October Playlist: Keep it a Secret

What have I been stuffing in my ears this month? Well, since you ask, here are ten tracks that have rocktobered my October:

1. Daisy - Fang Island

(from Fang Island)

I bought Fang Island on a whim earlier this month, and I'm pleased to report that Fang Island's description of their own music as the sound of "everyone high-fiving everyone" is as applicable to this album as to Major (which I bought ages ago - why did it take me so long to pick this one up?!)

2. Voodoo Doll - John Grant

(from Grey Tickles, Black Pressure)

This is actually a really sweet song - John Grant's friend is depressed, so he's made a voodoo doll of said friend and now he's feeding it chicken soup, buying it nice clothes, and taking it on holiday in the hope that all of this will make his friend feel better. Pretty thoughtful for someone who's turning into an evil robot.

3. I Didn't Want Her Anyway - Robert Chaney

(from Cracked Picture Frames)

As I pointed out in my kinda-review of Cracked Picture Frames, you'd have to be a fool to believe this song's title.

4. Into You - Low

(from Ones and Sixes)

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

5. Nancy Kerrigan - Frog

(from Frog)

A hymn to a figure skater, from the album that also features a song about Jesus "jerking off" with John the Baptist.

6. Come Pick Me Up - Ryan Adams

(from Heartbreaker)

I rediscovered Heartbreaker in a big way this month - I'm really hoping that Taylor Swift will cover this album in return for Ryan Adams' take on 1989 (which I still haven't heard).

7. Get Bummed Out - SPORTS
(from All of Something)

This song is home to one of the many awesome choruses that All of Something has to offer - read my review of the album here.

8. Special/Blown It (Delete as Appropriate) - Mansun

(from Six)
Six has accompanied me on a few long drives these past couple of weeks. This song is worth bearing with for the fast 'n' furious bit towards the end. "I've really blown it now..."

9. Don't Look Down - Guillemots

(from Red)

When I wrote about Red being a "celebration of rhythm" last week, Don't Look Down is the track to which my mention of "weird drum 'n' bass breaks" was referring. I love both halves of this song - the gentle eveningtime thrum of the first, the unhinged bonkersness of the second, and the tremendous melody that just about manages to tether them together.

10. I Was Doing Fine (Then a Few People Died) - Craig Finn

(from Faith in the Future)

Probably my favourite closing track of the year (though I still wish it were several minutes longer). Here's a thing I wrote about it and its parent album.

Click here for last month's playlist.