Nick Portnell
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nportnell.bsky.social
Nick Portnell
@nportnell.bsky.social
England seemed to him to be nothing but horrors and misery now. The very shapes of the trees were like frozen screams.
Movie you've watched more than six times. Hard mode: no Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR or Marvel.
December 7, 2025 at 10:13 PM
#new2me25

As we enter the top 10, please forgive my overenthusiam. Ten stunning albums that I had never heard before this year.

🇺🇸 x 3
🇧🇷 x 3
🇬🇧 x 3
🇲🇫 x 1
December 7, 2025 at 9:02 PM
#new2me25

Flamengo - Kuře V Hodinkách (1972)

I have only known this album for about three weeks, but it almost gatecrashed my top 10. A Czech band that sound like a massively funky King Crimson, McDonald & Giles or Gong. Huge thanks to @maryepworth.bsky.social for alerting me to this lost gem.
December 7, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Picture of the staff who operate this Bluesky account.
December 7, 2025 at 8:18 PM
#new2me25

12. Scientist - Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires (1981)

Grade A dub. The production on this album is as crisp as a ginger nut biscuit and the songs are clever and inventive. I have played this album to death over the last couple of months.
December 7, 2025 at 7:14 PM
I bought this last week after reading a post by @andrewmale.bsky.social It is such a gorgeous album. Dreamlike songs that just drift slowly into your subconscious. Very unusual yet instantly comforting & familiar.
December 7, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Maybe we should just start spending all of our pension funds on records and recreational drugs now.
Prime Minister of Poland. 🇵🇱
December 6, 2025 at 9:25 PM
QTO an album you'd rate a perfect 10/10
December 5, 2025 at 11:43 PM
#NowPlaying celebrating my new T-shirt.
December 5, 2025 at 10:15 PM
#new2me25

13. Charles Mingus - The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady (1963)

I realise that everyone of you heard this album before I did and that you all know how amazing it is already. It is such a vivid sounding album, like a silent movie in reverse. Not a moment is wasted nor a note out of place.
December 5, 2025 at 8:19 PM
November 15th: we have to rid this house of useless tat.

December 4th: look at this demented cat Xmas tree decoration from Habitat. It's half price, we would be mad not to buy it.
December 4, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Unidentified item in the bagging area.
December 4, 2025 at 9:39 PM
#new2me25

14. Organic Pulse Ensemble - Zither Suite (2024)

Not an ensemble at all, just one Swedish guy multitracking all the parts of a modern day spiritual jazz masterpiece. To my novice jazz ears, this is as good as some of the 60s classics, he needs a wider audience. An incredible record.
December 4, 2025 at 8:00 PM
There is an excellent moon boob hovering over Reading right now.
December 3, 2025 at 9:19 PM
#new2me25

15. Advance Base - Nephew in the Wild (2015)

Another @andrewmale.bsky.social tip-off, Advance Base is basically a man named Owen Ashworth who specialises in writing darkly humorous songs mostly about the everyday happenings of middle America. Lyrically up there with Berman & Jeff Lewis.
December 3, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Colour me shocked.
December 3, 2025 at 2:25 PM
BBC News - Trans girls can no longer join Girlguiding, organisation says
www.bbc.com/news/article...

This is sad news. The pressure they must be under because of certain high profile individuals makes this inevitable. British society is regressing at an alarming rate.
Trans girls banned from joining Girlguiding
Girlguiding says the move is in response to the Supreme Court ruling that said sex meant biological sex in equality law.
www.bbc.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:26 PM
I love Victoria Derbyshire. Newsnight tonight is a hard watch, but she is the best BBC News journalist by a long stretch.
December 2, 2025 at 10:45 PM
#new2me25

16. Ann Peebles - I Can't Stand The Rain (1974)

The first time I played this, I wrongly assumed that it was a greatest hits album, it's that good. I'm guessing most of you know the title track, but there isn't a duff song on the whole album. This is peak mid-70s pre-disco/soul music.
December 2, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Can they just let him go, allow him to grow his hair out a bit and then cast him as Tim Buckley in a movie much better than either the Dylan or Springsteen ones?
"you get those photos of luigi on trial"
"sure did boss, real fucking sexy like you asked"
December 1, 2025 at 8:39 PM
#new2me25

17. Veronique Chalot - A L'Entrée Du Temps Clair (1979)

Achingly beautiful Breton folk music that sounds as though it was teleported from 300 years before. Her voice is that of an angel and the combination of medieval instruments is utterly hypnotic.
December 1, 2025 at 7:49 PM
open.spotify.com/playlist/4IQ...

It's now officially December so you can shove this up your chimneys.
Winter Songs
open.spotify.com
December 1, 2025 at 9:04 AM
I see that crisis team Liverpool are 9 points behind league leaders Arsenal with 25 matches still to play. I hope Slot finally sleeps well tonight.
November 30, 2025 at 9:56 PM
We bought a posh set of knives in the Black Friday sale. I am attempting to cook an Indian feast from scratch and things aren't going well.
November 30, 2025 at 7:22 PM
#NowPlaying
#5debutalbums7074

This is a corker of an album. Featuring three members of the brilliant psych band Blossom Toes along with special guests including Julie Driscoll (that's her behind the bar on the cover) & Mick Taylor, it's funky guitar driven rock with a splash of jazz colouring.
November 30, 2025 at 6:55 PM