Update on my life

Hi everyone,

So just a catch up for those who have been following along my life (whether that be a social media stalker or good friends that I have seemingly dropped off the planet for), over the last year and a bit I have been a bit busy. First of all finishing my Honours degree (which I got first class for baby! yeah!) but also beginning my PhD and all the trials and tribulations that come along with that.

If you do know a bit about what that is like, you will know that academia involves a lot of writing. So much writing. So I have been a bit busy, as you can imagine, doing this and that and having a few mental health crisis' etc. This blog has been a bit vacant, but hopefully as I get more time here and there I can update more regularly.

The writing fatigue takes it out of you though, it's hard to keep both creative and academic writing energy levels up and so I do generally tend to drop the ball on things here and there. So as a bit of a welcome back I thought I would leave you a cute little song that has been stuck in my head for the past few months. Firstly cos it's catchy, but also because the music video was shot in Fremantle  - a place where I spent much of my childhood and adolescence. So it has a definite warm place in my heart.

Sugar - Peking Duk ft. Jack River

So this song has a real gorgeous 90s feel to it, and that same fun jovial style that we expect of Peking Duk. Bring in some AQUA-esque 90s pop sounds and you have one hell of a summer hit. It's winter right now in Perth, so maybe it doesn't have quite the same charm to it for my good friends back home. But right now, I am soaking up the sun (and some of the rain) in Copenhagen, so here is a fun summer hit for the northern hemisphere to enjoy.

Enjoy the song!


Lots of love,

Kristen

Album Spotlight: Fingertips by Vera Blue

Hi everyone,

Thought I'd poke my head in and say hello to stay current and relevant. Unlike my gym membership, this blog doesn't seem to send reminders every few weeks telling me I should stop being lazy and hint towards my lack of commitment. When I say I've been a bit busy, I wish it was an exaggeration. anyone considering doing post graduate studies, please, I implore you to think seriously about your mental fortitude. Burn out is real, and I've been picking up random hobbies in the hopes that it enriches my outlook on life (usually quite melodramatic, as you know by now) and stops me from throwing myself in front of a bus (see what I mean).

So, without further ado, I thought this post would be about Vera Blue's second EP Fingertips.

Vera Blue -  Fingertips 

This is the first EP released by Vera Blue under this name, and she has previously released an EP under her birth name, Celia Pavey. I've previously gushed about how much of an actual darling this girl is. Her music is soulfully breathtaking. The mix of haunting melodies and beautiful lyricism in her voice translates across a vulnerability and realism that I wash over my soul. Let's forget about the fact that I pretty much put this album on in the car when I'm driving home after a bad day to  belt out the lyrics. It's a really good coping mechanism, I would definitely recommend.

I really like the folksy element to her songs that's almost seamlessly mixed with this alternative grungy electronic sound (see 'Fingertips'). She's got a very unique sound that I adore, I'm constantly surprised by the way that her songs turn out differently to what you expect. She manages to find a way to straddle the line between two genres which is pretty impressive.

Also, as a side note. Her Like a Version from last year is pretty damn awesome. Jack Garrett is another red headed bae, but that aside. Just listen to her take on 'Breathe Life' and I'll let you make up your mind on how talented and beautiful this young woman is. 

Anyway, just a short post from me this week. I hope you all are doing well :)

xx Kristen

Music Videos to Cheer You Up

Hey friends,

For those who aren't in Perth at the moment and aren't experiencing the cold blast of rain and depression that has hit us so suddenly I am considerably jealous. The weather this year has been something of note, especially with the conditions of the 2016-2017 summer being the most disappointing to date. I feel completely swindled out of the happiness that comes with healthy doses of vitamin D and searing heat. What's really been helping keep my mind off the fact that it's mid March and I'm thinking about putting my space heater on has been revisiting some of my favourite music videos over the recent years. I hope you get a kick out of them too.

Beware the Dog - The Griswolds

I think the thing I loved about this music video (apart from the dope-ass song by The Griswolds) was the whole werewolf trope. It was done so cleverly, with a tip of the hat to some old classic horror films that I love to watch (mainly because they aren't really that scary... I'm actually a big wuss with modern horror films). I loved the twist at the end, the gory arms and legs flying everywhere, and of course, just the rampant eating of people. This was my first taste of The Griswolds and the music that they made and I kind of fell in love. People say don't judge a book by its cover, but when you have a music video that is shot so artistically and with a sense of humour that clicks with you - what are you meant to do? 

Pork Soda - The Glass Animals

Oh man. What can I say about the Glass Animals apart from I love them and that March 2017's playlist has been most of the ZABA album on repeat. I can never work out what the Glass Animals songs are about, but I think that's part of their charm. I love this video for the very talented puppy dog, who is a rescue named Princess. Princess (a boy) recently learned how to moonwalk which is more than I can say about myself. This song is actually really sweet, but I won't try to decipher the lyrics for you because I have no idea about what they mean at all.

Don't Stop (Colour on the Walls) - Foster the People

This song has a funny story actually. This song came out just as I got my learner's permit. Of course, it took me about 3 years from that time to actually start driving places, but I always would have this video playing in my head when I was going for driving lessons. Torches was such a good album, but I feel like Foster the People really came into their own in Supermodel. This music video is so fun, it was a real throwback trying to think of videos for this post.


Anyway, this is a shortish post because I've been super busy with uni stuff. Hopefully I'll have a longer more detailed post coming out soon, but right now I need  to focus on my assignments and not dying for the next few months as uni ramps up once more in terms of intensity and the feeling of wanting to run in front of a moving car.

Hope y'all are having a swell day!


xx Kristen

International Women's Day: New Music, old loves

Hi everyone,

International Women's Day comes around once again and it becomes a time to not only celebrate women's achievements, but to bring some light to  women who have fought against adversity and challenged expectations around them. For those of us lucky enough to grow up in Australia, I feel as though the present is  probably the best it has ever been to be a woman. So many opportunities have been made available to step towards equality and to empower women to overcome gendered stereotypes and expectations to excel in whatever pathway that they choose. I feel as though we are so lucky to live here and to participate in a culture so celebratory of equality and the value of hard work.

Nevertheless, let's take today as an opportunity to talk about some women in music that I have loved and listen to some new tunes.

Green Light - Lorde

Absolutely been dying to hear some new stuff of her upcoming album Melodrama this new track was teased and taunted around the city of Auckland for a week before Lorde dropped it on us with all its big poppy sounds and soulful lyrics that she made famous. A beautiful transition from her debut album Pure Heroine that she made when she was 16. Now 20 she wows us once more with a new sound that is still throw hints back to her past. 

Jungle - Tash Sultana

What an absolute killer track from a killer lady. I remember jamming out to that wicked guitar in the car whenever this song comes up on the radio. The absolutely jaw dropping instrumentals send shivers down your spine and made the hair on my arms rise the first time I heard this song. From her EP Notion, Tash Sultana is definitely someone to watch. Definitely would love to hear this track live.

In an additional note that I need to make hours after finishing writing this post, I found out she premiered a new song yesterday, would you believe that? Just feel your ears writhe in pure joy listening to this little track.

Check it out here:

The Boys - Lisa Mitchell

Can I just tell you how much I love this song. I don't know what it is, something about the innocence of Lisa's voice and how the youthful softness to her singing has a way of making you focus on the lyrics. This song fills me with such a sense of nostalgia for something I don't know if I ever had. I love the way that the lyrics flow like a cool mountain stream off the tongue. Definitely one of my favourites. Her album Warriors is a pleasure to listen to, especially when you're a little bit stressed and need Lisa's beautiful voice to tell you everything will be okay.



Anywho, I hope you enjoyed your International Women's Day, ladies and gentlemen. Looking forward to what the next year brings in regards to gender equality and progressive societal changes towards acceptance, tolerance, and respect for all individuals, regardless of gender, creed, or colour.


Lots of love,

Kristen

Breaking News! New Grimes Music Video!

Hey guys, although I just posted a hot minute ago, this is breaking news.

Whilst I was farting around on a new post, my one true musical bae, the beautiful and talented Grimes released this kick ass music video for 'Venus Fly' off of the album Art Angels a week ago. This music video features the gorgeous Janelle Monáe in a kick ass music video with the killer futuristic aesthetic that Grimes is known for. The song is definitely one of my favourites off the album. Which you can read more about in my post here.

Directed and edited by Grimes itself. The music video follows again in the same arc as the other Art Angels' videos. It continues the story of Grimes' angel through her downfall from grace. Absolutely incredible, it is worth the 7 minute watch. There is so much production value and art that has gone into this music video. It's got this distinct Grimes feel to it that makes you want to kick ass. The song has a killer bass, some fire violin solos, and an experimental electronic feel to it. It's a reminder that Grimes isn't afraid to challenge expectations; she isn't afraid to make music the way she wants to. You can hear this vibe throughout the whole Art Angels album, its incredible just how well the album tells a story and how even though each song has its individual sound, they mesh together perfectly. The electronic soundscape she creates goes beyond everything we had expected from her at that point. I am hoping and praying she takes this album on a global tour. What I would give to hear this song live.

So here is the music video, watch it and tell me just how much you love it as well.

New Music and a New Beginnings

Well, after a 4 month hiatus to get my life back on track in the final death throes of university, a new semester starts, with me as a post graduate. Ridiculous, right? I can't believe after 4 years I'm going back to do more. So, you know what that means? More blogging probably, as I procrastinate myself into oblivion, avoiding responsibilities forever more. I continue to maintain the illusion of productivity by putting pen to paper (fingers to keyboard, perhaps?)

Truth be told, I've been on the hunt for new music, something interesting but still freshly baked stuff I could introduce people to. I didn't want to be producing stale work, and as I was writing and looking for new music, the opportunity for the music to appear still 'new' passed and I was stuck cursing that I hadn't been quicker. I was also not listening to music as much, the much, for simply lack of time and lack of ability to concentrate on assignments when I had bangers playing in the background. But life is back on track again, and I have no found myself with an inordinate amount of spare time, and much like this blog post's song, I can't wait anymore.

Anymore - Goldfrapp

Oh man, how I've missed Goldfrapp and that delicious bass that seems to permeate your very core in every song. Goldfrapp is a London electronic duo that first appeared on the scene in 2000. Although their first albums did not chart well, it wasn't until the addition of a glitzy glam rock vibe in Supernature, their third album, did they start see success. 'Anymore' is the first track off their new album Silver Eye that is to be released some time this year. Although I haven't really heard much from Goldfrapp since their iconic 2006 album Supernature, I tried to approach this song with an open mind and heart, waiting for my soul to be filled once more with that amazing synth.

I'm going to be honest with you, I was really excited for this and I'm feeling kind of underwhelmed right now. Compared to the likes if 'Strict Machine' and 'Ooh La La' that we heard in Supernature, 'Anymore' has me feeling kind of flat. I just don't really understand this new direction that they're taking. It lacks soul, quite frankly its a bit boring. I would have preferred a faster beat, some more melodics, perhaps some more enthusiasm and love in that song. I don't know what I wanted to hear, maybe I wanted to revisit a reimagined 2006 Goldfrapp. If 'Anymore' is a taste of what we're going to expect for Silver Eye then I can totally understand why I haven't listened to Goldfrapp in 11 years.

The music video, although artsy and definitely trying to explore some avant garde film making styles, was quite cliche and white washed for my taste. The stunning back drop and the use of contemporary dance wasn't quite enough to save this song, I'm afraid. It was this pseudo artsy hipster bullshit that I started this blog for, and quite frankly I'm still happy there's enough of it around that I can write a critical blog every now and again like I used to do way back when I started. 

Oh well, maybe Silver Eye will be better than I hope. Although, I'm not really counting on it. 

xx Kristen

Miss me?

Hi friendos,

Sorry, I kinda fell off the face of the Earth for a while there. Uni has been hectic with my last semester and I've kinda had about 3 mental breakdowns and enough tears have been shed to probably fill at least 1/5th of an Olympic swimming pool.

Buuuuuuttttt life update y'all. I'm nearly at the end of this degree, the end of which has been the most tumultuous months of my entire life. Coupled with writing work I have been doing on the way to getting published and becoming a pseudo-DJ for some pretty banging parties this year I can definitely feel that this blog has been helpful in some regards (for some reason this gives me credibility to do that??? Seriously guys? Are you sure???)

Although I have been listening to music, I really haven't been doing much else in terms of this blogging business. Meanwhile, all my other friends who are blogging around the place have really taken off with their work with sponsors and offers of collaborations. Whilst this makes me really proud, I feel as though I kinda really need to get my act together. To be honest I don't really feel that this blog will take me anywhere, but it's fun. And I feel I need something to show for all the new people I've met and told that I run a blog.

So let's get started.

Today I bring to you...

Starboy by The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk

You guys really need to get on these jams ASAP. You know how I feel about colabs, and how I absolutely adore them to bits and pieces. So this is no different.

Abél Tesfaye, also known as The Weeknd's new hit collaboration with Daft Punk has literally been all I've been listening to for the past weekend or so. The music video was released late last month and already has more than 62 million views on YouTube, along with his recent performance of the song on Saturday Night Live has shot this song onto everyone's summer playlists for 2016.

It's got this catchy chorus and a hot beat to it that sticks with you for a while after the song finishes. I think what I love the most about it is how the lyrics and the music video interacts with each other. I don't often spend a lot of time watching music videos (contrary to popular belief, seeing as though I blog about them a lot), however, I can appreciate well thought out symbolism and an intriguing story line that plays some emphasis on the artist's own personal life. I think what shocked everyone was the absence of that weird pineapple hairdo thing that The Weeknd is so well known for. Although, the symbolic removal of that, the "death" and "destruction" of the old Weeknd is symbolised through not only his hair but this smash new hit (Literally as he is pictured smashing through and destroying his own house as well as killing the old The Weeknd, but like I didn't want to bash you over the head with that symbolism, y'know?).

And seriously, its a sexy song. It's got that distinct Daft Punk feeling underlying with that heavy beat and the bass is coming in softly but nicely enough to let you sink into it and move your body to. The lyrics are all about opulence, of excess. I mean, who doesn't like hearing about the lifestyles of the rich and famous. From P1's to doing lines of cocaine on ebony tables, The Weeknd isn't just talking about what he gets up to on his days off. This song is about power. It's about saying how much better he is than us. His main b***h out of your league too, ah. His side b***h out of your league too, ah. 

So as far as loving this song goes, lets just say I'm really digging it for my late night driving playlist. Just hoping one day I'll be able to do that in a red lamb just to tease you, ah. Not a reality, I know, because I'm just finishing university and I literally make less in a week than what The Weeknd probably spends on a pair of socks. So whatever, a girl can dream, yeah?


xx Kristen

Self Loathing Playlist

Hi guys,

So I dabbled, I had a go at another blogging platform, but guess I'm back here. Blogger is clunky and a bit outdated, I guess, but in that sense it is a lot like me. I have a fondness for outdated things, I was on blogger BEFORE and AFTER it was cool. I'm the ultimate hipster, right? Right guys????

So what have I been doing (apart from struggling to seem relevant)?

Short answer:

Wallowing in the pits of self loathing.

Long answer:

*deep breath*

I've been so entirely caught up with my assignments and uni work over the past couple of weeks, I kinda stopped knowing where one week ended and the other began. I've been caught in a fog of stress, which has also triggered my eczema, making me a very itchy, small ball of stress. Also, my knee has been giving me a bit of trouble from a running injury, so I haven't been able to work out a lot. Also, it's my final year so everything is pretty much do or die, so I've been putting so much pressure on myself. Additionally, I messed up entirely for the final submission for one of my last assignments so I was having a short mental breakdown over the last few days which involved a lot of staring blankly at the ceiling and contemplating my future job prospects. The thoughts of my GPA spiraling into the depths of hell kept me up at night. Would I ever be able to leave the supermarket I've worked at for the past 3 years? Would this be my eternity? Scanning grocery items? Truth be told, I've had a few grocery related nightmares, so perhaps this was an omen. Anyway, all the business about the assignment has almost cleared up now. Only time will really tell what's going to happen with this whole thing. But on the plus side, if everything goes to shit, at least I'll still have this blog right?

/end


Okay, so now you're caught up with my life. I hope you are doing well.

I've put together a short, 3 song playlist to pretty much encapsulate my mood over the past few days or so. So, listen and enjoy experiencing the week with me, and lets hope this all blows over soon and I can listen to boppy pop songs again.

Long & Lost - Florence & the Machine*

Well, for obvious reasons Florence is on this list. This song is on repeat because a) I am very sad and b) Florence is the only person whose music has such a calming effect on me. Seriously, tingles up my spine every single time. Anyway, I was listening to this mid despair, probably at the lowest and the saddest point of the whole debacle. I think what I loved about this song was entirely the simplicity of it, yet the ability for such a depth of emotion and vulnerability to be expressed through the lyrics. I sit here, a broken woman. Completely and utterly shattered from one of the hardest semesters of my entire academic career, and she manages to encapsulate it perfectly through her voice. Ah, who am I kidding. Listen to it, you'll figure out exactly what I mean.

Retrograde  - James Blake

Seriously smooth, serious velvety. James Blake's sensual voice is like a warm fuzzy blanket for my tattered and broken spirit. An addition to the playlist because its sad melody and lyrics are like a soothing cup of tea for my soul. A strong beat and a catchy little tune that has worked wonders for feeding my very, very, very sad state of mind, but also improving on it slightly. So I started listening to this in a pretty much learning to cope stage of the overall state of my life and the path it has now careened down. I'm using James Blake as the velvety blanket that will hide me from the worries of the world.

Tiny Cities - Flume feat. Beck

And finally, acceptance. I actually, was trying to get into the new Flume album but was struggling to really like it. I found the songs a bit jagged without really reaching any sort of comfortable listening tempo. Like I couldn't concentrate or do anything at all whilst listening to the album, such a confusing experience. But this song. This song is it, the only thing holding me afloat in this sea of distress. Its a bit more upbeat, and I guess at this stage I am feeling a little more upbeat. But still, listening to the lyrics. You'll get the gist of how everything has turned out. "It was never perfect it was never meant to last". And is that an analogy of my good feelings towards my grades and overall performance at a tertiary level education? Perhaps it is, my friends. Perhaps it is.

Much love,

Kristen

* To my friends who keep on saying that my obsession with Florence & the Machine is bordering unhealthy, well, all I have to say to you is *fart noise*

Burn the Witch (Set me on fire)

[Note: This was a post on the wordpress blog that didn't transfer across here for some reason? so here it is. I've tried to clean it up as best as I can, but alas, I did have some difficulties]

Well, well, well...

Look who comes crawling back when there's assignments and work to be done.....

Seriously though, my life has sped up again and there is so much work to be done. But in the spirit all the other procrastinators out there, I have returned with another blog post. So, you get something to read whilst you're trying not to do work, and I get something to write so I feel productive, when I'm actually the least productive I've been for a while. Win-win.

So, what's new? Well, Radiohead is back from the dead if you haven't heard.

Fourteen year old me screams with all the angsty passion she can muster up. Radiohead saved me when I was trying to survive young adolescence. I can't say how many times I have listened to Pablo Honey in my youth, but let me tell you - this stuff was all I clung to, I don't think I would have made it without Radiohead by my side.

So this new release was something totally out of the blue for me. Truth be told, I thought they had broken up ages ago and that was that. I haven't thought about Radiohead in years.

And then there were rumours...

And then there were murmurs...

And then all their social media pages went down and we started paying attention.

Unsurprisingly, it was a really effective campaign set up to launch their new single 'Burn the Witch'. Who thought that in an age of everyone screaming really loudly and making a big deal of everything on social media in attempts to get attention, going quiet was the way to make the loudest statement. I'll tell you now. I have not stopped listening to this track, it's incredible.

Launching their new track on May 3rd with a very creepy stop motion animation music video, Radiohead launched themselves back into the spotlight with what I'm considering as one of their best tracks. My Top 3 Radiohead song list is as follows:

1. Burn The Witch
2. Creep
3. Fake Plastic Trees
   

What I've always loved about Radiohead is that there has been some sort of commentary interweaved within their beautiful lyricism. I think the boldest statement they were making with this one track is the state of the media, and in particular the mob mentality on social media today - we're so keen to shoot the messenger, to burn the witch.

Now before I scare you all away by getting all Grade 12 Literature with you all and go on and on about the symbolism of the music video and the publicity campaign. Let me talk about what makes this track so gosh darn amazing.

It's this sloooowww build up. Just listen to it leading into that chorus. The violins in the background are slightly unsettling, you feel unease. I've had this song on loop trying to do assignments, and I'm just so anxious. But not in a bad way. It's incredible how certain songs make you feel, and as those cellos lead you into the chorus - holy shit, that release. So yeah. This song is kinda a big deal. The lyrics just don't settle in with the somewhat upbeat tempo of the music - it's the type of song you want to hear over and over again just so that your brain can comprehend what it's listening to.

If you want a more complete deconstruction of the song, without listening to me wax and wane poetically, I suggest you check out this page. I am so excited to see what's to come for Radiohead. If this is just a taster, I can't even begin to comprehend what other amazing stuff they're about to release.

I'll leave you with something a bit fun, here's my all time favourite bae covering one of my all time favourite bands.

Love you all!

xx Kristen

Stressed out? Who? Me? HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHA

Hi y'all,

Okay, I'll admit. I have been absent for a quite a few weeks now. Probably more than a month??? Who knows. The days have blurred, my regular posting schedule dispersing like pollen in the wind*

*you can take the girl out of biology, but not biology out of the girl apparently....

So, what have I been doing this month?

a) Dying
b) Drowning in stress
c) Crying
d) All of the above


If you chose d, you would be correct. Turns out working 2 jobs, full time university, and balancing a social life is harder than it looks. Coupled with the last couple of weeks being stress central in terms of assignments, let's just say blogging wasn't high on my priority list. Doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about you though. Even through the tears, I  was remembering that I was really shit at blogging because the weeks were going by and I wasn't writing. Sure, I was listening to music, sure I had opinions - was I getting them on paper, though? No. Not at all. However, that's going to change today. I want to talk to you about the woman and the album that got me through this hellish journey through the valley of despair.

Grimes - Artangels

Honestly, album of the year. 

When I'm trying to get assignments down, I will usually listen to something to fill in background noise. I like repetitive beats that don't cause my brain to get too distracted trying to work out what I'm listening to, in truth, I'm usually listening to some sounds capes or music without lyrics as I generally have the attention span of a gnat and am prone to singing and dancing to songs I like. However, this is the first album I have been able to listen to from start to finish, still focus on my work, and actually sing and dance whilst feeling productive. There are some really poppy/boppy songs in this album like California, Flesh Without Blood, and Kill V. Maim -  all very popular songs and have gotten the recognition they deserve in the mainstream. However, what I have really genuinely loved about this album is the unique sounds that Grimes' collaborations with killer female artists like Taiwanese rapper Aristophanes, and American artist Janelle Monáe have created. You can see Grimes' roots in eclectic electro pop* coming through. There's surge of aggression in songs like SCREAM  and Venus Fly (with an almost warehouse-y underground sound) juxtaposed with songs like Life in a Vivid Dream which show depths of sadness and vulnerability, this entire album can take you jumping from emotion to emotion in minutes. I'm sure I spent like 79 hours listening to this album over and over again, in the hopes it would keep me from drowning and give me will to life. And it did. There are plenty of moments in the last month where hiding under my desk and crying seemed like a good option, but Artangels gave me the focus and the will to not die. So thanks Grimes, you always have and always will have a place in my heart that no artist ever will.


* also not a real genre, but hey, I like to get creative


Okay, so I can't give you the entire album to listen to for the same therapeutic relief, I'm going to share with you one of my favourites from the album.

REALiTi

REALiTi was not meant to be on the album, instead released as a demo track initially.  However, it was released on the deluxe version of the Artangels album that I own. The same song in the video isn't as polished as the final track that was released on the album, but use your imagination/go listen to the album version if you can. It's this hopeful pop beat and lyricism that kept me sane(ish). But it was so hard to just choose one song to show you guys, since I think the entire album is just the single greatest thing I've heard this month. It's definitely made it to my Top 5 Album list. Absolutely stunning, I'd 100000000000% recommend you all go out and listen to it in its entirety. You will not be disappointed. 

So, good luck to all of you out there are dying from stress. Remember, you are not alone, and please keep stress management your highest priority (even if it means not updating your blog for a month). Love you all!


xx Kristen

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOG!!!!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY BLOG!

I did it guys. I stuck around. For someone who commits to things like a three year old learning to play the drums (very badly) I am actually surprised I stuck it out so long. No doubt it's been to the support, praise, and glorious, oh glorious internet points I've received from you guys over the past year. It's been fantastic sharing music with you and hearing your opinions. Thanks so much for sticking it out, thanks so much for reading these stupid little posts! I am so grateful, you have no idea. 

Unfortunately, it isn't feasibly possible for me to bake a cake for you all to celebrate this momentous occasion. Unlike the puppy pictured above (it's National Puppy Day, just FYI, hoorah! A day to celebrate another one of my passions - puppy dogs. To those of you who know me in real life, I swear it's a passion, NOT an addiction .), you get no cake. However, I'd like to give you something equally as sweet as a present (no, it's not a picture of me, I know I'm sweet enough as it is). 

This sweet little track debuted just last week. It's Vera Blue's 'Like a Version' cover of Jack Garrett's beautiful track "Breathe Life". Believe me. You NEED to hear this if you haven't already. The Celia Pavey love fest continues this week as I fall so ever closer to the precipice of falling in love with this girl.

I generally have mixed feelings about 'Like a Versions'. Sometimes they're AWESOME, sometimes... well... they leave a lot of room to be desired. Vera Blue completely blows me away with this cover. The range that this girl has is stunning. She is stunning. This track has been a long favourite of mine. Jack Garrett creates this beat that makes me dance in my seat whenever I hear "Breathe Life". It's such an awesome track and to see it transformed so effortlessly and cooly the way Vera Blue does I'm absolutely speechless. For once in my life, I have no words to describe how uplifted and floaty my heart feels when I listen to this cover. It turns a bitey track with some oomph into a celestial synth filled float away track that makes you sway. I'm going to make a prediction now and tell you that this one will be in the Hottest 100 this year. For sure.

Stunning track. Stunning girl. Absolutely in love.

So, happy One Year Anniversary fam!

Thanks for reading, and thanks for listening.

Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of love


Kristen

Girl Power!

I've realised within the last few days, so many of my posts have been about male musicians. My music tastes vary, but by golly, it was looking very stark in terms of featuring some  girl power. Shame on me! Some of the music that I have been really digging in the last couple of weeks have been featuring some amazing female artists. So, in light of today being International Women's Day, I decided to make a short little post about some kick-ass female artists I've been digging as of late

Vera Blue 

Celia Pavey: Goddess

Vera Blue is a new project from Celia Pavey. Third runner up from the second season of Australia's The Voice,  just another example of reality television success (as much as it pains me to say it). Although, I was always rooting for Celia (2013 was a dark time in my life, let's not speak any more of it), I kinda lost track of her. It wasn't till I was stuck in traffic on the commute to uni did I hear Hold. Hold is this soulful, delicate, piece of artistry that honestly gives me goosebumps every single time. It's one of those songs that you need to lie down, close your eyes, and appreciate. First to the music, then the lyrics, then together. I'm a sucker for love songs, lets be honest. But don't take my word for it, check it out below. I promise you, you'll understand the moment you hear it. 

Grimes

Grimes: Actual Angel

Okay, so if you haven't been around me for a few months or haven't had the pleasure of sampling one of my playlists at parties or events you'll not have heard of my undying love and deep appreciation for Grimes' new album Art Angels (she got one of my votes for the Hottest 100, if you can remember). I think my friends are sick of it to be honest, I would be to if this album wasn't the greatest thing that I have heard in the longest while. Art Angels is something completely different from what we expect of Grimes. Canadian musician Grimes (Claire Boucher) is known for her experimental electronic music, most people can agree that what made Grimes Grimes was something unique. However, Art Angels introduces this element of pop in a way Grimes only can. Check out one of my other favourite songs from the album. Just try to tell me you don't love her.

Sampa the Great

Sampa so much more than Great

Okay, so here's a newbie that's really caught my eye (my ears perhaps?) Winner of the Triple J 'The Plot' competition, and all round wunderkind, Sampa the Great has completely blown me away. What a way to end this blog post, not only because Sampa is this fantastically powerful young woman who raps and sings about feminism and and issues such as black identity, but also because she's new and upcoming. She's someone I see going far and I want to share her music with the world. I recently heard an interview with her and this chick oozes this charisma and energy you wouldn't expect. Sampa the Great is so much more than just great. Her style is very much something that I wouldn't listen to. Her rapping is almost like slam poetry, it's engaging, it's clever, it's lyrical. It's hip hop but better. I'm going to leave you with a little taster of some of her work. The track F E M A L E emphasis what I feel International Women's Day should be about. Big, bold women, round of applause. Keep an eye out for this woman, she's going to be going places.

xx Kristen

Back to Uni Blues

UGhhhhhhhhhghhghghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhgggggggggggggggggggg

University has started again.

My blissful three months of carefree nothingness has ended (okay, not so carefree, there were cares, but considerably less so than the rest of the year). Here comes the stress, the heartache, and the lack of sleep that we all associate with heading back to school.

I have my first assignment due next week, which by all accounts has been one of a series of many disastrous events that I predict to happen this year. The glass is no longer half full, it's fully empty, someone has emptied my cup of joy and replaced it with empty nothingness.

So, why not listen to some soulful melodic music to dumb the pain and prepare for the next hellish weeks of semester.

Today, I want to share with you a new little song from my favourite Australian Idol runner-up (sorry Nollsy :( ) Matt Corby.

 Matt is known for inducing fluttering heart beats

So, apart from being a total babe and potentially causing me to sigh occasionally when I see pictures of him. What is Matt Corby bringing to the table?

This little song of course

I think what I love about this song so much is that it is a rainy day song. Since it's already March (honestly, where did this year even go), summer is over and we're heading into winter. It's time to start talking about winter songs and cold cuddling music. This is something for gazing out of rain spattered windows thinking of why you even enrolled into this semester at uni (when am I going to leave this place?!!). Matt has made a name for himself with Brother in 2011 which pretty much brought him to the spotlight of everyone's mind after his stint on Australian Idol (twelve year old me was besotted in 2007, let me tell you). However, in recent months he's been bringing to the table some really soulful, beautiful stuff. I'm quite keen to hear Telluric in all it's glory when it comes out. This album has a flavour to it that I am going to really be embracing come the colder months. It's release date is set for my birthday (11th March! Don't you forget it!), so, I'm keen as a bean to let his beautiful velvet voice embrace my ears like some sort of Matt Corby ear muff (God, my analogies are terrible, is this why no one is reading my blog?).

So listen, enjoy, and be sad with me as another semester begins and my hopes and dreams for a brighter/stress free semester vanish into thin air.

xx Kristen

Hide and Boo Seeka

How have you all been?

A bit of a small lapse in my available free time has delayed my writing, but alas, I'm still here. I hope the Perth heat has been keeping you well. For me, I've been relishing it. Coming back from a freezing cold holiday (New Zealand, like seriously, wtf?!) this heat has been a welcome change. I threw my jeans and jumpers off the moment my feet hit Western Australian soil, much to the dismay of many distressed airport patrons. So, how have I been keeping cool? Why do I enjoy this heat so much? Well basically, it's because I get to blast the air-conditioning in my car and listen to some tunes in the baking sunshine. And what have I been listening to (I hear you not really asking me, but I'm going to tell you anyway)?

A little bit of Boo Seeka of course.

Boo Seeka, my summer kings

For me, this last month of summer has been all about lazy beach driving music for listening to when I'm commuting to work, and Boo Seeka has definitely hit the spot. So far my February '16 playlists has Boo Seeka songs right at the top, there is something about that so distinctive and mellow about Boo Seeka's music that fits right into the way that this summer has felt for me. This Sydney electronic duo have really made a mark on the music scene in the last year. Two major singles, tours, and an album coming out in 2016 marks a huge year for this duo - with many great things to come in the future, I'm sure.
So let me give you a bit of an insight into why I'm loving these two Sydney-siders so much.

Deception Bay

This one has been a  big one that has felt the most like summer to me. All I think about is lying down and fully being able to listen to this song whenever it comes on. You want to drink it in, absorb it into you and embrace it. It's a song that I find very reminiscent of that relaxed hum of contentment at a day well spent. My arms crawl with that tingle of nostalgia and good memories whenever I hear this song. It's that echo of simple notes and synths that encapsulate summertime twilight, the quietness, the heat, and a reminder that tomorrow is going to be just fine. Just pure relaxation. 

Kingdom Leader

I think what I love about this song most of all is this faint harmonica that comes in through the verses. I have a very personal relationship with the harmonica, it's one of those instruments that you either love or hate to listen to, but there's something nostalgic about hearing it. You never really hear it that much especially in electronic music. I love this tune because it's such a different sound to what's been replaying on the radio again and again. I'm loving the uniqueness of Boo Seeka's sound and you can definitely hear that unique this muted sound within all of their songs. The vocals are soft and mellow, it's calm, its soft and sweet. 

Fool

Couldn't quite find a video track for this one (hahah, goes to show how truly underground my music is - you're speaking to a real music hipster here) but I think it's important to include this one because it does show their diversity. This one is a lot more upbeat, but definitely very Boo Seeka. This one has a real nice drum beat, a chilled relaxed vocal, and some catchy synth. Still very much a summer track, still very much something that sounds unique, a bit more pop, and has a lovely little flute bit that makes me giggle every single time I hear it.

Boo Seeka has some awesome music to share, and if you visit their Triple J Unearthed page, all their music is available for you to listen to and download for free. You can also find Boo Seeka on Facebook and Instagram. I honestly love supporting bands new Australian bands, especially if they're as good as Boo Seeka. So definitely, have a listen and tell me if you love them as much as I do.

Kristen

A Cool Summer with Miike Snow

Guess who's back from holiday???

That's right, your favourite blogger and part time eccentric is back to bother you all with her weird music and penchant for hyperbole.

It's been a weird month or so, usually I spend a lot of time listening to new music and playing this game called "What's going to be played non stop on the radio in the next few weeks?" However, being in another country without access to radio or to internet it really threw me, I had to listen to the same songs I had been listening to in December for a whole other month. No music reshuffling, nothing new to stimulate my brain. I could feel my ears atrophying, seriously, nothing more boring than the same 85 song playlist going on over and over for 4 weeks. So, I stopped listening to music for a while, and when I came back to glorious Oz, I let all the tunes free flow over me. Even the music in clothing stores gave me little ear jitters (arguably not an actual thing, but just go with me on this phenomenon). Coupled with the Hottest 100, phew man, it's good to be back and its good to be singing in the car again. 

So this week I wanted to share with you something new that's had my ears aflutter (okay, the imagery here is getting a bit sketchy at best.... but I digress). I'm feeling real chills with Miike Snow's latest track, Genghis Khan, and if you haven't heard it yet, check it out below.

Okay, what can I say, my love affair with the Swedish indie-pop band, Miike Snow... 

Miike Snow, Swedish Baes

Well, it started in 2010 with a little track called Animal. So, for about 6 years I've had this band on my mind. They took a break for a while and only resurfaced late last year with some banging new tunes. In time, you kind of can see the way bands change and how their sound and their rhythm changes. Especially after a long hiatus. Sometimes it can be a bit of a miss, but for Miike Snow it has really been a hit. Their new sound is definitely fly, a lot more stronger, a lot bolder, and a lot more sexier. Their third studio album (iii) is going to be released on March 4 and if there's any indication from their currently released tracks as to how good this album is going to be, we're in for a treat. Not to mention the quality of the music videos. It's been fantastic watching these cinematic masterpieces, I think it makes a track when we have a narrative to go with the music, Although I listen first and make up a music video in my head, when the actual video surpasses anything my weird little brain could have created it gets me all excited and pumped to be playing and watching a song over and over again.

So, keep your ears and your eyes peeled guys. This year is going to be a great year with some amazing music and plenty of ear jittering ahead.

Kristen's 2015 Hottest 100 Picks

A belated Happy New Year to all you lovely folks out there. Big news today. I've just managed to finish sorting out my short list for the Hottest 100 this year.

Phew. That only took me 30000 hours. Holy moley, this one was tough. I was studying my music choices and loves over the last 12 months harder than I studied for my exams.

Why must I be so particular, why does everything need to be just so? Why do I have to only pick 10? The truth of the matter is, I don't have any other hobbies. Literally, the sad truth of my existence is that when I'm not eating, sleeping, or working, I'm 100% mucking around with music and making playlists. My eclectic and somewhat strange tastes have dazzled my friends for ages, I am not known for my great taste nor my ability to form playlists that remotely tie in together well. My friends just know me as the chick with the playlist that has Coolio next to Alt-J. So, I feel that my shortlist this year accurately represents the range of my weirdo tastes.

Well, it's 1am, I feel my last ounce of sanity is slipping away. So here's my picks for this year's Hottest 100.

1. Brandon Flowers -  Can't Deny My Love
2. Grimes -  Flesh Without Blood
3. Tame Impala - The Less I Know the Better
4. Florence and the Machine - Queen of Peace
5. Disclosure - Magnets 
6. Florence and the Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
7. CHVRCHES - Clearest Blue
8. Macklemore - Downtown (feat. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee)
9. The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face
10. Vance Joy  - Fire and the Flood

That's it. I'm done. The ordeal is over.

In other news, I'm off on holiday tomorrow afternoon! I'm gone! I'm jet setting away from all the hustle and bustle of the city to go visit the tranquil oasis that is New Zealand. However, I shall be in the country to listen intently for my favourite tracks from midday (AEDT) Tuesday, January 26th with the rest of the country. As per usual, here's a little playlist I put together to commemorate my picks for this year's Hottest 100. 

So, have you got your votes in yet?

Lukewarm 100

So, in case you actually have been living in a bomb shelter somewhere completely impenetrable by any type of radio waves, you would have known that the season is upon us.

Voting for Triple J's The Hottest 100  is open now guys! And every man and his dog is getting their votes in and telling the world about it. So I guess its my turn now.

I feel a bit like I'm behind on the times though. I still haven't narrowed down my Top 10 yet whilst all my friends have put up their votes and are relaxing and waiting for the big countdown. I've spent the last few weeks deliberating, and choosing and shuffling my lists around. In fewer words: stressed out! In all honesty, I am surrounded by little scraps of paper with different short lists for tracks that I've jotted down whilst at work, eating dinner, out with friends etc. It's been music central over here, my car has become a sounding board for my thoughts on what should be on my Hottest 100 list, with my passengers the official voting panel of judges. I've been desperately trying to relive and remember which songs I LOVED and which songs I kinda liked in 2015. Luckily this blog has been useful, and in my official Hottest 100 list you'll definitely see some of these songs that I've written about.

So let's talk about the songs I haven't written about.

This week's post is going to feature the songs I won't be voting for, not because they were especially bad, but just because they weren't good enough to make the cut.

So here's  my Lukewarm 100

1. Of Monsters and Men - Empire
2. Vance Joy - Red Eye
3. The Wombats - Your Body is a Weapon
4. Halsey - Hold Me Down
5. Courtney Barnett - Pedestrian at Best
6. The Weeknd - Losers (feat. Labrinth)
7. Jarryd James - Do You Remember
8. Elliphant - Love Me Badder
9. Troye Sivan - EASE (feat. Broods)
10. Last Dinosaurs - Apollo

Shout out to Justin Bieber, One Direction, and all the stupid mainstream pop songs and artists that I loved this year but couldn't vote for.

And because nobody has time to listen/watch ten YouTube videos, I've made a little Spotify playlist for you to check out.

Stay tuned for Part 2 when I actually make up my mind and decide on my real Hottest 100 playlist. Until then, I hope you enjoy!


Kristen

Dreams and the pretense of study.

Yeah, it's mid-November. That time of year where students Australia-wide increase their caffeine intake and start questioning everything that they've ever done to get them to the stage that they are now. Personally, I've decided I should probably quit university and forgo my dreams of getting a degree. Instead, I'll open up my own cafe somewhere in a trendy spot in the city. I can picture it now. Exposed brick, and industrial counter tops. There will be tea cosies, and little cross-stitched signs with swear words on them. I want little cacti in teapots as center pieces on tables and a chalkboard feature wall. Something sweet and cute, but secretly punk rock.

I start designing my menu and picturing the little elements of my cafe coming together, including my potential regular customers and the conversations they would have in my cafe. At this point, I realise my exams start in approximately three days. Now, I'm not ready to let this dream to die yet, so I've started thinking about what sort of music that would be the ideal playlist to feature in my extremely trendy cafe, and then I found it, hidden within my "study" playlists (I say "study", but let's face it, I am not doing any), something emerged to the top and probably sounded exactly how I wanted my cafe to feel. Tuka's Like a Version cover of "Big Jet Plane."

There's something about Australian music that has a distinctive feel to it; it feels like long drives home and warm sun on your back. The kind of feeling that crunching through fallen Eucalyptus leaves and the smell of the ocean gives you. It feels like coming home. This song is the home I want my imaginary cafe to feel like.

Tuka 

We all know Tuka from the Thundamentals, an awesome Australian hip-hop group from just outside Sydney. Honestly, they have killed their Like a Versions in the past, so it's no surprise that this cover sounded so awesome. Tuka's smooth mixing of rap with Angus and Julia Stone's "Big Jet Plane" is something unto itself. After the other week's Allday disaster (I shan't mention it again, it's too painful), I am happy to say that Australia's hip hop game is still up there. Mixed so effortlessly with Thelma Plum's crooning vocals its gotta be one of my favourite Like a Versions of the year. I can picture it now, mid-morning  at my cafe with this song on the sound system. The smell of coffee beans, the clinking of cutlery on plates and the hum of voices as people enjoy their brunch with their loved ones.

Ah well. It'll be a dream I'll cherish long into the future. But for now, back to pretending to study.

Cheers folks!

Good luck with your studies (or lack there of)!

xx Kristen

Florence and the Machine: What Love Feels Like

Okay, so this is a bit of a different post today. I'm going to get personal, I'm going to get emotional, and just a bit sappy. This post had to be made, though. I couldn't ignore this one and save it for another week. I'll ask for forgiveness in advance, because I know this is going to cause a lot of cringing and eye rolling. If we can get through it, let me tell you I have a lot of fun stuff hanging out in my queue, just hold on. It'll be over soon. To start off with, I'm going to ask you a question.

Do you believe in soul? 

Well, another question if you do: Have you ever felt like the your soul rise? Like some great crescendo of spirit rising from within and with an exhale just being released into the sky? You feel your heart lifting and your ribs expanding and there's like this warmth rising from within. Soon like you're tingly all over and its like this calmness descends.

I think it's such a weird sensation, there's very few experiences in life that make you feel that way.

Perhaps falling in love, or the first time you see snow, or maybe even seeing a baby being born. Soulful moments, heart wrenching moments, moments in your life where nothing matters but what is occurring before you. These moments drag you out of the past and the future, and push you into the present.

Music makes me feel that way. Some songs in particular, they just strike this weird heart chord with me that reaches within and twists and turns and just stops me in my tracks. That's why I find it so hard to listen to music and talk to people, because every now and then I'll hear a song and I have to stop, and I have to listen.

For this reason, I never listen to Florence and the Machine unless I know I can give my full attention to Florence Welch and her band. This is because to me, her music feels like love and her lyrics feel like heaven; there are no other musicians I have ever listened to who have caught my soul in such a manner.

A bit dramatic. But I digress.

When Florence and the Machine's "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" world tour named Perth as their first Australian tour location it was a given. I had to go. It was non-negotiable. Exams be damned, I missed seeing her last time, I couldn't let that happen again. This woman with the flame red hair and soft, whispering voice understood me more than any human on the planet. Her music wasn't just "relatable", no, Florence and the Machine pretty much summed up everything I couldn't say, all my thoughts, all my dreams, all the things I had been feeling for the last five years and laid it bare through the power of song. So I did it, I bought my tickets and the date was set. The 7th of November inched it's way along through the year, and finally. Yesterday, it happened. I saw my Queen. I saw the only woman on the planet who understood me, and it was euphoric.

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

I think I've talked about teenage crushes before. But Florence isn't just a crush for me, you see, it's pure love. I know nothing about her background or who she is as a person. To be honest, I couldn't care less. She could be wearing a sequinned, spandex, morph suit and it wouldn't even matter to me. All I know is her music, and all I know of that music is that there's something about it - whether it's the lyrics or the beats of the drums that resonates in my core.

Florence tells stories in her music; about her life, her emotions, her past. The years have passed and the stories have changed. From Lungs, to Ceremonials, and How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful the theme has changed, the songs have changed, but, the words still ring true. She opened with What the Water Gave Me (which caused my sister and I to grasp each other in awe, we have been singing that song in the lead up to the concert non-stop, almost psychic there). From then the music kept flowing, she reached out and sang every song we knew, every lyric that fell from her lips were echoed on ours. We were spell bound and dizzy from her voice echoing within us.

Entranced, even from the nosebleed section.

Some artists are pretty hit and miss with how they sound on the album and how they sound in live performance. Not Florence and the Machine. This band was MEANT to be heard live. Florence's voice was powerful, stunning, and non-wavering throughout the whole performance. It was stronger in performance, there was passion and fire there that you can't hear on the album. Faultless. She pirouetted, danced, ran and jumped. Her voice remained strong, pure, and perfect. The audience was spellbound, when Florence began to sing, there was silence - soon everyone would start singing with her. Our hands raised in the air, and our bodies swaying. We had nosebleed seats, yet we danced and sung like she was no more than a few meters in front of us. How could we not? I think what made it was Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up) Florence took a lap of the audience. She stopped to embrace her adoring fans, raising their hands up to her. It was unbelievable. Without skipping a beat, she was singing, she was perfect. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful featured in the middle, inspired from the place with the "biggest, bluest skies I've ever seen". She reached into the audience, a roar erupted from the crowd. If she didn't have us before, she had us then. You could see the hands reaching from the audience, you could see them absorbing every single word she spoke like it was a drink of the coolest, clearest water. We were silent when Florence spoke, we erupted with joy when she sang.

The most beautiful moment, however, was towards the end. Florence and The Machine exited the stage for a small break. Soon, the whole audience were holding their phones out. A sea of twinkling lights. In the dark it was like looking at the night sky. Just magical.

Twinkling stars

I think last night cemented something in my mind that I'd been feeling for years and years. I was allowed to let music be something more than what I hear on the radio; I was allowed to let the music wash over me and make me feel the happiest I had felt in years. I danced like an idiot. I sang even louder. Heading into work with a husky post-concert voice was worth it. Last night was incredible.

Thank you SO much Florence and the Machine. That was the most amazing performance I have ever witnessed. The music on the albums I have owned for all those many, many years will mean so much more now. The songs have life now. Definitely one of the greatest highlights of my year.



 x Kristen

*Beautiful photography provided by my considerate younger sister, I was too enamored to take any*

What the Funk?!

So, just in case you haven't been tuned into Keeping Up With Kristen's ridiculous music taste for a while you may have missed that huge funk obsession I went through earlier this year with Jungle. I thought it was over, I thought I had moved onto bigger and better things. But give me a slap bass line and I can feel The Funk rising up again.

So when Triple J and world renowned bae, Chet Faker, released his new funky single a last week in collaboration with London producer Marcus Marr I just about lost the effing plot.

*insert fangirl squealing here*

Unless you've been living under a rock over 2014, you no doubt would have heard of Chet's soulful style. The velvety rumblings of his vocal chords had entranced the entire nation and our hero took out the top of Triple J's Hottest 100 for 'Talk is Cheap' earlier this year. Well ladies and gentlemen, he's back.

Faker (actual name Nick Murphy) announced earlier this month that he was to release a new collaborative EP some time in December. This short and sweet four track EP is called Work and is going to be the resulting love child of a long musical crush between these two musical masterminds. The newly released track Trouble With Us has set my head into a tizzy, and I'm telling you now. You HAVE to hear it. It's so unlike anything that Chet Faker has produced before, this fun, upbeat, funky track has pretty much slap bassed all over my heart strings.

It starts of so simply, the track's sound is very clean and fresh. When you hit that chorus you're bopping already. It's a nice build up and release of a crescendo of funk. I think what I love the most about it is that it's so easy to sing along to, as well as the fact its so completely different to everything we've heard from Chet Faker's studio album Built on Glass. At the same time, I love when a musician shows us this kind of range. I mean, it still sounds like Chet Faker -  it is his distinctive vocal velvetiness that I'm fawning over, but Marcus Marr's sweet, sweet, bass line almost shows us a different side of what collaboration could mean. It's like when artists do covers and mess around with different types and styles of songs; we learn that they're more than just pretty faces, these guys have talent. What the best thing about it is, it's such a fun track, I love dance driving to this one, and I'm sure the people at the traffic lights appreciate my sick moves too.

So, if you see me around bopping to an unknown beat, be assured, this song is exactly what's been on my mind. Check it out, tell me what you think.

For more information and tour dates, check out the Triple J website.



Kristen