Mix CD #9 - Everybody Wants To Be Cool

Mix time again! My original plan was to get a few posts done at first so the blog wasn't too sparse at first glimpse but then to strip it bck down to something like one mix a month, so as not to bombard people with mixes. It's not really worked out that way though but I'm having fun with it and I dunno if anyone else is even listening/reading so bollocks to it, you'll just have to be bombarded for now.

As per usual, there's photo's, info and blurb from me for each band under the cut so you can read that if you like. Go on, be a devil.

You can download the mix HERE

Ruby Cruiser - Everybody Wants To Be Cool
Sense Field - On Your Own
Marmozets- Move, Shake, Hide
The Darkness - Open Fire
Half Man Half Biscuit - Look Dad No Tunes
Ballsdeep - A Life Less Overrated
Toadies - Tyler (Acoustic Version)
King's X - Won't Turn Back
Betty Blowtorch - Dresses
Robochrist - Ghosttrainnosebleed
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - Bring On The Girls!
Reuben - Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Katie Lee - Repressed Hostility Blues
The Mr. T Experience - Tapin' Up My Heart
Earthtone9 - Sea Of Blades
Send No Flowers - Sepia
Zombina & The Skeletones - Puke It Up
Random Hand - "In"
The Birthday Massacre - Diaries
Metallica - Lords Of Summer
Aurelio Voltaire - God Thinks

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Ruby Cruiser - Everybody Wants To Be Cool
Taken from the 2000 album Twelve Short Stories

This Welsh band released one excellent album full of energetic Alternative Rock that featured multiple harmonies, plenty of hooks and big choruses. They had a lot in common with bands like The Wildhearts, Silver Sun, Baby Chaos, Honeycrack, 3 Colours Red and so forth. They disappeared after that and I was hard pushed to find even one photo of the band on Google. It's a shame because there's no weak moments on Twelve Short Stories and they were better than a lot of similar but more successful bands at the time.

Sense Field - On  Your Own
Taken from the 2003 album Living Outside

I had been intending on using a track from their classic album Building on this mix. Then I found out that vocalist Jon Bunch died earlier this year due to an overdose of sleeping pills. Because of that, this song popped into my mind and I included it instead. It seems to be about someone not been able to bring up their children and all the things they wanted to teach them. Knowing he'd died I wonder if ti was prophetic? Depends if he had kids or now. Anyway, it makes it a really sad song for me now. 

Marmozets- Move, Shake, Hide
Taken from the 2014 album The Weird And Wonderful Marmozets

Maarmozets must be one of the most exciting young bands around at the moment. Full of energy, power and some great songs. That they're from my native Yorkshire is all the more gratifying.This album is a couple of years old now so there hopefully there's another on its way soon.

The Darkness - Open Fire
Taken from the 2015 album Last Of Our Kind

When The Darkness reformed a few years ago the resulting album, Hot Cakes, was a bit underwhelming. Last Of Our Kind redressed the balance however and was a real return to form and this song was one of the lead singles. That jingly jangly guitar line reminds me of She Sells Sanctuary.Or maybe Trippin' On Ecstasy if you know that one. Anyway, I really like it and it's not about what you'd automatically think it is.

Half Man Half Biscuit - Look Dad No Tunes
Taken from the 2000 album Trouble Over Bridgwater

One of my all time favourite bands and a source of several usernames over the years. They're a Post Punk band with a very pronounced sense of humour. This song in particular will strike a chord with any of you in aspiring bands. There's a multitude of musical references in this song that are easily missed. 

Ballsdeep - A Life Less Overrated
Taken from the 2016 album ....And On The Eighth Day

I stumbled on this band by accident, saw the name and thought it warranted a listen. They play brutal, no-nonsense Metal, There's bits of Hardcore and Groove Metal and what not in there but mainly just aggression and anger and big, pummeling riffs. They're great!

Toadies - Tyler (Acoustic Version)
Taken from the 2015 album Heretics

Toadies are an Alternative Rock/Grunge band from Texas that have been going since the mid-nineties, last years Heretics contained a couple of new tracks but was mostly acoustic reworkings of old songs, like this one from their 1994 debut Rubberneck. I'm not normally one for alternate versions but I enjoyed Heretics a lot. Tyler in particular works well, this simple piano line running through it is very effective. It's is one of their creepier songs, being about a peeping tom who takes things too far. The imagery of the final verse is so well done but genuinely disturbing.

King's X - Won't Turn Back
Taken from the 2003 album Black Like Sunday

I've loved King's X ever since my school days. They mix up Classic Rock, Progressive Rock and Beatles Style harmonies to great effect. This is one of their simpler, poppier songs that'scropped up a couple of times on random lately and I really like it. Like the rest of the songs on Black Like Sunday it actually dates from the early eighties, before the band were known as King's X. They rerecorded and spruced up all those old songs for this album.

Betty Blowtorch - Dresses
Taken from the 2001 album Are You Man Enough?

Betty Blowtorch were an all-female Grungy Hard Rock band from Hollywood, California. They were tough and didn't take shit but were still a lot of fun. Main vocalist, Bianca Butthole died in a car crash after getting a lift with a drunk driver. They released this one album plus a collection of odds and ends. This song's about not having to wear said garment. Not something I personally have a problem with.

Robochrist - Ghosttrainnosebleed
Unreleased. I nicked it off of Myspace in about 2006 I think.

A good ten years ago I was at a Danko Jones gig and the support was Robochrist. A bloke who was silver from head to toe, got on stage, didn't say a word and blasted through a set of sample-laden,instrumental Industrial music. Once he'd finished, he threw down his guitar and stormed offstage again, without a word. I didn't know if I loved it or hated it. I saw him a couple of more times at different gigs and decided I loved it. He's since gone on to be the singer/guitarist in the incredible Eureka Machines and goes by the more normal, though probably not birth, name of Chris Catalyst.
Look out for a cameo in this song by Johnny Vegas, you'll know it when you hear it...

Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - Bring On The Girls!
Taken from the 1994 album Starry Eyed And Bollock Naked

Carter USM were reasonably successful back in the late eighties/early nineties. They effortlessly mixed Pop, Indie, Dance and Punk with Jim Bob's humourous, pun-filled lyrics. They always said they'd split up when it stopped being fun and in 1998, it did, They do occasionally reform for one off gigs but a new album is unlikely. This particular album was a collection of B-Sides, Bring On The Girls! is a commentary on awful Pop videos.There's some weird, twingly jazz bits at either end of the track, not sure why but yes, thanks, 

Reuben - Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Taken from the 2005 album Very Fast Very Dangerous

Reuben were an Alternative Rock band from Surrey and VFVD was their second album of three. They had quite a distinctive sound, mainly due to Jamie Lenman's deep voice and a cheeky sense of humour that gave them a little extra twinle. This song is a blistering charge-through about being an angsty teenage Emo. It's very much tongue-in-cheek.  They've been on indefinite hiatus since about 2007 or so sadly. Whether they'll ever do anything again is unlikely but I'd like to think so,

Katie Lee - Repressed Hostility Blues
Taken from the 1957 album Songs of Couch And Consultation

This is a weird one. Whilst it's obviously a 50's song, Katie's bright and sarcastic sense of humour is much more modern. This is a clever and funny song that's wittiness hasn't aged at all; I laughed out loud (I didn't lol) a couple of times listening to it. The album as a whole is also really good. 

The Mr. T Experience - Tapin' Up My Heart
Taken from the 2001 album ...And The Women Who Love Them

Whilst Green Day were riding high at the height of their popularity, MTX continued to pay small clubs and churn out album after album of clever but simple, witty, charming Pop Punk. You''d be hard pressed to find a band who do what they do any better than them. Whilst they are technically still together, they haven't released anything since 2004 and Dr Frank has taken to writing of late. His first novel, King Dork (Which is an entertaining read) has been commissioned for a movie and Will Farrell is involved in some capacity. It better not be shit.

Earthtone9 - Sea Of Blades
Taken from the 2013 album IV

The fourth band on this mix that have split and since reformed. Earthtone9 are a Progressive Metal band from Nottingham. They're generally heavier and more impenetrable than a lot of their peers, That said, IV does away with the harsh screams and roars that were present on their previous 3 albums. Karl Middletons clean singing voice is more than up to the task of holding its own and this comeback album is fantastic. Still heavy but with melody and grandeur. The song titles are a bit more understandable too!

Send No Flowers - Sepia
Taken from the 1996 album Juice

I can't believe this album is 20 years old now! I feel so old. I've listened to it regularly throughout that time and don't feel it's dated at all. All five band members of this British Grunge band were hugely talented, there's not a substandard moment to be found on this angry, miserable, cathartic album. They changed their name to Shineola after this, released one EP then disappeared. Occasionally one of them will pop in some band or another, Firebird, Silver Ginger 5 for example. 

Zombina & The Skeletones - Puke It Up
Taken from the 2008 album Out Of The Crypt And Into Your Heart

This Scouse band are a ramshackle Horror Punk band that mix in Soul, Doo Wop and other 50's style musics. Maybe a bit of Surf Rock too. They're a lot of fun and worth listening to. I would guess they're much better experienced live however. Go do that,

Random Hand - "In"
Taken from the 2009 album Inhale/Exhale

Another young Yorkshire band with a lot of promise. Unfortunately they split up at the tail end of last year, shortly after releasing their last album, Hit Reset so that scuppered that. They're essentially a Ska Punk band but a gritty, weighty one, there's a fair bit of Hardcore crunch going on.
I saw them live around the time they released their debut EP, On The March, and they were excellent, They'll be missed.

The Birthday Massacre - Diaries
Taken from the 2014 album Superstition

I stumbled onto this Canadian band a couple of years ago when their album artwork caught my eye. All of their albums look quite similar, with Alice In Wonderland themed Gothic cartoon imagery. They're all coloured a variation of purple or violet and look great. Musically The Birthday Massacre are decent too, Electrorock, Dance Rock, Synthpop, whatever you want to call it. Again, with Alice In Wonderland inspired Gothic imagery and a load of good tunes.

Metallica - Lords Of Summer
Taken from the 2014 single Lords Of Summer

It's Metallica. Dude.

Aurelio Voltaire - God Thinks
Taken from the 2000 album Almost Human

Voltaire is a Dark Cabaret singer from Cuba. His Goth/Steampunk songs are sometimes funny, sometimes creepy and occasionally potentially offensive. Much like this song. It's about all the moral judgments people make, supposedly in the name of religion. We have absolutely no way of knowing if there even IS a higher power let alone what they think, just what we think they think. People take religion WAY too seriously.