06:30 – 07:15
Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise (whole album)
How: iPhone
Where: walking to work, office
With: just me
Up super-early for a Very Important Task, discombobulated after less than six hours’ sleep, I needed something sparse and pretty. This is my favourite electronic album of the year so far. It was perfect early morning listening.
09:00 – 09:03
Jason DeRulo – Ridin’ Solo
How: Capital FM
Where: coffee shop
With: me and “barista” (if we must)
Sheesh. Why DO local radio stations only play hits that are months and months old?
12:40 – 12:45
The Streets – Weak Become Heroes
How: Spotify on iPhone
Where: walking to lunch
With: just me
I was adding this to The Guardian’s “Songs That Make Us Cry” collaborative playlist, and felt the need to play it again. It didn’t make me cry… for once.
12:45 – 13:20
DJ Shadow – Six Days
one or two unidentified tracks
Oasis – She’s Electric
Air – Sexy Boy
Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire
How: speaker system in deli
Where: deli
With: staff and patrons
The volume was a bit louder today. I had to Google the lyrics of the DJ Shadow to ID it, thinking it was some piece of Simply Red/Lighthouse Family fluff. Oops. My apologies to the Great Man. Second Oasis track in less than 24 hours, while Air confirms my earlier plea for a Moon Safari Official Product Recall… and, er, can we add “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” to the list as well, please?
15:50 – 16:05
James Blake – I Only Know What I Know Now
Guido – Mad Sax
Superchunk – Digging For Something
How: iPod on full shuffle
Where: walking home
With: just me
Pretty good choices for a) the hot, sunny afternoon and b) my whacked-out state of mind.
16:12 – 16:45
Panda Bear – Last Night At The Jetty
David Allen & Euterpe – Good Morning
The Beatles – Girl
Savoir Adore – Sarah’s Secret
Phreek – Weekend
Tamiko Jones – Let It Flow
How: iTunes DJ on laptop, manually re-ordered; external speakers
Where: at home, pootling on laptop
With: just me
Where full shuffle often fails to satisfy, iTunes DJ (formerly known as Party Shuffle) always delivers. I like the way it gives me a working pool of 15 random suggestions, which I can then manually re-order or delete. This sequence worked well, leading me from sun-drenched meadows to the doors of the disco.
16:45 – 17:20
Boystown Gang – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (extended mix)
Who’s Who – Hypnodance
Ellis, Beggs & Howard – Big Bubbles, No Troubles
Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Quiet
Rebirth – Evil Vibrations
Kaine ft Kathy Diamond – Love Saves The Day
Boom Clap Bachelors – L-O-V-E (Tuff City Kids remix)
How: iTunes DJ on laptop, manually re-ordered; external speakers
Where: at home, on the cycling machine
With: just me
I’ve recently started using the cycling machine in earnest, after all but ignoring it over the past five years. It’s a pretty boring way of spending 36 minutes, though, and not all my soundtrack choices have worked. So, for the first time, I lugged the laptop and external speakers upstairs to the spare room, and stuck with the iTunes DJ choices (which I’d progammed with intense physical activity in mind). This mix was a raging, unqualified success, with some great segues, which both held my interest and matched my energy levels.
17:20 – 17:40
Earth Wind & Fire – Reasons (live version)
Grupo Semente & Teresa Cristina – Cordão de Ouro
Mulatu Astatke – Boogaloo
How: iTunes DJ on laptop, manually re-ordered; external speakers
Where: at home, showering and changing
With: me and partner (from track 2)
As if by magic, the mix switched down to “Reasons” within seconds of stepping off the cycling machine. I lugged the kit up another flight of stairs, and let the mix continue while I got myself clean and dressed.
18:10 – 18:40 ; 19:50 – 20:00
The Unthanks – Last (whole album)
How: CD
Where: in the car, travelling from Nottingham to Derbyshire, with a pub stop-off
With: me, my partner and our friend Richard
Something was playing on Radio 3 when we set off, but the track listing isn’t yet up on their website. After the Radio 4 news headlines, I stuck this on as background music. None of us payed it much attention, as we were too busy talking.
20:10 – 20:45
Disco Discharge: Disco Fever USA (disc 2, tracks 1 to 9):
– Boystown Gang – Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday
– Teddy Pendergrass – Life Is A Song Worth Singing
– Double Discovery – Step On Out
– Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch – One Love (12″ Version)
– Johnny Mathis – Begin The Beguine (Special Disco Version)
– Area Code (212) – Duke’s Train
– Ultimate – Ritmo De Brazil
– Paradise Express – Dance (12″ Mix)
– Gloria Gaynor – Love Is Just A Heartbeat Away (Nocturna’s Theme)
How: CD
Where: cottage hi-fi, wired up to three sets of speakers in three different rooms
With: me and partner
This played while we unpacked and K prepared dinner, then continued at lower volume while we ate. Second Boystown Gang track of the day! K commented on how much he was enjoying the compilation.
Favourite track of the day: David Allen & Euterpe – Good Morning (I sang along, loudly and badly)
Worst track of the day: Jason DeRulo – Ridin’ Solo
troubled diva 