Far Out 40: New Year, new rejuvenating music
The highs and lows of 2022 were as pronounced as a camel’s hump. You had award-winning jokes like this Hannah Fairweather cracker: “By my age, my parents had a house and a family. And to be fair to me, so do I. But it is the same house, and it is the same family.” But then again, we also had three tory prime ministers wreak havoc untold. So, you win some, you lose some.
But then something magical happened, Lionel Messi confirmed that fate really is looking out for us by justifiably confirming himself as one of the finest humans in history when he won the World Cup. Since he lofted that prize above his head things seem to have been a little more rose-tinted. Subsequently, Andrew Tate was hoisted by his idiotic petard when his moronic clap back at Greta Thunberg ended up resulting in his arrest.
Then we had news of a Walkmen tour and potential reunion, we’re taking huge steps towards curing strains of blindness, Patrick deWitt is set to publish a new book, comfy jumpers are the hot fashion trend, and I personally just won a bet. If that’s not cause for a spot of Kalopsia regarding the future, then what is?
Thus, to celebrate this upbeat start to the year, we’ve curated a playlist with plenty of pomp to ease you into the year with a dose of cheer. After all, even bloody Confucius was proclaiming, “Music produces a kind of pleasure that human nature cannot do without,” and that poor bugger didn’t even have Curtis Mayfield to bask in.
So, from the boon of Ian Dury’s bright side poetry to balms by The Lovin’ Spoonful and a send-off to Terry Hall with a good time classic from The Specials, we’ve crammed a lot of lulling optimism into our new year’s playlist for 2023. Crank it loud and brush off the hangover from the night before. Dear reader, 2023 is going to be your year, and here at Far Out, in the words of our beloved David Berman, we’re gonna love the hell out of you. Enjoy.
A New Year’s playlist for 2023:
- ‘Gyöngyhajú Lány’ – Omega
- ‘Girls of Wild Strawberries’ – Guided by Voices
- ‘Amore Fermati’ – Fred Bongusto
- ‘Baby’s Coming Back to Me’ – Jarvis Cocker
- ‘This Will Be Our Year’ – The Zombies
- ‘Cutting Branches for a Temporary Shelter’ – Penguin Café Orchestra
- ‘Malibu Love Nest’ – Luna
- ‘Stumblin’ In’ – Chris Norrman & Suzi Quatro
- ‘Reasons to be Cheerful, Pt. 3’ – Ian Dury & The Blockheads
- ‘Do You Believe in Magic?’ – The Lovin’s Spoonful
- ‘I’m In a Dancing Mood’ – Delroy Wilson
- ‘Enjoy Yourself’ – The Specials
- ‘Pennies From Heaven’ – Louis Prima
- ‘Cycles’ – Frank Sinatra
- ‘Paint the Rain’ – Natalie Bergman
- ‘Believe’ – Amen Dunes
- ‘Tamiditine’ – Bombino
- ‘New World Coming’ – Nina Simone
- ‘Every Day Is a Miracle’ – David Byrne
- ‘Shiny Happy People’ – R.E.M.
- ‘Have You Been Good to Yourself’ – Johnnie Frierson
- ‘Life’s a Bell’ – Langhorne Slim & The Law
- ‘Foreign Language (Live)’ – Flight Facilities
- ‘Theme from Selva’ – Quantic
- ‘It’s Not Easy’ – Ofege
- ‘Ride Into the Sun (1969)’ – The Velvet Underground
- ‘Crystal Blue Persuasion’ – Tommy James & The Shondells
- ‘Moving on Up’ – Curtis Mayfield
- ‘This is the Day’ – The The
- ‘It’s My Life’ – Talk Talk
- ‘Revival’ – Deerhunter
- ‘Good Vibrations’ – The Beach Boys
- ‘Mysterious Girl’ – Insecure Men
- ‘Memphis Soul Stew’ – King Curtis
- ‘Nature Boy’ – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
- ‘Dave’s Place’ – Bret McKenzie
- ‘Live is Life (Live)’ – Opus
- ‘Rusty’ – Le Volume Courbe
- ‘We Have All the Time in the World’ – Louis Armstrong
- ‘Heroes’ – David Bowie
