Steve’s Mix Tapes

My guest this week is Emma Pollock Emma was a founder member of The Delgados, who were simply one of the very best bands of the late 90s / early 00s. As part of the band, she set up the label Chemikal Underground, which has released music by Mogwai and Arab Strap. She has also enjoyed a successful solo career, her latest album being Begging The Night To Take Hold. I met Emma in Cardiff last year when she was supporting The Wedding Present which gave me the very welcome opportunity to set this up. Harry, a good friend of mine who is a big fan of her music told me that, "as well as being a supremely talented musician, she's just a genuinely lovely person", and he wasn't wrong. This episode is dedicated to Harry.

My guest this week is Jon Sutton It's a small world... Jon originally contacted me with a “nerdy Wedding Present request” after seeing some of the TWP videos I'd uploaded to YouTube - and then it turned out he is acquainted professionally with star of episode #033 Gavin Morgan. Jon is a Chartered Psychologist and Head of Science Communication. In his spare time he has contributed live reviews, interviews and photography to music fanzines including In The April Sun and Zine Things Happen. Get ready for a bit of shoegaze; and - it had to happen sometime - the first appearance of New Order.

My guest this week is David Pisker I was introduced to David by previous guest Ian Forth of Sombrero Fallout fame, who recommended him as an 'absolute authority on underground Melbourne music.' David - who describes himself as 'a music and film tragic' - is a DJ on Melbourne's PBS FM and has also had his photography featured in Clinton Walker’s seminal history of Australian Independent Music, Stranded.

My guest this week is Kilynn Lunsford Kilynn is a New Jersey based artist who has been recording experimental music and producing art that has been exhibited internationally for 25 years. A review of her most recent album, Promiscuous Genes, described it as “a mix of DIAMANDA GALAS, KATE BUSH, and The Munsters in the best way… as melodic and catchy as it is sinister and disturbing” I was put in touch with her by previous guest Brian Turner of East Village Radio, who recommended her "exquisite multifaceted music taste."

My guest this week is Mat Riches Mat is another one of those people that I’ve known forever on music forums, etc. but have only met in person once (possibly twice) and that was a long time ago… so it’s a real pleasure to reconnect with him. He currently works in market research and as ITV’s (unofficial) poet-in-residence, blogs about poetry at Wear The Fox Hat and has published a collection of poetry called Collecting the Data.

My guest mixer this week is Rachael Wood. A guitarist and composer with 20 years of live and recording experience. She has played with Sinead O’Connor and Skunk Anansie as well as being the musical director for Cirque du Soleil for 8 years. Most importantly - for me anyway, and I suspect most of my listeners - she is currently the guitarist in The Wedding Present.

A compilation of ten different guest mixers this week... Something a bit different this week. Once or twice every year, some of the members of the Fall Online Forum take part in 'Mix It Up', where they swap anonymised playlists. One person hosts, distributing the mixes to the others; basically, you receive a mix for review where you don't know who the songs are by, what they're called, or who selected them. A couple of months ago, I was the host, and set the participants the challenge of adhering to the SMT criteria. I asked each reviewer to nominate a favourite track, and concocted a playlist out of their choices. This episode features each of them telling me about their selections.

My guest mixer this week is James Evans James is a music blogger from Twickenham, London. He is also a very patient man, as he sent me this some considerable time ago and has waited, uncomplainingly, while I got around to recording it. You can find his blog here: Embrace The Margin This is one of those where he sent the notes and I did the recording, so it's just my voice this week I'm afraid. I think it's a great mix: I hope you all enjoy it.

My guest mixer this week is Chris Rand Chris is the man behind the definitive Half Man Half Biscuit website: The Half Man Half Biscuit Lyrics Project. He is also a lover of ‘event’ stadium rock, Ipswich Town, cinema and travel. He's pictured on the stevesmixtapes.com page with Nigel Blackwell, who he did try to get on the show; alas, to no avail, as you will hear...

My guest mixer this week is Paul Garratt Paul contacted me last September to say: "I realise that your podcast guests are becoming more well-known by the week but if you ever wanted a chat with someone you’ve never met who’s not a writer or a musician and has nothing to advertise then can I put my hand up?" And, of course, I was delighted to have him on, especially as he selected a particularly thoughtful mix.

My guest mixer this week is Ian Gelling Ian is a long-standing member of the Wedding Present forum, with whom I have stood down the front at many a TWP gig over the years. A native of the Isle of Man, he is also a huge Cardiacs fan, as will soon become apparent when you listen to his selection...

My guest mixer this week is Susan Pringle Given that Christmas is a time for family, it seemed fitting that this episode should feature my mum. She turned 80 this year but you'd never know it. She was a little nervous about doing it - especially as we had to do the interview twice, my laptop having mangled the first attempt! But I think she did a fine job, and it was a great trip down memory lane for me...

My guest mixer this week is Cory Plump Like Brian Turner last week, Cory is someone that Steve Shelley was kind enough to put me in touch with. He has played in bands such as When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth, Spray Paint and Winged Wheel and also owns the live music bar Tubby’s in Kingston NY. It's becoming clear that Steve clearly has good taste in mixers, as Cory was a great guest and picked an excellent playlist.