In this month's offering we analyse one album in order to review a whole slew of albums under the PWL umbrella. "F.L.M" was the only studio album by the duo Mel & Kim and was almost entirely produced and written by (Mike) Stock (Matt) Aitken and (Pete) Waterman whose signature pop/dance/electronic sound can be heard through many a UK chart act in the 80s and 90s. The Appleby sisters were one of the few duos/groups in the PWL stable that stood out from the mainly solo crowd and, although their tenure as a pop act was incredibly short, they left behind a striking aural and visual legacy. Kim went on to have a few solo hits in the early part of the 90's, but it does make one wonder what *might* have happened if they had continued as a duo for even just a few more years. This said, we note that the Mel & Kim back catalogue has not really been touched on or covered very much but we come up with exactly the right platform to do it! To fully immerse yourself in the Albumble podcast, listen to the album yourselves (F.L.M. is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of Mel & Kim's work and whether you agree with our views !!

Hello and welcome back to ALBUMBLE and as you might hear we may be sounding a *little* different to normal! In this pod we look at a very recent UK number one album - but by a band very few people may have actually heard of! This northern band seems to have a dedicated and stalwart fan base which was able to vote with their feet - or should that be purchase with a few clicks - enough copies of this album to make it top the charts. The K's are, as Ann would describe 'Wools' - meaning that they come rom the area betwixt the metropolises of Liverpool and Manchester and it seems like the musical legacies of both conurbations (as well as many more further afield) has influenced their music. In terms of song writing the lyrics seem rather personal and the boys are not afraid to lift the lid on their own particular worries including physical and mental health situations. In 'Pretty On The Internet', the boys seem to linger not too far from the indie-pop songs from their first album but dip their toes into some slightly different genres. To fully immerse yourself in the Albumble podcast, listen to the album yourselves (Pretty On The Internet is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of The K's work and whether you agree with our views !!

Hello and welcome back to ALBUMBLE! Apologies for the wait for this episode to come out but we do profusely apologise and go through why we waited before doing the podcast properly! In this pod we turn back the clock to a time - before both of us were actually born - where musical tastes and technology we in flux. Although the EPs run was extremely finite, it has been re-released on a couple of occasions to celebrate this records status as being one of the first 'punk' releases. Without giving way too many spoilers about our views, I think it is safe to say that the recording is rather ramshackle, whihich in itself gives the record a rather edgy tone which might seem immediate to one but amateur to another. The Buzzcocks themselves (including Devoto who left the band) went on to hone their sound and the next year produced hits like "What Do I Get?" and the evergreen "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" Everyone - and every sound - needs to start somewhere!!!! To fully immerse yourself in the Albumble podcast, listen to the album yourselves (Spiral Scratch is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of The Buzzcocks' work and whether you agree with our views !!

In a strange turn of events, Andy - not Ann - chose an album with Eurovision connotations, furthermore with Liverpool Eurovision connections. Stef Caers AKA Gustaph could well be described as the Nico Hulkenberg of Belgian pop: almost 20 years after their first foray into showbusiness they finally got the success they deserved. The album uses the catapult of the Eurovision hit to explore the wider corners of the dance/pop genre with a generous dollop of  LGBTQIA+ storytelling on  top.  Discussions also look into which people and songs possibly influenced the song writing, possible reasons for the track order and the superb clarity of Gustaph's vocals. Listen out also for bonus Eurovision stats as well as some Belgian pop collab wish lists ! Our news round-up is bypassed this week as there was so much news last week we were newsed out! To fully immerse yourself in the Albumble podcast, listen to the album yourselves (Look At Us Now is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of Gustaph's work and whether you agree with our views !!

It was Ann's choice of album this time and we delve into the back catalogue of a band that was lightly weaved into the fabric of 80s - and 70s and 90s - music but has never truly received the plaudits they deserve. In this iteration we see the band evolve from communist punkers to slick funk samplers. During the episode we talk (not in much detail as we would be here for weeks) about how, on the surface, this album seems like a radio friendly slice of sturdy funk-pop but below the surface there are philosophical statements galore. There are also some interesting points to be made abut Green's unique voice and how, on some of the tracks, it is complemented by the clever use backing vocals to the point its almost a duet. Our news round-up is compact although we do have a bit of fun regarding the Glastonbury 'news'. To fully immerse yourself in the Albumble podcast, listen to the album yourselves (Cupid & Psyche 85 is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of Scritti Politti's work and whether you agree with our views !!

Welcome back to a more modern episode of ALBUMBLE. We look back to the late 2000's and a bit of American indie pop rock with more than a shake of Britishness on the top. Black Kids hailed from Jacksonville, Florida and the band's multi-ethnic and mixed-gender make up seemed to give their music a unique edge and viewpoint culminating in this album which was the band's second release. The album has a definite sound, without feeling too samey - although we feel some themes and ideas could have been pushed through little bit more. We discuss the "British Feel" of the production, what might have been the band's purposeful (or accidental) musical inspirations as well as putting forward theories as to why the singles were the singles and why some of the said singles did not fare very well when they really should have! Also, big apologies for the technical glitches but we tried (within the time constraints) to give you a decent podcast with what we had left AND what we could remember ! To fully immerse yourself in the ALBUMBLE podcast, listen to the album yourselves (Partie Traumatic is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of Black Kids and if you agree with our views !!

To start off this second series we delve into the world of The Monkees!

Welcome back to the final Shite Or Alright for 2025!We start off this last - and hopefully exciting - episode by noticing if the similarity between seemingly disparate jingles may actually be by design. Ann also dumps the idea of Eurovision Tariffs because the EBU might be able to get some extra funding and expertise by appearing on a certain BBC business show... Once we have our final show winner we look at all six heat winners and decide who is our "champion of champions" who will surely - almost definitely - will not be winning in Eurovision this year. We hope you have enjoyed this Eurovision specials. We will be back bright-eyed and bushy tailed with the regular bi-monthly ALBUMBLE shows in June by reviewing "Headquarters" by The Monkees !  SHOW SIX - MONOGRAMMED COMMODE Australia, Ireland, Montenegro, San Marino, Spain and Ukraine Not even Blümchen... A performance they believe in Just wish it went somewhereNever knew Jimbo and the Jet Set were so popularIt *should* be a shoo-inNot serving subtlety

Welcome back to episode 5 of Shite Or Alright 2025!Andy starts the podcast by revealing he has some kind of Eurovision malaise but don’t worry he has a belated Belgium-related fix to relieve it. We swiftly begin the judging with a lot of explaining to do as it has ended up being a rather loaded episode!!!!  So here we go! SHOW 5 - THE YEAR OF THE PLINTH Albania, France, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands & Serbia He does all the film voiceovers It's good - but it's not rightUnder the auspices of Dr Evil When are Liechtenstein doing Eurovision?This was everything from Novelty Island - apart from Graham ListerA rollover vote?

Welcome back to Shite Or Alright for 2025!We start the podcast by considering how good Gilles de Coster, the Belgian host of “De Mol”, is at keeping secrets and a convincing straight face but that is all after relating the Monty Hall problem to why USB ports are so random… We eventually get onto the job at hand and judge some Eurovision songs… with some rather surprising results!!!!  So here we go! SHOW 4 - DANCERS AND CYCLISTS CAN'T SING Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal & Slovenia Ammonite contempowaft Greater than the sum of its partsIf Duncan Laurence could write a songClean Bandit from TemuDoesn't have a leg to stand on... unfortunately"Three riddles have I....!"

Welcome back to Shite Or Alright for 2025!We start by wondering of the recent rise in talk about 'tariffs' could be leveraged in Eurovision and think about the categories of Eurovision tropes that could be incentivised and sanctioned so the entrance fee for the contest could be slightly negotiated. After that we judge 6 of this year's crop from 0 to 5 and find a show winner! So here we go! SHOW 3 - AN EXPLANATION OF URINAL CAKES Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Sweden, & United Kingdom  A till from the Grace BrothersThey can no longer afford trousersIs there a culture of Panto...?Dear Finland - your problemDo Polish people want to watch things about Henry VIII?Normal Collier processing

Welcome back to Shite Or Alright for 2025!We talk about why we didn't really see Nemo coming for the win last year (I blame trains) but that 's after we start with a brief sojourn into reaction videos - and not just Eurovision ones - before Andy and Ann give their views on each song & performance giving them a score from 0 to 5. So here we go! SHOW 2 - SWEEP FOR ESC 2026 Armenia, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia & Norway "Swashbuckle" graphicsA fan of Blue PeterEnya... on drugsShoving fags in his faceA niche to carve outThe Quantum Leap Soundtrack 

The Shite Or Alright Eurovision song reviews are back for another year!

In this last episode before a Eurovision break we review a brand new album!!! This is Antony Szmierek's second album although it has been four years since their debut effort. He has been on the scene making waves not in the form of releases but more in the form of live shows and tours. Former teacher Szmierek takes us for a ride (not like that!) to the world of the service station and is able to pull apart, visualise, imagine and dissect who is there, why are they here and what will happen next. The album itself is a bit of a rollercoaster ride as life, its meaning and its weight upon us is explained to and fought against on a peripheral and personal level. There is also a short discussion about how this spoken word artist is similar and very different to previous ALBUMBLE subject Scroobius Pip. In April our airwaves will be full of Eurovision news - more about that in the pod. Our news round up is (once again) mostly full of Joost news! Even though the next ALBUMBLE podcast won't be out for a little while, we still reveal which album we'll be looking at in the next ALBUMBLE show which should be out on the 1st May. To fully immerse yourself in the Albumble podcast, listen to the album yourselves (Service Station at the End of the Universe  is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of Antony Szmierek's work and whether you agree with our views !!

In this episode we 'celebrate' the 40th anniversary of The Smiths only chart-topping number 1, Meat Is Murder. Known, but not as well known as some of their other releases, this album has a slightly unusual collection of songs in terms of song style, song meaning, song tempo and song length but is possibly more known for the 'political' nature of the lead song and the album artwork. This was their second studio album and spawned a rather disparate and not too well-known number of singles but the title track certainly captured headlines and hearts.  As we discuss, many of the songs had that stereotypical dreary Smithsness but there are a few rather chipper - almost pop - numbers proving they were more than just a one note band. In addition we also note that the tracks start to strengths of all of the band members not just Morrissey and Marr! Our news round up is mostly taken up with Joost news! As always though, we reveal of the next albumble album which is a bit different as this album is literally days old as of recording! To fully immerse yourself in the Albumble podcast, listen to the album yourselves (Meat Is Murder is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of The Smiths' work and whether you agree with our views !!

This episode sees us return to albums and back to the 90s, although for both of us, this wasn't something either of us had on our discmans (discmen?!?!) at the time of release Sleeper got swept in with the cool kids of Britpop and their debut album has lyrics that are very of their time but, as we discuss, there is a little more too it than that. Smart was certified gold and spawned 4 singles although many of these went under the radar. We also realise many of the themes are much ruder that one might have anticipated and the nuances of a couple of tracks were possibly before their time. Maybe the Sleeper train was piled on because there was a strong female influence but that point of view is something that obviously needed airing! Our news round up is very short this week as there is not much news going on! As always though, we reveal of the next albumble album which like Smart is also celebrating an anniversary!!  To fully immerse yourself in the Albumble podcast, listen to the album yourselves (Smart is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of Sleeper's work and whether you agree with our views !!  

This EP, of sorts, has an amazing back story - a story I felt needed to be shared on the podcast. Boys Wonder was a short lived band during the late 80s but their music wasn't really the expected 80s fayre which probably led to the band's downfall. The London band released a small handful of songs during their tenure and although an album was mooted, it never materialised. But 35 years after their 'heyday' the band seemed to come back into prominence with people reconnecting with the tracks they loved but also a new batch listeners discovering the band's small but perfectly formed output... Soooooo what did happen all those years ago? Listen on to find out! The Shine On Me EP is actually a modern release which combines some of their original single releases. The four tracks show a thematic similarity but also brings together a shedload of disparate influences which may explain their pull to the modern audience. We start with a brief recap over past ALBUMBLE reviews and the TV tunes we loved and loathed. To fully immerse yourself in the ALBUMBLE podcast, listen to the release yourselves (Shine On Me EP is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of Boys Wonder's work and whether you agree with our views !!  

The run of EPs continue but this time a much more modern affair with the newcomers Adult DVD. This six-piece combo, who are originally from Leeds, have an abrupt and in-your-face (or should that be in-your-ears?) sound which embraces a realm of modern, quirky and retro edges.  The band were formed in Leeds at the turn of the 2020s and have a small but perfectly formed back catalogue of individual song releases and bulkier EP offerings... Surely a decent sized long player is only around the corner!. The band's sound has an indie edge but an electronic sensibility, plus as you will hear what they sound like and what they look like do not necessarily gel! Next Day Shipping is five tracks long and sets out their stall for their musical vision but is this a collection of disparate tracks, a homogenous gloop of similar things or something in between? To find out our opinion - listen on! We start with some very weird cultural chat and a very brief look at something that happened on the cusp of the new year. Remember to listen to the end to get the heads up on the next EP we're reviewing! To fully immerse yourself in the Albumble podcast, listen to the release yourselves (Next Day Shipping EP is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of Adult DVD's work and whether you agree with our views !!  

Happy New Year to you all! We start of this busy time of year by indulging in another EP this time by lesser known North-West indie band Mansun. The band were seemingly a fan of the EP format as they released a slew of them during their tenure; sequentially and numerically named all the way from 1 to 14!!!! Although they were around as a band for a fair while before and after the height of the fame in the latter part of the 1990's, they are mainly known for two, maybe three songs. This is a little unfair as the band actually had fourteen top 40 hits, nine of them getting into the top 20! Their sound is very much in tune with the Brit Pop scene of the time but they had a slightly rockier, guitar-infested sound which sometimes came across a bit on the Prog side, sometimes on the funk side. The EP we discuss today has four tracks... or is it five....? Whichever side of the debate you are on, it seems fair to say this is (quite literally if you are talking about 7" releases) an EP of two sides. Some of the tracks appear to be the typical Britpop indie fayre but some of it seems a bit more melodic - almost funky -  but some how leaves us wondering... well.... listen on and find out!!! To fully immerse yourself in the Albumble podcast, listen to the release yourselves (One EP is on Spotify and possibly other places too) then listen to our appraisal. Remember to get in touch by tweeting us via @albumble and tell us what you think of IMansun's work and whether you agree with our views !!

Instead of albums, starting with this unpigeonhole-able release from the front man of Foals,  we are going to be whipping out a range of EPs for us to peruse over. It is a busy time for us (and most of you!) at this time of year and this allows everyone a break from without stopping the podcast. Yannis Phillippakis is joined on this recording by the drummer from the very first Afrobeat combo - Africa 70 - the late Tony Allen who has collaborated with a long list of musicians and singers spanning a wide range of genres and nationalities. We tap into how and why these two came together and also why it took so long between the recording the tracks in 2020 and their release in 2024. This may well only be a 5 track offering but it soon becomes clear that if you were expecting an Afrobeat record, or an indie record, or a funk record, or a jazz record; this EP none of those things and all of those things at the same time.