Can I Play With Madness - Iron Maiden

How can I have made it to 56 without knowing that Monty Python's Graeme Chapman played the teacher in this epically 80s video? 

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - Rick Astley & Blossoms

Talk of a lost generation (or more likely generations) of young people in this country (and probably every country) who can't find work made me recall this unexpected but bizarrely brilliant hook up between Rick Astley and Blossoms from 2023's Glasto. 

Like Rick and the boys I've been lucky enough to be gainfully employed for pretty much all of my life but heaven knows what the poor sods in their teens and 20s are going to do for a living in a future stuffed full of AI, driverless vehicles, drone deliveries, robots and a population that's too lazy or scared to ever go out again for fear of getting raped or stabbed in the head (and quite possibly both) by an 11 year old looking for Tik Tok content and who won't even get a slap on the fricking wrist if he's ever caught.  

the van - Bleachers

Been hearing this track a lot on 6 Music recently. It's a new one but it sounds like it's been around for decades, thanks to that Philly soul vibe in the background together with the odd nod to classic era Springsteen. 

Sunshine Day - Osibisa

After a colder than average May in the UK it looks as though we might actually see a little sun over the bank holiday weekend. So what better tune to usher it in than Osibisa's classic Sunshine Day. 

Tekila Bum Bum - Montefiori Cocktail

Another random track from another random CD pick up (a cheapo compilation album called Electric Grooves). This one's the kind of hidden gem that Tarantino would pluck from obscurity...but I beat him to it. If he sends me $1million I'll keep my trap shut though. How about it Q? 

Good News - Mari Wilson

I have a soft spot for Mari Wilson after making her classic Just What I Always Wanted single (a top 10 smash back in 1982) one of my first proper record purchases. At a sprightly 71 the Neasden Queen of Soul's back with a brand new album that nods back to that time and this track's the first taster. 

PS: For anyone who hasn't heard Just What I Always Wanted here it is...ahhhh...the memories...

Redeemer - Yard Act

Yard Act take a deliciously darker turn with new track Redeemer, suitably reflective of the state of the world right now. 

Wombie Zombie - Billy Taylor

Another CD pick up from the weekend, Rockabilly From Hell, a 2CD compilation from Not Now Music who put out a seemingly never ending flood of often relatively obscure stuff like this. One for all the rockabilly zombies out there.  

Sunday Girl - Florrie

Amongst the bundle of CDs I picked up over the weekend was a copy of Florrie's bouncy cover of Sunday Girl. As some of the comments on You Tube have noted it's a mystery why she wasn't a bigger hit, but there's nowt as queer as folk eh? Florrie for PM, that's what I say. 

Loose Fit (The Grid Remix) - Happy Mondays

Listened to Happy Mondays Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches last night (on CD of course) and came across this remix today from The Grid which expands one of the album's highlights into a spacier almost 8 minute groove. One for the Bez-heads. 

Spinning Wheel - Blood, Sweat and Tears

Spinning forward 30 years from the last post here's another recent CD related purchase, Blood, Sweat and Tears seminal (as if there weren't enough bodily fluids flying around) Spinning Wheel, which seems kind of appropriate for the state of the world right now. 

Big Butter and Egg Man - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtime Band

Picked up a load of old jazz CDs this week including a Muggsy Spanier compilation. Listen to the piano break around a minute in and you can hear the early stirrings of rock n roll and later in the track 'ol Muggsy (I'm assuming it's him) gets particularly excited. And all this waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1939. Apparently Muggsy was rather familiar with the mobsters that were around in Chicago at that time, most of whom loved jazz including, presumably, a certain Al Capone, which probably explains why Muggsy's band were so shit hot. Ahem. 

Managing Mula - Springbok Nude Girls

Picked up another great pile of random CDs from our recent Bristol trip includes a brace from Springbok Nude Girls, a South African alt rock band from the '90s who seem to have been a big thing over there for a while. Perhaps uniquely this track fuses jazz trumpet, grunge and a bit of a Red Hot Chili Peppers rap rock vibe. 

Tyler Boardgame / Truman Sinclair @ The Fleece, Bristol – Sunday April 26th 2026

 

First time at The Fleece in Bristol, a pretty legendary gig venue by all accounts, and it has that nicely lived in feel of a place that’s seen more than its fair share of blood, sweat, beers and, quite possibly, many other fluids over the years.

Despite being a young ‘un (hell, most people are young un’s compared to me these days) opening act, Truman Sinclair’s clearly experienced his fair share of life’s ups and downs too, all documented in a fine selection of songs sung with the kind of passion and feel that would send AI into a meltdown if it tried to recreate it. A Dylan for the 21^st Century? Could be…

Tyler Boardgame’s rise continues and tonight’s show sold out months ago with a bigger tour and a return to Brizzle already in place for later this year. With a voice like Presley, Orbison and Nilsson’s lovechild Tyler and band delivered the kind of spotlessly polished set that you’d expect from a collective on its 21^st anniversary tour. The hits (well, they deserved to be hits in my book) hit all the feels (as those young ‘un’s might put it) but the highlight for me was an inspired ‘where the hell did that come from?!’ cover of Can’s Vitamin C, which perhaps points to a slightly more experimental direction for Boardgame’s next move.  

Out Come The Freaks - Soft Cell

Somehow I missed this when it popped up on You Tube last month, Soft Cell covering Was Not Was with added Nona Hendryx from their very last album (RIP Dave Ball), Danceteria. From the sounds of this Cell's swansong sees a bit of a return to the Non Stop Erotic Cabaret era (quite possibly one of my favourite albums of all time). Awesome stuff, just a shame Dave won't be here to see how well it goes down. 

Going Shopping - The Strokes

Autotune-tastic new track from The Strokes. Can it really be 25 years since Is This It was released? Good grief. 

Inner City Blues - Sarah Vaughan

Happily, in amongst the many Susan Boyle CDs, I found some cracking albums over the weekend including a 'best of' Mainstream Jazz album which features this rather fabulous version of Marvin Gaye's Inner City Blues by Sarah Vaughan. Amazingly you can pick up a copy for less than three quid at the moment on eBay (Highstream - The Best Of Mainstream Jazz (CD, 1990) | eBay UK). A bargain at five times the price... 

Happy Birthday Luther

He may have gone to that great gig in the sky almost 21 years ago but, had he lived, today would have Luther Vandross's 75th birthday so let's have a little live version of Never Too Much from 1987. 

 

LPs - Jeffrey Lewis (Live)

It's Record Store Day this weekend, a great time for the independent shops of course, but I'm with Jeffrey Lewis these days...it's CDs all the way for me. Just like Jeff I bought shedloads of vinyl back in the 90s when everyone was switching over to CDs. Now, with regular vinyl and Record Store Day releases costing anything from £10+ for a single to goodness knows how much for an album, I'm buying shedloads of CDs. I've banged on about the growing collectability of CDs for years now but there are still bargains to be had out there if you're willing to hunt through several thousand Robbie Williams and Susan Boyle CDs. Hours of fun! 

Devil's Answer - Atomic Rooster

Listened to a disc from a 3 CD 70's rock comp I bought recently last night and this was one of the 'pick of the pops', a particularly groovy slice of prog rock from the equally groovily named Atomic Rooster.