1. Radiohead, Bologna 2. Beck, Royal Albert Hall 3. LCD Soundsystem, Brixton 4. Pulp, Glastonbury 5. The Ting Tings, Gibson guitar shop, Denmark St 5: Sensitive album launch, The Social #chopsfives #topfive #gigs2025

Happy New Year everyone. If you’re looking for a party playlist, then take your pick (Thread) Punk Funk open.spotify.com/playlist/2XI... Disco open.spotify.com/playlist/3qx... Dancehall open.spotify.com/playlist/0Gp... Electro open.spotify.com/playlist/6Yf... Punk open.spotify.com/playlist/1ql...

Merry Christmas. Just found one of my favourite books, The Puffin Book of Improbable Records. Quentin Blake illustrations and John Yeoman’s text. I think a lot of my sense of humour derives from this book.

I’m a bit late posting my #vinylsanta, but what a selection! Including the all-time greatest Christmas album and a chance to explore Jefferson Starship and Tangerine Dream. Thank you vinyl Santa!

The recipient of my #vinylsanta can count themselves very very fortunate (or unfortunate depending on how you look at it) that I didn’t visit Oxfam in Bruges in time.

Currently enjoying the sheer joy of Bruges’ antique shops

Time for a Christmas mash up: The Beatles and Boston: “Christmas in Boston” share.google/9bd2CqB0gHCU...

Rejoice! Xmas cards are now for sale at www.etsy.com/shop/8bitnorthxstitch There’s something old, something new, something northern & something blue (for the lads): Wham!, John & Yoko, East 17, Slade, Royle Family, Fanny Cradock, Smiths, Spice Girls, Beatles & Ghosts. Something for all the family!

I love the nerdiness of the Radiohead fans who are tracking every setlist of the tour on excel spreadsheets.

youtu.be/UZdMJ_yGQH8?... Cher, Bette Midler, Flip Wilson and Elton John in Cher’s 1975 TV special imagining their lives in 2025…

This looks quality

If you are a fan of the Ace Records Jon Savage compilations, here’s a playlist of what *didnt* get on the compilations. Amazing stuff.

@jonsavage.bsky.social Hey Jon - enjoying listening to the final Ace records comp in your series. (They have all been so good). In the liner notes you mention early house records weren’t available to licence and I was curious if you had a list of records that didn’t make it into the compilations?

Further thoughts on social media stopping being like the pub, and the hollow weirdness of it all. open.substack.com/pub/joelmorr...

90's Remembered...

Just a few hours to go to snap this up….

Sabbra Cadabra! If you don’t know Joel, he’s a lovely man, and sells #vinyl online. Can’t recommend him enough.

I mean it was all over for them as soon as I saw this poster

The owner of this van has been gone too long

The flag I ordered to take to Glastonbury just arrived in the post, so that’s nice.

Shout out to the legend in the crowd who carried a tin of pork and beans to the Other Stage during Weezer’s set

This LP comes out today and is my favourite album of the year so far. West coast CSN and Fleetwood Mac vibes. It’s gorgeous. Home, by The Ting Tings. Check it out.

New pulp song is a cracker: youtu.be/c_xnLmRz6XM?...

Billy Idol advertising Workday software on Linked-in is not something I had on my 2025 bingo card. www.linkedin.com/posts/billy-...

Was never a fan of subscription services (Britannia Music cured me of that) but it is being reported Vinyl Me Please is preparing to file for liquidation. If you have an order outstanding, you may want to act. www.stereogum.com/2305865/viny...

Countup Countdown to TEATLES 5 TEATLES issue 4 With @theymaybeparted.bsky.social Dianne Kettler, Ashley Campbell, Catrin James @alphaood.bsky.social JoshHinton @lizzlunney.bsky.social Natasha Williamson, Lisa Bennett, @everyrecord.bsky.social @olgaz.bsky.social Piers William

Farewell to our local record shop today, Fives in Leigh-on-Sea. Was there as the bell tolled. In the top five longest standing record shops in the U.K. 48 years trading. Last day today. Thank you to Daryl, Dan, Al and Adam (the Middle Age Spread massive) who gave them a tremendous send off.

Beck at the Royal Albert Hall was just brilliant tonight. Had an 80 piece orchestra and the original Sea Change band. Kept thinking to myself how I will never hear these songs done better.

Just a few of the DJs who have already played at Fives Records today with plenty more to follow - come and see us! #RSD #RSD2025

Getting ready for the 8am punters to arrive at Fives for Record Store Day #RSD

If you are wondering where to spend your Record Store Day, Fives in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex are participating for the last time as they close their doors permanently (after 48 years of trading) in a few weeks. They are having a half-price closing down sale on almost all non-RSD stock… #RSD #RSD25

It is in its 48th year of trading but soon one of the UK’s oldest record shops will close its doors forever, a victim of rising rents and rising vinyl inflation. Fives Records in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. This year’s Record Store Day will be its last, but we’ll give it a great send off.

A couple of finds in charity shops today. First off, a marvellous cassette of Hot Buttered Soul. Worth 50p of anyone’s money. Am going to have to dust off the cassette player….

I’ll be honest, this is the last thing I want to see written on the cap of the tap water I just ordered…

Fans of West Coast / Fleetwood Mac / CS&N vibes: The new Ting Tings LP (yes, that’s right) comes out in June, but three songs already released. Just listen to it. That is all. open.spotify.com/track/493EqY... #musicsky

This is a heck of a compilation. A ton of quite rare / obscure 1980s indie pop, released today. #Musicsky #indie

A Southend institution. IYKYK. The four Middle Aged Spread DJs gave an adoring following yet another tremendous night out. Surely the best club night in Essex.

A marvellous evening celebrating the launch of an excellent new compilation album of early indie pop: “Sensitive” out tomorrow. Not a genre I knew well, but I am getting swiftly up to speed, discovering new old bands and going down rabbit holes, which is what all the best compilation LPs make you do

Almost passed me by that Record Store Day will be upon us before too long. 12th April. The list is here: www.recordstoreday.co.uk/rsd-list Will be supporting the local shop, Fives in Leigh-on-Sea. Any residents who want to DJ on the day, we’re starting to organise ourselves now so do get in touch.

Wow. The new Elton John and Brandi Carlile song is really good! Great “classic early ‘70s Elton” energy. open.spotify.com/track/1TaWo5...

Unbelievably, these have sold out…

A new discovery (for me) for the #musicsky people. Trip hop and dream pop influences: Oslo Twins. Excellent stuff: open.spotify.com/track/6KNXml...

I do admire people with the inner strength to walk past a 1954 orange paperback penguin copy of PG Wodehouse’s Summer Lightning on sale in a charity shop for 50p without picking it up and buying it. But I do not have that kind of fortitude.

🚨BEEP! BEEP! WARNING NEIL YOUNG IS REVERSING BEEP! BEEP! 🚨

In honour of his putting his toys back in his Glastonbury pram, here’s an hour of some of my favourite Neil Young tracks: open.spotify.com/playlist/4sh...

Looks like Neil Young and Glastonbury have kissed and made up.

Spot on as ever. I don’t have the inside track. Maybe someone at the BBC has overplayed their hand, negotiated too hard and made the Eavis’ lives more difficult. But the BBC does a great job. And it’s bollocks to say Glastonbury is “corporate”. It’s just as likely it’s Neil Being Neil.

No-one asked, but here’s my “best of 2024” Spotify playlist. We should do these more often shouldn’t we? #musicsky open.spotify.com/playlist/7xj...

Was listening to this European-only live Ike and Tina Turner album this morning on Chris’s recommendation - it’s a great record (on streaming services)

A perfect playlist for a quiet day while you busy yourself nursing a lingering hangover….