Caturday every day: Music Tourism

From A Green Cat:

Once upon another time
of song and dance and beat and rhyme
Of lyrical, literal, literate rap
Of romantic skies and chuckles on tap

Audiovisual visions of magical musicians
as whimsical musical real life magicians
A Moon Faeries friend, a green rebel cat
Went gigging and giggling in a red hat

Since millenium eve in The Land Of Song
Planet Water dimension exists all along
The green cat found fairyland on New Cross Road
Where friendly was fun: Eccentricity flowed

Stardust was sprinkled by art punky stars
Charisma was twinkled in small music bars
By poetic souls, with romantic hearts
Because heroic spirits inhabit the arts

In turn evolution becomes (r)evolution
and peace makes a much cheaper final solution

This is a true story of aiming for ease
For clean air and water, for the size of the sighs of the seas
A whisper through forests, a love of the trees
The laughter of children, the buzz of the bees

It's not much to ask to retain sanity
To care about all of our humanity
Verminous, hate-waging nazitoff trolls
Gas light mental health with their naff mind controls

But, phew…

The awake are not falling for cosplaying lies
Even as global democracy dies
The fact is the devil ain't got the best tunes
They belong to the angels, Moon’s lovable loons,

The sweary, contrary or gentle dear soul
Our real super heroes who help us to feel whole
Kind, questioning, day dreaming, nurturing friends
Whose ancestors flavoured all of our Earth’s ends

Ladies, Gentlemen and the rest of us
Take the ride, hop on our bus, no fuss
To reach this virtually parallel situation
Come into a small venue, that's the location
of the fertile environment experience
Let live music excitement make total sense

Veering daily from the ridiculous to the sublime
Whimsical situationism, once upon another time

The Music Tourist Board

Moonpuss of the Music Tourist Board

The #ZeenageDaydreams Playlist: December

Alright there? It’s bloody freezing out, innit? Looks like you guys loved November’s #ZeenageDaydreams playlist - I hope you all found some new faves over there. This month’s has been another super hard one to whittle down from submissions in the editorial inbox and just proper tunes I’ve heard on my adventures. Anywoo, it’s yuletide coming up, so we at TheZineUK are about to hibernate in the treehouse and coalmine for the winter - but not before sharing December’s #ZeenageDaydreams…

How I am not known for my excellent Photoshop skills, I don’t know.

First up, if you’ve been chatting to me over the last few weeks, you’ll have heard me go on and on about BigBadSad. I bloody love ‘em, and big things are coming from them in 2024. Venus De Milo is what I’ve gone with, but you’re gonna want to explore their Spotify page after first listen. They’re playing unofficial ZineUK HQ The Amersham Arms next month, see ya down the front? Following that, the first of a few Mike Leigh-esque kitchen sink-synth (Kitchen synth?) Misery Prize’s Twitzerland - sounding like Cabbage at their best with added disco.

Then we have Big Special with DESPERATE BREAKFAST, which you might have seen us raving about on our socials recently. Lyrics that give us a musical Mise-en-scène of the apathy of the British worker routine. It’s proper punk too. Talking of punk… The Red Stains’ Jump the Met gives us the lovable bastard child of Shampoo and Kathleen Hanna, conceived in a disco laundromat.

Up next is the latest from Vice Squad ‘If I Knew What I Know Now (Sara Carter Remix)’, which I almost substituted for one of their epic Christmas songs (like this). Beki Bondage is the ultimate OG UK punk frontwoman, and I’m willing to fight anyone who disagrees. Vice Squad still sounds as fresh and exciting as they did in 1979 - and Beki somehow hasn’t aged a day. Next is Noah and The Loners, with ‘Hell of a Day’ which wouldn’t have been out of place on a stage with Vice Squad. They may be youngun’s, but the kids are alright - Even Steve Lamacq thinks so.

KILL, THE ICON! With You’re Just An Average White Band, calling out the bullshit in the industry, over a catchy synth loop, it’s going to be stuck in your head as you carve the turkey this Christmas. Talking of catchy though, we also have The Heat Inc.’s ‘Draw Blood for Proof’ with guitars, smooth vocals and an unapologetic US punk influence - especially on the chorus.

I’ve unapologetically pushing a synthy Xmas on you even further with LA’s Peppermint Pumpkin’s Midnight Climax. Now, as bias as I may be since singer Seth Styles hosted me so well in The States recently - their stuff stands on its own. Dressed up with glam rock tinsel, it’s one for the goths and it’s really, really dark and groovy.

Followed by Teenage Sequence, who I discovered quite by accident recently, and ‘All This Art’. A no holds barred commentary on racism in the music industry, Dischord Records - yet somehow still beautifully disco-rock, you’ll be swaying despite yourself, and it won’t be because you’ve cracked open the Baileys early.

What would a playlist be without a #RubyBlueRecommended band? Our Robin Hood in Fishnets didn’t disappoint with recommending The Howlers’ El Dorado. It’s giving bluesy rock n roll with an exaggerated swagger - sort of like a shot of whisky in audio form.

An oldie but a goodie, and the only all out Christmas song on our list is ZineUK Friend and Fave Dexy’s Xmas Lights, powerful choruses, warm guitars, it is the Christmas No. 1 that never was.

A mood change as you wind down after the Xmas shopping. Anna Wolf’s Mother is a stunning addition to the playlist (Caff wrote in depth about it here). If there ever was a voice that encapsulated snowy, mulled December nights, it is Anna’s that’s equal parts haunting and mesmerising.

An honourable inclusion to the end of the playlist is The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York, which - with the passing of Shane MacGowan will take on an extra special meaning for most of us this year. The very first note of this song brings Xmas into focus for most of us. Somehow a Christmas song and also the wrenched soul bearing of an often overlooked Irish poet. There will be a raised glass to Shane, and Kirsty from all at TheZineUK this year.

Psst. Honourable mention to The Krackpots’ Proper Christmas out on December 8th, which is in no way Kunt & the Gang trying to sneak into the charts again now that that sausage roll git Ladbaby has retired…