A year in music: six random things
In previous years I’ve managed eight vaguely interesting* categories for this end-of-year blog, the only (anti-)list that really matters. This year I’m down to a pathetic six. Maybe 2022 was an especially uneventful year for me music-wise, or maybe I’m just running out of ideas? (Probably both). Anyway, here are six random things that stand out in my year in music …
(*Or, maybe not).
Most irritating technology upgrade
Having migrated my monthly podcasts from Podomatic to Mixcloud last year, this year I even more firmly hitched my wagon (for good or ill) to Mixcloud after they basically said start paying now or we’re going to limit your uploads. Yes, it was the dreaded “Go Pro, or Go Away” warning. Fool that I am, I quite like Mixcloud so I’ve stumped up the yearly fee. Groan. Now I’m a "Pro" but I'm going to get fleeced as the years go by and my stuff builds up on their precious platform. The cost of music, eh?
Having migrated my monthly podcasts from Podomatic to Mixcloud last year, this year I even more firmly hitched my wagon (for good or ill) to Mixcloud after they basically said start paying now or we’re going to limit your uploads. Yes, it was the dreaded “Go Pro, or Go Away” warning. Fool that I am, I quite like Mixcloud so I’ve stumped up the yearly fee. Groan. Now I’m a "Pro" but I'm going to get fleeced as the years go by and my stuff builds up on their precious platform. The cost of music, eh?
Best use of music in a film watched
No doubt there’s been a ton of interesting music in the films I’ve ploughed through this year, but one that stands out because, er, I watched the film yesterday and so I can still remember it, is the Pogues’ The Auld Triangle which pops up near the end of Alessandro Comodin’s pleasingly obscure Happy Times Will Soon Come. I must admit the Pogues aren’t a band I’ve ever actually liked, but here their slightly startling appearance in this mysterious Italian film is fresh and genuinely good.
No doubt there’s been a ton of interesting music in the films I’ve ploughed through this year, but one that stands out because, er, I watched the film yesterday and so I can still remember it, is the Pogues’ The Auld Triangle which pops up near the end of Alessandro Comodin’s pleasingly obscure Happy Times Will Soon Come. I must admit the Pogues aren’t a band I’ve ever actually liked, but here their slightly startling appearance in this mysterious Italian film is fresh and genuinely good.
A loaded gun won't set you free: Erikas Sizonovas in Happy Times Will Soon Come
Most interesting/daunting find in the street
In previous years this category has included various music books, a vintage turntable, speakers, CDs and numerous other music-related odds and sods. Yeah, people, do please keep throwing good stuff out - preferably in a street near me. This year I reckon the stand-out find was the 60-plus TDK C90 tapes dumped in the street (just thrown very haphazardly into a couple of damp cardboard boxes) about 100 metres from my flat in east London. Yep, chucked out with miscellaneous household junk. Decent TDK tapes! Anyway, based on my limited sampling, they appear to be hours and hours of homemade grime/rap tapes (blog here). Months after hauling them back to my flat, I’ve yet to listen to more than about four of them (no time/too much going on, man). As I say, daunting.
In previous years this category has included various music books, a vintage turntable, speakers, CDs and numerous other music-related odds and sods. Yeah, people, do please keep throwing good stuff out - preferably in a street near me. This year I reckon the stand-out find was the 60-plus TDK C90 tapes dumped in the street (just thrown very haphazardly into a couple of damp cardboard boxes) about 100 metres from my flat in east London. Yep, chucked out with miscellaneous household junk. Decent TDK tapes! Anyway, based on my limited sampling, they appear to be hours and hours of homemade grime/rap tapes (blog here). Months after hauling them back to my flat, I’ve yet to listen to more than about four of them (no time/too much going on, man). As I say, daunting.
The grime tapes
Best/worst music-related social media account followed
This has to be @WETPRINCETHROAT and his peerless IMMUNESYSTEMBLUES tweets. According to him, most people in the music industry are “posh cunts” pretending to be cool. He’s probably right. Funnier than most people who tweet (semi-threateningly) about music, I’ve decided that if I ever meet him in a pub I’ll agree with everything he says, buy him drinks and leave discretely when he’s haranguing some hapless posho trying to get served at the bar. Peace, WETPRINCETHROAT!
Stuff I've enjoyed listening to (in no particular order)
Party’s Dozen, Fat Hans Has Gone Mad
Jakob Boeskov/Timothy DeWitt/Matthew Morandi, Computer Eyes
Haus Wife, Alune
All Girls Arson Club, Ryan
Motocaster, The Buddah
Sanchez & Walz, Perfect Steel
Miltown, Respect For Authorities
Budokan Boys, Sleeping Doggies
Big Break, The Gaffer
The Dears, Summer Of Protest
Big Dipper, The Dog House
Etran De L'Aïr, Toubouk Ine Chihoussay
Zapain, Big Pharma
This has to be @WETPRINCETHROAT and his peerless IMMUNESYSTEMBLUES tweets. According to him, most people in the music industry are “posh cunts” pretending to be cool. He’s probably right. Funnier than most people who tweet (semi-threateningly) about music, I’ve decided that if I ever meet him in a pub I’ll agree with everything he says, buy him drinks and leave discretely when he’s haranguing some hapless posho trying to get served at the bar. Peace, WETPRINCETHROAT!
Stuff I've enjoyed listening to (in no particular order)
Party’s Dozen, Fat Hans Has Gone Mad
Jakob Boeskov/Timothy DeWitt/Matthew Morandi, Computer Eyes
Haus Wife, Alune
All Girls Arson Club, Ryan
Motocaster, The Buddah
Sanchez & Walz, Perfect Steel
Miltown, Respect For Authorities
Budokan Boys, Sleeping Doggies
Big Break, The Gaffer
The Dears, Summer Of Protest
Big Dipper, The Dog House
Etran De L'Aïr, Toubouk Ine Chihoussay
Zapain, Big Pharma
Felt, The Stagnant Pool
Pladür, Torreznos
Thee Mightees, Glimmer
Kleine, Cave In The Wind
Island Of Love, Promo Tape
Mouthparts, Fake Meat
Pound Land, Can’t Be Arsed
Slacks, Waste Of Time
Pete Um, Twilight Jubilee
Freak Genes, Power Station
Piss Kinks, A Tisket A Tasket
Jeuce, introJEUCEing
Knice, Cornershop Spud Gun
Get The Fuck Outta Dodge, These Songs Aren’t Ours
Total Sham, Life As A Total Sham
Pladür, Torreznos
Thee Mightees, Glimmer
Kleine, Cave In The Wind
Island Of Love, Promo Tape
Mouthparts, Fake Meat
Pound Land, Can’t Be Arsed
Slacks, Waste Of Time
Pete Um, Twilight Jubilee
Freak Genes, Power Station
Piss Kinks, A Tisket A Tasket
Jeuce, introJEUCEing
Knice, Cornershop Spud Gun
Get The Fuck Outta Dodge, These Songs Aren’t Ours
Total Sham, Life As A Total Sham
And various sounds from: Rhinestone Pickup Truck, Leather.head, The Lotts, High Sunn, Liiek, The Tubs, Holiday Ghosts, Liquids, Fats Waller and Jean-Marie Leclair; plus artists on Fried Plum, Haord, Off Me Nut and Sahel Sounds record labels. Also, I enjoyed Henry Scott-Irvine’s podcast interview with the legendary Danny Fields, Heads On Sticks’ podcast episode on Cabo Boing!, and Spongebob Squarewave’s Balter Festival 2020 Mega-Stream video.
Thee Mightees: making it onto the coveted Niluccio on noise 'stuff I've enjoyed listening to' list
Best encounter with a real-life rock star
Obviously I don’t have encounters with rock stars, real-life ones or any other kind, but briefly chatting to Lawrence (of Felt non-fame) last month was kind of interesting. And as it’s now the second time I’ve talked books with the grand wizard of darkly-poetic 80s indie-pop, I’m duly announcing this great event (or possibly the two combined) as the winner in this category. Cheers, Lawrence!
And here, I think - before things deteriorate any further - is where we should draw proceedings to an end. Check out my 20 best gigs blog for a few non-random thoughts on music during 2022. Bye ...
Comments
Post a Comment