Outro's Birthday Mixtape #2

This mixtape is a little more modern, just great tracks from the last few years that I think are great and tracks/bands I found through this blog like Jupiter one, Fanfarlo, Sad Day for puppets, Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, Eisley, 6 day riot, Cogwheel Dogs, Baddies and Joy formidable.

This one is in two parts as otherwise it would take ages to upload.

Outroversion's Birthday Mixtape #2 (2006-2010)
Part 1 Part 2

Frank Turner- Nashville Tennesee, Sunday, Isabel
Golden Silvers- Another Universe
MGMT- Time to Pretend
Camera Obscura- French Navy
Gaslight Anthem- 59 Sound, Miles Davis and the cool, The patient ferris wheel
Bombay Bicycle Club- Always Like this
Marina and the Diamonds- Mowgli's road
Sad day for puppets- Marble Gods
Howling Bells- Cities Burning Down
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Heads will Roll
Cogwheel Dogs- Cress
Empire of the sun- Walking on a dream
Lightspeed Champion- Tell me what it's worth
Laura Marling- My manic and I
Vampire Weekend- A punk/Dimplomat's son
Green Day- Heart's Collide
Leisure Society- Last of the melting snow
Elbow- Grounds for divorce
Metric- Gimme Sympathy
Fanfarlo- The Walls are coming down
Nick Cave- Call upon the author/More news from nowhere
Los Campesinos- You! Me! Dancing!
Black Kids- Look at me when I rock Witchoo
Courteeners- Not 19 forever/Acrylic
Monsters of Folk- Map of the world
Marnie Stern- Patterns on a diamond ceiling
Scary Mansion- Sorry we took all yr money
Joy Formidable- Cradle
Pete Doherty- Last of the english roses/New love grows on trees
Andrew Bird- Fake Palindromes
Xiu Xiu- Bunny Gamer
Eisley- Marvellous things
Radiohead- Weird Fishes
Dead man's bones- Pa pa power
Killers- Romeo and Juliette
Fun.- Stay calm
Rihanna- Bubble pop
Builders and butchers- Bottom of the lake
Flying Tourbillon Orchestra- In a dream
Jupiter one- Volcano
Nada Surf- From now on

I accidentally missed these off the last rar so they're on this-

Kooks- She moves in her own way
Oasis- Talk Tonight/Rock and roll star

Best of 2009 Part III

Part III

These are the best 15 tracks of the past year-

Frank Turner- Sunday Nights
Fanfarlo- The walls are coming down/Finish Line
Leisure Society- Last of the melting snow
Conor Oberst- Map of the world
Peter Doherty- Last of the english roses
Bombay Bicycle Club- Always like this
Camera Obscura- French Navy
Emmy the great- First love
Fun. - At least i'm not as sad (as i used to be)
Golden Silvers- Another universe
Howling Bells- Treasure Hunt
Jamie T.- Sticks and stones
Jupiter one- Volcano
Marina and the diamonds- Mowgli's road

Frank Turner- Poetry of the deed (2009)

Frank Turner- Poetry of the deed

I haven't reeeeally written about frank turner yet but here it is, all this pent up frank turner related opinions are about to be vented.

Me and mr turner have a complex relationship. I was first introduced to him at truck last year when he critisised fighting with wire during his performance calling them "a bunch of cunts" before getting booed and having stuff thrown at him by fans and the band themselves. I left figuring you had to be a pretty huge bastard to get booed at truck.

Roll on a year later and I hear a rumour frank turner is going to play a secret gig at truck under a different name, I vent my views to people and they say it probably wasn't meant that way and I should give him another chance. Anyway now I love frank turner, I'm pretty much taking a cue from him in terms of how i'm recording and what gigs i'm looking to play.

Basically The Funk Tanker is from Oxford, he's a brilliant poet and represents a certain part of our generation, you should probably embrace that.

1. Live Fast Die Old
2. Try This At Home
3. Dan's Song
4. Poetry Of The Deed
5. Isabel
6. The Fastest Way Back Home
7. Sons Of Liberty
8. The Road
9. Faithful Son
10. Richard Divine
11. Sunday Nights
12. Our Lady Of The Campfire
13. Journey Of The Magi

Another night in Oxford town

I've been looking very much forward to writing this particular blog. What a fascinating night. So much incident, it reminded me alot of that movie "nick and norah's infinite playlist" only you know... not shit. It's a fascinating read, I personally would love to hear a story like this but I was fortunate enough to be on the rollercoaster that was- just another night in oxford town.

I had my brother's son's naming ceremony in the afternoon in bristol which was pleasant, a lot of nice people and some music. I'd arranged to hit a gig in coventry but little did I realise that was a good 120 miles from where I was. I really wanted to go to it though, a unique venue called "taylor john's house" where she keeps bees were playing, one of the numerous guardian tips. But i'd already driven that much that day and so decided to hit oxford, it never lets me down...

I get there, park up on cowley road. Three venues- nothing. I have gig listings on my phone which are updated daily and the sole one on there was hearts in pencil and secret rivals at the wheatshead i figured great opportunity to check out a venue i hadn't seen. I go down there, twisting my ankle to FUCK on the way. Nearly cried I gotta say, it really really killed. And yeah- they'd cancelled. I sat there dumbstruck for a few minutes before leaving.

I wasn't sure whether to include this part in the blog but it seemed really profound to me at the time. I was walking away from the venue when I saw this beautiful young girl, younger than me, on the street, homeless. I'd just bought some food and just wanted to do anything I could to improve things even temporarily so I gave her it, I was mega hungry later lol and she told me about her situation and how her boyfriend was also homeless, he was standing nearby. I gave her the money for them both to stay in a bed and breakfast for the night, I could barely afford it but at the time it felt like it would truly help them and give them faith.

I went back to the wheatsheaf to gather my thoughts and chatted with some guy about truck, frank turner and stornoway, he had this months night shift, and there was a gig down at the cellar starting at 10pm (the night had already been going on a bit). When I left to go to it, at the cellar, the girl and her boyfriend had gone. I hope they had a wonderful night.

The first couple of bands aren't really terribly noteworthy. The first was an instrumental act who wore masks. In my opinion, masks aren't entirely nessecary unless your instrumental band has flea on bass, dave grohl on drums and a reincarnated jimi hendrix on guitar. The next one reminded me a bit of how frank turner's old band must have been live, very shouty and very minimalistic.

I wasn't all that hopeful. The indie club was already underway at the academy and I thought I might go down there and sing along to some libertines to let off the steam. I headed to the bathroom and there were two guys putting make up on in the mirror, I figured they were the next band, Oxford isn't that kinda place ya see. I asked if i would dig them and they said yes, yes I would. They cited darkness as the main comparison- yeah I was intrigued, so what?

This is how they looked on stage-


















I'd never seen anything like the show they put on. I know there's a bunch of bands that do dress up and that one band from seattle with the four armed guitarist (i'd love it if you don't know them though ha like wtf?!) but whether there are others like them or not they were INcredible. I go to alot of gigs and this ticked every box for being up there with the best- rocked out, had an insane amount of fun, seen things i'd never even imagined let alone expected to see live. In the show the lead singer arm wrestled the guitarists head, the guitarists played while doing sit ups, they killed their arch enemy with music, oh and one of them was a cow! And to be honest, innumerable things that were just mind blowing. Oh plus everyone in the audience got a hug at the end! If you get a chance to see these guys, the singer said they were from brighton which is a shame as if they played oxford more i'd take up a season ticket to them.

Kinda mental but I haven't even mentioned the music. You would be excused for thinking with all these assaults on the senses the music would take a back seat- damn wrong. The music is actually really fanTASTic! And yeah they are like the darkness, but an awesome version of them dressed as superheroes. The lead singer is charismatic and has a strong delivery, an amazing amount of dynamics vocally and can hold some killer notes. The cow also sings, it's quite the spectacle! Oh I almost didn't mention the guitarist's playing- dramatic progression, showmanship, high notes like lazer beams, he plays like he's straight out of a comic book, if that makes sense. He's like if the silver surfer plays guitar. He might well, I don't know I don't read comics buddy!

Bottom line is, these guys are amazing, a unique and ethereal gift to your very being. Los Campesinos once spoke of "only a very few places you're guaranteed to get a hug when you leave." This is one. And not just physically, so will your faith in live music.