#MusicMonday :: 'Light It Up'

Sharing this pretty, summery tune with you this morning to brighten up this temperamental August Monday.

Having followed Eliza and The Bear for a little while now, they just never fail to put me in a good mood and their new single, 'Light It Up', is perfect for all things summer, from barbecues to road trips. I hope they get to releasing an album soon.

I've started this week feeling all light and happy after what feels like one of the best weeks of the year. Maybe, it's the excitement of my birthday coming on Saturday but I feel like letting anything annoying just wash over me at the moment and that's quite nice.

#MusicMonday :: 'Everlasting Light'

If this is something I plan on keeping up for at least little bit then it wouldn't be quite right to talk about music on here without mentioning the band that I've seen over 10 times in the last three years, especially when they have an album coming out at the end of the month.

Dry the River have well and truly cemented themselves as one of my favourites, they can virtually do no wrong. Despite the fact these last two singles from their forthcoming album haven't been the stand-out 'Hidden Hand' that I've heard when going to see them, they still hold a lot of merit and make me so excited for what they're going to do next.

'Everlasting Light' is a little more edgy than anything I've heard from Dry the River before and reminds me a little of Taking Back Sunday. The video is neat and the lyrics of the song are as well-executed as ever so nothing but love over here.

After reading Pete's little piece about it just after the video was released, I was happy to see a bit of Newbury-love. Did I mention that we share a local and I played a pub quiz against him over one of the May Bank Holidays this year? No? That might be because it's not like I talked to him or anything...

'Everlasting Light', along with 'Gethsemane' and the prospect of seeing them in October has me on tenterhooks for 'Alarms in the Heart', it feels like it's been such a long wait.

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And to follow here are a couple of short music-related lists... I just feel like it's nice to write a bit again and maybe I haven't been recently, you know? When you write things all day for work, it's another one of those situations but this is actually quite a nice bit of respite. I didn't even realise I was missing it.

Favourite 2014 Albums so far ::

• Sheezus :: Lily Allen
  I know so many people don't like her, and I don't really care why. I like everything about her and her unapologetic attitude, I even own a couple of the dresses she did for New Look. I'm a fan and I'm a fan of the comeback. I can listen to this album from start to finish, each song giving me something different. I'm not sure what I can say that's not already been said but her social commentary is on-point and I like that.
• The Take of and Landing of Everything :: Elbow
  If I said this was the perfect Sunday morning album, would you know what I meant... because I mean that. It's got nice gentle Guy Garvey singing bits and nice rifty bits plus there's a lot of love in it, which is what I liked the most about Build a Rocket Boys.
• Jungle :: Jungle
  I think I already talked about this last week but you can have 'Sunday morning' albums and you can have albums that are perfect for dancing by yourself to in the car... or in the lounge... with the cat.

Most Anticipated 2014 Albums ::

• Alarms in the Heart :: Dry the River
  As written above - after finally hearing a few new songs live in May last year, I've been waiting for this for what feels like an age. It will be good to finally get a proper recording of them too, they managed to transfer their great live songs so well on their last album. Even though they're still a million miles better live, I feel like they're going to pull this off, plus more material when I do see them live, which is always good.
• Carry on the Grudge :: Jamie T
  After his mysterious hiatus just when he was riding high on the back of two super successful albums, Jamie T is back! Moon and I have often pondered what happened to him because we really liked him and just didn't get it. We missed out on his upcoming, annoyingly sold through the terrible Seetickets, mini-tour but there's hope he'll be doing a bigger one soon - unless he still fancies the life of a recluse. The first single from the album, 'Don't You Find' is definitely a grower but as it has indeed grown, I'm looking forward to hearing what he's going to bring out next.
• This Is All Yours :: alt-J
  The two songs I've heard so far aren't as 'alt-J' as I thought they would be but I really like them in their own right all the same. If 'This Is All Yours' is on the same wavelength as 'An Awesome Wave' then I think we're going to get along just fine. alt-J just seem to really know how to make interesting music.

I feel like this might be a little TL;DR but hey, writing practise so...
What's your favourite new music at the moment?

#MusicMonday :: JUNGLE

Jungle and their debut album 'Jungle' have been played nearly non-stop for the last couple of weeks.

They're completely different from anything that I would listen to normally but I can't get enough of them. They're perfect for dancing with myself while driving to work and getting motivated while at work. You really can't beat a good album to have a boogie to - they're calling themselves 'modern soul', so I suppose that's a thing.

I'm not as up to date as a I could be with a lot of music, I guess but I just had to share these guys with you.
Apparently they used to play gigs 'hidden' so they couldn't be identified, a little weird but intriguing. I was hoping to catch them on tour at the tail-end of this year as I won't be heading to any festivals but it looks like I'll be waiting a little while unfortunately though as the dates don't work out for me at the moment.

I first caught these guys while watching Glastonbury coverage last month and was instantly hooked. I feel a little guilty about this now given that I probably wouldn't have given them a chance if I'd managed to get myself to the festival and had actually been there.

What have you been listening to lately? Have you found anything new that you wouldn't normally listen to?

Music Monday #4.

I wanted to do something a little different today, so I thought I would start with the thing that inspired me to start doing a 'Music Monday'-style post in the first place. It may not be something I carry on until next year, or even next week, but I kind of like that I can look back on what I was listening to in the same way I can look back at what I was doing. It is something that's a little new to me, and as I'm not always listening to music, not something I feel like I can keep up with either, plus, in all honesty it's just a bit of filler before I figure out what else I want to do with my little space of Internet.

So ages ago, Terri Lowe posted a great 'tag' relating to music, sure, I wasn't tagged, but it's like Myspace, I'll just take it, credit her, and we'll move on from there, right?
I used to love doing these back in the Myspace days, as I've mentioned a few times when things like this have come up previously, so I figured I may as well give it a whirl.

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1. What are your 5 favourite songs right now?
It's changing all the time and I can be painfully commercial but here it goes:
'Blurred Lines' - Robin Thicke – It's a song I love to hate.
'Let's Go Surfin' - The Drums – It just really makes me want to jump into my car and hit the beach.
'New Ceremony' - Dry the River – Beautiful.
'I Coulda Been Your Girl' - She & Him – The video & her voice ♥
'Diane Young' - Vampire Weekend - Baby, baby, baby!!

2. Who are your favourite bands of all time?
I'm going to go with the three that come off the top of my head...
I think:
The Maccabees
Dry the River
Mumford & Sons
Last.fm thinks:
The Maccabees
Jamie T
Mumford & Sons

3. What is the most played song in your iTunes?
'Toothpaste Kisses' by The Maccabees – it's soppy but I love it, you can blame my uni-self, I haven't used iTunes in months.

4. What was the last album you bought?
Must have been 'Beachcomber's Windowsill by Stornoway, because I became interested in them about the same time I got my car and it was suddenly really novel to play CDs again.

5. What song can you not get out of your head?
That silly 'Dear Darling' one by Olly Murs, it's so terrible, I can't.

6. What was the last single you downloaded?
I'm very, very pro-Spotify, I hate clutter, but apparently it was 'Bad Blood' by Bastille.

7. What is your favourite band right now?
Well, I guess Dry the River, because it's too easy but I've been listening to far too much She & Him, Ellie Goulding and Vampire Weekend, they make me feel sunshiney.

8. What is your favourite type of music?
I like all kinds of music, I like anything that sounds nice that I can sing along to, but I do love a good indie rock band.

9. In your 25 Most Played list, what is #10?
In the last 12 months, it's 'Love Lust' by King Charles.

10. What was the first gig you ever went to?
Guilfest 2k7 – a festival that no longer exists, oh childhood (teenagehood)

11. What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Seeing Dry the River play unplugged at Banquet Records was pretty ace and Biffy Clyro at the Apple Store in Regent's Street were also great. Glastobury in general too, if you count it as a gig?

12. And finally, if there was one band/album/song you would recommend everyone listening to RIGHT NOW, what would it be?
She & Him's 'Volume 3', Zooey's voice is probably better than you'd give her credit and it's a nice mix of contemporary and more 50s-inspired hits, it's lovely.

I'd love it if we were buds on Last.fm ♥.

Music Monday #3.

It's hard to keep up with myself, how has another Music Monday come around already? The weekend was a pretty big one for music, I think it's a pretty good effort to manage to see five bands in a day, I've been feeling a little more like listening to guitars and soft vocals recently and a mixture of the familiar and the new, which I suppose is fairly standard for me really.


1. Volume 3 - She & Him
I've been listening to She & Him a lot recently, which I guess is why they're here. I totally didn't 'get' Zooey's voice when I first gave them a listen after falling in love with 'New Girl', but now I do and I love her more than ever. Their songs have a lovely, old-fashioned tone that I can't get enough of and this album is even better than the previous two, I just think the production is much more in point. I'm excited to see if they make the trip over to the United Kingdom to perhaps do a few live shows here, it would be good if they weren't at The O2 too (or were generally away from London).

2. For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver
I watched 'Place Beyond the Pines' last weekend and after hearing 'The Wolves' during the end credits, I decided they needed a little more credit and attention than I'd given them previously. I mean sure, 'Skinny Love' is a great song, but it's far from their best and 'For Emma, Forever Ago' as an album is just so easy to get immersed in.

3. Pedestrian Verse - Frightened Rabbit
I get the feeling I've been feeling a little deeper than I feel like I actually have, in a musical sense anyway. 'Pedestrian Verse' seemed to be unavailable on Spotify for ages and although I've listened to it properly in Moon's car a few times, it's only recently that I've been able to properly take it in, and I'd definitely say it lives up to everyone's hype.

4. Shallow Bed - Dry the River
This is kind of a given, I'm not excited to hear more new things now as the songs on Shallow Bed were old to me even before the album came out (can't believe I just said that), and their new stuff is exciting. The same, but some how different with a little more Americana influence, I sure hope they play more of their new songs when we see them again in a couple of weeks!

5. Third Generation Hymnal - Venna
These guys were a total accidental find, and you can definitely skip 'Oh No', a creepy, annoying track, but they have a beautiful version of Sara Siskind's 'Lovin's For Fools', a song I can't get enough of and am in love with since (sorry, not sorry for mentioning them again) hearing Dry the River's version. It's just so full of desperation, it's beautiful.

What have you been listening to recently? Be sure to follow me on Last.fm ♥.

Music Monday #2

I've been mixing a little of the old with the new in the last couple of weeks. This playlist kind of reflects the kind of stuff I usually find myself either singing at the top of my lungs to, or having on in the background while doing other things.


1. Up Up Up - GIVERS
Love the way this starts and GIVERS' album 'In Light' is one that I can't get enough of, it just feels really summery to me, something that's definitely needed now that the weather is better but still can't quite make up it's mind. 'In Light' is my go-to album when at work at the moment.

2. First Love - The Maccabees
'Colour It In' is the album that made me fall so hard for The Maccabees, and as The Maccabees are my full-on favourite band, it makes sense that it's an album I often tend to pick songs from whatever the situation. 'First Love' is easily in my top songs of theirs, and the video is both sad and happy, one of the best combinations. Sometimes sharing favourite things is a little awkward though isn't it, but I'd love to think you'd grow to love them, even if it's not as much as I do.

3. Let Her Go - Passenger
I haven't actually listened to the radio in a while, but last time I did, 'Let Her Go' was Greg James' 'big thing' and I was instantly hooked when I heard it. Passenger's other songs on 'All the Little Lights' are great too, but it's still that song that sticks out for me, there's a reason why it's a hit – I'd also recommend that you check out his earlier album 'Flight of the Crow' on Spotify, it's compiled of such beautiful duets.

4. 5 Years Time - Noah and the Whale
It's been a big time of reflection lately and this song really makes me think about how things move quickly. With Noah and the Whale's new album coming out recently I've been looking back on them and remembering how much I used to really like them. I think I might have forgotten about them because they were so sad before being too happy, 'Peaceful the World Lays Me Down' is a great album though and not just for uplifting twee songs like '5 Years Time' either.

5. Never Fade Away - Spector
It's a shame the only time I've managed to see these guys live was at Reading last year, it was dampened a little by the fact that they were congratulating those (incredibly young) people who had just got their GCSE results but I listened to their album non-stop for a week once we got home. 'Enjoy it While it Lasts' really is a brilliant album, definitely the one right now for getting pumped in the morning and singing along.

What have you been listening to recently? Be sure to follow me on Last.fm ♥.

#MusicMonday

Currently trying to think about and work on things I blog about regularly to come up with a more consistent theme - which is why I've stripped a few things away in the meantime.

Music Monday is always something that I've wanted to be a part of but I'm a pretty inconsistent person when it comes to listening to music. Don't get me wrong, I love music but I'll go a week of nearly always being plugged in, and then not make the effort to select a song I like for another couple of weeks. Now I have a car, this has changed me a little as I usually listen to the radio on my way to or from work and if I don't like that, then I'll pop a CD on.

All that being said, my music tastes this week have surprised me quite a bit. I've been listening to what in my head I would refer to as 'boy music', because it's mostly consisted of bands I roll my eyes at when Moon tells me about them but then secretly listen to and really enjoy - and She & Him and The Lumineers because I've been feeling both macho as well as twee.

I've actually taken it upon myself to listen to real albums more than once from start to finish this week too, something I never do, I'm a shuffler - it's definitely something that can get annoying when it's tracks that flow into each other but I just don't care.

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1. It's Blitz - Yeah Yeah Yeahs


We listened to this all the way 'home home' a couple of weekends ago and I almost haven't stopped playing it since. I pretend not to like them but after having this on constantly, I think Yeah Yeah Yeahs might have moved up my list slightly. The album is great for driving generally, but I've also found it goes really well with the sunny weather we've been having and is really motivating me to get through my work. My favourite songs are probably 'Zero', 'Dull Life' and 'Little Shadow'.


2. Discovery - Daft Punk


So, a lot of people have been raving about 'Get Lucky', Daft Punk's track with Pharrell Williams. I'm definitely holding their new song responsible for rediscovering them, there are so many songs of theirs that I love. They do have a tendency to get on my nerves if I'm not in the right frame of mind, but this is another album that's great for motivation and I'm as hooked on 'Get Lucky' as so many others are too, they're definitely in my good books at the moment.


3. Contra - Vampire Weekend


Few bands get me in the mood for warmer weather like Vampire Weekend. They're one of those bands that just remind me of summer, and are another band that owe a new single to a rediscovery. I find it so weird that they have such a tiny back catalogue because I like pretty much all their songs. If 'Diane Young' is anything to go by then there's nothing but more good things coming from them, and I can't wait. Although 'Cousins' is one of my favourite music videos of all time, I thought I'd share my favourite song from Contra with you, 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa', such summery vibes. ♥


4. In Love - Peace


I'm not sure if I have anything in particular to say about this album, but they were another band 'recommended' to me by Mr Moon who I initially ignored but after listening to their album without encouragement really enjoyed. It's just something I've been putting on and found myself enjoying from start to finish, which I guess means it has a pretty nice flow, so just give it a listen, yeah?


5. Bankrupt! - Phoenix


Shamelessly listening to an album because one song is everywhere but actually discovering the album is pretty enjoyable. I just wish that the 'video version' of 'Entertainment' was the same as the album version, it's way cooler.

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Anyway, those were my albums of the week, I guess. I don't know if I'll make this a feature, or ever do it again, but I've been feeling pretty musical for the last week or so and getting over my shuffling, even if only temporarily, is a minor accomplishment (the most minute of minor accomplishments, ever).

It was nice to listen to some different music this week as opposed to the same playlist over and over, I could use some friendly recommendations. Maybe we could be friends of Last.fm, that would be fun, huh?