. There’ll be a Belfast gig this year, date to be announced, so I might pop along to see them.
Ryan Adams update. Still looking for a ticket for his Ulster Hall gig.
1. Blossoms – Getaway
2. Aurora – Conquerer
3. The Lumineers – Ophelia
4. Tegan and Sara – U-Turn
5. Space – Avenging Angels
As I type (Thursday night), news has just emerged that Prince has died. It doesn’t feel real.
I remember being in London in February 2014 when he was announcing random gigs at small venues, and hoping that he would announce one the weekend I was there and that I would get a ticket. It was not to be.
Soon after, he announced a series of UK gigs. I kept hoping he would announce a Belfast one. It was not to be.
Here’s fove Prince songs for you
FIVE SONGS BY PRINCE
Tomorrow, is St George’s Day, so here’s a couple of charts for our English readers
FIVE SONGS BY ACTS FROM ENGLAND
1. Then Jerico – Big Area
2. Lightning Seeds – All I Want
3. Charli XCX – Boom Clap
4. The Cure – Friday I’m In Love
5. Stephanie Kirkham – Inappropriate
FIVE SONGS BY MUSICIANS CALLED GEORGE
1. Wham – Freedom
2. One Night Only – Say You Don’t Want It
3. George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You
4. Culture Club – Karma Chameleon
5. George Ezra – Budapest
1. Natalie Imbruglia – Instant Crush
2. FFS – Johnny Delusonal
3. Grant Nicholas – Everyday Society
4. The Charlatans – Let The Good Times Be Never Ending
5. Slaves – Cheer Up London
Yesterday, was St George’s Day. So, in honour of it, here’s a chart of songs by English acts. Sadly, there won’t be a chart of songs with cities in the title, because there aren’t many of them, unless they’re London, or boroughs in London. Well, apart from Long Haired Lover From Liverpool, obviously.
FIVE SONGS BY ENGLISH ACTS
1. James – She’s A Star
2. Lightning Seeds – Pure
3. The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way
4. The Beautiful South – Old Red Eyes Is Back
5. Roxy Music – More Than This
And finally, a chart featuring singers called George, or bands with someone called George in it.
FIVE SONGS BY SINGERS CALLED GEORGE
1. Wham – Freedom
2. One Night Only – Say You Don’t Want It
3. Culture Club – Karma Chameleon
4. George Ezra – Blame It On Me
5. George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You
1. Fun ft Janelle Monae – We Are Young
2, Keane – Silenced By The Night
3. Embrace – You’re Not Alone
4. Saint Etienne – You’re In A Bad Way
5. Hector Nicol – Hearts Song
It’s Robert Smith’s birthday tomorrow. The only reason I remember this is because it is on the same day as a mate. Happy Birthday Greg if you are reading this.
So, to commemorate this, here’s a Top Five The Cure chart.
FIVE SONGS BY THE CURE
1. Close To Me
2. Friday I’m In Love
3. Lullaby
4. Lovecats
5. Push
On Monday, it is St George’s Day. Having done St David, Andrew and Patrick, it’s only fair to do George. So, for all my English readers, here’s a St George’s Day chart.
FIVE SONGS BY ENGLISH ACTS
1. Pulp – A Little Soul
2. Cast – Finetime
3. The Charlatans – Blackened Blue Eyes
4. Duran Duran – Wildboys
5. The Beautiful South – Old Red Eyes Is Back
FIVE SONGS BY ACTS FEATURING SOMEONE CALLED GEORGE
1. George Baker Selection – Little Green Bag
2. Wham – Freedom
3. One Night Only – Say You Don’t Want It
4. Culture Club – Karma Chameleon
5. The Beatles – Here Comes the Sun
As regular readers of this blog in it’s various incarnations will know, I like my music.
Since I started up a blog (On Bebo, in 2006) I used to list the five songs I was enjoying most that week, and then, in July, post my Top 50 of the year, and then a Top 100 in December (Usually drip fed, 20 or 25 songs at a time)
Since moving my regular blogging activity to WordPress, I have continued by having a Top 50 in July (I don’t actually do a Top 5 each week anymore) and will have a Top 100 in time for Christmas (I haven’t decided wether to dripfeed in 20 or 25 at a time)
As with tradition, they will be posted on Thursday nights. I don’t know how Thursday night became my blogging night, it just did.
So, just thought i’d share some songs i’m loving at the moment.
I know for a fact that when I had my blog on Bebo, people read it and sourced out the songs as usually within a few days of posting, they would have the video as their flashbox.
So, you can thank me in advance for introducing you to some new songs.
Ellie Goulding – The Writer
Amazing song by an amazing singer. The only one of her singles this year which comes close to matching the brilliance of her (criminally low charting) debut, ‘Under The Sheets‘
One Night Only – Say You Don’t Want It
Ignore the fact that Emma Watson is guesting in the video, THIS, is an amazing tune, by a band I loved back in 2008 when they released their debut single ‘Just For Tonight‘
A fastpaced footstomper you could just listen to on a constant loop, it makes me wish I could pick up a guitar, and write a song this good.
OMD – If You Want It
I’ve already blogged about how much I love OMD, and when you wait 14 years to release new material, it had better be worth the wait. This is, despite the fact, or perhaps because of, it sounds like ‘Wake Up‘ by Arcade Fire.
Not quite forgiven, but Andy McCusky is slightly redeemed for being the brains behind Atomic Kitten.
The Klaxons – Echoes
The Klaxons are fucking amazing. Nothing else to add really. Unlike OMD, only a 3 year wait. Worth it.
Ting Tings – Hands
You know what you get with the Ting Tings, usually songs you can dance, jog or do whatever you want to.
Silhouette – Volume Destroyed
Big shout out for a local singer with an amazing song that sounds brilliant on 1st, 2nd or 1,000th listen.
Marina and the Diamonds – Shampain
Words cannot express how much I love Marina after hearing her debut single ‘Hollywood‘
Saw her live at Mandela Hall this year, and she was amazing.
She’s doing a concert at the Nerve Centre next month. If you’re in the area, I suggest you go and see for yourself.
I’m in Manchester that weekend, but if I wasn’t i’d be making arrangements to be a ‘Derry Diamond’ for the night.
This song, with nods towards ‘Magic‘ by Ladyhawke and ‘Love Is A Stranger‘ by Eurythmics is the best of her releases this year.
Analogue Boy In A Digital World 