Meanwhile In The Real Pop Music World

I had a conversation with a colleague at my works Christmas do who didn't know who Joe Strummer was ('oh yeah' he said when I told him Joe was in The Clash, 'they did that song I Bought The Law didn't they?' I think I did an actual facepalm). I looked at my 2014 List as I was typing it and thought 'is this deliberately obtuse?' So today I'm doing music from the real world in 2014.

Hideaway by Keisza is ace, with that massive early 90s bass drop and one take video.



You'd have to have a heart of stone not to find something about Pharrell's smash Happy not to like. Except that you may have heard it once too often by now.



And here's yet another class Beyonce tune (shame about the silly Jay Z rap in the middle which adds nothing and actually detracts from the song). This came out at the tail end of 2013 but I've heard it repeatedly this year and always enjoy it.

Sifting

This is Sifters record shop, in Burnage, south Manchester, known far and wide due to Noel Gallagher immortalising Mr Sifter in Oasis's early single Shakermaker. I grew up not far from here and have been visiting Sifters on and off since early 80s. It's the kind of place you can rummage for an hour and come out with seven records having spent less than twenty quid. A fair few years ago, six or seven maybe, I took the kids to Fog Lane Park  (another of my childhood/teenage haunts). I then took them over the road to Sifters and to pacify them while I had at least ten minutes sifting I put them in front of the 12" rack and told them to choose one each. Whether through luck or judgement both chose acceptably- I.T. settled on The Fall's cover of R Dean Taylor's There's A Ghost In My House- must have been the sleeve- and daughter E.T., only two-ish, wanted Madonna's Into The Groove. Neither cost more than £1.95. Amongst other things, I bought this damn fine piece of twenty-first century pop...

Crazy In Love

I haven't been to Sifters for years, choosing King Bee in Chorlton for my out of town second hand record shopping these days. It's closer (and, whisper it, better). But I miss my trips to Sifters. Is it still there, anyone know? May have to take a drive that way soon.