Maybe just me, but I would have loved to hear Searching for the Young Soul Rebels-era Dexys Midnight Runners do a short-and-sweet cover of 25 Or 6 To 4 by Chicago. Get rid of the guitar wig-outs and it would really suit I think.

Any others?

https://youtu.be/iUAYeN3Rp2E?si=QWRM2my3httTB9Sp

Can I make a recommendation for a local radio station show?

Sheffield Live is a local community station. On Saturdays 3-5PM they run a program called The Breakdown that is close to the spirit of John Peel or Mark and Lard when they used to do Weekdays 10-12PM shows on Radio 1. Always seem to be heading to the local dump or something when its on. Joel and Steve continue in the traditional “bumbling amateur fan” style and I have certainly caught up with some quality new music through them. All the shows – with play lists – archived on the link.

Anyone else got any hidden broadcasting gems like this?

https://web.sheffieldlive.org/shows/the-breakdown/

I am really really enjoying Promises a lot. Movement 7 leaves me in tears each time. But every time i hear the start of the first track I am waiting for a kick drum followed by the lyric; “A man conceived a moment’s answer to the dream’…but then Pharoah’s sax breaks the illusion. Is it just me?

It is still my best of the year so far, though.

Playing this a lot recently. Apparently it has never been officially released as Liz didn’t think it was up to muster. I disagree. Seriously apart from live tracks, are there many unreleased songs that are as good as this?

So, the government’;s negotiations with politicians in Manchester and the EU have collapsed and CV19 deaths are back up to a daily Grenfell Tower toll. Apparently S Yorkshire and a lot of other places are heading for Tier 3, while Serco, Accenture and their mates have made a dog’s breakfast out of Test and Trace., even though they spent billions. The furlough scheme is slowly being pulled. Oh and by January, Brexit driven, proper shortages in the shops and pharmacies will kick in.

Genuine questions. Have any of us lived in more perilous circs? Any predictions where this is heading for UK society?.What is the End Game?

It feels to me a bit like the mid-1970s; we are in stasis. To quote a favorite poem we are waiting for the barbarians to provide a solution. My one prediction: following on from the BJ shit show an Independent Scotland within the next 5 years is nailed on now

Sorry for the doom I got some very bleak family news this weekend and watching the Downing Street briefing is not helping.

And it is good.

I haven’t been a regular here since RobC was last a fixture. See he’s back tho. Rob: Licorice or Rose?

Anyway, during a regular bit of insomnia I started thinking about punk, and The Damned came to mind. Whenever, some clip-driven TV program brings up music in the late 70s, The Pistols and The Clash are pulled out, but no one seems to mention The Damned. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but at the time Rat Scabies and his boys were part of a triumvirate of bands and New Rose was even the first “official” punk single. Why are they relatively forgotten? Is it simply cos they were shite? Or are only two rival bands allowed to encapsulate an era (The HJHM VS The Stones, Oasis Vs Blur).

Just idle 3.00am speculation that’s all. Anyway, on the back of it I reminded myself of New Rose on YouTube. It is quite good innit?

Oh woe is me. It appears I have dropped my 160gb Ipod classic while on a walk in the peak district. Its performance was getting a bit eccentric in the last few months, but I am already suffering from withdrawal. I need something with at least 100gb capacity. A quick trawl around the web, leads me to 3 possible replacements, each of which has slots for SD cards and can play lossy and lossless files.

(i) A FiiO – probably a X1 would do.

(ii) The Sony NWZA-15 A looks good, especially as it has 50 hours playback off a charge.

(iii) Or maybe a AGPtEK Imp. Which at less than £60 seems too good to be true.

Anyone got any advice or recommendation? To be honest, I am not in the market for something too upmarket like a Cowon.

Completely nicking Mark Kermode’s idea here, how many actually good ones can we come up with? I’ll start with one of my favourites. Matt Berry’s eclectic collection of releases float my boat. Hear this ferinstance.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5LZK8Kp7dFH14BqyqVZlYgW/seven-actors-whove-released-their-own-albums