8track: The Spook School

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...

The Spook School are a band from Edinburgh who make twee indie-pop-rock music. Their fast-paced noisy guitars and grungy vocals have earned them festival appearances in Europe, a string of gigs and a single release, and yet they remain unsigned. Shame. Let's see what 8 of their favourite songs are!

T. Rex - Cosmic Dancer

Marc Bolan was pretty great. He seemed so confident, but not in an annoying way. I think I should make myself a bracelet that says “What Would Marc Bolan Do?” (W.W.M.B.D.) then whenever I'm feeling unsure of myself I'll just reach for the nearest tub of glitter. We need more decent pop singers that dress up in big shiny suits and cover themselves in glitter these days. Where are they?
[LISTEN]

Tullycraft - Twee

I got to know this song through many drunken sweaty nights at Edinburgh's #1 indie-pop dance party night “Unpop”. It seems pretty close to the quintessential indie-pop song if ever there was one. I suppose it's quite easy to see why some people get annoyed at indie-pop as a genre for being so insular and self-referential (and this song certainly doesn't go any way to disprove that) but in many ways I guess that's why I love it. The indie-pop world is the only place I can think of where being 'twee' or 'cute' or 'sweet' or whatever is actively celebrated. That's why it's insular – because it wouldn't be accepted anywhere else. It's not an insider's club at all, it's an outsider's club and it's a pretty great one. It's far more punk to be twee. There're enough 'lads' out there as it is.
[LISTEN]

Orange Juice - Consolation Prize

...to continue on that trend... Edwyn knows right. Any song that ends with the refrain “I'll never be man enough for you” has to be the best song – and it is! It's the best song.
[LISTEN]

Television Personalities - Geoffrey Ingram

I spend a lot of time wondering about what would happen if Geoffrey Ingram met David Watts. Would they join forces and become the most successful duo ever? Would they be fierce rivals? Would the universe explode? These are all serious questions and I think we need answers!
[LISTEN]

Jeffrey Lewis - Life

I'd be very happy if I could write lyrics half as good as Jeffrey Lewis. Or even a quarter. 10%. Yeah, that'd be pretty brilliant. Just like Jef-er-y Lewis (Jeffrey Lewwwiiis)...
[LISTEN]

Bert Jansch - Courting Blues

This album was one of the first real vinyl records I regularly listened to. A really old crackly copy my Dad bought when it first came out and played to death. I like it that way though. It also showed me that it is possible to do some pretty fancy stuff on the guitar and not sound like a wanky idiot.
[LISTEN]

The Velvet Underground - Candy Says

This song's just so beautiful. Even more so when you hear the back-story. Imagine if The Velvet Underground never existed. That'd be pretty awful wouldn't it?
[LISTEN]

Pavement - Fillmore Jive

 I've got a real taste for songs that stay all quiet for while and then suddenly go NOISE, NOISE, NOISE with lots of messy guitars. It's a good format.
[LISTEN]

Have a nosey at The Spook School's incredibly funny website or listen to their songs on Bandcamp.