Roctober Mixtape: Luke!

We're now over half-way through our glorious Rocktober bender and it's my turn to batter your eager ears with a mighty mixtape of my own creation!

Be sure to join me after the jump to discover the precedented aural pleasure I have lovingly pieced together for you!

When I think of mixtapes I'm reminded of the heady mid-nineties. At the age of twenty or so I was introduced to punk - specifically pop punk - by a new friend (having only previously been exposed to soundtracks and top 40 bullshit) and I was in awe of the clever and humorous lyrics, catchy melodies, and raw emotion. These were guys (and gals) pumping out short, sharp songs about things they clearly clared about, without having to please a  broad crowd or make a shit ton of money. That handmade, don't-give-a-fuck-what-you-think, anything goes, do-it-yourself philosophy has always struck a chord with me and it continues to gestate in my own work, be it theatre, comics, or this very site.

Back in those days where the Internet was a myth, you had to buy much of this stuff via mail-order, and a local distributor (advertising through a zine) would send out extremely cheap mix-tapes as samplers of the music that was on offer. I coveted these tapes and it was how I was first introduced to some of my now favourite bands like Screeching Weasel and The Mr. T. Experience, both of which I hope you'll allow yourself to be exposed to on this following mix. And then let's all expose ourselves.

So when I think of mixtapes, I think of this... I hope you have some fun with it, and I urge you to check out the original sources...