six underground

After a music-free Christmas, I went to ground for the day on Saturday and listened to practically all of the 6Music Top 100 singles of the year. Some good stuff here (although way too much Muse for my liking), and the occasional track which I hadn't heard before, like "Setting Sun" by the Howling Bells (available in video and audio format thanks to the usual suspects). As a result, I went HMV sale-shopping on Sunday and took a flyer on their album. Some good tracks, but generally a bit disappointing. Hopefully it's a slow burner. Also shelled out for Michigan by Sufjan Stevens (on "Asthmatic Kitty" Records!), another 80-odd-minute epic in his state-by-state musical travelogue and pretty much more-of-the-same as (the more recent) Illinoise which I bought this time last year. What with his 4-CD Christmas box-set (favourable reviews all round), I'll be surprised if he can keep this pace up for much longer. Third purchase (a snip at £5) was Songs To Remember by Scritti Politti (their best?), the cassette copy of which I lost a long time ago. Should keep me going for a while...