I repeat my humblest of apologies to the creators of the iconic NOW music compilation series of tri-annual releases. Their compilations began in 1983. I posted and compiled the first WOW That’s What I Call Mayhem collection back in March 2024. Volumes 2, 3 and 4 followed in August and September. Volume 5 was was issued in January this year with Volume 6 appearing very soon after in February! So after a few months wait you must be ready for volume 7, right? I certainly hope so, because here it is! This includes the third 20 singles we reviewed in 2025 in another wonderfully maniacal eclectic playlist for your listening pleasure! With 76 minutes of music, click the Spotify link below and lose yourself in the music!
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York’s Drop Dead McPhee are back with a delightful new single. It reminded me of a classy acoustic style indie band spliced with the Byrds. Vocally it is their best yet and shows that they have an ability to move in any style or genre. There is a bonus B Side too, “Opposite Day” which has a great early 70s McGuiness Flint style vibe. These boys certainly know how to write a decent hook!
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Here is the Mayhem chart for March 2025. Regular readers know the chart is based on my streaming listening habits. These are gathered over the last month by obscurify.com. My taste in music remains 99% more obscure than the rest of the UK! The chart remains contemporary-ish (but if a classic artist releases something new they might feature in the chart). However, last month’s top three “Legacy” artists were David Bowie, Elvis Costello and Jackson Browne. Obscurify also suggests the most obscure artists I have listened to for March and they are Liz Davinci, Abraskadabra and Kindelan.
Winnetka Bowling League are the top artist for March and their single “This Is Life” hits number 4 in the song chart . Only one artist in the artist chart remains from last month and that is Antony Szmierek. Two of my all time favourite artists are in the artist chart Frank Turner at number two and Millie Manders and the Shutup at number three. The incredible Erotic Secrets Of Pompeii hit the top of the song chart with the stunning track “Speak Medieval”. So without further ado here are those charts in full! Click on the Spotify link below to listen to the famous (or infamous) five! Nearly eighteen minutes of great music!
Mayhem Artist Chart March 2025
1 Winnetka Bowling League 2 Frank Turner 3 Millie Manders and the Shutup 4 Abraskadabra 5 Manic Street Preachers 6 Wardruna 7 Lady Gaga 8 Jo Quail 9 SEX-O-RAMA 10 Antony Szmierek
Mayhem Song Chart March 2025
1 Speak Medieval – Erotic Secrets Of Pompeii 2 Wednesday – Pick The Flowers 3 Hand In Hand – Drop Dead McPhee 4 This Is Life – Winnetka Bowling League 5 Clickbait Reissued – Sally Pepper
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Regular readers will have read about York’s Drop Dead McPhee on these pages before. I reviewed their support slot for Asylum last month, check that out here. They have just released their first single, “Hand In Hand”. When I saw them last month I likened them to Brinsley Schwarz and I think the new track also reflects that with and added abundance of American west coast rock, particularly in the guitar sounds which are majestic and the harmonies are delightfully Byrdsian. The B-Side/ 2nd track “Ignorance And Bliss” took me back to the early days of Aztec Camera. It is a wonderful slice of bright, tasteful acoustic rock. This is a great release from a band with great potential. I expect them to appear on these pages a lot in the future!
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The volume of gigs so far for 2025 is simmering nicely. This was a bill with three bands and only one, the headliners Asylum, that I have seen before. First on stage were Rejected Reality a classic power trio playing punky power pop seething with emotion. The band were tight and played off each other really well. A huge shout out to the drummer who smashed it like a boss! The vocalist has a great range of emotions that fit like a glove with the bands ace original songs. Their Billie Eilish cover was brave, bombastic and brilliant. I am not sure which alternate reality rejected this band but in my opinion they are more than welcome in this reality!
All photos of Rejected Reality by Mia Scudds: @mfshots
Drop Dead McPhee were up next. They are another trio with some real rock finesse. They reminded me occasionally of Nick Lowe, particularly from the Brinsley Schwarz days. They also offered some fine slices of later period Fleetwood Mac in some songs, particularly the Mick Fleetwoodesque drumming. Their vocals and harmonies were divine. All three of them seemed to be having a great time on stage and that, for me, always adds an extra level to some already great songs. I don’t believe that any of them are called McPhee but I am also confident that they are all very much alive! Drop Dead McPhee are definitely a band to watch out for. They will appear in these pages again very soon!
All photos of Drop Dead McPhee by Mia Scudds: @mfshots
I last saw the headliners, Asylum back in December last year and they were good then. They are even better now. This was another absolute banging, funky, heavy and fun set from the band. Like the earlier bands Asylum seemed to be having a great time. If ever a band was able to easily defy being dropped into a genre box then Asylum do that really well. “Trombone Alone” has a jazz element thanks to said trombone. Meanwhile “Move Along Down The Line” is a controlled and chaotic punky classic. At times they sound like the Kinks in their full 60s pomp. Then you can hear a Clash influence in “It’s All An Illusion”. The new song continues in a Clash vein evidenced by some thundering Paul Simenon style bass playing and even more added trombone. The crowd were completely enthralled by Asylum. This is the only Asylum you need in your life and with them there is no need to wear a strait jacket or live in a padded cell, unless that kind of thing floats your boat! Get some Asylum in your life now!
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