iTunes Single of the week Review #6

Hi,

So the iTunes single this week is "Holding onto heaven" by Foxes.

Foxes is a 24 year old pop and electronic singer from Southampton. She has one EP out called Warrior that came out in May 2012.

Review:
The intro starts with electronic twinkly notes, then she starts singing and we hear breathy, gentle, girly vocals that sound slightly croaky and distressed. Her voice is poppy but she is quite talented. When the first chorus is played it starts to get a bit charty, sounding like the generic mainstream artists. She does sing with surprising emotion and you can't deny that she has talent even if that sort of singing isn't your cup of tea. I love the last part where she sings with just piano chords and strings, I don't think her voice needs to be weighed down with all the poppy texture that it was before. The last bit sounds lighter and more free. The track ends with the same twinkly notes it started with, which I like.

Overall, I think there are some really great elements to this song, so I'll give it 6/10.

Today I've been listening to....... Pseudo Shark

Hi,

So today I've been loving the band Pseudo Shark and their EP Forming Opinions, which you can download for free HERE. (If you're new to bandcamp, press buy now and you can enter any price you want)

Background Info....
Pseudo Shark are a 4 piece indie/alternative rock band from Jackson, Tennessee, USA. The band consists of Aaron Park (vocals and guitar), Noah Moyes (guitar), Jacob Hayes (bass and vocals) and Kevin Morgan (drums). They have one EP (forming opinions) which came out in November 2013.

I love the gentle, soft sound of these guys. The guitar and drums together on "Saturday Song" sound like you're sitting on an English beach, and the vocals in "crowded room" are heartfelt and emotional. In all their songs lyrics are sparse and repeated but thought about and meant, which you can tell in their music. The lyrics are inspirational and really make you think. The guitar in "Away" sounds western and makes you think of a desert. These guys can take you through your past and around the world with their music, they are great and I'm sure they'd really appreciate a download of their album or a follow on twitter!

Top 3 Songs of the week #6

Hi,

This week I've been loving....
Starring Role by Marina and the diamonds
Two Devils by Dog is Dead
Lies by Chvrches

Starring Role is a gentle kind of electro-pop song. I don't normally like this kind of song but I love Marina's voice. There are wind chime sounds every now and again which give the song a kind of spooky, house abandoned with untouched food left at the table feel, which is a nice change from the usual fast poppy beats the rest of the way through. This poppy track suddenly changes to a gentle heart felt ending with this wind chime and alternating keyboard notes which go up and down pitches. This also happens at the beginning. Marina is really talented, this is a great song.

Two Devils is by Dog is Dead... yes I know I've been posting all over about these guys but they really are worth it!! This track starts with a spacey note that sounds like something falling from the sky. Then the moving guitar chords and Robert Milton's vocals start straight away and you know you're in for a good song! The lyrics are amazing here and really mean something to everyone, they have a powerful message different to everyone. I love when it starts to get more gentle and we are left with only guitar and occasional piano chords and the rest of the bands soft "ooooooh"s and Robert Milton's vocals start to get more tired and strained sounding like he's just been crying. There is so much emotion in his voice I just want to cry! Then they end with loud and powerful last two chords, I love this song!

Lies is another electronic song with an indie sounding vocalist. The singer is just so gorgeous, her voice is youthful and makes you want to give her a big hug! I love the lyrics and the story in this song. I love the froggy (can't think of another word to describe it) notes in the verses. I actually really like the addition of the electronic beats in this song, it really does add something good. I don't normally mention the video but the cinematography is worth a look, it's great! I really like the accent of the singer, she is amazingly talented. These guys are worth a listen (and a watch!).

Peace.......EP Delicious

Hi,

Just a short post for today! Recently I've really been enjoying listening to Peace's EP Delicious (EPs are all I can afford in the run up to Christmas!!). You can buy this EP from iTunes HERE

Background Info....
Peace are an indie-rock band with 4 members:  Harry Kossier (vocals, guitar), Samuel Koisser (bass), Douglas Castle (guitar) and Dominic Boyce (drums). They have one EP out and one album called "In love".

I love Peace's electric and clear cut guitar backing and when they add guitar following drum beats, it sounds like the drums are playing a melody. This is used in their track 1998. Ocean's eye starts with a threatening intro and between choruses it is added again. Harry Kossier's vocals are croaky and distressed and sound struggling. All their songs are meaningful and have been thought about. They change features of their songs all the way through but keep their main ideas the same, so you are never bored listening to their music. Their 80s alternative, indie rock, with gentle tracks added in make their sound unique and gorgeous. 

This band is amazing, hope you love them as much as I do!!

iTunes Single of the week #5

Hi,

So this week's single was "3005" by Childish Gambino.

Childish Gambino is a 30 year old hip-hop rapper and musician from Los Angeles.

Review:
The intro is electronic abrupt beats which carry on all the way through. At the beginning he sings and the texture is thin, then he starts to rap and the backing stays as the simple beats. At the first chorus spacey drawn out notes are added and more percussion betas, that sound very wooden. This song is catchy and even if you don't like hip-hop or rap you have to admit that this guy has talent. This song is poppy, but not as much that makes it un-listenable, or so much that you can't appreciate the talent of the singer. At the end all other sound is suddenly stopped and there is a melody that sounds like it is being played from inside a room padded with cloth. I like this effect but it's not a revelation.

Overall I think this guy has talent but it is too hip-hoppy for me to listen to it for too long. So I'll give it 5/10.

#BritishBloggerSelection: Skincare

Hi,

I didn't take part in this last week as the theme was "Favourite make-up brand and why" and I'm not a big make-up person, it's just whatever's cheapest for me! This week's theme is "Skincare", so this post is my morning and evening skincare routine!! WARNING: Picture heavy!!

So let's start with morning.....

1) I shower every morning and in the shower I use Treacle moon Raspberry kiss shower gel which smells amazing and has a great colour!

2) In the shower I also use Superdrug tea tree facial scrub which leaves my face feeling all nice and tingly and gets rid of blemishes really well!!

3) Then once my face is completely dry I use simple cleansing toner which clears up my face and leaves it feeling pure and fresh

4) I get really dry skin so I use E45 for skin conditions which is a really heavy moisturiser but it does the job!

 5) Then I use one of my many body butters. I have a H&M body treats body shimmer which smells woody and is shimmery but not too much and the scent lasts almost all day. I also have a Cath Kidson bluebell body cream (but it has almost run out, awww), which smells amazingly floral and fresh and feels amazing on your skin but I find it doesn't last very long. Last but not least I have my favourite ever Body Shop Raspberry body butter, this smell is so gorgeous and feels amazing, it is strong but not overpowering and lasts for ages. I love love love this!!

And onto evening.....
In the evening I just use my toner and huge amounts of moisturiser again, and pray that my skin will be ok in the morning!!

Throughout the day.....
Throughout the day I use my favourite hand cream which is Cath Kidson bluebell hand cream. This is gorgeous and lasts for ages, it keeps my hands soft and feeling lovely for about 3-4 hours.

So that's it, hope you enjoyed!!

Top 3 Songs of the week #5

Hi,

Click on the song title to have a listen!!

This week I've been loving...
The Furthest Star by Amy Macdonald
Landfill by Daughter
Put me to Work by PAPA

The Furthest Star is an amazing gentle song. Amy Macdonald has an amazing voice. This is simply constructed but with a gorgeous outcome. The lyrics are meaningful and beautiful, paired with the acoustic guitar, keyboard and strings is just gorgeous! There are far out spacey sounds all the way through which adds to the sense of being trapped which is given throughout the track. The way Amy drifts her voice to less and less while still sounding full is amazing! This song is definitely not to be missed!!

Landfill starts with drum beats that sound like a walk to an execution. The guitar chords add to this sense of dread. The first part of the first chorus is sung without music. This makes daughter's amazing talent stand out with every word sung and every breath took. Her breathy, high pitched vocals really add something special to the drum beats and guitar chords. The lyrics and music can mean something to everyone, which is the mark of a truly talented songwriter! This girl is unbelievably talented and creative, do not leave this site without listening to her!!!

Put me to work gets straight into the upbeat fast tempo beats and electric guitar sounds. Which sounds amazing paired with the nasal, closed jaw sounds of the vocalist. The bassy electric guitar sounds and piano melody between verses make this song really memorable! The crashing symbols sound hard and raw with the guitar. The heavy bass notes play all the way through and add another level to this track. The vocals are reserved but placed with the crazy, dramatic backing music add something that wouldn't be there otherwise. More amazing guys that should not be missed here!!

Today I've been listening to..... Mystery Jets

Hi,

Today's post will be about a band called Mystery Jets. Today I've been especially loving their EP "Half in love with Elizabeth". You can buy it from iTunes HERE

Background info:
Mystery Jets are an English indie rock band, formerly based on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, London. The band was formed by Henry Harrison (lyrics, piano), Blaine Harrison (vocals, guitar and keyboards), William Rees (guitar, vocals) and Kapil Trivedi (drums). The band have 5 albums: Making Dens- 2006, Zootime- 2007, Twenty One- 2008, Serotonin- 2010 and Radlands- 2012.

I bought this EP because Florence + the machine has a version of one of their songs on it, but I loved these guys as well so I have also bought their album Twenty One (which is definitely worth a listen!) Their indie-rock sound and gorgeous acoustic and electric tunes go so perfectly with Harrison's nasal and closed throat sound which I love! "The back door" has classical tunes made up from string section and symbols which sounds great but is indie with the metaly, twangy, clicky sound of the acoustic guitar. "Half in love with Elizabeth" is a great catchy tune that has you up on your feet dancing!! The twangy bass, electronic keyboard sounds and drum beats make it sound a bit ll over the place but in a good way! I love their accent when they sing, you can listen to this song for hours on repeat and not get bored (well I can anyway!). These guys are definitely worth a listen!! 

iTunes Single of the week review #4

Hi,

This week the iTunes single of the week is "Love. Regret. Forgive. Forget" by The First.

The First are a 5 piece rock band.

Review:
They get straight into the heavy bassy, confused drum beats that sound like they've been singing all day and we've only just started listening! I like this but I prefer it when there is an intro and we are entered in gently. This is definitely a rock track (which I seem to be having a thing for at the moment!). The singer is good but they are just your average rocky pop band, nothing particularly stands out for me, but saying that I think these guys might be big. Nothing really changes throughout this song, it sounds like they play on a loop and you listen to a bit when you feel like it. The guitarist is talented and there are some electric, wobbly bits which show this off which are good.

Overall I think this song is good, but nothing special, I'll give it 5/10.

First Aid Kit... America

Hi,

This post is about two amazing sisters who form the band first aid kit.

First aid kit are a Swedish band who play mainly indie folk. They have one EP out called "Drunken Trees" which came out in 2008. They have two albums out: "The big, the black and the blue"- 2010 and "the lion's roar" - 2012. They have soft indie tones and folky acoustic guitar sets that give them a unique sound. Their gorgeous harmonies sound so natural and delicate, like they're straight from the woods.

One of my favourite songs of theirs is America. You can listen to it HERE. It's a gorgeous indie-folk song that sounds like you're sitting in Paris in the moon light. It gives me goosebumps listening to it, the harmonies are amazing, they are just so talented. There are only acoustic guitars and cellos which is amazing. It sounds so delicate and fragile, but full of sound, emotion and it just fills you're whole body!

These two girls are so amazing, not something to miss!!