Mix CD #50 - Top Albums Of 2019

So here we are, at the end of not just another year but another decade. Golly gosh and all that. 
As usual, my final blog of the year is a countdown of my favourite albums of the year, from forty all the way down to my favourite. 

It's been a strange year for music in some ways, there seems to have been an absolute ton of it for a start. Normally I'm whittling down from a couple hundred of albums but this year has been twice that. I found it quite hard to place most of them after the first ten-fifteen and I'll admit some of them have been placed so the tracklisting scans a little better. 
There's also been a lot of comeback albums recorded after a lengthy break released this year. I thought The Wildhearts was a lengthy gap as there are ten years between albums but there's several with even bigger gaps. I think there's four artists where's it's been the best part of three decades since their last!

Several of these albums have some really beautiful artwork that my dinky little images don't fully convey so I recommend having a proper nosey at a decent sized image of them, in particular, Flora Greysteel, Lonely Robot, Gloryhammer, Stonefield and Moron Police have especially nice ones. 

I've included a Spotify playlist as well as the download as with previous years. It's about the only blog where every artist will be on there. It's something I'd like to do every time but there ends up being so many omissions that it's just not worth doing. 

There's a few noticeable omissions from this list, and I'm not talking big names like Tool, Opeth, Rammstein etc. I liked those albums, I just liked these ones more. There's a couple of albums that I would absolutely have included if not for the following reasons:

Ginger Wildheart - Headzapoppin
The latest solo album from The Wildhearts mainman is apparently brilliant and one of his best. I say apparently as I haven't heard even a single song from it. The album is out digitally but not physically and I think it's on my Christmas list. This would have been right up at the top no doubt.

Janus Stark - Angel In The Flames
Gizz Butt (from The Prodigy)'s band that last released an album in 2000, the brilliant Great Adventure Cigar. They've reformed and have just released this new album. I've bought it but the CD hasn't arrived yet so I've not heard it. I'm sure it's very good.

Toehider - Concerning Lix & Fairs And Other Cooked Stories
This album was only sent to a certain tier of his Patreon supporters and it's not commercially available so I didn't feel it was eligible. On top of that, most of the songs will be on his new album ( currently titled I Like It but that might change) that WILL be commercially available next year. Look for it in my Top Five next December as it's brilliant.

Finally, you may have noticed this is blog number fifty which I'm taking as a huge achievement. I never thought I'd still be going with it and, truth be told, I was planning on packing it in if I got this far, especially when all the algorithms changed and I went from blogs getting over a thousand views to being lucky if I break a hundred. 
Still, I'm still enjoying compiling them and some of you still seem to enjoy reading them so I'll carry on for now. I've already got the next three blogs pretty much all planned out so I'll crack on with the next one shortly.

I guess that's everything. Have a great December and I'll see you all in the new year! Oh and if you haven't joined the Facebook page then please do! 

Cheers
Luke
x

Download 40-21 HERE
Download 20-1 HERE
Listen to the Spotify playlist HERE

You can find the running order right down at the bottom of the blog so as to avoid spoilers.

Mix CD #49 - Rec & Play

Hello all! Here's the forty ninth edition of the blog and, once again, there's no theme other than right good music and that. Also just like previous mixes, there's music represented from a wide range of nationalities, around eleven I think, but a couple of the songs are sung in non-English. Maybe one day I'll get around to a full mix of other languages, I've been planning to for a while.

Some of you may have read my post on Facebook about the next post, it doesn't take a mathematical genius to calculate it'll be the fiftieth one. I always wanted to do something special for such a big landmark, a meaningful theme or something. As it happens, it's fallen in December which is when I always do my AOTY so it looks like that's your special blog. Happy birthday.

In the meantime, have a read (and a listen if you want) to this blog. As I said, it's right good.

Cheers,
Luke
x

Tracklisting
I'm From Barcelona - Rec And Play
Killed A Fox - Gone With The Devil's Hum
The Toy Dolls - Sciatica Sucks
The Wind Whistles - The Quietest Voice
Raindrop Collector - Hell In Me
Once Human - Dark Matter
Chvrches - Forever
The New Roses - Can't Stop Rock & Roll
Shrug Dealer - That's $10 You Owe Me Now, Dickhead!
Caerus - Antimatter
Speedmatics - Ella
Repulsive Woman - When I Get Good
DVOLV - Within This Mortal Soil
Those Fucking Snowflakes - Stop Being Dickheads To Each Other
Hippie Death Cult - Unborn
Smash Potater - Toxic Masculinity Holocaust
Amy Gabba & The Almost Famous - F.U. Cupid
Roadsaw - Fat Rats
Badflower - Die
Helengard - Summer Feast

THIS could be your favourite song, this could be your favourite albuuuum

Mix CD #48 - Welcome To The Real World

Good evening!
Here's the latest installment of Sapphire Bullets for your enjoyment, should you choose to enjoy it. There's no theme this Month, as usual, just a collection of songs I've been loving lately.
As does seem to be the growing trend with these blogs though, there are artists from a wide range of countries as far apart as Indonesia, Ukraine, Switzerland and beyond. Well, not beyond but you know what I mean. Other places and that.

This blog has taken me a while to get out due to busy real world stuff. I've been on nights during Fresher's Week so it's that's included an alarming amount of vomit (not mine), pissed up aggravations, ambulances and, at one point, the hefting of an unconscious girl. Then more vomit.
Given that I do most of my blogging on company time, it's meant I've had to do actual real work and haven't been able to abuse worktime privileges much. Hopefully, that will change and I'll get the next blog out in good time.

Cheers for reading (and listening if you listen)
Luke
x

The Riders - Welcome To The Real World
Robot Zombie Army - Taste The Rainbow
Isabelle Stillman - That Salinger Novel
Toxic Melons - Not In Love
The Short Fuses - The Pink
Destrage - About That
Amygdala - It Takes A Village
The Brought Low - This Ain't No Game
Clatter - Come Back
Cats In Boots - Shotgun Sally 
G.L.O.S.S. - We Live
Tarja - Railroads
Black Moth - Moonbow
Lamebrain - Repulse
Incendiary - The Product Is You
Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones - Ghost
MC Lars & Mega Ran - Bartleby, The Scrivener
Skypilot - Superdupernaut
Necking  - Boss
Carrying Goodness - I Don't Know You
Frozen Crows - Aeon

You can download the song HERE if you want. No pressure.

Mix CD #47 - Return From Cybertron

Hello and welcome to the 47th blog! One that is graced by the beautiful, wrathful visages of Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus*!

As I said in my last Facebook post, that about 14 people saw, this is and isn't a themed mix. As the opening track is quite clearly a song about Transformers, I thought I'd see if any other songs I was planning on using had any geeky themes or titles and bung them on this mix too, much like I did with Mix 39 - Kid In The 80's.

As it is, maybe about half of the songs kind of fit the theme this time, though some only vaguely and in title alone. I'd have a put a bit more effort into it if I was doing a full themed mix but I'm not so I didn't. Each track is an absolute banger though so don't shed too many a tear.

Like the last few mixes seem to have been, there are acts from several different countries represented. Other than the usual Usses and Ukk's, there are acts from Belgium, The Netherlands, South Africa, Greece, France, Germany, Australia, and Norway. There's good music everywhere!

I'll be starting work on the next blog soon and I guess I should be thinking about what to do for the 50th blog as that'll be here soon too. I didn't think I'd get past 10 before everyone lost interest but there's still a few of you hanging on!

Cheers,
Luke
x

* There's Topspin, Twin Twist and Whirl up there too if you're bothered.

Tracklisting
Phantom Riffage - Return From Cybertron
Spiderbait - Shazam!
Nirvana - Mr. Moustache
Obzerv - Thought And Voice
MyNameIsJohn - Magic Candle
Bikini Kill - Suck My Left One
Things That Need To Be Fixed - Robots & Dragons
Omnerod - Ascaris
Crimson Riot - Here's the Bad News Laura (The Shake Machine Is Down)
Mos Generator - Red Canyons
Ghoultown - Drink With the Living Dead
Squares - I Need A Lot Of Love
Gygax - The Eyes Have It
Schtum - Skydiver
Moron Police - Steve Jobs Is Dead, But I'm Not
Drunktank - Army Of Darkness
XavlegbmaofffassssitimiwoamndutroabcwapwaeiippohfffX - March Of The Ants
MC Frontalot - Never Read The Comments
Fire Down Below - Roadburner
Young Urban Parasites - Action Man
Sellsword - Buccaneers

You can facilitate the audio waves to your matrix HERE

Mix CD #46 - Another Fine Day

Well, here you go. I finally finished Mix 46! I'm getting proper slack with it sorry, life gets in the way and all that. I'm gonna have to get on top of it as I've got at least six or seven more playlists worth of stuff I'd like to get out this year. That's not going to happen.

Anyway, Another Fine Day is another collection of, what I think is, great music and it's reasonably eclectic. There's not too much older songs this time, I dunno about you but I'm finding the sheer volume of good stuff huge so far this year. I keep a playlist of current stuff to whittle down for my Albums Of The Year blog in December and it's almost 200 songs long already and we're only halfway through the year.

I digress. Please give the blog a read, give the music a listen and I hope you find something good/new that you like very much. I like you very much.

Cheers,
Luke
x

Tracklisting
Whatever... - Another Fine Day
Whatever - Number One
King Prawn - Seven Seas
Pool Kids - Five-Time 2nd Place Winner
Hey Satan - KO Computer
Svalbard - For The Sake Of The Breed
Better Oblivion Community Center - My City
Quarashi - Weirdo
Grosh - Refuse
The Handsome Scoundrels - Muchacho
Maximum The Hormone - A・L・I・E・N
Odette Michell - Great Old Northern Line
Disgraceland - You Deserve It
The Super Pumas - Psycho Silhouette
Through The Tides - The Walking Dead
Stonefield - In The Eve
Lady Beast - Every Giant Shall Fall
The Moondogz - Better Man
Left Lane Cruiser - Smoke Keeps Rising
Dead Kelly - Put 'Em Up Cunt
Carol Hodge - The Witch Is Dead

The link to the mp3's is HERE

Mix CD #45 - Just Some Kid On A Bike

It's a bit later than scheduled but here's the forty-fifth blog for your wonder and delight. 
As seems to be the norm at the moment, there's no theme other than songs I want people to hear. That seems to be good enough for the time being right?

Just like the last couple of blogs, it's another multinational collection of songs with bands from Israel,  Brazil, Russia, and The Netherlands amongst others. It's not an intentional thing but it's nice to be not just including the same old US/UK mix of stuff. There's cool music everywhere.

I'd promise to get the next blog, Another Fine Day, out in good time to try and make up for lost time this month but that's probably not going to happen. It's a good one though so maybe it's worth the wait, maybe not. Fuck knows.

Anyway, here's May's stuff. You can read my ramble about each song below and can download it via the link provided if you want.

Cheers,
Luke
x

Tracklisting
Corn Mo - Just Some Kid On A Bike
Rezin - Something Bad
Reason Define - Inferno
Vintersea - Mirror Lake
Barkmarket - Carjack
Spee Six Nine - People In My Rearview
Tardigrade Inferno - I'm Coming For Your Soul
White Trash - Backstage Pass
Far From Alaska - Pig
Idiot Pilot - Murderous
Jess Morgan - Whitby
Forewarned - I Don't Care
Dark Mother - Mother Mary
Straight Outta Fridge - My Time
Nikki & The Corvettes - I Gotta Move
itoldyouiwouldeatyou - Young American
A Thousand Knives Of Fire - She's Yours
Coppersky - Carry The Fire
Scardust - Arrowhead

HERE's the download link for those that want it

Mix CD #44 - The Dancing Dolls Of Porcelain

Greetings fair wanderer. Come in and rest yourself awhile by the fire, yon minstrels shall strum you a most soothing roundelay.

That is to say, there's the 44th mixblog thing I've done. There's no theme again this month, I did think it might be a good cover and title for an all women blog as I've been fancying doing that theme for a while but, well, I didn't. 

Like the last blog, there's music from several countries featured, almost definitely Canada for sure this time. There's stuff from Denmark, The Netherlands, Australia, Japan, and Greece as well the usuals.
There's a few longer songs this time too, which is good for me as it means less writing.

I'll be starting work on the next blog (Just Some Kid On A BIke) in the next day or so and hopefully, I'll have it out on time for next month.

Until then, take care!
Cheers,
Luke
x

Tracklisting
Bitter Ruin - The Dancing Dolls Of Porcelain
Devin Townsend - Gulag
Woodshed - Til The Cows Come Home
Barb Wire Dolls - Darby Crash
ACxDC - Hipler Youth
Hilltop Howlers - Big Love
King Buffalo - Eye Of The Storm
Lovebites - Warning Shot
Caligula's Horse - Fill My Heart
Jukebox The Ghost - Under My Skin
Gin Annie - Damage
3 Headed Giant - Caught By Surprise
Crystal Knight - Sweet Dream Maker
The Dagg Nabbit Stubbs - Tractor Pull 
Flora Greysteel - Use Your Words
Crosslight - Fighting For What?
Lullwater - Fight Of Your Life
Frank Zappa - Trouble Every Day (Live)

 You can download the mix from HERE should that be your wont.

Mix CD #43 - Keep It Rollin'

I've written you a blog. The best blog. All the other blogs wish they were this blog let me tell you. I don't know where I'm going with that, sorry.

So yeah, finally, here's the second blog of 2019 and the first of non-themed music. Bit shoddy of me that. For those of you that are reading this via the Facebook will have seen my post about the delay but those that didn't, I've just not been properly online that much for the majority of February so I've not been writing much. I've done it now though, you can read it if you like.

There's a wide range of stuff on the mix this month, all of it is very good so please give it a listen. There's artists from a load of different countries this time too, it's all very multinational. There are bands from, obviously, the UK and the US but also Sweden, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany, possibly Canada? I dunno. Anyway, enjoy!

The Holy Goats - Keep It Rollin'
Division of Laura Lee - Endless Factories
Kelly Buchanan - Slow Watches
The Menagerie - Slangorangutang
Bjorn Berge - Zebra
Neverland - Take Me Higher
Better Days - This House
Night Demon - Dawn Rider
Emme Phyzema - GEM
The Something Somethings - Dining On The Dead
Burn Our Hometown - Oh Donald
Vashti Bunyan - Window Over The Bay
Perkele - One Day
Deever - Only Enemy
Vredehammer - Spawn Tyrant
Electric Sensei - Aphrodite, Your Electric Sexiness
Diggeth - Let The Ancient One Sleep
Codename Colin - Friday The 19th
Super Zero - Nothing Done
Antibody - I See Them
Flummox - A Bundle Of Styx
Elder Devil - City Of Infinity
Blackbriar - Cry Of A Banshee

You can fill your heart with joy and enlightenment HERE

Cheers,
Luke
x

Mix CD #42 - Covers Vol. IV: Do Anything You Wanna Do

Hello and welcome to the first mix of 2019!

It's yet another instalment of cover versions because a) I like cover versions and b) it's a bit early in the year to have much current stuff to put on a mix, so I figured I could hide the fact it's all old stuff by doing a themed one.
There's a variety of stuff here but hopefully, you should like it all. I tried to stick to either a well-known band, a well-known song or a combination of both. In the cases where it's neither, it's because it's a dead good one, I promise!

As always, there's a Download link below the tracklisting, should you wish to actually hear the songs I've blabbed on about. I'll also stick links to the previous three cover mixes I've done if you're interested.

It'll be back to normal next month, Thanks for reading and all that!

Tracklisting
The Almighty - Do Anything You Wanna Do
Stavesacre - Burn The Witch
The Interrupters - The 11th Hour
Sir Hedgehog - Call Me
Neko Case & Nick Cave - She's Not There
Kathryn Williams - I Started A Joke
The Castor Troys - Runnin' Down A Dream
Paradise Lost - Small Town Boy
Refused - Voodoo People
Horrorpops - Rebel Yell (Live)
Gomez - Getting Better
Shaolin Death Squad - Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...)
Hogwash - Save Me
Jade Bird - I've Been Everywhere
Andrew WK - Fly! Gundam
Napalm Death  - War's No Fairytale
Oceans Of Slumber - Nights In White Satin
Carter USM - This Is How It Feels
The Dresden Dolls - Pretty In Pink
Orphaned Land - Jeremy
Liv Kristine - Streets Of Philadelphia
Captain T - We Are The World

HERE's where you can download all the music, MP3 style.