Harkive 2017

Here we are again, another Harkive and another excuse to use this blog and pretend that I still update it regularly. If my memory serves me right this is the fourth Harkive I've done (2013 being the first), and whilst I can't promise that anything exciting will happen today or that I'll listen to anything unusual and worth writing about, hopefully there will still be enough tracks to make a decent blogpost and perhaps even a playlist if I feel so inclined.

It's currently just gone midnight, 00:09 to be precise, and I've just gotten back from seeing Dune (dir. David Lynch, 1984) in the cinema. Whilst it isn't commonly regarded as his finest work, this is probably the fifth time I've seen it this year alone, and that must be worthy of some sort of award. Annoyingly, this year's Harkive has come at a point where I'm stuck in a bit of a rut with the music I listen to; I haven't discovered anything new for ages and seem to end up listening to the same ten songs over and over again for hours at a time. Two of these songs are Echo Beach - Martha and The Muffins and I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) - Daryl Hall & John Oates, and they are also the two songs I have listened to so far today. Just a warning - this post may end up looking like the track listing of an 80s hits compilation album by the end of the day.

It's now nearly 12:30 and I'm just about to head into town to run some errands and mope around Selfridges for a while. I intended to go out earlier but spent the two hours after I woke up at 8 listening to Kraftwerk and Jean-Michel Jarre. As I was getting ready I put on Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's self titled debut album - because if it isn't from the 80s and it doesn't have a synthesiser in it - I'm not interested.

On the bus I listened to The Associates - a band I discovered in a Popular Modernism lecture at uni this past spring, and was frankly horrified that I hadn't ever listened to them before. Sulk has become my go-to album for when I don't know what to listen to, and today is one of those days. I didn't listen to anything whilst I was out and was instead treated to whatever background pop the shops and cafés had playing. Sometimes I'll get lucky and somewhere will be playing a song I love, but I wasn't so fortunate today.

It's almost 20:00 and I should probably put the oven on and cook something for dinner. Instead, I'm halfway through the Kraftwerk 3-D Catalogue that I've listened to almost every single day since I saw them at the Royal Albert Hall last month. It really is a brilliant album.

23:43 and Harkive 2017 is almost over. I watched several episodes of Seinfeld whilst I had dinner, and now I'm currently listening to some Suede to work out how to create a dumb Twin Peaks meme video I just thought up. It worked, and you can watch it on my Twitter here.

And that's a wrap on Harkive 2017! I'm editing this post the day after and I can't remember if I listened to anything else after I spent the best part of ten minutes editing the Suede song He's Dead to a clip from S3 E11 of Twin Peaks. As always, I never know how to finish these apart from with some drivel about how I absolutely 100% will start writing on here again and never do, so, see you in a year.

Harkive 2016

It's that time of year again! Harkive has once again snuck up on us and given me a reason to resurrect my blog for the day. It's currently 00:36, and I've spent the past half an hour uploading photos to Flickr and listening to various Kate Bush songs. About ten minutes ago I changed to The B-52's and as I write this I'm currently bopping along to Roam, the third single from their 1989 album Cosmic Thing.

01:00 and I've ended up listening to Billy Idol. I think I need to go to bed.

Stayed up until 05:00 (it's 10:58 now) watching the last season of US Queer as Folk so naturally I've awoken with the frankly awful theme music stuck in my head. I have no idea what it is but let me tell you - it's bad. I did have plans to go back to London today but faced with 32 degree heat I've elected to stay at home and try not to expire from heat exhaustion. Expect lots of Christmas songs about winter and being cold later.

14:40 and I'm trying to decide what to have for lunch that involves minimal prep and cooking because I do not have time for that in this weather. It only feels right to include one of my current fave albums in today's listening, so I've stuck on Courtney Barnett's Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. It feels apt for my life at the moment since all I do since breaking up from uni for the summer several months back is sit around and think. I did so much sitting around not really doing anything that I forgot to get a ticket for her show at Somerset House last week - I'm still gutted.

For the first time in years my room is the coolest room in the house so I've escaped back upstairs after a bowl of noodles. It's now 16:00, and I'm still listening to Courtney Barnett. I've decided that her music is the perfect soundtrack for a sunny heatwave day. The bad thing about the summer is that I feel so inspired to create things (be they art or music) but I just can't be bothered to do anything. I like to have something to do whilst I listen to music but I can't think of anything to do today except have a nap.

With nothing better to do I ended up watching 13 Going on 30, 12 years after I watched the first 10 minutes of it before the on demand on our NTL box died (those were the days...). The soundtrack is fab and has made me really want to stick on a Talking Heads record and steal the t-shirt one of the characters was wearing. I've just put Veruca Salt on after hearing Lillix's What I Like About You in the film - a total blast from the past and possibly one of the best songs of 2003? Maybe that's going a bit too far but it's certainly a banger.

It's 21:43 and the day is drawing to a close. I couldn't do a day documenting the music I listen to without including at least one Sleater-Kinney album, and have decided to go for One Beat since I've had Combat Rock stuck in my head for the past hour. After The Woods it's probably my most listened to album of theirs. I recently bought the 33 1/3 Dig Me Out book but am yet to read it as I keep re-reading Carrie Brownstein's memoir Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl (which I highly recommend).

As expected, I fell asleep sometime around 23:00 after listening to more Sleater-Kinney and watching a bunch of YouTube videos. This is a bit disappointing as I was hoping to get a few more hours of listening in before midnight but I do actually have things to do today (Wednesday) so maybe it's for the best.

Changes // New Beginnings

Such a corny title....I'm sorry....

Ok! Once again it's been ages since I wrote anything on this and despite my wanting to, you probably won't hear anything from me for another year. One of the last posts I made detailed a trip to Berlin to visit art schools that I took in July 2014 - a time when I was committed to going to art school and becoming a fully "qualified" artist. A lot has changed since then! I changed my mind from wanting to study in Germany to wanting to study in France, and then from going to university immediately after finishing my A Levels to taking a gap year (which also involved me changing my mind numerous times regarding what I wanted to do). Then I had a moment of madness in September and applied to Goldsmiths through clearing to study History of Art - and by some fluke, got in. Of course, now I face a whole new bunch of problems and I don't have any idea of what I'd actually like to do once I have my degree, but I've put those on the back burner for the time being.

Anyway, now I'm back living in London (and only a stone's throw from where I grew up, can you believe it) I might actually have some interesting things to write about on here. Stay tuned for them! At the moment I seem to spend most of my spare time in galleries eating chocolate cake and the other day I had the fantastic idea of starting a comparison/review series on them (although really it's just an excuse to eat more cake) which will be appearing shortly. Other than that, I don't really know what will be appearing and with my numerous attempts to change this blog around all failing, I think it's time to just go with the flow and write about whatever I feel like. Maybe there'll be more serious political posts, or maybe it'll still be all about the latest records from Scandinavia. (Exciting things are happening in that department currently: I might finally be going to Denmark and Sweden in 2016!). With a large amount of cool shops at my disposal and the wonderful thing that is the student loan, I'm sure there'll be posts about interesting knick-knacks that I pick up - which is something I don't think I've ever written about but I've always wanted to. And of course, lots of posts about exhibitions and galleries (and not just the cafes...)

I also still want to change the name of this blog, however I'm yet to find anything that sounds nice and professional and cultural. Suggestions are welcome, send them in on a postcard etc. etc.

New Sounds from Denmark: Harmony - Vinnie Who

After months and months of waiting, it's finally here! Yes, the third album from the wonderful Vinnie Who was released today, March 30th, and what a wonderful album it is. When 'Seven', the first single from 'Harmony' was released back at the end of 2014 I sincerely hoped the rest of the album would stand up to it's brilliance and it wouldn't be the only decent track. It was a fear I had until the second single 'Only Dreaming' was released a few weeks ago, but of course, it was equally as strong as the first single and my fears were diminished. The two singles rapidly became part of my repeat playlist, and the amount of times I've listened to them over the past few weeks is probably ridiculous, but they're just so good it's hard to not get hooked on them.

'Harmony' has a very different sound to the first two albums and I would go as far to say that this is probably the best of the three. It has a overall more sophisticated sound, with more melodic segments and well, more harmonies. It's hard to describe the sound without using a million adjectives, but if 'Then I Met You' is the album for the party, 'Harmony' is the album for the morning after. It's smooth, comforting, and drenched in sunlight. It also manages to have a glorious cinematic quality that I really can't describe. It sounds like when you're awake at four o'clock in the morning in the summer and the sun's just beginning to rise, or when the sun's just beginning to set and you're sat in a garden with your friends drinking a beverage that makes you feel all fuzzy and warm inside. It sounds like warmth and happiness. Especially 'Funtime', the fourth track. The whole album has quite a calming quality to it as well, even the more up-tempo 'Only Dreaming' has the power to send me into such a relaxed state that I could probably fall asleep in the right conditions. Not in a bad way, you understand. If I were to name my least favourite track, it would probably be 'Swimming', not because of any faults in the musicianship, it's a perfectly fine song, but just not my thing really. Maybe it's because I can't swim - I don't know. However, at a mere three minutes and nine seconds, making it the shortest track on the album, it doesn't do much to hinder my enjoyment of the other songs.

Unsurprisingly I give 'Harmony'  a solid 10/10 in every category. Would I give it album of the year status? Quite possibly yes, but as we're only three months in it's hard to say what the next nine months will bring. We've already seen very strong works from Sleater-Kinney and Pond, making 2015 an incredibly good year for music. With a new Blur album on the horizon, and a new Suede offering in the works, I have high hopes for the rest of the year. Whether 'Harmony' will stand up to them is a question I'm not willing to ask. I sincerely hope it does though, and I urge everyone to listen to it as soon as possible. I also hope the album gets the recognition it deserves outside of Denmark, and I would really love to see a gig in the UK at some point...*hint hint*.

'Harmony' is released on Fake Diamond Records and is available to listen to on Spotify, purchase in iTunes, and on CD in all Tiger stores worldwide. The vinyl will be available in Tiger stores from April 17th. 

Le Nice

At last I have reached the pinnacle of my writing career. For the first time something I've written, about something I love, has been emailed off and featured in a magazine. The feeling of seeing your name on a page is one that can't be beaten. That page is one of the pages of the fabulous new magazine Le Nice. It's a collaboration of all things wonderful and contributed to by wonderful people.
A few weeks (or months) ago the idea for this magazine was born, and although it sounded like a great idea to me to write something for it, I honestly had no idea and when I did get an idea it took me the week of the deadline to finally put finger to key and type it up. I decided to play it safe and write about something I've written about many times before - music from our wonderful continent of Europe. You can pretty much guess what I included if you've read past posts on here. I must admit, I did have some hang ups about writing about the somewhat unknown bands that I love, purely because I don't want to share them but at the same time I want everyone to like everything that I do. It's complicated. However, I sent it off anyway and now I am a published writer at last. I feel honoured to be able to be part of something that I know (or hope) is going to be great and take the world of journalism by storm. Here's hoping the editor of some super-hip German culture magazine reads it and offers me a job....

Le Nice can be read here and the accompanying playlist to my article is here   for your listening and reading pleasure.

New Sounds from Denmark: Seven - Vinnie Who

Now I know what you're all thinking, and yes this is yet another post about wonderful Scandinavian music. Once again I have travelled to Denmark in search of cool new tunes, and boy have I struck gold. This however was almost completely by accident, and with all new/old discovery posts - there's a story to go with it:

Sunday night - November 9th. A seemingly normal evening until I logged onto Facebook to discover a new post from Soundvenue (which is safe to say served as my bible back in 2010) with a link to the new single from Denmark's Vinnie Who (aka Niels Bagge Hansen). What followed was 3 minutes and 31 seconds of pure dreamy bliss that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but also reminded me of lazy summer evenings and that feeling you get when you've had a couple of glasses of wine and become very affectionate towards everything. With vocals that I can only describe as creamy and a beautiful melody that almost sends you to sleep (but in a good way), 'Seven' is fast becoming my favourite single of the year and is a sharp contrast to the more pop-py, disco synth-y sounds that can be heard on his first album. It's a welcome change. Of course, not to say I don't love the likes of 'Remedy' et al. but sometimes it's nice to have something softer to listen to, y'know?

'Seven', I believe, is the first single from the third Vinnie Who album, due out in early 2015, and if it's anything like that, I can't wait. Of course, as with all good things those of us who live outside of Denmark and continental Europe will probably have to wait 6 months or so to be able to listen to it - let alone buy a physical copy. However, I have high hopes and I'm sure it'll be fantastic. For those of you who want a slice of the action right now, 'Seven' is available to listen to on soundcloud via the Soundvenue website and will be available to purchase worldwide from Friday 14th November. Enjoy. 

How To: Learn A Language

So. You've just booked that dream two-week holiday to Sweden but discovered you know absolutely no Swedish. What do you do? Although the majority of the world does speak some level of English, going abroad and knowing none of the language can seriously limit your range of activities and make you appear an ignorant tourist, and no, shouting in English does not magically make the person on the receiving end understand you. Asides from the obvious holidays, there are millions of other reasons to learn a new language. Maybe you want to woo your new French colleague or buy some exciting new treats from the Polish delicatessen on the corner? There are also numerous health benefits to learning a language as it has been proven that multilingualism can help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease by about 4 years. It's also a pretty impressive skill to have. I myself have been learning at least one language for about 10 years now. I started in primary school aged 8 with Spanish, and then progressed to French and German once I started secondary school. I've dabbled with various other languages along the way: Danish, Russian, Japanese...I even studied Latin at GCSE (I don't recommend it), and now i'm considering moving abroad to either a French or German speaking country to further improve my skills,

Learning a new language, whether it be the first one outside of your mother tongue or your 20th, can be incredibly rewarding and even more so if you teach yourself it. I'm a huge advocate for teaching yourself things. You can go at whatever pace you like and spend a week learning the words for various foods if you can't remember them. You don't need to worry about that know-it-all in the class who takes every opportunity to remind the rest of the group how easy they're finding it. Everything's down to you. There are downsides to it though, it's easy to get caught up in other things and forget that you're supposed to be learning Serbian since you have no structure and no classes to attend or homework to hand in. Juggling work and your everyday life and still finding time to sit down with your notes can also pose a problem for learners of whatever age, unless you're retired and have all the time in the world. It can also be quite hard to find people to practice speaking with, unless you happen to know someone who can already speak the language. (Alternatively, persuade one of your friends that they want to learn this language too, it can be your secret code.) In order to make your journey to bilingualism easier, I've complied a list of some handy tips that I use to learn new languages and help with the ones I'm already studying. Of course, some of these will vary according to where you live, your age, and whether or not you speak another language already, etc, etc.

1. Use the internet. The internet is a fabulous resource for learning something new. There are thousands of websites dedicated to anything and everything so it shouldn't be too hard to find one to help your new language adventure. However, depending on what language you want to learn there will be various levels of resources available, and for various prices. For example, more websites have French resources than ones for Xhosa (I imagine). A quick Google of something along the lines of "learn Spanish" or "Spanish for beginners" should turn up many websites with helpful information. Personally, I like to use YouTube as many native speakers of various languages make videos explaining topics such as their alphabet and grammar to pronunciation and translation; and it doesn't cost anything to use it. Again, the amount of videos will vary according to the country and the number of speakers. There are also many other videos that explain how to learn a new language that could prove helpful if you need more guidance from more knowledgeable people than myself. 
2. Change the language of things you use everyday. Many smartphones, whether they be iPhones or an android alternative give you the option to change the language of your phone. Take advantage of it! I wouldn't recommend doing this just as you're beginning if you're learning a completely different language to ones you already know as it can be quite confusing, but if you already speak German well and are looking to learn Danish (two Germanic languages), why not! If you don't understand, you can always change it back (just so long as you remember how to). Following on from this, change the language of your Facebook account or another website you use often that gives you the option to change language settings. 
3. Download apps. Following on from point 1, there are many resources for phones and tablets that can help you learn a language. These are good as you can go over some key vocab or grammar on your way to work (provided you're not driving) or when you have a spare moment with nothing to do. Apps can vary from dictionaries to ones that give you the ability to make your own flashcards, and many others inbetween. Two favourites of mine are WordReference, an online dictionary that has an app for looking up words on-the-go and a German verb conjugator that has many verbs and has proved very very useful for written assignments. 
4. Listen to music and watch films or TV shows. Watching films and TV shows can be a great help when it comes to getting used to hearing a language and becoming familiar with the pattern of speech and pronunciation. It can however be daunting at first when you realise the people are speaking so fast that you can't understand them, but don't worry! Persevere and soon that'll be you too! Listening to music isn't just for pleasure, and although it may be nice to listen to some French songs once in a while it can really help you to learn a new language. Look up the lyrics, sing along, and maybe translate the songs that you really like, Not only will you not look stupid when you put on your favourite Croatian song at a party and someone asks you what it's saying, but you'll also be expanding your vocabulary. But learning a language isn't just about how many words you know and whether or not you know all the tenses; the cultural side is equally as important. and watching the latest drama series can also give you a picture of life in that country (depending on what it's about). Many films are available online, either on YouTube or via services such as Netflix, and music can be found all over the internet. 
5. Read. Read things in the language you're learning from day one. It may seem daunting, but you'll get through and feel so much better at the end of it. I'm not suggesting you go and buy all the works of that country's most prized author, there are things that are much cheaper and easier. Follow some twitter accounts that are in foreign languages, find a blog on a topic that interests you and read that, find a magazine and read that either online or in print form if you have an international newsagents nearby. The more the merrier. You don't need to read every word, skim over it, just get a feel for the style of how that language is written, and jot down any interesting words you think may come in later. Not only will your language improve, you'll be more clued up on interesting things too. Remember, you don't just have to read non-fiction texts. There are many short stories and poems that can be very easy to read too.
6. Try to talk to native speakers. This may be easier depending on where you live. For example, if you live in Spain but in a largely expat community where everyone speaks English and really want to learn Spanish, it shouldn't be too hard to find a Spanish person to talk to. If however, you live in America and want to learn Icelandic, it may be harder for you to find an Icelandic person to talk to. However, if you live in an area that many people move to from abroad, it shouldn't be too difficult. Take a trip to the expat area of your town or city, you may discover a new and exciting snack, make some new friends and be able to practice your language skills at the same time. 
7. Actually go to the country that they speak the language in. It may seem obvious, but there are many factors that can prevent this from happening depending on your age, where you live, and how much money you have. For people living in Europe who want to learn another European language it can be quite simple, especially if you live close to the border or if your country isn't that big. There are many train and road networks that make learning a language easier and can be inexpensive depending on the time of travel and the country you're in. Immersing yourself in the language is the best way to learn it, as you're forced to speak it and are hearing and seeing it everywhere you go. 

 Asides from these seven tips there are other things you can do to help you learn a language, such as buying various books to help you understand grammar, but these can often be fairly expensive and I wouldn't recommend doing so until you're certain that you really love the language and want to learn it more in-depth. Learning a language can also become expensive even without buying books, as many websites will ask you to sign up and pay a small fee in return for access to many services that may not be as good as you think. Language programmes such as Rosetta Stone may be helpful, but with prices up to £300 for a complete course it can sometimes be cheaper to visit the country of the language you want to learn and learn it by being surrounded by it. Remember that if you're intending on visiting another country alone to stay safe. In poorer countries kidnapping and pick-pocketing can be devastating for obvious reasons, and even if you want to explore the real country and not just the tourist hotspots, it's advised to not go out into "rough" areas and not to take unmarked taxis. 

Learning a new language is a journey in itself, from the day you learn how to introduce yourself to the day you finish reading your first novel. Remember that these things take time, you're not going to wake up fluent so keep going and don't give up! As cheesy and cliched as it may sound, the key to being good at anything is perseverance and knowing that it'll all be worth it in the end. 

Yugoslavia? Yugosuaveia...

I'm not entirely sure how I ended up last Friday night listening to various new wave tracks from the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, but I'm glad I did. Once again I was on the search for new things to listen to, whether they be rock, pop, or another genre entirely. It seems I've left the 90s world of britpop and fringes behind (only briefly I hasten to add) and have found myself in need of synth solos and questionable music videos. But this time I sought to find something different to the usual synthpop/new wave tunes I know and love. Something unlike anything I'd listened to before. What happened next is a bit of a blur - partly because it happened at about 2AM and partly because in periods of excitement I seem to forget everything. For some reason I decided to read the Wikipedia page for Yugoslavia, and then decided to visit this page on it's popular music (I thoroughly recommend visiting that link - hours of fun to be had). I'm no stranger to music from Europe. Who can forget the days of Oh No Ono and all those other Danish bands I used to (and still do to some extent) adore; and through studying various languages I've used music as a way to understand a country's culture and further my knowledge of the language in question.

After studying various Wikipedia pages in various levels of depth I turned to YouTube to try and find some of the songs and artists that had been mentioned. I chose bands that I thought sounded interesting based on name and what their style was described as and ended up exploring the music of Dorian Gray and Električni Orgazam, among others. Despite not understanding any of the lyrics due to my lack of Serbo-Croatian language skills, I thought they were great. That night I listened to a handful of songs from various artists and two Električni Orgazam albums which surprisingly are available on iTunes. I also watched the 1981 film "Dečko koji obećava" (The Promising Boy in English) which served as a showcase for various bands of the new wave and punk scenes. Spoiler: it's very very good. A band that has really stuck with me over these past few days is Film, a Croatian rock group who formed in Zagreb in 1978, and who were also one of the most popular groups in Yugoslavia in the late 70s and early 80s. They also supported Lene Lovich (whom I love a lot) on her 1980 Yugoslav tour. Unfortunately I haven't been able to track down any of their albums yet and have been thriving off singles for the past few days. Specifically the 1982 single "Zona Sumraka" or Twilight Zone in English. When you start to sing along to a song that isn't in a language you know it's probably a sign that you've listened to the song in question too many times...

I've only been listening to this stuff for a few days so it's hard to write a full post on it, but my first impressions are that if I ever manage to get my hands on a time machine I am 100% going back to 1980s Yugoslavia (if not to just experience life in a Socialist state...but that's a story for another day). I'm sure I'll write another thing about this after I completely exhaust everything the internet has to offer and end up booking a flight to Croatia to try and find some records, but for now - doviđenja!

Summer vibez

At last! The summer holidays are here. The time when once again I can stay up until 6AM watching The X-Files and listening to dreamy music (and not doing the summer work I've been given). However, as I am at last nearing the grand old age of 18 this is to be my last summer holiday that actually involves school, for next year I shall be heading off to university or quitting education altogether and becoming a penniless artist on the streets of some European city (I haven't quite decided which yet). Last Friday I visited the Universität der Künste in Berlin and it's safe to say I've fallen in love with it. It was their annual 'Rundgang', a three day event where you can wander around the university and look at the student's art, see the studios, and get information on applying. As time restraints meant we could only go to the main building in Charlottenburg, I didn't get to visit the Visual Communications faculty and only ended up seeing the Fine Art faculty. I'm incredibly glad though - all the art was amazing and 100% the stuff I'd like to end up making in the future. As I sat in the courtyard drinking a very refreshing bottle of lemonade and trying to translate the information sheets I'd been given, I suddenly realised that I don't really want to do fiddly complicated things with computers, I want to paint and be expressive and do drawings and sculptures! Thus, I shall be applying to study Fine Art instead of Visual Communication. (The language requirements are also a lot lower.....which is a relief.....). Sadly I was only in Berlin for two days, and didn't really have time to wander around leisurely and explore, and when you're there with people that have never been before all they really want to do is go to the iconic (and very busy and touristy) sights such as the Brandenburg Gate and the East Side Gallery. Nonetheless, I did enjoy going back to these and seeing them in nice sunny weather rather than the -14 degrees C temperatures of the last time I visited. It also made me realise that I need to brush up on my cycling if I'm going to live in a city where at least 80% of the population cycle, and that I'll probably need to cycle everywhere to burn off all the delicious (and very cheap) food from Back-Factory.

I don't really have anything else planned for the summer, apart from a few exhibitions, lots of TV-watching and once again trying and failing to learn the guitar. Speaking of musicy things, I've noticed over the past few years that my taste changes according to the seasons. (I've tried to write my reasoning for this about 20 times and I can't put it into words it just doesn't work.) In the summer I tend to like things such as:

• 60s bands such as The Mamas & The Papas 
• Dreamy shoegazey things
• 1990s American alt-rock indie stuff with guitars
• Surf rock

I think that's sort of made it a bit clearer....maybe....it's still only a very, very brief list. I think it should be noted that my favourite band at the moment is Pavement. For the past two years or so I've listened to them (fyi: only during the summer) but it's only really been their singles and most popular songs. There's some bands that for me never really 'click' until a certain time. It happened with Pink Floyd, then Manic Street Preachers, and now this. (Maybe my brain gradually becomes more receptive to things over time and it needs little bits here and there to really like something. I don't know.) The other week I decided to look past the singles and venture down into the world of album tracks, and boy, am I glad I did. It's dangerous for me to write about things that I'm really really into; I'm so blinded by love that I can't seem to write anything coherently that isn't extraordinarily biased, so I'm going to stop here and say that my current fave album of theirs is Terror Twilight and it's pretty much all I've listened to for two weeks and that you should definitely check it out. I might chuck a few songs in at the end of this post, just like I used to do back in the old days......

In other news, Treefight For Sunlight's second album 'Pizza' is finally being released in the UK! If anyone's been here long enough to remember when their first album came out, you'll know how excited I am for this. However, if it's anything like last time we'll get given a different album name and artwork.....(still not bitter about that). They're another band I like to listen to at this time of year. If 'Come Closer' isn't on all your summer playlists you're seriously missing out. I'll hopefully have a review type thing up next week. I'm trying to get back into those..... Speaking of which, I'm toying between changing up this blog and starting a fresh with a new one. A more grown up one. After all, this has been going since 2009, and although the style and quality of posts has changed (for better or for worse, you decide) and is slightly more professional, I'd still like to start over again and have something that I wouldn't mind showing off and not living in fear that someone will find my old posts from back in the day. I could always delete them though......but can I bring myself to do that? 

I'm rambling again, aren't I. 

 

Harkive 2014 etc

Jeez, has it been a year already? It seems like only yesterday I was compiling the list of albums I was listening to as we once again celebrate Harkive - a day in which people document all the funky tunes (or otherwise) that they're listening to. Unfortunately due to being out all day I haven't been able to immerse myself in said tunes like I did last year, so here is a brief list of things I have listened to today:

1. Pixies // Doolittle 
2. The Cure // Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
3. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks // Wig Out at Jagbags
4. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks // Mirror Traffic
5. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks // Real Emotional Trash
6. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks // Dark Wave
7. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks // Pig Lib

Now I know what you're thinking and yes I did just come home and stick SM & The Jicks on and leave it at that (they're so good though can you blame me?).To be honest, I haven't really had much diversity in the music I've been listening to recently - I've been on my "summer playlist" which is probably about 99% Pavement. I've also really been into German and French artists such as Nena, Indochine, Nina Hagen, and Housse de Racket, among other things. I recently discovered an album of "Ostrock" on Spotify and it's been on non-stop ever since. I've been playing Grace Jones and The Mamas & the Papas quite a lot too, and in terms of new music I've really been digging Arcade Fire and Teleman. Once again, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks' new-ish album Wig Out at Jagbags is also really ace too, and although it came out in January this is the first time I've listened to it (I highly recommend you do the same - if you haven't already) They're playing a few UK dates this summer, and I'm hoping to catch them in Brighton in August. 

In terms of non-music things, I spent a week in Japan back in April and should have a post up about that shortly (if I remember). In the meantime, I've stuck a load of pictures up on my flickr if you're interested. I'm also considering making some changes to this blog. I hopefully should be moving to Berlin next year to pursue my art school dreams and maybe I'll try to integrate some of that stuff onto here. I might try to document my "journey" to moving abroad and start to do some exhibition reviews and perhaps showcasing some of my own art on here. I currently have an art tumblr, but I feel on here I could perhaps write a bit more and write about the artists that interest me. I don't know. It's just a thought. I do want to start writing properly again though, and when you study two foreign languages you can almost forget how to write in English....

Maybe I could write things in French or German, but I doubt anyone'd be interested in that. 

Harkive 2013

A few days ago I was alerted to a rather interesting project called Harkive. For those unaware of what this is, it's a project that aims to create a unique snapshot of the listening habits of music fans all over the globe (you can find out more at their website here). Since I had nothing planned for the day - 9th July, I thought why not give it a shot, and made a mental note not to listen to any embarrassing early noughties pop hits...

My day began at about 1AM. I had intended on waiting until the morning, but since I was still wide awake with nothing to do (and no hope of sleeping thanks to this dreadful weather), I decided to stick a record on. Deciding what to play was a no-brainer. Pulp's His 'N' Hers (deluxe edition of course, we all love a b-side or two). This is one of those albums that you can get lost in. All the tracks flow so wonderfully that they seem to merge into one - especially when it's fairly late and you're delirious with the heat. Or maybe I've just played it so many times that I know the track listing off by heart and can tell you the order the songs come in before the needle's even down.... (I must confess, I haven't listened to Pulp much since I saw Suede back in March, something seemed to happen on that night that left me pretty much unable to listen to anything else but them for over three months, but I'm sure there'll be more on that later.) The latter half of the record, that incorporates The Sisters EP  and a selection of wonderful b-sides, demos, and BBC sessions is probably my favourite. His 'n' Hers (from the Sisters EP) and Street Lites (b-side to DYRTFT?) are most likely my two favourite Pulp songs, and will forever bring back memories of the train journey up to Sheffield to see them back in December 2012. Sadly neither were played, but it was probably a good thing for the sake of my health...I probably would've died and that's not an exaggeration. By the time the record finished it was almost 3, so I decided to leave and attempt to get some sleep.
After a hard morning of drinking absurd amounts of coffee and online shopping, I returned to my computer to find I'd been asked my opinion on Supergrass. Of course, this meant listening to Caught By The Fuzz and Diamond Hoo Ha Man multiple times. That being said, the piano on St. Petersburg is still one of the most incredible things I've had the pleasure to listen to and has been on my ever growing list of songs to learn for the best part of four years. But then again, I say that about the majority of songs with fantastic piano parts... Natural progression led me to Supertramp at 2:15PM. I realised after several plays of Take The Long Way Home (ooh feel the harmonica) that this wasn't where I wanted to be and decided to return to the world of daytime TV for my lunch. If the Gladstone Brookes advert music was available on iTunes, I swear to God it would be #1 in my top 25 most played songs.
At around 4PM everyone arrived home and I retreated upstairs to escape the obnoxious children's TV themes that make every weekday afternoon so special. Much to my delight, my neighbours had decided to stick Cotton Eye Joe on very loudly; so loudly in fact that it was like it was being performed live in their garden. I fought back with Suede's Dog Man Star. Again, deluxe edition for the fabulous extended Stay Together, the phenomenal Killing of A Flash Boy and Whipsnade, and the original unedited version of The Wild Ones (to this day I have no idea why they cut out the magnificent guitar at the end). However, about half way through Black or Blue I felt the need to play the guitar and spent the rest of the afternoon stumbling through The Lively Ones' Surf Rider and watching surf rock covers on YouTube. A fair amount of ooh-ing and ahh-ing over jazzmasters happened too - I would happily sell all my possessions just to be able to hold one for an hour or so. Especially if it was in seafoam green...or the new aztek gold....(the list of guitars I want is almost as long as the list of songs I want to be able to play on them.) I eventually returned to Suede - the lure of The Asphalt World and the previously mentioned original unedited version of The Wild Ones was too strong, and the glory of the guitar parts made me go weak at the knees. I've listened to them both over 100 times by now and I still don't know how it's possible for a song to be that great. (I would also sell all my possessions for a guitar lesson from Bernard Butler....could you imagine).
At 9PM I was still stuck in the Suede hole, and it didn't look like there was any hope of escaping any time soon. This time it was Coming Up. If I had to pick a favourite Suede album, this'd probably be it. It's hard to describe a band/person you've become infatuated with without sounding extremely soppy and a bit daft, so I'll cut to the chase and say that Suede are fantastic and the best live band you'll ever see. Ever. I don't think a day has passed where I haven't listened to them since I went to see them at Alexandra Palace back in March, and I've not shut up about them either... Every track on Coming Up is magnificent in it's own special way, even the likes of She and Starcrazy, both of which seem to get a lot of stick from the fans. The best tracks on the album are almost definitely Picnic By The Motorway and The Chemistry Between Us. What I wouldn't give to hear them live....perhaps in Birmingham on October 31st?....*hint hint*
(I could end up writing a whole essay dedicated to my love for Suede and this album, but since this is supposed to be about all the music I've listened to today and I think I've already gained a reputation in certain corners of the internet for being "obsessed" (pffftt), I'll move on.)
I finally found my way out of the Suede hole and collapsed into the arms of Donna Summer at around 10:30. If there's one thing I love more than britpop, it's disco "and other funky things". I can frequently be found weeping over Funkadelic's Maggot Brain and wishing I was able to replicate the awe-inspiring bass lines of Chic songs. I'm also partial to a bit of ABBA, especially the long version of Eagle (ooh the synths). After Donna had finished doing her thing, I switched to Boney M. I'm determined to open a discotheque one day just so I can dance around and sing Sunny without getting funny looks from people (and dress up in shiny clothes and spandex (oops)). Next year I'll be studying the history of Russia, and I can guarantee all my lessons will be spent humming Rasputin and trying to quietly tap my feet under the table. Boney M naturally became Chic and suddenly it was like Studio 54 in my bedroom. Anyone who watched their performance at Glastonbury this year, either live or televised, is aware of how great they are and how much of a legend Nile Rodgers is. The amount of foot-tapping and chair-dancing that happened that night left me sore the next morning, and the amount of jealousy I felt for the lucky bastards who got to go up on stage with them at the end has never been felt before. As the day drew to a close, Chic were still playing and I didn't want to interrupt the funk. So, I decided at 11:30 that that was it and decided call it a day. Everybody Dance seemed like the perfect thing to finish on, especially as I'd always imagined it being used in the closing credits of a film...

So that's it! Doing this was much harder than I had anticipated; I never usually put much thought into what I listen to or why, but today it seemed I was making a conscious effort to listen to certain things and think about why I'd chosen them. One thing's for certain though, I probably listened to more spotify adverts than I did actual songs...

Music, again.

Remember when I actually used to post quality things? Me neither...


OK, so I promised you an update-y post, and this is sort of it - but not really. This is just another whiny music post that I used to make thousands of 'back in the day'.
As you may've grasped (if you follow my Tumblr/Twitter), my music taste changes very rapidly, and eclectically. I get bored incredibly easily, and I need to switch things up from time to time. This can get quite annoying, as I'll spend £££ on CDs/iTunes buying stuff by a certain band/genre - only to discover a few months down the line I barely listen to them.

As 2011 rolled into 2012, I was in the middle of a prog daze. I was obsessed with Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, etc, and everything else was irrelevant. But then I started to get fed up with it. I simply didn't have the time for half-hour long organ solos anymore.
 So I went back to my beloved Pulp (who are my all time favourite band if you didn't already know. And I'm 110% sure when I say 'all time favourite'.) I hadn't listened to them since September/October, and it felt good to be back with Jarvis and co. It was familiar, sexy, light-hearted, and more importantly - didn't take all day to listen to. And I lapped it up, every minute of it.

But then something changed (unintentional Pulp reference, I'm sorry). I clicked on a Jesus and Mary Chain video. I'd attempted to listen to them before, but for some reason unbeknownst to me, I didn't like it or something. I can't remember why. But this time, something clicked. I LOVED it. Where had this band been all my life? Why had no-one told me about them before? I liked what I heard, so I explored deeper into their discography.

The rest is just a blur.

All I know is that I'm now in love with The Jesus and Mary Chain (and Jim Reid. I MEAN WHAT.)

I've lost track of what I was talking about now...


Yes, that's right, I remember.
If you'd asked me in November/December that in a few months I'd be listening to JAMC, and the other bands I'll mention later, I'd probably have laughed in your face and told you to get on your bike. Or not, I don't know.
That's what I like about my music taste, how varied it can be. I go through phases, I never like one thing for an extended period of time.
When I was listening to all this prog stuff, I did actually feel out of place amongst other fans. I wear mostly black, have short-ish fairly "wild" hair, and I never lusted after men with long hair (as a good 70% of the female prog fangirls on tumblr do...). I value these bands more musically than anything else, and listening to them has had a great impact on the music that I make, and how I view certain things.
It did make me feel like shit a lot though, as I gave up piano lessons after two yeas and no grades, and I'm not a fantastic musician at the best of times, and 'idolising' these musicians was making me want to cut my hands off.
But how I see it (however corny it may be), is that that was one chapter in my life, and now I'm onto another (I'm sorry this is so cheesy I'll be getting the pickle out in a minute), and an accumulation of all of these "chapters" (shoot me, please) will shape the person I'll become in the future. (fuck.)

Deep stuff, man.

But, yeah, that aside, here is a list of the bands that I'm listening to at the moment:

-The Jesus and Mary Chain
-Sonic Youth
-Echo & The Bunnymen
-Aztec Camera
-The Pastels
-The Cramps

And probably more that I can't remember.

This post got a little too deep at the end for my liking, so I'll leave it here and run out the door not to embarrass myself further. I never was any good at conclusions.


Tumblr : televisionsick.tumblr.com  

Oh dear...

Apologies, The Virgin Suicides, Pink Floyd and Brains

I said I was going to come back to posting regularly. Nothing much came of that now, did it? I think the last time I posted was mid-August. Oh well. Live and let live.
I do miss writing this, not that anyone bothers to read my musings on various aspects of 21st century pop culture anyway, but nonetheless, it's nice to have a place to "vent spleen" as they say.
I want to come back to writing, but what with education and my ever declining health it's almost impossible to find an hour in the day to have a cup of tea, let alone sit at my computer and keep a blog.
I have been tumblin'  and awful lot though, so I suppose that's rather a bad excuse (!)

I like Tumblr. I've had it for almost a year now, and I really do enjoy it. It's nice to find people that like the same things that I do, and although I'm far too shy to talk to anyone, the people there do seem genuinely nice!
However, it has made me into an obsessive fangirl, the kind I used to dislike but secretly always was. My current obsessions at the moment are Pink Floyd and "The Virgin Suicides".

I finally managed to watch "The Virgin Suicides".
I don't really know what to say about it. I'm probably the last person on the planet to watch it, and it has made quite an impact on me.
I'm not going to go out and kill myself anytime soon, though, so don't worry.
I really can't explain it.
I don't know whether it's the song "Highschool Lover" by Air that is used as the main theme, or if it's just the general atmosphere of the whole film.
But the song, yes. I've made it my mission to learn it on the piano. It's so beautiful, and so mesmorising, yet almost nostalgic. The way it just melts together makes it so familiar and comforting, like a grandmother or something, yet it's also very melancholic and sinister. It makes you question things, yet gives you a "float-y" feeling, a false sense of security.

On to more music, with my current band obsession being Pink Floyd.
Pink Floyd were always the band my dad liked. They made albums about walls. So what? I never paid much interest to them, never really my taste.
Then, something clicked.
I picked up my dad's cassette of "The Dark Side of The Moon", listened to it the whole way through, and enjoyed it!
I listened to "Wish You Were Here". Then "The Wall".
And then I listened to "The Piper at The Gates of Dawn".
Wow.
I can't really remember what happened after that, apart from an obsession that began "spiraling out of control" (as some may say...). I became fascinated by them.
The beginning of my obsession coincided with the re-issues of all the studio albums and the whole "Why Pink Floyd?" campaign.
BBC Four had a night of documentaries on them, including "Live at Pompeii".
I stayed up and watched every last bit.
6 Music had a night of programmes about them. 7:30PM to 4:00AM.
I stayed awake for all eight and a half hours, intently listening to every last word.
I watched "The Wall", both versions of "Live at Pompeii", and Barbet Schroeder's 1969 film "More", to which Pink Floyd provided the soundtrack.
Their music is just incredible. (I'll probably make a separate post on this soon, otherwise this one will go on for ever. It's already 2:30AM here.)
I really can't go into deep and elaborate reasons why I love them so much via. typing. I'd have to talk to you in person and show you pictures and play you records.

I am the kind of person who becomes obsessed over things easily. I don't understand how I am and others are not, but I guess that's just the way my brain functions.
I've been reading a lot about brains recently. They fascinate me. How these lumps of grey matter control everything we do. Our emotions, our actions, what we decide to put in our sandwiches that day. Everything!
Mental health is of great interest to me too, and how what we decide to put into our bodies can alter our brains forever.
I definitely want to research more into brains. Expect brain related matter (no pun intended) appearing soon.

So, I guess that's about it. I don't really think I have anything else to say tonight/this morning. I think I'll just sit here and listen to "Highschool Lover" on repeat until I can't stand it anymore and then by that time it might be an acceptable time to go for a walk.

I never was any good at conclusions.

Day 11 – A song from your favourite band (+bonus story thing!)

Just in case you hadn't already noticed, Kraftwerk are my favourite band. I first knew who they were back in 2000, when I first heard "Expo 2000". Even today, that song sends shivers down my spine. It's not my favourite, but it's a brilliant, brilliant song.
My love for Kraftwerk only really fully developed about a few months ago when I found out I'd be going to Germany. I decided to listen to some German music, and I put on "The Model" because it was the only Kraftwerk song I knew well. After listening to it several times, I decided to look at the recommended videos in the sidebar and settled on listening to "Die Mensch Maschine". I instantly knew I'd found a band that I'd love for life. I spent the entire night on YouTube, listening to songs and watching videos. Then, the next day, I downloaded (almost) their entire discography. I was suddenly overwhelmed with this beautiful electronic music. It was like nothing I'd heard before. To be honest, I actually cried when I listened to a few of their songs, just because of the sheer beauty and magnificence they held. These beautifully orchestrated synthesisers made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. I couldn't believe that I only knew one song by them. How had these four brilliant men from Düsseldorf passed me by? Why hadn't I bought all their albums years ago? Why wasn't I born several decades earlier, and in Germany?
I started to save up to buy their records. I was planning to start with "Autobahn", and move along in chronological order until I owned every single album - in English and in German. But alas, I still don't own any records. I'm hoping I might get one for my birthday, along with "The Best of Kraftwerk Songbook" and Wolfgang Flur's book, ""Kraftwerk": I Was A Robot" - two books I simply have to own (!)
I'm starting to agree with people now, and admit that I'm slightly obsessed...
If I were to explain everything I love about Kraftwerk, then we'd be here all night, so I'm just going to put up all of the songs that have videos to go with them.
But before I do that, I think I'll have to thank those four brilliant men from Düsseldorf, because they have just been a massive influence on me, and if I'd never gotten in to Kraftwerk, then I wouldn't have discovered other brilliant German bands like NEU!, CAN, Popol Vuh, Tangerine Dream and all the other Krautrock bands that I have grown to love. So Dankeschön, Ralf, Florian, Karl and Wolfgang.
(The original line-up of Kraftwerk, for those who are unaware.)

If there is mecca, then it is The Kling Klang Studio - Mintropstrasse 16, 40215 Düsseldorf, Germany.
(Yes, I know the address. The actual studio isn't there anymore. They moved a few years ago, but this is the site where it was during their "heyday", as some might say.
















 These were the only ones I could find with embed codes.

Ich liebe Kraftwerk

Day 10 – A song that makes you fall asleep

...And now we come to the post where I can share beautiful music with you. Nothing is more beautiful than a bit of Krautrock - especially when it's done by Kraftwerk.
OK, so not exactly Kraftwerk - but the band that they were: Organisation.
I'm actually itching to get my hands on a copy of "Tone Float", but being super rare, it's also super expensive. A mint-condition copy sold earlier this year for £400 odd.

The song that I've chosen is actually the band's name spelled backwards. I just find it a lovely instrumental piece of music, and it's probably my favourite track from the album.


Organisation - Noitasinagro


It just makes me feel wonderfully drowsy and dreamy.

And that organ part... 

Day 09 – A song that you can dance to

Let's face it, who can't dance to this! I'm a Mod at heart...


The Lambrettas - Poison Ivy 


Have another one, because I couldn't decide what song to choose!


Cross Section - Hi Heeled Sneakers


And with clips from "Quadrophenia"! I really am spoiling you tonight.

We are the mods, we are the mods, we are, we are, we are the mods!

Day 08 – A song that you know all the words to

Should I be ashamed of this?


Wham! - Wham! Rap


Well listen Mr. Average - You're a jerk!

Day 07 – A song that reminds you of a certain event

Pretty standard story behind this one. It reminds me of the countless train journeys I've been on, because I always play this song.


Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express


Did I mention I can play this on the keyboard?

I really like the video of this one as well. They look HUMAN. They even SMILE!

Ich liebe Kraftwerk! 

Day 06 – A song that reminds of you of somewhere

I've chosen this song because the whole album was the soundtrack to my holiday in Ireland last year. You wouldn't really expect me to like Simon & Garfunkel, but I have "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on Vinyl! (It belonged to one of my parents (I'm not sure which one) and I've subsequently adopted it.)


Simon & Garfunkel - Mrs Robinson


Of course, this song was in "The Graduate", and I really really really want to see that film!

Day 05 – A song that reminds you of someone

I'm going to be really soppy and say that this song reminds me of my mum, because she likes it.


Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine


Decent tune.