Last Month's Playlist

Here's last month's playlist to share!

Give it a shuffle, and enjoy.

Duet Cassette: Bastille & Gabrielle Aplin

After an array of unique covers, Bastille have teamed up with the innocent sound of Gabrielle Aplin for their latest spectrum to hit perfection:

Haunting Hibernation: Youth Lagoon

Hidden beneath a dusty dredge of emotion and blanketed under a leafy layer of mental dysphoria is Youth Lagoon, AKA Trevor Powers. The Californian musician released his debut album The Year of Hibernation in September 2011, and for me, it has taken a long cold year for Powers to come out of hibernation and find me.

Described as 'dream pop', 'experimental', 'atmospheric' and 'electronic', Powers' music is certainly eclectic; but there is something engaging about it, which makes Youth Lagoon stand out among others still sleeping in this genre. 

While complex euphoric music is no new feat, with different genres of euphoria emerging, The Year of Hibernation is a leafy mix of day dreaming, scenic songs, clever touches and beautiful lyrics that still make sense when you aren't listening to the words. It is easy listening music making you feel 'deep' inside. The digital chords, synthesized vocals, hollow beginnings, and progressive arrangements make the whole record a magical journey.

In fact, the more you listen, the more you get the impression that Powers himself has been on a journey through this record. 

'When I was seventeen, 

my mother said to me, 

"Don't stop imagining. 

The day that you do is the day that you die".

(From Seventeen)

His words are sometimes all over the places, and even a little whiney and repetitive, but at the heart of them is a world of stories. They are meaningful, even if you're not sure about their exact meaning. 

You wore a hoodless sweatshirt on your bed that night 

With black leggings, I've never seen your face so white

Your honesty was killing me 

The monsters in the room were all dancing to the music all around us

(From Montana)

Perhaps it is the sense that Powers himself has delved and explored deep into personal wounds, battles and emotions, that makes The Year of Hibernation come to life. It doesn't just feel like you are waking up the youthful hipster in yourself, but it feels like you are part of a very personal, very large following. Despite others being awoken to Youth Lagoon before me, I still feel a magical privacy with the music.

Cover: Bastille - What Would You Do

Bastille have covered the infamous City High rap song, 'What Would You Do', and it's beautiful. The South London quartet, headed up by Dan Smith, seem to infuse their own style and sound into everything they touch. Magic.

Rediscovery: Tracy Chapman

Rediscovering Tracy Chapman today.

I love this comment. It eloquently sums up someone's love, inspiration and admiration for the singer.

Gig Review: Dillon

MENU

Hoxton Square Bar and Grill, London

Sunday 21st October 2012

To Drink:
1 Gin & Tonic
1 Vodka + Tomato Juice (#Hangover)

For Starters:
Dillon's support act was made up of a beautiful female vocalist, a guitarist, and another guy doing, well, everything else apparently.

They made long, psychedelic interludes which would probably have been much more enjoyable if it was 5am on a Saturday night in a grimy east London basement club and I was wasted. However, it was not, and I was not.  The music was very electronic, almost tribal in places, and not something to sing along to, with no defined melody or catchy tracks. Nonetheless, the girls voice was rich.Whether she was singing words or just tuneful 'aaaaaaaaahs', I respected the interesting combinations of electronic instruments with clearly 3 talented musicians. But...none of this even matters, because they did not even introduce themselves or say hello. The mystery band of electric music-teers will remain ever mysterious nameless from my pallet.


For Mains:
What a cute dish. Her voice, although she was feeling under the weather and perhaps a little croaky, was beautiful. The tone and German accent gave off emotions, while the interesting melodies of her songs simmered with the right balance of meaning and tune.

For anyone unaccustomed to Dillon's music, I think it's a beautiful original concotion, like Lykke Li or Ellie Goulding, with an extra bite of atmosphere. It's quirky, imaginative, and always surprising.

Again, like the inconspicuous electric music-teers just before her, Dillon lacked a certain value of entertainment, or crowd interaction, perhaps because, it's just all about the music, dude. There was very little conversation, but as things started to relax, she started to get things going, and in a magical instant she had fans, ladies, fellas and the bar staff singing the chorus of 'tip tapping', rather impressively I thought, right from the start of the song to the finish, while she set up the verses.

Despite her beautiful voice, there was no telling whether Dillon was beautiful in the flesh. The entire set was in almost pitch darkness, with a couple of strobes brightening up occasionally like a flicker of hope, before descending once more into black. I understand the atmosphere, the interesting brooding with which darkness brings, and the rich, organic concentrate of music; however I wanted to see her. It was infuriating not to be looking at this beautiful Germanic creature, to the extent that the personableness of the gig itself was somewhat lost.

But, she managed to win us back losing her voice in the final encore, revealing that somewhere in the darkness, her cute personality was quietly and demurely singing '[past lover] fuck you. And die. Fuck you. And die' before she went off to nurse a lemsip and a strepsil.


For Pudding:
A walk to the tube in the rain, followed by a good night's sleep.

Fro Pas

Having an Afro is fun.
Blocking everyone behind you at the
gig from catching a glimpse of the band: not fun.
Corn roll that, or move to the back.

Tantalising - Matt Corby

Sometimes hearing things first is good. It ensures assumptions about appearance are not made. It ensures you don't just hear the music, but listen to it.

 This aside, Matt Corby seems to back up his tantalising vocals, with his tantalising looks. Beautiful Song, beautiful voice, beautiful.

Video: Tom Vek - Aroused

Cigarettes vs. Arousal.

Legend Lyrics: Jamie MacDowell (& Tom Thum) - Thanks

 Tom Thum, the Australian beat boxer on this track, invited his friend Jamie MacDowell on stage to sing and strum at his Edinburgh Fringe show in August. The song is beautiful, but it is only when you properly discover the complexity and imaginative lyrics that you appreciate the song and genius behind it.

I've got no need for anyone but you.
I could get used to losing nutrients and them kilograms, abandon all the food groups.
Man, the truth is I would stand upright all night long if you asked me too.
Because that would mean more room for you.

There ain't a coat that could protect me from the coldness like you do.
Can't find comfort within cardigan, that i can't find in you.
I've got no use for, what some would call the usual pursuits, because i got used to the unusual in you.

I don't need light, I barely need my eyes, because you turn up on the other side behind them. Just like light, you follow through.
And I can make excuses for the places that I said I'd be tonight, if you don't mind, I'd rather follow you.

As far as food goes, I'll survive without it, so far I've been fine.
Since meeting you, I've lost my appetite, and ain't got plans to find it.
Just like fighters meet the bruises, and chemicals will find their users, just like lightning meets the gloom, well I met you.

And since then I've been experiencing a longing that comes close to being lonely, and goes in hand with hopeful.
It's oh so quotable. It seems, the more i let myself believe, the less the rest of this will mean.

Now there's just two good ways to stun a man, the gun, and then there's you.
But there's a hundred ways to love you and one hundred ways I'll use.
I'll even keep the best of all of them for last, so i can prove that after all, there's even more to look forward to.

I don't need light, I barely need my eyes, because you turn up on the other side behind them. Just like light, you follow through.
And I can make excuses for the places that I said I'd be tonight, if you don't mind, I'd rather follow you.