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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Thursday, 17 May 2012

EMBRACE YOUR INNER 90'S KIDDA'!

You may as well know that I'm a 90's kidda' with a love for 90's music.
And okay, so I was born in 1996, and some of my favourites may also creep out into the early 2000's, but never the less, I have a passion for the music that I was blessed to grow up with and music that graced the decade I was born in to.

Blink 182, Nirvana, Sum 41, Oasis, Blur, Green Day to name but a few of the more... respectable artists should I say, because lets face it, I was a four at the end of the nineties and still in primary school for many years to come. Therefore, much as I know these artists may not be the most revered, I can't deny that soft spot I have for the likes of S-Club 7, The Backstreet Boys, Take That, Steps.
There's no point denying it!

I discovered many of the wonderful artists named above the older I got, and sometimes I secretly wish that I was born in the 80's just so that I could grow up with the music in the 90's as I love it so much. I wish I could have seen the height of Nirvana's fame, the media battle between Oasis and Blur, the early Blink 182 and Green Day concerts... The music in the 90's lead a new way for the industry as experimentation with music lead to the creation of different genres's and a rise in popularity of many, such as hip-hop, grunge, techno and dance.

Music from the 90's and early 00's instantly makes me feel like I belong. Whenever I listen to a song, whatever the genre or artist, I feel youthful, happy, alive and just a little bit nostalgic. I just know that even when I'm an 80 year old woman, playing bingo and riding on my motor scooter, I could listen to any song from the 90's and feel like a teenager all over again.

There's no denying the craftsmanship behind those songs and the way they make you feel a part of something larger than life itself. The 90's is an era of progression, experimentation and innocence, in the sense that people weren't exposed to or aware of the way life would change a mere ten to fifteen years later. Lets face it, when you look at music now and compare it to that of the 90's, you can see that it's progressed hugely what with all the technology available now. Yet at the same time, you can also see the desire of artists to capture whatever that magic was that 90's music embodied, reach out to those roots and take inspiration from music of their youth.

I will always have an undeniable passion for the 90's and the music it brought with it. Whether it be Hanson's 'Oom Bop', The Wannadies 'You and Me', Teenage Fan Club 'Sparky's Dream', Backstreet Boys 'I Want It That Way', Coolio's 'Gangsters Paradise', Oasis 'Wonderwall' or Nirvana's 'Lithium', it doesn't matter who the artist is or what genre it may be; the 90's is full of such a wide variety of sounds and artists that to pick one specifically is simply impossible. Every artist brought something slightly new to the table, and I am both thankful for that and the way the music they produced makes me feel that youthful excitement for life all over again.

LONG LIVE THE 90'S!





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Sunday, 6 May 2012

WE JAMMIN' WI' MARLEY!

When I mention the word Marley, what comes to mind?
I'm guessing most probably the infamous, legendary, wonderful man who went by the name of Robert Nesta Marley; other wise known as Bob Marley.
If not the man himself, then maybe one of his Jamaican rich songs bursts into life in your head? Or perhaps you recall trailers or adverts for the brand new documentary film about the his life?

Well whatever springs to mind, it all links back to one incredible man who unfortunately is no longer with us anymore, much to my great sadness.
The reason I am writing about Bob, is because I was lucky enough to watch that very film, that brand new documentary film aptly named 'Marley',  at the cinema yesterday. And I am so glad I did.

I never really knew much about Bob Marley, other than the handful of songs I came across through my guitar playing; for instance 'I Shot The Sheriff', 'Iron Lion Zion' and 'One Love', which happens to be my favourite song by him.
Therefore the opportunity to learn more about him, who he was, where he came from, the life he lead, was one I simple could not refuse.

The four and five star reviews also made me curious to see what was so special about this film in order for it to have received such high ratings. Now, having seen the film for myself, I can truly understand why it has received such ratings as the quality of the film itself is top notch and the portrayal of Bob's life is also just superb. I would advise anyone to watch this film; whether you are simply curious to find out more about him like I was, or whether you are a fan of his music or simply the man himself. Go out to your local cinema and let yourself be taken on the journey of Bob Marley's extraordinary life.

Having seen the film, I now want to purchase his records and play them all time and time again as there was not a single bad track played in the film. Every single track that filled the cinema had my fingers tapping and my soul feeling enlightened; it was the kind of music that sweeps you off your feet and carries you on a gentle rhythmic breeze. I don't think it's possible to watch 'Marley' and not take anything away from it.

Personally, as well as a desire to broaden my record collection, I want to read more of Bob's inspirational quotes and his messages because he encompassed and embodied so many things, such as peace, unity, equality. A true idol and one that I am so glad to have been exposed to and learnt more about; this incredible man, inspiration and musician's legacy will live on for a long time to come.

-Marley is out in cinemas now
-Official Website: http://www.bobmarley.com/
-Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marley

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Saturday, 5 May 2012

The King And His Lady

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! The King has arrived, and he is armed with his barricade of songs that echo Jamaican influences crossed with an Indie structure. In my opinion, he's a tad like a male Eliza Doolittle yet his songs have swirls and waves of sunshine filled guitars, steel drums, backing singers that make his music very much a personal and unique sound.

Launching his career in 2007 under the name 'King Charles', Charles Costa formed a band named 'Adventure Playground', touring with the likes of Laura Marling and Noah and The Whale whose influences can also be distantly heard in his music.

However since the separation of the band in 2008, Charles has gone on to tour with Mumford and Sons under the name 'King Charles' and has released a number of records, all brilliantly made, that have seen him slowly but surely get under the skin of thousands of people. Records like LoveBlood, Mississippi Isabel, Bam Bam, Love Lust and the fantastic new release Lady Percy.

I first heard Lady Percy on Huw Stephens' show on Radio One and lets just say I eagerly awaited and wrote down the name of the song and instantly got on You Tub to look for it, as you do. The steel drums, the upbeat chorus that has you dancing merrily and imagining you are on some magical desert island, the backing singers who add the Jamaican influence and seem to bring the sunshine with them. All these factors and more contribute to the brilliance of the song and once more the music industry is seeing yet another musician who doesn't conform to the typical mold.

King Charles lives up to his name with his image reminiscent of the real King Charles, yet completely his own at the same time. Messy, crazy, extravagant hair; smart yet scruffy suit; that mustache that occasionally grows into a full on beard... He is different, he incorporates numerous influences to produce a clearly original and wonderful sound that one would not associate with him having. He provides the perfect soundtrack for summer 2012 and I would strongly advise you listen to at least one of his songs, if anything to see if his music creates even the tiniest ray of sunshine in your life.

King Charles does not fit into a certain stereotype. He defies the expectation with his extravagant persona and laid back, summery music. He does what he wants to do and who would want to change that, seeing as the records he's made show that his way of doing things works so marvelously?

Lets face it, we all need a King in our life, so why not take a chance and give King Charles a go?

The King's Offerings...
-Debut album 'LOVEBLOOD' is out on the 7th May 2012.
-Home Page: http://kingcharles-music.com/Default.aspx#!news
- Lady Percy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=slm3BcOqMlk






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