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Mon, 13 May 2013 03:55:07 -0400

omgstephlol: People say they “dream of writing someday” way too often. Just… stop dreaming and...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 02:44:30 -0400

People say they “dream of writing someday” way too often. Just… stop dreaming and start writing. That’s pretty much the only way to go about it.

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Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:02:17 -0400

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Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:56:59 -0500

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Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:49:39 -0500

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Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:47:03 -0500

adrifts: Silent Manor by James...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:25:47 -0500

adrifts:

Silent Manor by James Charlick

website | etsy | 500px | tumblr

Cos I love my mind, when I'm fucking you, slowed down to a crawl, years of crime and the bread line, have not at all dimmed your shine

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:39:45 -0500

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Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:29:18 -0500

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Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:45:17 -0500

final-stand: awklicious: my cat gives me kisses yes yes yes

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 07:27:00 -0500

final-stand:

awklicious:

my cat gives me kisses

yes yes yes

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Fri, 02 Nov 2012 19:25:38 -0400

thisisblocparty: Bloc Party - Black Crown. On Jimmy Kimmel...

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 16:44:20 -0400

thisisblocparty:

Bloc Party - Black Crown. On Jimmy Kimmel Live.

myignorantyouth: Taken with Instagram

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 16:26:08 -0400

myignorantyouth:

Taken with Instagram

thisisblocparty: Bloc Party - Kettling (official music video)...

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:13:43 -0400

thisisblocparty:

Bloc Party - Kettling (official music video) Out November 12th!!

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Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:01:36 -0400

THINGS I LISTENED TO A LOT THIS SUMMER

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:26:56 -0400

The following is a track-by-track breakdown of my Top 10 most played songs this summer.

Modestep - Sunlight (2011) –
Modestep’s summer 2011 offering has arguably been the number one track of choice for me this summer. There is nothing which wards off your hangover better than a healthy dose of bass, dirty dubstep and shout-it-out lyrics made to be loud. It gets even better – as the quartet affirm; Modestep are a band, real musicians whose blend of crazed dubstep is produced by actual instruments. Listen out for the strings and the heavy-metal breakdown, turn up your bass control, open the windows, ‘put on those shades, and wave to yesterday’.

Lana Del Rey – Blue Jeans
The sleepy heat, romantic desert and self-assured lyrics gives Blue Jeans, that sticky, salty edge which conjures up warm evenings in the leather of a Porsche. Much has been made of the ‘sweetness’ of the song but I have to disagree. Lana has an unadulterated swagger, and her retro references ala James Dean, Punk-Rock and Hip-Hop serve only to reinforce her perhaps mistaken place amongst mainstream pop. Yet there’s no denying how unbelievably sexy, yet poignantly sad, this song is. Roll the top down and fuck me in the backseat.

M83 – Midnight City
Yeah, alright, it’s the theme tune to Made In Chelsea. But this track, and French-pop always seems to sell it to me, and there’s simple lyrical play ala Soko and far darker element, sex and bass reminiscent of The Teenagers‘Sunset Beach’. M83’s electro-vocals are softened by the repetitive and memorable beat which by process of association reminds me of Fulham bars and drinking in my ex’s garden. The track builds and swells before selling itself fully with that sax solo, which adds much needed swing to an otherwise fairly basic tune. It’s tantalising, refreshing, and easy to listen to.

Twin Atlantic – Crash Land
An absolutely beautiful song to bawl your eyes out to driving home in the summer rain. The lyrics are poetic without being cryptic and of course there’s the #Scottish comparisons a more melodic Biffy song, but I genuinely think Crash Land betrays a completely different emotion, and acts as a far more identifiable piece. The acoustic guitar is standout, but the violin slows down the track and provokes classical drama, while the keys hold a lullabyic element and the drum grounds us back to Twin Atlantic’s roots. What I particularly love is the instrument layering followed by the gradual stripping back down, simplifying and creating emotional metaphor galore.

Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks
Admit it – was I the only one in the world to think that this was a Kate Nash project on first listen? Despite my love for the Nash, however, it’s clear that this track holds something far more melodic. There’s ska influences, and the obvious Icelandic – Sigur Rós connection. But this too, is ambient, beautiful and hopeful, perfectly portrays the hopelessness of being in love, while creating an upbeat sound of a happy Decemberists: macabre lyrical twists played over jazzy harmonic. The beauty of the dueting male/female vocal and shoot-to-kill retorts hold a candle to elements of Los Campesinos! and Little Talks affirms its position as summer staple due to its versatility, poetic pace and pure catchiness.

Example – Never Had A Day
The jewel in the crown which is London rapper Example’s third album Playing In The Shadows. With roots It’s roots are firmly in dubstep, but Example croons his way through a tale of addiction absolutely littered with clever cultural references: creating a world of fantasy in the rapped verses and then dragging us back to solid ground with mundane references to the cold reality of daylight (‘a cup of tea won’t do) and a catchy sung chorus which emphasises the need to ‘[…] save this person [sic] from self-destruction. [Never Had A Day] is moody but uplifting.’ Example himself acknowledges the Streets-esque element of the song, but this storytelling over club beats is in a league of its own, with the catchy shout along bridge playing on your mind long after it’s four minutes are up. Genius.

Nicki Minaj – Whip It
Minaj is celebrity marmite. But love her or hate her, Whip It is oversexed, over-synthed pop gold at its absolute best. While Tom Ewing of the Guardian criticizes the track for mocking “Eurodisco trashiness so well you can almost smell the Piz Buin’; Whip It is beyond sexy. It’s summery and above all, it’s fun. Produced by RedOne, its got early Gaga/Eurodance roots, but spattered with poisonously pristine and faux-accented rap verses. While it’s lyrics may anger the most ardent feminists, there’s something very pro–girl power about the naughty-but-nice vocal, punctuated by whip sound effects snapping through Nicki’s ‘Barbie’ vocal. Musically, it’s got a clever breakdown, a VERY catchy bridge and is sexually provocative to the point of saturation. And take it from me, it’s absolutely infectious live.

Bloc Party – We Are Not Good People
It’s a common misconception that Bloc Party can’t rock. This track proves that their musical credentials are up there with punk greats. Okereke absolutely spits out words and warnings, punctuated with animalistic screams and absolutely complimented by angst riddled, gutsy guitar solos, which would put Muse to shame. The band sought realism with Four, and there very little more gritty, or indeed more powerful, songs which demonstrate this gutsy realism. Granted, Kele’s lyrics are not as complex and witty as on other tracks, there’s less subtlety and none of the teasing tension hinted at inTeam A, but the climatic devastation of the track is evident by the finale. Pure, unadulterated, fucking punk. ‘We are not good people, this is a warning.’

Bloc Party - V.A.L.I.S.
It may seem somewhat indulgent to feature two Bloc Party tracks on this list, but they have truly earned their place. If Bloc Party’s fourth album (which you can read my review of here) has taken a new direction then the soaring beauty of V.A.L.I.S is reminiscent of the dream quality of Intimacy. It’s choc-ful of Bloc’s best, and simplest verses, with a pump along chorus as infectious as it is. breathtaking. Once more the band layer vocals which contrast Okereke’s scales and eloquent addressing of complexity. It’s melodious and summery, a worthy festival favourite and even borrowing some of the electric-infused guitar shatters which first erupted on Intimacy’s Better Than Heaven. A departureyes, but a beautiful new direction.

Lonsdale Boys Club – Hooligans and Hulagirls
There’s something Cobra Starship-esque about this band, though the two couldn’t be further apart. Hooligans and Hulagirls is fun, smooth and fresh disco pop, reigned in by a simple guitar riff and drumbeat which harbours holiday romance and dreams of Hawaii, triple fuelled with regret and London accents. The track is very Boyz and Girlz and naughty goings on, but the electric overkill and slightly cheesy lyrics work well to make a refreshing, roadtrip worthy, shout-along song – ‘we’re living like Hawaii and we’re gonna get laid’. Watch out for chart supremacy (and perhaps a return of the faux-scenekid? Think The Medic Droid for inspiration) when the teeny-boppers get their mits on the debut album (released 10^th September 2012) .

also published on my music blog
inthemixtapes.tumblr.com

"Go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human..."

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 18:25:47 -0400

“Go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”

- Kurt Vonnegut (via graciousdead)

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Sun, 26 Aug 2012 18:44:33 -0400

Forever the best Gaga track. ‘I wish I could be strong...

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 15:45:00 -0400

Forever the best Gaga track.

‘I wish I could be strong without the scheiße, yeah.’

Syntactic Idiosyncrasy

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omgstephlol: People say they “dream of writing someday” way too often. Just… stop dreaming and...

Photo

Audio

Photo

Photo

adrifts: Silent Manor by James...

Cos I love my mind, when I'm fucking you, slowed down to a crawl, years of crime and the bread line, have not at all dimmed your shine

Photo

Photo

final-stand: awklicious: my cat gives me kisses yes yes yes

Photo

thisisblocparty: Bloc Party - Black Crown. On Jimmy Kimmel...

myignorantyouth: Taken with Instagram

thisisblocparty: Bloc Party - Kettling (official music video)...

Photo

THINGS I LISTENED TO A LOT THIS SUMMER

"Go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human..."

Photo

Forever the best Gaga track. ‘I wish I could be strong...