Thursday 28 June 2012

THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND GOOD MUSIC

I have just made it through a thunderstorm whilst in the house alone. Phew. The lightning resembled fireworks, adding light to the dull grey skies; the rumbling wind transcended into majestic, booming thunder and sheets of rain cascaded from the sky. So how did I decided to spend my time I hear you say; well I hid in my room, half reading old ramblings in my notebooks and half staring dumbfounded out the window, trying to figure out how it was possible for the naff British weather to produce weather like that.

Whilst I did all these pointless things instead of changing out of my pyjamas, I thought about what music I should put on to accompany this brute of a storm, and my first thought was the new Kings of Leon album I bought the other day- okay so it came out in 2010, but still, it was a new purchase for me- 'Come Around Sundown'. I bought it during a moment of self pity in which I also bought four other CD's; I had missed my guitar exam after reading the time wrong and when I was lucky to be given another slot, I was certain I had messed the dreaded exam up anyway. So obviously I had to go and buy some CD's to make myself feel better, and the Kings Of Leon album in particular is one I've wanted to get for two years but never gotten round to actually purchasing.

As I was so desperate to listen to the tracks on the album and previously hadn't found the time to give it a spin, I decide today, in this thunderstorm, the likes of 'Radioactive', 'Back Down South' and 'Pyro' would sound pretty darn good against the backdrop of a powerful thunderstorm. Now I'm not normally one to blow my own trumpet, but I must admit that I was right, and I would urge you to get this album, if you haven't already got it, and play it during the next thunderstorm to come your way. I don't know if it's because of the storm itself, or if storms in general just have some sort of magical, beautiful power that makes good music sound even more incredible than it already is, but whatever the reason, I am now convinced that thunderstorms are the best time to listen to and appreciate a record.

Every track that dispersed through the CD player to meet my anticipating ears sounded so incredible, well crafted and magical against the backdrop of the thunder. I was nodding my head and tapping my fingers to the beat, thinking records like this do not come around very often and also trying to recall the last time a record had made me feel this way. I'm putting it down to a combination of the thunder and brilliance of the record itself; it's fantastically brilliant and that's no exaggeration. When the record has finished, much to my disappointment, I decided to see if the magic of the storm would work on another record, so I fished out another CD which was bought in self pity, MGMT's 'Oracular Spectacular', a title which always makes me smile.

I can confirm that the magic did indeed work for this record and its eclectic mix of intriguing and beautiful sounds all came together brilliantly to make a fantastic piece of work that made me want to swirl UV paint on my face and either go out to a festival or dance in those sheets of rain and hopefully not get hit by lightning. MGMT's 2007 release is another key record you should probably add to your  collection as it is one of those records that seems to have been produced with summer, friendship, parties and festival season in mind. So like 'Come Around Sundown', I found this record to be magical and well made too; both will definitely become regulars on my I-pod and I hope that when you listen to either record, you feel that same magic too and understand where I am coming from. Obviously listening whilst in a thunderstorm is more preferable, but I'm pretty sure that a gloriously sunny day or a typical overcast sky would still produce the same effect, at least I hope it does.

However if you don't want to listen to these records next time there's a thunderstorm, I urge you to grab whatever CD is lying next to you and whack it in you CD player and I promise you, that special thunderstorm magic will be there, and if you don't believe me, try it.







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Wednesday 27 June 2012

WHO'S TOURING? SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER

If you're anything like me, you have a regularly updated list in the forefront of your mind full of artists you need  to see live in the flesh, performing a collection of their songs right in front of your very eyes, as soon as is physically possible. And if you're also like me, you tend to be oblivious to the fact that your much revered artists are actually touring and have released all so precious dates on which you, yes you, can actually witness them in all their glory. Therefore, as  a way of avoiding such problems in the future, I have concocted a list of various artists that are touring in September and October 2012. I figured that a list for Summer 2012 was a little overdue, although tickets to most festivals in July and August are still available if you are a little like me, living life on the edge by booking tickets to such events a month or so before hand.

I have created two lists for each month, with a list of artists and links to the dates of their shows which are displayed on their websites. Many artists have a wide collection of tour dates that would take far to long to note down, therefore providing a link means you can find a date and location to suit you. As you will know, there are many artists out there so to include them all would take far too long; therefore this is a list full of the main artists who are touring in that particular month. Some artists are also touring in both months so I will make a note next to such artists on the list. I hope to make this a regular feature and will update the 'WHO'S TOURING?' list every few months as new tours are announced.

SEPTEMBER 2012

OCTOBER 2012
I hope this helps you out and that you find the artist you are looking for!
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Tuesday 26 June 2012

LOST IN THE TECHNO LABRINTH



It's about time a post was dedicated to one of the most recognized leaders of new music today, Timothy McKenzie, also known as the mighty Labrinth. It seems that fate agrees with me as Labrinth's newest offering 'Express Yourself' has just exploded on the radio to brighten this gloomy afternoon... spooky. So yes, the man who goes by the name of Labrinth certainly has a wide spectrum of talents that keep revealing themselves as his career progresses onwards and upwards into the heavens of stardom.

There has never been any doubt that this man has that raw talent which only few a lucky to bestow. His dabblings in electro, techno, dubstep, R&B and of course drum and bass, have left imprints on the music industry that many have been quick to notice and follow in his wake. Labrinth is leading us to a mystical, electro world full of unusual yet hypnotizing sounds which all merge together cleverly to create songs of great substance and magnitude.

I believe that the reason for his success and rightly deserved recognition is partly down to how Labrinth made his entrance on the music scene. It was subtle, almost like he snuck in through a back door that someone had deliberately left open, and since then he has been creating 'Earthquake's ( couldn't resist the pun!) that shook the land of music before people even had a chance to prepare themselves for what was coming. Labrinth began producing and recording with the likes of long time friend Tinie Tempah and rappers Devlin and Professor Green before he ventured into releasing his own material, which meant that his name was already talk of the town before he finally did his own thing. He wasn't in your face, or an annoying mite that you couldn't flick or shake off; he waited for attention to come his way instead of desperately trying to attract it and hold on to it like some artists are encouraged to do these days.

Every record he releases has been received successfully and each is so infectious that every time he produces a new offering, no one can seem to get enough of it and his records are always must haves on radio play lists, music channels and mp3 players. It's like Labrinth gives us glimpses and snatches of this mind blowing, undiscovered, futuristic world full of an amazing collaboration of sounds and noises that seem so unusual and uniquely captivating that everyone seems to gravitate towards this new sound like bees to a honeypot.

Labrinth's previous records such as 'Let The Sun Shine', 'Earthquake', 'Last Time' and the newest release 'Express Yourself' all capture the unique magic that Labrinth produces and have each been hugely successful in their own right, as well as other records he has featured on, such as Tinie Tempah's 'Frisky' and 'Pass Out'. Labrinth is tantalizingly close to the top of the current music scene after a long climb up in which he has made valuable connections and developed his brilliant talent further. Within the next year, I predict that Labrinth will match the success of Tinie, Pro Green, Wretch and other counterparts and will step out of the shadows into the glistening lights of stardom and super stardom, both of which he rightly deserves.

Artists like Labrinth are a rarity. He has his own labrinth (another pun, I know) of talents that seem to have been invested in him for a reason; Timothy McKenzie was meant to be Labrinth, he was meant to be in the music industry and I truly hope that his success and talent continues to grow and develop into the same leagues that his counterparts have reached. Labrinth is special and once you have entered the eclectic maze of his sounds, there isn't much hope of you finding the desire to leave it.

The album Electronic Earth is out now.
TOUR TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR OCTOBER 2012

Official Website: http://www.labrinthofficial.com/gb/home
Express Yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=III3G1egUcU
Earthquake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0fk6syQ7iY
Let The Sun Shine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfi5w4EFqhs




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Sunday 10 June 2012

Nina Nesbitt makes The A Team

A few months back I heard a song called 'The Apple Tree' on Radio One. It was very beautifully written and sung; gentle yet with a subtle back beat providing the pulse to the song. I stopped what I was doing to listen but later forgot about my encounter with the song; however as fate would have it, I came across the song again and decided to look into it on You Tube...

What I found was a collection of songs also sung so beautifully and I was reminded of someone whenever I listened but I couldn't think who. Then I saw a comment hailing this singer, the wonderful Nina Nesbitt, as the female Ed Sheeran and it all made sense. Like Ed she has a soft, subtely powerful and beautiful voice as well as credible and unique songwriting abilities that separate her from many female singers currently in the music business. I can't think of a single female artist to compare her to- Nina is unique and that's what I think will set her in good stand in months to come; her time is coming soon.

Co-incidentally, Nina has been touring with Ed the past few months and a duet is something
I would love to hear; voices like theirs are made to be intertwined together in perfect harmony.
Previously a model, Nina decided to put a hold on her blossoming model career and instead focus
on her music, a decision that I am certain will pay off in the next few years. Her debut EP 'Live Take'
is out now if you want to hear her captivating voice for yourself, or if you prefer to listen before you
buy, check out songs such as 'Glue' and 'Noserings and Shoestrings', or her cover of 'Babylon by
David Gray which is so hauntingly perfect that you feel like you a listening to an angel of sorts.

Nina is set for big things and I truly hope she makes it as the current music industry is lacking a
female musician like her; people of all ages need to be exposed to her voice and her lyrics if only
so that they can witness the beauty and realism of both. Nina Nesbitt is on par with Ed Sheeran
most definitely, and just maybe she'll experience that same juggernaut to success as the fantastic
Ed has. Look out for her name in the future; it's a name you'll want to remember.

Homepage: http://www.ninanesbittmusic.com/
The Apple Tree: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZH-wSddNmg
Noserings and Shoestrings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3PT4T6bQHc&feature=relmfu
Glue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S_93CJwPGo&feature=plcp
Babylon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOVKPI7nS0g&feature=related
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