41 Rooms is a two hour post punk plus podcast… and you’re welcome to it. Avoiding nearly all the millions of tunes ever recorded, we’re left with just some of the ‘right’ ones. Presented by Dec Hickey, author of From Heaven to Heaven, New Order Live, The Early Years (1981-1984) at Close Quarters – and as vinyl friendly as is possible – a new show will currently be uploaded the first Sunday of every month, 9pm GMT (UK); the next one being Nov 3.

Post punk at its core, but mixing in new wave/no wave/cold wave/dark wave/ synth wave/waving not drowning/alternative/indie (thinking)/industrial/post industrial (ignore that last one)/eclectic/electro/electronic/dubstep/grime (who makes this stuff up?)/soul/northern soul/mod/modern soul/neo soul/ soul jazz/jazz funk (errr… maybe)/funk/psych/popcorn (blame the Belgians)/ pop (remember that?)/(roots) reggae/dancehall/breakbeat/broken beat/beats wot broke/folk/folk talking/folktronica/’D-I-S-C-O’/world (where does that start and end?)/local/lo-fi/garage/r&b/d&b (both sorts of each of those last three ‘sorts’)/house (the years that mattered)/techno/chill out/am…bi…ent…/downtempo/trip hop/hip hop (‘don’t stop!’)/oddities/rarities/the bleedin’ obvious (if you know me)/unreleased/never to be released/lost gems/lost causes/lost and found/’found sounds’ (ahem)/mash-ups/unofficial re-edits*… and that one your mum actually liked. A banjo might occasionally crop up, but I’ll warn you… it’s only fair. Moodswings eternal but if something’s missing from the above, there could well be a good reason.

I might do an occasional, additional themed one-off show, but aside of that, along these episodic journeys the intention is to play a track just the once. There’ll be a vinyl scratch or two (for that ‘lived-in’ feel), some ‘sonically challenged’ sounds here and there, a few shout outs, an artist might say ‘Hi’ and/or iD a show, an anonymous female will always say ‘Hello‘ and I’ll say a little bit more… not much, just a little. If there’s something near meaningful to convey it will be in the playlist but it’s all about the tunes. Some artists I’ll stand by a wealth of their albums, while with others I possibly won’t nail my colours to the mast of anything other than the track of theirs I’m playing at the time. Also, my voice won’t lift you but unless you’re clinically dead, track nine, show two (for instance) really should, so spread the word and share the knowledge.

A playlist with full track details and ‘other bits’ will be uploaded with each show and as and when I find ‘bits’ to add to the ‘other bits’ of old playlists I’ll do so, so check back occasionally. And feel free to forward comments, it can be a two way thing.

If I had never added another track to the quality control arsenal I started out with at Episode 1, I would have run out of fuel for this sonic fire somewhere between shows #120 and #200… if the enthusiasm level ever gets me that far. So, the hunt for more old and new stuff to include and make my ears smile always goes on. If the well does run dry however, I will stop. On the purely vinyl thing, let’s leave the last words here with Henry Rollins: “In a way, my records are an investment – an investment in the preservation of what’s left of my sanity.”