Here's just some of our favourite singles, compilation albums and reissues of 2025...

1. The Blue Aeroplanes "Magical Realism The Best of 1985-2025" compilation LP
2. Mozart Estate "Tower Block In a Jam Jar" compilation LP
3. KVNX (Kathy Valentine & Neal X) "I Love You More" single
4. Patti Smith "Horses" 50th anniversary reissue LP
5. Thee Moot "Sweet As Saccharine" single
6. Francoise Hardy "Voila - Best of" compilation LP
7. The Limiñanas & Bobby Gillespie "Prisoner of Beauty" single
8. Bo-Gumbos "Bo & Gumbo" reissue LP
9. The Dear Boys "Put It Down" single
10. The Fall "50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong" compilation reissue LP
11. The Baby Seals "Tamoo Trance" single
12. The Galileo 7 "Everything To Everything Else" compilation LP
13. R.E.M. "Radio Free Europe" reissue EP
14. Viagra Boys "Consistency of Energy/Call of The Wild" reissue EP
15. Cast with P.P. Arnold "Poison Vine" single
16. The Blue Aeroplanes "Outsider Art, The Other Best of 1985-2025" compilation LP
17. The Penrose Web "It's The Penrose Web" EP
18. The Duke Spirit "Cuts Across The Land" reissue LP
19. The Skids "Radio Sessions 1978-1980" compilation LP
20. The Guy Hamper Trio with James Taylor "Chatham's Burning" EP
21. Jamie Perrett "Age of Reason" single
22. Killer China Dress "Kung Fu Attack" single
23. The 5.6.7.8's with Ludella Black "Beat Girls" EP
24. The Embrooks "Terry and Julie" single
25. The Galileo 7 "Look Away" single

Retro Man Blog & Retrosonic Podcast's Favourite Gigs of 2024 with Photos & Videos

All photos copyright Retro Man Blog

Welcome to this selection of some of our favourite gigs of 2024. There were some super shows this year, from intimate solo performances in churches to full-on orchestral shows and of course the usual raucous Rock 'n' Roll gigs in classic venues. Please click on the highlighted band name for links to access our videos from the relevant shows and I've added links to various corresponding reviews in our archive too.

1. Love Revisited with Johnny Echols - Shepherds Bush Empire

 For review with photos and videos check out our Retro Man Blog feature here

2. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Camden Electric Ballroom

3. The Prisoners - The Roundhouse, Camden

For review with more photos from the show, check out the feature here

4. Bill Ryder-Jones - "Iechyd Da" Live at The Barbican

5. Lenny Kaye & Friends Play Nuggets - 100 Club, London

Check out the feature here for review and more photos and videos

6. The Woggles, The Len Price 3 & The Galileo 7 - 100 Club, London

See more photos and videos from the show at our Retro Man Blog feature here

7. The Blue Aeroplanes - Lafayette, London

For review with photos and videos from the show check out the Retro Man Blog feature here

8. Michael Head - St. Pancras Old Church, London

9. Love Revisited with Johnny Echols - The Stables, Milton Keynes

10. Indochine - Rough Trade East, London

See more photos and videos from the show at our Retro Man Blog feature here

11. Altin Gun - The Troxy, London

12. Elephant Stone & Karma Sheen - The Lexington, London

Check the feature here for review with photos and videos

13. The WitchDoktors, The Phobics & Damage - The Half Moon Putney

14. Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - EartH Hackney

For review with photos and videos from the show, check out the feature here

15. The Damned - Waterside Theatre Aylesbury

16. Lalalar - The Garage, Islington

See photos and more videos from the show at the Retro Man Blog feature here

17. Michael Head - Rough Trade East, London

18. Ruts DC - ElectrAcoustic at 100 Club, London

For feature on ElectrAcoustic Vol. 3 check out the the Blog archive here

19. Bill Ryder-Jones - Islington Assembly Hall

20. Robyn Hitchcock - Foyles, London

For original videos from most of the shows above, please check out our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel, you can subscribe for free here. All photos and videos copyright Retro Man Blog.

The Blue Aeroplanes at Lafayette London, July 27th 2024

The Blue Aeroplanes made a triumphant return on Saturday at a packed-out Lafayette in London, their first live performance since frontman Gerard Langley’s recent emergency surgery. As always with the Aeroplanes, you never know what line-up you are going to see or what songs culled from their impressive, sprawling back catalogue you are going to hear. First of all, the line-up was the same as last year’s excellent show at the Electric Ballroom with the addition of a young, enthusiastic chap on keyboards and acoustic guitar, sorry I didn’t get this name. Gerard was flanked by guitarist/vocalists Bec Jevons from iDestoy and Singer-Songwriter Rita Lynch and then there's Mike Youe on lead guitar. The rhythm section comprised the spiky haired Chris Sharp on bass and longtime drummer John Langley. And then of course, there’s Wojtek who is still dancing full-on throughout the whole set – how he gets the energy I’ll never know. At one point, he even leaps down into the audience to push and pull the crowd and show them how it’s done. 

 

The set-list is predictable in its typical Blue Aeroplanes unpredictable style – the regular crowd-favourites such as “Jacket Hangs”, "Yr Own World" and “… And Stones” are joined by a selection of deep-cuts and unexpected delights. Tonight, I’m particularly happy as we get “Missy Lane” with Rita on lead vocals and “Mis-Firing,” which has one of my all-time favourite guitar riff intros, and from the band that specializes in killer guitar riff intros, that’s saying something. Bec takes lead vocals on the energetic and punky “(An Unexpected Hit of) Adoration” which is augmented by some great sax from Wojtek’s son, Alexander. They also play “Building An Ark For the Anthropocene” and a blistering “Bulletproof Coffee & A Snake-Oil Shot” from the excellent current album “Culture Gun”, which goes to prove that, despite the many personnel changes over the years, the sheer quality of the songwriting never drops. 

 

Gerard looks extremely well considering the seriousness of his recent situation and is on fine form vocally, he thanks us for being there, and admits he is happy to be here too, as he didn’t think he would make it. Admiration and emotion are buzzing round the audience and the atmosphere is fantastic. But then things take another unexpected turn when Gerard introduces a very special guest during the encore. Yes, it’s Rodney Allen, who has also had to deal with his own life-threatening illness and it was wonderful to see him take the stage. Gerard takes a break to allow Rodney to bask in the outpouring of relief at seeing what a remarkable recovery he has made and the band launch into his signature song “Fun”. Fun is probably not something The Blue Aeroplanes have had much of over the past few years, what with Gerard and Rodney’s health situations and the extremely sad and untimely passing of their genius guitarist Angelo Bruschini last year. However, tonight proved how important a top night of live music can be, it’s almost a transcendental experience. I think there were a few lumps in throats and tears in the eyes of many of the crowd as “Fun” drew to a close and we cheered for Rodney. 

 

Of course, to close the show we get the now traditional chaotic take on Tom Verlaine’s “Breakin’ In My Heart” and the ‘see how many musicians we can get on stage to join in’ competition peaks at thirteen people in all. These include former Blue Aeroplanes guitarist Gerard Starkie, who had opened the show with a short but impressive set of solo songs and a couple of excellent numbers from his other project, The Jesus Bolt. Tonight was a celebration, when the band and audience connect in such a way, it can be cathartic and emotional, there’s just nothing else like it. It was definitely one of those “I’m bloody glad I was there to witness it" shows that’s for sure. 

 

 

The night was even more special for me personally as the band asked to use one of my photos for the advertising in the run up to the show, and I was truly honoured. For more news, updates and merchandise, please check out The Blue Aeroplanes official website here. You can see more videos from the Lafayette show at our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel here and lots of Blue Aeroplanes reports, photos and videos from previous shows in our archive.

 

Retro Man Blog & Retrosonic Podcast's Favourite Albums of 2023

First of all I'd like to sincerely thank all the Retro Man Blog and Retrosonic Podcast subscribers, contributors and people who have kindly offered encouragement and assistance along the way in the past year, thank you for your support, it is very much appreciated. As always, we would encourage you to check out the highlighted links below to also add your support to the many fantastic, bands, artists and record labels that we have featured in 2023. You can hear tracks from many of the bands in various epiosdes of Retrosonic Podcast which are all available in our archives at Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and iTunes - if you are not already, please like, subscribe and share to help spread the news about the great new music that is being released. Have a wonderful New Year and let's hope 2024 brings us even more superb sounds! 

Retro Man Blog & Retrosonic Podcast's Pick of 2023 Albums

1. def.fo "Eternity"

Despite only being released on December 15th - this perfectly plotted debut album from the Liverpool based Tom Powell shot straight into our Number 1 slot. The immediacy of the melodies, the rich production, insistent riffs and hooks and timeless genre-defying sound made it an immediate hit. Tom has been ably assisted by a superb cast of contributors including Tom's 'day job boss' in The Red Elastic Band, Mick Head, Chris Geddes from Belle & Sebastian and Tom's Dad, the guitarist and producer, Steve Powell. "Eternity" is a masterclass in songwriting of the highest order. You can hear Tom talking about the concept behind def.fo in our special Retrosonic Podcast here.

Retrosonic Podcast · Tom Powell of Def.fo and Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band

2. Jim Jones All Stars "Ain't No Peril"

Absolutely blistering album from the fomer Hypnotics, Jim Jones Revue and Righteous Mind frontman and his new all action outfit. Somehow "Ain't No Peril" manages to capture the intense energy of the band's live performances in it's grooves and the album screams out Gospel, Garage Rock, Soul and downright raw Rock 'n' Roll.

3. Lalalar "En Kötü Iyi Olur"

Taking Turkish Psychedelia and mixing it with modern day Electronica and Dance beats along with some hugely inventive guitar playing - this Istanbul-based trio produced one of the most striking and original albums of 2023.

4. Jah Wobble "A Brief History of Now" (featuring Jon Klein)

Jah Wobble got together with former Specimen and Siouxsie & The Banshees guitarist Jon Klein to release this stunning album which sees a return to the angular Post-Punk sound of Public Image Ltd with trademark bubbling bass and Klein's scathing guitar work.

5. Wingmen "Wingmen"

A collaboration featuring Baz Warne of The Stranglers, Leigh Heggarty of Ruts DC, Paul Fox of The Damned, Marty Parrott of the Johnny Moped Band and Rob Coombes of Supergrass might have signalled a new tribute act to themselves - but bravely they avoided any notion of nostalgia and released a quite magnificent collection of all new original material. The always entertaining Leigh Heggarty joined me to discuss Wingmen and how it all came about in this great episode of Retrosonic Podcast.

Retrosonic Podcast · Leigh Heggarty on Wingmen and Ruts DC

6. Sparks "The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte"

The Mael Brothers continued their remarkable 50-plus year musical journey with this great album packed full of their usual wit, originality and inventive songwriting.

7. Pascal Comelade & The Limiñanas "Boom Boom"

A hypnotic and atmospheric collaboration between the avant garde musician Pascal Comelade and our favourite fuzzed-up French duo Lionel and Marie Limiñana.

8. The Blue Aeroplanes "Culture Gun"

Released not long before the terribly sad news of guitarist Angelo Bruschini's passing - this album is simply one of the best of the Bristol based collective's long musical history. Poet/Vocalist Gerard Langley's half-spoken delivery is complemented by the vocal harmonies and contributions of his revolving line-up of collaborators and band-mates.

9. Iggy Pop "Every Loser"

Merging the best of all aspects of Iggy's repertoire from foul-mouthed 100 miles an hour rockers like "Frenzy" to the crooning baritone of "Strung Out Johnny", this album has it all - if you love Iggy you'll love "Every Loser".

10. The Skids "Destination Dusseldorf"

Harnessing all the trademark Skids tricks that I've loved since seeing the high-kicking Richard Jobson and his Dunfermline gang on Top of The Pops as a kid. The huge, stadium sized choruses, ringing guitar and Jobbo's impassioned vocals are all present and correct in this fantastic collection of new material.

11. The Hives "The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons"

The Swedish Garage Rock legends returned with their first album since 2012 and it's their strongest to date for sure, a swaggering beast of a record. New outfits, new bassist but same attitude and energy, proving they were always far more than a cartoon act.

12. The Brian Jonestown Massacre "The Future Is Your Past"

The run of superb albums from The Brian Jonestown Massacre over the past few years continued with this excellent collection of songs that came in a colour-your-own album sleeve complete with BJM crayons, genius! 

13. Fake Names "Expendables"

Dennis Lyxzén from The (International) Noise Conspiracy and Refused teamed up with members of some of his favourite American Punk bands such as Minor Threat, Bad Religion, S.O.A., Fugazi and Girls Against Boys to release this melodic tour de force, building on the promise of their self-titled 2020 debut album. Check out out thoroughly entertaining Retrosonic Podcast with Dennis where he discusses how Fake Names came about and other aspects of his fascinating musical career.

Retrosonic Podcast · Dennis Lyxzén of Refused, Fake Names and The (International) Noise Conspiracy

14. Gina Birch "I Play My Bass Loud"

One of the founding members of the Raincoats, Gina Birch released this great album bursting with fresh and inventive ideas tinged with Reggae and Electronica. "Wish I Was You" ranks up there among the very best songs of the year.

15. The Damned "Darkedelic"

There's no doubting that for me personally, the return of bassist Paul Gray reignited my love for The Damned and if you liked the 60's Garage Rock nuggets of their alter-ego Naz Nomad and the "Strawberries" and "Black Album" era, then "Darkedelic" will be right up your street (of dreams...). The news that Rat Scabies will be back behind the drum-kit makes 2024 a very exciting year for fans of the band.

16. Shonen Knife "Our Best Place"

The Osaka based trio have been consistently releasing albums of pure buzzsaw Punk Pop joy for 40 years now but there is seemingly no let up on their cheerful worldview and tales of their favourite food and cuddly animals.

17. Melody Fields "1901"

This Swedish Psychedelic band that emerged from ashes of The Movements are fast becoming one of our favourite acts. This is a masterclass in neo-Psychedelia that almost defines the genre.

18. Vännäs Kasino "Vännäs Kasino"

It's Dennis Lyxzén again but on guitar duties this time with a fantastic album featuring his INVSN colleague Sara Almgren on vocals and a blistering collection of Punk Rock that reminds me in places of prime Dead Kennedys.

19. Altin Gün "Aşk"

Dragging the exotic strains of Turkish Anatolian Rock and Psychedelia into the present day, Altin Gün are becoming hugely popular and it's easy to see why with releases of this calibre.

20. The Jack Cades "Something New"

A kind of contemporary Garage Rock 'supergroup' featuring members of The Embrooks, Speedball Jr, The Baron Four and The Missing Souls - The Jack Cades albums just get better with each release and this memorable collection of great songs with Mike and Elsa's vocal harmonies and nods to The Velvet Underground and early Brian Jonestown Massacre. It makes you wonder just how they are going to top this one. We spoke to Mike and Elsa about some of their favourite songs and influences in this episode of Retrosonic Podcast.

Retrosonic Podcast · Lockdown Lowdown Episode 4: Mike & Elsa of The Jack Cades

21. Ian Kay "Walk That Road Again"

Elsa from The Jack Cades' former colleague in The Missing Souls, Ian Kay, finally released his long-awaited debut solo album this year and yes, it was well worth waiting for. Ian's highly infectious Garage Soul packed full of irresistable hooks will get you in the dancing mood from the moment the needle hits the groove.

22. Gatuplan "Välkommen Till Underjorden"

Inge Johnansson, the livewire bassist with The (International) Noise Conspiracy released the second album from his band Gatuplan in 2023 and its bursting with a positive, uplifting energy cramming in all of Inge's passion for Swedish Hardcore, Punk Rock and Ska. Have a listen to the hugely likeable Inge on Gatuplan, The (International) Noise Conspiracy and some of his favourite songs and influences.

Retrosonic Podcast · Inge Johansson of Gatuplan & The (International) Noise Conspiracy

23. Rhoda Dakar "Version Girl"

A brilliant collection of lovingly curated and performed cover versions from the former Bodysnatchers vocalist, "Version Girl" also boasts stunning cover art from Pete McKee.

24. Duncan Reid & The Big Heads "And It's Goodbye From Him"

The fact that "And It's Goodbye From Him" is possibly former Boys bassist Duncan Reid's best collection of his now trademark Power Pop Punk gems makes the unexpected decision to call time on his musical career even more disappointing, but it's one hell of a way to bow out. I just had to catch up with Duncan to discuss the reasons behind his decision to pack in music suddenly and what followed was a fascinating chat on the life of a post-Brexit musician.

Retrosonic Podcast · Duncan Reid "And It's Goodbye From Him..."

25. French Boutik "Ce Je Ne Sais Quoi"

An immaculate collection of Pop Moderniste songs from the Paris based band oozing class with their high quality mix of Indie, Ye-Ye, Soul and 60's Pop.

Bubbling under... 

Ian Person "Autoimmune", Galen & Paul "Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day?", Per Svensson "Magic Trip", The Coral "Sea of Mirrors", Holiday Ghosts "Absolute Reality", Ruts DC "ElectrAcoustic Vol. 2", The Bug Club "Rare Birds: Hour of Song", Popincourt "We Were Bound To Meet", The Go! Team "Get Up Sequences Part 2", The Sound of Pop Art "Shapes & Shadows".

The Blue Aeroplanes at The Electric Ballroom London September 29th - Words, photos & videos from the band's first London show in 6 years to promote new LP "Culture Gun"

It's hard to believe it's been six long years since The Blue Aeroplanes last played London, but finally they are back to promote their excellent new album "Culture Gun" in front of a packed out crowd at Camden's Electric Ballroom. However, there have been some trials and tribulations to overcome leading up to to this long-awaited show. The gig was actually rescheduled from earlier in the year due to frontman Gerard Langley's health problems and the new album carries a touching dedication to the staff at Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Infirmary for their great work and thankfully tonight, Gerard is looking fit and well and is on top form. I first saw The Blue Aeroplanes in 1991 and over the years have subsequently seen them play with many and varied line-ups, right up to last summer's superb show at the Harbour Festival in the band's Bristol hometown. Tonight the band feature original members Gerard, brother John on drums and dancer/talisman Wojtek Dmochowski. Then there's spikey-haired Chris Sharp on bass and 'only' the three guitarists, including the talented Mike Youe on lead, charismatic singer-songwriter Rita Lynch and the live-wire Bec Jevons from IDestroy, each one supremely talented in their own right. 

The lights go down, the familiar aeroplane sound intro swoops through the PA, the band take the stage and launch into "Hips Like Cigarettes", the opening track on "Culture Gun". The band have not mellowed, for this song is a scathing attack on today's politics, the decline of culture under years of Tory rule and the general state of modern Britain, "it's fucking Dickensian, man" Gerard spits. Indeed the album is oozing with vitriol which you can tell straight away from the cover art which features slogans like 'Art under attack', 'levelling up', 'deep fake', 'beset by poverty' and 'store closed'. Next up have "Dead Tree! Dead Tree!" from the previous album, the brilliant "Welcome Stranger" and then old favourite "Warhol's Fifteen" calms things down a bit. Gerard has never been afraid to allow his bandmates their time in the spotlight and Mike Youe's powerful, almost Grunge Rock "(Someone) In The Arms of No One" and Bec Jevons sassy and Punky "(An Unlikely Hit of) Adoration" (yes, the new album is heavy on the brackets) are both highlights of the new album and indeed, tonight's show. 

"Waking Up In The Ghost Removal Van" is built around a nice bass riff that suddenly bursts into an immense chorus "Are you happy? You bet your life I am" and "Half A Crown" has a nice stuttering rhythm. The beautifully textured "What It Is" from "Swagger" allows us a welcome breather for a moment and then it's back to the new album with my personal highlight, "Building An Ark For The Anthropocene". There are not many bands that make me reach for a dictionary and apparently, anthropocene is the era of the human race's significant impact on the Earth's climate, geology and ecosystem, well I might not have been aware of the meaning but I do know you're gonna need a bigger ark. This is a great song, subject matter included, in fact it wouldn't have been out of place on "Beatsongs", it has all the classic Blue Aeroplanes trademarks and could develop into a future crowd favourite. There's a false ending that suddenly spirals into some superb guitar work from Mike, who jumps down into the photographer's pit to play. "You've got to get back up on stage again now" quips Gerard, puncturing the cool move somewhat. 

"I appreciate your patience with the new songs, but you'll get your reward", Gerard teases us "yes, Mike's strapping on the twelve string guitar" and we know what that means. Yes, it's the classic intro riff to "Jacket Hangs" and of course there's the obligatory audience participation during the verse "let those arms rotate like helicopter blades", the previously polite crowd finally cracks and I'm caught in a frantic middle-aged mosh-pit that leaves me battered and bruised just like the old days. It's Rita's turn next with her own single "Losing", the only non-Blue Aeroplanes track in the main set but it gets a great reaction and there's some great drumming from John and crunching guitar chords. Next up that immense spiralling guitar intro heralds the 90's Indie disco floor-filler "...And Stones" which raises the roof and the pushing and shoving continue once again. "Yr Own World" closes the main set and needless to say the demands for an encore are met with the blistering riff to one of my favourites, "Broken and Mended". Gerard dedicates this and the upbeat "Fun" (with bassist Chris Sharp on vocals) to Rodney Allen, which is a nice touch. It's great that the band invite former members to join them every now and then, I saw Nick Jacobs make an appearance in London once then last year at Bristol, my favourite guitarist, Angelo Bruschini played which was a real treat. 

Tonight there was a surprise appearance by Wojtek's brother, Jedrzej for a rare outing of the brilliant "Tolerance" from the 1986 album of the same name. Then that familiar striking chord to "Bury Your Love Like Treasure" rings out and things get ramped up to another level, I love the dynamics of this song. Actually, The Blue Aeroplanes totally understand the dynamics of great Rock 'n' Roll, not just in their songwriting but in the way they construct their set lists. The perfect balance of new material, old classics and those rare hidden gems to keep the diehards happy. Having said that, of course, there's no surprise in the traditional final encore of Tom Verlaine's "Breakin' In My Heart", which tonight sees only the four guitarists, as Jedrzej returns to the stage along with saxophonist Alexander (another of the Dmochowski clan), and as usual, it all breaks down into marvellous, beautiful chaos. I'll reach for my dictionary again and under 'multi-faceted' the definition says The Blue Aeroplanes - they effortlessly encompass Art Rock and poetry, from pastoral English Folk music to Americana, all-out Rock 'n' Roll, humour, intelligence, soaring harmonies, killer riffs, angular Post-Punk, intricate Byrds and Love style guitar work (I'm trying my best here to avoid the 'jangly guitars' cliche...) and I'm sure I'm missing more of their many 'facets', but if you want it, The Blue Aeroplanes have got it...! 

"Culture Gun" is out now on Art Star Records, for details on how to order the album and further information please check out the band's official web-site here. All photos and videos copyright Retro Man Blog. For more videos from the show please check out our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel here.  

Retro Man Blog's Top 20 Gigs of 2017

Retro Man Blog's Top 20 Gigs of 2017...

01. Hipsville A-Go-Go Weekender: The Rezillos, Viv & The Sect, Los Sustos etc.

02. The SolarFlares, Fallen Leaves, Embrooks, & King Mojo at Water Rats (Retro Man Blog Night)

03. Nymphet Noodlers at Uppsala Konsert & Kongress

 

04. Las Aspiradoras & The No-Things at Weirdsville

05. Oh! Gunquit at Windsor Firestation & Weirdsville

06. The Skids & The Vapors at The Roundhouse

07. The Stompin' Riff Raffs at Club 3, Tokyo

08. Michael Head at The Social

09. The Blue Aeroplanes & Ian McNabb at Islington Academy

10. Sparks at Shepherd's Bush Empire

11. The Len Price 3 at Water Rats (Retro Man Blog Night)

12. The Stranglers and Ruts DC at G-Live Guildford

13. Papa-san & Friends, Tokyo

14. Tonbruket at The Vortex Jazz Club

15. Robert Forster at Shaw Theatre

16. Jane Birkin at The Barbican

17. The Len Price 3, Galileo 7 & The Embrooks at Nambucca

18. The Fallen Leaves & The SD5 at The Hope & Anchor

19. The Moot, Trees & The Slipway & Andy Hepburn at the Cabbage Patch Twickenham

20. Stag & Jon Auer at The Islington

For features, reviews, photos and videos please click on the highlighted links above. All photos copyright Retro Man Blog and Paul Slattery.