Ricky McAllister
@rickymca
Husband to Jenny - dad to Ethan, Holly, Micah, Benji & Annie - Man U fan for 40 years - Music & film - coffee - Reader of books but a failed novelist - SEN teacher - lover of a fine stout/porter.
Show us the last four albums you listened to: #last4albums #MusicSky Well, 8 albums. A day of Air Formation & Magic Castles. Absolute bliss.
Show us the last four albums you listened to: #last4albums #MusicSky - The Luxembourg Signal - Desperate Journalist - Ducks Ltd - Grandaddy
#NowPlaying #NP The Total Space | Boa Morte A perfect headphones album. One of my favourite Irish bands and depending on your perspective, either a folk album with ambient stuff going on, or the folkier side of ambient. Doesn’t matter either way, it’s wonderful. @boamorteband.bsky.social
Show us the last four albums you listened to: #last4albums #MusicSky ‘What a glorious summer it has been so far’ edition. - BRMC - Boa Morte - Kiasmos - Just Mustard
#NowReading #BookSky The Driver’s Seat | Muriel Spark Second Muriel novel of the year. If it’s half as good as Ballad of Peckham Rye, it’ll be a corker.
#NowPlaying #MusicSky How I Became A Wave | S/T Just wanted to give a shout out to this gorgeous album. After a hot day, this is absolutely hitting the spot close to midnight. It is an introspective, lushly arranged, emotionally rich set of songs. For fans of early Bon Iver & Constant Gardener.
Reached level 47 today & it’s been a lovely birthday. No new records but a couple of books for the soon to arrive holiday & a swanky pizza oven. The family delighted to forgo “stupid records” for the pizza maker obviously. My usual birthday trip to the wonderful No Alibis bookshop in Belfast too😊
Show us the last four albums you listened to: #last4albums #MusicSky A pre-birthday treat to myself…some of my favourite mellow folk albums of recent times. All perfect for a beautiful, warm Friday evening.
#NowPlaying #MusicSky The Ground Above | Beth Orton This absolute gem of an album gets better & better. Definitely in the running for my AOTY. May in fact be the finest thing Beth has ever done (sorry Comfort of Strangers). Total bliss tonight.
#NowPlaying #MusicSky LP3 | American Football While not hitting the peaks of LP1&4, this is still frequently dazzling. A few notable guests - Rachel Goswell & Hayley Williams - & an expanding palette from the precious LP. A new discovery this year but they felt like a band I’ve been waiting for.
Show us the last four albums you listened to: #last4albums #MusicSky It’s been a lovely day for music, but this Quivers album is an absolute delight. Still their best for me…one of my favourite debuts of recent times. - Real Estate - Fleet Foxes - Iron & Wine - Quivers
Show us the last four albums you listened to: #last4albums #MusicSky A nicely psychedelic Saturday👌😊 - Allah-Las - Magic Castles - The Vryll Society - Black Heart Death Cult
#NowReading #BookSky A River Red With Blood | John Connolly Just starting my annual excursion into the world of Charlie Parker. This is the 23rd Parker novel, a pretty remarkable feat. The quality is even more remarkable. As usual, John has me hooked immediately… @jconnollybooks.bsky.social
Show us the last four albums you listened to: #last4albums #MusicSky - Stereolab - Allah-Las - Wojtek the Bear - Owl John
#MusicSky Its been quite the year for reissues on vinyl… Mojave 3 (x5) Bowie’s Blackstar Rocketship Grandaddy’s Sophtware Slump BRMC’s Howl And now The Sundays’ masterful Reading, Writing & Arithmetic, alongside their other 3 albums. I’ll finally have a copy on the turntable 👌😊
#NowPlaying #NP Sky Sounds | Magic Castles Released on Anton Newcombe’s label, this 2014 release hits a my musical sweet spot. To be fair, everything they have released does. It’s like a big fat sonic stew of 60s psych, dream pop & post punk vibes sprinkled with lazy, hazy hypnotic magic dust👌
Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums #MusicSky ‘School (nearly) out for summer’ edition: - Constant Follower - The Beths - The Besnard Lakes - American Football
Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums #MusicSky Triptides edition.
#NowReading #BookSky The Cafe With No Name | Robert Seethaler Seethaler has yet to write a sentence I don’t love. First ‘A Whole Life’, then ‘The Tobacconist’, now this. He has such an underrated, sensitive way with words it is impossible not to get swept up. One of the great modern writers (IMO😊)
#NowPlaying #MusicSky Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | Deja Vu Probably my favourite part of the day is when the kids disappear upstairs and I drop the needle for starting the post-dinner clean up. It is particularly quiet tonight & this is sounding just 👌👌👌👌👌 Lovely way to kick off the weekend.
#NowPlaying #MusicSky S/T | Shaking Hand Really taken with this debut from the Manchester trio. It finds its purchase somewhere between emo & post-rock & rewards patient listening rather than waiting for the big payoff. It’s an excellent album…easily 1 of the best debut albums of the year so far.
Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums #MusicSky - Grandaddy - Flyying Colours - Deserta - Allah Las
Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums #MusicSky - Wilco | Cousin - EBTG | Eden - Fleetwood Mac | Tusk - The Cure | SOALW
Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums #MusicSky My current obsession with all things Magic Castles has monopolised the turntable. Probably for the foreseeable…
Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums #MusicSky “2026 favourites (so far)” edition: - American Football - Boards of Canada - White Flowers - Asgeir
Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums Yet another wet Saturday edition: - American Football - Midlake - Sufjan Stevens - The Antlers
#LiveMusic #MusicSky Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit A genuinely wonderful night with my old man seeing JI this evening.One of the best live acts I’ve seen: Jason is an astonishing vocalist & guitarist, the band incredibly tight. Superb breadth of material. Top class & my dad was in his happy place😊
Show us the last four albums you listened to #last4albums Beautiful Sunday edition: - Grandaddy - Boards of Canada - Beth Orton - Lucid Express