“We wanted to pick the 10 best indie songs, in our opinion,” say Bristol-based indie-rockers High Tyde when TeamRock ask them to pick the 10 songs which made most of an impact on their band over the years. When you scroll through their choices, their sound suddenly makes perfect sense – a bit of Klaxons hysteria, a dose of jolly Maccabees storytelling, some Alt-J experimentation, all evened out with a bit of The Strokes’ New York cool. Lovely stuff.
“These songs mean a lot to us as songwriters and music lovers,” the band continue. “They should be shouted about daily and deserve all the love they got back in the day.” So, without further ado, the bands and songs to which High Tyde owe their dues. You can check out the video for High Tyde’s new single, Young Offenders, at the bottom of the page.
Foals - The French Open (from Antidotes, 2008)
“The intro to one of the greatest indie records of all time, period. Foals will always be one of our favourite bands and often go to them for inspiration. The French Open is like the second song I heard from this band after Cassius and I was sold, instantly. It’s so experimental and taught me to not take writing too seriously. You can do anything. I love the use of crescendo brass in this track, it lifts the song to new levels other indie records may not think to go to. Also the drum beat is a killer.”
The Maccabees - First Love (from Colour It In, 2007)
”’First love, last love, only love’… Tuneeeee, man! It’s an indie dancefloor banger. This go-to tune is top of the playlists at our parties… and we party a lot.
I saw them at Reading in 2012 I think, and was the highlight of the weekend for sure. The guitar tones are so thrashy but so venerable, proper air guitar moments, you know.”
The Strokes - Reptillia (from Room On Fire, 2003)
“The video for this song is rad. I love that all the shots are so close up and personal. Definitely one of my favourite performance videos. The ‘don’t give a fuck’ attitude Julian Casablancas has when he sings is amazing. I don’t think I’ve heard anyone do it, or pull it off the same way since. Can I see The Strokes now?”
Jamie T - Sticks ‘N’ Stones (from Kings & Queens, 2009)
“I love this song. It basically has two choruses, so what’s not to like? His lyrics are wicked and the guy can write a banging chorus. The trashy production of this song takes it to the next level. A proper festival crowd pleaser when you’ve had a bit too much to drink on the Friday.”
Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn (from Tourist History, 2010)
“Two Door Cinema Club’s first record was the reason we wanted to be in an indie band. I remember seeing this video for the first time and being hooked. We played a festival with these guys in Spain called Arenal Sound. Dope festival by the way, but being in the crowd when they played this tune was insane. You couldn’t even hear the band the crowd was so loud. Feeling electric.”
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The Klaxons - Atlantis To Interzone (from Myths Of The Near Future, 2007)
“There’s a video of this song at Reading years back in the NME tent. I think they might have been headlining, but that’s besides the point. Watch it! If you weren’t lucky enough to be there then watch it right now, put in your headphones and imagine you’re in the dopest club in Europe, then you’re probably about halfway to the feeling of how mad it must have been. Hair standing up on the back of the neck kinda shit.”
Oasis - Supersonic (from Definitely Maybe, 1994)
“Always on in the van, definitely a go-to tour song as it’s so epic when you’re driving through the country. How can you not sing this song and not feel like an absolute legend? We got to meet Liam in Osaka last month, such a nice dude. Unfortunately he didn’t sing Supersonic, but Rock And Roll Star was first in the set, so I couldn’t complain.”
Phoenix - 1901 (from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, 2009)
“I think I’ve listened to this song over 1000 times. I love the production on this track, it’s so driven and electronic in such a tasteful way. One of those ‘Ah, shit, I know this song,’ in the first second and you’ve got your hands in the air forgetting about everything else. When this banger is on, nothing else matters.”
Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches (from A Weekend In The City, 2007)
“This song got us into experimenting with samples. The way it builds up with different delays and then that mad riff drops in is wicked. This will be played at our future DJ sets for sure. Such a feel-good tune. Love the simple vocal melodies that intertwine with the instrumental so perfectly.”
Alt-J - Something Good (from An Awesome Wave, 2012)
“It’s something good, right? Never seen them live which is a shame, as it must be easy to get lost in their sound. The thing that is really attractive about the sound of Alt-J is the singer Joe Newman’s voice. It’s so strange and I’ve never heard anything like it. But I can’t stop listening, I need to hear more after every track. It’s the perfect song to put at the top of your indie chill out playlist.”
High Tyde’s new single, Young Offenders is out now. You can catch the video below
