My Songs (in no particular order)
19 July 2012
I'm not saying these are my 15 favourite songs of all time, but they are the ones that are always on my iTunes and a few would be considered to be some of the greatest songs ever written.
1. The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun (Abbey Road)
Probably one of the first, if not THE first Beatles song I had ever heard and it was on the soundtrack for Parent Trap (how embarrassing). This is when I first fell in love with the folky foursome, the band that have a song for any mood and their entire discography ranges from epic ballads such as Let it Be to psychedelic nonsense like Octopus's Garden. Here Comes the Sun was written by my favourite Beatle, George, and came at a critical time. He had been arrested for possession of marijuana and had temporarily left the band. The blissfulness of this song may be because of how he wrote it, "I walked around the garden with one of Eric's [Clapton] acoustic guitars and wrote Here Comes the Sun," the simplicity of it makes it a favourite.
2. Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge over Troubled Water (Bridge over Troubled Water)
No doubt about it, everyone will have come into contact with this song. It sold over six million copies worldwide and people have often tried to cover it, but nothing beats the original. A pinnacle song for the duo as they were soon to part ways once they had recorded the whole album. Simon (who wrote the tear induced ballad) realised it had been a bad decision to allow Garfunkel sing it solo, he felt sidelined. Nevertheless, the two have been able to put aside this argument and perform it together numerous times, alternating the verses. It is a song that will mean something to every person who listens to the lyrics carefully enough.
3. Mumford & Sons - The Cave (Sigh No More)
This band are always on any playlist I create, even though the album is three years old the songs still seem very new and very fresh each time I listen, something hard for many musicians to achieve. The Cave is my favourite for many reasons, it's beautifully sung, impeccably written and its intro hooks you in straight away along with lead singer Marcus Mumford's sultry voice. I was fortunate enough to see the indie-folk band at Glastonbury last year and this song live is without a doubt one of the best I've witnessed. As the song progresses so does the story. It keeps the listener interested, and with a second album out in September I am excited to see how Mumford have progressed.
4. Ben Howard - Keep Your Head Up (Every Kingdom)
A song that means a lot, not just to me but to every person in my year at secondary school. We lost a friend six months ago and this was played at his funeral, I still find it hard to listen but Ben Howard is an artist that you just can't not listen to. Accompanied only with his guitar usually, it's all he needs, he sings beautifully and if you are ever lucky enough to see him live as I was then you will realise what a great but understated artist he is.
5. Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have to say you Love Me (Just Dusty)
Dusty was iconic throughout the sixties, a testosterone fuelled era filled with rock n roll she brought something completely different, and almost 1950's-esque. The song was to be Dusty's biggest hit getting her to number one in the UK and number four in America. However, it was first and foremost an italian song by Pino Donaggio named Lo che non vivo that Dusty had fallen in love with though she had no concept of its meaning. This song, for me, is instantly what comes to mind when I think of the sixties. She was something different for the time and her unique voice tone made me fall in love with her, she could have been singing absolute gibberish and it wouldn't have mattered.
6. Coldplay - The Scientist (A Rush of Blood to the Head)
The Scientist is a song that reminds me of secondary school. My friends and I sang it in a music lesson in Year nine (so we were about 14?) and it made an impact on all five of us. We each took a verse and made it our own and when we performed it to the class, the impact was passed onto everyone else. The song is one of Coldplay's most challenging songs, not just to sing but the video itself took a lot of preparation. Shot in reverse, it took Chris Martin one month to learn how to sing the ballad backwards just so he could get it right for the feel of the music video. It was written after Martin had listened to George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, which he wanted to work on but eventually couldn't and so this epic love song was born.
7. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (Born to Run)
This amazingly song was actually Springsteen's last attempt at making it 'big,' he'd already had two albums out the previous year but didn't get the commercial success he wanted. It was written in the first person as a love letter to a girl named Wendy. Wendy let me in/ I wanna be your friend/ I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight. Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 21 in their list of the '500 Greatest Songs of All Time', and it is one that captures Springsteen perfectly, he was a perfectionist and this was his greatest accomplishment.
8. The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (Conditions)
Taken from the soundtrack of one of my all time favourite films, 500 Days of Summer this song reached a respectable number 11 in the UK charts, despite the band actually coming from Australia. It has become a sort of anthem, I suppose, for indie lovers everywhere and even today it is used in advertisements, television shows and films. It has been hard for the band to try and top it and to not be known as a one hit wonder, with their second album now out there is still no track there that compares to Sweet Disposition. For me, it is best played when the sun is shining and there's a cold cider in your hand. Bliss.
9. Ben E King - Stand by Me (Stand by Me)
With over 400 different recorded versions of this song, it is still the original written and sung by King that is the greatest. But it wasn't King who had wanted this song for himself, he had written it for The Drifters who passed on the chance to record it (bet they regret that now) but he played it in some spare studio time on the piano for his music producers and they had him back to record it. It has been re-released umpteen times, and reached number one when it was out for the film Stand By Me. It is a great R&B ballad and the lyrics are spiritual with lines such as Lord Stand by Me, as well as having extracts from Psalms. This song will be forever implanted in my 'music mind' and will reach each generation for years to come.
10. Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl (Blowin' your Mind)
This was an important one for the Northern irish songwriter, it was the first single he would release since splitting from his band, Them. It's a classic pop song that does nothing but make you feel good and want to dance when you listen to it. No hidden agenda or meaning to it, it is just a classic that was included in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007. Considered to be the singers signature song, it's still at the top of every DJs playing list, simple and fun there's no way anyone could hate it.
11. The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger (Costello Music)
Another song the takes me back in time to secondary school, The Fratellis were probably one of the first bands I ever really loved. This song was the second single from their second album, and proved to be the most successful, making it to number five in the UK charts which is their highest charting single (...so far). Written about Jon Fratellis wife Heather who, as a burlesque dancer, stage name was Chelsea, it also was a play on the name of the fallen pop princess Britney Spears. With strong guitar and drums throughout it's hard to not get up and chant this song, a seemingly masculine tune (it is often played at football matches) with its yelling in the background it is a song I still love, and with the band reformed here's hoping they make more like this.
12. Phil Oakey - Together in Electric Dreams
This funky 80's hit reminds me of my close group of girlfriends at university, in that kind of environment you get to know people very quickly and form a bond that only people who have been to university understand (cheesy I know). Obviously this song was not made with university students in mind though, it was written by Oakey and music producer Giorgio Moroder and was the soundtrack for the 1984 film Electric Dreams. The kids of today may know it only from the EDF energy advert (this was actually when I fell in love with the song) it was successful enough to stay in the charts for 13 weeks and reached number three. Not bad for one of the most random songs I have on my iTunes.
13. The Turtles - Elenore (The Turtles present The Battle of the Bands)
Taken from another favourite film of mine, Elenore featured on the soundtrack for The Boat that Rocked, the 2009 hit that was filled with the best of 1960's rock n roll. The song was written in 1968 as a parody of one of their other hits Happy Together, the band wanted to become more diverse but their record label were the ones pulling the strings. This song is one that just simply makes me happy, with cliched lyrics such as Your looks intoxicate me/ Even though your folks hate me/ Gee I think your swell you can't really hate it.
14. The Joy Division - Love Will Tear us Apart (Love Will Tear us Apart)
A song that completely sums up what the singer is all about, right there in the moment. The lyrics clearly explain the problems singer Ian Curtis was having in his marriage to Deborah Curtis and his all around frame of mind that led to his eventual suicide in 1980. It then secured its place in the UK charts becoming the bands first chart success and was one of the only songs Curtis played guitar on (well just a little bit). Along with many of the great songs I have already listed, this song has been re-released many times, but you cannot mess with the greatest. What makes it even more special for me is the 'realness' of it, there aren't many records made like that anymore.
15. The Vaccines - Wetsuit (What Did you Expect from The Vaccines)
Ok, so I lied a little, this song is my favourite. I saved the best til last. I have been a Vaccines fan since Glastonbury last year and nothing summed up the wet weather better than Wetsuit. One of their lengthier songs (it surpasses the three minute mark) from their debut album, the video was the first in the world to feature just instagramed photo's that had been sent in by fans of the band. The vocals are low and mellow from lead singer Justin Young, but they still keep you uplifted and get you into the festival spirit, set for another UK tour with their second album due for release in September, you better be ready for The Vaccines.
The Eden Sessions
13 July 2012
You wouldn't normally utter the words 'eden project' and 'live music' in the same sentence, but for the last week the famous cornish gardens has seen some serious musical talent. From young pop sensation Labrinth to timeless rockers Blink 182, the environmental project has attracted fans from every era and every age.
My friend and I decided to embark on the little trek from my sleepy village in Somerset to (a very hilly) Cornwall. A two and a half hour train ride later and we were taking in the Cornish scenery and dodging the rain (don't you love England?) on a 'teen girl' filled bus on route to the pretty place that has been hosting a series of little festivals.
We were attending the last and, in our opinion, the best line up of the whole event, The Vaccines and Noah and the Whale were on the main stage from 7.30. But it was only half past two when we arrived so we decided we would try and take in as much culture as we could, after wandering for about half an hour we ended up at the cider tent.
There was to be no money on the eden site, instead you pay for as many 'poker chip' tokens as you like for food and drink and if you didn't use them all then you get your money back at the end, nifty idea.
So with our tokens we were able to taste some cold cornish cider, (they're not even known for their cider?) and settle into the afternoon entertainment. With sounds coming from the smaller stage, we didn't realise that we were sat on the bench near the backstage area, cue The Vaccines rocking up and us going as loopy as the teen girls surrounding us.
My friend's response to viewing them in 'real life' - "I'm actually shaking."
After our teeny tiny encounter with one of our favourite bands, which resulted in us standing around listening to their sound check (how sad) we decided to look for some food. The cider had hit us.
This was something that let down the whole little festival experience, though they had a lot of food on offer, it wasn't available all day. With a wait on our hands we pulled up a pew on a wicker bench and enjoyed the limited sunshine.
After one or two more ciders we decided to make our way to the main stage area, the teen girls already firmly in place at the front railings we stood a few feet back and waited for The Vaccines to make their appearance. We had some music to keep us occupied though, Palma Violets were the support act and to be completely honest a slight disappointment for me.
I had read up on the band knowing they were going to be at this little festival, and expected good things, but they seemed to have a musical manner you would see from a more established band, often asking the (bewildered) audience to motion things "for us." They have the opportunity to be a good new indie-rock band, they just need to get rid of the Gallagher vibe that they have not yet earned.
Then came the main event and not even the abysmal weather could dampen the spirits of the hardcore Vaccines fans. Noticeably hairier, the band did what they do best. If you ever get the chance to see them live, do it, they are one of the greatest indie bands you will ever witness, and I say that as a critic not a fan.
After a shy and retiring set from them at Isle of Wight last year they played as many festivals as they could and built up their confidence and with that an epic fan base. The 40-minute set was loud and exciting, offering the audience old classics such as Wetsuit (very apt for the weather) and Norgaard along with a few new songs we will be seeing on their second album Come of Age in September such as Teenage Icon and their new single No Hope which is out now.
With a fond farewell it was time for Noah and the Whale, it seemed an anticlimax somehow but not in a bad way. From the exuberant band before them, they took a much calmer approach on stage. I had first seen them at Glastonbury Festival last year and fell in love with them, their manner is sincere and there is something about them that feels almost European? It's hard to believe they are English.
Their set was cute and humble playing their classics such as 5 Years Time and Tonight's the Kind of Night, even though it was disrupted from yet more hard rain downpours and the crowd becoming a little more intoxicated than they had been for The Vaccines. My friend and I had to move away to the 'family corner' of the stage as we had a guy pissng in a cup (we think we attract this strange people) next to us, ready to throw into the crowd.
Noah were onstage for a mere 65 minutes (including encore) so I think it was the general question from everyone, why were they the headliners? Nevertheless, this little festival was a hit wet weather and all, and a great early birthday present for me.
The Vaccines - No Hope
Noah & the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N
The Vaccines new album Come of Age is out 3rd September.
Fashion Wish List - Drab July
10 July 2012
Normally when I do a wish list for summer it is filled with pretty summer dresses and floral prints, but due to the wet weather (I don't think I've actually seen the sun at all in the last month) this particular wish list has taken a more subdued fashion styling. Although I have purchased an array of pastel jeans (purple, green, pink, you name 'em I've got 'em) I feel a little silly wandering around my home town in such glaring and optimistic clothing.
Saying this, I could not resist the pink pastel beauties shown in the picture from ASOS, teamed with heels or ballet pumps and vest it's a look anyone can pull off. And who cares if you get stared at? We all need a bit of summer optimism right now.
I am a huge lover of jewellery, even though I do not wear it all the time, it is something that I have hanging around for the 'girls night out' or if I just feel like brightening up an outfit. And team a lovely pendant with an animal dangling on the bottom then you are on to a winner in my books, this fish pendant from Topshop is currently in the sale (you can't beat a Topshop sale) and would be a cool accessory on anyone's jewellery stand.
Another love of mine is accessories in my hair, I change my hair A LOT. I've been mouse brown, blonde, jet black, red, light bulb blonde and brunette (which is my current hair colour), and headbands are something that I absolutely love as they easily make your drab run down hair feel lively again. The headband reminds me of a 1950s housewife doing her daily chores or a 1960s free spirited teenager with golden locks flowing behind her as she runs through a field.
I didn't live through either of these era's, can you tell?
Then there's the skater dress, something that I didn't take to straight away but I know see it as a staple in any girls wardrobe. Something you can team with heels and have a causally elegant night out outfit or with leggings and wellies for your festival outfit.
Which bring me on to my last two less optimistic buys, a pair of the most sought after wellies around especially during festival season and a gorgeous knitted jumper from Topshop that I am sure is going to be selling out pretty soon (I tried to get it in my size today with no luck). I have always wanted a pair of Hunter wellies, but at £80 a pair it's not something I can yet justify getting my money's worth from.
Then again, have you seen the weather forecast?
The Crookes - Hold Fast
There is a new sound hitting the indie scene and it comes in the form of Daniel Hopewell, Russell Bates, Alex Saunders and George Waite who together are known as The Crookes. Formed in 2008 from Sheffield they boast the sounds of The Smiths and Belle & Sebastian and have a number one fan in the shape of legendary disc jockey, Steve Lamacq after they performed a live session on Radio 1.
Their first album is already firmly tucked under their belt, Chasing after Ghosts was released in March of last year and it showcased some of the greatest british songwriting since Noel and Liam first came about. It is clear from the romantic and often poetic sound the young band had been listening to The Smiths for quite some time before this record was released.
Singer and frontman George Waite charismatically sings sweet lyrics such as "we'll find a better way to spend our time alone" from the single Bloodshot Days. Barely louder than a whisper, he finds a way to reach out to fans even though you can rarely work out their lyrics on some tracks (Laundry Murder, 1922). It is this factor that makes the band more charismatic and compelling, they glide through a song rather than annunciate every single syllable, something they make look effortless.
My very trustworthy music friend told me to give them a listen, and after the second or third time I was hooked, I immediately looked online to see if they were touring at all. They were. Were they playing any time in Southampton? Yes! They were coming to the small city to play a cosy indie rock venue called Lennons, the perfect place for them to showcase their new music for this all important second album.
With the cheap drinks flowing and a great warm up act (Sean McGowan, give him a listen) the stage was ready for the indie four piece. They played a lively and sweaty set much to the pleasure and excitement of one or two 'hardcore' fans who had been waiting eagerly at the front for about half an hour before. The whole way through this gig I found myself thinking that I could have quite easily been listening to their album at home in my room, they were pitch perfect and the happiness they got from performing came across to the audience.
And now they have a new album out and it is as old school and charismatic as the first, but this time the four romantics seem to have found their footing as a strong indie band. Afterglow was the first single from the album and it sets you up for their whole sound, from louder drum hits to the woaahhhhhs and ahhhhhhs in the background, you are listening to an already more experienced band.
The songs leave you humming for hours after you've listened, memorable melodies and complicated lyrics are what make the band unique, they do slip back into the sound that first made the popular though. American Girls offers a 30 second haunting introduction with beautiful words (you never crossed my mind/ I slipped away) that make you stop and give the song your undivided attention.
It is The Cooler King that is the surprise song of the album, with more of a rocky Buddy Holly and Elvis sound, it is not necessarily a song you would associate with the cool indie band, but it works. Waite reaches a whole new level of high notes and with the clapping and whooping prominent in the background from the other band members it takes you back to 1950s rock 'n' roll nostalgia.
This band are already making themselves known on the British indie scene, if only there were more musicians out their doing what The Crookes seem to be doing so easily.
The Crookes - Afterglow
King Charles
9 July 2012
Whilst many 'heart throbs' out there are wearing chinos and sporting the likeable polo shirt, King Charles is not one for conforming to this modern music fashion show. Normally wearing a pirate-esque blouse with velvet jackets (of which he seems to have a whole array) and tight jeans he would not normally be someone I would find myself listening to.
The dreadlocked lothario's new album, Loveblood was released in early May, and yet it still seems to be on constant play from my iTunes. His wit and charm is able to come across in his music from unseemly high notes to his ludicrous lyrics. A key example would be lines from Polar Bear, a later track on his album, "she's got the hot blood of polar bear, smooth hands of a crocodile."
Bit different, huh?
I first witnessed King Charles' folksy sound, energetic and disorientating personality when he was touring the UK earlier this year. He created a furore of excitement as he casually walked around the small music venue in Southampton wearing a dashing pink jumper. And when it came to his performance he did not disappoint, this time donning zebra print leggings and yet again another pirate blouse with his dreadlocks carelessly tied back.
His songs were played to make you dance and sing along, you really have no choice, even my friend who rarely goes crazy at gigs was getting into the King Charles spirit. His songs such as Lovelust, Mississippi Isabel and Lady Percy had everyone screaming for more, accompanied by his misfit band he is definitely a favourite of mine now.
He's already toured with Mumford & Sons and is making a name for himself on the festival scene here in the UK and Europe, if you get the chance give him a listen.
My personal favourite: Lady Percy
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