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.
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.
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?
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*
[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.
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:
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.
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!
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.
