Hydration break

2026 First Listens #36 - Rolling Stones 'Foreign Tongues' At this point they're unlikely to make another classic, probably the best you can reasonably hope for is an "actually, that's not bad". In fact there are a couple of songs here that are very good indeed. Still plenty of life left in them.

In other breaking news, the Pope goes to Mass occasionally and bears sometimes get caught short when they're in the woods.

Snap

2026 First Listens #35 - Midnight Oil 'Diesel and Dust' I remember 'Beds are Burning' from these, but very little else. Vocally it started to grate after a while (sounding at times like someone doing a deliberately bad Jagger impression) but musically I loved this. Definitely one to play again.

2026 First Listens #34 - Sea Girls 'Homesick' Another one by these lads, who were brilliant when I saw them last month having never heard them before. It's not as instant as the one I did of theirs a few weeks ago, but still a great listen. Big guitars, big tunes, big choruses. More to come.

Rewatching City Lights. The punchline here strikes a different chord now to when it was first shown in 1988 😬

They should do the captions for all interviewees this way. "Rafa Benitez - Hates broccoli" "Andy Murray - Big fan of Little Mix"

Nevermind this Wotld Cup nonsense. Proper footie is back.

2026 First Listens #33 - Tide Lines 'Glasgow Love Story' I love these lads. They really should be bigger than they are. I wonder if it's the fact that they're *so* Scottish that holds them back. Whatever the reason, those that haven't discovered them yet are missing out.

"That time of year again. See if the fella that draws the 'Christmas Pudding as a football' cartoons is free."

2026 First Listens #32 - Pale Waves 'Smitten' These were another band I first listened to as part of last year's challenge, and thought they were ace. This is more glorious gorgeousness. Poppy and rocky in equal measure, and I love her voice as well.

Might start using this as an excuse to get out of doing things I don't want to.

2026 First Listens #31 - Ian Prowse 'No Names' Not out until the end of the week, but my pre order has arrived early. If you know Prowsey's stuff, you know what you're getting here. If you don't, let's just say that he got the 'Scouse Springsteen' nickname for a reason. Another belter.

This is as close as I'm going to get to wearing an England shirt

2026 First Listens #30 - Luvcat 'Vicious Delicious' Theatrical in all the right ways. Loved (luv'd?) the couple of songs I saw on festival highlights on telly the other week, and the album is more of the same. Mrs N reckons it sounds like Swifty at her most off-the-wall, and that's about right.

2026 First Listens #29 - Sea Girls 'Midnight Butterflies' One of my favourite things about festivals is that discovery of new bands that you haven't heard before, who you go on to love. Saw these earlier this month and they were fantastic. So is this.

2026 First Listens #28 - Beluga Lagoon "The Slug's Bunnet" First heard these on the tv highlights from a festival a couple of years ago. Listened to the odd song but not taken the plunge into an album. Bit of a concept album, this one. Ragged, folky, a bit Poguesy at times, and very, very good.

2026 First Listens #27 - Paul McCartney 'The Boys of Dungeon Lane' Been catching up on some podcasts lately, so neglected this a bit. Good one to kick it off again with, this. All the talk of a nostalgic feel is correct, but most of all it sounds like he's enjoying it a lot.

Name a tv show you're positive no one remembers but you

So me and my dad just met a fella

I must be due an eye test soon, because I spent at least five minutes looking at this photo and wondering why Charlotte FC had named their performance centre after Adrian Heath

Nothing to see here, folks. Just a seabastard holding a fella hostage as he tries to eat his breakfast in Maccies carpark.

2026 First Listens #26 - Humble Pie "Smokin'" Another band that I probably should have got round to listening to before but never have. Definitely going to be listening to this again, and to more of their stuff, because I loved this.

Feel like there's probably a story here but I don't think I want to know what it is

2026 First Listens #25 - Ash 'Ad Astra' Thought I should probably listen to some of their new stuff as I'm seeing them next month. Didn't expect the Harry Belafonte cover, or the 'Strauss goes rock' opener. Really enjoyed it though, and hoping they play some of them in a few weeks.

Team Dawn, forever

Went well, then

29 years ago today, I saw some bands #JFT97