It's been a bit of a topsy-turvy few weeks. Last week's penultimate No Magic show had to be cancelled at the last minute because I contracted COVID-19 and was holed up at home exhausted and gross. Meaning that now, landing a little more abruptly than intended, we're reached the end of the run.
It's a strange ending, this one. Brought about really by the erosion and exhaustion of these years of pandemic and not being able to quite get the show into the creative place it once aspired toward, but also not feeling bad about it. It's especially hilarious to consider writing the words “post-pandemic” when literally shedding virus on this keyboard, but… whatever it is we're calling this moment, it's hard to force a show into being and so I'm calling time and taking a break, and making room on the prestigious BFF.fm airwaves for someone else to make 8pm on a Tuesday their own.
It's different from when Eclectic Kettle ended on a celebratory high and natural inflection point, as co-host Simon moved away from San Francisco. That time we had a big old party at The Secret Alley, bough in tacos and got very drunk on air. It was great and perhaps self-indulgently I still re-listen to that episode from time to time with unending fondness. This time around it's likely that I won't even be in the Secret Alley as I continue to isolate through the final days of my coronavirus cycle. No Magic doesn't need to end, but at the same time, it does.
What to do, then, for a final show occurring under such diminished conditions, but all the same, something that I and hopefully all of you can feel good about? Well, this week rather than do a totally normal show and feature one record, we're going to feature a whole host of “last songs” — the tracks that end albums with poignancy and allow me to feature a whole host of all time favourite albums. Don't forget to write in and share your favourites to @nomagicradio during the show!
Playlist
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Devil Will Ride by Gomez on Liquid Skin (Virgin) - Break
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Turn Into by Yeah Yeah Yeahs on Show Your Bones (Interscope) -
Our Most Brilliant Friends by Slow Club on Yeah, So (Moshi Moshi) -
Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks by Los Campesinos! on Hold On Now, Youngster (Wichita) - Break
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My Body Is A Cage by Arcade Fire on Neon Bible (Merge) -
The Lighthouse by Interpol on Our Love to Admire (Matador) -
Ambition by Doves on Some Cities (EMI) -
Puncture Repair by Elbow on Leaders of the Free World (V2) - Break
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Battery in Your Leg by Blur on Think Tank (Parlophone) -
Rock 'n' Roll Suicide by David Bowie on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (Parlaphone) -
Decades by Joy Division on Closer (Warner) - Break
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Sea Within a Sea by The Horrors on Primary Colours (XL) -
Tomorrow Never Knows by The Beatles on Revolver (Apple) -
Mr. November by The National on Alligator (Beggars Banquet) -
The Man Don't Give a Fuck by Super Furry Animals on The Man Don't Give a Fuck (Placid Casual) - Break
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The Private Psychadelic Reel by The Chemical Brothers on Dig Your Own Hole (Virgin) -
Flight of the Feathered Serpent by Fuck Buttons on Tarot Sport (ATP) -
Breaks by Kae Tempest on Let Them Eat Chaos (Lex) -
Tunnel Vision by Kae Tempest on Let Them Eat Chaos (Lex) - Break
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Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead on The Bends (XL)