The Boxer Rebellion's mixtape

London-based alternative rock band The Boxer Rebellion release their new single 'Evacuate', from their second album 'Union', on November 16th. To celebrate, Piers from the band has picked out his favourite songs for us!

Over the last few months, the band have been on headline and festival tours across the UK, Europe, and the US, including a triumphant return to Glastonbury’s Other Stage this year.

> Read our album review.

> Read our 2004 interview with the band.


Song For Getting Ready To Go Out
Friendly Fires: 'Jump In The Pool'
"Getting ready to go out never normally takes me that long. I am a bloke after all. But I am going out tonight, and I'd say it's not beyond the realms of possibility that I might whack on 'Jump In The Pool' to give me that extra step on to the pub."

Song To Go To Sleep To
"It has to be anything by Sigur Ros. The ultimate music to put on when you need a kip. You don't understand any of the lyrics, so that takes away some of your attention from the music. I used to kip round a mate's at weekends regularly, on his floor, and Sigur Ros was invariably our music of choice to nod off to after an evening of bad wine and good company. We never made it to the end of any of their albums."

Song To Help Get Through Winter
Iain Archer: 'The Acrobat'
"You don't need to get through winter... it's the best of the seasons. Wrap up warm, have a walk around some leafy countryside, and listen to 'The Acrobat'. It's beautifully bleak and bare, just like winter is."

Song For A Summer Day
Fun Lovin' Criminals: 'Up On The Hill'
"Try sitting on a sandy beach on some foreign shore with the sun on your back, with your shades on, top off, and a sweetly made cocktail just to your side, whilst listening to this on your ipod. You'll feel almost as cool Huey was in his heyday."

Song To Wake Up To
AC/DC: 'Hells Bells'
"Sometimes I set my alarm to my istation alarm clock rather than my phone. If I do this, invariably, my iPod will start with the first song listed... which is this. It kind of scared me at first, with the big bells to start, but after it happened a few times, it really did become the best song to wake me up with."

Song To Nurse A Hangover
Elbow: 'Don't Mix Your Drinks'
"Every day is a school day, but this is one lesson many people don't seem to learn. Maybe Elbow can help you out with that one. And it's nice and chilled.... can't have anything too loud on with a hangover."

Song To Sing In The Shower
Huey Lewis And The News: 'The Power Of Love'
"Do I really need to have a reason? It's the nuts."

Song To Have Played At Your Funeral
Wilco: 'On And On And On'
"They're one of my favourite bands, it's a beautiful song, and the lyrics in the chorus are "Please don't cry, we're designed to die, don't deny, what's inside, on and on and on we'll stay together yeah..." With a little luck, it should be a tear jerker."

Song To Fall In Love To
The Beatles: 'She Loves You'
"I remember when I got given my first love letter at school, I was extremely excited. I was given it on my way out of school by her friend, so I had all night to mull it over and get nervous about seeing her the next day. All I remember was reading this letter over and over and listening to 'She Loves You' and getting excited. It was a special evening, that lasted almost as long as the forthcoming relationship. She found someone else."

Song To Sulk To After Being Dumped
Ben Folds: 'Song For The Dumped'
"Don't sulk after being dumped. Just get even by putting on 'Song For The Dumped', and sing it at the top of your voice whilst driving nowhere in particular. That's what it's written for."

Song To Get You On The Dancefloor
The Walkmen: 'The Rat'
"Quite simply the best indie single ever written. It's so angry, and yet you want to sing it at the top of your voice to all your mates... just brilliant. I wish we'd written it."

Song For A Road Trip
Queen: 'I'm In Love With My Car'
"Assuming I earn enough money where I can buy a car that has more to it than just getting me from A to B, then it would have to 'I'm In Love With My Car'. Imagine being so in love with a car that you write a song about it, and call it 'I'm In Love With My Car'. I would love to be in love with a car that much one day, and if I ever am, I'd drive it round badly lit town centres, full of little eejits and blast this out as loud as possible. Not so much a road trip, more an ego trip."