Moderate Rock

I’ve always made playlists. Often for others. Mostly for myself. Somewhere in the middle of last year, the list I made predominantly to keep tabs on what records have been released, turned into something a bit more official. It’s on Spotify (I know Spotify is a bit icky in a few ways but it’s my streaming service of choice at the moment), and it’s called #ModerateRockRecommends.

It’s a hand-picked list of of what is on the Moderate Rock stereo, updated all month, new every month. Sometimes old but mostly new, it features artists I love, or I think you might love. And if one person finds one new favourite song, then mission well and truly accomplished.

As well as being a list, it’s kind of a curated mixtape type of thing too. Y’know, if people still made mixtapes. Not necessarily always successfully, these playlists are supposed to have flow and style and maybe even tell a story. As more songs are added throughout the month, they might even move and evolve so the story might change.

As much for me as anyone else, these now won’t disappear when a new month starts but instead be recorded here. We be Playlisting!

January 2018 looked a whole lot like this:

• OUTLIER- ‘Mecca’
• JACK DALTON- ‘Inherit Reputation’
• CITYCOP- ‘The Golden Age of Concern’
• STORM[O]- ‘Metafora del distacco’
• ANORAK.- ‘Hollow’
• COHEED AND CAMBRIA- ‘The Crowing’
• LITHUANIA- ‘Crown Victoria’
• JEFF ROSENSTOCK- ‘Yr Throat’
• THE COATHANGERS- ‘Squeeki Tiki’
• SINAI VESSEL- ‘Down with the Hull’
• MUSKETS- ‘Pond Drop’
• SLOW CRUSH- ‘Dizzy’
• BLINKER THE STAR- ‘International Smile’
• NO DEVOTION- ‘Break’
• FALL OUT BOY- ‘Young and Menace’
• MOUNT EERIE- ‘Real Death’
• HEBOSAGIL- ‘Oi Fortuna’
• VAMPILLIA- ‘Fedor’
• BENJAMIN WALLFISCH- ‘You’ll Float Too’