Aaaah, the ravages of time. A fortnight passes... and I can now report that 'Paint, Sing...' is NO LONGER WARM but now IMPERIOUSLY COLD, icily unapproachable and FROSTILY MAJESTIC. It doesn't, in its present state, give two shits whether you buy it or not - it's just TOO DARNED GLACIAL. ❄️🏔️🥶🏔️❄️

Three-fifths of Skimmington Ride at Hitchin's (delightfully NOT axed) Club 85 last night... remarkable for their amiably beery pep, their winning way with a 14th century banger and - most remarkable of all - their entirely invisible drummer. We have an invisible drummer too. T'ain' easy. ❤️

Spanish Amanda nominated for 'BEST SEXY CHANSON' Grammy - by the French..!! Yes - WE couldn't believe it either, until we (think we) DISTINCTLY HEARD it in the between-song DJ patter RIGHT HERE: canalb.fr/lollypop/8526 ...admittedly, in a language we don't actually speak. But hey - A GRAMMY..!!

One of our people ('the cat') informs us of the presence of 'Walter Benjamin' - a recent SpanAm creation - on this otherwise exemplary selection of tunes. Be under no illusion - listening to 'Walter Benjamin' WILL cause temporary blindness, uncontrollable pottymouth and hives. Stay vigillant..! 🧐

Today's arrival: "Paint, Sing, Burn Down Everything" by The Spanish Amanda ... Limited edition CDr in a gatefold cardboard case ... Profit made from CD sales will be sent to UNICEF. So order a copy on bandcamp. @spanishamandauk.bsky.social #TheSpanishAmanda #NewAlbum #IndiePop #JanglePop

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOmH... What with that nice Mr Musk about to become a trillionaire, it seemed a pertinent time to post this again. 'S on the album, y'know - a better mix, actually (but just as drenched in cheerily apocalyptic bile... 🙂).

Racist Nigel Farage has grifted over a £1M from his jobs on the side since becoming an MP. He’s never in Clacton, probably can’t even find it on a map, and now he says £10 an hour minimum wage for young people is too much, and it should be cut. He’s a cunt. Sack him Clacton!

Out now..!! Get 'im while 'ee's hot..!! ☕ thespanishamanda.bandcamp.com/album/paint-...

Still 'out' (if you will), and while technically no longer 'hot', I can nonetheless confirm that this long-player remains acceptably warm throughout, and is crisping nicely at the edges. Delicious. So... erm... 'STILL out now..!! Get 'im while 'ee's ACCEPTABLY WARM and crisping nicely..!! 🍳❤️🍳❤️🍳

thechickpeadarlings.bandcamp.com/track/your-h... AND there's a black cat on the sleeve art. Jes' sayin'. "Maow..!!" 🐈‍⬛👻🐈‍⬛💀🐈‍⬛👻🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛👻🐈‍⬛🎸🐈‍⬛👻🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛👻🐈‍⬛💀🐈‍⬛👻🐈‍⬛

Amanda loves you, Mr Voodoo, sir... and in the event that Mrs Voodoo ever tires of your mighty beard and deft poetic chops (which, clearly, she WON'T), then Amanda is waiting in the wings to cleave you to her more-than-ample bosom. You lovely man, you. Amanda (Spanish) xxxx xxxx xxxx

Out now..!! Get 'im while 'ee's hot..!! ☕ thespanishamanda.bandcamp.com/album/paint-...

FIFTEEN HOURS 'til execution time. Brave New Girl has made its final confession and chosen its breakfast (brioche roll, haloumi, avocado, fried egg, loads of hot sauce, bloody mary chaser) - then it's OFF TO THE CHAIR. Our advice - download 'er WHILE YOU STILL CAN..!! 💀❤️👻❤️💀❤️👻❤️💀

A hearty 'Yo, chaps..!!' to our celebrity chums - Bono, Taylor, Donald - who've already had a lackey download a copy of BNG for them. Everyone else - y'll have to do it y'selves, and within the next 48 hours... 'cos after that, we're TAKING IT OUTSIDE and PUTTING IT OUT OF ITS MISERY. Harsh times.

Celebrating its quarter-century today - our 1st album, 'Brave New Girl', given an imperceptibly light remaster and a free '25th Anniversary' re-release on Bandcamp... for ONE week only! thespanishamanda.bandcamp.com/album/brave-... New album - 'Paint, Sing, Burn Down Everything' - out NEXT Sunday!

CD copies of 'Paint, Sing, Burn Down Everything' now exist... and they have, as you can see, been scattered insouciantly on the carpet at Amanda Towers. 'Teaser' song still accessible on SpanishAmanda.com - www.spanishamanda.com/4_The_Doctor... Releases on Bandcamp on 26th October - hurrah..!! 👍

We don't normally GET excited by things - we don't have the requisite glands - but our next long-player is just heading down to Essex to be duplicated. This is on it: www.spanishamanda.com/4_The_Doctor... Enjoy.

We don't normally GET excited by things - we don't have the requisite glands - but our next long-player is just heading down to Essex to be duplicated. This is on it: www.spanishamanda.com/4_The_Doctor... Enjoy.

Distrokid informs us, alarmingly, that 'Bitter Lemon turns 5 today!' Christ..!! We never put its name down for Eton, started a trust fund for it or got it a nanny. We are BAD PARENTS. Find out just *how* bad here (and download it for nowt 🙂): thechickpeadarlings.bandcamp.com/track/my-bab...

Distrokid informs us, alarmingly, that 'Bitter Lemon turns 5 today!' Christ..!! We never put its name down for Eton, started a trust fund for it or got it a nanny. We are BAD PARENTS. Find out just *how* bad here (and download it for nowt 🙂): thechickpeadarlings.bandcamp.com/track/my-bab...

Delightfully - as of 5 minutes ago - we appear (after much tea'n'dunkies) to have a rough start-to-end mix of the soon-to-be new SpanAm album. The pic is me (or possibly my brother... can't be sure), c.1976, pre-emptively jumping for joy... a prescient 49 years early. Possible sleeve art..? 🙂

It is now RAINING on the Balstock festival. I do not have the Trumpian hubris required to claim that IF the Chickpea Darlings had been asked to play it WOULDN'T have rained... ...I'm just saying that we WEREN'T invited to play, and it did. Jes' sayin'. That's all. Sayin'. 🙂 ☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔

As usual where Trump’s concerned the politicians and the talking heads have got it all wrong. He wouldn’t spit on the UK if it was on fire, and nothing he says can be trusted. We’re rolling out the red carpet to a Nazi rapist. Shame on us. www.bbc.com/news/article...

"Career Retrospective"..?!! HA..!! I have it on excellent authority ("myself") that an absurdly fine new 10-choon SpanAm album is only DAYS away from being mixed* - "Paint, Sing, Burn Down Everything" - vinegary ditties for the most vinegary of times... ...oh yes, yes, YES... 🙂 * - by the 🐈‍⬛.

Now then..!! Apparently, the Spanish Amanda's "Let 'Em Eat Art" - the only EP *ever* to be released in 'confectionery' form ('a heavily customised KitKat') - is 3 YEARS OLD TODAY(ish)..!! Still a cheeky wee bugger today, and FREE to y's all..!! ❤️❤️❤️ thespanishamanda.bandcamp.com/track/the-bo...

Well... the Chickpea Darlings haven't, it seems, made the grade to appear at this year's Balstock festival... ...AGAIN. Unlike the North Herts Ladies' Choir and Are Friends Electric ('an electro 80s party band based in Hertfordshire'). Is this what Kurt died for..? IS IT..?!! IS IT..!?!! 😠

Now then..!! Apparently, the Spanish Amanda's "Let 'Em Eat Art" - the only EP *ever* to be released in 'confectionery' form ('a heavily customised KitKat') - is 3 YEARS OLD TODAY(ish)..!! Still a cheeky wee bugger today, and FREE to y's all..!! ❤️❤️❤️ thespanishamanda.bandcamp.com/track/the-bo...

I've a TV crew in my shop on Thursday, filming 'my normal life...' background-y stuff for a local game show contestant. The temptation to create a shop playlist composed entirely of SpanAm, False Dawns, Chickpea Darlings and London Fields songs is troublingly powerful. I mean - I *won't*, but... 😁

Quick note about this release - bit troubling - but we've heard credible accounts of False Dawns CDs actually bullying wimpier discs in people's collections - particularly ones with umlauts - (Queensrÿche, Motörhead, Crüe) - pigtail-pulling, in particular, has been mentioned. Vile, VILE behaviour.

By means of an update re. "My Baby Wants A Riot" - the CPDs wish to put on the record that over the past month or so, the 'baby' in question has sought to vent her pro-riot sentiments in a variety of ways... ...and that she simply CANNOT WAIT until that Nice Mr Trump pays his state visit to the UK.

Tomorrow's soundtrack @ Emmaus Letchworth - mostly the Fountains of Wayne, I think. Suits the sultry Letchworth weather & the Letchworthian 'deep-fried' temperament. Shall report back on whether or not the FOW assists in the charitable sale of sofas, bureaus & upcycled hatstands. Watch this space.

Another Saturday selling (fine, fine) secondhand furniture for Emmaus in Letchworth... ...but WHICH artistes on the shop iPod accompanied most sales..? Well, I can reveal today's top 3 were: i) Microdisney ii) The Smiths iii) The Tansads Another top day, kicking homelessness up the bottom. 👍

While govt is slashing support for disabled people to save £6.7 billion, a #WealthTax on just multi-millionaires and billionaires could raise £24 billion. Great to meet @patmillsuk.bsky.social‬ and @taxjusticeuk.bsky.social‬ to talk about a fairer tax system.

"People with the broadest shoulders should be contributing more." @zoegarbett.bsky.social‬ discusses the Government's cruel benefit cuts and the difference a tax on the super-rich could make on LBC Cross Question.

...and finally - a happy 5th birthday and a hearty slap on the flanks for... thespanishamanda.bandcamp.com/track/pops-g... ...exclusively for those with exquisite good taste, refinement and a nose for the very finest things in indiepop. To everyone else - jog on, jog on, nowt to see here... 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃

thespanishamanda.bandcamp.com/track/raisin... Also from our '5-years-old-today' album, 'Pop's Gone And Bought A Gun', here's Raising Sam Peckinpah... our response to Trump's FIRST four years of fuck-wittery. You have to listen to this 'un all the way through, tho' - nice 'list' thing at the end...

thespanishamanda.bandcamp.com/track/broken... Released 5 years ago today - our (fucking awesome) 'Pop's Gone & Bought A Gun' album, more relevant now than ever. This song ('Broken Toys...') - written, appropriately enough, in an adolescent psychiatric ward. You'll loathe it. 🙂

This week a question from @rachaelmaskell.bsky.social revealed that the UK is training Israeli soldiers - making us actively complicit in the Israeli government's genocide in Gaza. I've asked the Defence Secretary if he'll put a stop to this - there is no excuse for letting this go on.

Bit behind the curve, this, but I've spent the past 6 months wrangling with Letchworth's Trades Descriptions people and have finally been permitted to amend - '...blend of twee & jangly indie-pop...' - to read - '...blend of Einstürzende Neubauten & Gracie Fields...' Missive ends. As you were.

Wally - sir..!! ...Dawn and Dawn have just got home from a double-date with a couple of members of Oasis (they're too coy and ladylike to say who...), and have asked me - somewhat drunkenly - to convey the following 'artwork' to you. May God have mercy on... well, you know, whatever. 🙂

A @subjangle.bsky.social bundle of goodies 👌 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊👍

Aaaaw... you played the Dawns, so y'did... who are threatening to smoke my last packet of Rothmans King Size unless I send you the following (admittedly rather disturbing) image. Blezz 'ee, sir..!! Blezz 'ee..!! 🙂

The False Dawns have (to their undying shame) created what is clearly THE LAZIEST POP VIDEO... EVER. 'Perky bee' and 'enormous poppy' footage shot by Dawn and Dawn this morning in Mrs Darling's garden. "It was a quality bee," shrugs Dawn. "Genuinely top notch." youtu.be/Nf8FvKUDDSU

Just seen this wee chap on top of Mrs Darling's alliums... quite the buzz...

Our friends the False Dawns have promised us half a bottle of cooking sherry and a £2 bet on 'Lucky Lad' in the 3:30 at Lingfield if we post the following: thefalsedawns.bandcamp.com/album/we-jus... And - anyone in the Letchworth area who requires half a bottle of cooking sherry, please DM us. Ta.

Engaging wee review of the Dawns' new EP here from the (always insightful, always discriminating) Alex at Mexico's Sound-&-Vision, below... and the apparent news that the Dawns now possess a 'LOVE CLUB' (regarding which, we have NO IDEA...). svmusica.com/2025/05/27/t...

Tax wealth. Not work.

I think, in fairness, that we should've seen this coming... thefalsedawns.bandcamp.com/album/we-jus...

Our chums, the False Dawns, would like it known that they have a new EP out on BC... and that no Sherman tanks were harmed in its making. They'd also like to hope that none of the Smiths international copyrights were infringed either. Fingers crossed... 🙂 thefalsedawns.bandcamp.com/album/we-jus...

...and dubbing this "FALSE DAWNS go TOTALLY TRUFFAUT..!!": youtu.be/2OiRHFcf8Ic