What do you call someone who condemns people who stream music, after boasting that they never stream music? A hypocrite. That’ll be me, I suppose, given that although I have been a subscriber to Apple Music for donkeys’ years and never actually used it to stream music. Recently, more by accident than design, I have started to use it and, by God, it is opening my eyes to even more music than I ever imagined possible. One thing I really love is a section called Rick’s Radio where – and don’t ask me how – a kind of radio station selects a mix of records it both knows and believes I would like. It’s fascinating.
I realised at some point that my radio station was choosing songs I didn’t own in some form and which weren’t in my collection on iTunes, which stores all the music I have ever bought. So, when I am not listening to my own music or listening to BBC 6 Music, I am listening to Rick’s Radio.
What follows is a bit like my weekly music shuffle, except that some of the songs may be ones I don’t own, but Apple thinks I should. Let the music play.
- Read The Room by The Smile. Great track from the first of two albums in 2024, Wall Of Eyes, by Thom Yorke’s Radiohead offshoot
- Right Now by Stephen Stills. Lovely from Stephen’s 1972 album Manassas.
- Wasted Words by The Allman Brothers Band. From my absolute favourite Allman Bros album, 1973’s Brothers and Sisters.
- Revival by Deerhunter. I know absolutely nothing about this. Haven’t bought this record. Need to check it out.
- Come Around And Love Me by Jalen Ngonda. This guy is going to be huge. A soul superstar in the making. Title track from his 2023 debut LP.
- Campers In Control by The High Llamas. Back to 1996 with a track from Hawaii, which I finally bought last week. This is what the Beach Boys could have become had Brian Wilson stayed healthy in the 1960s.
- Once You Know (Then You’ll Know) by Thee Sacred Souls. A recent soul discovery and so glad I found them.
- Holiday Road by Lindsey Buckingham. Remember National Lampoon’s Vacation from 1983? Then you’ll remember this.
- My God by Tapir! Don’t know this one, either, but it’s a 2024 release from the album The Pilgrim, Their God and the King of My Decrepit Mountain. Sounds interesting.
- Kow Kow Calqulator by the Steve Miller Band. Another new one to me, albeit from a 1969 album called Brave New World. Not sure I like it as much as other Miller stuff.
- CSI:Petralona by Westerman. I like this joint, from his 2023 LP An Inbuilt Fault, recorded, it says here, in his Athens apartment.
- Comingback by Parcels. This is great, from 2021’s Day/Night. Buy this album. I did.
- Na Gul by Arooj Aftab. So beautiful, from her 2024 album Night Reign.
- Knives Out by Radiohead. Apple knows I love Thom Yorke and Radiohead. This from 2001’s stunning Amnesiac.
- Cybernaut by Tonto’s Expanding Head Band. This is from 1971’s brilliant Zero Time. Fun fact: the duo worked with Stevie Wonder on his greatest albums.
- Black Poppies by Underworld. From Underworld’s great 2024 album Strawberry Hotel.
- A Different Ship by Here We Go Magic. The band, sadly, are no more but I can still listen to them when I want. Here we have the title track of their 2012 album called …
- Goodbye Evergreen by Sufjan Stevens. He’s so good. A lovely song from his 2023 album Javelin.
- Glistening by Midlake. One of my favourite bands, this is a joint from 2022’s For The Sake of Bethel Woods.
- Bark At The Moon by MJ Lenderman. And finally a tune from my favourite album of 2024, the boy’s Manning Fireworks. He’s saving rock and roll all on his own.
Call it fun, call it shit, call it self-indulgent. At least one, maybe two, are true. But please try some of these tracks. There’s a wide world of music I am discovering every single day. Life is so much better for it.
