Half term is here and what better way to start it than a Friday night under the lights at La Rosaleda 💙
One seven hour overnight bus later...
Next stop: Cartagena. But first, coffee.
Romantic weekend away in Cartagena with this one 💙
Probably the quickest I've ever completed Connections today. Clean through it.
Connections
Puzzle #613
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Highly recommend @davidarrowsmith.bsky.social's Narcoball on the rise of Colombian football fuelled by the cartels in 1970s-90s
16. Squid - Crispy Skin
Was unfamiliar with Squid, but really liked this stuff - although hard to bracket it (which is a good thing). I guess it's a new wave, post-punk sort of vibe. Cool album, although did get a bit samey as it went along. I like the album cover too.
15. MIKE - Showbiz!
Hard to pick out a favourite song here as the album very much comes as one, with 2-3 minute long tracks all blending seamlessly into one with its fun beats, samples and general soul. It really is great stuff and definitely the best hip hop album I've listened to in ages.
Hoy vamos a La Rosaleda 💙
Just started watching this and it (well, Bear Grylls) is so unintentionally hilarious - this is the sort of nonsense I'm going to enjoy watching.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
14. Fadi Tabbal - I recognise you from my sketches
This album of big synthy, yet also fairly minimalist, soundscapes proved a good soundtrack to my marking as rain hammered down outside. Definitely a vibe I don't think would suit a sunny day, but I liked it.
13. L.S. Dunes - Violet
An apoarent 'supergroup' but just found it bang average emo-ish rock and nothing too memorable. Not for me.
¡Vamos Málaga!
Lewis Dunk has scored Premier League goals for four English clubs who have won the European Cup, despite never playing for any of them.
12. FKA twigs - Eusexia
Big electro bits meets pop. Good album as a whole, but no one track absolutely standing out for me. Definitely got a good early sunset / pre-going out vibe (more than my listening to it at 10am this morning).
11. Mogwai - The Bad Fire
Always thought Mogwai were cool since they soundtracked that Zidane film. Never properly given their albums a go though. Listened to their latest and it is brilliant. Beautiful and brilliant.
January has dragged, so I thought I better liven up February. Weekend booked in Cartagena for Málaga's game there, then a little Andaluz holiday in Seville and Cadíz end of the month. Cadíz is one of my favourites in the whole of Spain, so I'm buzzing to get back there.
10. Central Cee - Can't Rush Greatness
Was excited for this with all the hype surrounding its release and have liked his singles/EPs so far, but just found this a bit samey all the way through. May give it one more go.
The wall that charts Girona’s rise. They’re out the Champions League now (Milan, PSG, Liverpool, Arsenal all beat them by a single goal) but this is where they came from.
I was pretty chuffed with myself for getting that purple row. My Connections game is going good right now.
Connections
Puzzle #599
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𝙑𝘼𝙈𝙊𝙎 𝘼 𝙇𝘼 𝙍𝙊𝙎𝘼𝙇𝙀𝘿𝘼
Join Matt for another episode of Vamos A, this time to La Rosaleda where the visitors were Real Zaragoza as well as the boys from over at the @SegundaSpanish 🙌🏻
#VamosMálaga
This isn’t Sean Dyche’s first rodeo
Just my favourite team to watch right now. So much fun and so many fun players. Fun!
Lot of negative stuff around Ruben Amorim at the moment (and he's certainly not helped himself at times) but here's a nice tale of his first job at Lisbon-based Casa Pia.
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Día del Partido💙
9. Ela Minus - DIA
Big synths and booming pop songs. This was great. Particular fan of the songs BROKEN and I WANT TO BE BETTER. The sort of electro pop i like.
2025 is not being kind to Swansea City...
Possibly the best young defender around at the moment. More importantly, he's a Malaguista.
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
If you're searching for the perfect soundtrack to celebrate St Dwynwen's Day, look no further.
Leon Barton shares his favourite love songs for you and your cariad wp.me/p8Mk4U-UiH
Great to be joined by Liam of the Spanish Segunda pod to chat about tomorrow's Málaga v Zaragoza game. Looking forward to meeting for a beer tomorrow afternoon.
Give the preview podcast a listen here or wherever you get your pods from:
open.spotify.com/episode/6LOU...