With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

Wow That’s What I Call Mayhem – Volume 7 June 24, 2025

Filed under: Now That's What I Call Mayhem! — justwilliam1959 @ 7:01 pm
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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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The Mayhem Charts – January 2025 February 12, 2025

Filed under: Mayhem Monthly Chart,Mayhem Top 20 Chart — justwilliam1959 @ 10:44 pm
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Here is the Mayhem chart for January 2025. Regular readers know the chart is based on my Spotify listening habits. These are gathered over the last month by obscurify.com. After a slight blip last month my taste in music is now apparently 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, Linda Ronstadt and Bill Withers. Obscurify also suggests the most obscure artists I have listened to for January and they are Liz Davinci, Jackie’s Boy and Herorangecoat. Last month Herorangecoat also made it to number eight in the artist chart. For the first time in months Delilah Bon has not made it into the chart since we restarted it more than a year ago. But another Mayhem chart regular, ALT BLK ERA sit at number two in the artist chart. Party Nails is the number one artist for January following the release of her wonderful album ‘Pillow Talk’ in that month. Top of the song chart for January is a firm favourite here at Mayhem Towers and someone we have championed for a long while. It is the supremely talented Kindelan with her latest offering “Drowning The Killer”. So without further ado here are those charts in full! Click on the Spotify link below to listen to the famous (or infamous) five!

Mayhem Artist Chart January 2025

1 Party Nails
2 ALT BLK ERA
3 Lambrini Girls
4 The Apocalypse Disco
5 Robo
6 Lola Young
7 abs
8 Herorangecoat
9 Brògeal
10 Used To Be Apes

Mayhem Song Chart January 2025

1 Drowning The Killer – Kindelan
2 Manhattan – Pennine Suite
3 Safe & Sound – Pip Lewis
4 A New Dream – Gregory Darling and Julian Lennon
5 Vice – Rizzle Kicks

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“A New Dream” – Gregory Darling and Julian Lennon January 26, 2025

Filed under: Review,Single — justwilliam1959 @ 9:00 pm
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A new collaborative single between long friends and musical partners Gregory Darling and Julian Lennon have just released a new single “A New Dream”. The song was written with their friend Anthony Caligagan. It first appeared on Gregory Darling’s album ‘Shell’ in 2006 in its original form. This re-imagining has a majestic magical feel as it builds from simple musical forms into a gorgeous and emotional crescendo. The voices carry emotion, sincerity and belief. At times the vocal reminded me of Roger Waters but without all the ex Pink Floyd mans pent up anger. Lyrically the song is inspirational. “I’m helplessly waiting, clocking the days of my innocent youth, oh I’m hopelessly romanticizing everything black and white, all the colors seem dark in the night, I need a new dream to get by on“. This couplet made me feel quite emotional. The video is rather beautiful too.

Lennon and Darling have known each other for many years and have collaborated before. Lennon said of the new release “Working with Greg is like working with your brother/best friend… And “A New Dream” is something we both aspire to. The message of “A New Dream” resonates with universal themes that connect all of us- our dreams, fears and insecurities- and it serves as a beacon of hope, reminding listeners that even the impossible can be achieved.” The song holds a greater significance given Lennon’s role as the founder of the White Feather Foundation and Darling’s position as the head of artist outreach for Reluvotion, founded by Professor Nicholas Dungey and founding partner JR Smith, as well as the Gift Of Love Foundation, founded by Jody Folz. Both organizations are committed to global change and supporting human potential, making this song an ideal embodiment of their shared values.

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