Over the past few months, we've been getting in touch with bands, celebrities and more to ask them to create eight-song-long mixtapes for YOU. So crack out your Walkman and enjoy...
Weezer – El Scorcho
Weezer are one of the main reasons we started jamming
when we were 14, back in Gav's garage in Perth, and to this day they're still
one of my favourite bands. With the
early Weezer stuff there was so much passion and raw emotion and it's all
translated without ever being corny in any way. There's a line in this song:
"…and you could keep my fingernails clean", and I just think
it's just wonderful how visceral, unglamorous and true to life it is!
Pavement – Gold Soundz
The summer before I moved to Glasgow I got into
Pavement. I'd always liked them but at
17 I developed this fascination for them, and seeing them at the Barrowlands in
2010 was probably the happiest two hours of my life. This is without a doubt my favourite song of
all time; it has this really nostalgic vibe – the guitars are absolutely
gorgeous (especially after the second chorus) – and the lyrical content is
sublime without overcomplicating anything.
"You can never quarantine the past" = perfection.
All Saints – Black
Coffee
I've got this really strong appreciation for good pop
music. I absolutely love Madonna's Ray of
Light, and also this song by All Saints. I love how understated the
chorus is – it knows how good it is, and doesn't flaunt it any more than it
needs to. This is the problem with a lot
of modern pop; it's an increasingly congested space where everyone is showing
off – wearing too much make up and really uncomfortable shoes – but the vibes
are generic and there’s a lack of substance.
I'm not suggesting All Saints are poets or anything, but this song is
infinitely more progressive than say, the new Cheryl Cole song. There are still some brilliant 'pop'
artists out there, though, and I wish there was more of it. The radio needs to be more fun.
Sigur Ros – Olsen Olsen
There’s a road,
west of Perth, that takes you through Crieff and Comrie and out to Loch
Earn. At one point it opens up and you
get this incredible view of the surrounding mountains. It's not the Himalayas but it's a sweet
place. I remember going out there one
day, and this song came on in the car. I was gazing around thinking how
beautiful Scotland looks in the sun, and how appropriate the song was, and just
how good it is to be alive sometimes. I know how clichéd and pretentious all that sounds. With Sigur Ros there’s no real lyrical
engagement, and I think the connection so many people make with them is one
based on nature. They just make this
euphoric cacophony that makes me appreciate the world.
Big Star –
September Gurls
One of the best guitar songs of all time. I love Big Star, and I got into them through
my old boss. He made me a mixtape and
this was the opening track. I was blown away completely. He just sounds so heartbroken, but it's
manifested in this nugget of shimmering guitars and gorgeous melodies. The
guitar solo is my favourite of all time: short and incredibly sweet. A beautiful song.
R.E.M. – Imitation
of Life
The chorus. It
pops up about 5 times in the song, and you know why? Because it's a completely unstoppable
weapon. I have absolutely no idea what
this song is about; I've never bothered to look it up. “That cinnamon, that's Hollywood". It's probably a load of shite, but when it's
delivered in such a manner as it is here it really doesn't matter at all! I mean the entire second half of this song
is just variations of the original chorus!
The Strokes –
Barely Legal
Like so many kids, Is
This It? was a big game changer in my life. That and Franz Ferdinand, and Songs for the Deaf. I played all those records to death, and know
them inside out. So much of music is
about style, attitude, personality. The
Strokes had it in abundance; they were dripping with cool. They were blessed with the gift of
awesome. On top of that, Casablancas
wrote some really cool songs, and Barely
Legal is one of the best. He really
nailed the vocals too – my favourite part is the: "I want it all, I just can't figure
out. nothing". It has impeccable timing. The Dandy Warhols once sang: “I'd rather be cool than be smart,” but the
Strokes did both. Bastards.
Big Deal – Chair
I love this song – the vocals are beautiful and the
guy/girl dynamic really makes it interesting.
My favourite thing is the lead guitar line shimmering away in the
background: it sounds tortured, and when she's singing “I know you've been
playing me” it all fits together. I think they're a magnificent band,
innovative and full of acute observations.
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