Vermeer’s Girl With The Pearl Earring will be shown in Osaka, later this year, and the press conference was as Japanese as you’d expect #Vermeer

FatDog - Woof. (2026) Somewhere between warehouse rave and nervous breakdown, all pounding beats and sensory overload. It’s ridiculous, abrasive, and occasionally exhausting but at least it avoids the serious tone that weighs down so much modern post-punk. Must be amazing live. #nowspinning #vinyl

PIL – Metal Box (1979) After the Sex Pistols imploded, John Lydon formed Public Image Ltd with the intention of creating anti-rock music. This was their second album. Colder, stranger and far more experimental than “Never Mind the Bollocks”, this is punk as dance music. #nowspinning #vinyl

Huh, I actually liked how The Boys ended. I expected some annoying sort of subversion or post-credits sting, but they mostly let the characters play out where their virtues and vices would lead them.

Kate Bush - The Sensual World (1989) The title track is inspired by Molly Bloom’s monologue from Ulysses, layering bass, uilleann pipes and vocals into a swaying rhythm that feels intimate and ecstatic. “Stepping out of the page”, a perfect translation of literature into music. #nowspinning #vinyl

Therapy? - Troublegum (1994) Take heavy metal, inject it with the speed and sarcasm of punk, then add a dose of jagged pop hooks. Release in the year of the IRA ceasefire and you get the nervous energy, black humour and emotional claustrophobia of the tail end of the Troubles. #nowspinning #vinyl

This is The Bluebells (2026) The Bluebells warm, rootsy, harmony-driven sound may not have been very fashionable in the mid-80s but they’re back again and, with the sweetness edged by age, memory and sheer survival, they make a strong case that they’re more relevant than ever. #nowspinning #vinyl

Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen (1985) An album that gets better as I get older. At 15, it was the romantic yearning and luminous production that drew me in. At 55, I hear regret, compromise and people trying to talk themselves into happiness. That was there all along, right? #nowspinning #vinyl

The next James Bond should be Gary Oldman in his Jackson Lamb persona.

A long time ago, my little brother listened to my copy of Before The Flood by Dylan/the Band and became obsessed. He has written extensively about Dylan’s music and has just published his first book on the subject. Recommended for all Dylan fans. No, I never got the LP back . amzn.eu/d/035fNlr2

The Clash - Sandinista (1980) How did Punk go from Ramones (29 min) to Sandinista (145 min), a sprawling and self-indulgent triple album? The point of Punk was not “keep songs short”. It was “ignore the rules”. Where Ramones cut everything away, The Clash put everything in. #nowspinning #vinyl

That Petrol Emotion - Tingle (hard boppin’ mix) (1991) I’m not a huge fan of TPE’s later stuff. They’re tapping into the Indie Dance craze of the time with lots of drums and breaks, and it all sounds a bit samey after a while. Competent, stylish, but less fun than “Babble”. #nowspinning #vinyl

God Bless the Starjets (1979) Is it wrong to say The Troubles rocked? This didn’t chart but I like Terry Sharpe’s later work with The Adventures, so tracked it down, and, honestly, the blend of punk & power pop (sounds like The Ramones crossed with The Beach Boys) is better. #nowspinning #vinyl

Dexy’s Midnight Runners - Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (1980) Northern soul meets post-punk. The rhythm section is relentless, but the defining sound is the brass. The horns do not decorate the songs; they stab with the force of guitar riffs. #nowspinning #vinyl

www.maptap.gg May 9 100🎯 99🎯 97🔥 100🎯 66😶 Final score: 891

The Cult - Love (1985) This feels like the soundtrack to an Eighties vampire film, full of mysticism and dramatic moonlight. I have no idea what Ian Astbury is talking about half the time but he sounds like he completely believes it, the band commits, and somehow it all works. #nowspinning #vinyl

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @kneecapceol.bsky.social @heavenlyrecordings.bsky.social www.rte.ie/entertainmen...

For All Mankind is just GOING NONSTOP this season, I'm so stressed out!!!

Kneecap - Fenian (2026) If the early appeal of Kneecap was partly driven by the novelty of bilingual Republican rap, “Fenian” takes them beyond merely provocative to genuinely formidable. The themes are heavier, the production tighter and the music considerably more ambitious. #nowspinning #vinyl

The Who - Tommy (1969) I liked the single but an entire rock opera about a traumatised pinball messiah sounded exhausting. However, the scale works, allowing The Who room to develop recurring motifs and musical themes in a way most rock albums of the time simply didn’t attempt. #nowspinning #vinyl

Dawn of the Dickies (1979) Punk doesn’t have to be angry. It can be about speed, humour & the joy of making a glorious racket. This is fun punk, packed with sci-fi references, cartoon soundtrack melodies & a sense that the band are seconds away from collapsing into laughter. #nowspinning #vinyl

The Monochrome Set - Eligible Bachelors (1985) I love bands who make perfect pop music while gently mocking pop music. This is a witty, stylish mix of post-punk, jangle pop and spaghetti- western soundtrack with enough charm and melody to stop it becoming just a clever mess. #nowspinning #vinyl

Pixies - Bossanova (1990) Completing my Pixies collection. The opening run is great but then the album drifts a bit. I wonder how much is down to a reduced role for Kim Deal. It’s very much the Black Francis show. Not as raw as Surfer Rosa and less essential than Doolittle. #nowspinning #vinyl

Scarlet Fantastic - From Montreal to Rotherham (2026) A synth-pop group who had a Top 40 single in 1987 but I don’t remember it so I’m coming to this cold. The music is reflective and atmospheric but, with no standout moments, it’s difficult for a non-fan to latch onto it. #nowspinning #vinyl

Brontës (2026) A confident debut from a four-piece Glasgow indie pop band via @lnfg.bsky.social. I’m a sucker for jangly guitars, and the sunlit melodies and vocal harmonies remind me of The Thrills with that same sun-soaked California feel. Pressing sounds great too. #nowspinning #vinyl

Shima Enaga, also known as the Japanese Snow Fairy, which is a subspecies of the long-tailed tit

First shipment arrived from @lnfg.bsky.social That’s my bank holiday weekend listening sorted.

Supertramp - Breakfast in America (1979) Did they know how to make records in the 70s, or what? This is a great-sounding album. The production is perfect, every instrument carefully placed. Even the Wurlitzer electric piano & saxophone manage to avoid cliché and sound timeless. #nowspinning #vinyl

Van Morrison - No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (1986) Familiar territory for Van Morrison - longing, love, memory - carried by gentle melodies. Lovely, even if the gentleness sometimes blurs into background music and it rarely reaches the transcendent heights of Astral Weeks. #nowspinning #vinyl

Chris Rea - The Road to Hell (1989) Part I drifts in - spoken, ambient, hypnotic - before Part II snaps into that unmistakable groove. Rea’s husky, understated delivery creates the mood of late-night drives, sodium-lit roads, a sense of dislocation and distance from everything. #nowspinning #vinyl

John Prine (1971) Remarkable debut. The dry, slightly absurd humour is what drew me in, but it’s his precise observations that really hit home. There’s usually a line in songs like “Hello in There” that cuts deeper than expected and makes me lift the needle to listen again. #nowspinning #vinyl

Last of my #RSD purchases Pavement - Perfect Sound Forever (orig. 1991) Came to this cold, knowing nothing about the band. First reaction: “Is this finished?” It feels like I’ve walked in on them halfway through a rehearsal. I like the energy though. Will dig deeper. #nowspinning #vinyl

Willie Nelson - Red-headed Stranger (1975) At a time when country music was all about glossy orchestral arrangements, Nelson went the other way entirely. Minimal production, mainly guitar, occasional piano, & silence doing as much work as the notes. A minimalist masterpiece. #nowspinning #vinyl

Madra Salach - It’s a Hell of an Age (2026) Droning harmonium builds a brooding, cinematic sound. The standard “Spancil Hill” is brilliantly reimagined. New songs like “I Was Just a Boy” merge sound design and narrative to create something unique. This is the future of folk #nowspinning #vinyl

A Mouthful of the Mary Wallopers (orig 2019) #rsd This is authentic folk, with the right mixture of tradition and irreverent humour. Feels more like taking part in a locked-in session at a pub than listening to a studio recording. #nowspinning #vinyl

Virgin Prunes - Hérésie (1982) Next #rsd purchase. Hated it on first listen. Warmed to it on second listen. Playing it at right speed may have helped with that. ☺️ #nowspinning #vinyl

The Cure - Acoustic Hits (orig. 2001) Another #RSD purchase. Sparse arrangements with Robert Smith’s voice pushed right to the front. Interesting exercise but ultimately just goes to show how essential the chorus effects & synth layers were to the greatness of the originals. #nowspinning #vinyl

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965) On my wishlist for ages before I dug this up at the Record Exchange in Tunbridge Wells. It looked a bit rough but I took a chance. Sure enough, it sounds a bit rough. Still, the cover alone is worth it. #nowspinning #vinyl

The thing with Gen X and music is that yes we had grunge but we also had rock and funk and hip hop and rap and pop and house and trance and lounge and reggae and soul and Gregorian chants ffs.

Agami Herons.

Second of my #RSD purchases Meiko Kaji - Urami no Bushi/Shura no Hana (orig. 1972) Classic enka, the titles translate as “Song of Resentment” & “Flowers of Carnage”. Enka focuses on emotion & nostalgia and Kaji’s controlled delivery underlines the feeling of restrained fury. #nowspinning #vinyl

First of my #RSD haul. Tusk - Camper van Beethoven (orig. 2003) My favourite Fleetwood Mac album because, not in spite of, it being experimental & slightly unhinged. Camper Van Beethoven lean into the chaos, making the pop songs fragile & taking the odd songs off the rails. #nowspinning #vinyl

The queue for Record Store Day at Resident in Brighton stretched around the block. I was #435 so it took a while to get to the counter but the store staff managed the queue really well and the vibe was nice. Had a fun time chatting about music with strangers for almost 3 hours. #RSD

Robert Wyatt - Nothing Can Stop Us (1982) I got this for “Shipbuilding”, which is sublime. Wasn’t sure what else to expect, maybe Chumbawamba-lite? But the politics here isn’t shouted. Wyatt’s fragile voice makes the songs feel quieter and somehow more powerful because of it. #nowspinning #vinyl

The Incredible Shrinking Dickies (1979) Californian punk, with speed, humour and a strong pop instinct. There’s hooks, harmonies, even some hints of ska. It makes me think of Saturday morning TV for some reason - as if the Monkees made a punk album. I mean that as a compliment. #nowspinning #vinyl

I know it's corny, but For All Mankind continues to hit a part of my brain for a future that feels like it could have happened. I can have a little corniness as a treat.

I see the Artemis crew came back okay.

The internet peaked when we got the ability to look up what other movie or show an actor or actress in the movie we are currently watching was in before. Everything since then has been a mistake.

Stella Donnelly - Flood (2022) I loved the spark and wittiness of her debut, but this is a more introspective album, mixing her signature cheerful songs about sad situations with more reflective songs where the tempo matches the theme. Still very recognisably Stella Donnelly. #nowspinning #vinyl