Snapshots Spillover: More W-onderful Places

More places beginning with W, following on from this week's Snapshots.

Let's start where Alice ended up... no, not in a Big Country.

Next we go to the current World Capital of Corruption and Idiocracy...

The Magnetic Fields – Washington DC

Hopefully that won't always be the case... though there is a worry that Michael Martin Murphey might be correct...

Michael Martin Murphey – The Wild West Is Going To Get Wilder

And back home to a Country whose name appears in far too few song titles...

The Wedding Present - Wales

Drive East from there and you might end up here...

The Capital Letters - Wolverhampton

Or even here...

Go Kart Mozart - West Brom Blues

And if you were going South East, you could be going towards...

Bleech – The Worthing Song

And on the way, you might call in here..

The Candy Skins - Wembley

Just don't stop at the services - they charge a fortune!

Roy Harper - Watford Gap

Meanwhile... yesterday, Andy Bell sang us a lovely song about Weston-Super-Mare. Just be grateful I chose that rather than...

The Wurzels - Sunny Weston-Super-Mare

Now before we head back across the pond, how about a word about one of the oldest cities in northern Europe?

Porridge Radio - Worms

Ask Walter if you don't believe me.

So then, we finish our travels back in "the land of the free"... although these guys are from Melbourne, so what do they know about it?

The Lucksmiths - Wyoming

Now Winnemucca is clearly the best place name beginning with W. Sadly, I couldn't find any songs about it... but Richmond Fontaine did name a whole after after it.

Richmond Fontaine - Out Of State (from Winnemucca)

Then there's Waco, a town famous for its infamous siege... 

The Indelicates - Something's Goin' Down In Waco

Although other things have happened there.

Ethel Cain – Waco, Texas 

Charley Crockett – The Man From Waco

I had to finish today back in Canada though. Not exactly the best tune you'll hear today... but definitely the best song title.

Snapshots #445: Songs About Places Beginning With W

Here's Denzel Washington with the answers to this week's quiz. I almost used his photo yesterday, but you guys are getting a bit too smart when it comes to the top of the page pic, so I went with Warren Beatty instead. Warren is a city in Ohio. There's also a Warren in Michigan. And one in Cheshire. Probably some others too.

Here are 15 more places that begin with W... Washington, Wales and Wuhan were conspicuous by their absence. Maybe in tomorrow's spillover edition... 

15. Slightly longer than a Buzzcock.

Pete Shelley was a Buzzcock. This is almost his Namesake...

Peter Shelley - Wisconsin

14. Useful for campanologists.

That's a handy bell!

Andy Bell - Weston-Super-Mare 

That's a great tune from the Erasure dude.

13. Tastes like Homer's beer.

Duffy - Warwick Avenue

12. Revolutionary War singer, without his comrades.

60s band Paul Revere and the Raiders were named after a famous soldier from the American Revolutionary War. The band were also named after their keyboard player, whose real name was Paul Revere Dick. He dropped the surname on stage. Can't think why. 

The lead singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders was...

Mark Lindsay – Windy Wakefield

I've no idea why he's singing about a town just a few miles down the M1 from me.

11. Lard, Sweet Pea & Ivy.

Lard was, of course, the nickname used by DJ Marc Riley when he worked with Mark Radcliffe in the 90s. He was also in The Fall. But whenever Mark E. Smith kicked him out, he returned to his own band...

Marc Riley With The Creepers - Bard of Woking

10. Found in the back of a taxi and on short British Airways flights.

Back of a cAB... and on BA flights.

Abba - Waterloo

9. Looming over a Norfolk Festival.

Weavers used looms - or wanted to smash them. The Norfolk music festival is held at Houghton Hall... although these guys actually came from Westhoughton in Greater Manchester. Which might explain how they spotted the UFOs below...

The Houghton Weavers - The Martians Have Landed In Wigan

8. Confused, but they still made a rich packet.

"Rich packet" was an anagram.

Cheap Trick – A Long Way To Worcester

I had to listen carefully to make sure Cheap Trick weren't signing "A long was to Wor-chester". Actually it sounds more like they sing "Wister" than "Wuster", but close enough, I guess. 

No idea why though.

7. AU + a short Friar + Spider-Man, initially. 

AU is Gold. The abbreviation for a Friar is Fra. Spider-Man is Peter Parker.

Goldfrapp - Ride A White Horse

Whitehorse is the capital of Canada's Yukon territory.

6. Lapwings dressed as lambs.

The Mutton Birds - Wellington

We needed a native band to sing about the capital of New Zealand.

5. Modern American Music Hall players.

New Vaudeville Band - Winchester Cathedral

4. Globe loathing.

Theatre Of Hate - Do You Believe In The Westworld?

I didn't say they had to be real places.

3. The Pink... Parsons.

Lily The Pink meets Alan Parsons.

Lily Allen - West End Girl

The Pet Shop Boys were disqualified for upsetting George.

2. Curt is always with them.

Ian Curtis, that is.

Joy Division - Warsaw 

1. Regularly received mail from strangers.

He was known for "getting cards and letter from people" he didn't "even know".

Always Number One in my heart...

I had a few of these leftover, so tune in tomorrow.

More of this gubbins next Saturday.

Saturday Snapshots #445

Heaven Can Wait this Saturday morning, but Snapshots can't. Frankly, it's The Only Game In Town.

Hopefully you won't have to be Dick Tracy to solve the clues below... who are they and how are their songs connected?

15. Slightly longer than a Buzzcock.

14. Useful for campanologists.

13. Tastes like Homer's beer.

12. Revolutionary War singer, without his comrades.

11. Lard, Sweet Pea & Ivy.

10. Found in the back of a taxi and on short British Airways flights.

9. Looming over a Norfolk Festival.

8. Confused, but they still made a rich packet.

7. AU + a short Friar + Spider-Man, initially. 

6. Lapwings dressed as lambs.

5. Modern American Music Hall players.

4. Globe loathing.

3. The Pink... Parsons.

2. Curt is always with them.

1. Regularly received mail from strangers.

Answers tomorrow morning!

Another Day #12: Scream Day

Today is Scream Day, "an unconventional yet meaningful observance that encourages individuals to release stress, frustration, and emotional tension through a simple act—screaming."

Little Esther - Hollerin' And Screamin'

A Certain Ratio - Life's a Scream

Carrie - California Screamin'

20/20 - The Night I Heard a Scream

Moose - Screaming 

Bronski Beat - Screaming

"In a fast-paced world filled with pressure and responsibilities, this day serves as a reminder that emotional expression is essential for mental well-being."

Amen to that, brother.

Tom Waits - Earth Died Screaming

Biff Bang Pow - Then When I Scream

Robyn Hitchcock - Young People Scream

Jim Bob - Scream If You Want To Go Slower

Nut - Scream

Have a good scream on me today.

Modern Life Is Rubbish #8: What's Your Name Again?

As a follow-up to last week's post about there not being a lot of boys named Gary anymore, I promised to tackle girls' names next. And Sam was once again very helpful, particularly when this song popped up on an in-car mixtape...

Still one of Paul Heaton's finest hours, that - and I love the guest appearance by George Michael in the video.

Anyway, as the song played, Sam told me, "there's none of those girls in my school."

Which means, he doesn't know any kids called...

Oh Shirley, oh Deborah, oh Julie, oh Jane...

Billy Bragg – Greetings To The New Brunette (Shirley)

Tyrannosaurus Rex - Debora

Shakin' Stevens - Oh Julie

Jefferson Starship - Jane

And he doesn't go to school with anyone called...

Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Jennifer She Said

Elvis Costello - Alison

The Legendary Ten Seconds - Philippa’s Song

(I had to search for that one. Not enough songs about girls called Philippa. There was a Pippa in my 6th form. I fancied her. No chance. She went out with my mate Simon.)

Whitney Houston - My Name Is Not Susan

Beck - Debra 

Gordon Lightfoot - Farewell To Annabel

And for completeness' sake, here's the other name mentioned in Song For Whoever... but not in Sam's school register.

The Waterboys - Cathy

I asked Sam about a few more of the names I went to school with. He didn't know girls by any of these names either...

Michael Nesmith - Joanne

Jimmy Eat World - Claire

(Apologies if you wanted to hear Gilbert.)

The Wedding Present - Rachel

Murray Head - Ruthie

Some success though - he did at least know one Sarah and one Emma. I think every other girl in my school was called Sarah or Emma...

Thin Lizzy - Sarah

Hot Chocolate - Emma

He didn't know any Louises though. Except for his Mum!

The Human League - Louise

There's a lot of good things to be said about that song, and its video - but mostly, I want a barge covered in books like the one Phil has.

I would be remiss if I didn't also feature the other great Louise song of that era...

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Perfect Skin

So then, I hear you ask, if Sam doesn't go to school with any of the girls above... what are his female schoolmates called? Well, he knows at least five girls called...

Shocking Pinks - Emily

And four called...

Madonna - La Isla Bonita

OK, that one had me stumped. If you know a song about a girl called Isla, please let me know.

He also knows two or even three different girls with each of the names below...

Wolves of Glendale - Olivia

John Denver - Darcy

Ben Folds - Gracie

Fred Again - Winnie

Tom Waits - Beatrice (Baby I'm Not A Baby Anymore)

That last one was a stretch too.

As with the boys' names then, there's been another major shift in what parents are choosing to call their kids these days... and the most popular names are ones that would mostly have belonged to old people when I was a kid. 

It's also highly unlikely that Marie will be the name of anyone's latest flame in Gen A... making all these old songs sound even more out of date.