Author: Editor

I was so happy get the opportunity to sit down and listen to all my favourite music, and curate this list. Music is an important part of my work, especially when I start to draft a novel. It inspires my creativity on different levels, depending on what I’m listening to. Live every day like the main character and ensure the soundtrack to your life is kickass.

The guitar solo introducing this song is spine tingling, but even better when it’s played live. If anyone remembers the days when HMV sold T-Shirts, Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ album T-shirt broke my band tee virginity. My sister was the sole reason I started listening to Metallica, she really shaped my taste in music, and Iwould have been lost without her guidance. Metallica are probably in the ‘old man’ category of music now, but I’ll rock on with them forever.

I didn’t discover Rush until I was a little older, but Geddy’s distinctive voice intrigued me with his entrancing falsetto that I’d never heard a male produce before. Neil Peart sold them for me though, man, Neil Peart could drum! Neil Peart was one of the best drummers in the world, and definitely in my top three. This song was a comforting blanket for my soul as I walked through the school halls thinking academic life would never end, especially as someone whose musical taste and fashion sense didn’t fit in. Subdivisions was written for the kids who were born to stand out!

This song brings me back to school again, this time at the age of thirteen and sat on a coach on a school trip sharing an older boy’s headphones. I had a crush on him so told him I loved Led Zeppelin, even though I had only listened to a few of their songs and bought the ‘Mothership’ T-Shirt from HMV because I liked the design. Thanks to him, I gained a deeper appreciation of ‘old man rock’ and have never looked back.

Billy Corgan’s voice had an ability to reverberate around the corners of my teenage mind as I slipped into a study induced trance with my headphones tangling themselves in my school shirt. I found The Smashing Pumpkins when I needed them most, they still get me through the rough times which goes to show they really are timeless. ‘To Sheila’ off their album ‘Adore’ deserves an honorable mention too!

There’s a line in this song that brought me so much comfort in a time when I felt like I didn’t belong anymore; ‘now that I’ve worn out the world’. I felt like I had worn out the world, not so much that the world had worn me out. It inspired me to write a poem entitled ‘Invisible Forces’, I wrote it when it felt like I had lost all soul. Reflecting Light reads like a poem, in the end she’s saved. And in the end, I saved myself. ‘Taking Pictures’ off the album ‘Fan Dance’ deserves a mention too for itsbittersweet story of nostalgia and our sentimental ties to the past.

Navigating life as a teenage girl was made a little easier with PJ Harvey playing on my cheap Argos MP3 player. I would watch the trees blur past on the Armagh Road while the bus to school bounced over every loose piece of tarmac tempting my Chemistry notes to scatter themselves over the damp floor underneath my feet. Thethought of my heavy school blazer makes me shudder but to revisit PJ Harvey as a fresh teenager sends a warm feeling through my body.

My love for Muse comes from my sister again, she came home from their Hullabaloo show high on the glitter that burst out of the balloons they chucked into the crowd, and I thought: I want that feeling. Origin of Symmetry is a sci-fi rockmasterpiece, but Bliss continually opens my mind and brings out the vividity in the world around me. I have fond memories of downloading it on LimeWire and moving it across to my MP3 player so that I could listen to it on repeat all Summer long.

My Chemical Romance was the start of my Emo phase, I became besotted with Gerard Way and his ability to connect with his fans that was unlike other guys in rock bands. He told me that it was okay not to be okay, that it was okay not to be like everyone else and that going against the establishment was a badass, powerful move.This album used to play on repeat in my CD player while my best friend and I backcombed our hair to the point of no return and lined our eyes with the thickest and blackest eyeliner we could find.

This song transports me to another reality, it awakens butterflies in my stomach and lets them fly free outside of my body. As a writer, music pads the walls of my mind palace and sometimes I need it to round out my worlds. This song was part of the inspiration for a book I’m working on currently, it’s so dark that it’s almost scary visiting those corners of my mind. Thanks Robert Smith!

I was fourteen years old and sat on my best friend’s bed when I first saw Robin Tunney shave her head to freedom in the bathroom of the record shop she worked at. Listening to this song is like floating on a cloud, you’re ‘lost somewhere between the earth and the sky’. I could definitely listen (and sing along) to it for the rest of my life stuck on a desert island. Nothing beats watching Empire Records when the world feels too gloomy and dark. But I’ll never forget the first time I watched it; with wide eyes and a big smile for Johnny Whitworth and his cardigan.

Cayleigh Moore (she/her) is a freelance writer and creator based in Northern Ireland. She has undertaken editing and design work and is now solely focusing on writing. Cayleigh loves crunching leaves underfoot while sipping on iced coffee during Autumn; the season for Gilmore Girls rewatches. Her work can be found on Medium; she can also be found on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn – links below.

You can listen to Cayleigh’s playlist here. Get in touch if you’d like us to feature your Vinyl Countdown.

Cayleigh Moore: Medium | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

26th January 2022

Next up on The Vinyl Countdown, Derek Rickman picks 10 tracks that bring back memories, and shares why they’re so important to him – a lovely eclectic collection for you to enjoy…

1. The Snuts – Glasgow

I’m not sure if this is a hometown eulogy to that great city as The Snuts hail from Whitburn, Lothian but this indie anthem craves your attention. It literally bursts into life after a slow deceptive start with soaring guitar figures and insistent drums. Listening to it on my sunbed in Gozo far from Glasgow’s rain lashed streets kept me grounded in some kind of reality.

2. Art School Girlriend – Come Back to Me

Dare I say it? Probably the greatest love song ever written. Yes I’m biased but the reason I’m so invested in CBTM is because the elements work so beautifully, the depth of longing in Polly Mackey’s voice, the nuanced melancholia of the keyboards and the imagery ‘I see your shape appear, it falls apart and slips away again’. I was lucky enough to see her perform it last year at Margate’s Elsewhere and it left me on the edge of tears.

3. Daniel Avery, Jon Hopkins – Glitter remix

I first heard this on a road trip with my brothers to The Lake District. I was having my usual motivational music session in the back seat and the pulsing electronica seemed totally in sync with the blurred landscape of cloudy peaks as we sped past. Through that whole weekend it seemed to be implanted in my subconscious. Staccato keyboard patterns kept bubbling to the surface throwing shapes and colours into sharp focus as we traversed the gloomy pinnacles of Buttermere Edge.

4. Amy Winehouse – Love is a Losing Game

I simply stop whatever I’m doing whenever I hear the drum roll/piano intro to this sublime torch song. Nothing else seems to matter for the next 2.35 minutes. Heavenly production values from Mark Ronson and the vulnerability in her voice is so telling. Bless you Amy.

5. Drenge – Backwaters

‘In the murky backwaters I lay my body down’ what a great lyric from Eoin Loveless. This song is so underrated in the canon of Rock/Grunge I’ve always imagined it could be coupled as a double A side with Nirvana’s Teen Spirit. A wall of dense guitars bombard the senses and ferocious drums from sibling Rory pound out their mission statement. Such a shame then that they played a slowed down version at Brixton Academy when I finally got to see them live.

6. Egyptian Blue – Nylon Wire

One of the few post/punk bands that really seem to cut it. I’ve been following Brighton based Egyptian Blue since they dropped their first EP Collateral Damage in 2019. I love their energy, the taut angular guitars and the subtle interludes in their music. Nylon Wire is no exception. Who wouldn’t want to be in the mosh pit with beer in hand watching these guys run through their set on a Friday night?

7.  Kanye West – Ye vs. the People (starring TI as the people)

This is my go to hip-hop/rap track. It’s such a clever premise with Kanye and TI facing off over political/social divisions during Trump’s mid-term presidency. Contextually it reads like a Twitter exchange as Kanye and TI rant at each other but it’s perfectly balanced and the music/sampling flows beautifully. It’s hard to imagine it working in any other genre of music which makes this track kind of unique. A huge favourite.

8. Echo and the Bunnymen – A Promise

Ian McCulloch’s vocal is so unhinged and visceral here (perhaps his best ever) and Will Sergeant’s stinging guitar arpeggios embellish the dark undercurrents of this early Bunnymen track. There’s a brooding malevolence throughout A Promise (think of the Stones’ Gimme Shelter) and when the Light on the Waves middle section gives way the track just builds and builds to its epic conclusion. A great Rock ‘n’ Roll record.

9. Led Zeppelin – When the Levee Breaks

An unstoppable juggernaut of a song from its endlessly sampled drum intro through the whole 7.08 minutes to Jimmy Page’s echoey slide guitar finale. It just pins you in your seat and dares you to not to listen and engage. I was in the car with my cousin on a long drive back from my uncle’s funeral in Hereford and we put this track on and perversely it seemed to make sense of everything.

10. My Bloody Valentine – Soon

Sometimes music is about memories of a place or an event. This Shoegaze classic from Kevin Shields & Co reminds me of a holiday in Cornwall speeding along the North Atlantic highway, window wound down (cliché I know) with turquoise seas and engine houses burning into my vision. The closing track from the seminal Loveless, the 6.58 minutes of Soon fairly swoon with fuzz heavy guitars and breathy vocals but there’s an arch playfulness to it which I really like. I think I had it on cassette and remember nervously trying to re-spool it when it got stuck in the tape player at Sennen Cove!

I’d just like to thank the magazine for featuring my Vinyl Countdown. It was great fun to put together and my head was literally swimming with music whilst I was writing about each track. Here’s just a few more that didn’t quite make the playlist.

Mogwai – Ritchie Sacramento
IDLES – Heel/Heal
Disclosure – Happening
Radiohead – Bodysnatchers
Aphex Twin – Xtal
Savages – Sad Person
Grimes – Delete Forever
Working Men’s Club – Valleys
Daniel Avery – Slow Fade
Jamie xx, Four Tet, Romy – SeeSaw (club version)

Derek is a writer, poet, painter and hiker who takes striking photos on his travels. You can listen to his playlist here then catch him on his music-filled journeys on Instagram below. Drop us a message if you’d like to share 10 favourite tracks of your own.

Derek Rickman – Instagram

20th January 2022

Kicking off our new feature ‘The Vinyl Countdown’, Seb K Akehurst picks 10 of his favourite tracks and shares why they stand out amongst many memories. Turn the volume up because there are some absolute rock classics in here with a few surprises lurking in their midst…

When writing this list, I was asked by a friend, “Which one had the most impact when you think back to when you first heard it?”
My answer: “They all have in ways, I know it sounds like a cliché answer but they all remind me of when I started discovering new music and it just hits you in the feels. You know how that was? It’s a mixture of excitement and glee; you have another band, another artist to discover, watch their videos, and if you’re lucky see them live.”
My friend’s response: “It’s not cliché if it’s true.”

Well, here’s my Top 10 list (for now), accompanied by some honourable mentions.

1. Artist: Pearl Jam – Album: Yield, 1992 – Track: Wishlist

This one was the first track I thought of when I started this list. I was going through a lot and I was recommended this song by a stranger whom I met in a part-time job. It came up as I was playing Eddie Vedder’s solo album Into The Wild soundtrack. Really brings back to that chat we had about, life, work, and music. I see it as a bittersweet tune if anything but we are all entitled to our own opinions.

2. Artist: Led Zeppelin – Album: The Early Days, 1999 – Track: Whole Lotta Love

Another album my dad hasn’t seen since I got hooked on it, just listening to this on a great set of headphones will get the adrenaline pumping! Also, it’s LED ZEPPELIN! I need to say no more.

3. Artist: PAIN – Single: Party in my Head, 2021 – Track: Party in my Head

I discovered this band in the midst of the lockdown of 2020/2021. Upon discovering them, I found this song and fell in love it with to the point it inspired me to get creative and paint a denim jacket, which can be found over on my Instagram! Definitely on my list to see or, if I ever got the chance to, do photography for them.

4. Artist: Ted Hawkins – Album: The Final Tour, 1994 – Track: There Stands the Glass

A track that would remind me of my folks, one of the many albums they would play when I was young. This track like all on this disc has so much emotion yet entertainment to the crowd lucky to be at the performance. It’s sure to make you smile as you hear Ted talking to the audience.

5. Artist: The White Stripes – Album: Elephant, 2003 – Track: Seven Nation Army

A track from when I tried and failed to be in a band, was one of the only tunes I could do on bass. Gives me fond memories of annoying neighbours and growing our hair out. Simpler days.

6. Artist: Rage Against the Machine – Album: The Battle of Los Angeles, 1999 – Track: Sleep Now in the Fire

This is just a tune, like all my choices it’s hard just pick one big one. Yet, back in 2010 I was very lucky to see this mighty four live. I remember it down in Dublin and the bass alone vibrating the arena we were in! I had a choice: two tickets to that show or one to a four day festival, however I went with these guys. How could I not, still very much do not regret that decision.

7. Artist: Ludovico Einaudi – Album: Le Onde, 1994 – Track: Tracce

I remember back before the days of iPods, iPhones, even Spotify! My dad had this really crappy mp3 player on which I could only get two tracks to play. No loud riffs or lyrics just total bliss when this track or any others were on. After that car journey, I found that album and since that discovery I have found more alongside it, however it will never compare seeing him play live.

8. Artist: HOW – Album: This is a Raid, 2014 – Track: Animal

This song has a special meaning as it’s from the first band I photographed when I started doing live music photography. I’m very fortunate and thankful and when I get this album cranked up it always brings me back to rolling, diving and climbing the stages to capture their performance.

9. Artist: Jimi Hendrix – Album: The Ultimate Experience, The Jimi Hendrix Experience: 1992 – Track: Purple Haze

This whole album is fantastic! Alas with 20 tracks it’s hard to pick only ten or this case just one! Yet, another track from my youth that I’m happy to say once my dad chose to play this album he never got it back.

10. Artist: ZZ Top – Album: ZZ Top’s first album, 1970 – Track: Brown Sugar

Taking it way back when, to my 16th birthday, I was given this ‘Greatest hits of ZZ Top’ from my aunt and this was just a track I fell in love with when playing it. Still got the album and definitely will be passed on to my child someday. RIP Dusty and thank you!

A few honourable mentions:
Rammstein – Mein Teil
AC/DC – Touch Too Much
David Bowie – Space Oddity
Black Stone Cherry – Blind Man
Nirvana – Come As You Are
Iron Maiden – Brave New World
Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful world
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’
Avenged Sevenfold – Strength of the World
Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac – Green Manalishi
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Can’t Stop

With all listed, honestly I could go on forever…

Seb is a Belfast based artist, photographer and founder of Jolly Bearded Promotions; you can catch up with him and listen to his Vinyl Countdown on the links below – drop us a message if you’d like to share your own playlist!

Seb K Akehurst – Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

11th January 2022