Ian Robinson's Soapbox

New Music Playlist – 21st January 2023

By Ian Robinson on January 22, 2023 in Music

I added 13 new music releases to my library this week. Here is a Music playlist with a selected track from each: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/ian-robinsons-new-music-playlist-21st-january-2023/pl.u-mJXJrtz4ga

There is an Apple Music player embedded below as well. Links to other music streaming services are available via the Link Site URLs for each artist below.

Måneskin – Rush – Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Cajsa Siik – Artificial Love – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Alessandra – Queen of Kings – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Oliver Sim – GMT (Jamie xx Remix) – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site – Jamie xx Instagram – Jamie xx Link Site

Lexie Carroll – violet – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Bonnie Kemplay – Running Out of Things To Say, Running Out of Things To Do – EP on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Gabry Ponte & Alessandra – Dance Dance – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site – Alessandra Instagram

David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – I’m Good (Blue) [Acoustic] – Single on Apple Music – David Guetta Instagram – David Guetta Link Site – Bebe Rexha Instagram

Yagua – Monuments to the Unknown – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Charlotte Branson – Hypnotized – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Seany Clarke – Busy O (Kicking’ me Some Ass – Single on Apple Music – Instagram

WILDES – Other Words Fail Me – Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Sutcliffe – Kingdom of Dixit – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

New Music Playlist – 15th January 2023

By Ian Robinson on January 15, 2023 in Music

I added 12 new music releases to my library this week. Here is a Music playlist with a selected track from each: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/ian-robinsons-new-music-playlist-15th-january-2023/pl.u-aZPRZsPXbm

There is an Apple Music player embedded below as well. Links to other music streaming services are available via the Link Site URLs for each artist below.

The Subways – Uncertain Joys – Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Liela Moss – Internal Working Model – Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Unit 47 – Nothin’ At All – Single on Apple Music – Instagram

Freya Ridings – Blood Orange – Partial Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Circa Waves – Never Going Under – Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Etta Marcus – Heart Shaped Bruise – EP on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Hazlett – Bloom Mountain – Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Phia – Socially Done (feat. Searching for Lil) – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site – Searching for Lil Instagram –

T.I.G.Y. – World of Want – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Cajsa Siik – Sometimes – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Tilsen – Love of Your Life – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Ane Brun – Nærmere – Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

New Music Playlist – 8th January 2023

By Ian Robinson on January 8, 2023 in Music

I added 11 new music releases to my library this week. Here is a Music playlist with a selected track from each: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/ian-robinsons-new-music-playlist-8th-january-2023/pl.u-JPvY2FDKPB

There is an Apple Music player embedded below as well. Links to other music streaming services are available via the Link Site URLs for each artist below.

Liela Moss – Internal Working Model – Partial Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

The Sweeplings – Fever Running Loose – Single on Apple Music – Instagram

The Utopiates – Illuminise – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Ticket Site

Skaly – Snow for the First Time – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Mastodon – Link Site

The Mannas – Let’s Play – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Gabrielle Aplin – Phosphorescent – Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Tommy Ashby – Floorboards – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Jo-Jo & The Teeth – No More Good News – Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Byolegy – Lazy Sunday Vibe (feat. Anastasia Derkach) – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – YouTube – Anastasia Derkach Instagram

The Kings of Cool – Good To Be Alive – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Web Site

Inhaler – Cuts & Bruises – Partial Album on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

New Music Playlist – 1st January 2023

By Ian Robinson on January 1, 2023 in Music

I added 5 new music releases to my library this week. Here is a Music playlist with a selected track from each: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/ian-robinsons-new-music-playlist-1st-january-2023/pl.u-mJAzEIz4ga.

There is an Apple Music player embedded below as well. Links to other music streaming services are available via the Link Site URLs for each artist below.

Lucy Wroe – Same World – EP on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Abbey Sage – The Florist – EP on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Leah Marie Mason – Trust Fund Cowboy – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

Standing’ Man – If You Don’t Know What to Do With Yourself – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Link Site

MARYELLE – Wild One – Single on Apple Music – Instagram – Website

Favourite Podcasts from 2022

By Ian Robinson on January 1, 2023 in podcasts

Here are the podcasts that I enjoyed the most in 2022. With links to their landing pages or to Apple Podcasts if I don’t have that info.

No Such Thing as a Fish – Homepage

Station Eleven Podcast – Apple Podcasts

Stephen Fry’s All In The Mind – Audible

Jay Rayner Out to Lunch – Apple Podcasts

The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry – BBC Radio 4

Sean Carroll’s Mindscape – Landing Page

Countdown With Keith Olbermann – Apple Podcasts

Write Now With Scrivener – Landing Page

Origin Story – Podcast Page

Accidental Tech Podcast – Podcast website

The Rework Podcast – Landing Page

Under The Radar – Relay FM Podcast Landing Page

My Favourite TV Streaming Series Watched in 2022

By Ian Robinson on January 1, 2023 in General

Here are my favourite TV streaming series from 2022, with links to their respective landing pages.

Severance – AppleTV+

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel – Amazon Prime

Pachinko – AppleTV+

The After Party – AppleTV+

Station Eleven – Lionsgate+ or VOD

Nine Perfect Strangers – Amazon Prime

Hollywood – Netflix

Only Murders in The Building – Disney+

Acapulco – AppleTV+

A Storm for Christmas – Netflix

2022 Walking Stats

By Ian Robinson on January 1, 2023 in General

Here is my exercise data for 2022 as recorded by Apple Watch.

Total steps: 2,774,537

Total distance in Km: 2,485

Total distance in miles: 1,544

Charts and tables with the data are below. I only really started forcing myself to exercise more in April. So with the extra time in 2023, I might be able to hit 3,000 Km.

BTW the data for compiling these stats was exported from Apple Health in CSV format using HealthExport. A fantastic app.

Favourite Books Read in 2022

By Ian Robinson on December 31, 2022 in Books

I read 36 books in 2022. Here are my favourites.

My Top 10 New Music Tracks from 2022

By Ian Robinson on December 31, 2022 in Music

Here are my favourite 10 songs released in 2022. In no particular order.

All My Friends – Stereo Jane.
Check Your Feelings – A.b. Violet.
Not Another Rockstar – Maisie Peters.
Drama – My Life As A Moth.
The Rip – Porridge Radio.
Lonely Choir – Vôx Vé.
Caterpillar – Julie Odell.
Honest (feat. Slayyyter) – Peking Duk.
Isabella – June Again.
Proof (feat. Stella Donnelly) – Methyl Ethel.

There is a Music playlist with the tracks embedded below.

Favourite Films Seen in 2022

By Ian Robinson on December 31, 2022 in Films

I watched 68 new (or recent) film releases during 2022. Broken down across cinema and home streaming as follows:

Seen in cinema: 29. Seen via home streaming: 39.

The complete list of all 68 is on my New Film Releases Seen in 2022 page.

My favourites are listed below, along with what I said about them on social media. Any film that got a rating of 9 or 10 ⭐️ makes the end-of-year favourites list. They are not listed in order of preference but rather in the order I saw them.

Rating:

 10/10

All the good things I heard about CODA were true. It is an exceptional film. A brilliant cast, a great story, beautifully shot, a fabulous score, and songs. I’m only sorry I didn’t see it at the cinema. A must-see film. I got salty sea spray in my eyes at the end.

Update: I also got to see CODA in the Strand cinema on the 19th of April after it was rereleased due to winning the Academy Award for best picture.

Rating:

 9/10

The Worst Person in the World is a tremendous film. Renate Reinsve is brilliant as the lead. Her character Julie can’t see things through. I so related to that. As anyone who knows me will attest I’m like that. I also related to the mushrooms trip, a story for another time!

Rating:

 9/10

I loved Everything Everywhere All At Once. It’s quirky, manic, nods to plenty of other films, has a message I fully endorse, and entropy gets a shout-out in the credits song. What’s not to like.

Rating:

 9/10

The Novice film is superb. It’s a brutalist study of obsessive drive to be the best in the things you do. Brutalist in the architecture of the campus and the intense training. Isabelle Fuhrman is remarkable as the lead. Amy Forsyth is great as support. The music and videography are brill.

Rating:

 9/10

I enjoyed Top Gun: Maverick way more than I expected. A lot more. It’s formulaic, has plot beats where you’d expect them, and a predictable ending. But it doesn’t matter. It’s visually stunning. The flight scenes are incredible. And it’s not jingoistic. Thankfully!

See it on the biggest screen you can.

Rating:

 10/10

I really enjoyed The Valet film. It’s a story about how people are just people at the end of the day. Irrespective of what circles of society they move in. You can be rich and still be alone. It’s a love letter to people who too often get treated as invisible by others. Recommended. Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving are ace in lead roles. The supporting cast is good as well. Streaming now on Disney+ in the Uk and Hulu in the USA (and Canada I assume). I upped my rating from 9 to 10 after repeated viewings. Fuller review published here.

Rating:

 10/10

Holy moly. The Quiet Girl is definitely on my favourite films of the year list. It’s a remarkable work. Catherine Clinch is brilliant in the title role of Cáit. Andrew Bennett and Carrie Crowley are also superb. It’s a subtle story about grief, loss, and new connections. A must-watch film.

Rating:

 9/10

I laughed out loud a lot watching See How They Run. So did many others. I emerged into the afternoon sun with a huge grin. It’s fantastic. Very noir in places. With a gumshoe-like detective. Saoirse Ronan is comedy gold as the constable. Some bits have a Wes Anderson vibe. I suspect I’ll be at the cinema to see it again soon. So good 😘

Narrator: He was. The next day. It was just as good the second time!

Rating:

 9/10

Don’t Worry Darling is right smack in the sweet spot of Sci-fi stories I like. Think “what’s behind the facade of small-town America” novels. I can’t say more without spoilers. Suffice to say that I loved it. It looks fab. The Dolby sound is fantastic. The cast is great. See it.

Rating:

 9/10

She said is a fantastic film. It tells the story of the reporters (and managers) at The New York Times who investigated and published the story about Harvey Weinstein’s manipulation and sexual harassment of young women in his company and actresses on film projects. The story ignited the #metoo movement and led to the trial, conviction, and imprisonment of Weinstein. The film is done brilliantly. I loved it and had pesky New York Times print run dust in my eyes three times. Easily one of my films of the year.

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