We listen to a lot of music on the road. Our combined musical tastes stretch the very fabric of class and decency from thigh slapping country and western to ‘challenging’ techno metal… Barely an album goes by without a full scale debate on the questionable quality of our choices. We got talking about the songs that mean something to us as a group. The tunes that enter our lives and seem to stick around. After much discussion…
Ladies and gents we are happy to announce the first imaginary release of our first imaginary soundtrack! (If you care to, you can click the song titles and listen along with us!)
The Noise Next Door – The Totally Unlicensed and Unofficial Soundtrack
When we first formed The Noise Next Door way back in 2008 the five of us took an amazing trip out to the USA to be part of FRACAS, the international improv festival in LA. Our hosts made us a mix CD for our rent-a-car and this was the first track on it. Every day we woke up this was the first track we heard. It’s a sun-drenched memory of the formative days of our group.
2) Third Eye Blind – Semi Charmed Life
One genre we can agree on seems to be cheery pop-punk. When it came to our first Edinburgh show ‘The Improphecy Chronicles’ we decided that ultra uplifting was the way to go for our pre-show music and this track was the one that played just before we bounced onto stage all fresh faced and eager. Granted it’s all about drug abuse but we only really figured that out much later…
3) Smashmouth – Why Can’t We Be Friends
Another pop-punk head-bobber and our sign off music from our second Edinburgh show ‘Otherworld’. This song is perhaps the one that is most featured on mix CDs made for car journeys up and down the country. We also like it because WE ARE FRIENDS… And sometimes we need reminding of that fact.
Bluntly put, this is what happens when you let Big Tom decide our intro music. We wanted a kick-ass vibe for our third Edinburgh show ‘Chaos Control’ and he delivered us this. Largely he is made to listen to this sort of thing in sound excluding earphones but this one slipped through to become one of our favourites.
Conversely this is what happens when the smaller, purpler Tom takes charge. La-la 80’s pop was the order of the day to close our fourth Edinburgh venture ‘Their Finest Hour’. We like to think that we are ‘well down with the kids innit’ but frankly this song is awesome.
6) The Royal Republic – Tommy Gun
In the summer of 2011 we were lucky enough to perform at Download music festival. The biggest Metal and Rock festival in the UK seems, perhaps, an unlikely fit for the guys in ties but we stormed the comedy tent AND enjoyed moshing with the best of ‘em. The united decision was that this band, were the winners of the weekend. Honourable mentions go to System of a Down (Big Tom) The King Blues (Matt) Avenge Sevenfold (Sam) Bowling for Soup (Charlie) and The Darkness (Little Tom).
7) Right Said Fred – Love for All Seasons
We know. Right Said Fred? As in ‘I’m Too Sexy For My Shirt’ massive 90’s gay icons, Right Said Fred? Yeah. This song was introduced to the group by the childhood love of one white tied Charlie and we can’t help but enjoy the jazzy organ lines and the truly ASTONISHING lyrics. It is worth noting that despite overwhelming musical evidence to the contrary, all five of us are straight.
8) Matthew Grant – Sofa So Good
When Matt was asked what song reminded him of the Noise Next Door it was simply a matter of deciding which of his own songs he wanted to feature. This is less to do with startling arrogance and far more to do with ‘the personal touch’ but none the less smacks of both. It was written and performed our green tied wonder and is inspired by the fun we have when we’re not gigging and more specifically when we are moving sofas.
9) The Cast of Chicago – Cell Block Tango
This is our surprising yet always entertaining karaoke song of choice. If you take the five of us into a karaoke bar expect to hear this one within the hour. We think it’s brilliant. We may well be wrong. Solo favourites include Elvis’ Love Me Tender (Sam), Tom Jones’ It’s Not Unusual (Big Tom), Shakira’s She-Wolf (Little Tom – We know…), R-Kelly’s Remix to Ignition (Matt) and Right Said Fred’s Deeply Dippy (Charlie – He really does love them.)
10) Public Enemy and Anthrax – Bring The Noise
Our man in red Sam has been banging on about us using this track since our inception. “It’s cool because it’s like it’s bringing us!” and other hopeful phrases of encouragement have been thrown around for almost four years. Well Sam, persistence has paid off. ‘Bring The Noise’ is the title of our upcoming and fifth Edinburgh Fringe show. It would seem a little rude to NOT use this as our walk on track! Yeaaaaah Boy!
