Sasha Sloan - Runaway

Joe writes: This is probably my most listened to new track of the year so far.

mishlawi - all night

Joe writes: I loved this from the opening few seconds.

"My baby used to dance underneath my architecture" - Lana Del Rey

Joe writes: Sometimes, rarely, I feel the need to listen to an album all the way through just to see what the artist is going to say next. I remember doing that with Eminem's debut album and also did it most of the way through Lana Del Rey's Lust For Life. There are 16 tracks on the album which is a shame - she could have made the year's best nine track album, and avoided any danger of slipping into self-parody. But even across 16 tracks she's still a cut above her contemporaries.

13 Beaches is my favourite track on the album:



My favourite Lana song since Video Games isn't on the album, seemingly because it was leaked. I love the lyric to Best American Record. Here's a cover from someone who sounds a lot like Lana:

Alex Adair - Casual

Joe writes: Love this single which came out today. Such a great lyric.

Lorde - Liability

Joe writes: This is my favourite song of recent times. Lorde is a very special artist, a cut above almost all of her contemporaries.

And here's her awesome SNL performance:

Story Songs, a Spotify playlist, including 7 Years by Lukas Graham

Joe writes: Everyone loves a song with a lyric that tells a story, so it's surprising how few songwriters write these kinds of songs. One good example is the current no. 1, 7 Years by Lukas Graham, which opens this playlist:


I have another observation about 7 Years. I reckon that until recently, a Danish soul/rap/pop hybrid might have been no. 1 everywhere in mainland Europe but still not broken in the UK. What's changed? Spotify, and their power to influence the charts and so UK radio. It's a huge change and mostly very positive.

Mike Skinner from The Streets did a great BBC 6Music show of his favourite story songs. It doesn't seem to be online anymore but he does talk about story songs here.

The Mother Of All Playlists and what's happened to this blog

Joe writes: I haven't been updating this blog much but I have been spending as much time as ever seeking out great music new and old - it's just that nowadays when I find a great track I tend to just add it to a Spotify playlist.

I'm sure I will post YouTube or Soundcloud links here from time to time, but mostly I will post Spotify playlists here, which are updated regularly.

This is the Mother Of All Playlists, featuring 4000+ songs and growing, including most of my favourites and plenty of new discoveries from all genres.

dvsn - With Me

Joe writes: Can't stop listening to this. Awesome production from Nineteen85 who's best known for his work with The Weeknd. When it comes to the lyrics he seems to have only one thing on his mind.

Jason DeRulo - Cheyenne

Joe writes: Another banger from Jason.

D.R.A.M. feat. Donnie Trumpet - $

Joe writes: I wish there were more melodies and melodic hooks in rap records. That’s why I loved Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and why I like Money ($) by D.R.A.M. featuring Donnie Trumpet.

Koreless - TT

Joe writes: So trippy, and so 1994.

Lil Kleine & Ronnie Flex - Drank & Drugs

Joe writes: This Dutch hip hop track has been a massive hit in the Netherlands and Belgium. The lyric is controversial even in the liberal Netherlands, as it features two drug dealers talking about all the MDMA they are selling to kids in the club. But the track is great and the video is very, er, viral.

There are various English language versions in the offing but I actually think it could be a UK hit in this Dutch version. Afterall, everyone understands Drank & Drugs right?

DJ Koze - XTC

"Many people are experimenting with the drug ecstasy. I heard you say once that a lie is sweet in the beginning and bitter in the end, and truth is bitter in the beginning and sweet in the end. I have been meditating, but I don't have the experiences people report from the drug ecstasy. Is the drug like the lie, and meditation the truth? Or am I missing something that could really help me?"

Joe writes: You're not missing much; try magic mushrooms instead.

Miguel - Coffee

My favourite R&B track of the moment, and there are a lot of them around right now.

The Big Moon - Sucker

Joe writes: This reminds me of listening to Radio 1's Evening Session in the early nineties, in a good way (as do Wolf Alice).

The Proclaimers - Ten Tiny Fingers

Phil writes: I heard this lovely song on the radio yesterday and was instantly enchanted:

Romans - Overthinking Part 1

Joe writes: This EP by Naughty Boy collaborator Sam Romans is really great.

Everything Everything - No Reptiles

Joe writes: New Everything Everything, produced by Stuart Price, with shades of Barenaked Ladies and 10cc. Brave and interesting from a band I hadn't really liked until now.

Jamie Lawson - Wasn't Expecting That

Joe writes: Supporting Ed Sheeran played a big part in Passenger's breakthrough. Now Ed is doing his best to break another British singer songwriter who has been around for a while. He has not only taken Jamie Lawson on tour but has signed him to his amusingly named Gingerbread label.

Wasn't Expecting That is a different kind of song to Passenger's Let Her Go but maybe equally good in its way, especially lyrically. Any Nashville songwriter would be proud of this song, and it also has pleasant echoes of Squeeze's Up The Junction.

Little Big Town - Girl Crush

Joe writes: This is a big hit in the US despite being pulled from country radio stations after complaints from their listeners who (wrongly) felt it was endorsing lesbianism.

The lyric is clever and I love the production - classic soul from a country band.