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Pump It Up...
Sports Team - Here's The Thing Crikey! What a banger. A band that's definitely channeled that enthusiasm in the more mundane areas of British culture we've always wanted to explore. Really excited to see what they have planned ahead of them. Viagra Boys - Sports This track was shown to me by a friend of mine earlier this year, over a college Zoom call. We had a project where we had to go over some influences and he showed us a clip from this track live - incredible energy and hilarious performance. "Weinerball" is a particular highlight. The Streets - Could Well Be In Recently bought A Grand Don't Come For Free for 50p at a charity shop. A track that didn't particuarly resonate me with listens on Spotify but in the context of the EP was a nice little ditty about falling in love with the girl down JD sports. A very English love story, "I saw this thing on ITV the other week, about how if she plays with her hair she's probably keen." Brilliant, haha. The Libertines - Time For Heroes Barat and Doherty are a perfect pairing who are fantastic at bringing out the beauty in the messy, and any track from any record (be that Libertines, Babyshambles, Dirty Pretty Things, Puta Madres) by either of them could fill this spot. Time For Heroes is a particularly wonderful single, though, I've been feeling lately. The Beatles - A Day In The Life What a wonderfully forward thinking track. 2 songs stitched together by a discordant orchestra swell - brilliant. The Beatles' artistic peak and, arguably, one of the greatest songs ever written. Not much more I can write about this that hasn't been said before. The Drums - How It Ended A bittersweet bite of nostalgia in a lo-fi surf punk style! With tracks like Freaks by Surf Curse blowing up on TikTok lately, I really do hope an explosion of American indie rock comes out again, there's some really great acts coming out of the shadow of groups like FIDLAR and Wavves. This track was shown to me recently by the singer of Cornwall based band Colour TV, while having a chat about film and tv and how it was a great number to close a piece of media on - and I am inclined to agree. Arctic Monkeys - A Certain Romance God, how were the Monkeys ever meant to top this? Perfect closer to a perfect album. Took what the Beatles did with A Day In The Life and took it up to 11. Perfectly captured a moment in time like I've never seen - this song is the anchor point every album closer should aim to top, and I'm afraid no one ever has. One of, if not THE, greatest song of all time. I could read over the lyrics like poetry alone, without the perfect instrumental too. (And did a band ever nail the perfect final chord like AM in this track? what an ending!)
Idles - Danny Nedelko Currently writing these while England play their final in the Euros 2020 - in typical Archie fashion I'm not actually watching but keeping track by the screams in my neighbours garden. 1-1 so far, 89th minute bless 'em. Anyway - if any track was ever written for a football chant it's gotta be this one surely? A wonderful pro-immigration track with the most sing along chorus you can't help roar along to. Idles definitely are at the head of pushing the British indie scene back to the forefront of public conciousness, even if their stuff is a bit heavier than most newer bands coming up, their popularity is undoubted and their tracks incredible. Elvis Costello - Pump It Up First time I encountered this track was through its sample in the Rouge Traders track "Voodoo Child" played in an episode of Doctor Who when I was about 3 (The Sound Of Drums.) It's taken this long to rediscover it, but it's a fun track I've been enjoying the last couple of weeks. Dinosaur Jr. - Just Like Heaven Best cover ever? No, Johnny Cash does have that covered but I'm confident Dinosaur Jr. can take that 2nd place trophy for their cover of The Cure classic. RAT BOY - Sign On Oh, RAT BOY. First artist that got me into indie music properly, actually. Heard about him from Harry who plays bass in The Verdicts, because he used to skate with Harry and Liam who played guitar and bass in RAT BOY respectively, which is still badass to this day. I'm on the same course those lot were on at college actually! Essex lad making Essex songs and they bring me back to being 15 so vividly. First gig too, with Grandson opening. Big influence early days and even today. Growing up as Colchester lads, Blur comparisons have made our way ever since we used to practise in our schools music classroom, only fair we give them a spotlight. I chose a cut from their second album 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' that reflects The Verdicts best, a fast jumpy track about consumerism and television - themes we discuss on a song we've written recently called Duncan Newmarch, which I think we're all actually super excited about!
Parquet Courts - Borrowed Time Parquet Courts - they're so fun aren't they? Just quick
and simple, they know what it is and play it so well, with the production
to match. A nice track I've been enjoying lately to close off the
playlist. Follow The Verdicts |
