Monday Mix-tape - 18.03.2013

Yes, folks, yet another week has shot past in the blink of an eye. This Sunday was St Patrick's Day, the day of the year where countless numbers of folks try and kid themselves that they are as Irish as Graham Norton and then attempt to drink so much Guinness that they see little leprechaun's dancing before them on the toilet cistern as they throw it all back up again.

And, so, in honour of that custom, here are ten tracks from Irish folks, with not a Riverdance in sight!

1) Whisky In The Jar - Thin Lizzy

2) Where The Streets Have No Name - U2

3) Generation Sex - The Divine Comedy

4) Mystic Eyes - Them

5) Linger - The Cranberries

6) Teenage Kicks - The Undertones

7) Girl From Mars - Ash

8) Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor

9) Cannonball - Damien Rice

10) Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

There's your ten to track down and listen to. I trust you will enjoy them, and listen to them as you recover from your Guinness-induced hangover on Monday morning!

Until next time dear readers...

Monday Mix-tape - 11.03.2013

Another week has passed us by. While I let you get to grips with that bombshell, I will quickly say how I hope you've all been spoiling your mother, or, if you are a mother, your kids have been spoiling you (with help from dad should they not be old enough to reach the hob).

Right, recovered now? This week I've been listening to some classic tunes from that good old rollicking rock band from Manchester, Oasis. And so, this week, I've chosen ten tracks from the albums that were generally not as well received as the first two...

1) Gas Panic! (from Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants)

2) Hung In A Bad Place (from Heathen Chemistry)

3) A Bell Will Ring (from Don't Believe The Truth)

4) Where Did It All Go Wrong? (from Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants)

5) Force Of Nature (from Heathen Chemistry)

6) Mucky Fingers (from Don't Believe The Truth)

7) The Girl In The Dirty Shirt (from Be Here Now)

8) (Waiting For) The Rapture (from Dig Out Your Soul)

9) Be Here Now (from Be Here Now)

10) To Be Where There's Life (from Dig Out Your Soul)

And there you have it - ten little pieces of quality that were hidden amongst a veritable feast of mediocrity. Do enjoy them, and return once more next week...

Monday Mix-tape - 04.03.2013

Believe it or not, seven days have passed since last week's posting. That's like a whole week! Now we're into March and almost through a quarter of the year already. Christ on a bike!!

Currently, there don't seem to be enough hours in the day. Not that I'm particularly busy or anything, but I'd just like a few more hours to sleep. And, in keeping with this theme of sleep (or lack of), here are ten tracks for your pleasure...

1) The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight - R.E.M.

2) No Sleep Til Brooklyn - The Beastie Boys

3) Tired Of Hanging Around - The Zutons

4) Tired Of Waiting For You - The Kinks

5) Don't Sleep In The Subway - Petula Clark

6) The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Tight Fit

7) Nice Dream - Radiohead

8) If I Can Dream - Elvis Presley

9) California Dreaming - The Mamas And Papas

10) Insomnia - Faithless

And there you have it. Ten more tracks for you to discover and enjoy. Until next week.

Monday Mix-tape - 25.02.2013

Welcome back folks! Another week has shot by faster than a bullet from Oscar Pistorious' gun. (That's ok, isn't it? I mean there's been no doubt that he fired the gun, it's more a question of whether he knew who he was shooting at? Well, I'll allow you to put the 'allegedly' where ever you deem necessary.)

This week, I've gone for a number theme, so here are ten tracks containing a number, and no smart-arse comments from me again (I've worked out that I can do the whole thing a hell of a lot quicker if I leave that crap out).

1) 18 With A Bullet - Pete Wingfield

2) 303 - Kula Shaker

3) Song 2 - Blur

4) 4-Day Weekend - The Bluetones

5) 5 Piece Chicken Dinner - The Beastie Boys

6) 78 Stone Wobble - Gomez

7) One After 909 - The Beatles

8) 10th Street - Fun Lovin' Criminals

9) 1973 - James Blunt

10) 19th Nervous Breakdown

And that concludes this weeks offering. I trust you will find them enjoyable (well, most of them at least) and look forward to throwing together another ten for you next week.

Tatty Bye, as Ken Dodd would say!

Monday Mix-tape - 18.02.2013

Another week has gone by, and here we are yet again for another helping of mix-tape fun and frolics. This week, I'm shining the Specs, Rugs and Sausage Rolls spotlight on a band from Sweden, that I'm guessing not many of you will have heard of. Oh, and no, it's not ABBA. Or Ace of Base. It's a band called Mando Diao, and they're pretty darned good.

So, here for your delectation (and without any more smart-arse subtexts), are ten of my favourite tracks from their catalogue...

1) Gloria

2) Ochrasy

3) You Don't Understand Me

4) Mean Street

5) Maybe Just Sad

6) If I Leave You

7) Kingdom & Glory

8) Mr Moon

9) Welcome Home, Luc Robitaille

10) Dance With Somebody

You can go off and listen now, and thank me later. Then why not come back next week as I struggle to find more tenuous themes to warrant linking ten tracks together.

Monday Mix-tape - 11.02.2013

Well, folks, it's almost that time of year again. When men get weighed down with the pressure of expectance and all that malarkey.

That's right: Valentine's Day. And, in celebration of it all, here's ten lovely tracks for your delectation, and no smart arse comments from me to spoil the mood...

1) It Must Be Love - Madness

2) Love - John Lennon

3) All Time Love - Will Young

4) Hallelujah I Love Her So - The Animals

5) Love Is Only A Feeling - The Darkness

6) Why Won't You Give Me Your Love - The Zutons

7) Is This Love - Bob Marley

8) Labelled With Love - Squeeze

9) My Love - Paul McCartney

10) Love Unlimited - Fun Lovin' Criminals

So, that's it. Come back next week for more mix-tape listing, even if you're a man who made a mess of Valentine's Day, or a woman let down by your man.

See you soon!

Monday Mix-tape - 03.02.2013

Welcome to February, folks! It's an early posting this week, because I'm all alone with no distractions . Which you may think is pretty cool, and it is, for about an hour, then it's a bit crap. And also, tonight is the Superbowl, so I'll be watching that all night and into the morning, while you will mostly be in bed.

This week's offering is all about being alone and being lonely (sob)...

1) All By Myself - Eric Carmen
Was he a one hit wonder?!

2) So Lonely - The Police
Funky loneliness!

3) Are You Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley
Even The King knows about loneliness!

4) Isolation - John Lennon
That's what I'm feeling!

5) Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan
No list would be complete without it!

6) Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Sublime!

7) We'll Meet Again - Vera Lynn
I do know where and when though!

8) Without You - Harry Nillson
Ok, I can just about cope on my own!

9) I'm So Lonely - Cast
A nifty song!

10) Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
It's the girlfriend's alarm, and I'll miss it in the morning!

So, if you're also alone and feeling blue, give these a listen, try not to get too depressed though, and then look forward to seeing your loved ones again!

Until next time.

Monday Mix-tape - 14.01.2013

Frighteningly, we are already two weeks into 2013. With this in mind, there is nothing for it but to give you ten tracks from one of the greatest bands ever - The Who. But be warned, these tracks must be heard at a high volume, and don't forget, loud music can seriously harm your hearing, kids!

1) My Generation
Well, duh, of course!

2) I Can't Explain
It would be inexplicable to leave this one out!

3) Pinball Wizard
Nothing to do with Mr Potter, though!

4) Won't Get Fooled Again
That's what I say every April 1st!

5) Baba O'Reily
Another one you can't leave out!

6) Magic Bus
You can't have it!

7) A Quick One While He's Away
The birth of the rock opera!

8) I'm A Boy
Child cruelty in song!

9) Who Are You?
Something I wonder as I look in the mirror!

10) Summertime Blues
The definitive version of this song!

I hope you enjoy these, and that your ears have stopped ringing in time for next week's offering!

Monday Mix-tape - 07.01.2013

Well, here were are in 2013! Did you all have a good New Year? For those of us who have been back to work, haven't those three days felt like a whole year already?!

Well, this first weekend of the year has gone, and for the British readers of a certain age, the highlight was most definitely the weekend of retro, or 'Old Skool' children's programming on the Citv channel. The programmes that we grew up with and had our view of the world formed by. Rainbow, Count Duckula, Super Gran, The Sooty Show and many more nuggets of televisual wonderment! For those who have no bleedin' idea, just Youtube it, ok?!

And so, in honour of that slice of retro, this first Monday Mix-tape of 2013 is my own slice of retro - the music I was listening to in my formative years...

1) Living In A Box - Living In A Box
The sheer brilliance of the lyric made it stick in my mind!

2) Me, Myself And I - De La Soul
Heavily influenced by my brother's record collection here!

3) Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
Look, I felt comfortable with it at the time!

4) Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
Another brotherly influence, but what a track!

5) Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr
Courtesy of the NOW compilation albums rather than the film itself!

6) What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For? - Shakin' Stevens
It just got into my head, and it's still there if you look closely!

7) Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle
It probably stood out on Top of The Pops!

8) Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson
It was my Jacko phase post Moonwalker!

9) Funky Cold Medina - Tone Loc
Another NOW compilation nugget - always made me laugh!

10) Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N Roses
My brother's introduction to 'real music', aged 8!

There you have it. Arguably the soundtrack to my first decade on this planet. There are probably loads more I could pick out if I felt like it, but these ten are certainly a pretty good snapshot!

So, what songs have stood out from your childhood?!

Until next week...

Monday Mix-tape - 31.12.2012

And so, here we are. The final Monday Mix-tape of 2012. It's been quite a year in general, what with that sporting event in London, a non-existent Apocalypse, crazy American gun nutters, continuing unrest in the Arab nations and other stuff.

To go alongside all that, I have tried to guide you all through a musical minefield of what you should be listening to using themes ranging from TV theme songs to stuff I listened to on holiday in Austria. Hopefully you've taken some of it on board and your music collection is suitably enriched.

For this last edition of 2012, I'm going to look forward to 2013. I am featuring two artists who will hopefully be releasing a full album of material into the world, one who I've been enjoying for a while, and one I discovered as recently as the 22nd December this year. I shall leave it to you to work out which is which...

1) Jesus Won't Dance In My High Heels - Four Dead In Ohio
It's got a guitar riff to die for!

2) Utah - Four Dead In Ohio
A real slow burner!

3) Debbie's Whiskey Bar - Four Dead In Ohio
From their most recent EP release!

4) UFO - Four Dead In Ohio
No aliens, promise!

5) Peasants Prayer - Four Dead In Ohio
No mention of food or running water, or anything like that!

6) Emma - The Hummingbirds
Best use of a whistling for a long time!

7) Back In Liverpool - The Hummingbirds
Why would you want to leave?!

8) Break Your Heart - The Hummingbirds
Title track from latest EP!

9) Bankrupt Blues - The Hummingbirds
Bills need to be paid!

10) You - The Hummingbirds
Just go and buy the EPs!


Two different bands, two different sounds, but two bands well worth a listen folks!

Happy New Year from Specs, Rugs And Sausage Rolls!!!

Monday Mix-tape - 24.12.2012

So, well, bloody hell. It's really Christmas. After all that anticipation and hassle over what to ask Santa Claus to bring you (wink, wink), in two sleeps time, he'll have been and left you a pile of gifts under your tree, drunk your brandy and eaten your mince pie. And left you with the difficult question to answer: "How did Santa come down the chimney when we've got a Gas fire, Mummy/Daddy?"

So, while you try and come up with ways to get out of that one, here's my Mix-tape list of ten festive tracks that simply have to be played at this time of year...

1) Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade
It's Chriiiiiiiiistmaaaaaaass!

2) I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day - Wizzard
Highly impractical!!

3) Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) - The Darkness
The best festive tune of recent times!

4) Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
A cheery old singalong - as all festive tunes ought to be!

5) Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - John & Yoko
Combining a message of peace with Christmas!

6) Power Of Love - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Not particularly a Christmas song!

7) Lonely This Christmas - Mud
More Seventies Christmas schmalz!

8) Must Be Santa - Bob Dylan
An unlikely source for a Christmas tune!

9) Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby & David Bowie
Ba-rum-pum-pum-pum!

10) Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
The King does Christmas!

Monday Mix-tape - 17.12.2012

Yes, I'm back again. This is the last Monday Mix-tape before the mayhem of Christmas really begins. Unless you're one of those who leaves your shopping until the last minute, I'd expect you've done it all, wrapped it up and found a suitable hiding place somewhere in the house (but be warned: they will be looking at every opportunity!)

So, in this lull, I'm going to give you ten tracks to relax with. You can just sit and listen with a relaxing coffee, or glass of wine and a mince pie. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin...

1) Small World - Roddy Frame
One man and his guitar!

2) Calico Skies - Paul McCartney
An ex-Beatle and a guitar!

3) Tangerine - Led Zeppelin
Four men but no fruit!

4) Crystal - Mando Diao
Some Swedish men yet no cut glass in sight!

5) Drop In The Sea - Kula Shaker
Nineties band without a drop of water for miles!

6) Easy Like Sunday Morning - The Commodores
Simples!

7) How Does It Feel - Slade
Four hairy blokes from the Black Country!

8) I Got The Blues - The Rolling Stones
Don't feel too sad though!

9) Karma Police - Radiohead
Don't panic, not the real police!

10) Oliver James - Fleet Foxes
One man's voice!

And also, just as a tribute to the legendary Ravi Shankar, here's three pieces of his music to listen to and let all your troubles and tension drift away on the music...

a) Raga Ahir Bhairav
b) Dadra
c) Maru-Bihag

So that's all for now... the next edition will be a most festive offering for you to enjoy!!!

Monday Mix-tape - 10.12.2012

You'd think that after seven months, I'd start to run out of ideas for these little things, wouldn't you? But thankfully things just keep cropping up to help me maintain a steady flow of mix-tape helpings.

And this week is no different - my poor girlfriend is currently laid up with a bad case of Sciatica and so, this week, in her honour, it's songs with the word 'back' in the title!

1) I Want You Back - The Jackson 5

2) I'll Be Back - The Beatles

3) Coming Back Hard Again - The Fat Boys

4) Back In The USSR - The Beatles

5) The Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy

6) Back To Life - Soul II Soul

7) Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-a-lot

8) Back Against The Wall - Cage The Elephant

9) Sing It Back - Moloko

10) Don't Look Back In Anger - Oasis

And with that, I say "Get Well Soon" Marisa!!

Monday Mix-tape - 19.11.2012

Hello, again, folks! We've passed the half-way point of November now, and the C-word is now just 37 days away. For a change, I've pretty much completed my C-word shopping, so it will be a relaxed time in the Moore-Kober household - apart from the crafting frenzy currently in action next to me as I type!

This week's ten tracks have been inspired by an uneducated remark made by that Irish-Westlife-twonk in this year's edition of Strictly Come Dancing (I'm not a fan, but we put it on around bedtime so that Anthony sees that there is nothing worth staying awake for!) where he announced the song he was going to be dancing to was 'The Best Is Yet To Come' by Michael Buble. Now, the uneducated amongst us will probably not see that as particularly inaccurate, but as I'm educated, it got my back up good and proper! Firstly, there have been countless versions of that song long before Buble was able to talk, let alone hold a note, and secondly, he's not very good in my opinion.

Which got me thinking, so here are ten tracks by ten artists who have more talent in their socks than Buble will ever dream of having, and some of them are dead! In fact, I would anticipate that if you were to exhume Frank Sinatra's body, he would still put on a better show!!

1) The Best Is Yet To Come - Frank Sinatra
Although not in this list!

2) Volare - Dean Martin
Frank's Rat Pack buddy!

3) Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Andy Williams
Who's been playing with the glue?!

4) Rags To Riches - Tony Bennett
The ultimate Lottery win!

5) Beyond The Sea - Bobby Darin
Another quality crooner!

6) The Candy Man - Sammy Davis Jr
Sweet entry from the third Rat Packer!

7) Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
One of the few I could remember!

8) Release Me - Engelbert Humperdinck
It kept the Beatles off Number One!

9) Catch A Falling Star - Perry Como
Watch out for sharp corners!

10) Always On My Mind - Mike Reid
Yes, I'm saying Frank Butcher is better than Buble!


And that concludes my Better-than-Buble Mix-tape selection. I think you'll find it hard to argue that he is superior to ANY of the above artists, which means my job is done.

Until next time, amigos!

Monday Mix-tape - 12.11.2012

So, another week has been and now gone. And as this weekend included Remembrance Day (not as the frighteningly overused Twitter trend called it #rememberancesunday), this week is a Mix-tape with a difference.

Instead of ten tracks to listen to over the next week, today, I'm going to give you ten War poems by different poets for you to discover. Now I'll be honest and say I've not read much poetry since leaving school, so in order to compile this list, I've had to read and discover a lot of poetry, and the source which was so valuable to me was a website called www.poemhunter.com - try it, as a bank of poetry, it's quite handy.

Anyway, here is my list of poems for you to find and take in...

1) Aftermath - Siegfried Sassoon

2) Anthem For Doomed Youth - Wilfred Owen

3) In Flanders Field - John McCrae

4) All Day It Has Rained - Alun Lewis

5) Agony - Mark R Slaughter

6) 1914 V: The Soldier - Rupert Brooke

7) Vergissmeinnicht - Keith Douglas

8) As The Team's Head-Brass - Edward Thomas

9) Break Of Day In The Trenches - Isaac Rosenberg

10) The Conscientious Objector - Karl Shapiro

There you are, then. Go forth and be educated (or re-educated if you know this stuff already!)

Until next time...

Monday Mix-tape - 05.11.2012

Hello again, my lovely readers! Good God, I sound like an Agony Aunt! Anyway, another week has passed, and another week closer to Christmas. Following from last week's theme, this week I'm going to focus on Wales. The country, not the marine mammal...

1) Delilah - Tom Jones
Why, why, why?!

2) The Bartender And The Thief - Stereophonics
I can just about bear this one!

3) Motorcycle Emptiness - Manic Street Preachers
An absolute Classic!

4) Mulder And Scully - Catatonia
A bit of name-checking!

5) Demons - Super Furry Animals
Best Band name ever?!

6) Monster - The Automatic
What is coming over the hill?!

7) Big Spender - Shirley Bassey
Not a song about me, that's for sure!

8) (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice - Amen Corner
Not one for the deeper voiced amongst us!

9) Watsville Blues - Manic Street Preachers
They get another one because they are the best Welsh band ever. Fact!

10) Baby It's Cold Outside - Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews
A bit of seasonal Welsh dueting!

Go forth and enjoy some Welshness!!

Monday Mix-tape - 10.09.2012

It's getting harder to come up with decent introductions to these Monday Mix-tape offerings, so this week, all I will say is that the tracks are all songs that I was introduced to by the hit HBO series, The Sopranos.


1) Tiny Tears - Tindersticks
Soundtrack to Tony Soprano's depression in one episode.

2) My Lovers Prayer - Otis Redding
Played during an emotional scene as Christopher Moltisanti fights for his life.

3) Core 'Ngrato - Dominic Chianese
Sung at the funeral of a young 'family' member.

4) Frank Sinatra - Cake
Excellent song, give it a try.

5) Affection - Little Steven & the Lost Boys
A song favoured by one of Tony Soprano's mistresses.

6) Gloria - Van Morrison
Being the name of said mistress above.

7) The Beast In Me - Nick Lowe
Played over the closing credits of the very first episode.

8) Sprosa Son Disprezzata - Cecilia Bartoli
A little bit of classical music for you - from Vivaldi.

9) Moonlight Mile - The Rolling Stones
Any excuse for a bit of the Stones.

10) Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
The song playing right at the very end of the final episode.

There you go. Ten tracks from a hit Mafia TV show. So now you can go and enjoy them, capiche?

Monday Mix-Tape - 03.09.2012

Okay, so it's already that time of week. And what makes it even worse is that scary fact that now we're two thirds through the year. Before you know it, the Christmas promotions will start in earnest, then it'll be the Christmas songs in the Supermarkets, and then BANG! Christmas will be here and none of us have done our shopping. 


Well, anyway, as I was thinking of a theme for this weeks offering, I had a look at the now quite impressive MMT library and discovered a shocking lack of female representation. In order to put this right, this week is one for the women.

1) Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
She certainly wasn't 'dusty'!

2) Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
Death by music!

3) Tom's Diner - Suzanne Vega
No idea what was on the menu!

4) Rolling In The Deep - Adele
Currently Britain's best music export?!

5) This Woman's Work - Kate Bush
A woman's work is never done, apparently!

6) You're So Vain - Carly Simon
It's NOT about you, alright?!

7) It's Oh So Quiet - Bjork
Well, it is, then it isn't, but then it is again!

8) Like A Prayer - Madonna
Couldn't leave her out, could I?!

9) Fever - Peggy Lee
She doesn't sound ill, though!

10) Jolene - Dolly Parton
It's her with the big... voice!

That's it then. Ten tracks by women to go some way to restoring the balance within the Monday Mix-tape Library. I hope you enjoy listening.


Until next time...