#ArtistFaveAlbumTrax Post Punk Edition (78-81) Track 6: Playground Twist Siouxsie And The Bsnshees (From Join Hands, 1979) I had originally planned to use Jigsaw Feeling as track 2 but had to adjust my playlist. Playground Twist is a more than adequate replacement. youtu.be/kyZ0-FtNvf4

#JackNicholsong 6 Andy Warhol | David Bowie | 1971 Today’s connection is The Sisters Of Mercy main man Andrew Eldritch once interviewed David Bowie for the German edition of Rolling Stone magazine. Apparently Mr Warhol (as in holes) wasn’t too keen on this song. youtu.be/n--Ro4-hNbo

#ElectronicTunes 6 Triangles | Pinkshinyultrablast | 2018 Russian shoegazers Pinkshinyultrablast released three terrific albums in the 2010s. By the time of their third (Miserable Miracles) they were mostly electronic in sound. Triangles is my pick from said album. youtu.be/O7fS7LNcIZ8

#DavidsMonthOfMusic 6 A Cover Version By A Band With A 2 Word Name Ms Jackson | The Vines | 2002 A rather melancholic (but brilliant) cover of the OutKast classic. I’m not really a fan of covers on the whole but of the few I do like, this one is right up there. youtu.be/UeudBvcULkk

Released 41 years ago today, Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. I vividly remember seeing this on the Wogan show the day it was released. I was totally captivated by her performance (and the song) and purchased it the day after. It’s been a constant in my life ever since. youtu.be/-5Y52Gx2A4w?...

#ArtistFaveAlbumTrax Post Punk Edition (78-81) Track 5: Careering | Public Image Ltd. (From Metal Box, 1979) I know Public Image (the song) is a track 5 too but there was no way I could leave out the sinister and menacing sounds of Metal Box’s Careering. youtu.be/8L_z-Qaaero

#ElectronicTunes 5 Surrender | La Rissa | 2026 Surrender is the fourth track released by Bradford’s La Rissa. Lyrics, “I wanted to knock your fucking lights out, And I will chew you up, And spit you out of my mouth” are hardly radio friendly. Great track though. youtu.be/S89mH224UHA

#JackNicholsong 5 Alice | The Sisters Of Mercy | 1982 From The Mission to The Sisters Of Mercy. Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams from The Mission were both once in The Sisters Of Mercy (but Hussey wasn’t when Alice was recorded). youtu.be/-GwWra1sQgo

#DavidsMonthOfMusic 5 A Song From The 1990s With A Colour In The Title Blue Room | The Orb | 1992 Clocking in at just under 40 minutes long, Blue Room is the longest (in terms of length) charting single in the UK charts, reaching number 8 in 1992. Here’s the edited version. youtu.be/j-8zSDIp4rg

#ElectronicTunes 4 Die Young | Sylvan Esso | 2017 One of my most played tunes of 2017. youtu.be/h-_NNIX8cDA

#DavidsMonthOfMusic 4 The First Song On An Album From The 2000s Wake Me When It’s Over | Longwave From The Strangest Things (2003) As far as I’m concerned there is nothing finer (or better) than this one but then you knew that already. 🖤 youtu.be/3D1llKJaL3g

#JackNicholsong 4 Severina | The Mission | 1986 From Patti Smith to The Mission (who covered Patti Smith’s Dancing Barefoot). Here’s Severina from their album Gods Own Medicine. youtu.be/cEbrziO-pxo

#ArtistFaveAlbumTrax Post Punk Edition (78-81) Track 4: This Fear Of Gods | Simple Minds (From Empires & Dance, 1980) Behemoth, monolithic etc, etc. The rhythmical juggernaut that is This Fear Of Gods is a beast of a tune. SM at the top of their game. youtu.be/hdFbVklPTjE

#ArtistFaveAlbumTrax Post Punk Edition (78-81) Track 3: Over The Wall | Echo & The Bunnymen (From Heaven Up Here, 1981) I love The Bunnymen’s first five albums but my default setting is always Heaven Up Here and in particular Over The Wall. A phenomenal track. youtu.be/daUDqtWerUg

#ElectronicTunes 3 This Can’t Be Happening | Lloyd Cole | 2023 Track six on Lloyd’s most recent album (2023’s On Pain). It’s a far cry from the sound of Perfect Skin but I love this and his electronic transition just the same. youtu.be/5Qva8RBHo4s

#DavidsMonthOfMusic 3 A Song With A Name In The Title By A Solo Artist A Perfect Day Elise | PJ Harvey | 1998 Couldn’t fit this one into my #JackNicolsong list so it’s found a home here. youtu.be/D3tD9EPOEik

#JackNicholsong 3 Frederick | Patti Smith Group | 1979 From The Smiths to um, the Smiths (Patti and Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith) and the wonderful Frederick. youtu.be/a-befOtn9GQ

#NewAddition 🐾

#ArtistFaveAlbumTrax Post Punk Edition (78-81) Track 2: Are ‘Friends’ Electric? | Tubeway Army (From Replicas, 1979) There are classics and then there are real classics. The first of two number one singles from Mr Numan in 1979. It still sounds fantastic today. youtu.be/1snv-0jCiWY

#ElectronicTunes 2 I’m In Love | Mercy Girl | 2025 Scotland’s Mercy Girl have only released six songs so far but I’ve yet to hear a track I don’t like. This was their second single and a perfect example of their dark wave sound. Debut single Heaven is a beauty too. youtu.be/8LoJOWWMn2k

#JackNicholsong 2 Jeane | The Smiths | 1993 Yesterday’s choice (Billy Bragg) covered this track but the original Troy Tate produced b-side of This Charming Man can’t be beaten. youtu.be/csn0e27Wp54

#DavidsMonthOfMusic 2 A Song From The 1980s With An Animal In The Title Shock The Monkey | Peter Gabriel | 1982 The first single taken from PG’s fourth solo album Peter Gabriel (Security). youtu.be/BLJGuC5nxzE

#ElectronicTunes 1 lemonline | Purity Ring | 2026 Starting with a track from April this year and another slice of pure melodic goodness from Purity Ring. Those gorgeous melodies are just wonderful. youtu.be/2k9ENgHK-cY

#ArtistFaveAlbumTrax Post Punk Edition (78-81) Track 1: Quiet Life | Japan (From Quiet Life, 1980) The opening track and title track on Japan’s magnificent career mid-point album kicks off proceedings. Perhaps more New Wave in style but it still fits the criteria nicely. youtu.be/VFFRyLyE7BI

#JackNicholsong 1 Levi Stubbs’ Tears | Billy Bragg | 1986 “When the world falls apart, some things stay in place”. A bleak and sad tale but the ending with the flugelhorn (?) solo is as melodic and heartbreaking as it gets. youtu.be/423ghmJgIYQ

#DavidsMonthOfMusic 1 A Favourite Acoustic Song Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want The Smiths | 1984 Track sixteen on the majestic collection Hatful Of Hollow. As acoustic songs go, there aren’t many finer. A true heartbreaker and then some. Simply beautiful. youtu.be/w3qPMe_cCJk

#TheCureFriday Want | 1996 If there’s one act who know how to open (and close) an album, it’s The Cure. Wild Mood Swings is a patchy affair, I love the singles and a few other tracks but opener Want is the one I return to the most. youtu.be/918fVOn3GLI

#DavidsMonthOfMusic 31 With Who, What, Where Or When In The Title When Love Breaks Down | Prefab Sprout | 1985 Track three on one of the greatest three song runs on any album. In case you didn’t know, Bonny and Appetite are the other two. youtu.be/jD0LrnM269g

#ShareAnAlbumCover 30 That Is Your Favourite Cover Ever Mezzanine | Massive Attack | 1998 Selected Track: Angel If ever an image summed up the dark and menacing music contained within, it’s this one. An artistic triumph in every possible way. youtu.be/66A_3uwuZ_I

#DavidsMonthOfMusic 30 ***Free Choice Day*** Emo Song | The Haunted Youth | 2026 Hands down my favourite new discovery, album and song of the year so far. youtu.be/FOgv916uQQI