Tom Jenkinson is the editor of Hey Man Check My Band, a blog showcasing "new, exciting and often underexposed musicians and acts, be that through typo ridden prose, or their acoustic session music videos."
What was the first song you ever bought?
Green Day – American Idiot
Listening back, it's still got the skateboard punk charm that won me over eight years ago, just now the cliched anti-capitalist message is more irritating than it is rousing. Back then I was still getting kicks out of hearing swear words in songs though, so I guess I was never going to "join the rebellion" or get a nose piercing, whatever it was they thought would solve America's woes.
What song always gets you dancing?
Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight
So well has this been received at parties that I barely feel this track's inclusions need justifying. I simply cannot think of a track better at getting people on their feet that one last time than this, just brilliant.
What song takes you back to your childhood?
JJ72 – Oxygen
Hearing this instantly sends me back to the hazy 18-hour overnight car journey down to the south of France our family used to take annually. A pretty perfect accompaniment to the endless empty motorways. A perilously boring feat for the driver no doubt, but alongside tracks like this I always found the experience pretty mesmerising.
What is your perfect love song?
Bon Iver – Skinny Love
People love music often because of the emotion it can evoke, and few vocalists convey emotion better than Justin Vernon. It's not a typical love song, but I just can't see another track fitting those special moments better than this.
What song would you want at your funeral?
Kings of Leon – Four Kicks
I've always thought a funeral is as much about celebrating a person's life as it is mourning their passing. The mourning is more or less inevitable, so it would make me very happy if the celebrating could be done with this in the background.
Time for the encore. One last song that makes you, you.
Alt-J - Breezeblocks
I really wasn't sure about this so I headed to my top 25 most played. Sure enough right on top was Breezeblocks by Films, or Alt-J, before their enigmatic name change. I'm not sure individuals can be summed up by songs, but if this was the track people used to defined me, I'd be OK with it.
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• Listen to Tom's six songs and join in the project by telling us which songs mean the most to you at sixsongsof.me.
