25 For 25, Part One

As far as I'm concerned, 2025 has been a great year for new music, some long-term favourites returning with new albums, others discovered for the first time. 

In fact, I struggled to come up with a single 45-minute selection, so sod it. I did two. More by accident than design, the second one came in at 13 songs which, added to this dozen, conveniently delivers 25 highlights from 2025. So far.

I'm going to hold onto Side Two until next Sunday. In the meantime, surround yourself with some wonderful songs from some wonderful albums (and two singles).

1) Patient Has Own Supply: Constant Follower (The Smile You Send Out Returns To You)

2) Dating A Model: Emily Breeze (Rats In Paradise)

3) The Blue: Mumble Tide (Might As Well Play Another One)

4) Who This World Is Made For. (Mindful Edit): Ellen Beth Abdi (Ellen Beth Abdi)

5) Burning Bridges: The Cowboy Mouth (Faultlines)

6) have you ever had a broken heart? (Album Version): senses (all the heavens)

7) Old Oak Road (2025 Mix): Mike Smalle ft. Cathal Coughlan & Jah Wobble (Ghosts EP)

8) 1st World Blues: Bright Eyes (1st World Blues EP)

9) Signs: Olafur Arnalds / Talos (A Dawning)

10) You Know It Ain't Right: Pearl Charles (Desert Queen)

11) Good To Cry: Robert Forster (Strawberries)

12) I Materialize: Destroyer (Dan's Boogie)

Side One (45:29) (GD) (M)

Who Is More Fascist? The Fascist? Or The Fascist Who Follows Him?

With apologies to George Lucas and Alec Guinness for mangling a memorable line from the first Star Wars film...and sympathy for the United States of America. Well, half of them at least. 

 

 

 

 

#Colours Top 20 (Second Shade)

The second half of the (E)x-Twitter 'countdown' that I've participated in for the past 20 days, featuring songs, artists or lyrics featuring a colour.

As with the first ten, I've stuck with just song titles throughout, with my second round up coming in at one second under 40 minutes.

 

I also continued with my 'method' (I use the term loosely) of trying to make sure that the subsequent colour complemented the one that had preceded it. This limiting my choice of songs each time but hopefully provided for some interesting segues from, say, Cathal Coughlan to Peaches. 

 

I only did one swap throughout the entire run. My original pick for #17 was Coral Moon by John Cale from his 1973 album, Helen Of Troy. Realising that the pick would coincide with International Women's Day, I replaced it with A Coral Room by Kate Bush, which on reflection I think was a better choice and made for a good segue from Echo & The Bunnymen.

 

This late change also meant that I was able to find another (complementary) John Cale song and tweet it on the following day, which also happened to be his 82nd birthday. Win win, I'd say.

 

The final song of the 20 wouldn't have appeared at all had it not been for Ernie Goggins' end of year round up over at 27 Leggies back in December 2022, a reminder of how much music I discover thanks to you lovely people out there in the blogosphere. And in my opinion, it's a great way to wrap up what has been a fun series to participate in.

 

11) Into The White (Single Version): Pixies (1989)

12) Lime Tree Arbour (Album Version): Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (1997)

13) Tangerine: Cathal Coughlan (2022)

14) I Feel Cream (Album Version): Peaches (2009)

15) Silverblade (Single Version): The Jesus & Mary Chain (1990)

16) Turquoise Days: Echo & The Bunnymen (1981)

17) A Coral Room: Kate Bush (2005)

18) Bamboo Floor ("Slow Dazzle" Session Outtake): John Cale (1975)

19) Olive Avenue: Port Sulphur ft. Jay Stansfield (2018)

20) Golden Spoon Maroon: Yasus Afari (2021) 

 

1981: Heaven Up Here: 6

1989: Here Comes Your Man EP: 1 

1990: Rollercoaster EP: 5 

1996: The Island Years: 8

1997: The Boatman's Call: 2

2005: Aerial: 7

2009: I Feel Cream: 4 

2018: Paranoic Critical: 9

2022: E.P. Of Co-Aklan EP: 3

2022: Golden Spoon Maroon: 10

 

Second Shade (39:59) (KF) (Mega)

#SynthPopSeptember

Another of my occasional engagements with Musk's Mad World, the theme this time being thirty days of synth pop throughout September.

No surprise that the likes of Visage, Depeche Mode, Chvrches, Duran Duran, AIR, New Order, LCD Soundsystem, Blancmange, O.M.D., Goldfrapp, Bronski Beat, Hot Chip, Pet Shop Boys and The Human League were generally well represented by their best-known songs.

 

It was a lot of fun and an opportunity to offer up some lesser tweeted songs by many of the above plus Fad Gadget, Les Rythmes Digitales, Ladytron, Alan Vega, Telex, Boytronic and La Roux, several of whom have featured in posts this month.

My 30 synth pop choices in full were

1) Lady Shave (Single Version): Fad Gadget (1981)

2) Sleep On The Left Side (Les Rythmes Digitales' Living By Numbers Mix): Cornershop (1998)

3) The Black Hit Of Space (Album Version): The Human League (1980)

4) The Sun And The Rainfall (Album Version) (Cover of Depeche Mode): Marsheaux (2015)

5) Cccan't You See... (Single Version): Vicious Pink (1984)

6) Almost (Album Version): O.M.D. (1980)

7) Leave In Silence (Single Version): Depeche Mode (1982)

8) (Hey You) What's That Sound? (Album Version): Les Rythmes Digitales (1999)

9) Clean Your House (The Emperor Machine Extended Remix): Blancmange (2020)

10) Pale Green Ghosts (Album Version): John Grant (2013)

11) Synthesize (Single Version): Autumn (1981)

12) Real Thoughts In Real Time (Vince Clarke Extended Version): Hifi Sean & David McAlmont (2023)

13) Frozen Faces (Single Mix): Propaganda (1985)

14) Let's All Make A Bomb (New Version): Heaven 17 (1983)

15) Gun (Album Version): Chvrches (2013)

16) Saturn Drive (Extended / Album Version): Alan Vega (1983)

17) Seventeen (Darren Emerson Radio Edit): Ladytron (2003)

18) Stand Up (Get Down) (7" Version): Kissing The Pink (1988)

19) You (Extended Version): Boytronic (1983)

20) The Walk (Album Version): Eurythmics (1982)

21) Mixed Bizness (Nu Wave Dreamix By Les Rythmes Digitales): Beck (2000)

22) Moskow Diskow (French 12" Version): Telex (1979)

23) Glam (Album Version): Icehouse (1982)

24) Let Me Down Gently (Prins Thomas Diskomiks): La Roux (2014)

25) Disenchanted (Album Version): The Communards (1986)

26) Mister Imperator (Album Version): Telefís (2022)

27) Lies (Bigger & Better) (12" Version): Thompson Twins (1983)

28) Jackson's Last Stand (Radio Edit): Où Est Le Swimming Pool (2009)

29) When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' (Album Version): Sparks (1994)

30) Pleasure Boys (Special Dance Mix): Visage (1982)

As my final contribution is being tweeted today, here's a random 10-song selection from the 30, spanning four decades and neatly squeezing onto an imaginary C90 cassette side. Click on the song title links for more YT goodies. Enjoy!

 

1) Pale Green Ghosts (Album Version): John Grant (2013)

2) Cccan't You See... (Single Version): Vicious Pink (1984)

3) Stand Up (Get Down) (7" Version): Kissing The Pink (1988)

4) Glam (Album Version): Icehouse (1982)

5) Frozen Faces (Single Mix): Propaganda (1985)

6) When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' (Album Version): Sparks (1994)

7) Real Thoughts In Real Time (Vince Clarke Extended Version): Hifi Sean & David McAlmont (2023)

8) Synthesize (Single Version): Autumn (1981)

9) Mister Imperator (Album Version): Telefís (2022)

10) Clean Your House (The Emperor Machine Extended Remix): Blancmange (2020)

 

1981: Synthesize EP: 8

1982: Primitive Man: 4

1984: Cccan't You See... EP: 2

1985: p: Machinery EP / A Secret Wish (CD bonus track): 5

1988: Stand Up EP: 3 

1994: Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins: 6

2013: Pale Green Ghosts: 1

2020: Clean Your House EP: 10

2022: a hAon: 9

2023: Real Thoughts In Real Time EP: 7

 

#SynthPop September (46:02) (KF) (Mega)

Waves Out Of Phase

Another dive into the music that I've been enjoying so far in 2022. The selection has a slightly more melancholy edge than I was intending, but otherwise just a sample of the outstanding sounds that have emerged over the past six months.

 

No surprise to see Andy Bell, Trentemøller and Momus, whose albums have been highlights for quite some time. Telefís (aka Cathal Coughlan and Jacknife Lee) and Katy J Pearson are relatively new acquaintances, whilst the prolific Dan Wainwright has released not one but two albums so far, the latest with his partner Elle Redding. 

 

Enjoy!

 

1) Adar Newlan: Imarhan ft. Gruff Rhys

2) Thickener (Full Fat Original): 10:40

3) Bowroux (Ed Mahon Remix): Pete Callard

4) Totentanz: Momus

5) Cue The Tears (Anton Newcombe Remix): Dot Allison

6) All Too Soon: Trentemøller ft. Lisbet Fritze

7) Bright Star: Anaïs Mitchell

8) Talk Over Town: Katy J Pearson

9) Sing The Blues: Dan Wainwright

10) The Kindness Of Others (Concretism Remix By Chris Sharp): Dohnavùr

11) We No Normal (Anger Management): Sherwood & Pinch ft. Daddy Freddy, Ghetto Priest & Jen Jen

12) Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics (Radio Edit): Telefís

13) Mother Oak: Dan Wainwright & Elle Redding

14) Holiday In The Sun: Andy Bell

Waves Out Of Phase (1:08:40)

These Altered States And Altered Bodies Are Telegenic Holy Relics

I'm still trying to take in the fact that Cathal Coughlan has passed. Last week's sad news was a real shock, which reverberated across many of the music blogs that I follow. I posted a celebration of Cathal's music as The Fatima Mansions but, as is often the case in times of loss, it also provided the impetus to finally catch up with his subsequent work.

I'll focus a future post on Cathal Coughlan's last solo album, Song Of Co-Aklan, and companion E.P. Of Co-Aklan, the latter released less than a week before his death on 18th May 2022.

Today is all about Telefís, Cathal's electronic/dance project with producer Jacknife Lee. Of course, being Cathal Coughlan, you inevitably also get the biting satire and acerbic lyrics. I ended up buying the complete Telefís discography available on Bandcamp, including the album a hAon and the Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics EP, both released in March this year.

 

Cathal is no stranger to juxtaposing hard-hitting narratives with dancefloor-friendly rhythms, as remixes of The Fatima Mansions' Blues For Ceausescu, The Loyaliser and Nite Flights will attest.

 

Cathal Coughlan and Garret Lee were apparently working on new Telefís songs prior to Cathal's passing and I hope that there is sufficient material that may make it's way into the world in the future. For now, I'd highly recommend the album and EP releases, including a trio of reworkings of Falun Gong Dancer featuring the mighty Jah Wobble.

Today's selection spotlights Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics, both in it's original album form and as remixed/versioned by Thomas Leer. 

 

Cathal held his promise to Keep Music Evil right to the end. 

 

 

Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics (Album Version): Telefís (2022)

Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics (Thomas Leer Version): Telefís (2022)

 

We used to be
And we believed
It's plain to see
Toxicology

 

From the devotional freakout
of Archbishop Beardmouth:
ChemOlympics! ChemOlympics!
Don't call it chemo
These toxins are for fun!
These altered states and altered bodies are telegenic holy relics

 

We used to be
And we believed
It's plain to see
Toxicology

 

The common sense
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
Raped by events
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
Back in your trench
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
The games won't relent, won't relent

 

Culvert, truck-bonnet, crazed mob, crowbars -
We're not going out like poor Muammar
Gollies next to eagles next to crosses
on the aprons of the ungiven tosses

 

We used to be
And we believed
It's plain to see
Toxicology

 

The medals gleam
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
The nostrils steam
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
COPD
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
Google, Pepsi, epilepsy!

 

...Doesn't matter, doesn't matter.

 

The First One Began With A Kiss Kiss Kiss, The Last One Ended In A Pulverized Fist

A celebration of Cathal Coughlan, following yesterday's tragic news of his death at the age of 61. Whilst many of my college friends were going ape over Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, I bought Viva Dead Ponies by The Fatima Mansions in 1991 and went down a different path. 

I'd heard and loved Blues For Ceausescu which, in typically contrary fashion, only made it onto the UK issue of Viva Dead Ponies as a 14-second loop (the US got the full 12" version). 

 

In 1994, I was fortunate enough to see The Fatima Mansions at The Fleece in Bristol, promoting what would turn out to be their final album, Lost In The Former West. Cathal Coughlan was absolutely compelling from the start, running through a loud, paint-blistering set. I'd taken a friend who didn't really know them, apart from a hastily-compiled mixtape I'd shoved his way ahead of the night, and who left thinking it was one of the best gigs he'd ever been to.

 

Cathal Coughlan had a rich body of work pre- and post-The Fatima Mansions, with Microdisney in the 1980s and as a solo artist from the mid-1990s onwards, taking in collaborative projects such as Bubonique (with comedian Sean Hughes), The Dead Sea Scrolls (with Luke Haines) and Telefis, his latest project with Jacknife Lee. All worthy of a deeper dive, but The Fatima Mansions will always bring back happy memories of my errant and angry youth.

 

This selection unintentionally omits debut album Against Nature (also highly recommended) but includes three tracks from each of the other three albums. Whilst I also have the excellent 'Only Solution' remix and John Peel session version of Blues For Ceausescu, it's the definitive 12" version here. I've also included the title track of 1991's Hive EP, which also featured the excellent Chemical Cosh.

 

Coughlan was also known for his singular cover versions, notably Bryan Adam's Everything I Do (I Do It For You) and a bastardized take on R.E.M.'s Shiny Happy People. I've gone for a much straighter reading of Leonard Cohen's Paper Thin Hotel, from the 1000% single. 

 

I've left off numerous personal favourites but I hope this selection goes some way to giving a hint of The Fatima Mansions careering course from politics to pop, beauty to brutality, raw to rock and all the points in between.

Side One

1) Hive (1991)

2) Your World Customer (1994) 

3) A Pack Of Lies (1990)

4) Purple Window (1992)

5) Blues For Ceausescu (12" Version) (1990)

6) Chemical Cosh (Album Version) (1990)

Side Two

1) Humiliate Me (1994)

2) Breakfast With Bandog (1992)

3) The Door To Door Inspector (1990)

4) A Walk In The Woods (1994)

5) Paper Thin Hotel (Cover of Leonard Cohen) (1992)

6) Be Dead (1992)

1990: Blues For Ceausescu EP: A5

1990: Viva Dead Ponies: A3, A6, B3

1991: Hive EP: A1

1992: 1000% EP: B5

1992: Valhalla Avenue: A4, B2, B6

1994: Lost In The Former West: A2, B1, B4

Side One (21:54)

Side Two (22:20)

Eclectic Guitar

Side 2 of a mixtape, recorded 3rd October 1999. As the name suggests, an eclectic mix with lots of guitar and a slight pun on a song title by Talking Heads, who close proceedings with their debut single. 

This may be the only place (today, at least) where you'll find INXS sandwiched by His Name Is Alive and the Fatima Mansions and Beck followed by The Pastels, with some wry slice of life observations from Jarvis Cocker and Ed Ball, alongside stone cold Seventies classics by Wire, Sparks, Blondie and the aforementioned Talking Heads. 

1) 59 Lyndhurst Grove (Inside Susan: "A Story In Three Songs...", Part 3) (Single Version): Pulp (1993)

2) Wish I Had A Wishing Ring (Album Version): His Name Is Alive (1998)

3) Heaven Sent (Album Version): INXS (1992) 

4) Something Bad: The Fatima Mansions (1992)

5) Hasta Mañana, Monsieur: Sparks (1974)

6) Primrose 0882: The Times (1993)

7) Outdoor Miner (Long Version): Wire (1978)

8) One Way Or Another (Album Version): Blondie (1978)

9) Deadweight (Edit): Beck (1997)

10) Love, It's Getting Better (Cover of The Groove): The Pastels (1995)

11) Chemicrazy (Revitalized): That Petrol Emotion (1990)

12) Love → Building On Fire: Talking Heads (1977)

 

1974: Kimono My House: 5 

1977: Love → Building On Fire EP: 12

1978: Parallel Lines: 8

1989: On Returning (1977-1979): 7

1990: Sensitize EP: 11

1992: Valhalla Avenue: 4

1992: Welcome To Wherever You Are: 3 

1993: Baby Girl EP: 6

1993: Razzmatazz EP: 1 

1995: Worlds Of Possibility EP: 10

1997: Deadweight EP: 9

1998: Ft. Lake: 2

Side Two (46:08) (KF) (Mega)

The Silence Won't Crack Though We Heave And Hack

Viva Dead Ponies has been back on frequent rotation again this week. I felt the urge to listen to some "angry" music - I wonder why - and The Fatima Mansions are more than up to the task. I bought this on CD from Kay's record shop in Yate, a place which holds the dubious pleasure of being the birthplace of J.K. Rowling and named 45th worst place to live in Britain in the 2003 book Crap Towns. Kay's is long, long gone now but at the time was arguably the only reason for a trip to Yate. It stocked all the usual chart and mainstream stuff but Simon the manager also had a knack for slipping in some unexpected gems. I remember buying this on spec for £7.99 in the early 1990s. It was a brand new CD but had clearly sat unloved and unsold for sometime, and may have been at a discounted price at this point. This was the 1990 first issue of the album with 19 tracks, before it was reissued and rejigged to include Blues For Ceausescu and Only Losers Take The Bus. I love both of these songs and have the singles, but the original album was perfect and the song Thursday didn't deserve to be a casualty of the 1991 revision. The production and some of the synth sounds place the album in time, but Cathal Coughlan's songwriting and performance is unbeatable. As a proper introduction to The Fatima Mansions, the album blew me away and still resonates today. I finally got to see The Fatima Mansions live in concert in 1994, in support of their - as it subsequently transpired - final album, Lost In The Former West. It was an incendiary performance.

1) Angel's Delight (Live at the Academy, New York, 18 November 1994)

2) Concrete Block (#1) (Album Version)

3) Mr. Baby (John Peel Session, 25 March 1990) 

4) The Door-To-Door Inspector (Demo, 1989)

5) Start The Week (Album Version)

6) You're A Rose (Video Version) 

7) Legoland 3 (Album Version) 

8) Thursday (Fan Video) 

9) Ceausescu Flashback (Album Version) 

10) Broken Radio No. 1 (John Peel Session, 25 March 1990) 

11) Concrete Block (#2) (Album Version) 

12) Look What I Stole For Us, Darling (Fan Video) 

13 & 14) Farewell Oratorio / The White Knuckle Express (Album Version) 

15) Chemical Cosh (Album Version) 

16) Timo Mansio Speaks (Album Version) 

17) A Pack Of Lies (Bleeped Version) (Live on The Late Show, BBC TV, 1991) 

18) Viva Dead Ponies (Live, 1991) 

19) More Smack, Vicar (Album Version)