This Is Not Happening - An Album Of The Month Podcast

Another month, another pod. A very warm and most welcome to Episode 51 of This is Not Happening (TINH), an Album of the Month (AOTM) Podcast. In Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, Joey sits in the middle of a 'divisive discussion'  focused on Caribou's new album Honey. One of us think it's some of the best of Caribou's work, one of us thinks it's much less than that.In Part 2, Spin It or Bin It, our theme this month is 'Basslines', for once we stipulated no other rules.Part 1 | Caribou | 'Honey'We all love Caribou. There are few artists that sit in the centre of the TINH venn diagram, but Caribou is one of them.  However, we all have different favourite Caribou albums and therefore have different expectations and hopes when it comes to a new Caribou album.The debate is fierce. We cover many topics including how to be fair when an artist produces something we weren't expecting, can you remove the bias of your disappointment and critique the album without bias? Unfortunately, we also end up talking about AI and music too.Listen to the album ... HEREWatch some of the videos for the tracks discussed ...  HEREWatch this short of it going off when Dan drops Honey in a DJ set ... HEREWatch this short of Dan talking about 'Volume' ... HEREBBC Sounds interview with Dan Snaith from this month ... HEREPart 2 | Spin It or Bin It | 'Basslines'The best Spin It or Bin It's are often the simplest. This month, the theme is one word and no extra rules or exclusions, 'Basslines'. However you want to interpret it, it's cool.NJoey chose 'Walk on the Wildside' by Lou ReedNolan chose 'Transitions'   by Dennis FerrerGuy chose '...(nothing but) Flowers' by Talking HeadsDavid chose 'Taxman' by the BeatleHere is a 16 track playlist where we all contribute 4 'basslines' themed tracks to an extended playlist.See you on Episode 52 ...We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

We've hit the BIG 5-0 and we're still speaking to each other. It's delight to welcome to Episode 50 of This is Not Happening (TINH).  An Album of the Month (AOTM) Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, David introduces the latest album from one of my favourite obsession artists, 'My Method Actor' by Nilifur Yanya. In Part 2, Spin It or Bin It, we return for our quarterly visit to the theme of 'New Music' ... anything released since August 1st.Part 1 | Nilifur Yanya | My Method ActorThis is the third full length studio album from Yanya. She is a super interesting artist blending soul, jazz, indie and a bunch of other sounds and influences in there. This album is something of a departure for her following her last 2 albums that perhaps embraced the indie side of her influences. This album is a super smart melding of all of her influences, definitely leaning more towards the soul and jazz side of her music. It feels like a return to some of her earliest EP releases and I love it for that fact.Listen to the album ... HEREWatch a video of her performing a track from her 2nd EP back in 2017 on the BBC Introducing stage ...  HERE2 Tracks from the new album get a very low-fi video, watch them both HERE and HEREThe obligatory Jimmy Fallon performance link is ... HEREInteresting interview on 'The Talk.Com', this is a quick read and enlightening ... read it HEREPart 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New MusicSuper-simple, we all chose a track that we love from the last couple of months and ask each the simple binary question, Spin It or Bin It?Joey chose Wristwatch by MJ LendermanGuy chose Zero Sum by The SmileNolan chose Dafodil by Jamie XX and friendsDavid chose Neon Signs by The Weather StationSee you on Episode 51 ...We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 49 of This is Not Happening (TINH).  An Album of the Month (AOTM) Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, Nolan goes back to his spiritual home, Hip Hop and has picked an album that the genre has been waiting decades for - Common and Pete Rock, The Auditorium Vol. 1. In Part 2, Spin It or Bin It, the theme sounds simple but it turned out to be deceptively divisive. This month we delve into 'Power Ballads' ... but what actually is a Power Ballad?Part 1 | Common & Pete Rock | The Auditorium Vol. 1If you're age (old AF) and you like Hip Hop then you've probably been listening to these two legends for 30 odd years. Common is 52, Mr. Rock is 54. They've been at the top of their games for decades but does the combination deliver synergy or something a little less?Listen to the album HEREWatch some videos HEREand  HEREand HEREGuy references the performance of 'When the Sun Shines Again' on Jimmy Fallon.If you've got 4 hrs then watch this monster chat with the pair onDrinks ChampsI reference a NY Time Popcast Episode discussing what 'What's an ageing rapper to do'Guy references Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Power Ballads.So what is a Power Ballad? We all know the classics, but if we try and bring something a little different then first we have to have some sort of definition. We've picked 4 tracks that aren't on many Power Ballad playlists ... Guy chose Nothing Compares 2U by Sinead O'Connor.David chose The Way That You Do It by Gerry Rafferty. Joey chose Drivers License by Olivia Rodrigo.Nolan chose Roar by Katy Perry. See you on Episode 50 ... We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 48 of This is Not Happening (TINH).  An Album of the Month (AOTM) Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, Guy has picked the an album that could not be further from last month's Charli XCX outing. He's also picked the best named TINH AOTM ever, Linda Thompson's Proxy Music.In Part 2, Spin It or Bin It, the theme is simple ... 'Long Songs' no explanation of the theme required here apart from Guy's completely arbitrary suggestion that all tracks had to be over 8 minutes. Part 1 | Linda Thompson | Proxy MusicEnglish Folk musician legend Linda Thompson has lived enough life for several people. The good, the bad and everything in between. She's now a 72 year old songwriter force who has sadly lost her super-power to sing ... so she's written songs for other artists to perform. The album is an eclectic collection of songs and collaborators pulled together through the concept of performing through a proxy. The critics love it with a combined Metacritic Score of 86. There's a lot of love on the pod but not without a few reservations along the way.Listen to the album here.Watch Linda on Jools Holland back in 2011 videos here.Guy references a couple of articles in his introduction and conversation they're worth a look and can be found here and here.Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Long Songs.We love a long song. Even our resident (but absent on this episode) pop being loves a long song. Guy defines a long song as anything over 8 mins, who are we to argue with that kind of logic. So them's the rules. Who bought what to the table to judge in Spin It or Bin It?Guy chose ''Black Star' by David Bowie.Nolan chose'Dance Yrself Clean'   by LCD SoundsystemJoey chose 'Menneskekollectivet' by Lost GirlsSee you on Episode 49 ... We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 47 of This is Not Happening.  An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 2, Joey has picked the most obvious choice for 4 middle aged dads, Brat by Charli XCX. It is impossible to ignore the critical response for this album so we all dive headfirst into the first Charli album that any of us has experienced. And it's a belter ... but I am pretty sure it will also divide opinion. This month, in Part 2, Spin It or Bin It, the theme is simple ... 'New Music' (tracks released since 01.05.24. However, one of us picked a 49 year old track. Take a listen to hear him justify this decision.Part 1 | Charli XCX | BratWith a whopping 95% score on Metacritic, this album has had a massive impact from critics right across the music press's broad spectrum of publications. It's 15 tracks with an average length well under 3 minutes. And it has some serious weight behind a savage combo of pure pop punches. But there is WAY WAY more to it that sugar-coated pop prettiness as we get stuck right into.Listen to the album here.Watch some videos here.Want to know what Charli means to the world of pop this podcast is gold.Want to know more about the making of the album, listen to this one. And read this great article with Charli. Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New TracksEvery 3 months (or so) we pick to do 'New Tracks' which we define as being released 2-3 months before our podcast record date (01.05.24). We've got 4 interesting tracks this month. We've got two very different female sole artist indie tracks, one undeniable piece of piano driven, laid back housey, post-club loveliness and of course something French from David.David chose 'Le Sud (Latin Version)' by Nino Ferrer, Guts, Patchworks.Guy chose 'Method Actor' by Nilifur Yanya.Nolan chose 'God gave me feet for dancing' by Ezra Collective fear. Yazmin Lacey.Joey chose 'My Name on a T-Shirt' by Odie Leigh.See you on Episode 47 ... We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 45 of This is Not Happening.  An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, David bravely returns to the scene a previous crime on our podcast. He brings the second St. Vincent album to a group of people who historically have not reacted well to St. Vincent. Wow. How might this one go? In all seriousness, this is a very different experience to 'Daddy's Home' and a really good chat about the good, the not so good and our collective love of Pop Reggae. This month, in Part 2, Spin It or Bin It, the theme is 'Crying in Aldi' or 'music that makes you cry'. As the theme suggests, things got pretty emotional. Part 1 | St. Vincent | All Born ScreamingI think the full continuum of emotions or lack of emotions is expressed in this review. David brings unconditional love for St. Vincent plus a thinly veiled threat that his wife might tell us off again if we say mean things. The rest of bring various thoughts and ideas to the table that range from the inquisitive to the annoyed.Listen to the album here.Watch some videos here, including the Jimmy Kimmel live performance.We reference the Tape Notes podcast (and also videos) which delve into the making of the album . This is seriously informative and entertaining discussion. Take a look at it here.Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | 'Crying in Aldi'The most 'in' of 'in jokes' is that Joey often cries to sad songs while doing the big shop in Aldi. He's been banned from 3 stores now and is considering to switching to Lidl. In support of our brother, we've all been researching which songs make us cry and testing them out in various big-box supermarket chains.David chose - 'Already Dead' by Beck.Nolan chose -  'Basket' by Dan Mangan.Guy chose - 'Magnificent'  by Elbow.Joey chose - 'My Girls'   by Animal Collective.See you on Episode 47 ... where 4 old guys talk about Charlie XCX. What could go wrong?We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 45 of This is Not Happening.  An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, we dive right into the deep-end of 'Only God Was Above Us' the new album from TINH favourite (at least 3 of us) Vampire Weekend.  This month we're in the capable hands of Nolan who has introduces the album and guides us through some key questions and an interesting conversation. In Part 2 we play Spin it or Bin It with songs that are all. 'a little bit country'.Part 1 | Vampire Weekend | Only God Was Above UsMy god Vampire Weekend can write a song! And this album really proves that. We answer (or at least attempt to answer) some big questions - is this best Vampire Weekend album? How do you pick a favourite track when they're all so good and do such different things. Listen to the album here.Watch some videos here.Awesome interview by John Kennedy that we reference constantly ... hereBuy some stuff  or some tickets here.Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | 'A little bit country'Country is massive in 2024 ... and Guy hates it. So, what other theme could we choose? The clue is in the title, the tracks only have to be 'a little bit country'. 4 Track playlist of our chosen tracks is here.Guy chose - 'Bittersweet, TN' by Kevin Morby and Erin Rae.Nolan chose -'Candle' by Buck Meek.Joey chose - 'One of these days'  by BedouineDavid chose - 'Cant Let Go' by Lucinda Williams See you on Episode 46! We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 44 of This is Not Happening.  An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, we wrestle with the 2nd album from Yard Act titled 'Where's My Utopia?'.  This month we're in the capable hands of Guy who has been a Yard Act fan for some time, choosing their debut album as his Album of the Year in 2022. 66.6% of the team agree with him but 33.3% of the team has found the album more of a struggle.Part 1 | Yard Act | Where's My Utopia?Yard act are an interesting proposition, they are perhaps the most knowingly Northern band since Oasis. They seem to be everywhere and it's tough to find someone who doesn't like them. They are very clearly 'Post Punk' but their definition of what this means has changed somewhat with this album. We ask the standard quesiton, what did you expect and what did you get plus questions about Listen to the album here.Watch some videos here.Buy some stuff here.Buy some tickets to see them live here.Read some stuff here and listen to some pods here and here.Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | 'Spoken Word'Given the AOTM is Yard Act, we chose to look at our favourite Spoken Word tracks. And 3 of us actually chose a Spoken Word track ... one of us chose something else but let's leave that and let us know if you agree with me that it was not Spoken Word. Our chosen 4 tracks can be found on a play list here. In order to chose a track we each shortlist 4 tracks each, a combined 16 track playlist can be found here.Nolan chose - 'SpottieOttieDopalicious' by Outkast.Guy chose -''The Revolution will not be Televised' by Gil Scott Heron.Joey chose - 'Loosing My Edge'  by LCD SoundsystemDavid chose - 'O Superman'  by Laurie AndersonSee you on Episode 44! We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 43 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, we embrace the truly beautiful, hynotic new album by Helado Negro, called 'Phasor'.  Joey (that's me) is running 'tings this month, at least one of the crew loves this album but the other two ... I'm not so sure.  In Part 2, the Spin it or Bin it theme is 'New Music' where we all chose a track from the last 2 months and ask the others 'Spin It or Bin It'?Part 1 | Helado Negro | PhasorThis is right up my street. It's calming, beautiful, intriguing little gem of an album. It's instantly accessible and a rewarding listen but it is also a gift that keeps on giving. There is a surprsing complexity to the album if you want there to be. But the big questions is 'what on earth do we call it?' Guy suggests 'Cosmic Pop' and I think he's right. Listen to the album here.Watch some videos here.Buy some stuff here.Follow him on Instagram here.Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | 'New Music (Jan, Feb, March '24)The theme is nice and simple and always a fun one - new music. Pick a track, any track from the past 2-3 months. Our chosen 4 tracks can be found on a play list here. In order to chose a track we each shortlist 4 tracks each, a combined 16 track playlist can be found here.David chose -  'AA Bouquet for your 180 Face' by Saya GreyGuy chose -'Spare me the decision'   Nation of Language / CutoutsJoey chose - 'Right Back At It' by Waxahatchee / MJ LendermanNolan chose - 'Invulnerable'  by K-OSWe've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 42 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, we get stuck right into Integrated Tech Solutions by Aesop Rock. Nolan and I (Joey) think this is one of 2023's underrated albums and definitely a hidden hip hop gem. David is missing this month so we only have to convince Guy! In Part 2, the Spin it or Bin it theme is 'Technology' where we all chose a track that we think fits the theme and ask the others 'Spin It or Bin It'.Part 1 | Aesop Rock | Integrated Tech Solutions.This one's special (in my opinion). Nolan has always tried to sell Aesop Rock to me but there's so much music and so little time that I never quite got it. That changed in the Autumn when Mindful Solutionism, the lead single from this album dropped. I chose it as a Spin It or Bin It track and won that month. There's another 17 tracks on this album. It's dense, intelligent, socially conciuous, amusing, moving and thought provoking hip hop. Get stuck in if you haven't already.Listen to the album here.Watch some videos here.Buy some stuff here.Follow him on Instagram here.Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | 'Technology'Taking inspiration from the album of the month, a really interesting theme of 'technology'. Interpretation was wide open on this one. Our chosen 4 tracks can be found on a play list here. In order to chose a track we each shortlist 4 tracks each, a combined 16 track playlist can be found here.Nolan chose - 'Robots' by Landhouse ft. RaddantzeDavid chose -'Windpower'  by Thomas DolbyGuy chose - 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part 1' by The Flaming LipsJoey chose -'(nothing but) Flowers' by Talking Heads*** Enjoy the Episode ***We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 41 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, we go deep with Lana Del Ray for the first time on TINH. LDR is one of the industry major players: few move units or split opinions like her. Find out what we think. In Part 2, the Spin it or Bin it theme is 'A Song for January' where we all chose a track that we think fits the theme and ask the others 'Spin It or Bin It'.Part 1 | Lana Del Rey | Did you know there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.This is album no.9 for LDR and its a whopper. It's got a lot to say and says it across 16 tracks. There are common LDR tropes and new twists on what you might expect. We think it contains some of the best music released in 2023 but is it all good? Can a 78 minute be brilliant from start to finish?Listen to the album here.Watch some videos here.Buy some stuff here.A really interesting interview on Billboard can be found here.Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | 'A song for January'Well, that was an odd Episode of Spin It or Bin It! The usual structure goes to the wall this month and it all gets a bit loose. Nolan get's the hump, Joey gets all serious but thankfully David and Guy clean up the mess and no blood was spilled.Nolan chose - 'Let me calm down'by Nicki Manaj (Feat. J Cole).Joey chose - 'Vamos A Andar' by Silvio RodriguezGuy chose - 'Cocktail Chez Madmoiselle (remix)' by Laurent Voulzy, YuksekDavid chose - 'Utopia' by Goldfrapp*** Enjoy the Episode ***We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 40 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where we usually review an album in depth and play something called 'Spin It or Bin It' ... but not this month.We're celebrating our big 4-0 in style. It's end of year review time. We select our top 10 albums of 2023 and each pick our Track of 2023.Part 1 - 2023 Top 10 AlbumsWe all independently picked our top 10s. We run those choices through a series of deep learning models commonly known as 'Algo Dave' and we create a mathematically generated combined Top 10. We made our selections and recorded this pod WAAAAAY ahead of any body else's lists coming out so we are not influenced by the mainstream musical media (which is why our list looks SO different to everyone else's). We're super proud of our 10 and chuffed to bits that our No.1 is an album that we all love and one that we've loved since the start of the year. No recency bias here my friends.Part 2- 2023 Tracks of the YearWe each select a track of the year. Simple as that. We explain why it's our track of 2023 and have a little critique of each others choices.*** Enjoy the Episode ***We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 39 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'? This month, in Part 1, we get stuck in TINH favourite, Sufjan Steven's latest release  'Javelin'. Wow. Is there a lot to talk about. I hope we do it justice. In Part 2, the Spin it or Bin it theme is 'Unconventional Love Songs' where we all chose a track that we think fits the theme and ask the others 'Spin It or Bin It'. Part 1 | Sufjan Stevens | JavelinIt's David's choice this month and a record 3rd time that we've reviewed an album by the same artist. On one hand this Sufjan doing Sufjan things ... and then on the other, it's a heart breaking, gut punch of an album that takes you to beautifully uncomfortable places. It's genuinely spectacular. Listen to the album here.Watch some videos here.Buy some stuff here.In the chat we reference Sufjan's Instagram, that can be found here.A rare and recent (ish) interview with Sufjan on his health condition is here.Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Unconventional Love SongsWho are we to judge what 'conventional' means, what 'love' means ... what a 'song' is? The interpretation of 'unconventional love songs' was left wide open this month.We all chose a 4 track shortlist to chose our track, you can here all 16 tracks on this playlist here.Nolan chose - 'The Night' by Frankie Valli & The Four SeasonsJoey chose - 'Ms Fat Booty'   by Mos DefGuy chose - 'Chateau Lobby #4 (for 2 virgins)' by Father John MistyDavid chose - 'Where Dreams go to Die' by John Grant*** Enjoy the Episode ***We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 38 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'? This month, we get stuck in Noname's latest release  'Sundial' in Part 1. It's a short album but there's a lot to talk about. In Part 2, the Spin it or Bin it theme is 'New Music' where we all chose a track released since 1st August 2023 and present it for judgement.Part 1 | Noname | SundialIt's Nolan's choice this month and he's chosen the new album from Noname, 'Sundial'. It's an interesting, uncompromising album with a challenging cover from an unapologetic, controversial artist.  It's only 30 mins long but packs a big punch and brings a lot to the party! Check out Noname's Insta here  and her Twitter here Listen to the album here or here Here are some links to check out if you want a little more backgroundCheck out the album's metacritic page here Check out a few opinions on some Noname controversy here Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New TracksIt's a simple theme this month. New Music. We all chose tracks that have been released since August 1st 2023. We all chose a track that fits the theme then ask the others a simple question 'spin it or bin it?'We all chose a 4 track shortlist to chose our track, you can here all 16 tracks on this playlist here.Guy chose 'More' by Pale Blue Eyes - listen here.Nolan chose 'Glory Glory'  by Little Brother - listen here.David chose 'Annie Pick a Flower' by Saya Grey - listen here.Joey chose 'Mindful Solutionism' by Aesop Rock - listen here.*** Enjoy the Episode ***We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 37 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'? This month, we get pretty emotional about Julie Byrne's latest album 'The Greater Wings' in Part 1. In Part 2, Spin it or Bin it theme is 'no human sounds'. All will be explained ...Part 1 | Julie Byrne | The Greater WingsIt's Joey's choice this month and for the 2nd time in This is Not Happening history he chooses a beautiful album by Julie Byrne. We're in the indie-folk-ambience hinterlands from a stylist perspective. From an emotional perspective we're right at the intersection of beauty, grief, loss, hope and reflection. We talk about what this album is, how there's more than one way to experience it, our favourite tracks and what it means to us.Visit Julie Byrne's website hereListen to this stunning album hereBuy some of Julie's stuff hereHere are a few links for some background;The Metacritic page for 'The Greater Wings'Marty's Music Talk interview with Julie is here Another interview with Julie, this time on KEXP PodcastsPart 2 | Spin It or Bin It | 'No Human Sounds'This one was way harder than it sounded at first. The theme this month is 'No Human Sounds'. We started with no vocals, then decided no human sounds at all, then we added that it couldn't be 'dance music'. Joey suggested we define 'dance music', he got laughed at ... then we got into an argument about all of Guys choices being dance music. We all chose a track that fits the theme then ask the others a simple question 'spin it or bin it?'Guy chose Vision of Self by Rival ConsolesNolan chose Time is the Enemy by QuanticJoey chose Transitions by Beastie BoysDavid chose Speed of Life by David BowieIn order to select our tracks we shortlist 4 each and create a 16 track playlist that can be found here.*** Enjoy the Episode ***We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

Welcome to Episode 36 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'? This month, we get stuck right into Creep Show's 'Yawning Abyss' in Part 1 and in Part 2 we play Spin It or Bin It with the theme 'Super-Producers'.Part 1 | Album of the Month | Creep Show's 'Yawning Abyss'It's Guy's choice this month and he choses a bleak little oddity by Creep Show called Yawning Abyss. Creep Show are a 'Super Group' of John Grant, Phil Winter (Tuung), Stephen Mallinder (Caberet Volataire) and Ben 'Benge' Edwards (Prolific Producer). This is their 2nd album as a collective and they channel the dark, the dystopian and the hopeless across 9 tracks and 40-ish minutes of music. There are elements of each individuals previous work but there is distinctive sound that the band capture themselves. Listen to the album here or some tracks here.Visit their Bandcamp here.Here are few links to provide a little background.Read a very short interview with Creep Show here and another here. Watch Creep Show play 'Yawning Abyss' live at latitude here.The Metacritic album page can be found here.Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It? | Super-ProducersWhat is a Super-Producer? It turns out we all have a different definition, no surprises there I guess! But collectively we kind of agree that a Super-Producer is (i) successful (ii) prolific (iii) has had a significant impact on music (iv) spans numerous artists and perhaps genres.David chose 'I never loved a man' by Aretha Franklin (Jerry Wexler)Joey chose 'Gamma Ray' by Beck (Dangermouse)Nolan chose 'NY State of Mind' by Nas (DJ Premier)Guy chose 'Weird Fish / Arpeggi' by Radiohead (Nigel Godrich)In order to select our tracks we shortlist 4 each and create a 16 track playlist that can be found here.*** Enjoy the Episode ***We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

This month we're doing things a little differently. In this episode we are celebrating Hip Hop's 50th Birthday by each choosing our favourite Hip Hop album. We're not choosing 'the best' or 'the most important' we're choosing our personal favourites. We take it in turns to introduce our favourite album and discuss what everyone else thinks.Listen Here - 16 track playlist, 4 tracks each from our 4 favourite Hip Hop albums.Nolan's Favourite Hip Hop Album | ATLiens by OutkastStraight out of the blocks is our resident Hip Hop expert Nolan's with his selection, Outkast's 2nd album, 1996's ATLiens.You can find an introduction to this album by Nolan on our blog - read it here.You can listen to the album - here.ATLiens 25th Anniversary You Tube page and videos can be found -here.Joey's Favourite Hip Hop Album | Buhloone Mind State by De La SoulChoosing a classic TINH album from the past, Joey counters with his favourite, going back 3 years and selecting De La Soul's 3rd album, release 30 years ago in 1993, Buhloone Mind State.You can find an introduction to this album by Joey on our blog - read it here.You can listen to this gem - here.Have a look here at De La Soul's You Tube account for videos - here.David's Favourite Hip Hop Album | Reachin' by Digable PlanetsThis one was a real pleasure to be re-introduced too. We're staying in 1993 with David's selection Reachin' by Digable Planets. The 'most-David' Hip Hop album evs.You can find an introduction to this album by David on our blog - read it here.You can listen to this beauty - here.Watch the video to the track that kicked the whole thing off - here.Guy's Favourite Hip Hop Album | Renaissance by Q Tip After some deliberation, Guy chose an album that divided opinions at the time but has aged very well and is a lovely choice by Guy. 2008's Renaissance by Q Tip.You can find an introduction to this album by Guy on our blog - read it here.You can listen to this rediscovered gem - here.Watch Mr. Tip doing his thing - here.So, these are our 4 favourite Hip Hop albums of all time. What do you think? Do you know these albums? What are your favourites? Hit us up, let us knoWe've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

In Part 1 we get to grips with the enchanting 'Wait Til I Get Over' by Durand Jones. We talk all things soul and share our opinions. In Part 2 we play a one-off version of Spin It or Bin It that we're calling 'Love/Hate'. We each pick a track that we love but we think the others will hate. Part 1 | Album of the Month | Durand Jones | Wait Til I Get Over It's David's choice this month and he's chosen an album by and artist that none of us have any history with or knowledge of. The album is very much a soul album in every way that you could possibly define that word.  If you want it to be, it's a very easy to listen to soul album that fits nicely into the sun we've been enjoying. But it's also a deeply personal and emotionally moving album if you go a little deeper.Go listen to the album - HereGo watch some videos - HereGo buy some of their stuff - HereSome links that we reference and recommend; 'The Show on the Road' this is a great interview! - Click Here'Bedroom Beethovens' ... another interview - Click HereSound and Vision interview that we reference - Click HerePart 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Love/HateSo. This is a new one. We all pick a track that we love and will defend to the hilt ... but that we think the other 3 of us will hate. It sounds easy, but it's actually not.Joey Chose - B.Y.O.B by System of a DownDavid chose - Come all Ye by Fairport ConventionGuy chose -Army by Ben Folds FiveNolan chose - I'm still trying by Matthew FowlerHere's a handy playlist of the 4 chosen Love/Hate tracksIn order to chose our tracks we create a long list, then a short list of 4 tracks each. Each of our 4x track short lists are collated here ... have a listen ... but approach with caution, this makes no sense whatsoever!*** Enjoy the episode ***We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

In Part 1 we explore the new Everything But The Girl album Fuse,  and ask is it worth the 24 year wait? In Part 2 we play Spin It or Bin It? The theme this month is new music ... tracks that have been released since Feb 1st 2023.Part 1 | Album of the Month | EBTG | FuseIt's Nolan's choice this month and we go with the long awaited / not even expected 12th studio album from Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt. It's rare that we get to talk about an artist that we all have a significant relationship, but this is a great example. In January we got treated to the track Nothing Left to Loose but the album offers much more. It's got just about every type of EBTG track you can think of and some of their best tracks ever.Go listen to the album - HereGo watch some videos - HereGo buy some of their stuff - HereSome links that we reference and recommend; Pitchfork interview - Click HereBBC Radio 5 Live interview - Click HereEBTG in conversation at Rough Trade - Click HerePart 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New MusicIt's been a few months since we did new music so here we go. There's a definite whiff of summer in the air!Nolan chose - Amplify by Rodriguez Jr.David chose - Mo Se B'ola Tan by The Estuary 21 Joey chose - Sandrail Silhouette by Avalon Emerson Guy chose - Everybody's Saying That by Girl RayIn order to chose our tracks we create a long list, then a short list of 4 tracks each. Each of our 4x track short lists are collated here ... have a listen. *** Enjoy the episode ***We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/

In Part 1 we explore the mesmerising (but opinion dividing) 2nd album by Kelela, 'Raven'.   In Part 2 we play 'Spin it or bin it?' ... but do we really? The theme this month is our favourite De La Soul tracks ... is anyone really going to bin a De La Soul track?Part 1 | Album of the Month | Kelela | RavenIt's Joey's choice this month and we're focusing on an intriguing, vibe of an album called Raven by Ethopian-American artist Kelela. It's 15 tracks, over an hour and plays out like a late-90s, early-00's post club mix tape. There's lots of opinions on this album, in the critical sphere they're almost universally (really) positive, the album being on of the best reviewed albums of the year. However, its a 100%, unquestioning love-in on This Is Not Happening.Go listen to the album - HereGo watch some videos - HereGo buy some of their stuff - HereA few 'Raven' that we highly recommend checking out;A really interesting review of the album by BPM - Here'Unmistakably Black' interview with Mixmag - HereLive Jimmy Fallen performance of 'Enough for Love' - HerePart 2 | Spin It or Bin It | De La Soul tributeAfter the sad passing of Trugoy the Dove, we pay tribute to De La Soul. This is the 1st time that the question 'spin it or bin it' is completely redundant.Nolan chose - Stakes is HighGuy chose - So No GoDavid chose - Trying PeopleJoey chose - I am I beCheck out our 16 track De La Soul tribute playlist (4 tracks each) can be found - Here (this is a good one!)Next MonthIn part 1 Nolan brings 'Fuse' by Everything But the Girl as our Album of the Month, in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or bin it' with new tracks for the last 3 months.We've been writing a blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look - https://thisisnothappening.net/