Offbeat Summer Mixtape

Just when you think a blog post isn't coming, two come along at once! (in other words, read my Metronomy review below, you suggestible people you)

What with summer in full swing, we thought it might be nice to share with you some tracks to help augment your Dog Days. Latin astronomy references aside, we would like to present you with the Offbeat Summer Mixtape

It's important to remember that not everyone has the same kind of summer. Therefore, the mixtape is based around three films of very different summers, and I hope that you get a little taste of each.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE OR HERE

Chilled Out Summer

The Endless Summer (1966)

"You cant tell how good a wave is until you actually ride it.

On Mike's first ride, those first five seconds,

he knew he'd finally found that Perfect Wave."

If your life is like this seminal surf film then you are a lucky person indeed. Everyone needs a bit of a recharge, and summer is regarded as the socially acceptable time to take leave of the weight of the world and recuperate. To help with this, perhaps listen to:

Everything Goes My Way - Metronomy

What Became of You and I - Treefight For Sunlight

All Around and Away We Go - Twin Sister

Summer Holiday - Wild Nothing

To Have in the Home - Woods

Kaputt - Destroyer

Take A Knee - Swim Party

You Only Live Once - Unsolved Mysteries

Alouette! - Tallest Trees

Grown Ocean - Fleet Foxes

Party Summer

Beach party (1963)

"It's wild and it's wonderful when ten thousand kids

sleep on five thousand beach blankets...

Laughing, Loving, Living it Up!"

Beach Party was the film that spawned a teensploitation phenomenon and birthed part of our cultural consciousness, and some things haven't changed: summer is a great time to get out with your friends and party like you haven't got work tomorrow (because you probably don't). Some things have changed though, like the music! How's this for a slightly more up to date party accompaniment:

Dominican Fade - Battles

The Dawn of Your Happiness is Rising - Violens

Blood on the Deck - Thee Oh Sees

What U Gonna Do - Jim Noir

Christopher - Alphabet Backwards

Orange - Yoyoyo Acapulco

Cloud Computer - Miaoux Miaoux

Hollow Hollow Eyes - Crocodiles

Bright Young Things - The Crookes

15 Years - Pull In Emergency

Adventurous Summer

180º South: Conquerors of the Useless (2010)

"Fear of the Unknown is the greatest fear of all,

but we just went for it."

This 'thinking person’s adventure film' tells the story of a man following in the footsteps of two of his heroes, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, emulating their 1968 expedition into the heart of Patagonia (see there was a 60's connection after all...). Many Offbeat members are going on their own adventures into the real world having finished their degrees. I always like listening to music that attunes to how I am feeling, and here is some really good 'into the unknown' music for you:

Postcard From 1952 - Explosions in the Sky

Need You Now - Cut Copy

The First Last Dinosaur Song - The Last Dinosaur

Black Sands - Bonobo

Where It All Starts - Thievery Corporation

A Lot of People Cutting Grass On a Sunday - Lullatone

Like A Stranger - Bodies of Water

Don't Help Me Up - 4 Guys from the Future

Daydreaming - Dark Dark Dark

Rattling Cage - Forest Swords

There you have it! Please enjoy, and if you like what you hear check out the bands we have put on here, buy their albums and so on. I hope your summer works out for the best!

DOWNLOAD IT HERE OR HERE

Mixtape: Offbeat does Revision

Hello there esteemed readers, this is the first of what will hopefully be a fortnightly (or weekly if we're feeling generous!) series of themed mixtapes.

As most of us are in the midst of exam season, we thought it'd be best to start things off with a revision mixtape. Now opinion was divided about what classifies as "revision music" as for some of us, music may act as a distraction from the task at hand and make revision too difficult, yet others (myself included) need music to make the work bearable. Then there's the whole issue of whether it should be faster-tempoed to pump you for work or slower-paced to not make focusing difficult. So really, as this playlist is based on music I've been listened to during revision, it should be called "Music Rea listens to while revising", but I'm gonna open it up a bit and hope I'm not alone in my song choices :)

So I guess I should say first that while this is a mixtape, were it in CD format it would consist of three CDs. ALSO (should be obvious hopefully) but when listening the order is almost as important as the songs themselves so listening in order (at least the first time) would be appreciated.

DOWNLOAD PLAYLIST HERE

Disc 1 - Getting into the swing of revision - aka Reading the Lecture Notes for the First Time

Lemonade - Braids

Tiger Eyes (Laid Back) - Peaking Lights

Jetlag Blue Version - Vondelpark

Problems With The Sun - Nicolas Jaar

Universal Traveller -  Air

Fokionos Negri Street - Keep Shelly in Athens

Divina - Toro Y Moi

Playground Love - Air

Yachts - Coco Steel & Love Bomb

Feral - Radiohead

Disc 2 - Testing what you've learn so far - aka Doing Past Papers with the Mark Schemes Open in Another Tab

Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller

Summer 78 (Instrumental) - Yann Tiersen

Louretta - Agnes Obel

Oh, Maker- Janelle Monáe

Granada - Emilio de Benito

Lovers' Carvings - Bibio

North - Phoenix

Nectarine - Twin Sister

The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out To Get Us!! - Sufjan Stevens

Men Together Today - British Sea Power

Disc 3 - Winding down after a long day of revision - aka It's 3am and You Can't Be Bothered to Pretend Anymore

Sleepwalkin' - Modest Mouse

Pale Blue Eyes - The Velvet Underground

Start A War - The National

Run That Body Down - Paul Simon

Somehow To Keep It Going - Cotton Jones

Too Little Too Late - Daniel Rossen

Riding for the Feeling - Bill Callahan

Basement Scene - Deerhunter

Face It - Beach Fossils

Holocene - Bon Iver

Well that's it for now I guess - just over 2 hours of listening to hopefully help you get through the monotony of revision. Happy revising and good luck for the exams (and remember to look out for the next installment very soon!) 

Rea xxx