Sunday 8 January 2012

Let's Take a Ride, Run with the Dogs Tonight

So I have a little radio show going. It's called Centrelinked and involves me playing a few records that are linked by a common theme. Not an original idea I know, but it's keeping me out of mischief. 


So far I've done shows about Electricity, Distance, Radio and Creepy Crawlies. This week's theme was Suburbia - from colourful characters and nostalgia through community-wide conformity to middle-class angst and urban malaise behind neat picket fences. Because I had fun doing it I thought it might be nice to share what I played and give people the chance to point out ones I missed...


Rockin' the Suburbs - Ben Folds
Pleasant Valley Sunday - the Monkees
Neighbourhood - Space
Penny Lane - the Beatles
Our House - Madness
Little Boxes - Malvina Roberts
Build - the Housemartins
Shangri-la -  the Kinks
Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James - Manfred Mann
The Frankston Line - Youth Group
The Sandringham Line - the Lucksmiths
Sound of the Suburbs - the Members
Neighbours Theme - Barry Crocker
Suburbia - Pet Shop Boys
Suburban Homeboy - Sparks


...and here's what I didn't get to play because my 90 minutes was unexpectedly reduced to an hour...

Styloroc (Nites of Suburbia) - Pulp
That's Entertainment (Jam cover) - Morrissey
The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Ghost Town - the Specials
Sunday Sunday - Blur
Blue Velvet - Bobby Vinton

I fully expected to find some Suede tracks on the topic but apart from references to 'pebble-dash graves' (The Power) and a 'ride in a taxi, to the edge of the city' (Asphalt World) came up with nothing. I am, as always, happy to be proven wrong.  

Thanks to everyone who contributed via @MintCustard on Tw*tter - you are ace.