Another Day #17: Don't Panic!

Lots of things to be aware of today! For a start, it's National Clean Air Day 2026...

The Hollies - The Air That I Breathe

Let's hope the air stays clean, because it's also International Picnic Day...

Mickey & Sylvia - Let's Have a Picnic

Suede - Picnic By The Motorway

Doubt you'll get much clean air if that's your picnic spot of choice, Bret.

Modest Mouse - It Always Rains On A Picnic

There always has to be someone who spoils it before we even get there, eh?

Let's not bother. We'll stay in and embrace some clean water instead, for National Clean Your Aquarium Day. Any excuse to play something from these guys... ooh, wait - looks like they've got a new song out!

Here's another way to clean the air. Today is also the International Day for Countering Hate Speech so this seems pretty appropriate...

China Street - Rock Against Racism

Over in the USA, meanwhile, it is National Wanna Get Away Day. Who can blame them?

Here's a great bit of Memphis power pop from 1981...

Tommy Hoehn - Get Away!

And here's something a little heavier from one of Superman's arch-foes in 1993...

Brainiac - Get Away

Finally though, and no prizes for guessing why I saved this one till last, Thursday the 18th of June is also International Panic Day. Enjoy.

Snapshots #412: Call The Cops!

Hello, hello, hello!

To celebrate this collection of songs about things we call the cops, I asked Steve McGarrett to pose for a Snapshot. He may not be my favourite policeman, but he does have the best theme tune...

Here are some more tunes that are Top of the Cops...

15. A tissue detangled.

A tisSUE DEtangled.

Suede - We Are The Pigs

14. United? Never!

Manchester City FC (1972) - The Boys in Blue

No barrel goes unscraped for this feature.

13. Chimney... watershed.

Chimney stack... and a watershed is a ridge of land that separates two rivers.

Stackridge - Marzo Plod

12. Growing happy bacteria.

Smiley Culture  - Police Officer

11. Uffington.

Where you'll find a White Horse.

Whitehorse - Division 5

A song about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and their inability to solve problems in Luke Doucet's love life.

10. Destined never to be well groomed.

Never the grooms, always...

The Bachelors - Old Bill

9. Bing cures serpent... in a way.

"Bing cures serpent" is an anagram of the anagram boss...

Bruce Springsteen - State Trooper

8. Plant juice from the flour factory... and it's goodnight from him.

Ronnie Milsapp - Smoky Mountain Rain

Burt Reynolds fans will get that one.

7. No interest from the whole country.

Credit To The Nation - Filth

6. Boyle found in London Research Library.

Susan Boyle in the Maughan Library.

Susan Maughan - Bobby's Girl

5. Indiana wants them.

Hoosiers are people from Indiana.

The Hoosiers - Cops And Robbers 

4. When you're gone, how can I even try to go on?

Lyrics from SOS by Abba, obviously.

SOS Band - The Finest

As in New York's Finest.

3. How a Scottish Monarch cooks his bacon and eggs.

The Monarch of the Glen is a mean fry cook.

Glenn Frey - The Heat Is On

2. Butch Cassidy drinks mostly Cognac.

Paul Newman played Butch. Cognac is a Brandy. Most of a brandy is...

Randy Newman - Jolly Coppers on Parade

1. Christopher Black, Kevin McGrady, Harry Kirkpatrick. 

Three gentlemen famous for being Supergrasses. As I'm sure Google will have advised you.

Supergrass - Caught By The Fuzz

If you don't report back here for further questioning next Saturday morning... you're nicked!

Snapshots #403: Songs About Building Materials

Can we fix this week's Snapshots?

Yes, we can...

15. Made from animal bottoms.

Made, I'm reliably informed, from the underside of animal hides...

Suede - The Asphalt World

14. Thomas Rogers Ball.

Kenny - Heart of Stone

13. Adoration abode.

House Of Love - Marble

12. Noble German fella is quite turned on.

Edel is German for noble...

Randy Edelman - Concrete & Clay

11. Sounds like a president... but don't call him crazy!

Sounds like Lyndon Johnson, but not crazy...

Linton Kwesi Johnson - Iron Bar

10. Left back in Portugal.

I'm sure the football fans and residents of Portugal can tell you who Nuno Tavares is.

Tavares - Timber

9. Are u angry, man?

"U angry, man" was an anagram.

Gary Numan - We Are Glass

8. Ambling strollers.

The Walkabouts - Sand & Gravel

7. Keyboard shortcut.

alt-J - Breezeblocks

6. Version, from her in France, plus Kevin, Maggie, Matt and Sam.

Ver + d'elle + a Smith.

Verdelle Smith - Tar & Cement

5. French.

Kiss - Plaster Caster

4. Taking the... Manchester town. 

Taking the Michael in Bolton.

Michael Bolton - Steel Bars

3. Waldorf.

Salad - Granite Statue

2. Creepy crawly + Paul Guitar.

Bug + Les.

The Buggles - Living In The Plastic Age

1. Kindly fop in a tizzy.

"Kindly fop" was an anagram...

Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall

We'll build another Snapshots together next Saturday...

Namesakes #118: Brett Anderson

Usually I feature bands who share the same name, but this week, because it's New Year's Eve and nobody will be reading anyway, here's a few pop performers with the same name.

The guy at the top of the page is former Aussie rugby league player, Brett Anderson, who has not, to my knowledge, ever recorded any music.

Here though, are some Brett Andersons that have...

 

BRETT ANDERSON #1

We'll start with the one most of you know. He's the lead singer of Suede, who shared their own Namesakes back in May 2023. 

Suede - Saturday Night

BRETT ANDERSON #2

Next up, we have a Brett Anderson from Bloomington, Indiana... aka Donna A, because she's the lead singer of The Donnas.

The Donnas - Take It Off

BRETT ANDERSON #3

Our third Brett is from West Plains, Missouri. He's the lead guitarist of the group Ha Ha Tonka, and also a singer-songwriter on his own.

Ha Ha Tonka - Race To The Bottom

BRETT ANDERSON #4

Our fourth Brett is the lead singer of Australian Hardcore/Metalcore band Buried In Verona. Bit noisy for me, but I liked this song title...

Buried In Verona - Colonel Mustard In The Conservatory With The Lead Pipe

Discogs lists 14 different Brett Andersons and one Bret Anderson, but these were the only ones who I could find tunes from. 

But which Brett is the best Anderson?

Snapshots #371 - A Top Fifteen Songs About Film Stars (By Other Names)

It's a rather cumbersome title to this week's quiz... but I'm sure you all know what I mean.

Here are fifteen songs about what Ray Davies called Celluloid Heroes...

15. He allowed Zoe to get all messed up.

"He allowed Zoe" was an anagram...

Lee Hazlewood - The Performer

14. Invisible violet growing in the mountains.

If violet is invisible, it's ultraviolet. Montane means, "of or inhabiting mountainous country".

The Ultra Montanes - Aging Starlet

13. Birmingham City are a temperamental bunch.

Birmingham City are the Blues, or so I'm told.

The Moody Blues - The Actor

12. Found in Labradors and just outside Glasgow.

LaBRADors from Paisley.

Brad Paisley - Celebrity

11. Get high in a South End amusement park.

Kursaal Flyers - The Great Artiste

10. Frizzy.

Split Enz - Matinee Idyll

That's not how I'd spell "idol", but the song fits.

9. Paranoid, like a pig.

Marvin was paranoid. Like a pig could be Ham-lish.

Marvin Hamlisch - The Entertainer

8. Secret panther is well hidden.

"Secret panther" is an anagram...

The Carpenters - Superstar

7. Elaborately ornamental furnishings.

Rococo - Blue Movie Star

I included that one just for George.

Because it's prog! No other reason...

6. Carson pulled a few.

"That's a cracker," said Frank Carson. Not Johnny.

Cracker - Movie Star

5. Once had to deal with a sneezing baby, a broken toaster and a burnt soufflé, all in the same day.

Those are the lyrics of Coming Around Again. This is a lesser known offering...

Carly Simon - Actress

4. How much do you want for this commotion?

Name your Price for Lloyd (Cole).

Lloyd Price - Personality

3. Michael and Marti's rat meets #4's Stagger. 

Michael and Marti both sang about Ben, the rat. Lloyd Price sang about Stagger Lee.

Ben Lee - Household Name

2. LGBTQ party doesn't get a passing grade.

The LGBTQ party, so I'm reliably informed, would be a Kiki. D is not a pass.

Kiki Dee - Star

1. Pursue Dean Martin to find the answer.

Pursue Dean Martin...

Suede - Filmstar

You're nominated for another starring role next Saturday...