2018 albums of the year

2018 has been a good year for music, I've probably listened to more than ever - thanks to falling for Spotify (I know, I know!!!), lots of traveling with work and generally just making more time to stick my headphones and get lost in an album, or trawling through Spotify to discover new music.

And Nothing Hurts by Spiritualized probably wins the title of my favourite album of 2018. Jason Pierce's ability to find a melody, to layer sounds, to let things flow ... is sublime. Rumours are that it might be his last. Everything about it is beautiful - playing, production, feel, artwork and packaging.

Elsewhere I fell for 2 Australian artists; Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are a 5-piece playing with urgency, passion and raw energy, while Courtney Barnett is uniquely brilliant, sounding like she is lost in her own little world while viewing ours.

The Orielles are a young band that released their debut on Heavenly Recordings, Gruff Rhys continues to melt my heart with his beautiful voice, Robyn has produced another wonderful LP with real depth to it, my sister Carla has had an exceptional year and is developing at a fast rate of knots, while Primal Scream have dug what may prove to be a career defining album out of the back of guitarist Andrew Innes' cupboard!

So here are 14 songs from 14 albums I've enjoyed through 2018. I hope you enjoy this podcast.


A Perfect Miracle - Spiritualized from the album And Nothing Hurts
Talking Straight - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever from the album Hope Downs
Need A Little Time - Courtney Barnett from the album Tell Me How You Really Feel
Dreamers On The Run - Carla J Easton from the album Impossible Stuff
Selfies In The Sunset - Gruff Rhys and Lily Cole from the album Babelsberg
Ever Again - Robyn from the album Honey
Blue Flowers - L Space from the album Kipple Arcadia
Let Your Dog Tooth Grow - The Orielles from the album Silver Dollar Moment
Heatwave - Snail Mail from the album Lush
Big Jet Plane - Primal Scream from the album The Original Memphis Recordings
Love You So Bad - Ezra Furman from the album Transangelic Exodus
Loving You - Starry Skies from the album Be Kind
And Then There's You - Bill Ryder-Jones from the album Yawn
Lake Zurich - Gorillaz from the album The Now Now

Hope Downs

I can't remember where I first read about Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, but whatever I read struck a nerve and I thought I had to check them out. I'm glad I did. The 5-piece from Australia have created a gem of a debut album in the shape of Hope Downs.

The rhythm section is exceptionally tight throughout, allowing two electric guitars to chime and scream, all underpinned by an acoustic.

There is an urgent energy and natural flow to the songs and the album. Air Conditioned Man blitzes by and Talking Straight has a similar drive to it before exploding gloriously into the chorus.

Unless my well worn ears are mistaken, Hope Downs is the sound of a band on the up. They have captured something in a brilliant way and the whole album has a great vibrant feel to it. It is one of my favourite of 2018 and I find myself returning to it regularly.

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are touring extensively and come to Europe in October. No Glasgow (or indeed Scotland) date has been announced yet. Here's hoping!

Never Ending Mixtape Part 26

Welcome to the 26th blog rounding up the latest additions to my Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify.

We have new music from Glasgow band Cloth with their shimmering reverby guitars and dreamy vocals, the band have only played 3 gigs but have already attracted the attention of Steve Lamaq and deservedly so. Snail Mail's Lush album is a beauty (see previous blog), we have a couple of classics from The Vaselines, some superb lofi pop from Go-Kart Mozart, a guitar punk pop gem from Frank Black, Courtney Barnett is still on regular rotation, the Gorillaz are back and as always offer some magical moments and I also include one of their early efforts in the form of a sublime slice of sunshine remix, it doesn't get much better than the trio of Bunnymen songs added, we have a couple of 70's era McCartney numbers and one from Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - a blog on their album is coming soon. Oh and check out Iggy Pop with Underworld!

The Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify is heading towards 700 songs. Scroll down to the end to play the latest additions, or simply press shuffle and enjoy.

Head to Spotify and search for Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape or CLICK HERE


Demo Love - Cloth
Pristine - Snail Mail
Wide Awake - Parquet Courts
Headache - Frank Black
I Could Be Happy - Altered Images
Son Of A Gun - The Vaselines
Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam - The Vaselines
Paradise Circus - Hope Sandoval

A New World - Go-Kart Mozart
Electric Rock n Roll - Go-Kart Mozart
City Looks Pretty - Courtney Barnett
Lake Zurich - Gorillaz
19-2000 (Soulchild remix) - Gorillaz
Sometimes - Gerry Cinnamon
Ocean Rain - Echo and the Bunnymen
Crystal Days - Echo and the Bunnymen
The Killing Moon - Echo and the Bunnymen
Love Is Strange - Wings
Sunshine Sometimes (earliest mix/demo) - Paul McCartney

I'll See Big - Underworld and Iggy Pop
Les héros de Barbes - Juniore
Our House - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Mainland - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever