Tag: Darren Hayman

single of the year

In those carefree childhood days before everything got crazy, I always use to tape the top 40. I also wrote down every week in my little book the top 10 singles, and all I knew about was pop music. Even now I’m amazed when I meet people who said they “Got into Bob Dylan” from going through their parents record collections. We didn’t have any records. Or tapes. Or cd’s. Actually my dad did have a Queen tape and a Bryan Ferry tape in his car. It was in the late 80’s so this was a long way off from “For Your Pleasure”. Anyway so pop music and singles were my world back then, so even now I can’t entirely shake off my love of a good short pop single.

But strangely, this year, some amazing albums have been released (you’re get to see my no.1 next week), but I’ve really wasn’t sure who to put down as my favourite track of the year.  Some great songs have been on albums, but none were released as singles. I also looked through the Pitchfork’s tracks of the year and found it boring and predictable. So I had to dig a little deeper and I got this gem, released back in February and yes, I did buy the 7 inch, and it sounds strangely 1988-esque.  It’s the guy from Hefner and the girl from Standard Fare. It’s a breezy light song, but I always think singles should be fun.

Here it is

Next Week – Album of the year

Catch up

EP of the year

Video of the year

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singles club

During my brmusiceak from the internet for the last few weeks I’ve been listening to all my old records and was so inspired I even bought some new 7 inches. These days I have a Daily Telegraph record player, inherited from my grandfather, and I want to write about three new singles I’ve come across over the last 4 weeks. To hear them click on the song titles.

Johnny Cash “She use to love me a lot” – I picked this up in HMjcashV in Tunrbdige Wells, and it’s from the, err, “new” album of unreleased tracks from the 80’s. I don’t know I always thought if something wasn’t good enough to release 30 years ago why bother now, but this song is crazy addictive, and it ends on the point of bleakness before those waves of hope come crushing through Cash’s gruffy voice.

Darren Haydarrenhaymanman and Emma Kupa “Boy, look at what you can’t have now“ is the perfect antidote to Cash’s song that if I was making a break up mixtape it would follow perfectlly. Hefner were a band I’d listen to a lot back in the early twenty first century, and from time to time I’ve picked up Darren Hayman’s solo releases which have been mixed, but this song oozes self confidence and charm.

The Anchoress “What Goes Around” – This is really something special, produced by Paul Draper of Mansun, a band that inspired fanatical and obsessive anchoressfans back in their day.. Anyway here Draper plays guitar and supplies some sensational backing voices, but don’t be fooled it’s Catherine Anne Davies who supplies the energy, originality and warmth. This song, out this week, also has the coolest cover I’ve seen for a while. It’s worth getting just for that, surely?

Three great songs. Records are for life not just Record Store Day….

Oh I’ve also been out in Romania working for Open Hands charity. I wrote about the week here if you are interested in the great work the charity does supporting vulnerable children.

During the break I also scribbled my top 10 albums of all time but I’ll post that another time as it’s kind of embarrasing….