Sunday 16 August 2020

Chop’s Journal - 16 Aug 2020

A change of tack. I’ve finally caught up with posts and I think I’m going to drop some of the sections as they don’t add a huge amount to each week and just contribute to me not posting more regularly. I like the idea of keeping this going but so far it’s not really encouraged me to write. 


If you miss the Song of the Week or Music I’m Enjoying sections you’ll find both on my Twitter at the following hashtags;

  • #SOTW every Friday morning
  • #chopsfm every Sunday lunch 


That means this week is particularly light on content as I extended Week E of ChopsA2Z and didn’t do a Top 5 topic. Got a few things coming up with my boys that mean things may be quiet for a while too but hopefully I’ll get back in the swing by early September. 


We did make a visit to the local Pick Your Own farm ostensibly to see the sunflowers but after a week of, much needed, rain they weren’t looking so good. Mrs T5 did take this awesome picture of a bee though. 




I also shared a bunch of music I’ve bought over lockdown. The steady stream of new (and old) music & new t-shirts over the last few months have brought a little slice of joy with each arrival. 




Sunday 9 August 2020

Chop’s Journal - 9 Aug 2020

Fulham won the Championship Playoff final though so that was nice. Having lost twice to Brentford in the regular season, and finished one place & one point behind them in the league things were all set for a fairy tale return to top flight football for the Bees that would coincide with the opening of their new stadium. 


In the end Fulham’s manager, Scott Parker, deployed a clever tactical approach that nullified the threat of Brentford and an unlikely double from our left back gave us the win. It’s been a long strange season but that was a pretty spectacularly way to end it. 





New SOTW


Whole New Mess - Angel Olsen


https://open.spotify.com/track/5XRfIAdgYxZ3jLiqxSZnRj?si=7GMI0hWNQdW3TlElzh1QfQ


Music I’m enjoying


Listened to a lot this week. I love the debut Billy Nomates album, I’m still digging Damaged Bug & the latest release from Natalie Duncan was well crafted soothing jazz that helped me get through a mentally tough week. 





Chop’s A2Z - Week 5: E


‪Week 5 of #chopsA2Z requested suggestIons for a favourite album by a band or artist beginning with E and explain why I should listen to it. 


Albums I’d not heard before


1: Brian Eno “Here Comes The Warm Jets” @caroline_binnie - An astonishing album, I’m two listens in & there’s so much inventiveness to take in. One of those classic albums I can’t explain not listening to earlier but it’s a firm favourite now #chopsA2Z


‪2: Eddy Current Suppression Ring “Primary Colours” @WillieMcAlpine @GreeneDermot67 - I’d heard a the latest album by ECSR & loved it but not dipped my toe any further until I played this and boy it’s great. Long too but doesn’t outstay it’s welcome, prime garage punk #chopsA2Z‬


3: Ella Guru “The First Album” @TobiasCotton - Vague memories of this band from 2004 & the internet suggests I might have seen them support someone back then. It’s a lovely blend of Americana & indie pop with well matched male & female vocals & lovely instrumentation #chopsA2Z


4: ‪Elizabeth Cotten “Live!” @behappydadda - An astonishing live document of Elizabeth playing songs from her career at 85. She has some wonderful between song chat too. Definitely going to check out her studio recordings #chopsA2Z ‬


Albums I already own

  1. Ezra Furman - Day of the Dog @mjgelder
  2. Elastica - Elastica @elhozzo
  3. Electric Soft Parade - Holes in the Wall @spooner_daniel
  4. Elbow - Asleep in the Back @jnlangton & @soapboxjury

‪The Elastica album took 47% of the vote and still sounds brilliant. It’s one of the few britpop era albums I still listen too which is no doubt partly due to the significant Wire influence. I still think it’s an album that stands on its own merits too. 


‪Of the four albums Ezra Furman’s Day of the Dog is my personal favourite. That album was my entry point for Ezra and is still probably my favourite of his album’s. 


Holes in the Wall is great, though I never clicked with ESP as much as I thought I should. Interestingly I really love their latest album, Stages. 


I’ve not listened to Elbow’s debut for ages and there are some gorgeous tunes on there even if as a whole I’m less keen. 


Perfect Sounds pick:


I might have forgotten to mention my pick from James Acaster’s @perfectsoundpod pick for E week. I went with Esperanza Spalding’s album Emily’s D+Evolution which is a concept album that falls at the R&B end of contemporary Jazz with hints of Prog which I loved.


The full list of nominations:


🔺East India Youth - Culture of Volume @domsg 

▪️E-Z Rollers - Dimensions of Sound @aldousleary

▪️Echobelly - People Are Expensive @sulaviedilejo 

▪️Explosions in the Sky - The Wilderness @nomorefin 

🔺Earl Brutus - Tonight You Are The Special One @sharkastic 

🌀Ezra Furman - Day of the Dog @mjgelder

▪️Efterklang - Parades @darrenmjones

🔺Efterklang - Piramida @vicaviber 

▪️Eleventh Day Dream - Ursa Major @bodlingboy 

🌀Elastica - Elastica @elhozzo

🔺Elastica - The Menace @preservation76 

🔺Everything But The Girl - Eden ‪@ApostateHymnals ‬

▪️Editors - The Back Room @drums_wires 

▪️Electrelane - No Shouts, No Calls @darrell_clem 

🔺Elephant Micah - Where in our Woods @sippyslicker 

▪️Everything Everything - Arc @ambnorwich 

▪️East River Pipe - Goodbye California @realruskus & @slowthrills 

▪️Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster - Horse of the Dog @bod_ball 

▪️Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster - The Royal Society @pablooplywiss

▪️Carla J Easton - Impossible Stuff @allan_milligan & @alanmuttley1066 

🔺Brian Eno - Here Comes The Warm Jets @carolinebinnie

🔺Electric Prunes - Underground @durutti74 

▪️El Goodo - El Goodo @ineeddirection

🔺The Empty Page - Unfolding @glpne73

▪️Eugenius - Mary Queen of Scots @lokessimon 

▪️Eugenius - Oomalama @eveshambaggy

▪️Easy - Magic Seed @d_grayer 

▪️Anderson East - Encore @thelovelyilgwu 

▪️Erasure - The Innocents @tbragsdale 

▪️Ed Harcourt - Here Be Monsters @tmulraney 

🔺Ella Guru - The First Album @tobiascotton & @grizzlybeard

▪️Everlast - Whitey Ford Sings The Blues @jakepalmer04

▪️Eccentronic Research Council - Eccentronic Research Council @gigticket 

🔺Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary Colours @greenedermot67 & @williemcalpine 

▪️Edan - Beauty & the Beat @themightychew 

▪️Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Imperial Bedroom @girlshirl1 

▪️Eg & Alice - 24 Years of Hunger ‪@jjvwaardenberg ‬

🌀Electric Soft Parade - Holes in the Wall @spooner_daniel

▪️Marc Eric - Midsummer’s Day Dream @agarr45 

▪️Eleventh Day Dream - El Moodio @stillhonest 

▪️Eagulls - Eagulls @_sandywishart

▪️ESG - Dance to The Best of ESG @davidkbruce 

🔺Elizabeth Cotten - Live! @behappydadda 

🔺Esben & The Witch - A New Nature @pahudson 

▪️Engineers - Engineers @johnnyshoegaze & @brinyhoof

▪️Errors - Come Down With Me @disco_juan 

▪️Easy Star All-Stars - Dub Side of the Moon @adespink 

▪️Ex Hex - Rips @paul_hilton

🌀Elbow - Asleep in the Back @jnlangton & @soapboxjury

▪️Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain @catanddrumsc 

🔺Eton Crop - Peel Sessions 83-88 @theedgeofthesea 

▪️The Egg - Travelator @emdehaney 

▪️East Brunswick All Girls Choir - Teddywaddy @waj1 

🔺Easterhouse - Contenders @johnynocash & @ersehole 

▪️Einstürzende Neubauten - Halber Mensch @davidrogmoore 

▪️Einstürzende Neubauten - Haus der Lüge ‪@ronanmaenardo ‬

▪️Elf Power - In A Cave @drfilth

▪️Earthless - Black Heaven @sipperana

▪️Eat Lights Become Lights - Into Forever @thewilsyboy 

🔺Edsel Auctioneer - Simmer @heeleysteve 

🔺Espers - II ‪@simonwstockdale ‬

▪️ El Perro del Mar - Change of Heart @badgyote 

Sunday 2 August 2020

Chop’s Journal - 2 Aug 2020

Despite my best efforts to resist we’ve done some decorating. Mrs T5 & my youngest painted his room and we had enough paint left over (just) to do our bedroom too. So consecutive weekends freshening up the house felt more productive than we have for a while. 





New SOTW


Trouble - Hen Ogledd


https://open.spotify.com/track/2QnzGRI9D2jnKL65BBRz9S?si=wz6aZO_TS-20s3OVZ-YGMg


Music I’m enjoying


The new Shirley Collins album is good, it’s really just lovely to have her making new music, but this week’s favourite was the long awaited Damaged Bug album of Alan Yonkers covers. 





Book Reading 


Book 9: The Pine Islands by Marion Poschmann (translated by Jen Calleja) 


This was an unusual but enjoyable read. I only read it because the translation from German was by Jen Calleja of the band Sauna Youth. Jen recently completed a year as translator in residence at the British Library so I knew she had an intriguing career outside of music. This book was also nominated for the 2019 Man Booker International prize so I figured it was worth a read. 


It’s quite sparse in its mode of story telling and is largely focused on potential suicide but the use of language is eloquent and I enjoyed reading it. I actually found that it was after I finished the book it really sunk home and I gave myself a couple of days to reflect before moving on the read something new. 





Occasional Top Fives


I’ve been running more often during lockdown & when I do I listen to an old iPod nano that I filled up with compilations to make it as varied as possible. In particular there’s a classic collection of American AOR called American Heartbeat that I loved as a teenager. I couldn’t resist making a top 5 in my head as I ran hence this ...


▪️AOR Songs

  1. Hold The Line - Toto
  2. Heat of the Moment - Asia
  3. More Than A Feeling - Boston
  4. I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner 
  5. Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore - REO Speedwagon 





AOR Playlist:


https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1t4yzpdhwvaBWQjtSYKvfd?si=c3tQCHOlS_KVB51Vh7e7Ow 

Sunday 26 July 2020

Chop’s Journal - 26 Jul 2020

This was an eventful week though, as I mentioned last week, I’m catching up on posts and things are beginning to fade from my memory a little. 


After lord knows how many weeks of me doing the weekly shopping I’ve got into the groove and am generally less stressed by the whole experience. It was a little unexpected then that this would be the week I got into a massive argument with someone in Tesco. I was queuing at the checkouts & things are less regimented than they were a few weeks back but I had an eye on where I expected to go. 


A new cashier jumped on and called me forward to a different till. I spotted this old fella with a basket & tried to point him out but we’re all quite far apart and it’s difficult to make myself heard. She was quite jolly & beckoning me forward, old fella not paying attention either, so I go with it & begin to unload. I have three shops as I’m getting bits for the old folk across from us. Get first on when till manager waves to my cashier to try & get old fella in. That’s fine. I step back and let them through but old fella is being grumbly. 


Then the cashier realises her till is broken & she needs to switch. She explains this & moves over, taking my first shop with her. Old fella is still unloading his basket on what is now the wrong till. She calls him over & it’s this point things get heated. He gets cross & moans at her. Tesco supervisor comes back to assist. Doesn’t help. He gets moaned at too. My first shop is now in the way, 3 Tesco staff are trying to assist & old fella is just being horrible to them so I step in and explain they’re just trying to help him out but that makes him angrier. 


He starts having a go at me for pushing in. I kind of did but not deliberately and I explain that. He just carries on having a go at everyone. I have a go back. The 3rd Tesco cashier suggests moving me to another till and again helps me move my stuff. We leave grumpy fella to his thing and get set up ready to get my stuff paid for. She says thank you for trying to stand up for them. Of course grumpy fella didn’t have much to get through and walks past my new position. He has another go at me at which point I finish loading my shopping on the till before walking up to him & really letting rip. 


This is a few days before masks become mandatory in shops. I’m wearing one. He isn’t. I point this out. I don’t believe in masks he counters. Of course you fucking don’t. Security guard arrives unaware of what has gone on but it’s over and he ends up just walking out with the grumpy git. It’s not a nice feeling to lose your temper in public & I regret it but I hate seeing people who don’t appreciate what folks like shop workers have to do, especially over the last few months. 


Later on that week there was a fire at one of our neighbours. She’s been renovating for years and only moved in recently. We don’t yet know her very well & she was out at work when it happened. Builder had stripped the paint off the front sash window and left for the day. Seems an ember or two had slipped inside the sash housing and caught light. 


My immediate neighbour had clocked this, he’s a decorator by trade and explained afterwards he’s always worried about the risk of stripping back like that. Maybe because he was concerned meant he was on look out but he smelled the smoke first & saw what was going on. As he rang the fire brigade we ran our garden hose round and I started trying to damp down the smoke. Got another hose on it from the other side too but by now it’s billowing smoke. 


Fire brigade turns up within 5 minutes & we bail out the way. They put some proper hoses on it but it still takes half and hour to get it done. They have to rip off part of the housing & smash a window to get in the house. All things considered not that much damage and another neighbour brings them a cuppa when it’s done. 





New SOTW


Dee Dee Ramone - Helen Love


https://open.spotify.com/track/05BN0nqt0hwAz0ysMg5T6p?si=WWSkirSyRmGYVOffrr8FLA 


Music I’m enjoying


The new album from Samantha Crain is a stunner. Possibly her career best. I’ve failed to catch her live yet but did watch a little streamed show she did for Music’s Not Dead to support this release and very much hope to see her for real when we get the chance. 


I’m also enjoying the debut Silverbacks album. I saw them play a free show at The Old Blue Last in January and they were the best band on the bill. 





Chop’s A2Z - Week 4: D


‪Week 4 of #chopsA2Z please suggest a favourite album by a band or artist beginning with D and explain why you think I should listen to it. 


Albums I’d not heard before


1: Tanya Donnelly “Beauty Sleep” @perlalaloca - Absolutely loved this. I’ve got two more listens to go but really looking forward to them. Highlights were The Storm & So Much Song. 


2: Devo “Duty Now For The Future” @citizen_jc - This wasn’t the instant hit I’d expected. They definitely sound like a band I should like but maybe need my full attention and this week I’ve been multi tasking a lot. 


3: Destroyer “Kaputt” @tristanjt - Some interesting songs on here. Another album I think needs further listening for me to really get. I’m not a huge fan of Dan’s voice but maybe that’s just down to expectation again. 


4: Dusty Trails “Dusty Trails” @sulaviedilejo - Sumptuous cinematic vibe that I really enjoyed. Reminded me a little of the Air debut album but also very soundtracky. Some nice brass additions & loads of very cool bass lines. 


Albums I already own


🔹Death in Vegas “The Contino Sessions” @mjgelder

🔹Dark Star “Twenty Twenty Sound” @eveshambaggy

🔹Detroit Cobras “Mink, Rat or Rabbit” @girlshirl1 

🔹Dead Kennedy’s “Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables” @davidrogmoor @pablooplywiss 


Of the albums I own already the Detroit Cobras is my absolute favourite. Full of stomping soul driven garage rock. The DKs a close 2nd with a ferocious album that I still love. DiV & DS felt like they’d aged less well but nice to hear both again. 


Overspill list


🔺Disco Inferno “The 5 EPs” @williemcalpine 

🔺Dory Previn “Dory Previn” @paul_hilton 

🔺Doris Duke “I’m A Loser” @wcboggs 

🔺Dion “Born To Be With You” @sineadmcq

🔺Devandra Banhart “Cripple Crow” @tobiascotton 

🔺 Department of Eagles “In Ear Park” @citizenmeh 

🔺DJ Shadow “Endtroducing” @disco_juan & @factoryjimbo 

🔺Dumb “Club Nites” @SandyWishart


I was actually looking for a way to cut down the albums I listen to but there were too many intriguing suggestions this week for me to ignore. 


Glad I gave this bunch a listen too. Actually pretty much enjoyed every one but Doris Duke, DJ Shadow, Dumb & Department of Eagles were my favourites.


The full list of nominations 

▪️Dandy Warhols “Come Down” @shakastic

▪️Demented Are Go “In Sickness & Health” @dingasurfbunny 

▪️The Doors “The Doors” @pahudson

🔹De La Soul “3 Feet High & Rising” @herealexhere 

▪️Donny Hathaway “Everything is Everything” @danred71 

▪️Delays “Faded Seaside Glamour” @neilc79 

▪️Delta “Slippin’ Out” @sirsidneyp 

▪️The Drums “The Drums” @hertfordsoul 

▪️Iris DeMent “My Life” @darrenmjones

🔹Death in Vegas “The Contino Sessions” @mjgelder

▪️Dead Prez “Let’s Get Free” @emdehaney 

🔹Dark Star “Twenty Twenty Sound” @eveshambaggy

▪️Dale Hawkins “L.A. Memphis & Tyler, Texas” @greatestalbum70 

▪️Dinosaur Jr “Farm” @elhozzo3

▪️Dinosaur Jr “Where You Been?” @ipswichjon 

🔹Detroit Cobras “Mink, Rat or Rabbit” @girlshirl1 

▪️The Distillers “Coral Fang” @preservation76 

🔹Deus “Worst Case Scenario” @GreeneDermot67 

🔹Deus “Worst Case Scenario” @Maffrj

▪️The Distractions “Nobody’s Perfect” @ambnorwich 

▪️Desert Mountain Tribe “Either That or the Moon” @stillhonest 

🔺Dory Previn “Dory Previn” @paul_hilton 

▪️Desperate Journalist “Grow Up” @GLPNE73 

▪️DIIV “Oshin” @tansleyjames 

▪️DIIV “Oshin” @cjl__73

▪️Dr Dog “Fate” @rock_goal 

▪️Dr Dog “Be The Void” @tmulraney

🔺DJ Shadow “Endtroducing” @disco_juan 

🔺DJ Shadow “Endtroducing” @factoryjimbo 

🔺Doris Duke “I’m A Loser” @wcboggs 

🔺Tanya Donnelly “Beauty Sleep” @perlalaloca 

▪️Dvorak’s Symphonic Dances @nakedfooty 

▪️Drab Majesty “Modern Mirror” @catanddrumsc 

▪️Des Demonas “Des Demonas” @gigticket 

▪️Delicatessen “Skin Touching Water” @bodlingboy 

🔹Diesel Park West “Shakespeare Alabama” @domsg 

▪️Dumptruck “Positively Dumptruck” @agarr45 

▪️Dumptruck “For The Country” @apostatehymnals 

▪️Dalek I “Compass Kumpass” @durutti74 

▪️The Dream Syndicate “The Days of Wine and Roses” @davidpeters_

🔺Disco Inferno “The 5 EPs” @williemcalpine 

▪️Disco Inferno “Open Doors, Closed Windows” @thesweetcheat 

▪️Deja Vega “Deja Vega” @joefinegan1 

🔹The Delines “Colfax” @kedwondo 

🔺Devo “Duty Now For The Future” @citizen_jc 

▪️Dub Sex - any album @mrwhotzit 

▪️Drive Like Jehu “Yank Crime” @ruskus

▪️Decemberists “The King is Dead” @aussieguy11901 

🔺Destroyer “Kaputt” @tristanjt 

▪️Drive-By Truckers “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” @heckler_spray 

▪️The Dead South “Good Company” @thelovelyilgwu 

🔺Dusty Trails “Dusty Trails” @sulaviedilejo 

▪️Desert Ships “Doll Skin Flag” @seatinthestalls 

▪️Departure Lounge “Too Late To Die” @lokessimon 

🔺Dion “Born To Be With You” @sineadmcq

▪️Dean & Britta “L’Avventura” @simon_dodsworth 

▪️Doll By Doll “Doll By Doll” @bullantics

🔹 Do Make Say Think “Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn” @spooner_daniel

🔹Dead Kennedy’s “Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables” @davidrogmoor 

🔹Dead Kennedy’s “Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables” @pablooplywiss 

🔺Devandra Banhart “Cripple Crow” @tobiascotton 

▪️ Dukes of Stratosphere “Chips From The Chocolate Fireball” @d_grayer

🔺 Department of Eagles “In Ear Park” @citizenmeh 

▪️Dancing Hoods “Surfing All Over The Road” @darrell_clem

▪️The Damned “Phantasmagoria” @johnynocash 

▪️Diagrams “Chromatics” @vicaviber 

▪️Dumb “Club Nites” @SandyWishart

🔹Dexys Midnight Runners “Searching For The New Soul Rebels” @davidohanlon7

▪️Distophia “Soda Lake” @brinyhoof 

▪️Delphic “Acolyte” @zakw123

Sunday 19 July 2020

Chop’s Journal - 19 Jul 2020

I’m seriously running behind with these posts so actually writing this in early August & struggling to remember what, if anything, happened this week.


I did contribute to The London Ukulele Project’s charity single in a very small way. I recorded a very short piece of audio & video to help them create a chorus of over 100 ukes at the end of their version of “With A Little Help From My Friends”. You can see me in the video too. 


https://youtu.be/bNp-du1dUkQ





New SOTW


Dinosaurs On The Mountain - The Flaming Lips  


https://open.spotify.com/track/1oabTBniwctZ7yq1TzoFb0?si=HRFJAM7AQCqqIBlvJHtsJw


Music I’m enjoying


The Beths’ second album has been dominating my album listening this week. It’s an absolute joy and put a smile on my face every time I played it. 





Occasional Top Fives


Maybe this will be a fortnightly thing in between the A2Z lists. Not sure but I’ll see how it goes. This topic proved to be a good one with loads of different songs making a corking playlist which I’ve linked to below. This one wasn’t my idea so big thanks to @sharkastic for the suggestion. 


▪️ Top 5 Songs that mention other artists 

  1. Why Do They Never Play Les Savy Fav On The Radio?
  2. Daft Punk Is Playing At My House - LCD Soundsystem or Losing My Edge
  3. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone - Sleater-Kinney 
  4. They Say I’m Different - Betty Davis
  5. History Lesson Part 2 - The Minutemen




Spotify Playlist with more suggestions:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2VB929IE5ti9DjynvXofqI?si=XkOeKlf8Thyo0KkWTpVK4w

Sunday 12 July 2020

Chop’s Journal - 10 Jul 2020

My eldest returned to Gloucester this week to recommence rowing training now that’s possible again. It’s been lovely having him home, despite the difficulties of us all being at home during lockdown, and this time it was harder to see him go than previous departures.


Whilst he was back he helped both me & Mrs T5 buy new bikes and was a really positive influence on my youngest. They did exercise together regularly and got on as well as they have ever done. 


These are difficult times but there are little silver linings here and there that give me strength and spending more time with my boys than I would have done has definitely been a big positive. 





New SOTW


Lockdown - John Coghlan’s Quo


https://open.spotify.com/track/4LInS6uIHRFdb1BQlHmZ3R?si=arCbK198TH6acRnimcZjHw


Music I’m enjoying


A mixture of albums by artists beginning with C and new releases. The standout album that coincidentally meets both criteria is Grande est la maison by Cabane which is an achingly beautiful record by Thomas Jean Henri which features vocals from Will Oldham and Kate Stables. 





Book Reading 


The Ocean At The End Of The Lane - Neil Gaiman: Gosh, I really loved this book. It’s fairly short but possibly the best Gaiman novel I’ve read. It’s one of those books that left me feeling a little bereft at finishing it. There’s elements of fantasy horror but ostensibly this is a tale about childhood, how we see things as children & how we remember them as adults. It really got me thinking about my own childhood memories & brought back some happy recollections. 





Chop’s A2Z - Week 3: C


Albums I’d not heard before


‪1. Cinerama “Va Va Voom” @elhozzo3 @ApostateHymnals - I’m sure I must have listened to this before but this time it really hit the mark for me. I absolutely love it & if gigs ever happen again I’m gonna make sure I see Gedge do a Cinerama set soon.


‪2. The Clean “Anthology” @drums_wires - Every bit as good as people suggested & a clear influence on many of my favourite contemporary bands. I only listened to disc 1 as there’s a lot here but will come back to disc 2 at some point.


‪3. The Colorblind James Experience “The Colorblind James Experience” @StillHonest - I know Move To Memphis very well but I’m not sure I’ve listened to the whole album which was a mistake as I liked it a lot. Great lyrics, quirky tunes. Spot on.


4. The Congos “Heart of the Congos” @thehatandbeard - Another album I’ve played before but don’t know very well. It’s a smashingly positive & uplifting record. Definitely put a smile on my face. Completes a clean sweep of hits this week.





Albums I already own


‪1. Calexico “Feast of Wire” @vicaviber - The bands 4th album and the last one before I lost contact with their releases. Conversely I think this is the point they really took off success wise. I know it less well than their earlier stuff so great to revisit it.


‪2. Cornershop “Handcream For A Generation” @LokesSimon - This was, I think, the bands first album following “When I Was Born ...” which was such a huge record for me I was bound to be a little disappointed with what came next. It’s actually a brilliant collection of songs and one I should have listened to more often. Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III my absolutely favourite but there are plenty of absolute belters on here. Cornershop are a really great band.


3. Crack Cloud “Crack Cloud” @herealexhere - One of my favourite current bands & absolutely astonishing live if you ever get the chance. This is a compilation of 2 previously released EPs but counts as their debut album as I think it was their first global release.


‪4. Cowtown “Paranormal Romance” @gigticket  - Absolutely joyful punky pop that is hard to resist. I’ve loved this album for ages but not yet managed to catch the band live #chopsA2Z ‬




Perfect Sounds Whatever pick


Cate Le Bon “Crab Day” @perfectsoundpod - I’ve not kept up with CLB as much as I should have done. I bought previous album Mug Museum (suggested by @emdehaney) & loved that so really should have got this one too it’s fab & the story behind the album title is ace.





The full list of nominations


🌀Crab Day - Cate Le Bon @perfectsoundpod 

▪️ CocoRosie - La Maison de Mon Rêve @slowthrills 

▪️Come - Eleven : Eleven @grizzlybeard

▪️Califone - Roots & Crowns ‪@darrenmjones ‬

▪️Crispy Ambulance - The Plateau Phase @thesweetcheat 

▪️Crowded House - Temple of Low Men @call_me_cynical 

▪️Chavez - Ride The Fader ‪@jjvwaardenberg ‬

🔹Crack Cloud - Crack Cloud @herealexhere 

🔹Calexico - Feast of Wire @vicaviber

▪️ Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Twinkle Echo @citizenmeh 

▪️ Chris Cohen - Overgrown Path @pauldn1

▪️Care - Diamonds & Emeralds @wallytbm 

▪️Childhood - Lacuna @glpne73

▪️Codeine - Barely Real @beautifulpigeon 

▪️The Chills - Kaleidoscope World @DrFilth 

▪️Curtis Mayfield - Curtis ‪@1HowardWalker ‬

▪️Jayne Cortez & the firespitters - Taking the blues back home @sineadmcq 

▪️Chumbawumba - Anarchy @sharkastic

🔺Chumbawamba - Slap! ‪@GreeneDermot67 ‬+ 2

▪️The Charlatans - The Charlatans @zakw123

▪️ Candidate - Taking On The Enemy’s Sound @realruskus 

▪️Julian Cope - 20 Mothers ‪@pablooplywiss

▪️Cotton Mather - Kontiki @durutti74

▪️Laura Kantrell - Not The Tremblin’ Kind @williemcalpine 

▪️Cloth - Cloth @MattLXIX

▪️Compulsive Gamblers - Crystal Gazing, Luck Amazing @wcboggs

▪️Coldcut - Journeys By DJ ‪@sirsidneyp ‬& @eveshambaggy 

▪️Cold Beat - Mother ‪@SuspendedZimbra ‬

▪️The Comsat Angels - Chasing Shadows @domsg 

▪️Crass - Christ the album ‪@madefromtoffee ‬

▪️Cardiacs - A Little Man and a House & the Whole World Window @brinyhoof

▪️Cardiacs - On Land and in the Sea @davidrogmoor 

▪️Cardiacs - Sing To God pt 1 & pt 2 @spooner_daniel 

▪️Chagall Guevara -  Chagall Guevara @sipperana 

▪️China Crisis - Working With Fire & Steel

‪@SeanKChambers1 ‬

▪️The Cure - Pornography ‪@jnlangton ‬

▪️The Cherry Orchard - The Start Of Our Affair @emmas_house

▪️Clint Mansell - Moon @pahudson

▪️Colman Brothers - Colman Brothers @tobiascotton 

🔹Cate Le Bon - Mug Museum ‪@emdehaney ‬

▪️Colorama - Box @d_grayer 

▪️ Cibo Matto - Viva La Woman @adespink 

🔺The Colorblind James Experience - The Colorblind James Experience @stillhonest

▪️ Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career @brown_ak

▪️Chromatics - Kill For Love ‪@CatAndDrumSC ‬

▪️Campag Velocet - Bon Chic Bon Genre ‪@Simon_Dodsworth ‬& @preservation76

▪️The Common Cold - Shut Up! Yo Liberals! @jakepalmer04

▪️ Crime & The City Solution - Shine @adthedoor 

🔺The Clean - Anthology @drums_wires 

▪️Chris TT - The 253 ‪@Perlalaloca ‬

▪️Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas @tristanjt 

🔺The Congos - Heart of the Congos @thehatandbeard 

▪️The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge @girlshirl1

▪️The Connells - Ring @resumisu 

▪️Cardinal - Cardinal @ambnorwich 

🔹Cowtown - Paranormal Romance @gigticket 

🔹Cornershop - Handcream for a generation @lokessimon

▪️Constant Mongrel - Living In Excellence @hodge_nufc & @kazashton

▪️Cactus World News - Urban Beaches @tmulraney & @bullantics 

🔹The Cornshed Sisters - Tell Tales @millie_ran 

▪️The Cult - Dreamtime live at The Lyceum ‪@sulaviedilejo 

▪️Canshaker Pi - Canshaker Pi ‪@ApostateHymnals @elhozzo3 ‬

🔺Cinerama - Va Va Voom ‪@ApostateHymnals @elhozzo3 ‬

▪️Camp Cope - How to Socialize and Make Friends @ascott64