6 Music: 28.01.2019

Another week ahead for BBC 6 music as the new schedule settles in. We're still not used to hear Keaveny in the afternoon although his morning absence is in part atoned by Hawkins' extra half-hour. They seem to be 'over-promoting' themselves a bit still, as if people were really thick and not realising Laverne is now in the breakfast slot etc. She was even on The One Show this week to promote her own show. Desperate?
Anyway this week Lammo is on his travels as he visits 'independent' venues around the UK starting with Edinburgh on Monday, York on Tuesday, Worcester on Wednesday, Bedford on Thursday and winding up at the 100 Club on Oxford Street no less for the Specials, er, special live performance. Good to see they've chosen the not so obvious usual cities (Liverpool, Manchester, Brum et al.)

This week's playlist begins to see some new stuff at last although 2018-veterans Maribou State, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stealing Sheep and Lizzo are still coming up more or less every hour - not that we disdain any of those of course. However, the best new track of 2019 so far seems to be this new one from Foals which is very catchy and even has a kind of 80s-production vibe to it. It's rightly on the A list (and on Radio 1's B list). New album coming in March (and another in the autumn!) Meanwhile,enjoy:

6 Music: 07.01.2019

The much anticipated new daytime schedule is already in full swing on 6 Music with - if you needed reminding - the following line-up as from Monday 7th Jan.:

• 5.00 - 7.30 am Chris Hawkins (extra 1/2 hour)
• 7.30 - 10.30 am Lauren Laverne "Breakfast Show"
• 10.30 am - 1.00 pm Mary Anne Hobbes Morning Show
• 1.00 pm - 4.00 pm Sean Keaveny "Lunchtime Show"

Hawkins seems to be dealing quite well with the extra half-hour (he calls it the new conservatory extension), which is also quite welcome. He's introduced the new "Exit Music" feature towards the end of the show (penultimate track played) whereby listeners can request a song for leaving the house in the morning.
Laverne is trying very hard (too hard?) with the arduous task of taking over from Keaveny although of course it's practically an impossible task and she is quite rightly doing her own thing. We here at LiM are still sadly missing the earworms, the Parkinson theme, Hill Street Blues and even Let's Play..Pontoon! (and Georgie).
Admittedly we haven't been listening to Hobbes or even the new Keaveny properly in order to pass any judgement. Time will tell.
Lamacq plods on and this week is featuring forgotten 80s tracks (thanks for reading our mail, Steve). Roundtable Thursday afternoon and Friday Free For All carry on as usual.

Radcliffe & Maconie (sans Maconie, for now) take over the weekend Breakfast Show but we're not expecting any big surprises there, although wondering how he/they will cope with the early start!

25 Years of Rock has been extended to include the extra 5 years of 30 Years of Rock, which finishes on Friday, to be replaced by Alan Freeman's epic 1994 series The Story of Pop starting Saturday.