No One Loves Me & Neither Do I.

Them Crooked Vultures--yet another musical party I'm late too.

Beirut covering Caetano Veloso

Everything about this is gorgeous. Beirut is awesome. Also now I wanna learn Portugese.

Quite apart from the fact that this song rocks, this compilation album raises money for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, so everyone should go buy it straight away.

Cat's Eyes have the potential to become my new favorite band.

Or maybe Cat's Eyes is just one guy. It seems like it could be just one guy. I'm not sure.

Point is, how gorgeous is that song? Cat's Eyes have more like it.

Call Your Girlfriend by Robyn

Euphoric, man.

summer music.

Seeing as I've nothing new to say but feel the need to blog anyway, I thought I'll give you the obligatory list of 'summer songs'. Okay? Woohoo.

1. The City by Patrick Wolf



I've been waiting to show you guys, one way or another, this song for ages. Months. While, when it comes to music I am prone to hyperbole, I think I'm speaking with sense when I say that this might be one of the best pop songs I've ever heard. Apparently his new album, Lupercalia, is full of great pop songs. If I were you, I'd buy the record based on its awesome name alone, but Patrick Wolf is something of a Pop Song Master soooo I'm sure you're in for a treat. It's not released physically in the US yet but I'm gonna get it the moment I go back to the UK.

2. Mornin' by Star Slinger



Trip-tastic hipster electronica, why not. One of the best bands of 2011 so far. Sounds like never ending summer days, heat waves, and friends.

3. Five Years Time by Noah & the Whale



I'd pay more attention to this than their recent work. This song will never leave my Summer Playlist, I reckon. It's just so damn adorable.

4. Crave You by Flight Facilities



Again, this is hipstertastic, but it has tribal drums and sounds like midday heat.

5. With Love by Elbow



This is only an excerpt, you'll have to deal with crappy audio or buy the record if you wanna listen to the whole beautiful song. But, my god, go buy the record because it is soooo good.

6. In the Water by Beat Connection



Yeah, I listen to too much chillwave for my own good. Oh well.

7. Kiss of Life by Friendly Fires



Let's grab some African drums, go to a beach, and dance like Thom Yorke.

8. Pensacola by Manchester Orchestra



Alcohol, dirty malls, pensacola, florida bars. Nothing about this song makes sense or fits in with anything else this band have ever done, but let's drive down a highway and scream the lyrics with the windows down.

9. Hair by Lady Gaga



No matter how many times I listen to this, I'm still not sure what to make of Lady Gaga comparing her freedom to her hair. *shrugs*. But this is an AWESOME pop song, one of the best on the new album. Endless fun here.

10. Let's Stay Together by Al Green



So, er, don't judge me by putting a soul song on this list. It's just...good, okay? Okay I'll leave now.

Hope you enjoy something, as always. I'll post more songs in the future, I'm sure.

Now, to magazines and the Office. night!

Okay. Bye.

Songs of Finals Week.

All the stuff that's been helping me get through this last one week before summer.

1. Fugitive Motel by Elbow



2. Government Hooker by Lady Gaga



3. You Stole by Brand New



4. East Harlem by Beirut



5. Run The World by Beyonce



6. Summer Wine by Claire Nicolson and Larry Love



7. In The Water by Beat Connection



8. Mornin' by Star Slinger



9. Between The Bars by Elliott Smith



10. Proof by I Am Kloot



I hope you find something you like.

Ten Songs

Sorry, this blog is a fail. I'll...do more over the summer? Yeah? I think that's wishful thinking, but I'll cling to it from now on.

So...guess I'm just gonna post ten songs I'm into at the moment. I'm keeping the crappy, half-assed descriptions to a minimum today, so you can just listen to some good music. Enjoy.



Either through James Blake or, for you more credible people(myself not included), through Fiest's original version, I'm sure you're familiar with Limit To Your Love by now. But I really like the song in itself, whoever's singing it, so let's spread some dark, brooding love for it.




So, it seems 80s pop music videos are in vogue at the moment. The song is good, though. 80s pop, which, when it's made in 2011 rather than the mid 80s, is usually a lot of fun.



PJ Harvey and Ben Waters covering a a Doc Pomus song. I don't know nearly enough about PJ Harvey or Doc Pomus to say something witty or insightful about this track, so I'll just say I like it and her voice songs cool.



I must say that I had doubts about the idea of this record when I first heard about it, buuut...turns out I must've been having a blonde moment, because this sounds great.



Bit of a guilty pleasure, the Script, and the idea of 'science is boring lol yay for emotions and art' that this song is about has always annoyed me, but that chorus is kind of irresistible.



It's such a shame that I just discovered Tune Yards, aka Merill Garbys, like, a week ago. I dare you to try to classify this is one genre. Merill's got everyone stumped on that point.



I'm afraid that this borders on pop-punk at times, and in its minute and a half playing times, it slowly builds up to be a total angstathon. But it's fun nonetheless. (I have so many guilty pleasures, in case you haven't noticed?)



Out of all the recent spew of new grime-dubstep-rappers in the UK music scene at the moment, I'd suggest that Wiley is probably the one worth paying most attention to.



I think this is like a bitter sweet no-fi pop song? I'm not sure, I'm no expert with stuff this hipster. it's good, though.



It seems only fitting to end with someone off the brand new Arctic Monkeys record, Suck It And See, as I've kind of shown you both preceding singles and have mentioned than a dozen times. I haven't got round to buying the physical record yet, though I will some time this week. I've listened to a few songs online, though, and the opening song She's Thunderstorms is my favorite so far.

In A Dream, I Was A Werewolf.

Asthma Attack

New single by the wonderful up and coming CockNBullKid. It's great! It's bright, catchy, her voice is sweet, and you'll just want to run through the streets singing it all day long. Plus, it's about London. And I simply cannot turn up the oppurtunity to fall in love with a song about my favorite city, can I?

Birdy's 'Skinny Love' Cover

No doubt if you live in the UK, you'll have heard this song by now, but I figured I might as well post it for everyone else.



This is Birdy, AKA Jasmine Van den Bogaerde. She just turned 15. This cover of Bon Iver's brilliantly haunting song Skinny Love has skyrocketed her to the top of the UK charts in the last month or so. Admittedly, the music side of the cover's not brilliant or anything, but considering her age, I'd say it's quite impressive. Plus, there's no denying her astonishing voice. And I normally pay very little attention to the singer's voice, when it comes to music.

Of course, she has nothing on Bon Iver but at least, if nothing else, she's introduced an awful lot of people (myself included) to this fantastic song.

Lights by Max Tundra

I've been listening to a lot of Manchester Orchestra and Arctic Monkeys at the moment, but this is a nice relief from all that angst. Max Tundra's music is catchy, interesting, and endearingly strange.

Dear Everyone I Ever Really Knew.

Amazing band, amazing song, extraordinary new record. Go buy it.

Antlers Album Out In A Week.

While this may not be at the calibre of Hospice, their 2008 album and my all-time favorite album, I've got to say the new song is absolutely brilliant.

Manchester Orchestra - Virgin

Oh, the new Manchester Orchestra song is so, so good. I love Manchester Orchestra. It sounds angry, which is interesting, because when most people want to achieve anger in music, they start screaming. Manchester Orchestra do it with angsty lyrics, slow beats, and almost gritty guitars.

Cannot wait for the new album.

Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair

It's certainly better than Brick by Brick(which I'm trying to pretend never happened). In fact, I like it much more than I thought I was going to. While it's your fairly typical wannabe rock n roll song, the production is good and it sounds nice.

Actually so excited for Suck It And See now.

It's Sorta Been A While

When I thought about making this blog in September, I had no idea just how much work high school would require. I suppose that was more than a little naive, in hindsight. I have trouble keeping up with my regular blog, let alone this one, I'm afraid, which is why posts are becoming more irregular and more straightforward. I'm going to continue, of course, but I understand that this blog a little lackluster lately.

To make up for it? Here's ten awesome songs I'm listening to obsessively at the moment.



This seems appropriate, seeing as the entire UK/indie-dubstep-pop world is waiting anxiously for the release of Katy B's album in two days. I've got to be an indie cliche and say I, too, cannot wait. Forget Claire Maguire and Anna Calvi and Niki and the Dove(as much as I love the last two), this girl is the most interesting new face in pop music this year. This song is well-produced and super super super catchy. Plus, listening to this, Katy on a Mission, and Louder, one learns that she truly is the most diverse, genre-spanning singer in music right now.



Another new drop-dead-gorgeous female pop singer with a great voice and brilliant songs to boot? oh come on, you know you love it. I love the sounds on this. She's not exactly the first to do the twinkly keyboard thing, but it works really well. Also, she has one of my favorite female singing voices...like, move over, Ms. Welch. (sorta, maybe). Listen to Sun of a Gun, too. She could sing blues almost, it's wonderful.



I guess I'm gonna be taking an unpopular stance here, but I rather like this song, and I rather like Glasvegas in general. Okay, come and attack me Coldplay fans, why don't you. I like this song a thousand times more. And they're not copying Coldplay. Okay?



I like bands where they're at the awkward border between punk-revival and post-punk revival. I suppose that doesn't make much sense...this sound, I mean, like this, this is what I'm talking about. I could kinda sing and dance to it all day long. Every single day. Yes, I love it.



Trip-hop gold, is it not?



Oh my god, these guys define musical beauty...in pop music. Oh my effing god. It's trippy but it's pop and it'a acsessible but at the same time it's not and it's bright but it's also dark and there's a harmonica. Perfect.



Not exactly news this, but of course that doesn't make it any less brilliant. Lo-fi dubstep meets these brooding almost jazzy piano chords. Best cover ever? Um, yes. Dark but gorgeous. Listen to his voice...quite normal, but wonderful at the same time. And this is coming from someone who pays almost no attention to the singing voices of musicians, so that's saying something.



In a similar vein as the jj song, this is soaring and springlike and big and beautiful and fantastic.



'Datk', as far as pop music goes I suppose, and chilling and 'gothic' and all that stuff The Good Music Journalist is supposed to describe this song as. Regardless, the combination of trip-hop synth and breathy angsty lyrics is one I'm too weak to turn my nose up at.



Might as well end with something rather more popular, something that's been moving like a musical tornado through music blogs and Tumblr at the moment. Y'know, I was becoming a little worried about the future prospects of my beloved Arctic Monkeys. after that horrific Brick by Brick song came out, and it was announced that their album would be titled 'Suck It And See', I'd pretty much given up hope. I could deal with Humbug, and I can deal with the drugs and the long hair and the California-esque bullshit, but I'd pretty much reached my limit. This song kinda reminded me how extraordinarily talented the band's frontman is--as capable of writing beauty(this, 505, all of his Last Shadow Puppets stuff) as he is mind-blowing post-punk chaos(Brianstorm, The View from the Afternoon, This House is a Circus) coupled with witty, anecdotal lyrics far and above most of his Landfill Indie contemporaries, he truly is a brilliant, brilliant musician indeed.

So, that's basically my music tastes latey. I've noticed a change in my tastes, in that they're becoming more synth-pop, more pop in general. This could very well be a bad thing. Perhaps I'm somehow betraying my music snobbery tendancies by doing this, but I genuinely think the above music is good stuff. The question's been going about the internet lately--is guitar music dead? My opinion? maybe not dead, but certainly not terribly interesting at the current time. I'm sorry, but that new Strokes single did nothing for me...and I like the Strokes! In the UK, it's all these Oasis-wannabees. Their songs are supposed to be big, but they're flat and boring and they're huge egos aren't even appealing anymore, as they are when the musician is a Gallagher. I guess there's the Wombats, if they count...and, Biffy Clyro are good, and stuff. Guitar music is appaling in these US parts. Girls like All Time Low, guys like Seether, hipsters like Vampire Weekend. Meh. That's all I can say.

There's still Warpaint and kasabian and Manchester Orchestra and the National but yknow, it's not all that amazing.

Anyway, thanks for sticking around.

Owen Pallett

So wonderful.

Love this

The Perfect Pop Song, Perhaps?

Sorry for my absence.

It has come to my awareness all music fans have one goal that they hold very dear, and value higher than any other endeavour. That is, looking for The Perfect Pop Song. We search high and low, surf blogs and the NME. Shiny outfits and pounding bass make our ears prick up, and summery music videos make our hearts race.

It has a long and arduous journey, one that many people sadly fail to succeed in their lifetime. However, I have been lucky. At fourteen years old, I think I might have hit the jackpot.




Do you hear that, everyone? Horns? Drums? Piano? Cutesy lyrics? It's everything I could have ever dreamed of.

I've always had faith in Patrick Wolf to dish out some energetic, melodic little numbers that seem to me to have jumped straight out of a Broadway musical half the time. But this is something else! Oh, it's so catchy, so new, so beautiful! So different! I could listen to it all day.

In an odd way, this song is as painful as it is delightful. Delightful because it freakin' rocks. Painful because that is obviously the ultimate summer choon and, in New England, bare arms and afternoons spent eloping on beaches seems a long, long time away.

Good work, Mr. Wolf.

(ps, happy pancake day!)

this is gorgeous

Simply Stunning.

now, it has become one of my favorite songs.

those singing morphine alarms

Popular, but beautiful and haunting to an extrene.

This Week...

had been stresful, chaotic, and snow-filled. I had one day off, homework that toom about five hours each night, and a sad lack of new music. However, going to the mall yesterday I did finally manage to get Klaxon's Into The Void(couldn't find it anywhere...)! I haven't really listened to it yet, but I like Klaxons and starting with Echoes seems appropriate.



And these are the other favorite songs of the week...

At Seventeen I Learned The Truth

another snow day? well if you insist...

here are the sounds, at least a few of them...




Aaaah, so absolutely, undeniably, irresistibly lovely in every way, that one. I discovered Jesca Hoop a few days ago(when in a bit of a miniature Elbow phase) and was blown away by her voice+the guitar in this song. could folksy female singer-songwriters get any better than this as of late? No. At least I very much doubt it.



Add this to the list of the many things Tavi Gevinson has introduced to me. I love her voice, and her lyrics are really quite something. perfect to listen to in the mornings before school. sitting alone in the caf or a classroom, novel in hand, Janis Ian running through my ears. love it.



I love coming across these undiscovered gems randomly online, it basically makes me life. his sounds are cool. and have a very weird-in-a-good way layer to them. love love love.



ignoring the high levels of uber liberal narcissistic smugness in this song, this guy has a way with words, the song's catchy, and it starts firey arguments on youtube. take it or leave it, I suppose. not bad.



quite different from everything else here, but good nonetheless. this was the doing of a new Prada ad. god I'm such a hipster.

in other news, new semester starts tomorrow, finals are over, and I'm saying Black Swan tomorrow. sounds like a plan.

Surprisingly Lovely

I posted this last time, but it's so wonderful a repeat is very much in order.

I can't for the life of me work out why I love this as much as I do. it should be totally bland, but it so isn't. there's something in the lyrics, about the subject matter, about an emotion that is so relatable, something in it that I can't put my finger on, but that is so central to the human condition, somehow. the video increases this about tenfold. this has to be one of the most simplistic, and beautiful, and touching videos I have ever seen. something about his expressions and his separation from the outside world that is right there, around him, who don't look into his eyes the way we do. we know how that feels. phenomenal song. nice work, Tired Pony.

The Sounds of Frantic Finals Studying; January 2011

I'd post more and put them in a more presentable fashion, but time is quite sparse today. Sitting here-- snow outside, PJs, pot noodle, expensive CD player, an abundance of my own notes that I cannot read. It's my very first Finals Week, my friends. These little gems keep me going. Something to hum along to in between the geometry proofs, Spanish verb tenses, and magnetism.

I feel like I neglect this blog, and I do apologise--I will change stuff up soon, I promise.

snow day.

well this is gorgeous.

I can't get enough.

cool.