/She gave it all, you gave her shit She coulda done, just anything Or anyone, cause she's a goddess You never got this You put her down, you liked her hopeless To walk around, feeling unnoticed You shoulda crowned her, cause she's a goddess You never got this/
BANKS - Goddess
I swear to God, BANKS is my spirit animal.
Sleek and haunting, this debut release took my life over for weeks. She's obsessive and sultry and I can't get enough.
To celebrate the massive piss up that will be my Valentine's day, whilst couples roam the streets oozing their love onto those who are single, I bring you a playlist;
So I've done it again, and I'm just going to blame it on the fact that my internet is fucking around and I got a new job.
Sorry,
I'll be better, probably.
Anyway, just be happy, 'cause two new tracks of the week.
Black Space (T. Swizzle cover) - Our Last Night
These guys are always on top form when it comes to their covers, so I suggest you check those out as well.
King - Years & Years
I am not exaggerating when I say that these guys can do no wrong. Pretty much every song these guys have released have been on point. They are easily my favourites at the moment - but I will go into more detail about that in a post coming soon. Also, the music video is SO phenomenal.
In order to ease myself back into the blogging world after my absence, I've decided to do a 'track of the week', where (as implied) I will be blogging about a track of my choice, every week. It may be old, new or blue. It's just going to be a song that gets me that week. So like, enjoy it or whatever.
This week's track is...
Drum roll...
You - The 1975
I've recently become so obsessed with The 1975 that I've found myself searching through themed tumblr pages and their past interviews - and I don't do this because I can't get enough of their dreamy lead singer or whatever but I'm actually just so obsessed with this dark enigma of a band equipped with dangerously catchy pop tunes and deadly serious lyrics. After 'Chocolate' came out, I refused to listen to them because I am a music snob and I did not want to be a part of anything that features in every 13 year old girl's indie 8tracks playlist. 'You' changed everything. Lead singer, Matty Healy said in an interview that he wants their music to bleed into people's lives, and I think that's how they won me over. It was in the background of my life one day and then I just wanted to keep hearing it in the background.
It's beautifully subtle, in the best shoegazing kind of way. Listen carefully, and you can hear every 13 year old girl's heart breaking as Matty sings about asking another girl to dance. I will happily be dancing by myself to this song in my dimly lit bedroom (the only way to dance to any song if you ask me).
After the horrifying news of Chiodos' split in 2009, the people rejoiced at the news of them getting back together in 2012. However, it's been two long years of waiting for any new music, or 7 long years if you count Bone Palace Ballet to be their last release - which I do, I mean Illuminaudio? what even was that?
BUT FINALLY
They have emerged with a new single : "Ole Fishlips Is Dead Now"
It's as if while Chiodos were away, Alls Well That Ends Well and Bone Palace Ballet eloped to Vegas and had a beautiful love child, with Thomas Erak making an appearance in there somewhere, possibly a drunken threesome had on the honeymoon? and perhaps I have taken this metaphor a bit too far.
The new single seems to be setting post-hardcore back in it's place and I'm excited to hear what they've got to offer. As good as it is to hear Craig Owens again, Ole Fishlips doesn't feature Erak as much as I'd hope but I'm holding out that I'll see more of him on the album.
Suck it, D.R.U.G.S. Chiodos is back.
Like The Used's Imaginary Enemy, Devil is set for release on April 1. It's going to be a good day.
The band just released a new single from their upcoming album "Imaginary Enemy" and guess what? I actually really loved it.
The Used are known for their killer hooks and this song is no different, "Cry" exudes contagious energy. It's pretty guitar heavy but it works, it's a really solid track actually.
The song has been received by the inevitable "I miss the old stuff, hate the new sound" bullshit that comes with a new release, but change is inevitable and personally I'm embracing their new sound with open arms.
Not to mention the throwback to "Buried Myself Alive" with the reuse of the line "if you're gonna get me back, you're gonna have to ask nicer than that.
Trust me, I'm asking nicely with a cherry on top. I can't be happier to have these guys back.
Imaginary Enemy will be the band's follow-up to 2012’s Vulnerable and is set to be released on April 1
If, like me, you're a huge Skins fan (UK teen drama, not rolling paper) then you will have seen this face (Olly Alexander) in Series 7: Pure.
and when it comes to cute boys with curly hair, I will inevitably google you, discover that you are a lead singer of a band and listen to your music religiously. That my friends, is how I discovered Years and Years.
"I Wish I Knew" is the first track that I heard, and almost instantly fell in love with it. They have a certain atmosphere about them that is beyond unique. Olly's crooning mixed with the electro chaos as confetti falls is pretty much the greatest.
Years and Years - I Wish I Knew
(Warning: this video is an explosion of awkward dancing, it's phenomenal)
The band try something different with the song "The Whale" from the soundtrack of The Dish and the Spoon (Olly was great in the movie, too!). This stripped down version of Years and Years allows for Olly's voice to come through a lot stronger and it's gorgeous.
Years and Years - The Whale
The London trio have just recently released a new single, "Real". With the EP of the same name coming out 17 February. "Real" is infectious, make sure to catch it.
It has been awhile since my first "An Ode to South African Music" post and I'm just going to assume that you all have been waiting in anticipation for the next one. If you weren't, just leave me ignorant and blissful.
Luckily for all of you, I was inspired, P.H.Fat is coming to town! - which is what I was planning to say when I was going to finish this post before Saturday night but alas here I am on Monday evening.
So I went to P.H.Fat and it was amazing. With all of the fighting it took for me to get to the front and all the sweat, I must have lost about two kilos. To sum my evening up; What's your favourite ice cream? Mother fucking lightning!
They're great, see for yourself.
P.H.Fat - Jump
Das Kapital is a young musical force to be reckoned with that refuses to be tied down by any one genre. He seeks to take people on an introspective journey through intricate percussion, brooding melodies and dark bass.
Das Kapital broke into the "mainstream" consciousness with this personal favourite of mine;
Bon Iver - Skinny Love (Das Kapital Rerub)
The Stella's are a band that I came across by chance, when myself and a friend pretended to be people on the guest list to get into their E.P launch - mostly for shits and giggles (also free beer played a part). It seemed rude to not give them a listen after sneaking into their event and they happened to blow me away to the point where I actually bought their E.P Cut Throat.
Dirty, four chord, rock 'n' roll reminiscent of the proto-punk days of The Stooges and MC5.
I'm turning twenty one this year and as it turns out, it's a pretty big deal apparently. Adulthood and what not. Apparently you have to get your own medical aid? Unlikely.
Anyway you didn't come here to read about medical aid. Since I'm getting older, I've noticed people expect more of me. More responsibility, "what are your plans for the future", "what job are you looking to get?" Blah blah expectations, blah blah money, blah blah you're an adult now.
False.
I'm not even close to being an adult. Sure, I can drink, drive and gamble, but that doesn't mean that I have given up dummy shaped suckers and swing sets. All I want to do is listen to music, write some words down on a piece of paper and laugh at stupid shit with my best friends. Preferably on a beach, but I'm not particularly fussy.
The other day, I skipped my media studies lecture (Sorry Rod) to take a cheeky beach trip. Have a drink, jump into the ocean, stare into the horizon. - because I can and it was lovely.
Lovely day at the beach :D
Be spontaneous. Don't forget to enjoy life.
So here's my advice; sleep late, have fun, get wild, drink whiskey and drive fast on empty streets with nothing in mind but falling in love and not getting arrested.
In my short lifetime I have been lucky enough to see a number of international bands.
Korn, Fall Out Boy, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Kings of Leon, Good Charlotte, Kaizer Chiefs, Avril Lavigne, Haste the Day, Billy Talent, Muse, Chris Cornell, Johnny Foreigner, Seven Year Kismet.
Recently I was lucky enough to add one more to that list. Red Hot Chili Peppers.
To be honest, I was slightly over eager for this one, and this was evident in me arriving about 6 hours early, but I was not alone. Braving the world of rock n roll with me were my two best friends and possibly a large amount of alcohol in my bag.
To be honest the opening act ,The Muffinz were horrendous which should not be a surprise as they used a 'z' instead of an 's' in their name. Die Antwoord, whom I don't entirely hate, really fucked shit up, for a lack of a better phrase. Sorry. They were surprisingly incredible, and when they brought out Money Mark (who is from the Beastie Boys, in case you didn't know), shit got real.
There was a stage when the stadium just went pitch black. It was time. The Red Hot Chili Peppers blew me and the other 64 999 people in the stadium that night away. There may or may not have been tears.
A few issues I did have though, drink lines, the giant ditch into which I fell and they didn't play Scar Tissue. Other than that, it was possibly the greatest night of my existence so far. I am possibly living in a RHCP aftermath depression because nothing is as cool anymore.
