Mixtape No. 2

1. As Tall As Lions - Stab City
2. The Maple State - Starts With Dean Moriarty
3. Electric President - Insomnia
4. Annuals - Brother
5. Beirut - Nantes
6. Manchester Orchestra - Golden Ticket
7. Anathallo - Hoodwink
8. Interpol - Take You On A Cruise
9. Blonde Redhead - 23
10. TV On The Radio - Staring At The Sun
11. Colour Revolt - Our Homes And Graves
12. Ra Ra Riot - Ghost Under Rocks
13. Silversun Pickups - Kissing Families
14. Wolf Parade - Dinner Bells

http://www.mediafire.com/?nnmt3z2cxgt


Despite rumours to the contrary, i'm bored enough to write about this second little compilation i decided to make, partly due to not being a big enough fan of the cinema to spend $12 to eat popcorn and brush legs and partly due to it being kinda therapeutic. Thanks to a wonderful scot called Emma, i have a laptop to play around on, and thus the first time i've been able to freely write anything at home without the fear of being seen as antisocial. Although, still no internet, so i gotta wait until tomorrow to upload this anyway, annoyance. There's a sort of underlying theme in that i thought the songs had something in common or some kind of link, but other than that i just picked whatever, enjoy!

So, As Tall As Lions, as far as i can recall i think i picked up their album Lafcadio after checking them out on the basis of a sticker i got sent with another EVR package years ago, and being sort of impressed but not to the extent as to go nuts over them, but after their self titled a few years later i was blown away, not only was the production better like times infinity, but the instrumentation, vocals and basically everything was totally on point. This song sort of makes me think of being in some sort of twisted carnival on a bad acid trip, an experience yet to be embraced by me. This is the first track on that record and it's the first track on this, OKOL.

With The Maple State, they basically totally reinvented themselves following "At Least Until We've Settled In", yet managed to be one of the very few bands, who in my opinion actually managed to pull it off, from being one of the best pop punky emo-ish exports our countrys had to offer, then pushing more into the indie demographic while losing none of their songwriting flair shows a lot, still a young band and hopefully much more will be to come. This song retains aspects of both of these periods in their existence as a band, and the chorus is literally the most anthemic thing, i listened to it on repeat for like a week after the first time it raped my eardrums. Good dudes as well, Greg gave me a free beer once when i'd probably had far too many. Sorry about the bad quality, blame Canada.

I know nothing about Electric President at all, but i remember not caring at all on first listen, then it gradually growing on me, like a post Postal Service band that doesnt just follow formula, kinda cool. Thanks Rozi Wheeler.

Annuals are another band i've never met, seen or managed to come across at all until a few months ago when some message board kid was going on about them, comparisons with Anathallo and various electronica bands i was into resulted in getting sent a couple of albums. This tracks off of their 2006 release Be He Me, which for all i know could be nothing compared to their follow up, Such Fun, but i have not had the time to listen, unfortunate for everybody. Someone listen for me and let me know.

Beirut need no words. I remember being stoked on them since a friend showing me that video where the cameramans moving around that apartment building following the band before getting to where the drums are when it kicks in, if you don't know what i mean, ask someone who does, watch it, and appreciate, absolutely amazing. There's a good guy who sounds a bit like the man himself from the UK, only a bit older than me, goes by the moniker Gossamer Albatross, not sure if he's doing anything at the moment, but have a checkout!

Manchester Orchestra must be pretty big because my friend Lucie told me to listen to them the other day, which is usually my gauge of a bands ascension into the public domain, but anyway, i think Anathallo went on tour as support with them, i only wanted to see Anathallo so went to their Water Rats headline, but i guess MO are ok as well, listen for yourself! Things like this make me realise i have literally no grasp on actually how big bands are, for all i know just putting some of this stuff on a compilation could get me in trouble with the law..

But ok, Anathallo, such an experience, actually beyond pretty much anything i've seen, utilising every part of their body, instruments, harmony, melody and every music device, be it physical or theoretical, live they're a force to be reckoned with. This song has something to do with Nazi's and their disillusionment/self justification i think, some quotations are included in the lyrics, i know the singer to be a very scholared guy so it's probably beyond the common knowledge of you or i, and without the power of the internet to aid me in my information i'm running blind. Regardless of lyrics, this song is a masterpiece in my opinion, moving, powerful, dynamic and so colourful. This whole album is one of my most listened to ever, so go buy Floating World! Also, one of my friends(NO LONGER) lost my green Anathallo t shirt a while back, so if you feel like replacing it please do, i would but im scared of going on the site to find it's sold out then killing the culprit of my loss.

I'm going to have to chill out a bit because Interpol are another of my favourite bands ever, and i'm close to getting carried away. From first seeing them in The Scala years ago with Franz Ferdinand supporting(for real) to attending every solo London show they've done since, they've never weakened, and while Turn On The Bright Lights is still my favourite album of theirs (as it should be with every Interpol fan), i think anyone who wants to listen to them should buy that or attain it themselves, no introduction will suffice. Anyway, off of their other releases, this is probably my favourite, quite an obvious song but at the time i first heard it it had such an effect, i think i did my GCSE dance choreography to it as well while rude girls grinded to Now 59 or whatever, reminisce..

Keeping the trend of tour partners going, i got into Blonde Redhead when i found out they'd be supporting Interpol on their last UK tour, and despite lack of bass live, on record they've got a lot going for them, the vocals being in the same ethereal realm as someone like Bjorks, without the squealing range. I recently got their album Misery Is A Butterfly which requires some indulgence, expect one of those tracks on a mix to come.

I think i'm out of ammo... TV On The Radio and Colour Revolt are good, so are Ra Ra Riot but probably not as much so, Silversun Pickups are superior to both and this is off their Pikul EP so you might not have heard it, Wolf Parade have got an animal based name so you know they've got tattoo support, good night.

x