Blog: Actual Modern Music Of NOW

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I sent out this month's newsletter earlier today, in which I mentioned that voiting for The Dandelion Radio Festive 50 was closing at midnight tonight - purely as a SERVICE you understand. I was not suggesting WHAT anybody should vote for of course, that is the furthest thing from my mind, but I know from personal experience that IMPORTANT MUSICAL ITEMS have been released this year and people might wish to vote for them. It's basically democracy I'm thinking of, that's all.

Anyway, having had my attempt at VOTER INFLUENCING I realised that, actually, for the first time in AGES, I could probably vote MYSELF. The Festive 50 is for tracks that have been released this year, but for the past few years I've not been sufficiently up to date to think of anything. However, here in the futuristic space era of 2022 I very much AM.

For LO! a few months ago I asked for some suggestions of NEW MUSIC on Social Media, and got a HUGE list of stuff to try out, much of which I have been working my way through ever since. I asked for recommendations of stuff that people THEMSELVES liked, rather than what they thought *I* might like, so there was quite a lot of stuff where I thought "Why on earth are you suggesting THIS?!?", but then that is always the way and is indeed All Part Of The Fun. However, there was also a TONNE of stuff that I liked, and some that I liked AN AWFUL LOT!

My absolute favourite of ALL the suggested acts was The Beths, who I FLIPPING LOVE. You might say that this is unusual - it's not like I have history of really really really liking female fronted bands from the southern hemisphere who have immense tunes and brilliant lyrics - but I have listened to them A LOT this year, and was VERY excited when their new album came out. It's SURELY DECADES since a modern current band that I a) LIKE b) do not know personally has released a brand new record, so it was QUITE the thrill, and I was even MORE excited when they announced a UK tour next year and LEAPT in to get some tickets - HOORAH!

I also thoroughly enjoyed Lonely Tourist, who, if they were any further up by my street would be driving up my metaphorical drive and into my GARAGE. My only complaint with these is that nobody had seen fit to tell me about them before (as far as I remember anyway), nor had any promoters thought "Hang on, this is VERY SIMILAR to Hibbett, why not get him to support them?" Come on, THE UNIVERSE, it is surely a DREAM BILL!

I voted for tracks by both of the above ("Expert In A Dying Field" and "Four Phone Calls" respectively) and also "WTD??" by Sad13 which is GRATE and has been stuck in my head for MONTHS. That is a FAB album by them, by the way, which also conforms to a TREND what I have noticed with the current new bands i.e. that the long held RULE of starting an album with a BANGER appears to have been relaxed. I suppose it doesn't matter so much in the age of STREAMING, but I was surprised by how many albums seem to start with A Bit Of A Slow One.

I also HUGELY enjoyed Holiday Ghosts and Dream Wife, despite BOTH being the sort of band I wouldn't have listened to previously (i.e. Band That Sound American But Aren't and Band Formed On A Course In Brighton). Bas Jan were dead good too, and after much Being Mentioned I also really liked Pip Blom. Also, OBVIOUSLY, like approx 98% of everybody on the planet I bought the Wet Leg album and listened to it for about three weeks straight as it was ACE.

There were various other albums I bought and Quite Liked, and several that I keep meaning to get to, and also MANY by PALS, but all in all 2022 so far (NB there is still a month to go so this is NOT a Best Of 2022 list - people who put out Best Of The Year lists in December should be ARRESTED) has been a pretty excellent year for music for me. If it carries on like this into 2023 I might even go to a few more gigs!

posted 30/11/2022 by MJ Hibbett

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UPDATE: it has been pointed out to me by Mr S Hewitt that Mr S Hewitt DID point out Lonely Tourist to me in July 2020. I am very happy to amend the public record accordingly, and ask for privacy at this difficult time.
posted 30/11/2022 by MJ Hibbett

I tried to get Dream Wife to perform alongside you for the Brighton gig! Also Ten Benson. NEXT TIME eh!?
posted 7/12/2022 by jamesofwalsh

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