In our eighth episode we shine a light on songs of politics and protest. From the Vietnam War to the turmoil of today via personal politics and Marxist manifestos - encompassing a wide variety of musical styles. For a tracklist, please go to the blog page.
Episode Seven - 1978: The Year Post-Punk Broke
1977 gave us punk. But 1978 turned that energy into something vastly more interesting musically as punk fused with dub, electronica, pop, funk and disco as well as Marxist theorems. The result was the multi-tentacled movement known as post-punk, from The Buzzcocks to Joy Division via The Gang of Four and Wire, plus much much more. For a tracklist, please go to the blog page.
Episode Six - The Sound of Young Glasgow
There must be something in the Glaswegian air. The jangle of Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, uplifting melancholia of Belle and Sebastian and Camera Obscura, the feedback of the Jesus and Mary Chain, elegant emotion of the Blue Nile and post rock dynamics of Mogwai - this city has it all. For a blog and tracklist, please go to the blog page.
Episode Five - A Short History of Paranoia
"Paranoia, paranoia - everybody's trying to get me." So goes the theme music to Peep Show. But what if it were actually true? In our fifth episode we listen to some excellent artists at their most insecure, in a brief journey through paranoia in alternative music. For a full tracklist, please go to the blog page.
Episode Four - Short Stories in Songs
For our fourth episode we celebrate short stories in songs. It's hard enough to write a good story, let alone set it to music, but here are some successful attempts. The set starts with Up the Junction by Squeeze and ends with Frank's Wild Years by Tom Waits, with a literary journey in between. For a discussion and a track listing, please visit the blog page.
Episode Three - The Kraftwerk Influence
The Dusseldorf group Kraftwerk has been described as one of the two most influential groups in twentieth century music. From 80s synth pop to contemporary electro via techno this episode dips a toe in the water of that Kraftwerkian influence. For discussion and a track listing, please visit the blog page.
Episode Two - Sci Fi
For our second episode, we celebrate sci fi in music. It's a genre that thrives in books and films, but there is scope for a highly enjoyable hour of curated sci-fi music. And this, hopefully, is it. For discussion and a track listing, please visit the blog page.
Episode One - British Female Post-Punk Icons
For our first episode, we celebrate the post-punk music of British women. A highly fertile scene, this produced timeless tracks that seem, if anything, more relevant today than they were at the time. For discussion and a track listing, please visit the blog page.