The Modern Day Mix Tape Glen Hodgson – (The Parlotones)

Ever wondered what your favourite bands / celebs / actors or artists listen to in their spare time, waiting for soundchecks, on tour vans, in airports, in hotels and bedrooms around the world? The Modern Day MixTape will sort that out for you.

Glen Hodgson is best known as the tattooed monk Comrades runner guy from The Parlotones, but has also been in a few solo projects, notably Lost & Found and more recently The Burning Cities. He is a self confessed punk. This is his Mixtape.

I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous – Frank Turner

I discovered Frank Turner by accident at SxSw many years ago. I went to watch what I thought was a Frank Carter (Gallows frontman) solo show and there was some other guy onstage playing his acoustic guitar with a Mariachi band instead. After a little investigation I figured out that the person I had seen was Frank Turner and I got my hands on his album ‘Love Ire & Song.’ ‘I Knew Prufrock…’ is the first song on the album and I fell in love with him after hearing the first line – “Let’s begin at the beginning, we’re lovers and we’re losers…”

The Bad Days – David Ramirez

A friend played me this song a few years back and it was like I was hearing music for the first time in my life. My spine hairs still stand on end when I hear it, the song being such a true reflection of trying to balance a relationship and life on the road. It took all but one song for D.R to become my all-time favourite artist ever.

Salvation – Rancid

My brother used to record a music video show called ‘Zero Hour Zone’ every Tuesday back in the ‘90s. I would get home from school and watch all the cool new music he had recorded while I ate my lunch. Rancid made my sandwich-filled jaw drop, and I knew then and there that I was now a punk rocker.

Burnout – Green Day

1994 and 1995 were important years in my musical education. ‘Dookie’ came out in 1994 and ‘Burnout’ is the first song. It took all but 2:07 for my mind to be blown. Another life-defining musical moment for me.

Nitro – Offspring

Another album offering from 1994 that changed my life. Love it or hate it, ‘Smash’ changed a whole generation’s lives forever. We didn’t care whether it was “punk” or not, all we knew is that it was fucking rad and our parents hated it so that also made it even cooler.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Star – Oasis

Still stuck in 1994 – “Definitely Maybe’ was another album you simply could

not escape loving.

Fuzigish – Little Bird

Sometime in the 2000’s, I got my hands on a punk compilation and this was

one of the songs on

it that I just couldn’t stop playing. In my opinion, probably the best band

to ever come out of South Africa.

Linoleum – NOFX

I was never really into the whole NOFX/Pennywise scene, but in hindsight I

really wish I had paid them both more attention. ‘Linoleum’ was another

song on that compilation mentioned above that I really loved, and I still do.

What He Means – Just Jinger

Another goose bump inducing and timeless tune which will always be in my top 10. Sometimes when I’m drunk I’ll crash JJ’s stage to sing along a bit. Sorry, guys…

Don’t Drag Me Down – Social Disortion

Mike Ness is one of my heroes, and I fell in love with Social Distortion right after finding this CD in my stereo. The drop out at 2:20 blew my 16 year-old mind right out of my skull. All I wanted was to be in a band like this!

This Charming Man – The Smiths

My brother pretty much introduced me to all the music I knew back when I was a teen and, as much as I loved Nirvana, Bon Jovi and Metallica, something about The Smiths grabbed me straight away, and after hearing the guitar riff intro to ‘This Charming Man’ I was hooked.

Maak of Braak – Fokofpolisiekar

Fokofpolisiekar changed South African music forever. As an English speaking guy who had (ashamedly) only a vague idea of what they were singing about I could see the Afrikaans youth exploding in the distance like an atomic bomb and I was blown away by the cultural, er, explosion. I got my hands on their debut ep and ‘Maak of Braak’ has remained my favourite Fokof song til this day.

More Life in a Tramp’s Vest – Stereophonics

I think this was the first Sterophonics song I heard, and I loved them straight away. We danced hard to this one, and once I even cuddled Kelly Jones.

Motorcycle Drive By – Third Eye Blind

I love how the song escalates. TEB is kind of a ‘hit-or-miss’ band for me, but this song is definitely one of my all-time faves – “I’ve never been so alone, and I’ve never been so alive…”

One Shot of Whiskey – Ron Pope

Not sure how I discovered Ron Pope, but he’s one of those artists you just can’t get enough of. I like it when you can feel the lyrics. I like it when I’m insanely jealous of how good someone is.

I Hope This Gets To You – The Daylights

We toured America with The Daylights many years ago, and I think I could honestly say it was the best time of my life, but for no specific reason. It just was this perfect little snap shot in my musical journey and I’ll love those guys and cherish those memories forever. This song takes me back to those days.

Photos By – Jerome Van Zyl