My Top 18 Albums of 2018 #1

Here it is then, the full countdown... and a very worthy Number One.

Enjoy your New Year's Eve. Here's my youtube playlist of my albums of the year to play at your party.

18. Kate Nash - Yesterday Was Forever

17. Gretchen Peters - Dancing With The Beast

16. Death Cab For Cutie - Thank You For Today

15. The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist

14. Alejandro Escovedo - The Crossing

13. Eels - The Deconstruction

12. Lukas Nelson & The Promise of the Real

11. Jack White - Boarding House Reach

10. Jill Jackson - Are We There Yet?

9. The Decemberists - I'll Be Your Girl

8. Amy Rigby - The Old Guys

7. Ezra Furman - Transangelic Exodus

6. Father John Misty - God's Favourite Customer

5. Half Man Half Biscuit - No One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin' Hedge Cut

4. John Grant - Love Is Magic

3. Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton John

2. Will Hoge - My American Dream

1. John Prine - Tree of Forgiveness

Back when we need him the most - warm, witty and wise. The living legend - long may he reign!

More here.



If you're going out celebrating tonight, take care and have a good one. If, like me, you'll be asleep long before the clock strikes in the new year... enjoy that too.

Thanks for reading this dribble throughout 2018. See you in 2019.

Saturday Snapshots #64 - The Answers

I figured there would be low attendance at yesterday's Saturday Snapshots, given that many of you will Fly Away to other pursuits at this time of year. This allowed Rigid Digit and Charity Chic to virtually clean up, leaving only a couple for Brian and C to solve. (By the way, if you enjoy Saturday Snapshots, be sure to check out the latest instalment of C's Mystery Lovechild quiz.)

Still, It Ain't Over Till It's Over... so here are this week's answers.


10. Dearest greetings.

The Beloved - Hello

9. Save me from Netball Sofas!

Netball Sofas was an anagram.

Fontella Bass - Rescue Me

8. Search or arrest? Damn fine...

Search warrant.

Arrest warrant.

"Damn fine Cherry Pie," said Agent Cooper.

I figured Rigid Digit would get this one!

Warrant - Cherry Pie

7. Play cards with the French? Oui, monsieur, but I'd rather dance.

There was no stopping Charity Chic with this one!

Baccara - Yes Sir, I Can Boogie

6. Voodoo lady owns a bloody skeleton.

Redbone - Witch Queen of New Orleans

5. When you're cleaning up after the tennis, and there's nowt worth listening to on the wireless.

Ballboys pick up the balls after (and during) a tennis match.

Ballboy - All The Records On The Radio Are Shite

4. Scared of when Prince cries?

Doves - The Fear

3. Neverending pangs land kilograms.

land + kg is an anagram of kd lang.

kd lang - Constant Craving

2. Danielle loves Clark Kent.

    Danielle loves Clark Kent.

Dan ❤ Man (Clark Kent being the man in Superman).

I wrote it twice because it was an Instant Replay.

Don't watch this video if you were out on the town last night.

Dan Hartman - Instant Replay

1. Mike...pops? Get aircon or call the fire brigade! No exit.

Mike Flowers Pops.

Aircon or the fire brigade could help a hot house (depending on how hot it got).



Are You Gonna Go My Way? If so, Saturday Snapshots will be back next week. Hopefully, so will you...

Saturday Snapshots #64

Welcome To The Jungle that is Saturday Snapshots. Please identify the ten top tunes and their performers from the clues below. Have Patience. Don't Cry. It's So Easy!


10. Dearest greetings.

9. Save me from Netball Sofas!

8. Search or arrest? Damn fine...

7. Play cards with the French? Oui, monsieur, but I'd rather dance.

6. Voodoo lady owns a bloody skeleton.

5. When you're cleaning up after the tennis, and there's nowt worth listening to on the wireless.

4. Scared of when Prince cries?

3. Neverending pangs land kilograms.

2. Danielle loves Clark Kent.

    Danielle loves Clark Kent.

1. Mike...pops? Get aircon or call the fire brigade! No exit.

Answers tomorrow morning, Sweet Child O' Mine...

My Top 18 Albums of 2018 #2

2. Will Hoge - My American Dream

Dylan. Young. Springsteen. Mellencamp. Costello. The next American great protest singer channels them all to take down Trump.


Next... the feelgood record of the year, from a returning legend.

My Top 18 Albums of 2018 #3

3. Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John

Totally Hot, Magic... Juliana makes me want to get Physical. I Honestly Love It. Best tribute album ever?

More here.



Next... an American nightmare.

My Top 18 Albums of 2018 #4

4. John Grant - Love Is Magic

Even experimental electronica can't distract from the joys of John Grant's arch lyrical perspective on love and life.

More here.


Next... Totally Hot.

Seasonal Snapshots II - The Answers

When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve, you promised me the answers to Saturday Snapshots... well, here they are.

Congratulations to Reading's Rigid Digit who took the star on the top of the tree this year. Sterling effort from Chris, the runner up, from Denmark. Thanks also to Brian from the U.S. and Deano from Australia for coming along and solving the ones nobody else could - truly an international effort! Cheers and happy Christmas to all the other regulars. Thanks for playing.

To help you enjoy the festivities, here's 25 tunes to play on Christmas morning and get you in the mood... handily compiled into a playlist should you wish to listen to them all while you're basting your turkeys...


25. Richard Tea? Dai Jestive? Gary Baldy? Don't be so trite!

Rich Tea. Di-Gestive. GariBaldy. All half men, half biscuits.

Half Man Half Biscuit - It's Cliched To Be Cynical At Christmas

24. Follow this to Bethlehem to find the answer.

Big Star - Jesus Christ

23. Sweet rejoicing in mature meadow.

A mature meadow would be an old field.

Sweet rejoicing in Latin would be...

Mike Oldfield - In Dulci Jubilo

22. Holding up knickers with A Greater Doxology.

Knickers are held up by elastic. Elastic with A makes...

The Greater Doxology is another name for Gloria in excelsis Deo...

Elastica - Gloria

21. Spousal present dilemma solved by wet bloke and old king.

Wet bloke = Waterman

Old King Cole

George Cole & Dennis Waterman (aka "Arfur" Daley & Terry McCann) - What're We Gonna Get For Christmas For 'Er Indoors?

20. Making a festive killing.

Because Slayed = killed, and because Noddy Holder makes a million quid from this song every year, apparently.

Slade - Merry Christmas Everyone

19. Shrunken Santa on the sands.

The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick

18. Long before Mariah: I still need to give you that dollar.

Mariah sang "All I Want For Christmas Is You".

You owe me a buck.

Buck Owens - All I Want For Christmas Dear Is You

17. Jesus's crown found amid the decorations.

Jesus had a crown of thorns.

Tracy Thorn - Tinsel & Lights

16. Wan waterfalls wish you a blessed Noel.

Pale Fountains - Benoit's Christmas

("Benoit" is an archaic French word for blessed.)

15. W.S. & Arthur did not dream like Frank. O!

Gilbert O'Sullivan - I'm Not Dreaming Of A White Christmas

14. Eddie's Italian restaurant date gets spruced up in Cooper's jeans.

In Billy Joel's Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, Brenda and Eddie were going steady.

Lee Cooper.

Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

13. Former house-painter enjoys festive peanuts.

Mark Kozelek's old band were the Red House Painters.

This song is a cover version of the famous song from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.

Mark Kozelek - Christmas Time Is Here

12. Colorado native begs for festive tem-pa-rance.

Denver, Colorado.

John Denver - Please, Daddy, Don't Get Drunk This Christmas

11. Will his sleigh contain snowflakes or diamonds this year?

The Crystals - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

10. Ta for an ecstatic yule.

XTC - Thanks For Christmas

9. Pine delivery for Homerski.

Red Simpson - Truckin' Trees For Christmas

8. Bald, golden harpies invite you back for an egg nog at their place.

The Eagles - Please Come Home For Christmas

7. Lazy ocean brags about bellowing at baubles.

Lazy = idle. Billy Ocean / Bragg.

Billy Idol - Yelling At The Christmas Tree

6. Queens start computer programmes like a Jack-Hammer.

Computers start with Run.

Jack Dee.

MC Hammer.

Hollis is in Queens.

Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis

5. No little stars twinkling tonight... just a neverending clanging.

The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)

4. Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, he walks into mine... but he's a few days early.

Quote from Casablanca, obviously.

Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today (oh, now it is!)

3. Refusing #8's offer, with eyes closed 26 x 7.

The Eagles sang "Please Come Home For Christmas" at #8.

This is Blink 182's reply...

Blink 182 - I Won't Be Home For Christmas

2. That's a long way to go for a phoney (even a great one).

The Pretenders weren't phoneys, but they were Great Pretenders.

The Pretenders - 2000 Miles

1. Huey's future hit stolen by Sinatra movie.

Huey Lewis's hit from Back To The Future was The Power of Love.

I'll protect you from the Hooded Claw...

Happy Christmas. Thanks for being there this year. It's appreciated.