The last couple of years have been tough on a lot of us. I’ve been listening to a lot of music over this time and I’ve happily been discovering new things that I like. Added to this, I’ve happily watched as acts I’ve been tracking for a long time are getting back to touring and recording. Here’s a sampling of the things I’m excited about.

The Wonder Stuff is (are?) Back on Tour

I’ve seen Miles Hunt perform his solo stuff on more than one occasion. An earlier incarnation of Vile Richard used to cover his “Manna From Heaven”. That was always a lot of fun. The only time I did see The Wonder Stuff live was at a crowded venue in Toronto. There was a fair amount of crowdsurfing going on. In between songs Miles asked the crowd to stop the passing of the bodies because “people paid to see us and not your hairy arseholes”. Well played.

Listening to Silversun Pickups on Repeat

A number of years ago a friend told me I check out Silversun Pickups. I didn’t act on it at the time but I did file it away on my mental “to do” list. I’ve finally gotten around to it and I’m currently haunted by the wood block in “It Doesn’t Matter Why”. I think I can listen to this song forever.

Crowded House is Back on Tour

I reconnected with Crowded House a bit during the pandemic. Particularly I though their isolation version of “Don’t Dream It’s Over” was brilliant:

I have seen Neil Finn play solo and with The Finn Brothers. What struck me about watching him live is how effortless it all seemed to him and how perfect his voice was. Some acts are good and some are also blessed with a kind of talent that the rest of us could only dream about. For me, Neil Finn at the height of his powers belongs in that second group.

Fun fact: Neil Finn was performing with Fleetwood Mac for a while.

Wet Leg

What can I say? As far as songs on repeat go, I couldn’t stop listening to “Chaise Longue”. It was a running joke at my house that it was always showing up in my Spotify recently played songs. Having said that, the other Wet Leg material is well worth exploring, just maybe not at the office if you’ve left your headphones behind.

Sing 2 Audition Medley

As with the first movie, the audition medley from Sing 2 does not disappoint.

If We Were Vampires

A colleague of mine recently got me interested in Jason Isbell. (I had been vaguely aware of Drive-By Truckers, which has since continued on without him). Jason’s solo material is thoughtful and thought provoking. He knows how to weave a story together in 3 and half minutes. In particular, I’ve found “If We Were Vampires” to be wonderfully compelling and just plain enjoyable.

Wrapping it all Up

That’s it for today. Hopefully you’ve found something in here to interest you on your musical journey. If you use Spotify, you may like this playlist as a jumping off point: