Picture the scene: you've just stepped out of the Hercules Moments DeLorean and you find yourself in the 90s. MC Hammer pants and Walkmen are all the rage. Deciding to ignore the fashion of the day, you pick up a Walkman and head home to 2012...
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...
Having gigged around Aberdeen, and indeed the country, for a few years now, Marionettes are only just gaining the real recognition they deserve. With a delightfully upbeat indie-pop sound, their music is infectious and comes with a real party vibe. We asked Daryl Rankin to make us an awesome mixtape, which he did with no strings attached. Now we’ve got the awful puppet pun out of the way, let’s get onto the music…
Fanzine - Roman
Holiday
I
first heard this tune a couple of months back when a friend played it, and
instantly became hooked. I thought it was by some massive artist who I hadn’t
discovered before and was stunned when I was told that they are in fact an unsigned
UK act who released the tune last year. Expect big things from Fanzine; this is
probably the best song I’ve heard this year.
The Little Kicks - Call of
Youth
Call
of Youth was a free download released as a precursor to The Little Kicks’
second album, and for me is the stand out track on the CD. It was the first
sign of a new sound for the band and this song alone was enough to sell me on
the purchase of the record. Awesome tune.
Paws - Jellyfish
Having
released their debut album last week, Glasgow’s finest noise pop trio deserve
all the plaudits coming their way. There’s a lot to be said for hard work and
touring in the digital age of music that we live in; it would seem that Paws
have embraced that ideology and have been across Europe promoting their work.
Jellyfish’s simple riffing and impeccable vocal melodies are examples of what
sets Paws apart from the rest in their genre; their album is insane and
available now.
Band of Horses - Dilly
Just
such a great laid back summer tune. I could listen to the harmonies these guys
sing all day and the vocals are the aspect of this band that I admire the most.
The instrumentation isn’t overtly complicated, but the songwriting is
excellent. This track can be found on the album, Infinite Arms.
Weezer - The
Good Life
Everyone forgets that Weezer used to be good. I had the pleasure (yes,
pleasure) of seeing them play live last year at T in the Park. They played all
of their hits from previous albums, only marred by a few musical abominations
that they have released in more recent years. Listen to this song, but more
importantly listen to the album Pinkerton on which it can be found, as it is
one of the greatest rock albums ever written. What the hell happened...?
Pronto Mama - One
Trick Pony
We had
the pleasure of playing a couple of shows with these guys a few weeks back.
They are one of the most entertaining/versatile live acts I’ve ever had the
privilege of being on the bill with. Keyboards, guitars, a brass section, 4
part harmonies and the largest hair you’re ever likely to see on a Scottish
drummer makes for a high impact live show. They have some equally mesmerising
acoustic tracks available online. This track is available on the band’s current
EP, Lickety Split, and for me One Trick Pony encompasses every aspect I
enjoy most about this band in one track. Definitely give it a listen.
Dinosaur Jr - Forget
the Swan
As one
of my main influences as a guitarist, it’d be unfair to leave Dinosaur Jr. out
of this list. This is one of my favourite tracks by them, but they have written
so many great songs. I love how massive they sound, even on some of the most
lo-fi style recordings you’re likely to hear. The vocals are brilliantly
terrible, another one of their unique qualities that I really admire.
Min Diesel - Love
Disease
From
the EP, Minage a Twa, Min Diesel’s Love Disease is my favourite song by an
artist local to the Aberdeen area put out this year. It’s intricate yet sloppy,
with a heavy focus on dynamics. Zippy’s creative guitar playing fills me with
envy and I feel that it is this creativity that largely contributes to Min
Diesel’s uniqueness. I really enjoyed their first EP, but I feel that they have
upped their game to a whole new level with this record. As a live band they
have came on leaps and bounds since I first saw them and long may this
progression continue. I would love to hear an album by these guys.
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