Dave mentioning the brilliant Lola Young reminds me I’ve still to delight you with my Top 10 albums for 2025, so you can start playing them and get your “Spotify age” down from 64 to 24 next year.
Goodness know what my actual 24 year old son’s Spotify age is, Matthew having watched Springsteen, Neil Young and Van Morrison this last year, (and his mate seeing Dylan). “Last chance to see them before they die, Dad” says Matt, cheerfully.
I only use Tidal, gives the artist a few quid more for streams, but I suspect my Spotify age would be closer to the 17 I still think I am.
No heritage acts in the live music I saw, with 24 year old Rosie at The Grace on Highbury Corner a life highlight.
Some great gigs, the best of them in Leeds, including these Kiwis,
and a raft of young talent at my annual End of the Road festival, where the kidz were promoting some cutting-edge craft beer or another.
Tidal produced a rather sparse summary of my year’s listening,
I think the 866 different artists listened to is the key stat.
And from that 27,000 minutes, here’s my Top 10 albums of the year. I’ll spare you my reviews.
No. 1 Rosie – City Woman
No. 2 Leith Ross – I Can See The Future
No. 3 Sophie Jamieson – I Still Want To Share
No. 4 Anahstasia – Tether
No. 5 Self Esteem – Complicated Woman
No. 6 Horsegirl – Phonetics On And On
No. 7 Geese – Getting Killed (the lads favourite)
No. 8 Madison Cunningham – Ace
No. 9 Beirut – A Study Of Losses
No. 10 Van Morrison – Remembering Now
Hang on ! Three male artists and an 80 year old in my Top 10 ? What’s going on ?
retiredmartin 
Given the artist names on your spreadsheet, and the fact that I hadn’t heard of most of them, means I would have expected to have seen several on the yearly Rough Trade Counter Culture album. Alas, it’s two years in a row without now, so I fear its status as the indie version of the Now compilations has “now’ gone the way of the dodo.
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I can’t remember the last time I went in a record shop, last vinyl I bought was the 2021., read no music press. So it’s just Tidal recommendations and their staff tips, I genuinely wonder how people keep up.
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Komakino, the vast majority of Martin’s many readers/followers, have never heard of the obscure “artists” he dredges up on whatever trendy streaming platform he’s using at present.
Normally it’s some angst-ridden teenage girl, performing in her bedroom. That’s being unkind, but some of us haven’t forgotten the dross he imposed on us, during the dark days of the pandemic. “Martin’s Marvellous Melancholic Medicine” anyone?
This year he’s surprised us by including a track from “Van the Man”, although don’t be fooled.
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He was spot-on with Geese, though.
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“angst-ridden teenage girl, performing in her bedroom”. You’ve got me bang to rights there, Paul ! Mrs RM laughed.
I know it’s a cliche, but that Van Morrison album really was his best since “Days Like This” 30 years ago, particularly the second half.
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How is Canadian disco differentiated from other types of disco?
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It’s slower dancing because the maple syrup is sticky.
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Quite a few misunderstand the Mounties’ motto “Maintiens le droit”, which results in half the dance floor being empty, Dave.
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Martin, I’m pleased to have made Mrs RM laugh, but all joking aside I’m a) surprised that there are so many different bands/acts/ singers around, and b) what with all your travelling and pub-ticking, you found the time to listen to all this “new music”.
Good luck to you, though!
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Laughing at me, rather than at you, I hasten to add !
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