Without saying your age, post your favourite film that was released the year you turned 18.

#NowPlaying #NP Smokescreens | A Strange Dream Really, really enjoying listening to these two albums again. Been on the shelf for far too long… For jangle-pop, guitar driven music with infectious hooks, singalong choruses, thoughtful lyrics & a snappy run times, these siblings take some beating.

#NowPlaying #NP The Vryll Society | Curse of the Satellite Last of the evening…the gorgeous psychedelia spinning here is infinitely better than the catastrophic Man Utd performance currently on “show”.

#NowPlaying #NP Smokescreens | Used to Yesterday Going through my @slumberlandrecords.com collection and enjoying every minute. It’s a lovely little album…clocks in around 30 minutes, so rattles by at a nice brisk pace. Lyrically smart and as catchy as anything.

#last4albums Sunday shoegaze (debut albums) edition.

New announcement 👌👍😊 The upcoming AN4 album sounds like a potential departure of sorts….processed drums & a more electronic sound possibly. Been listening to Collide a lot recently so looking forward to its impending arrival. The 3 dropped tracks have been good for sure…

#NowPlaying 💿 Crystalpunk 🎤 Chalk Fancy some locally-brewed industrial electronic, dance-punk? Oh I absolutely do! If Crystalpunk isn’t in the Champion’s League places at the end of the year, I’ll eat my shoe. Chalk, you have served up an absolute corker of a debut. Well played 👏👏👏👏👏👏

#last4albums Gorgeous day weather-wise for once, a few top tunes to keep the buzz going.

#last4albums Easter Sunday edition.

Top 10 Albums of the Year (Easter Version) 1. Asgeir 2. The Boxer Rebellion 3. Lande Hekt 4. Whitelands 5. Iron & Wine 6. IST IST 7. The Leaf Library 8. Deary 9. Heavenly 10. The Twilight Sad

#5debutalbums1519 #last4albums Massage | Oh Boy Phoebe Bridgers | Stranger The Hanging Stars | Silvery Lake Slow Crush | Aurora

#5debutalbums1519 #NowPlaying #NP Slow Crush | Aurora Trying to tidy up my 5 but it is proving problematic. VAR might need to become involved…

#NowPlaying 💿 The Second I’m Asleep 🎤 The Boxer Rebellion First spin… 😍

Given the morning off from all child-rearing duties, for a spot of record shopping. Picked up a couple of second hand, bargain basement classics & the new release by one of my favourite bands these days. Throw in a cardamom bun and a Nordic coffee, & the morning was as blissful as one hoped for.

#NowPlaying #5DebutAlbums1519 💿 Over the Silvery Lake 🎤 The Hanging Stars Early morning bliss with THS. A strong contender for my 5. Side B alone might guarantee it makes the cut.

#LiveMusic #MusicSky Another couple of gigs lined up for later in the year. Remaining gigs of 2026 so far… IST IST Beth Orton Jason Isbell The Cure Shed Seven Teenage Fanclub Chapterhouse A few to look forward to there.

And so tomorrow, four years of music challenge hosting comes to an end. Here’s some self-indulgent ramblings about that time along with a list of the challenges hosted. Thank you so much to everyone who has participated in and commented on the them over the years on both BlueSky and Twitter. 🙏

#NowPlaying #5DebutAlbums1519 💿 All That Ever Could Have Been 🎤 MOLLY The Austrian duo’s debut is slow burning, at times majestic. “If mountains could make music” is how Line of Best Fit described it. Equally as good as the follow-up Picturesque, I’ll be surprised if this gem doesn’t make my 5.

#NowPlaying #5DebutAlbums1519 💿 Dead Calm 🎤 The Boys With the Perpetual Nervousness Left out of my original shortlist but that was a mistake. Really enjoyed listening to it again over the last couple of days. It’s a rather perfect collection of melodic power-pop, with Dropkick’s Andrew central.

#NowPlaying #5DebutAlbums1519 Moonlight Parade | Out of Nothing Forgot about this fine debut by the always excellent Moonlight Parade when putting the long list together. Has a really good chance of making my 5. What I wouldn’t give for a vinyl reissue though😊 @moonlightparade.bsky.social

#NowPlaying 💿 Promises 🎤 The Boxer Rebellion Spinning this ahead of tomorrow’s release of their 7th album. Have high hopes for the new album, given they have barely put a foot wrong across the previous 6.

#5DebutAlbums1519 Going to really struggle this round. There are at least 12 albums, all of which make a genuine case for my top 5, that I absolutely adore. Honestly no real idea how to separate them.

#NowPlaying 💿 Sumday 🎤 Grandaddy Hard to believe this gem of an album is just shy of 23 years old. Heard it described as "pretty much like Neil Young if he'd heard an Aphex Twin record". Hasn’t aged a day & one of the strongest efforts by a genuinely great band.

#NowPlaying #5DebutAlbums1519 Massage | Oh Boy As much a certainty to feature in my 5 as the rain to fall in Belfast tomorrow. The band have delivered 3 for 3 so far, with a trio of excellent albums.

#NowPlaying 💿 Around the Well 🎤 Iron & Wine As good as Sam Beam’s more experimental/fuller band efforts are, he is at his very best with the breathy whisper & an acoustic guitar. This remains my favourite album by him & in Love Vigilantes, you have my favourite cover version of all time.

Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums The ‘tentatively retuning to work tomorrow after a 7 week absence’ edition.

Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums The glorious sunny Saturday edition.

This is a superb album, well worthy of the reissue. Another gem @slumberlandrecords.com Can’t wait to finally have a copy of this glorious thing.

Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums Flashback Friday, 90s classics edition.

#FilmSky #NowWatching Having rewatched The Sopranos from start to finish, & loved every minute, thought I might rewatch another stellar HBO show. Deadwood the series is almost as interesting as Deadwood the real place. Halfway through the 1st season & it is as extraordinary as I remember.

#NowListening If you have an hour, I’d highly recommend tuning into this podcast with this place’s very own @plc69.bsky.social. Really enjoyable hour in his company. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...

Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums Midweek edition.

#5DebutAlbums8589 #NowPlaying 💿 S/T 🎤 The House of Love One of 3 certainties for my 5. It clocks at 32 minutes, with 10 tracks that are pretty flawless. It still sounds fresh to this day…most likely it will sit snugly in the highest place for me.

#NowPlaying 💿 Blu Wav 🎤 Grandaddy Becoming obsessed with Grandaddy all over again. They were my favourite band when I was a student & they have taken over the turntable once more. Their discography is flawless & if this is to be their swan song, it’s a fitting (& typically great) addition.

#ArtistFave15 #MusicChallenge Wilco 1. How To Fight Loneliness | Summerteeth One of my top 10 songs of all time. Perfect lyrically matched by a perfect melody. m.youtube.com/watch?v=AfyT... Thanks to @geodrew.bsky.social & @olgalovesyuri.bsky.social for hosting as always.

#ArtistFave15 #MusicChallenge Wilco 2. Jesus Etc | YHF This was my favourite song on Yankee Hotel from the first moment I heard it. The strings are goosebump inducing & lyrically elliptical in the best Wilco fashion. m.youtube.com/watch?v=v4_O...

#MusicSky Over the next couple of months, I’ll finally have in my hands, and on the turntable, these three stunning albums (after a very long wait, they are landing in quick succession). - The Sophtware Slump - Howl - A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness Quite the year for reissues.

5 Artists in heavy rotation right now: Public Service Broadcasting Wilco Grandaddy The Beths They are Gutting a Body of Water

#NowPlaying 💿 Inform-Educate-Entertain 🎤 Public Service Broadcasting This album has been on constant loop all day. Think it’s the only album I own to feature both Marie Slocombe & Thomas? I’ve been dazzled the whole day long. The kids are landing in any minute, which will wreck the ambience.

#ArtistFave15 #MusicChallenge Wilco 3. Meant to Be | Cousin 2023’s excellent cousin closes out with this stunner of a song. It is classic Wilco & one of my favourite tracks of this decade so far. m.youtube.com/watch?v=J9TD...

#5DebutAlbums8589 #NowPlaying 💿 Contenders 🎤 Easterhouse In the mid-80s, Andy Perry was called “the best political commentator in pop music today”, while brother Ivor considered “the best guitarist since Johnny Marr”. Not shabby accolades at all. A contender for 2 of the final spots in my 5.

#ArtistFave15 #MusicChallenge Wilco 4. Via Chicago | Summerteeth Penultimate pick from Summerteeth. 5 1/2 mins of pure bliss. The piano notes halfway through are so beautiful. m.youtube.com/watch?v=rAXp...

Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums Midweek edition.

#ArtistFave15 #MusicChallenge Wilco 5. Misunderstood | Being There The debut AM is Wilco trying to find their way out of the wreck of Uncle Tupelo & isn’t always successful. Being There is the first proper Wilco album to my ears. This is a glorious start. m.youtube.com/watch?v=nQQy...

#ArtistFave15 #MusicChallenge Wilco 6. California Stars | Mermaid Avenue The first collaboration between Billy Bragg and Wilco is superb. The high point of a fine album. m.youtube.com/watch?v=FeQX...

#ArtistFave15 #MusicChallenge Wilco 7. ELT | Summerteeth Such an ear worm. m.youtube.com/watch?v=pi1g...

#5DebutAlbums8589 #NowPlaying 💿 Please 🎤 Pet Shop Boys Inexplicably left this off the shortlist…my chronology clearly all over the shop. One of 3 certainties for my 5.

#NowPlaying #NP Deary | Seabird / Alfie Throughly enjoying the new songs by Deary, Seabird in particular. Really dreamy stuff…with 2 cracking EPs in the bag already, the new album is one I am really looking forward to. link.deezer.com/s/32EmV343dh...

#NowPlaying #MusicSky Asgeir | Julia It’s a beautiful Sunday morning, & this album is a perfect accompaniment. The more it spins, the more I think it might be the best thing he has released so far. Gorgeous from start to finish.