Boxerbears Vol 14 (The Quiff Mix)

This is probably the most random least thought about selection of songs yet for a BB Mix but I kinda like it cos you don't know what's coming next. It also seems to feature an above average number of quiff haired artists hence the title of the mix! Some are quite epic tracks some are short sharp tunes its just music I like. Hope you do too!


1) Chapterhouse - Breather (Whirlpool was one of my fav albums in my teens and still holds up this track was one of the many highlights and amazingly was never a single)
2) Belltower - Flight ( Americas try at shoegaze wasnt half bad this track from 1992 is a great tune. They only released one album Popdropper which was also pretty good)
3) Mercury Rev - Car Wash Hair (Mercury Rev have been going nearly 20 years and their recorded output is of an astonishing quality, this is one of the early singles from the album Yerself is Steam in 1991, and is a fuzzy pop dream of a song)
4) A Certain Ratio - Shack Up (Manchester but not as we know it. This 91 track was ACR's nod towards the Madchester sound and they do it pretty well, Quite different to their 80's material though)
5) Natural Life - Natural Life (Mentioned in a previous mix so I revisited this track, I still like it but it does sound a little dated now. I actually saw them twice, and how many people can say that I wonder, once with If and Airstream and once supporting The Farm)
6) Happy Mondays - Rave On ( I know I know, how many times has SWR appeared on these mixes! I just cant help it. Really I cant, its like a drug)
7) Sebadoh - The Freed Pig (Lou Barlows post and now pre? Dinosaur Jr band saw him make some critically acclaimed but not commercially successful albums. This was the lead single from 1991's Sebadoh III album. Nice piece of slacker/art rock)
8) Morrissey - Suedehead ( I am seeing Moz, if he doesn't cancel on me again next week in Hyde Park on what is a really strong line-up, so in anticipation I have been playing him a lot, hence is inclusion. This is one of his finest.)
9) Longpigs - She Said ( A tune that I listened to loads at Uni having seen then play in the Students Union, Richard Hawley was lead axeman and so that indicates that they were a pretty good band)
10) Sisters of Mercy - More (Goth Alert! This SOM track appeared on Boxsetgos mix last week and as a co-incidence I had it lined up for my next mix. After deliberation its stays as its a great track and one that should feature..... More, Geddit! sigh)
11) Gallon Drunk - Some Fools Mess (A band that have gone on for years since their inception in the early 90's on Clawfist records. As was said about Mark Lammar there are "Nifty Fifties throwbacks". Recently bought the best of, in my opinion they are best in small doses like this as the whole album was a challenging listen!)
12) Adorable - Kangaroo Court (Seem to be more popular now than they were when they were together. Compare the first album with the Verves and imo there is nothing in it quality wise and arguably Adorable snatch it with Sunshine Smile. This was a single on creation in 94 and from the second album Fake which I have just realised I don't have a copy of. Wheres that ebay link....)
13) Heart Throbs - I Wonder Why (Ethereal sounds from the twin fronted band, I have a real soft spot for the Heart Throbs and think they made some great music. This was from the debut album Cleopatras Grip released in 1990 Fact- This album was produced by the mercurial Martin Hamnett of New Order/Mondays fame)
14) Swervedriver - Sci Flyer (They are reforming and playing in London later this year hooray!! Its when? September 16th oh **^££^**!!*& that will be when im on holiday then...)
15) They Might Be Giants - Ana- Ag (Ok not as random as usual track 15's but a nice little bubblegum pop song. Bought the anthology recently and there is some great little tracks on there. This is 20 years old would you believe from 1988's Lincoln LP)

http://rapidshare.com/files/125157970/Boxerbears14.zip

Boxerbears Vol13 - The 3 is a Magic Number Mix

3 x 5 is 15 So I have 3 sets of 5 songs on this weeks mix. Kicking off with 5x Manchester acts moving to 5x Shoegazer linked bands and finishing with 5x unashamedly great alternative pop songs!

1) The Charlatans - Jesus Hairdo (Won tickets to see the Charlatans at 02 Indigo last week for an ITV2 gig in a very nice shiny new venue. They rocked as per normal and played most of the new album and 4 or 5 oldies. This led me to having a Charlatans weekend at home and this song was my chosen song to include)
2) New Fads - Life is an Accident (At which point they had ditched the Daffodils part and were just New Fads. This is possibly my fav song of theirs from around 1994)
3) Inspiral Carpets feat M E Smith - I Want You (Brilliant 3 mins of music from 2 Manchester legends, the TOTP appearance was really funny)
4) Intastella - People ( Intastella never really seemed to tour down south so I never got a chance to see them live. This was one of their first ever singles. Does anyone who if Stella went on to be in any other bands??)
5) The Fall - LA (The Smith fella makes his second appearance, I have developed a bit of a Fall crush in the past 3 or 4 years and have started to collect up their back catalogue this track was taken from 1985's This Nations Saving Grace, many peoples fav LP. Its not mine the Infotainment Scam is!)
6) House of Love - Destroy the Heart (Did anyone see or buy last years House of Love LP??? I was keen to hear it but never saw it around I must search ebay. Anyways this was them at their best and appeared in the festive fifty in 1991)
7) Ride - Sennen ( I cant say much more about one of my fav bands really burt can add that there is a rather excellent Ride influenced band named Sennen from the fair county of Norfolk that have released two excellent albums check them out if you like Newgaze!!)
8) Sweet Jesus - Phonefreak Honey ( Saw Sweet Jesus supporting someone or other in 91 and thought they were a bit crap. Picked up the single for 99p a while after and actually thought it was quite good! The follow up real babe wasn't to shoddy either)
9) Catherine Wheel - Black Metallic (Isn't it time for a Catherine Wheel anthology? Yeah they went a little Bush at the end but still released some great music this 1992 single being one of the best examples of that. I have every 12" from the first 2 albums and all tracks are brilliant)
10) Teenage Fanclub - Star Sign (The Fannies are one of those bands like Super Furry Animals that have consistently produced great singles and albums but yet have remained at the same mid size venue lower rung of the chart position? How be that with songs like this?)
11) Chumbawamba - Timebomb (I stand by the Anarchy album as being unashamedly alternative Pop brilliance saw them at Leeds T&C in 96 for what was a hometown gig following the whole Tubthumping thing and it was a wild celebration and singalong. Great night)
12) 25th of May - Its Alright (Scouse rap rock outfit if I remember rightly. Only have this and What's Goin on but both are good little singles. If any has posted their album let me know!)
13) Pele - Fat Black Heart ( Scouse theme continued here with Pele and a track which was the lead on the hard to get second album. I had the 10" version of this but never got the second LP)
14) Billy Bragg - Sexuality (Billy Bragg is someone I admire greatly and is widely underappreciatted in music. This is probably his most pop song (Boy done good maybe close??) from the great 91 album Don't Try this at Home)
15) Belly - Feed the Tree (This track was a popular cover by college bands while I was doing my A-Levels and holds an almost seminal place in my heart because of the amount of time I have heard rubbish covers of it!)


For all of you random track 15 lovers it will be back soon with some corkers!!

http://rapidshare.com/files/124424430/Boxerbears13.zip

Boxerbears Vol 12 (Mr Bronson Mix)

I was at a loss as to what to call this mix but having seen a 3" figure of Michael Sheards Star Wars character in the shop yesterday i decided to make it a tribute to the late actor and his brilliant Grange Hill role. YOU BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Edwyn Collins - Keep on Burning (I thought I would kick off with a track from the brilliant Mr Collins. I watched a documentary on him the other week about his recover from his brain tumour and getting back to performing and it was awe inspiring if you missed it see if its repeated or download it as its a brilliant hours viewing.)
2) Ride - Chelsea Girl (The first Ride track I ever heard which was on a compilation given to me by a well informed class mate aged 13. I re-iterate my desire for Ride to re-unite as they are one of the most underrated bands of the last 25 years. This track was the lead track from their first EP released in Jan 1990)
3) Senseless Things - Everybody's Gone (This song just reminds me of cold wet nights standing around tiny venues pretending I was old enough to drink. Arguably my fav Senseless Things track it was the lead single from the 1991 major label debut 'First of Too Many' which is definitely the best album they released)
4) Ash - Jack Names the Planets ( Ash are one of the best Singles bands around everyone is a corker. I first saw them around the time this was released as a young rough and ready 3 piece supporting Elastica way back when and although I liked them I had no inclination they would go on to be such a powerhouse band. Have seen them four or five times over the years and its about time I saw them again me thinks)
5) Me Me Me - Hanging Around (A great little one off single from Alex James and Stephen Duffy, recently read Alex's autobiography its a good read that when you have finished you really feel you should dislike him but cant help but feel you would like to be his mate!)
6) Wedding Present - Brassneck (An indie classic and featured on that same compilation tape as Ride's Chelsea Girl. Released in 89 and still played in their live set today)
7) Airhead - Take My Train (B-side to Counting sheep, I had forgotten how strong all three track were on that single until I downloaded the MP3 rips the other day. A waste being just a b-side, does anyone know if any of Airhead made music after they split? )
8) Kinky Machine - Supernatural Giver ( I am sure I know lots of interesting facts about Kinky machine and have virtually everything they released but I just cant thing of anything! I am sure they will re-appear on a BB comp soon so in the meantime enjoy this debut single)
9) Pavement - Range Life (I only ever really had a passing interest in American grunge/slacker bands in my formative years and this single was the second time I came across Pavement and have slowly added a lot of their back catalogue to my collection including a couple of brilliantly put together special editions of the early albums. This is a 1994 single)
10) IF? - Saturdays Angel (I saw If on a tour with some other bands that the press were trying to clump together, maybe Natural Life and Slipstream??? If? were the strongest by far and this track was one of the singles from the excellent English Boys on the Love Ranch LP which I may post on here at some point due to its hard to come by nature!!)
11) Elastica - Waking Up (Thought I would include a track having thought of them via the Ash memory. Good band bad second album)
12) Jesus Jones - Zero's and Ones ( I am very exited having just bought tickets to see Jesus Jones support the Wonderstuff in the autumn, and I will no doubt witter on about it in weeks and months to come. A single from the bands third album but still keeping up the high standards!)
13) The Breeders - Cannonball acoustic (I have no idea where I downloaded this from or where it was recorded all I know is it was 1993 its a great song and a great version. New album Mountain Battles is a fine piece of work if you haven't checked it out already.)
14) Sonic Youth - Youth against Fascism (Arghh Sonic Youth the band whose back catalogue could not be more varied, imo they have about a four CD boxset of fantastic material and a 10 cd boxset of barely listenable sonic experimental nonsense. This is the former from the Dirty LP)
15) Blow Monkeys - Doesn't Have to be that Way ( They have reformed Hurray! Do you know any other tracks bar this one though...Um er maybe not. Great 80's pop single from Dr Roberts band)

http://rapidshare.com/files/121886627/Boxerbears12.zip

Im Back (Gig Update)

I saw Gary Louris at York Fibbers on my journey Oooop North and had to write and say how excellent he was. Now i am no expert on The Jayhawks or Louris solo material, but i was hugely impressed with the talent and quality of his songwriting. He played for 90 mins completely solo, to a crowd of around 200, and captivated the audience and came accross as a very nice humble person. He played a mixture of solo tracks and Jayhawks classics he also took requests from a deleighted crowd. Its unusual for me to attend a gig that is purely acoustic, but for the £9 entrance fee i am deleighted i did. Having since purchased the Vagabonds solo album i can report its an excellent album in the vein of Neil Young or Ryan Adams. If you get a chance check him of the album out. In the meantime here is a little taster for you to be going along with.....

http://rapidshare.com/files/121438933/Gary_Louris_-_True_Blue.mp3

Be back at the weekend with Vol12!