-I've come up with a new feature called 'Sound Bite' which is going to be quick snippet on a new song that you need to listen to, so you can get your music fix quick and whilst simultaneously being one step ahead of the crowd. How cool is that?! And the first soundbite is dedicated to.... Kings of Leon!-
KINGS OF LEON-SUPERSOAKER
So Kings of Leon are back with new release 'Supersoaker', off of eagerly anticipated upcoming album
number six, 'Mechanical Bull', which is due for release on the 24th of September.
It's patriotic, it's got Caleb's croon, it's got heart, beats, guitars, the catchy hook line...it's everything you could want from Nashville's finest.
'Supersoaker' makes for a truly brilliant comeback for the quartet, who've taken a detour from the music scene after 2010's 'Come Around Sundown', which succeeded the euphoric success of 2008's 'Only By The Night' which produced hits such as 'Sex on Fire' and 'Use Somebody'.
After initial doubt that 'Come Around...' could be their last album, after dispute and arguments within the band, KOL are back on fine form, and judging by 'Supersoaker', we're in for a real treat with 'Mechanical Bull', with the Followill family back on track, making the fantastic music that we've been enjoying for the last 10 years or so.
-WARNING, THIS IS A LONG POST! ( But it's interactive now, so I think that makes up for it)-
Hola my lovelies.
I'm back, having indulged in a cute little two week break (finally) that has temporarily satisfied
my need for travel, sun, hot weather, swimming pools and complete and utter relaxation.
Needless to say, I only got back on Saturday and I'm already craving a holiday
(preferably the beautiful Barcelona or basically anywhere in Europe will do just fine).
But never the less, I'm thankful I got the chance to go and now my fun is over,
the hard work shall begin...
So today's post is aptly called 'SUMMER SOUNDTRACK 2013' and it's basically
my ideal soundtrack for this summer, which I would like to share with you.
And don't you worry, the idea for this post was not conceived on a dull, oppressive, thunderous day
up/down (depends where you live) here in the land locked confines of Derby.
No, no, the idea came about whilst cruising down a gorgeous tree lined road
on a bright, sun streamed, summers day in Devon, on route to the beach.
Perfect.
So with that inspiration in mind, let the soundtrack begin...
1) ARCADE FIRE
So first up is Arcade Fire, who I've been listening to a lot lately and as with the Arctic Monkeys, I've found myself jumping on the bandwagon five years after it's left the station.
But oh well, who cares, they're great, and the euphoric essence of three key tracks led me to purchase
2011's 'The Suburbs' within the week, which is very unlike me.
I can't tell you how impressed I am by this band, and I can't deny that a secret part of me wishes I was a part of it all, the eighth member.
Their music is perfect all year round of course, but I've found that summer especially suits their energetic, powerful, hypnotic, beautiful sound, especially when you're jetting down the road with the sun in the sky or soaring across the world in an aeroplane.
Get Arcade Fire blasting out your speakers, it's what their music was made for.
Next is NYC's own Vampire Weekend, a band whose music could quite possibly be the audio representation of summer. If you're in the mood for indulging in music that seems to have been dipped into a pot full of summer, Vampire Weekend are your go to band.
Recent release 'Modern Vampire of The City' is jam packed full of summery tunes that will take you from the early surf mornings when the sun is beginning to rise to nights spent parting on the beach below the moonlight.
Of course 2010's 'Contra' is also full of some true classics, so for ultimate Vampire Weekend appreciation, make sure both these albums are prominent features in your music collection this summer. My five key tracks are:
If you're in the mood for a summe sound that is quintessentially English and has the connotations of a quintessentially English summer, Ben Howard is your man. Hailing from the south west shores of Devon, Ben's folk-esque, laid back beauties are what you want to be listening to, especially if you're
spending your summer upon UK soil. This winner of two BRIT awards is a musician you can put your trust into- he knows what he is doing, and if you haven't been able to escape to the sea, Ben's music will bring the beauty and freedom of Devonshire beaches and seas to you.
The American quartet are hot on the heels of a new album release, 'Mechanical Bull', and although they may not be an obvious band to relate to summer, these guys do have a knack at producing and crafting classic, summer infused anthemic records that have been defining summer for millions for at least the last five years.
Their music really does seem to go hand in hand with summer.
It's like a musical memory card, with people attaching Kings of Leon songs to key summer moments in an attempt to remember them in a deserving and nostalgic way. A way that will generate and match the memory and the feelings that go along with it.
So with that being said, here are some suggestions...
Jack Johnson is a man who seems to live and breathe summer.
A talented surfer (of course) and Hawaii born, his idyllic beach dwellings seem to have proved very inspirational in terms of his music making, and his gentle, relaxed yet upbeat tunes
are more than essential in any summer soundtrack. Although less active in the music scene over the latter years, Jack has made some real summer gems that will go down as classics for years to come.
It's about time we started giving you the low down of the
album's set to drop in the latter half of the year.
And with autumn 2012 being particularly fruitful we were provided with some
real corkers by the likes of Muse, Green Day, Mumford & Sons but to name a few.
So... autumn 2013 has quite a lot to live up to.
The question is: will it rise to the challenge?
As last time, it's weekly, starting with Mondays, and key albums are in blue.
SUPER SEPTEMBER
SEPTEMBER 2ND- 8TH
JOHN LEGEND
'LOVE IN THE FUTURE'
SEPTEMBER 9th- 15TH
ARCTIC MONKEYS
'AM'
GOLDFRAPP
'TALES OF US'
THE 1975
'THE 1975'
THE CLASH
'SOUND SYSTEM'
SEPTEMBER 16th- 22ND
PLACEBO
'LOUD LIKE LOVE'
ELTON JOHN
'THE DIVING BOARD'
DRAKE
'NOTHING WAS THE SAME'
AVICCI
'#TRUE'
MGMT
'MGMT'
SEPTEMBER 23RD- 29TH
KINGS OF LEON
'MECHANICAL BULL'
STING
'THE LAST SHIP'
SEPTEMBER 30TH-OCTOBER 6TH
DIZZEE RASCAL
'THE FIFTH'
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
'THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE PART 2'
THE LAST QUARTER OCTOBER 7TH - 13TH
PANIC! AT THE DISCO
'TOO WEIRD TO LIVE, TOO RARE TO DIE!'
OCTOBER 14TH - 20TH
PEARL JAM LIGHTNING BOLT
PROFESSOR GREEN GROWING UP IN PUBLIC OCTOBER 21ST-28TH - OCTOBER 29TH- NOVEMBER 4TH
ARCADE FIRE -TITLE YET TO BE CONFIRMED- NOVEMBER 5TH-11TH
LADY GAGA ARTPOP
Now that's all I can give you for the time being as the details of albums being released in the last quarter of 2013 are only just starting to be dropped.
But don't worry, as soon as they become available I will be whacking them up on here.
So all in all, I think we can all agree that this is looking very very very promising.
*slow motion fist pump in the air in celebration*
