A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.
Substack
A Head Full of Wishes newsletter #23
Upcoming Luna shows
A few more Luna shows have been announced between now and the end of the year - a couple in Baltimore in October that have likely already sold out by the time you read this, and three shows in San Francisco in the run up to new year, with Yo La Tengo.
Here is a list of all the scheduled Luna shows - follow the links for more info and tickets.
| 30th October 2025 | Club 603 in Roland Park, Baltimore, MD, USA |
|---|---|
| 31st October 2025 | Club 603 in Roland Park, Baltimore, MD, USA |
| 5th December 2025 | Paramount Theatre, Austin, TX, USA |
| 6th December 2025 | Granada Theater, Dallas, TX, USA |
| 28th December 2025 | Fillmore, San Francisco , CA, USA with Yo La Tengo |
| 29th December 2025 | Fillmore, San Francisco , CA, USA with Yo La Tengo |
| 31st December 2025 | Fillmore, San Francisco , CA, USA with Yo La Tengo |
My record collection: The Shimmy Disc Compilation Volume 1 (VHS)
Another VHS, and now that I actually have a VHS player one I can actually sit down and watch… although, of course because someone has been kind enough to digitise the whole thing and pop it onto YouTube - it’s easier to do that.
The compilation is packed with the usual Shimmy Disc faces, and compiled with the expected Shimmy Disc idiosyncracies. Each track is introduced with 1980s wedding video style text intros.
Galaxie 500’s contribution is Sergio Huidor’s video for Tugboat.
There were two more Shimmy Disc video comps - Volume 2, which I don’t have (but am on the lookout for), had the video for When Will You Come Home, and Volume 3 had no contribution from Galaxie 500 at all.
I bought this on eBay in 2014 although not sure for how much.
- Catalogue Number: AHFOW 13/012
- Artist: Various artists
- Title: The Shimmy Disc Compilation Volume 1
- Packaging: White plastic library case
- Format: VHS
My record collection: The Pastels - Illumination (CD)
So… a second copy of The Pastels excellent Illumination. I think I bought this in a bundle with some things I didn’t have, or I just added it to make up postage. But, whatever reason I do have two copies!
… and since I have two copies I can photograph both sides of the fold-out booklet in one pic!
To be honest I was going to skip this one when it popped up in my backlog but… I have actually seen The Pastels since I last posted about the album over two years ago… and they don’t play very often! So… I guess I can write about that…
Back in July, just before they were scheduled to play Glas-Goes-Pop The Pastels had a matinee gig scheduled at The Cumberland Arms in Byker - only their second live show since 2019 (the first had been a couple of weeks earlier in Edinburgh). It was a swelteringly hot afternoon - and inside the crowded room was ridiculous! I arrived early, almost too early, so when the doors opened I positioned myself against the wall near the front of the stage (it’s my position of choice at The Cumberland Arms).
Support was from Carla J. Easton who played a charming and lively set.
The break arrived and, having been spotted by Janet in the crowd, we both retired outside into the fresh air for a chat before The Pastels. The breeze was refreshing and under some circumstances I might have been tempted to stay in the garden… or at least stand by the open door. But… The Pastels! So, as showtime approached I edged my way back close to where I had been standing.
The Pastels were, of course, wonderful - as they always are - cracking songs (including a couple from Illumination!), charming between songs banter, and knowing when it’s too hot to carry on so not overstaying their welcome!
I briefly chatted with Pastels guitarist John (also of the excellent National Park) about how great Dean Wareham’s new album is. Said a quick “hello” to Stephen and headed out into the cool, and then onto the hot metro, and then home.
Oh… and also since the last Illumination post I hung out in a pub in Glasgow with The Pastels!
- Catalogue Number: AHFOW 10/139
- Artist: The Pastels
- Title: Illumination
- Format: CD
Previously in my record collection:
- [031] The Pastels - Illumination
- [124] The Pastels - Mobile Safari (CD)
- [150] The Pastels - Worlds of Possibility (CDS)
This week in history
26th September 2020 - Dean & Britta live stream x 2
On this day in COVID year 1 - Dean & Britta (and Roger) played two live streamed shows from their living room - here they are playing We’re Not Supposed to be Lovers from the early show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtX1aDZQlUI
… and Simon & Garfunkel’s Homeward Bound from the late show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LafGLcsc0Ok
1st October 1990 - This Is Our Music released
On this day 35 years ago Galaxie 500’s last album was released (in the UK)
I still struggle with the commonly held belief that This Is Our Music is somehow sub-par Galaxie 500 - I think it’s become one of those ideas that people latch onto without really considering it… almost an urban myth. But damn! It’s such a good album. I thought that at the time and my love of it hasn’t diminished at all over the years, if anything it has grown. Even the protaganists play it down… “it could have been twice as good” said Kramer; “half of it is good” said Dean… I don’t think they’re hearing it like I do - I think they’re hearing the making of it.
Galaxie 500 - This Is Our Music (my record collection)
Discoveries and rediscoveries
- A few nice clips on YouTube of Dean’s show in Rochester, NY last Friday - here they are playing Fourth of July
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoXMHfKKT2U
The Pulse of New York YouTube has a stack more.