conclusion:
My good friend Sam shared this song on my Facebook and said it reminded her of me. After having a listen I’ll take that as a compliment. Thanks for a great song to add to the playlist!
Tag / music
What I’m listening to today… Birdy
I just started listening to Birdy this week after her version of Skinny Love came up on a playlist I was listening to on Spotify (Love Spotify btw). Her beautiful voice and lovely piano music had me coming back to it again and again, so imagine my surprise when I found out Birdy is just 18! Born in 1996, Birdy’s full name is Jasmine Lucilla Elizabeth Jennifer van den Bogaerde. This talented indie folk/pop singer/songwriter has 2 albums out and has contributed three songs to the soundtrack for the movie The Fault in Our Stars. Find out more about Birdy at officialbirdy.com and enjoy these songs!
CONCLUSION
Birdy’s music is the perfect accompaniment to working in my sewing room and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!
What i’m listening to today… Lana Del Rey
I had heard of Lana Del Rey before now, of course. Her first single was released in August of 2011 with her debut album, Born to Die, released in January 2012. I just never really took the time to listen to any of her songs. That is until I saw The Great Gatsby. This is a movie I really enjoy and can’t wait to see again, preferably not in 3D. The soundtrack is very catchy, modern with a 20’s vibe, and I had to buy it. Lana Del Ray’s track, Young and Beautiful, is my favourite. I love her voice and I can easily sing along with out feeling super off key, which is nice. So when I saw her album on sale at HMV I knew I had to give it a listen. This album is one that I can listen to all the way through and I’ve had her songs stuck in my head for days, but only in a good way!
Burning Desire is the latest video from her newest album Paradise, released November 2012.
I love finding new singers/bands that I can listen to over and over! Remember the days when you couldn’t preview albums ahead of time? I had so many CD’s with only one good song. sigh.
What I’m listening to today… The Rural Alberta Advantage
I really like listening to The Rural Alberta Advantage. They are a band that I enjoy most listening to alone. Mainly because then I can sing along without worry that my out of tune voice isn’t going to be laughed at but also because I feel I can connect better with the lyrics and music that way. I like songs with a good tune and that stir up some emotions and memories and I get both from The RAA. Here’s a short bio taken from their website:
The group consists of singer/guitarist Nils Edenloff, also the chief writer in the group; Paul Banwatt, whose raucous percussion pushes the songs into overdrive; and multi-instrumental Amy Cole, who provides keys, percussion, and backing vocals. Borrowing a regional slogan, Edenloff grew up in rural Fort McMurray, Alberta, and draws on his experiences there in his songwriting.
Departing is their second LP and was released on March 1, 2011.
Under the knife is the first song I heard from this band and it’s still one of my favourites.
If your in Calgary this weekend you can see The Rural Alberta Advantage for free! They’re playing the Sled Island Pre-fest party at Luke’s Drug Mart in Bridgeland Sunday June 2nd from 12-5. Check out the Facebook event HERE and for more info and tour dates visit their website www.theraa.com
For me this band supplies perfect listening tunes for a long road trip or a rainy day spent inside.
What I’m listening to today… Chvrches
I can’t remember where I first heard of Chvrches but I know that after looking up some of their songs it didn’t really matter. This group from Glasgow was formed in 2011 and consists of feature singer Lauren Mayberry and keyboardists/vocalists Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. If your wondering if my auto correct stopped working, it didn’t. According to Wikipedia the band choose to spell churches with a V in order to avoid confusion in internet searches. That, and it looks pretty damn cool. Described as electro-pop, Chvrches gets inspiration from Prince, Depeche Mode, and Kate Bush.
Chvrches is touring this summer! Check out their facebook page to see if they’re stopping in your neck of the woods. Maybe one day they’ll make their way to Alberta, fingers crossed.
The Recover EP was just released in March and I’m already waiting in anticipation for more groove worthy music from Chvrches.
What I’m listening to today….. Alabama Shakes
Photo: Pieter M. van Hattem / Contour by Getty Images
Awhile back I had read a little blurb in some magazine about a new band, Alabama Shakes, and decided that I should check them out. Well since I filed it in my mind and not somewhere useful, like in my notebook, I promptly forgot about them. Sad, because now that I’ve heard their music I realised I missed out on months of amazing musical enjoyment!
Maybe you’ve heard their hit song Hold On for which they were nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock performance? Or maybe you saw them last week on SNL? If not I’d be pleased to get you better acquainted with Alabama Shakes.
Photo: Autumn de Wilde
Brittany Howard, Zac Cockrell, Heath Fogg, and Steve Johnson are the four members of the band. The group met and came together in Athens, Alabama and got to know each other through playing original material as well as covers of James Brown, Otis Redding, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. They released their first album, Boys and Girls, on April 9, 2012.
Alabama Shakes have been labeled as soul rock, southern rock, rockabilly, retro rock and soul revival just to name a few, but it seems like these musicians would rather just focus on making great music and not on labels.
“Retro soul is not what we’re going for, though it’s understandable why people say it,” says Howard. “We take inspiration from that, but we all understand Black Sabbath, too. On the record, we left a lot of room for whatever we want to do in the future.”
That quote was taken from their bio. You can read it in its entirety HERE.
Photo: Autumn de Wilde
Just listening to the foot tapping music and experiencing Brittany Howard’s soulful vocals is a treat but watch Alabama Shakes live performances and you’ll see their awesome stage presence and genuine love for the craft.
Here’s the SNL performance of Always Alright and if you like it you should go to Alabama Shakes’ website www.alabamashakes.com and score a free download of this song!
This is one band that I would travel to see live. Maybe ill see them one day in a muddy concert field or a tiny backwoods bar.
What I’m listening to today… Jake Bugg
The first time I heard a song from Jake Bugg was on a great website called Cool Hunting. They used to post a great weekend playlist every week, which strangely enough I can’t find on their updated site. hmm?
The song is called Someone Told Me and it takes my breath away….
I had never heard of Mr. Bugg before this encounter and I thought that if I found this song amazing there was a good chance I would enjoy his other works. I was definitely not disappointed.
His voice is so deliciously twangy. It reminds me of music my grandpa used to listen to. It makes me want to play it on the tape deck, in an old pickup truck, while driving down a country road with my sweetheart. Or maybe listening to it in front of a roaring fire, with old friends, wearing cable knit sweaters and drinking something hot and boozy. Or is that just me?
In the past couple weeks I’ve seen this 18 year old Brit’s name popping up all over. His star is on the rise and with any luck he’ll be setting up some concert dates in Canada. Fingers crossed!
Check out his website http://jakebugg.com/ and get a free download!
Conclusion: These songs make me happy and I think they’re making a lot of other people smile too!
victoria day to day 