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It’s 50 years since the first explosion of punk rock. Here’s a selection of tracks from 1976 and 1977.

Part one of a two-part series surveying the legendary Manchester scene. This episode puts the post-punk era under…

Synthpunk has a glorious heritage, but these are the synthpunk artists who are bringing it today

After 200 episodes, our Readers’ Poll episodes and the sad demise of the podcast spaniel Toby, it’s time…

Interviewing the legendary Dave Kelly, ex The Blues Band, who’s played with all the blues greats. Special focus…

A shout-out to some of our generous patrons, friends and sponsors with their choice of tracks that didn’t…

At last! The Top Ten Songs of All-Time, as voted by you, the podcast listener.

The penultimate tranche of songs in our Listeners’ Poll 2026.

Into the Top 40 we go on our All-Time Listeners Poll.

So we reach the halfway stage of our All-Time Poll, as voted for by listeners to the Sombrero…

The third episode in the Top 100 rundown of listeners’ favourite tracks

The second in our tranche of listeners’ all-time choices from music played on the Sombrero Fallout podcast.

Ignore the rest, settle only for these 14 best tracks of 2025!

SF0200 Festive Forthy 2025 Pt 2, #27-15 by Ian Deeker Forth

Pulp are back in 2025 but their heyday was the 90s when they influenced the artists featured in…

Songs with the title or the content about the band who are singing it.

Olivia Rodrigo inviting Robert Smith on stage at Glastonbury seems the perfect excuse to revisit the first 10…

An episode in which the tracks are sung by non-humans. Animals, insects, computers, guitars, aeroplanes, zombies, lasagne and…

Songs of promises, songs of pacts and songs of pledges. Pretty well as described.

Tracks by horse-related bands (of whom there have been a recent flurry) and tracks about horses. A surprisingly…

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…

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…

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…

Whether you believe individuals make a difference to history or not, here are some songs about history and…

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…

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…

A tribute to the legendary Steve Albini (RIP), featuring tracks from his bands Shellac and Big Black; and…

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…

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.

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.

A tribute to Richard H Kirk of Cabaret Voltaire, electronic visionary, who died recently at the age of…

Brian Eno has been inventing, making, producing and collaborating on half a century of boundary-expanding music. Let’s celebrate…

In their first year (1980-81), before they’d identified their trademark sound, New Order still managed to influence vast…

A mix of love songs all titled ‘Love Song’ (more or less) from a mix of genres. Apologies…

A Kiwi celebration of the 80s music known as The Dunedin Sound, the Flying Nun label and its…

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…

In this episode, we have have a listen to songs inspired by authors, from Camus and Dostoievsky to…

In which we hear varied interpretations by men of women’s songs. For the companion piece, dig out the…

Roll back the rugs. Push the sofa to one side. It’s alternative at-home dance time with Sombrero Fallout’s…

In Sombrero Fallout Episode 40, we continue with Part 2 of songs recorded at home. Appropriate for these…

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 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…

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…

An episode dedicated to bands on the Warp record label. Classic electronica and IDM, from artists including Aphex…

In this episode, each miniature masterpiece is under two minutes long. Superb value for money – 24 songs…

There is a defect in this podcast. Please scroll up one for the proper version.

Marvin Gaye, The Smiths, Neil Young, Public Enemy, The Beatles, The Stones, Black Sabbath, New Order and ELO…

A celebration of The Fall’s legacy. Tracks from Pavement, Sonic Youth, Arctic Monkeys and Guided by Voices sit…

A tribute to Mark E Smith of The Fall (5/3/57-24/1/18).

The Top Ten Alternative Tracks of 2017.

Have yourself a merry little alternative Christmas with a selection of merry little alternative Christmas tunes from down…

In our 13th episode, we take an alternative look at LA, Hollywood and its nearby coast. We walk…

Celebrating the launch of the 2017 Ashes with some classic alternative music – from ‘Australians In Europe’ to…

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…

In Episode 9 of Sombrero Fallout, we take a listen to songs about brothers and sisters. Tracks about…

The eighth episode of Sombrero Fallout shines the spotlight on songs of politics and protest, from the Vietnam…

In our seventh episode we go back to the first year after punk rock, when music got really…

In our sixth episode we head north of the border to Glasgow. The city has an amazing track…

For our fourth episode we celebrate short stories in songs. The set starts with ‘Up the Junction’ by…

The first episode of the Sombrero Fallout podcast, which gives you alternative music, intriguingly themed. Today’s theme celebrates…
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