Recent and Decent #58

Feat. Tunng, WOOZE, Y...

We’re back to the usual affair this week. Last week, I made my Recent and Decent playlist themed after my article on the inclusive power of music. But I’m not theming my playlists every week… This week it’s only half themed…

To celebrate the Pagan turn of the wheel, Imbolc, when we move past the halfway point between Yule (Winter Solstice - the shortest day of the year) and Ostara (the Spring Equinox - where there’s loads of flowers and rabbits and shit), I’ve scattered in a few Pagan-y, folky, nature-y songs.

WARNING: because I’ve mixed up genres quite a lot, my descriptions read like I’ve been on something not entirely legal. But I can assure you, the only drug I need is music.

Recent and Decent Playlist

As always, here are 7 songs, included only if they’re recent and only if they’re good. If they’re shit, they can go and do one.

You might also notice that, in the descriptions, I’ve moved over to writing the band name first, followed by the song title. Obviously that’s better than song title first. What the hell was I thinking last year? Song title first?! What a maniac.

• Tunng - Didn’t Know Why

  • Tunng are just masters of production. They create sounds that are so beautiful and evocative. I love their music and this album is exquisite. I honestly could have chosen so many songs from it but arbitrarily went with this one because sometimes you just have to make a fucking decision, you know?

• Sun Sun And The Blue Blue - Fishy

  • Call me a rule-breaker if you will, a maverick even. The album from which this song comes from came out in January last year, despite all previous playlists sharing music under 1 year old. But it’s good to occasionally flirt with rules. Especially when the band is this good. They’re interesting, quirky, and whilst some sounds will have you scrabbling around in the dark touching up sharp edges and random unknown features, it’s not long before you place your hands on little bits of gold.

• Black Ends - Red Worry

  • I’ve revisited last year’s album this week and this is probably my favourite song of the lot. Flat grunge with spiky pop elements. Dark and cool, smooth and aggressive. Like heading into a cave, with the prospect of a horny werewolf waiting in the abyss.

• Peel Dream Magazine - Lie in the Gutter

  • Avant-Pop from L.A, understated and groovy, hypnotic and sensual. Perfect for when the sun rises to thaw away last night’s frost only to warm up the ground, ready for the snowdrops to bloom and for the people to rejoice.

• WOOZE - Fantastic Fever

  • Yes, there are some big 80s sounds on here, complete with Bowie-style vocals and whomping glam-rock riffs. But it’s produced in a way that has given it a very present-day feel to it. An 80s/20s compound, slapped on some sourdough and served by Gene Simmons on acid.

• Mandrake Handshake - The Change and the Changing

  • Back to some enigmatic folk-psych music again that will have you reaching for the herbal tea. There’s about 10 band members I think and you can hear that communal gelling happening all over the record.

• Y- Why

  • I saw these guys in the week and I reckon they’re going places. Their sound is so raucous and thrilling and the saxophone so prominent and joyous, that it’s almost impossible not to crack a smile, even on those hardened, wintry faces.

Recent and Decent Live Music Video

Thanks to my wife

Adele Bull

for forwarding me this! I love James Blake performing at a piano in a big hall. He’s seems to be moving away from his original style, with heavy electronics and auto-tuning, to beautiful piano and stunning singing. He did it with Say What You Will and here he is again doing it with Like The End. I would have shared this in last week’s political playlist if only I had known about it then!

Sign off

It’s been a busy week so I’ve got lots to share with you in my January gigs round-up, which I’ll post tomorrow. Off to see Hayden Thorpe on Tuesday, which I’m excited by. Other than that, I’ll just be pottering and pootering along. Catch you all next week.

Anyone got any music-related plans? A new band you want to listen to? A gig? Do share!