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)

Explode Into Your Life Like A Tissue In A Washing Machine

2025 has been a good (albeit expensive) year so far, with some quality album releases before we're even halfway through.

I've compiled a 45-minute selection of a dozen artists that have been floating my boat. 

Enjoy!

Then buy!

1) The Swimmer: The Cowboy Mouth (Faultlines)

2) It Takes A Whole Lot Of Soul To Fill A Cup: Davey Woodward (Mumbo In The Jumbo)

3) All The Smartest People: Louise Connell (Clients Of Suddenness)

4) Music Concrete: Andy Bell (Pinball Wanderer)

5) The Mountains Are My Home: Edwyn Collins (Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation)

6) Another Fucked Up Druggy On The Scene: Gareth Sager (Play Yr Heart Out / Oh No, No Plan B)

7) My Devotion: Sparks (MAD!)

8) Sad Chord: Ellen Beth Abdi (Ellen Beth Abdi)

9) The Same Thing As Nothing At All: Destroyer (Dan's Boogie)

10) Good On The Inside: Mumble Tide (Might As Well Play Another One)

11) Dear Stephen: Manic Street Preachers (Critical Thinking)

12) Cinema Of Broken Dreams: Armory Show (Dead Souls)

Explode Into Your Life Like A Tissue In A Washing Machine (45:58) (KF) (Mega)

Blue, Gene

Remembering Gene Hackman, 30th January 1930 to 26th February 2025.

Ernie Goggins at 27 Leggies posted Too Many RIPs on Thursday, noting the recent losses of Jerry Butler, Gwen McCrae, Ken Parker, Bill Fay and Roberta Flack (with Rick Buckler from The Jam also noted). "This has got to stop", pleaded Ernie.

Sadly, later the same day, news emerged that Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and one of the family dogs had all been discovered dead at the home on the Old Sunset Trail in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. 

I will add some words to this post at a later date, as there is a greater understanding of the tragic circumstances that led to this discovery, and to reflect on the impact of Gene's immense and varied acting career.

In the meantime, in time-honoured knee jerk tradition, I've responded by collating an hour-long Dubhed selection, all song titles drawn from Gene's film and TV career. With over 100 credits, there were no shortage of quality contenders, but I think the final 14 hit the spot.

No apologies for tracks 11 and 14, which shoehorn in the film via the subtitle, they were too good to ignore. Likewise, who will argue that the opening song drops the definite article when it's Joni Mitchell?

Farewell, Gene and Betsy.

1) Conversation: Joni Mitchell (1970)

2) Route 66 (Single Version) (Cover of Nat King Cole & The King Cole Trio): Depeche Mode (1987)

3) Bonnie And Clyde (Cover of Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot): Mick Harvey ft. Anita Lane (1995)

4) Misunderstood (Album Version): Leila ft. Donna Paul (1998)

5) Two Of A Kind: Superstar (1998)

6) The Mexican (Short Version): Jellybean ft. Jenny Haan (1987)

7) Downhill Racer (Kenny Dope Remix): Everything But The Girl (2004)

8) The Quick & The Dead: Ladyhawke (2012)

9) Twilight (Album Version): Hifi Sean & David McAlmont (2025)

10) Superman (Album Version) (Cover of The Clique): R.E.M. (1986)

11) Wish You Were Here... (Postcards From The Edge) (Remix By Ashley Beedle): The Aloof (1996)

12) Another Woman (Album Version): Moby ft. Barbara Lynn (2000)

13) Crimson Tide: Destroyer (2020)

14) Plug Me In (The French Connection) (Remix By Rick Phylip-Jones): Scarlet Fantastic (1987)

Blue, Gene (1:01:08) (KF) (Mega)

Just This Terrible Crescendo Heading Towards A Conclusion

I was going to start off by saying that I haven't really followed the path of Destroyer aka Dan Bejar, but thought I'd 'fact check' that first.

 

It turned out to be something of an understatement. 

 

According to Discogs, Dan's debut self-released cassette, Deströyer, came out thirty years ago. Destroyer's 15th album, the brilliantly-titled Dan's Boogie, is released in late March.

According to my music collection, I currently have the sum total of 3 songs and 15 minutes of Destroyer music, two original songs and one cover version.

The second single and video from Dan's Boogie has just dropped. The equally brilliantly titled Hydroplaning Off The Edge Of The World starts off with Dan and a startled cat at home, drum then guitars and synths then ba ba bas kicking in classic pop fashion before the opening line, "I lie to myself..."

Nearly five minutes later, I'm sold and pre-ordering the album.

Not that I needed convincing, but January's preceding single, Bologna, featuring Fiver aka Simone Carver, is equally good.

Destroyer are on tour, with three dates in England in June, Manchester, London and The Fleece in Bristol. It's a mid-week gig, but on the handful of songs I've heard, I was sorely tempted... until I realised that it's the same night that I'll be on the other side of the city, seeing Butler, Blake & Grant instead. Drat!

 

Here are the other three songs currently residing in my collection. Crimson Tide is the opening song on 2020 album Have Me Met. Blue Eyes, featuring Sibel Thrasher, is the second track on 2011's tenth album Kaputt. 

 

In December 2011, Mojo magazine's cover mounted CD was a cover of New Order's 1983 album, Power Corruption & Lies, plus the Blue Monday 12" and album-related B-sides. Destroyer tackle the album closer, Leave Me Alone, and it's really rather good.