Monday Music Spotlight: Intoxicating Ballads

This post is a terrible idea. 

For one, this list is rather extensive, and simply cannot be contained by a petty blog. It demands something worth sharing, something a bit more involving to the audience. I've got to pick three of my best drunk tunes, and that is a very difficult task.

In an ideal world, I'd be ramming out dank playlists on Spotify every week for your hearing pleasure, but such a feat would require multiple things; an increasingly extensive knowledge of multiple music genres, the patience to create a cohesive and varied series of playlists, and you know, dedication. 

Even if I had the resolve to construct a list of around ten songs every week, some of them just won't suffice for you. We all have our own favourite alcohol-fuelled anthems, and me throwing some recommendations your way isn't going to change that.

Ah well. Here's a few tunes to get you in the drinking spirit. At least until you get into the club and are overwhelmed with the smell of cheap aftershave, WKD and depressingly predictable musical choices.

Gay Bar - Electric Six

I find this tune is an ideal anthem to try and pull to. If your obviously top dancing doesn't do the trick when it comes to courting a chosen individual, you can always attempt to sing/shout the lyrics really loudly within an uncomfortably close proximity to the other person. I mean, it worked for me.

Alternatively, you can sing the lyrics with a sense of irony. If you're a drunken male youth attempting to entertain a potential lady-friend, you obviously wouldn't want to take her to a gay bar, would you? 

Possibly not, I hear Spoons has some wonderful deals, but what if she says "Aye, can do"? The good folks at Electric Six just got you a date without even trying, and you're welcome.  

As a last resort, you can sing and dance to this catchy riff with anyone. Sing to the reluctant bar staff, dance with your mates as to not appear like boring sods, and probably avoid screaming the lyrics at the bouncers, you know, just in case. 

This song also taught me that using the phrase 'nuclear war' is apparently to shy away from. I guess you learn something new everyday. 

Rock & Roll Queen - The Subways

Presenting to you, that one song from around 2005 that everyone knew, and was played absolutely everywhere, in games, TV adverts, and film trailers; although no-one ever knew who made it. 

Well you can now rest easy, as it was The Subways, (not that sandwich shop) who gave us this remarkably simple track with only three chords, so you can tell it stemmed from an indie/punk artist. 

Thankfully though, the few lyrics that the song has are repeated almost endlessly, with only the odd deviation between verses. Even in your most darkest, drunken state, you'll still be able to remember the words rather than humming some gibberish really loudly. 

Despite its simplicity, the lacking lyrics and minimal notes do just what the song requires. It makes everyone think they can play guitar, and if there's one in the vicinity, they'll probably have a go. It's probably best to hide your musical instruments while this song's on. 

Supersonic - Oasis

When I rocked up to uni for my inaugural freshers week, I made an effort to portray myself as a man of different tastes. I don't mean that in a weird way, oh no. It's just while everyone else seemed content with listening to the same old tag-team of 'When the Sun Goes Down' and 'Mr. Brightside', along with a plethora of generic pop hits, I liked to act somewhat nostalgically. 

Obviously, I'd have to enduldge in the odd Arctic Monkeys tune, but it certainly wasn't anything worthy of traditional radio airtime. Rather than 'Fluorescent Adolescent', it was instead 'If You've Found This It's Probably Too Late', a mental tune oozing of early Monkeys sound, and belting through its less than two minute duration. But ultimately, I needed a band to anchor in this new portrayal of myself, and what better than the swaggering rose-tinted perspective of the Gallagher brothers and Oasis. 

Gloss over the irony of me singing "I need to be myself / I can't be no-one else" from my newfound student perspective, and you've got arguably the best single that the Manchester band ever produced. So at pre-drinks, I'd turn into your typical Roses and Oasis dad-fan, arms wide open and singing along too loudly. But at least I picked the right song to do it to. 

Alternative Oasis selections are varied and extensive; points are awarded to anyone who would've also picked any live version of 'Supersonic', 'Morning Glory' and 'Live Forever'. So it may be an idea to create a purely Britpop pre-drinks playlist, just make sure everyone's aware of at least one Pulp tune. Although be warned, the party may be overwhelmed by 40 year-old football fans who exclusively drink Amstel, (not that it's a bad thing). 

Best of luck out there, don't make yourself too much of a tit when listening to these absolute bangers.