Chez Wombat

John Turturro was seriously brilliant in the most recent episode, Emmy worthy. One of the best episodes actually, loved the mix of lore, beautiful scenery and twist reveals (I didn't think the Helly/Helena twist was super surprising as it was all but confirmed in episode 2, but good the show doesn't keep obvious truths sitting for ages and can progress with the storylines). Still yet to disappoint as a show overall, manages to be an effective sci-fi mystery, commentary and yet still making us really care about the characters.

Week 18: Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) Seal - Kiss From A Rose Snow - Informer TLC - Waterfalls Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love To You Céline Dion - The Power Of Love Michael Jackson - You Are Not Alone Week 19: 2Pac - California Love (feat. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman) Aerosmith - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing Blackstreet - No Diggity (feat. Dr. Dre and Queen Pen) Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply Boyz II Men - 4 Seasons Of Loneliness Céline Dion and R. Kelly - I'm Your Angel Elton John - Candle In The Wind 1997

Everything But The Girl - Missing Madonna - Frozen Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack

25; Editors – Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors 24; Daft Punk - Da Funk / Musique 23; Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire 22; The Bellamy Brothers - Let Your Love Flow 21; Aqualung - Strange And Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You) 20; The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army 19; The Kooks - She Moves In Her Own Way 18; Toploader - Dancing In The Moonlight 17; Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music 16; Chic - Le Freak 15; Queen - Another One Bites The Dust 14; Charli xcx featuring Ariana Grande - Sympathy Is A Knife (remix) 13; Abba - Lay All Your Love On Me 12; Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood 11; Radiohead - Creep 10; The Magician featuring Years & Years – Sunlight 09; Jade - Angel Of My Dreams 08; Newton Faulkner – Dream Catch Me 07; Swedish House Mafia featuring Pharrell – One (Your Name) 06; Snow Patrol - You're All I Have 05; Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton – Islands In The Stream 04; The Beach Boys - I Get Around 03; The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up 02; Grandmaster and Melle Mel – White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) 01; Chris Cornell - You Know My Name

Pink, though I’ll probably be on my own for a while x

This was a great watch, much like the BBC documentary, not all of it's surprising but it's interesting to hear nonetheless. I never knew what happened to Mikey Graham and really feel for him, I sense he's still working through a lot of the issues being discussed. Not sure if they purposefully gave Louis a pantomime villain edit, but he came across as rather foul. I wouldn't be surprised if it was him that leaked the Gately story and he's got protection.

It means that she's an easy fit for a rootable figure that the media can create a narrative behind that would get people sympathising with her, you can also see it in Madeleine McCann getting incredibly disproportionate coverage over other kidnappings/child killings, particularly from impoverished backgrounds. People are fickle, it's easy to turn the tide. There are many experts in the world and if you look hard enough, you can find some that disagree with one another. This is a panel of a mere fourteen that have had no involvement in the case, that is not enough to overturn the overwhelming evidence against her in the eleven month trial where amongst other factors, she was the only nurse on duty for most of the murders, she was clearly mentally unwell and had researched the families of the babies that were killed and the written confessions amongst a whole load more. Expert shopping and a media circus is not valid grounds for a retrial and I expect the CCRC to keep to this.

I may be speaking out of turn here but a part of me does have to wonder if there would be this much defence and media backing of someone found guilty of killing babies if they weren't a young, attractive white woman... There is nothing presented so far that's enough to overturn the overwhelming evidence against her.

Nickelback brings back good meme memories so it can be spared for now x Going for Miami Girl first

aamourocean - Parmi Les Mortels {Aeroche CXLI} Active Child - Johnny Belinda {Aeroche CLXVIII} Delta Heavy - Ghost {#00274E LXXX} Fat Dog - King Of The Slugs {Sovarasma CLXI} Hilight Tribe - Free Tibet (Vini Vici Remix) {Ethanola LXXXII} Jay Dabhi and Moises Modesto - Cry For Freedom {Persephonia LXVII (12 Points)} M83 - Oblivion (feat. Susanne Sundfør) {Lotunia CXLIV} Trentemøller - Moan (feat. Ane Trolle) {Aeroche XLVI (12 Points)} Two Steps From Hell - Emerald Princess (feat. Chris Bleth and Merethe Soltvedt) {Danæviia CXIII} Woodkid - Run Boy Run {Ingermanlandia XLV (12 Points)} Worakls and Rusanda Panfili - Storm {Danæviia CXXXI} (2nd place When Is The Future got my 15 which I'm sure is the only time my top 2 were the top 2) More than I thought overall (and don't regret a single one of these, all still sound amazing <3 even if in Ghost and Parmi Les Mortels' case, it pushed my two main competitors further ahead of me x) I'd love to look up my other medalists but that took long enough as it was x

Congrats to Cody! My 18 being that close to winning is a bit heartbreaking though </3 That would've made up for the semi result, but wonderful to see that, Fljotavik and Land of DW do so well though, looks a pretty good top half overall, FSR Rontvia last by that much is criminal though, always loved a bit of new age x Seems I didn't shoot myself in the foot with the semi results then as I was never considering docking Bronzil as many as 4 points, fair enough, hopefully my luck starts next time x Thanks for the brat-tastic hosting, Kath!

Aww I debated giving This Corrosion my 30 to AQ it as more people need to hear it (and I see my actual 30 didn't need it anyway, unless it was just on the borderline), was a great discovery from my 1001 Songs... book.

Stan easily now, Robyn robbed x

Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) (feat. Freedom Williams) EMF - Unbelievable Madonna - Justify My Love P.M. Dawn - Set Adrift On Memory Bliss Not the best week x Color Me Badd - I Adore Mi Amor Michael Bolton - When A Man Loves A Woman Stevie B - Because I Love You (The Postman Song)

Assuming Under the Bridge/Regulate are now safe Dr. Dre - Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang (feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg) Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody SWV - Right Here (Human Nature Remix)

What was that about grocery prices being higher under Biden and him being absolutely at fault for this so let’s bring in someone else? Hmm x

Keir Starmers popularity is irrelevant though, he’s been in power longer for one but also he isn’t president of the United States, you can’t compare different countries with different polling, it’s a historic low for US presidents, you can’t spin it any other way. I truly can’t believe he actually had the nerve to use a plane crash where everyone died as a jab at diversity policies, there is no lows he won’t stoop to.

I've seen the first season, but not the next ones yet. I really liked it, definitely very much like Lost, I sense we've got a lot more mystery to go through, but I do hope it has better outcome than Lost did x (it's odd seeing Michael without thinking 'WAAAAAAALT)

Control is perhaps a bit dated now, but I've always had a soft spot for it and Matrix & Futurebound's other singles. Dominique I think is my biggest loss so far, such a quirky song <3 You're My Best Friend is great too.

I think this chart has the most of my BJSC entries featuring aside my own *.* Screamland was such a big highlight from FJM and Blinkmoth was a great random reddit find Lots of other great songs here as well from Vampire Weekend, Nilüfer Yanya, Kassie Krut and Nia Archives, all great 6Music finds x

:hi: Great read here as always and a fantastic top 5 - Sympathy is a Knife was one of the cleverer lyrical moments on brat, I was quite late to hearing Good Luck Babe! and not massively sold on her other material, but this has all the makings of a modern classic, lyrically and musically. I never got round to Vampire Weekend's album but Capricorn is beautiful (and Mary Boone further down is another really wild and weird song that I love). I did prefer Summer 2000 Baby of the two George Clacton/TV Girl songs, but I did enjoy Take a Trip as well, it's like the more morose comedown to contrast the other side. Cry For Me was my favourite I heard from Magdalena Bay as well, love the dreamy structure of the song. I'm not overly familiar with FKA Twigs, but did really like Eusexua and it has a wonderfully strange video to go along with it. Speaking of great videos, We Can't Be Friends was my favourite from Ariana this year, really lovely, more atmospheric song. Selected favourites from the rest of the list: 11. Billie Eilish - CHIHIRO | 519 points (Some great Billie picks throughout, but this would be my favourite too, even outside of the film shoutout, it had a lot of elements I loved on the album like the structure changes and genre experiments) 33. JADE - Angel Of My Dreams | 315 points (Knew one of them had it in them to really stand out, a great debut) 49. Beyoncé - DAUGHTER | 270 points (A highlight from the album, absolutely love the expoloration into opera) 51. Ethel Cain - Punish | 260 points (I've just finished her latest EP (along with her first one) and it was...an experience to say the least x very much up my street though, this was a highlight) 52. Bat For Lashes - The Dream of Delphi | 258 points (Glad to see this in someone else's EOY, it's a gorgeous dreamy song from an artist I haven't heard from in a while) 54. Sadness - I want to be with you | 254 points (probably my favourite of your BJSC entries this year <3) 64. Echoberyl - Weird Boy | 217 points (..and another of my favourite BJSC discoveries :wub:) 70. Cynthia Erivo - Defying Gravity (feat. Ariana Grande) | 197 points (The high point of the film definitely, doesn't sound quite as good without visuals, but a great moment nonetheless) 75. Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue | 184 points (Who knew Ireland at Eurovison could be this interesting x This one stayed on my playlist for a while) 83. Tyler, The Creator - Noid | 172 points (peak: #8) (Love the chaotic structure to this, a really great comeback, another artist I need to check out a bit more)

uAgsn7la3jg 1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Wild God So 6Music still proves to be a bit of a tastemaker at the top of my chart as these two mainstays of their playlist last year are my top 2. Much like FJM, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have been an artist I really love what I know of but haven't yet got round to checking them out in full. Cave's deep, forboding voice is just so powerful to make anything they release sound intense. Mercy Seat was one of my favourite discoveries from my 1001 songs... runthrough years back. So new material was always going to interest me and this certainly didn't disappoint, I knew they were capable of this rousing sound but Wild God's choir and strings exploding to life is still a chilling moment and as dark as Cave's voice can be, the power and optimism that radiates from it in the chorus is truly moving. In a typical storytelling way, the lyrics tell the story of what could be a spiritual being desperately searching for someone to believe in him, before 'bring your spirit down' ends as his final climactic plea to his people, so, is it as optimistic as it appears to be? Again much like the song before, possibly not, but it's impossible not to feel completely roused by the last two minutes where everything is thrown at the wall as the nation embraces whatever this God embodies, it's a gorgeous feeling of blind hope and resonates with me particularly as that bittersweet feeling of longing for something but just being happy in having that hope it will come. The album of the same name was wonderful too, it came at a hard time for me personally so songs like Long, Dark Night perhaps didn't land as well as they could've, but it's rousing and diverse blend of anthems made it a great listen. I cannot imagine how hard it has been for Cave with losing both of his sons tragically young such a short space of time between them, this work is one of a man that clearly has faced great sadness yet there is still that sliver of hope, and as you can tell with this and the song before it, that's really been what I'm into this year x -x- 1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Wild God 2. Father John Misty – Screamland 3. Night Tapes - drifting 4. TV Girl & George Clacton – Summer 2000 Baby 5. Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine/Heavy is the Crown 6. Nia Archives – Silence is Loud 7. Charli XCX feat. Lorde – Girl, So Confusing 8. Fat Dog – King of the Slugs 9. Roxanne de Bastion – UV 10. Bat For Lashes – Dream of Delphi Whew, that's that, hope those that read found something they liked here, for the best I didn't do a top 40 with how long that took me :kink: Now to get back to my albums project x (yes I haven't forgotten!)

Kdzl-j24Ut8 2. Father John Misty – Screamland This was close, honestly, I've not heard a song that I instantly love so much on morning radio possibly since The Last Man on Earth, yet there was that one song I liked that little bit more, but still it was pretty much a coinflip. I enjoyed what I knew of Father John Misty, he had a unique baroque and sophisticated style and I always like witty and poetic lyrics drawing on philosophy, but he was lacking that song that really made me sit up and take notice until now. Screamland is at it's heart a raw, huge expression of emotion, suitable of filling a stadium, with several sombre verses only accompanied by a lone piano, the chorus hits you with sheer power, it's designed to be sung out loud, and it gradually reveals its bells and whistles like gospel choirs and strings throughout it's seven minute runtime before ending abruptly. It is a truly stunning listen and the sheer power and emotion is enough to bring a tear to your eye, yet like all the best songs, there's layers there, the lyrics in the verses (though they need much longer than this single entry to analyse) are actually rather pessimistic in nature shown by the protagonist making a lot of self-sabotaging choices, which makes the triumphant and huge chorus feel bittersweet, especially 'get numb' accompanying 'stay young' and 'screamland' accompaying 'keep dreaming', this could well be intentional, as it was apparently written as a satire of 'Hillsong worship' which uses uplifting pop melodies with themes of hope and faith, in this case, the uplifting sound of the chorus is actually used as a mask for deeper unresolved struggles that are often masked with concepts like religion. It's a typically clever song from him that leaves you unsure how to interpret it, I personally choose to see it as at least a little bit of genuine hope amongst the doom and gloom, there's a hell of a lot of power put in to something so negative if not. Anyway, a stadium anthem that can make you think is a rare thing and it was an instant standout for me, it also allowed me a gateway his further exquisitely produced, existential ramblings of Mahashmashana, and the power still gets to me today, was certainly unlucky to come the same year as my number 1 (the BJSC win was nice as well x)

Yeah, Seasons in the Sun is the main offender, that was too personal a song for such a bland cover. I Have a Dream is honestly fine though, the original is really not that good for ABBA so it didn't bother me much.

Britney now, Shy FX is a banger x