Keith's Latest Songs
One of my favorite discoveries was the London band Man/Woman/Chainsaw. I saw them at SXSW, and it was awesome, and I grew to enjoy them more with every new release they put out. They don’t have a full album out (yet, hopefully), but each of their singles and their 2024 EP Easy Peasy are fantastic. Their sound is a little hard to define, as it draws on influences from all over, and their arrangements feel fresh and unique. It’s indie rock, but it’s not delivered in a straight-ahead way. “Adam & Steve” is a short track, and in about two and a half minutes, they fit a whole lot of goodness. They remind me a bit of Anathallo; they have that same indie rock-meets-band-camp vibe. I really hope I get the chance to see them again live; they put on such an engaging and fun set.
Here we have a rock-and-roll horror-thriller that starts small and goes global. It’s about cursed objects and the horrifying effects they have on the people who possess, or are possessed by, them. And it’s about people who are cursed by their past, their families, their circumstances. It’s pretty bleak at times; fascinating but bleak. Some of the men are monsters, some of the monsters might be men, but they’re all kinda fucked. Cursed. It’s not clear who to root for: the men? The monsters?
Let’s kick off 2026 with a throwback to one of my favorite albums of my teenage years. Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder was both and album name and a collaboration of legends: English singer Philip Oakey, lead vocalist of the Human League, and Italian composer and record producer Giorgio Moroder. It was such a cool and unique album, with quite a few bangers. You might know “Together in Electric Dreams” from the movie. It was a collection of singles, but it was also a mega-mix, with each songs mixed into the next. And the transitions are so great, they’re done well but also like mini songs on their own in a few cases.
Well, here they are, my favorite albums of 2025. It’s always a bit funny to me to come up with these, as I like so many different kinds of music, and also, I think I’m less of an album person and more of a playlist type. At least, that’s been my listening attitude for the last long while. I’ve been leaning more and more into album listening, though, and came up with a few solid choices. Hope you find something new in here that you like
“Hey you” by The Belair Lip Bombs fits the “yearn-core” description the band gives their sound, but it’s also got a nice, easy and polished indie rock feel that’s quite satisfying. The rest of their latest album, Again, is more of the same.
Here are my favorite reads of the year. Not all of these books came out in 2025, and it was a little bit of a slow year for me and I’ve got a huge TBR going into 2026. But, as I did this year, I’ll be taking my time with it, as I’ve found going slow is better for me. I read for fun, and all of these books were that.
Tractor Parts by Radium Dolls came very highly recommended today from my brother Steve, AKA cavedonkey. I’m not surprised he recommended this particular track from 2022, it’s very much his style. Good stuff! They’ve got a new album coming soon and the few songs I’ve listened to from that are promising. Guess I’ll be adding another Aussie band to the list.
I’m not sure I’d put dreampop up there in my list of well traveled genres, though I do have a real sweet spot for the Cocteau Twins. Anyway, there’s something incredibly groovy in this remix, it’s an ear-worm in the best way.
It was remixed by CJ Roper from The Murder Capital who put out an awesome record as well this year.
King Sorrow is another terrific read by Joe Hill. I had high hopes and a lot of anticipation for this one, and for the most part, it didn’t let me down. This particular tale revolves around a group of college-age kids, who, for what seems like valid and noble reasons, summon a dragon into our world to help them out of a jam. They realise quickly, but too late, that this particular beast has agendas of its own and is far more clever than our protagonists plan for. As usual, Hill brings quirky (and sometimes a bit corny) humor and a twisted imagination to the table, using his well-realized, interesting characters to drive the story forward. Thankfully, the story has enough action and momentum to keep it going well through 880 pages, because if there is one quibble I have with the book, it might be that it is a bit too long.