As we are all homebound this year, here are some suggestions for tonight’s playlist…

Created in 2019 but continued to be on contstant rotation in our house through 2020. This Stan Ray radio guest mix from the Never Never guys is stuffed with great selections is beautifully varied & absolutely top drawer.

https://worldwidefm.net/show/david-holmes-2/

Recorded live at Hostal La Torre in Ibiza this year, Monsieur Holmes played a total blinder & wore his heart on his sleeve for this one. Coming over like a balearic version of his CV, this has lots of beaut little nods to significant points on his trajectory.

Another total masterclass here, Sean Johnston played out of his skin in this 6 hour live Phonox tribute to Andrew Weatherall, on the very same week he passed away. This can not have been an easy mission but one he completely nailed.

Weatherall’s take over on Radio 6 was a slice of perfect radio programming.

https://soundcloud.com/test_pressing/black-bones-test-pressing-mix-504

Lastly, one from us. We enjoyed selecting for and putting together this psychedelic headphone trip for Test Pressing earlier in the year.

I think we can prob all agree that was one stinker of a year. As always music helped me through it, a little more so this year than some others. Here are five diamonds from the shit show of 2020 that I must have listened to at least fifty times or more…

The idea that I can pick a top 5 from this year is obviously impossible. It is always shifting. Below are 5 that jumped out quickly though, some new stuff that sounds old and some old stuff that I didn’t know about but now do (thanks to Cherrystones/Touch Sensitive). Also a special box set from Weatherall – these tracks sort of passed me by when first released but listening to them as a whole totally make sense. Sometimes a bit of distance makes you appreciate things a bit more.

I haven’t been listening to much new music recently. Certainly not anything with a kick drum. I tend to listen to less music near the end of the year in a bid to give my ears a rest. However, there are 5 bangers below I heard being blasted out of my local Co-Op. The Coil one in particular always gets the shoppers into the holiday spirit.