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City life can be thrilling or alienating. Here are some tracks about city life to suit every mood.
Not just your name, but tracks with your full name.
A bonus episode, essentially the first episode in the podcast Steve’s Mix Tapes; Ian is interviewed by Steve Pringle.
Three-piece bands, sometimes called power trios, in the third part of our Graham Greene inspired trilogy of episodes.
Valentine’s Day is upon us once more. But the flowers of romance can fade and die – as these tracks tell us, all too sadly.
Episode 2 of a trilogy looking back on some of the best alternative music tracks from 2024.
A celebration of the music of experimental pop artists Broadcast and some of the band they influenced.
Songs about water – murky, deep, still, treading, tables, coolers, edges and living adjacent to.
Steve Pringle, author of the definitive Fall chronicle “You Must Get Them All” takes us through his life in music.
Whether you believe individuals make a difference to history or not, here are some songs about history and the people in it.
A selection of tracks on the subject of feeling like an impostor, inadequate or out of our depth.
A reassessment of 1974, 50 years on. An almost themeless era as music wondered where to go next after the 60s, psychedelia, heavy metal, glam rock and the golden age of reggae. (And before punk came thundering in.) A fascinating tracklist.
An uplifting episode – though ironically the tracks are about boredom.
A multi-genre selection united by all containing the word “Song” in their title.
An episode featuring fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, grandmothers, half sisters, little sisters and the family tortoise.
A tribute to the legendary Steve Albini (RIP), featuring tracks from his bands Shellac and Big Black; and some of the myriad bands he audio-engineered.
A celebration of alternative bands incorporating the pedal steel guitar into their sound.
Hundreds of groups have been influenced by The Kinks. Here’s a few of them plus some original tracks themselves.
An episode about the perils of either striving after too much money or not having enough of it.
The final countdown of the best tracks in 2023, according to Sombrero Fallout.
The first of 3 episodes dedicated to the best tracks of 2023. Well, some of them.
The thrill of the open road. An episode about cars, roads and motorways.
The art of driving.
There’s a brand new alt-scene in 2020s Chicago and here’s some great examples of what’s happening there.
Paying tribute to the great Tom Verlaine and some of the groups his band Television influenced.
None of the smash hits, but some of the alternative tunes from 1993.
The second of three episodes rounding up the best alternative tracks from 2021.
Another musical visionary leaves the scene, far too young. Richard H Kirk along with his Cabaret Voltaire bandmates, was a primary architect behind today’s electronic music, as this episode amply demonstrates.
Brian Eno has been inventing, making, producing and collaborating on half a century of boundary-expanding music. Let’s celebrate him.
In their first year (1980-81), before they’d identified their trademark sound, New Order still managed to influence vast numbers of bands with their musical experimentation. This is an episode about that.
A mix of love songs all titled ‘Love Song’ (more or less) from a mix of genres. Apologies to anyone who has already downloaded the episode earlier. It was withdrawn after the discovery of technical flaws.
A Kiwi celebration of the 80s music known as The Dunedin Sound, the Flying Nun label and its influence on the embryonic indie scene in the UK and US.
Choice cuts from first cuts on debut albums kick off our second half century of episodes.
The first of 3 episodes with a track from each of the last 50 years.
In this episode, we and other artists pay tribute to Joy Division, 40 years on from their demise.…
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with all our friends in New York with this tribute episode to the city’s great music.
A unique opportunity to hear this soundtrack to a yet-to-be-written movie about the effect of the coronavirus on the hopes and dreams of one young couple.
In this episode, we have have a listen to songs inspired by authors, from Camus and Dostoievsky to Lovecraft and Kafka.
In which we hear varied interpretations by men of women’s songs. For the companion piece, dig out the earlier episode where roles are reversed.
Roll back the rugs. Push the sofa to one side. It’s alternative at-home dance time with Sombrero Fallout’s house.
In Sombrero Fallout Episode 40, we continue with Part 2 of songs recorded at home. Appropriate for these times.
In Episode 39 of Sombrero Fallout, we tune into songs recorded at home. In self-isolation, if you will.
In Episode 38 of Sombrero Fallout, we take a look at glam rock and its influences.
In this episode we pay tribute to Andy Gill (RIP) of the Gang of Four. Tracks from the…
In this episode of Sombrero Fallout, we listen to tracks from Women To Watch in the 2020s.
The best 10 (alternative) songs of the 2010s.
The first of two episodes curating the best alternative music of the 2010s.
In the last episode of this series of Sombrero Fallout, we complete our survey of the wonderful year in music that was 1979.
In our 31st episode we listen to music from the post-punk year par excellence. 1979.
In our 30th episode, recorded at the same time as the World Cup 2018, we take a look at the indie/football crossover.
A collection of alternative music from the participating nations in the 2018 World Cup.
A tribute episode to the best of Slowcore music from the early 90s and beyond.
An alternative look at nature, pastoral music and the great outdoors.
This is the 25th anniversary edition of the podcast where Friends of Sombrero Fallout wrote in with their many and varied requests.
25 editions, my my.
An episode dedicated to bands on the Warp record label. Classic electronica and IDM, from artists including Aphex Twin, Grizzly Bear, !!!, Boards of Canada and Nightmares on Wax.
In this episode, each miniature masterpiece is under two minutes long. Superb value for money – 24 songs in under an hour!
What makes a great choice of song for a movie?
Marvin Gaye, The Smiths, Neil Young, Public Enemy, The Beatles, The Stones, Black Sabbath, New Order and ELO (among others) all get a female makeover in this celebration of female artists covering tracks originally sung by men.
A celebration of The Fall’s legacy. Tracks from Pavement, Sonic Youth, Arctic Monkeys and Guided by Voices sit alongside today’s inheritors of Mark E Smith’s influence: Ought, Parquet Courts and Protomartyr. Plus some of MES’s collaborations over the years: Long Fin Killie, Elastica and The Inspiral Carpets.
A tribute to Mark E Smith (5/3/57-24/1/18) of The Fall.
The Top Ten Alternative Tracks of Are these the ten best songs of 2017? No two people would ever agree. But on this occasion what Sombrero Fallout says goes, democracy be damned. A blog and tracklist will appear in a few days' time.
Have yourself a merry little alternative Christmas with a selection of merry little alternative Christmas tunes from down the ages.
In our 13th episode, we take an alternative look at LA, Hollywood and its nearby coast. We walk the Spanish suburbs of Beck’s childhood, drive through Long Beach with Warren G and then up the Pacific Coast Highway with Sonic Youth – amongst many other hosts.
Celebrating the launch of the 2017 Ashes with some classic alternative music – from ‘Australians In Europe’ to ‘Ashes to Ashes’ via ‘Monty Got A Raw Deal’ and many others.
In Episode 11, we play some alt-epics. Celebrating various artists experimenting with longer form music from Television and Sonic Youth through DJ Shadow and The Microphones via Fiery Furnaces and Car Seat Headrest.
In our tenth episode we wonder what would have happened if. Featuring a wide range of artists, including an overdue debut for the Australians with The Go Betweens’ Dive For Your Memory
In Episode 9 of Sombrero Fallout, we take a listen to songs about brothers and sisters. Tracks about sibling rivalry and jealousy, but also about the importance of sisters and brothers in our lives.
The eighth episode of Sombrero Fallout shines the spotlight on songs of politics and protest, from the Vietnam War to the turmoil of today via personal politics and Marxist manifestos.
In our seventh episode we go back to the first year after punk rock, when music got really interesting. From The Buzzcocks to Joy Division via The Gang of Four, Wire and PIL, amongst many others.
In our sixth episode we head north of the border to Glasgow. The city has an amazing track record for producing some of the best alternative music of the last 40 years, from the Jesus And Mary Chain via Belle And Sebastian to Mogwai.
For our fourth episode we celebrate short stories in songs. The set starts with ‘Up the Junction’ by Squeeze and ends with ‘Frank’s Wild Years’ by Tom Waits, with an intriguingly varied literary journey in between.
The first episode of the Sombrero Fallout podcast, which gives you alternative music, intriguingly themed. Today’s theme celebrates the female icons of the British punk and post-punk movement. Topically more relevant than ever, the music itself has aged surprisingly well.
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