Akufen

A sweet Friday mix that I would say has contributed massively to my burst in productivity today.

Black coffee, bowl of cherries and Akufen.

Placebo

Long before I started the Pop Cultureddd blog I was voraciously listening to music.

My Dad used to have cable when I was a kid and when I would stay with him I could be found watching a lot of MTV2. The most potent and vivid memory was always the Placebo advert. It was powerful. It featured Nancy Boy and I was obsessed with Brian Molko's lyrics, style and vocals. The self-titled debut album was stunning from beginning to end.



Placebo's first three albums I had burned versions of and they were played frequently. Having almost accidentally stumbled upon them again recently I have been plunged back into a familiar soundscape of early teenage angst, but without the hormones and self-wallowing.

Being fairly hyper sceptical as a teenager of capitalism - and now hyper critical as an adult - the single Slave To The Wage from the album Black Market Music was a personal favourite to ruminate on.

Sprints

"I swear to God I'm the only fucker in this place who isn't doin' fine
And I'm not fine
And I'm not fine, I'm not fine
And I'm not fine, I'm not fine
I'm not fine, I'm not fine, I'm not fine, I'm not fine, I'm not fine, I'm not fine, I'm not fine, I'm not fine"

Fucking love Sprints.

How Does The Story Go? plunges me back in my early 20s. Scary times. And whilst it might be too big a claim to say I am fine now, I wish I could soothe that 20-something version of me with the knowledge that they'll just get better at perseverence.

There is some catharsis in this song that I think is accessible to everyone if you just scream along loudly enough.

Paul Epworth

I have a playlist that I slowly add to and this track, whilst it has been on there for a while, has just utterly beguiled me in recent weeks and days.

Voyager by Paul Epworth is so sumptuiously epic that I lose myself for a wonderful 8 minutes.

Give yourself 8 minutes.

M(h)aol

Happy International Women's Day.

Celebrate with M(h)aol whose post-punk songs are single-handedly reviving my hope in the power of resistance and protest.

TOKiMONSTA

Having a flirtation with TOKiMONSTA currently.

As a producer her work is wide-ranging and she has such a gift with creating dark and sultry soundscapes that it is impossible not to find myself having a little bop whenever a track of hers pops up on a playlist. Inevitably I then ditch the mixed artist playlist and indulge in TOKiMONSTA for a while.

Realla featuring Anderson .Paak might be one of the finest examples of what she is capable of bringing together.

Yard Act

D'yer ever find your bubble of intense loneliness and isolation momentarily burst by a flash of angry and wild solidarity?

That is what Yard Act do for me.

I must've heard Fixer Upper in 2020 and was utterly beguiled by the immaculate characterisation of the satirical protagonist in the song.

Somehow even now - or should I say, especially now - it seems even more vivid and real. And I guess in an odd way, it is nice to feel aligned with a shrewd and fun piss-take of this character who seem ten-a-penny.

Orite, Graham.

Inwards

The new album, Feeling So Fun Reality, by Inwards is an incredibly welcome addition to my soundscape. It feels fresh yet familiar and loops through a range of evocative emotional states.

But there is something about the track We Are Not Alone that is especially sweet and sentimental.

This is fast going to be a favoured album for filling my little box room office with shuffling melody and warmth.

Tourist

Accessing joy - however fleeting - seems to be a challenge in the current circumstances.

But Wild by Tourist kinda gives a wee sensation of it. Must be why it is the album title track.

And Spotify informs me that Tourist is one of my most played artists recently. Indicative of that search.

That might come off as maudlin, but genuinely, this track is beautifully lifting.

Barnes Blvd.

Some stripped back beauty.

I simply cannot explain just yet why this means so much.

But it does.

The Trouble With Me

I became and still am inexplicably attached to this track. It was part of a self-compiled playlist of upbeat dance anthems of yesteryear, and with long solo car journeys to provide end-of-life care the playlist lightened my heart in otherwise bleak circumstances earlier this year.

But something about this track in particular I simply cannot let go of yet.

And weirdly it either has me singing and dancing deliriously, or choking back tears and emotion.

Go figure, eh?

Absolutely belter, mind you.

I'm Not Okay (But That is Right For Right Now)

My Dad died.

It wasn't unexpected. I got to be by his bedside, tell him I love him and hold his hand. I also got to care for him in the months prior. In person and virtually. We were able to make arrangements and speak pretty openly.

But it is still shit.

I think I am back here blogging in this long-held space because, ultimately, I am lonely. I knew I would be. In the months leading up to it I had anticipatory grief knowing that my pal was going to die and I would be left without a comrade and ally. But this loneliness is not just emotional, but a physical pain too. Sitting on my chest. No one to share that pro independent Scotland meme with. No one to tell how amazing the dystopian novel The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa I just read is. No one to absolutely smash me mercilessly at backgammon. No one to share all that lo-fi electronica with. No one who will be as invested or respond in the same way.

So I guess I might end up here, sharing sad and longing posts about music that is both sustaining and painful. Maybe in the hope that it might resonate.

Pueblo Vista · oilix - Smr.luv

Work It

Current anthem.

Sums up the effort 2019 took and the amount of stepping up in energy 2020 is going to demand.

Thank fuck it is a pure banger of a remix. Soulwax do not deliver anything less though. Hope Marie Davidson likes it.

Accent and Everything Everything

My accent never used to be a consideration. My family (all Scottish) would rib me for my Teesside accent. But what y'gonna do like? And then I went off to university and realised that my accent and vernacular marked me out as different in the minds of others. Rarely in a good way.

I have reflected a lot on my accent recently. The times and places where it has served me well and the times and places it has been - well, less than useful.

So something about revisiting Everything Everything has struck me like it never did back when I was loving Man Alive when it came out in 2010. The most apparent thing about lead singer Jonathan Higgs' vocals is his range and the ease with which he explores falsetto nae botha. Yet the rarity of hearing a Northern accent in song has meant getting into the recent Everything Everything back catalogue has given me a homely and happy feeling.

Propa belting out wobbly, but Northern, vocals in my car has helped me reclaim my pride in my accent. Particularly Night Of The Long Knives. Ta Higgsy!

Default

Resume.



Atoms For Peace - Default

How Do You Sleep?

Dogged by nightmares, if you must know.

Rumour floating round Reddit - reputable source - has it that this LCD Soundsystem epic track is basically James Murphy coming for Tim Goldsworthy, co-founder of DFA. Seemingly he buggered off to the UK with their equipment. And knowing that the lyrics are pretty scathing.

Love a bit of drama, me like.

Beyond the lyrical battle, the colossal composition of this track journeys through stirring, then to impassioned and explodes into the frenzied. So it basically echoes my current day-to-day internal battle.



The book Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011 is supposed to be a good read for some insight. But academia has ruined my ability to read for pleasure. Gimme an audio version so I can rest my weary, tear-sodden eyes.

James Blake

The DJ who played this on 6 Music the other day had a visceral negative reaction at the end of play. I began loudly swearing at the radio.

I had a visceral reaction during it. It took my breath away.

If you find this challenging, then fine. But kindly do one whilst I enjoy it.

James Blake - If The Car Beside You Moves Ahead

Soulwax 6 Music Christmas Mix

Yes, we are very much post the event -- and I hope it was a good 'un, BTW -- but if you have any capacity left and a smidgen of Christmas cheer that doesn't quite want to budge yet, then check out this mix by Soulwax.

A roaring ride that will help keep the sharp teeth of reality from biting for just another 20 minutes.

Then I guess it is back to a partial return to the 'real world'.

What is this so-called real world I keep hearing so much about anyway?

Leo Kalyan

Heavy-hearted, raw and beautiful nevertheless. Leo Kalyan lays it bare in aching vocals. The track Fucked Up on the Outside In EP showcases not only his ability to produce dark synth-pop, but also his heritage and cultural conflict.

"It's a song about falling short of people’s expectations. I grew up Muslim between London and Lahore, but now, as a gay person living the life of an artist in East London, I’m constantly aware of the toll being myself takes on me and my family and my relationships. Sometimes I feel fucked up for what I put them through. I imagine other people feel the same way sometimes too. The song is about confronting that, and releasing yourself from your baggage."
(The Fader, 2016)

Wow.

With new material floating that I would recommend you explore, here is the aforementioned track and EP from 2016 to whet your appetite.

Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx

The timbre of the beautifully talented Gil Scott-Heron paired with the dark production of Jamie xx -- who, let's face it, I prefer when he is cracking on without The xx -- is stirring.

The thudding of this track and the low grind is bettered only by what Gil Scott-Heron is evoking lyrically.

Running is one of many greats from this magically partnership on We're New Here from 2011.

Note: This video has flashing elements. And I bloody love it. The perfect syncing with the music is excitingly satisfying.