Influences Playlist - Pt. 1

While looking at how to do some Flash programming for a project at work, I stumbled upon FineTune a fancy flash playlist site (see right --> ). So after a little thought I put together a playlist and called it Influences, and here, now, you can find how I made the choices I did... read on. . .

Arctic Monkeys - Cigarette Smoker Fiona: This is a recent addition to my life, and to be fair it shouldn't be in this playlist, and especially not one called Influences, as it hasn't, or at least not yet. But what it did do was make me remember some of my more memorable influences. You can usually find an Arctic Monkey CD box lying around somewhere in the house, but very rarely playing now. I love how strong the accent comes through into the song, and along with the lyric of any, but especially a song like this one, always makes me think of inner city life.

Coldplay - Green Eyes: The first time I heard this was about 5yr ago while swarming some internet radio channels in realplayer. They were doing a live session (or was a recorded live session) for some US radio station. I'd heard Yellow and the whatever was current in the chart at the time, and thought that CP were going to be a flash in the pan, but remember listening to CP all the way through being pregnant with Callum. Strangely, Callum can now spot a CP song within the first 10 bars now, and screams of "Mam, mam... Chris Martin!", whenever he sees him on the box... poor bairn.

Elvis Costello - Accidents Will Happen: Now this is a strange entry. This is here not because of the song, but because of the cover for the 7". I remember when living at home, my brother's record player and vinyl collection was his pride and joy, and he always bought all the songs in the Top 10 every week, and always getting picture covers. The cover for this appears to be totally white. But then you notice on the lip of the cover, the artist/title details etc., and then when you look inside you see the cover... Printed and then glued inside out; Accidents Will Happen, pure genius I thought.

Franz Ferdinand - Auf Achse: The first time I heard FF, I fell in love with their sound, and remember waiting for the CD single to launch, and the album and buying them both the same. Again they reminded me of the energy of the punk that I loved so much growing up. This particular song has no special reason for being the one I chose for the list, other than reminding me of my sister's recent German GCSE and the fun we had talking over MSN in german.

Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark: Again another one of those bands where I could of picked handfuls of tracks to put on. IM first impacted on me when I was 15-16. I remember one day at school one of the lads bringing in some painted Warhammer miniature figures, and I was stunned at the detail. This was my introduction to D&D, and since then have played role-playing games in one form or another. So, to cut a long story short, two or three times a week, four of us would meet up to play D&D in one of the lads houses. This always involved preening on the lads part, music, eating and playing. The music became the prelude to the gaming as a rule. We always tried to bring something different everytime. Some of the bands from then that I remember; Smiths, Sigue-Sigue Sputnik, Art of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood. But I always remember the night Chris brought round Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden. I have loved the sound of Bruce's voice ever since. Also I fond memories of a house party I was at in Pelaw the first time I saw Live After Death. Fear of the Dark, as well as being an epic from the point of view of the music, but I love the vocal, also a favorite of mine live.