Playlist: More than a stone's throw

Vice Killer – The Dark Side of the Railway

Forty years after the Miners’ Strike, the scars are still keenly felt in northern England. Although the members of this County Durham band wasn’t even born back then, the atmosphere of the former coal-mining communities around their native Peterlee pervades their “Keep on Fighting On” EP. The title track is the most explicitly political cut, an angry swipe at Thatcherite politics that taps into a deep seam of resentment over a government that stripped communities of work and identity while bringing nothing in return.

But musically, these guys have an ear for a killer melody. A classical four-piece indie rock outfit with a natty line and jangling guitars, Vice Killer pulls off the neat trick of combining acidic words with upbeat music. And “The Dark Side of the Railway” delivers beautifully: a love story with the spirit of a kitchen sink drama and the dance moves of a delirious Friday night. It's the kind of thing that drove The Smiths at their finest, but without the pretentious prattery that undermined Morrissey at his worst.

Once again, there’s a video worthy of attention. Filmed in Easington Colliery, notably the vast Welfare Hall, perhaps the last active relic of one of Durham’s biggest pit villages, it brings the energy of the community to life. This is a great song, but taking up a position on the line where family memory becomes history, it’s also a rallying call for recognition of something snatched away and never replaced.

Vice Killer play A Stone’s Throw on May 25.

Georgina Gale – Yellow Line

This is unexpected. A break-up song can easily swerve into maudlin self-pity, and the undertow of a summer romance ending at the first intrusion from the real world could quickly turn trite. But there’s a strength in this song that repays closer attention. Georgina’s vocals are terrific; enough of a Taylor Swift hint to be in tune with the Zeitgeist, but distinctive enough to be more than just a clone. There are whispers of indie, echoes of pop and a seasoning of Americana throughout the “Did You Run?” EP, but more than that there are hooks that linger.

Brought up in Cumbria but now studying in Newcastle, Georgina is making a name for herself on the local scene and this month’s debut EP is the sound of a musician levelling up. If this is going to be a breakthrough summer, northeast audiences are perfectly placed to enjoy it – starting with Saturday’s Stone’s Throw set on Tyneside.

Brick – You’ll Make it Home

The first of these playlists talked up Brick’s gentle, ethereal wisps of song. Since then, the duo released “You’ll Make it Home” and announced a pair of concerts on May 25 in Newcastle.

Two concerts in one day? That’s right. As well as an evening show, there’s a matinee for families to introduce the next generation to gig going. That’s typical of the duo’s commitment to bringing music into the wider community – something heard recently in Bridie Jackson’s work with Belonging, an art project putting a contemporary slant on Sunderland's industrial heritage.

“You’ll Make it Home” is another gently uplifting slice of loveliness. Like much of Brick’s music, it’s the sound of contentment rather than extravagant pleasures; the peculiar warmth of the gentlest fire. Told by piano and viola, it’s a deceptively simple thing that can worm its way into your mind and resurface unprompted and unexpected.

I can't quite believe we've reached playlist #10. Thanks for reading playlist number eight. If you liked it, give a like and subscribe. If you really liked it, consider buying me a coffee. But, most of all, please consider supporting the artists by buying their music or attending their gigs.

Previous playlists: Folksy flavours / Politics / Stockton Calling / Russia / Aelius / #6 / Border Crossings / #8 / Safe hands throwing stones