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

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

Boom! Dynamite!

Hello friendos,

Sorry about the delay. I've hit a wall in terms of course work and life stuff. Unfortunately that means weeks and weeks without some musical enlightenment from yours truly. Usually, when I'm busy like that I don't listen to a lot of music, I get distracted very easily so I tend to sit solemnly in silence with my headphones on, keeping my ears warm. I look studious and tuned in, really, I'm just counting the seconds till I can find something to distract me. So, inevitably, I have returned to you, humble blog. The mountain of assignments and commitments are piling up. So, let's talk music.

My taste in music is very similar to that of a 40-50 year old. I'm not trying to be pretentious, contrary to popular belief, I just know all the words to ABBA. It's the music that I've grown up with and love. Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Duran Duran, and Crowded House always tend to find their way into my head and stay there. Tie in some 80s techno pop and you've pretty much got a whole snapshot of my playlists at any given time. However, when  I find a song that I feel matches up with that level of catchy-ness, I'm more than happy to add it to that playlist. That is totally how I feel about this week's song. It is such a lovely song from some really humble roots. I honestly wish this song was less underground. It's totally dynamite!

Dynamite (feat. Allday) by Asta

Seriously, Asta is such a dynamite gal. She was the winner of Triple J Unearthed High in 2012, so she's still pretty young, but fantastically talented. In this song she teams up with Allday and brings you one of the grooviest songs of the year. I'll be seriously disappointed if this one doesn't make it onto the Hottest 100 this year. The song is powered by some awesome notes. However, we're let down by Allday. Seriously man, we give you an inch and you take a mile. His verses fall flat and seem a bit disinterested, I think it's all the hype surrounding him getting to his head. I'm not going to go into any more of my Allday bias, however, Asta totally kills it. Who needs Allday anyway, I wanted some more verses from our young, talented songstress. Her vocals are so on point. It's a really simple song and sounds fantastic in acoustic. Not too flashy, yet still a catchy earworm that will have you hooked. It's only got 67,000 views on Youtube at the moment, which is  darn shame. This girl needs more attention! She's fantastic!

I'm giving this one 7.5 "Boom!"s out of 10.

Lots of love,

Prospector Kristen

"The Music of the Future": A trip down memory lane with some funky new beats.

Hello my darlings!

Welcome to another week, and another review.

Over the past few years, since the whole hipster "movement" sprung up into this weird subculture of arts, music and fashion. There has definitely been a shift in definition of what we consider hipster.

Well obviously, there's the tartan,the beards, the non showering,  and the frames without glasses. But we see new things coming in trend- minimalism, stockings with faces of cats on them, socks with frills, chia seeds... the list goes on and on and on.
Unfortunately, as a cat, sock, and seed enthusiast, this has really cut in on my street cred and wallet (curse you hipsters with your abundance of disposable income and cute fashion! *shakes fist in anger*). However, I will maintain that my room probably belongs on a reality tv show about hoarding. It's really getting quite bad; I collect too many nick-nacks. Minimalism will never be a thing with me.

In the same way, we see music change. First it was banjos, then experimental noise and base drops... where the future will take us, we can only imagine.
That's why, today, I'd like us to look into the future and try and figure out what will come next in hipster music. We're looking at:

Way I'm Lovin' You by Klue

Klue: Is this what the future of indie music sounds like??

What is surprising me now-a-days is the influence of old school funk into new school indie music. The Way I'm Lovin' this song is intense.  I actually quite dig this catchy tune.(Damn, does this mean I'm turning into one of them?!) It's got a glitchy sense to it, it's repetitive and staccato, with a strong flavor of soul. Reminiscent of Jungle and Rudimentals' use of funky beats in their electronic music with a more techno vibe. I feel like a middle aged woman revived. Not only am I able to listen to something that sounds like the music from yester-year, it's mixed with some sick DJing skills that keeps me feeling young and spritely.

This is some hip music of the future, I know it, I'd keep my eyes and ears out for more funk and blues in indie music in the future. This will definitely be the next big thing.


7.5 "Asking a hip youngster for technological help"s out of 10


Lots of love,

Kristen

Guess who's back....

Back again.. Kristen's back, tell your friends.

Yes, well, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, surprise!

I'm not dead!

Well, the blog kinda was. But it's back now!

My brief foray into proper blogging and writing about things that mattered has finished, Anti-Hipster is back! Hello procrastination, hello lack of sleep, hello hipster fan girls hoping that they had seen the last of me.

And best of all, hello music.

Too long have I suffered in silence, with nothing and nobody to complain about... too long have I suffered with the blight of mainstream music tarnishing my reputation.

Yes, I do have a Taylor Swift album. No, I don't know how that happened.

Although, despite the fact that the catchy ear worm mainstream pop will always have a soft spot in my heart (my ears?), underground, undiscovered, independent music is where my loyalty will always lie.

So without further ado, I shall retune my brain and bring you a review of some interesting new music that you probably haven't heard before.... I give to you...

Bad Websites by Flower Drums

Flower Drums; will we ever be able to understand them? Do they want to be understood?

Perth band Flower Drums weaves an intricate mix of electronic pop and soft moaning (they might be lyrics, but who knows with these bands?) in their new song Bad Websites.

My favourite part about these reviews is the fact that I do little to no research about the lyrics and the band's demographic. Which makes complete sense for Flower Drums, because let's face it- if you're going to mumble and softly moan, nobody is going to understand the lyrics anyway. Lots of respect to the folks at A-Z Lyrics, you guys are national treasures.

So, what did I think of this song?

It's catchy hook and synth beats keep me coming back for more, and I'll keep on listening to it until I finally understand what these four mumblers are trying to say.

Like a hard-of-hearing octogenarian I strain closer to try and figure out what the lyrics mean. Before I know it, the song has finished playing and I'm still squinting and tilting my head slightly thinking that the ambient whir of my laptop is a bomb-ass lyric.

I won't say that this is the anthemic song of the generation of mumblers and soft spoken whisperers that squeak sometimes if you give them a good scare. But it sure comes close.

I'll probably listen to it in the car, or when I'm on the bus.

But much like those poor, quiet, sods, I probably won't ever remember the song long enough to get it stuck in my head and remember it's name.

Anyway, I'm going to give this

7 Squeak Up!s out of 10.


Lots of love,

Kristen