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SF0186 He’s on the phone
From dial tones to iPhones via payphones, a short history of great phone-related tracks.
Tag post-punk
SF0185 Guided by Guided By Voices
30 years after the release of Guided By Voices’ classic twin album assault of Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes, here’s a tribute. Also features some bands they’ve influenced.
SF0184 RIP Clem Burke, Dave Allen, David Thomas, Rick Buckler
A tribute to Clem Burke of Blondie; Dave Allen of The Gang of Four; David Thomas of Pere Ubu; and Rick Buckler of The Jam.
SF0182 The Carolinas, North and South
Take a trip to the Appalachians for a selection of tracks from North and South Carolina.
SF0181 Hey!
Tracks with “Hey!” in their title. A plentiful supply: it’s tough to leave so many good ones out.
SF0176 Brighton Rock
Brighton Rock was a novel by Graham Greene. But there’s also plenty of great (alternative) Brighton rock music (and post-punk and other genres) – as this episode demonstrates.
SF0174 Break’s over, get back to work
Getting 2025 off to a depressing start with a selection of alternative songs about work
SF0171 Festive Forthy Pt 1 2024, #40 – 28
The first of 3 episodes rounding up the best alternative tracks of 2024. Starting with #40-28.
SF0170 The Days of our Lives
A selection of day tracks with yesterdays, todays, tomorrows, weekdays – and starting with “This Perfect Day”.
SF0165 – Britpop: An Alternative History
Some great songs from Britain in the mid-90s. May or may not qualify as Britpop.
SF0163 Angels and Ghosts
The subject is angels and ghosts but the mood ranges from visceral to joyous to reflective on these afterlife tracks.
SF0160 Song for Europe, or Sombr-Euro Fallout – The Return
Alternative songs about Europe and European cities to celebrate Euros 2024.
SF0155 Female bass players
A tribute episode to the iconic female bass players – and also some you may not have heard of.
SF0154 Fame, Fame, Fatal Fame
When will I be famous? Me, probably never, which is fine because, as these tracks show, it is very much a double-edged sword.
SF0153 Tiring, Sleeping, Dreaming
You snooze, you lose, or so they say. Not on this episode though. Alternative tracks about sleeping and dreaming.
SF0150 – 150th Retrospective Episode
A cherry picking exercise from the archives on the occasion of the podcast’s 150th episode.
SF0149 Music about music
An episode about music itself – the songs, the singers, the radio, the ballroom, the dances.
SF0146 Festive Forthy 2023, #27-15
The second of three shows rounding up some of the best alternative tracks from 2023.
SF0144 – Neutral Milk Hotel 25 years later
It’s a quarter of a century since Neutral Milk Hotel effectively stopped. Here’s a celebration plus some bands who owe a debt to their unique sound.
SF0143 Same band, same song, different version
What happens when artists first demo a familiar song or re-imagine it years later.
The demos, the reimaginings, the minimalisms, the maximalisms.
SF0141 Sibling Bands
Ending up in the same band as your sibling. Here’s some of the best tracks that combination can produce.
This is what feels like to never escape your childhood: an episode about bands containing siblings.
SF0140 Talking Heads 40 Years On
As ‘Stop Making Sense’, the Talking Heads live concert film is re-released and given the IMAX treatment, we look back on the group and their legacy.
SF0139 Lovers of Today
An outstanding selection of alternative love songs from the 2020s.
SF0138 Guest Host, Gideon Haigh
I was stoked when Gideon Haigh, one of the world’s pre-eminent cricket journalists, joined me to share his love for alternative music. A brilliant on-brand tracklist inevitably resulted.
SF0137 False Endings
Tracks with false endings, codas and late changes of direction from a variety of genres.
SF0135 On returning
Refreshed and back from its holidays, Sombrero Fallout wants to share some classic alternative tracks about returning with you.
SF0134 Over the Oceans
An Ocean’s Eleven of songs. Well, an Ocean’s Fourteen, to be accurate.
SF0133 Simon Reynolds, Guest Host
Renowned music critic and author Simon Reynolds joins the podcast to choose some of his favourite tracks.
SF0130 Young Marble Giants
Young Marble Giants left a slim volume of work but a disproportionately large legacy. Here we listen to their music and its influence.
SF0129 Liverpool and Merseyside
An open top bus tour around the best alternative tunes from Liverpool and Merseyside
SF0125 Those We Lost In 2022
A commemoration of the alternative music artists we lost in 2022.
SF0124 Festive Forthy 2022, Pt 3, #14-#1
So, here it is: the best tracks of 2022. And it’s the best year for music ever, as always, with all these songs to add to all the ones from every other year.
SF0123 Festive Forthy 2022 , Pt 2, #27-#15
Part Two in our trilogy of episodes celebrating the best tracks of 2022.
SF0122 Festive Forthy 2022, Pt 1, #40-#28
Part One of three episodes rounding up the best in alternative listening for 2022. Not definitive, not meant to be.
SF0121 Before they found their sound
The sounds before the sounds. What successful bands sounded like before they sold out stadiums. Often better.
SF0120 RIP Mimi Parker (Low) and Keith Levene (PIL)
A tribute to Mimi Parker of Low, and Keith Levene, a founding member of early PIL and The Clash.
SF0119 John Cale at 80
John Cale is 80: no second invitation needed to celebrate the Velvets, his solo work, his musical contributions and his production as well.
SF0118 Don’t let our youth go to waste
Braces, tire swings, then love and other catastrophes. Songs about the indignities and thrills of being young.
SF0117 Perth
Perth, a thousand miles from anywhere else, and West Australia more broadly have always had their unique thing going on. Here’s their unique musical thing.
SF0116 25 years of Mogwai (plus their influences)
25 Years of living under the reign of Mogwai. Interlaced with some influences on the band themselves.
SF0115 Tributes, Odes and Homages
Tributes, hymns, odes to. Songs for, Homages about. Not people though. Binoculars, divorce and androids amongst others.
SF0114 Class and Inequality
Songs about the class system, about the bourgeoisie, about unfairness, about inequality. But with humour too.
SF0113 Neo-Psychedelia
The inheritors of the ’60s psychedelic bands are the latter-day Neo-Psychedelia practitioners. Here’s an episode featuring them.
SF0112 – Bonus Episode: Bands Listeners Are In
The conch is handed to listeners of the podcast who feature here in the bands they play in.
SF0111 Songs about Actors and Movies
Songs about actors, songs about movies, songs about actors in movies.
SF0110 Great Songs on TV Shows
Great tracks from TV shows, good, bad and indifferent.
SF0109 Cameras and Photos
More songs about cameras and photography.
SF0108 Jowe Head (Swell Maps), Guest Host
Guest host this episode is Jowe Head, veteran of many groups and especially beloved by post-punk aficionados for his time in the legendary Swell Maps.
SF0107 Two Tone and its Jamaican Origins
Now there’s a Two Tone museum in Coventry, here’s a celebration of the label and the original ska sound from Jamaica in the ’60s that inspired it.
SF0106 Milestone Birthday Episode
To celebrate a certain milestone, the first letters of the these favourite Sombrero tracks spell out BIRTHDAY EPISODE.
SF0105 30 years of Pavement’s Slanted & Enchanted
It’s 30 years since Pavement’s Slanted & Enchanted landed on our CD shelf. Here’s an episode celebrating its tracks and tracing its influence.
SF0104 Collaborations
Collaborations don’t always work, but these alternative examples of the art form are inspired.
SF0103 Guest Host Guy Haslam
A guest host episode with a member of the Haslam Musical Dynasty – and the UK’s leading cryptic crossword exponent, Guy Haslam.
SF0102 Music of Ukraine
A celebration of the music, mostly alternative, being made in Ukraine today.
SF0101 International Women’s Day Special
To celebrate International Women’s Day, an episode of alternative female artists to watch out for in 2022.
SF0100 Special Extended Edition – All New Artists
For the 100th edition of Sombrero Fallout, listeners have written in with their choice of an artist never previously featured. Plus some surprise guests towards the end behind the mike.
SF0099 Happy Alternative Valentines Day
An alternative world of music for Valentine’s Day
SF0097 Guest Host Terry Edwards
Terry Edwards, go to session man, but also member of The Higsons, Gallon Drunk and the NJE guest hosts this eclectic episode.
SF0094 – Festive Forthy 2021, Part One: Numbers 40-27
The first episode in this year’s best tracks selection, in the opinion of Sombrero Fallout.
SF0093 Australian Post Punk Today
A survey of all that’s great in Australian post-punk over the last few years.
SF0092 – MBV’s Loveless 30 Years On
A celebration of the debt owed by the bands who listened to My Bloody Valentine’s soundscape masterpiece from 1991: Loveless.
SF0091 – Berlin
Berlin, internationally famous for its clubs, its lifestyle, its vibe. Take a tour with a collection of songs about Berlin or recorded in the city.
SF0090 Guest Host Pinko Fowler, Part 2
Part 2 of the Sombrero interview with indie music maven Pinko Fowler. Tales of Mark E Smith, Snub TV and the full-on craziness of Hunter S Thompson, plus classic alternative tracks.
SF0089 Writing, Reading and Libraries
Songs about books, reading, writing, libraries. Unfashionable these days, maybe, but the inspiration for some great tracks.
SF0085 Covers from another genre
The very best type of cover song adds something new to the original. The icing on the cake? These tracks switch genre as well.
SF0083 – Guest Host Andrew McClelland
Alternative improv comedian and DJ to the stars (e.g. Cher) Andrew McLelland co-hosts this eclectic mix of Australian indie-folk, post-punk, post-rock – and sea shanties.
SF0082 Confessional Songs
Confessionals, memoirs, autobiographies – call them what you like, a collection of brilliant, highly personal songs.
SF0081 The Sparks Brothers and Their Influence
To coincide with the release of Edgar Wright’s outstanding Sparks Brothers movie, here’s 50 years of the Maels and the bands they have influenced.
SF0080 50 Years of Music’s Most Influential Riff
For half a century, one propulsive descending riff has provided not just covers but a framework for any amount of alternative music. Here we delve deeper into this rich history.
SF0079 Guest Host – Rajan Datar
The guest host is Rajan Datar, BBC journalist, star of TV and Radio, and long time bass player in the group he founded, Maroon Town
SF0078 London
From the northern line to the north circular, some tracks celebrating London and London life.
SF0075 Montreal
From Arcade Fire to Helena Deland, Montreal is arguably the music capital of Canada. Here we take a tour around some of its alternative highlights.
SF0073 4AD (historic roster)
Some of the 4AD label’s classic artists: from the Birthday Party to St Vincent, the Cocteaus to Pixies – and some lesser known gems along the way.
SF0071 Deadpan
A brisk walk through a dark, deadpan, detached setlist. A lot more fun than it sounds. To add one more D, starts with Dry Cleaning.
SF0069 Ireland (honouring St Patrick’s Day)
A tour through the byways of Irish alternative music over the last half century. From Stiff Little Fingers to Girl Band via Ash and Whipping Boy; The Pogues to Newdad via Stump – and all points in between.
SF0068 Wales (honouring St David’s Day)
From John Cale to the Manics, Anhrefn via the Darling Buds, Colossal Youth through Gorky’s to Derrero and Steveless, a celebration of Welsh music.
SF0067 “This is The Real Indie” – The Millennial NY Scene
If you’re looking for the real indie, here’s the NY/Long Island scene that flourished at the turn of the century. Real authentic, real indie, real cool.
SF0066 Remembering Mark E Smith 3 years on
Three years ago this week we lost Mark E Smith. Here’s a tribute to the music of the man and the music of his group, The Fall.
SF0065 Proto-punk
Punk before punk – how punk is that. AKA garage rock or, as this episode’s title has it, proto-punk.
SF0064 Women to Watch 2021
A chance to hear some of the new female artists destined to make waves on the 2021 alternative music scene.
SF0063 Best of 2020, Part Two, 12-1
A round up of the 12 “best” alternative tracks of 2020. Sombrero Fallout bears no responsibility for the absence of your favourite band, and listeners do so at their own discretion.
SF0061 The Go Betweens and their Influence
The Go Betweens – the greatest of all Australian bands? Decide for yourself in this episode, paying tribute to the iconic Brisbane outfit and the groups they influenced.
SF0060 Dub and its Post Punk Influence
A look at the link between the original early ’70s dub reggae artists, such as Lee Perry and Augustus Pablo, and their influence on the original late ’70s and early ’80s post-punk bands.
SF0059 21st Century Synths
We know about the golden age of early 80s synth bands, but let’s take a tour round the world of 21st century synth artists.
SF0054 Tribute Songs to Musicians
Herein we take a listen to musicians paying tribute to other musicians who are their influences or who deserve especial respect. Or usually both. Plus one anti-tribute, for good measure.
SF0050,The Fallout Fifty Part Three, 2004-2019
A celebration of different genres of alternative music, choosing one track a year from the last 16 years. Our 50th episode!
SF0049 The Fallout Fifty Part Two, 1987-2003
A track a year from 1987-2003 to symbolise what was going on in alternative music in the second of three episodes covering the last 50 years.
SF0048 The Fallout Fifty Part One, 1970-1986
The first of 3 episodes with a track from each of the last 50 years.
SF0027The Sound of Young Melbourne
In our 27th episode, we listen in to what’s emerging from the streets of Melbourne.
SF0021 Sheffield
There’s more to Sheffield than Pulp and the Arctic Monkeys – though you can hear them too, on this Sombrero Fallout episode dedicated to the city’s best alternative music.