Song for Sunday - 24th Dec - Come Christmas / River

As it's Christmas here is a double dose of Song for Sunday. Both are seasonally themed to fit; but both aren't of the 'happy, jolly, isn't it a lovely time of year' (well you wouldn't expect anything else). Instead they are reflections on the past and how they come to hit us full force at this time of year.

First up is Steven Taetz and his tale of Christmas wishes to an ex. Which I wholly approve of.

Second we have Michael Arden singing his version of River, the tale of regret and looking to escape past mistakes.

Song for Sunday - 17th Dec - Power of Love

Only a few more Songs for Sunday to go until the end of the year. So I'm rounding out the year with a couple of seasonal choices. This week its a cover of The Power of Love by one on my favourite singers Jack O'Rourke.

The song itself isn't particularly seasonal or in anyway Christmassy, but it was once a hit at Christmas so that makes it seasonal apparently.

Song for Sunday - 10th Dec - Take It Fast

This is the second song from Sam Vance-Law. The song, about a night out and failing to get laid, and by the end of it perhaps not quite able to, is another slice of pop storytelling and makes the wait for his album next year just that little bit longer.

Song for Sunday - 19th Nov - Mess Me Up

A few weeks back the Song for Sunday was from Australian band Cub Sport, and in recognition of Australia's historic vote for equality this week I thought it'd be good to hear more from them.

Come On Mess Me Up was from their debut album and is a cracker of a song for a Sunday.

Song For Sunday - 12th Nov - 72 & Sunny

Pop-jazz singer Spencer Day has been quiet on the video front for a while. His latest album was released early this year but it's only now we're getting a video for one of the songs. 72 and Sunny's warm retro visuals are in opposition to the song itself, about the modern approach to dealing with life that isn't so sunny for some.

Song for Sunday - 5th Nov - Runaway

This is Oscar and the Wolf from Belgium who gives good electro pop. The song Runaway is built around the notion that too much of a good thing - like love  is both addictive and destructive, and inevitable.

Song for Sunday - 29th Oct - Breakup Song

Nothing better on a Sunday morning that a shot of string laden live music. Here is Heidrik performing Breakup Song live in Russia.

Song for Sunday - 22nd Oct - Chasin'

The Australian dream-pop outfit Cub Sport have a second single from this years album and this one - Chasin - is more dream like than before. With a repeating refrain of not knowing what what he's doing with his life, or what he's chasing, the singer gives the kind of Sunday song that I like.

Song for Sunday - 15th Oct - Empty Pools

The Pansy Boys are the male version of Tegan & Sara, a pair of Canadian queer twins, making music that captures and reflects back how they feel.
Empty Pools captures that last blush of summer where you can laze around not doing much, with a tinge of melancholia about the season just passing.

Their five track EP In Days Of Yore is definitely a Sunday kinda listen.

Song for Sunday - 8th Oct - Clairvoyant

Nakhane is a musician, actor and writer and produces some of the most moving songs you'll hear.
His previous LP and EP are both well worth a listen, but this song - hopefully from a new LP - is just a few beats away from being a full on dance track. Clairvoyant is instead a thrumming, sensual, neon-lit, bold love song.

Song for Sunday - 1st Oct - Blueprint

Bright Light. Bright Light is one of my go to artists on a daily basis and this song one of my favourites of his. From a peaceful start to a soaring end this is a little slice of electro pop for a Sunday.

Song for Sunday - 24th Sep - Thought I Was Meant For You

This one is included not so much for the singer but for the video and the mighty fine song.

The song itself - Thought I Was Meant For You by Nell Bryden - is a perfect song for a Sunday morning. The video, a beautiful tale of two older guys, brings a new slant to the song and creates some happy-sad vibes. So make sure to watch and listen.

Song For Sunday - 17th Sep - Lie To Me

This is where it all started.  Years ago I watched a movie and I was awestruck. It was a movie with a working class protagonist. It was a gay romance movie. It was a movie with a brilliant soundtrack. It is the benchmark by which I judge all other M/M stories, (It was also a movie with handsome lead characters, but that's by the by).

So, if you've never seen the movie Shelter then I urge you to rectify that mistake immediately,

From that moment on I looked for stories - in any kind of media - with men falling in love and overcoming their circumstances to make that love happen. This song is all about that, all about denial, truth and making it happen regardless.

It's all about making that significant step. You can lie to me and offer me some dishonesty to make me believe in love and i'll accept that. Lie To Me by Shane Mack will always be one of my favourite Songs for Sunday.

Song for Sunday - 10th Sep - Night After Night

Matthew Connor takes an 'electric crooner' approach to music and this song - Night After Night - works well in that style. Night After Night is a synth pop dream, one where the dreamer is stuck, alone, and with intrusions from the city around him begins wondering what could have or should have been.

Song for Sunday - 2nd Sep - Prettyboy

I've not heard of Canadian singer Sam Vance-Law before, but after hearing this I'll be paying attention when his album comes out next year. The album - Homotopia - will put issues of equality front and centre, and explore how empathy and compassion can and should be our first response to someone.

In the meantime Prettyboy is a perfect Song for Sunday and has a fun video to go along with it.

Song for Sunday - 27th Aug - O Lord

Australian band Cub Sport have released the first single from their second album. O Lord is indie pop with a little gospel influence, making it a perfect Sunday song.

Song for Sunday - 20th Aug - Spare Change

Brandon Stansell has had a good run of songs & videos from his first two EP's. Spare Change is the latest video from these while he works on his first album - like most indy artists there days there is a Kickstarter for http://www.brandonstansell.com - from which we can expect more of the California-Country style that he does so well.

Spare Change is the more upbeat of his songs, and the video a tale that speaks to the issues the US is facing at the moment. Go have a look and listen for your slice of Sunday music.

Song for Sunday - 13th Aug - Grounds for Resentment

It's still fairly unusual to have two out gay men singing a romantic duet (using male pronouns). So here is the latest in a fairly short line - this is Kele Okereke (from Bloc Party) and Olly Alexander (from Years & Years) on Grounds for Resentment, a track from Okereke's forthcoming album Fatherland.

Song for Sunday - 6th Aug - The Village

Hot on the heels of Bloodstain a few weeks ago comes the new song from Wrabel called The Village. Written in response to Trump's transphobia this is a song and video with an emotional punch.

Song for Sunday - 30 Jul - Shangri La

With intimacy comes exposure, and with exposure comes risk and vulnerability.
In this song - Shangri La - Eli Lieb explores the edge of risk and what happens when a kiss or touch can tip him over that edge - over into a place where he's too exposed.

Song for Sunday - 23 Jul - Bloodstain

I can't believe I haven't posted this song here yet. It is my song of the year so far and I find myself listening to it a few times a day. From love hurts and failing at it, through to finding someone who's not afraid of what's being asked of them, this is the song about love we all need.

Song for Sunday - 16th Jul - Man Doesn't Know

You might have noticed that I like a video with a bit of good choreography in it. So this week is the song Man Doesn't Know by Primme, which has a video with a three-way story told through dance.

So a winner all round really.

Song for Sunday - 9th July - Lover Man

A throw back to jazz guy Spencer Day's cover of Lover Man. Mostly because it's a great song, but also to point out that Spencer's new song - 72 and Sunny - is out this week.

Song for Sunday - 2nd July - Undetectable

Brendan Maclean has a new video for his song Undetectable, a low beat song about love not working out. Perfect for a Sunday morning listen.

Song for Sunday - 25th June - Someone

Ryan Amador is a musician I've been following for a few years. Here he is with a song from his new EP "Seattle Songs". This is definitely a song for a Sunday.

Song for Sunday - 18th June - Beautiful Ones

Time for another song. Beautiful Ones is from British band Hurts and is a great radio-friendly tune. The video on the other hand, isn't quite such a friendly watch (it features anti-trans violence, so be warned), but is still a tale that needs telling.

Song for Sunday - Instead

What more do you need on a Sunday afternoon than a couple dozen men in suits writhing about in a desert? Not much, that's what. But this lot are accompanied by the song Instead (originally by Ryan Amador) sung here by Blake McGrath.

Song for Sunday - 12th Feb - Lost In You

I'm totally obsessing over Death Valley by LP ( an EP with some great tracks and well worth the money, as is her previous album Forever For Now). This is the big hit from last summer, with over 87 million views on YouTube.

Song for Sunday - 22nd Jan - Heaven

The power of love and working together is going to be much needed over the next few years. So its quite handy that Trove Sivan has released his new track with a video about just that.

Troye Sivan might be a pop artist but he shows that pop can be something meaningful. With this video he shows us the power of coming together as communities. He shows us the historical truth in being as one to fight the injustice of inhumane laws; the impact of mass death and fighting the structures that cause that; and that recognition of the most universal and human thing - love - needs equalising.

He also shows us the joy of the personal, of being in love and the intimacy it creates - "in dark and light times, let's love forever".

So enjoy - and share the joy of shared community and love across all your social media - the joy of Heaven by Troye Sivan.

Song for Sunday - 8th Jan - Never Know

Let's start the year as we mean to go on shall we - with hot shirtless men. In this case Brandon Stansell singing Never Know, a song about what could have been a great love.