Beds are Burning (Kintoris mix) - Midnight Oil (1989) Interesting remix but doesn’t deliver the same punch as the original version. I think the shorter version suits the direct message of the song better. #nowspinning #vinyl

Hey Venus - That Petrol Emotion (1990) Two mixes of the Hey Venus track from Chemicrazy. A side is the “Mad Thatcher Mix” but I prefer the B side, the "Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Mix" with its repetitive psychedelic groove. #nowspinning #vinyl

The new Divine Comedy album is gorgeous. In case you were wondering…

Sinners - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2025) Ordered this immediately after seeing the film and it was worth the wait. The songs from the film have an immediacy that the modern inserts don’t & the full takes allow appreciation of nuances that were missed in the film. #nowspinning #vinyl

Never for Ever - Kate Bush (1980) Kate Bush managed to be completely out-there when it came to experimentation but still make songs that are easy on the ear. I don’t think it’s just because it’s familiar now as this album was #1 in the UK; were audiences more adventurous then? #nowspinning #vinyl

The Game - Echo & The Bunnymen (1987) The lead single from their self-titled fifth album, it’s not their most iconic release. More commercial definitely but also less unique. They’re starting to sound like other bands. #nowspinning #vinyl

Songs to Learn & Sing - Echo & the Bunnymen (1985) Gathers their key singles, from Crocodiles (1980) through Ocean Rain (1984), and closes with a new track, “Bring On the Dancing Horses”. Unusually for a greatest-hits compilation, it actually plays like a coherent album. #nowspinning #vinyl

Kamakura - Southern All Stars (1985) Their most ambitious album, reportedly taking over 1,800 hours to make. Like most double albums, it’s not flawless; several gems (“Kamakura Monogatari”, “Minna no Uta”, and “Wasurerareta Big Wave”) but a lot of forgettable tracks as well. #nowspinning #vinyl

Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006) Reminds me of Mary Margaret O’Hara’s “Miss America”, bending notes, swooping delivery. It also feels like homework disguised as music: clearly technically brilliant, but too dense to relax into. This is going to take multiple listens to get into. #nowspinning #vinyl

It’s the hope that kills you. #PorIrl #COYBIG

Love Zombies - The Monochrome Set (1980) Pop music with a whimsical eyebrow permanently raised. Imagine a surf band playing songs written by Oscar Wilde. Love, death, cinema and religion all get sent up. “Adeste Fideles” is my stand out. You can almost smell the incense. #nowspinning #vinyl

I LOVE SHEILA HANCOCK 😂🤩 #HIGNFY

A Love Supreme - John Contrane (1965) In modal jazz the musician limits themselves to a single mode, exploring phrasing and tone within those constraints. Reminds me of Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime”, multiple rhythms within a single repeating bass line. New Wave=Jazz? #nowspinning #vinyl

Workers Playtime - Billy Bragg (1988) Less shouty than earlier albums. It’s still political but, instead of rallying cries, he’s singing about how ideals fit into adult life. Tender, thoughtful, and politically sharp without preaching. Our Billy’s grown up but not given up. #nowspinning #vinyl

High Land, Hard Rain - Aztec Camera (1983) Roddy Frame was a teenager when he wrote this, which is both hard-to-believe, given the sophistication of the songs, and obvious, given the mix of optimism and self-doubt that runs through them. Production can be a bit dated though. #nowspinning #vinyl

Dad’s books are full of empathy, common sense, and a healthy suspicion of the powerful. But at its heart his work is also about how systems keep people poor while pretending it’s their own fault. So I hope Kemi’s taking notes as well as reading the jokes.

Love - Aztec Camera (1987) More polished synth-pop with a hint of R&B that was probably aimed at the U.S. and maybe helped make Love their most successful album. “Somewhere in My Heart” is the standout, simple but infectious, but other songs are derivative & tip into cliché. #nowspinning #vinyl

Rainy Sunday Afternoon - The Divine Comedy (2025) The most inward looking album since “Absent Friends”, reflecting on aging, mortality & memory. His trademark lyrical storytelling & lush orchestration is unironic here, instead giving weight to themes of vulnerability & loss. #nowspinning #vinyl

Thanks for the early morning smile. I needed that.

Days of Future Passed - The Moody Blues (1967) The concept of a symphonic suite mapping the course of a single day from dawn to night works even if it’s hard to not compare the orchestral interludes to Fantasia. Band songs are stronger and Nights in White Satin is a classic. #nowspinning #vinyl

For Your Pleasure - Roxy Music (1973) Eno (not Brian in the credit notes) was responsible for Synthesizer and Tapes & he pushed their second album into avant-garde territory with some strange and unsettling mixes, but Brian Ferry’s detached vocal delivery grounds things nicely. #nowspinning #vinyl

Country Life - Roxy Music (1974) Not what I expected from Brian Ferry’s band. It’s got the crooning, the jazzy feel but also an edge that I didn’t expect. Glamorous but laced with weirdness and menace. This is the boring cover which was sold in the puritanical USA from 1975. #nowspinning #vinyl

Kimi Ga Suki - Matthew Sweet (2003) After visiting the Yoshinori Nara exhibit at Aomori Museum of Art, came across this in Tokyo so bought it for the cover. Turns out it’s dense guitars, big hooks, early-90s power pop. Very happy. And they say not to judge by the cover? #nowspinning #vinyl

The Long Acre - In Tua Nua (1990) This folk-rock blend is passionate, rooted in Trad, and melodic, with Leslie Dowdall’s voice carrying it into timeless territory. Not as globally recognised as it should be, but well worth revisiting. This is the US pressing. #nowspinning #vinyl

Explicit Material - Blue in Heaven (1986) More of a live feel than the heavily stylized production on their debut. Guitars forward, vocals clearer, it’s more a rock album than hazy post-punk. This is a Japanese pressing, very quiet.

The Blue Hearts – The Blue Hearts (1987) Raw, fast & unpretentious punk from the Japanese version of the Clash, this is a landmark album that brought punk to the masses. It closes with “Linda Linda”, one of the most famous Japanese rock songs of all time (and a karaoke staple.) #nowspinning #vinyl

Tin Drum - Japan (1981) Generally regarded as their masterpiece, art-pop aesthetic inspired by East Asian music. Interesting on an intellectual level but maybe too cerebral and some songs slip from minimalist to monotonous. Cannot see myself listening to it again. #nowspinning #vinyl

Knife - Aztec Camera (1984) Aztec Camera moved from jangle to mainstream pop with more ambitious arrangements overseen by Mark Knopfler behind the production desk.  I should be a fan but, after the first couple of songs, it degenerates into heavy handed ballads and loses me. #nowspinning #knife

Men Without Hats – Rhythm of Youth (1982) I bought this for “Safety Dance”. That absurdist anthem is strangely timeless but the rest of the album is a synthesis of early ‘80s new wave. Punk energy, post-disco rhythms, & synth triumphant. “I Got The Message” a standout for me. #nowspinning #vinyl

The Very Best of Puffy amiyumi jet fever - Puffy (2000) From A-punk to J-pop. Worlds apart from Amyl & the Sniffers but Ami & Yumi also pushed boundaries for female artists in Japan, using playful experimentation to present a tongue-in-cheek alternative to idol perfection. #nowspinning #vinyl

Amyl and the Sniffers – Comfort to Me (2021) More refined than their debut, it manages to keep the urgency but sounds sharper. I particularly like “Guided by Angels”, a hypnotic pulse with mantra-like vocals. This is punk that feels contemporary, angry, and fun all at once. #nowspinning #vinyl

Amyl and the Sniffers (2019) Short, sharp songs driven by squalling guitars, pounding drums, recorded as if we’re in the crowd at a live set. Gritty and funny lyrics peppered with Aussie slang, delivered by one of the most compelling frontwomen of the last decade, Amy Taylor. #nowspinning #vinyl

Just back from a trip to Tokyo. Prices have gone up at the likes of Tower but found a few bargains in some of the smaller shops in Koenji and Ikebukuro. #vinyl

DR. JOHN, the night tripper - GRIS-gris (1968) I don’t think I’ve ever listened to Dr. John before so couldn’t figure out why this swampy blend of funk & psychedelia seemed so familiar. On the third track, it hit me - Dr. Teeth from the Muppet Show! Which I mean in a good way. #nowspinning #vinyl

9/21/90: Miller's Crossing [Coen/Coen] w/Gabriel Byrne, Finney, Turturro ++ More @glennkenny.bsky.social: www.criterion.com/current/post... @scotttobias.bsky.social: www.theguardian.com/film/2020/oc... @daveyjenkins.bsky.social: lwlies.com/in-praise-of... C Nashawaty: www.esquire.com/entertainmen...

Proper record shop in Brighton #acrossthetracks #Vinyl

Can’t Stand The Rezillos (1978) Imagine The Understones meet the Beach Boys but, instead of cars and surfing, it’s sci-fi, robots, and B-movies. The result is fast, fun, and relentlessly catchy. High point - 2000AD, which may or may not be about the galaxy’s greatest comic. #nowspinning #vinyl

Kimono my House - Sparks (1974) Brothers Ron & Russell Mael’s breakthrough is a high point of glam rock with surreal lyrics, falsetto vocals, abrupt time changes, and absurdist humour packaged in catchy pop tunes. Made #4 in the U.K. album charts, #101 in their native U.S.A. #nowspinning #vinyl

#VinylVerdicts2025 Messy, brilliant, impossible to ignore, Wet Leg’s "Moisturizer" hits harder than anything else this year with razor-sharp wit, chaotic hooks, and fearless genre jumps. #nowspinning #wetleg #musicsky #indierock youtu.be/hmvcIk-ko5g?...

Open Water - Cry Before Dawn (2025) Have to respect a band who waits 14 years before releasing new music because they don’t think they have anything good enough. The new EP shows they got it right, capturing the spirit of ‘80s Irish rock without sounding dated. #nowspinning #vinyl

Batman - Spinach Power (1978) Spinach Power turned popular theme songs into disco music. Featured Kyosuke Himuro who later became lead vocalist of Boøwy with guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei ("Battle Without Honor or Humanity"). Boøwy changed Japanese music from city pop to new wave. #nowspinning #vinyl

A perfect square of records. #vinyl

American Idiot - Green Day (2004) Written during the Iraq War, Green Day channelled confusion and disillusionment into a sprawling punk rock opera and lyrics like “One nation controlled by the media” have become even more relevant in our age. #nowspinning #vinyl

Book of Days - The Psychedelic Furs (1989) Critics accused the Furs of losing their grit, of being MTV-driven, so this was a deliberate course correction, intended to strip away the gloss and win back credibility. The result is classic headphone music, designed for immersion. #nowspinning #vinyl

Wake Up People! - Sack (2024) There’s something wonderful about buying an album just because you remember the band’s old stuff fondly, only to realise the new album is the best thing they’ve done. Poignant lyrics, dynamic drumming, driving baselines; they’re better than ever. #nowspinning #vinyl

Actually, Frankenstein is a doctor success at the Venice film festival

no sound ever dies - emperor of icecream (2020) A time capsule of a record from a Cork indie band whose debut was shelved for 25 years due to label complications. Sugar-coated harmonies with fuzzy guitars and grunge-tinged basslines. As mid-90s as flannel and ripped jeans. #nowspinning #vinyl

James Horner - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan soundtrack (1982), The best soundtrack in the franchise. Includes my favourite version of the Enterprise theme and Battle in the Mutara Nebula evokes submarine warfare through horns, rolling percussion, and sweeping strings. #nowspinning #vinyl

Hook Me Up - The Veronicas (2007) More electropop than their debut, the title track “Hook Me Up” garnered the Veronica’s their first #1 in Australia and the album went double platinum. Listening to it now, it feels uneven - some tracks hit the mark, others feel overly long. #nowspinning #vinyl

One Step from Heaven - The Adventures (1988) Terry Sharpe’s voice is warm & expressive as always on their third single but it didn’t have the hooky chorus of “Broken Land” & “Drowning in the Sea of Love” so peaked at #82. The 12” has “When the World was Young” which I prefer. #nowspinning #vinyl