Bullseye

Birmingham born and bred Nine Dart Finish have released their debut new song 'You Don't Bother Me'.  Andy Proudman, Daz Yardley and Christopher Mobbs, together with their unique and distinctive sounds have added a whole new dimension to the rock/alternative musical world.

Although only being a band for 3 years they have all known each other for around 16 years, and this binded friendship reflects in the music they produce.  You can feel while listening to this song and especially while watching their fabulous music video, how well they sync together musically and how they invest their friendship in their music.

The vocals from Daz Yardley really incorporate a very individual and distinctive touch to this song and make it stand out from all other recent bands you've probably heard. The chorus is one that sticks in your head all day everyday and it's one where you find yourself singing, humming, and tapping it out loud all the time.I even found myself singing it to myself on the way to one of my lectures. This is certainly not a bad trait and is definitely a sign of a great song as I keep wanting to listen to it over and over again.

Their quirky video also reflects the closeness of the band and helps us as the listeners get an idea of what they are like and where they come from.  It's a video that puts Nine Dart Finish and their style out ,introduces us to the talented band members and gives us a taster of whats to come in the future.

Nine Dart Finish are definitely a band to keep your eye on. Their single is available on Itunes, Google Play and Amazon. So if I were you I'd get on the case straight away. You'll be singing along in no time.
Watch the official music video below!

'You Don't Bother Me' Official video from Nine Dart Finish
http://ninedartfinish.co.uk/
'You Don't Bother Me' Amazon Download 


Beau
x

A Tribute

                 Two Special People

As you all might know, very recently my family and I lost two people very dear to us. I wanted to write something to make people aware about the two different battles these ladies fought. Auntie Julie and Auntie Sue or just Julie and Sue to a lot of you who knew them, were two of the most incredible women I ever had the pleasure and honor to know. They really touched my life and I'm sure many of yours too. Their constantly smiley faces and brilliant personalities could brighten anyone and everyone's day.

Two sisters, two mothers and two astonishing aunties. No one can put into words just how special they were to us. My fondest memories of these two women still play in my head every day and put a ridiculously huge grin on my face. Even though I will miss them everyday of my life,  the memories of them act as a comfort blanket when the gap of their presence get's too hard to handle.Remembering the good times always helps. Remember that.

Memories

1.  One of the most famous memories of  Sue treasured within my family is Andy and Lou's wedding. My cousins wedding has to be our family at it's best. As we are quite a loud and large family we saw it as no obstacle to get straight to the dance floor. Not going to brag or anything but  we are pretty good dancers when we are in our element.  As the dance off began we formed the usual circle you've all probably experienced before and took it in turns to show off our talent. When it was  Auntie Sue's go  we were all intrigued to see what she had.  If you're not xfamiliar with the 'crazy knees' dance move don't worry as we weren't before Sue completely executed it on the dance floor that evening. It's kind of hard to explain it in words without doing the action but lets just say you put both hands on your knees and kind of cross your arms back and forth while doing the same with your legs. (I just did it while writing this to try and explain it to you, it really didn't help.) Anyway, while she was doing this we all stopped dancing and just gawped at Sue with a weird frown on our face. She thought she was doing it perfectly. I have never laughed so much.

2.  The award for the best biscuit/pudding selection definitely goes to my Auntie Julie. Whenever you were having a cup of tea or pudding after dinner, an array of  biscuits,cakes , cookies and everything was placed in front of you. It always sticks in my head the thought of when I was sitting in the kitchen and in front of me trying to chose what to have and always obviously going for the chocolate ones. She had everything. She was one of the greatest hosts and catered for your every need.  A very thoughtful and lovely woman.

3. We can't forget Robert.  No this is not a person, it's a pudding. A long time ago , my family and I were introduced to a pudding , oddly named Robert. A recipe was handed to my Auntie Julie  and arrived at one of family 'doos'.The pudding contained everything unhealthy you can possibly think of in one pudding and it appeared at every other family shenanigan after that. One day my Auntie Sue decided to give it a go too, so one time we were faced with two Roberts. You could see on their faces the anticipation to see who chose their Robert. The pressure was immense. I remember looking over at them and they were eagle eying everyone and mentally telling us to pick theirs.  I decided to go with a small slice of each and walk away from the playing field. Robert will go down in history and I only hope I can make it as good as them one day.

4. The final memory I am going to share is the famous 'Trivia Pursue'. As a family we all sat down  ready for a game of Trivia Pursuit. Mid way through the game we could all tell that Auntie Sue was really getting into the spirit of things and getting scarily competitive.At one point I think she was just screaming out the answers and I'm pretty sure she had square off with Auntie Julie about one of the answers. I had never seen anything like it. Frankly I was a little bit scared. It was funny though. Ever since that occasion the game has now been renamed 'Trivia Pursue' . Just for you Auntie Sue.

Their Battles

"One in six people suffer depression or a chronic anxiety disorder , these are not the worried well but those in severe mental pain with conditions crippling enough to prevent them from living normal lives." This quote stuck in my head when I first saw it. My Auntie Sue suffered a mental battle that no one could or can possibly explain. What we do know is that she was so unhappy within herself that it took over her body. She was not the same Auntie Sue we had known and loved for a long time. She was so ill that she took her own life earlier this year. What I want to stress is that there needs to be more help and more awareness about these mental battles that people face. Up until the start of this year I was unaware about the popularity of this mental condition. There is no where for severely mentally ill people  to go when they are suicidal. I know this for a fact.

 There needs to be  a mentally ill A&E , somewhere where you don't need to fill in loads of forms about your physical health and wait in a three hour que to be told you're not at the right place. There needs to be somewhere you can go and talk and be admitted and looked after straight away. What my argument is , is that they can give a bed to someone with a broken arm or leg but not someone with a broken head. We cannot turn back the lock now or put ourselves in Auntie Sue's head but we can go on and spread awareness of this cause. The system needs fixing. I will always love my Auntie Sue and fight for her cause no matter what.

My Auntie Julie got diagnosed with secondary breast cancer 5 years ago and she was the strongest and toughest cancer fighter I have ever known or heard of.  Even when  she was so poorly she always seemed to keep a huge smile on her face. Up until the last few months of her life she would always be active and keep a conversation going  even when it seemed to be fading. Her smile is one I can just picture in my head. I will remember her smiling, always.  Her battle was long and hard and even the last time I saw her she was strong, I held her hand and she smiled at me and built up the strength to tell me she loved me. I will treasure that memory forever. I know there is no cure for terminal cancer but there are other things that need to be made aware of. Kirkwood Hospice in Huddersfield were absolutely amazing during the last few weeks of Auntie Julie's life.  They made her feel as comfortable as possible and really took excellent care of her. I cant thank them enough.  After the funeral my family started fundraising money for the hospice and what they do and it can really make a difference to terminally ill people. I urge you,if you have any spare money hanging around, to donate to this cause.
http://www.justgiving.com/Julie-Rohde?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=Julie-Rohde&utm_campaign=pfp-share-mobile

My Family

My Family are amazing. We are a rock and without each other I'm pretty sure we'd all be lost in life . I love them all with all my heart and although our hearts ache and feel empty, we can remember the good times and the good memories of Auntie Sue and Auntie Julie.  We can't say that we will ever move on from this loss in our hearts but we will learn to live and although it seems wrong to have a drink or a laugh but that is the only way to cope and I'm sure that it what my dearest aunties would want us to do. Love you fam. x
         

1. This song was played at Sue's funeral and is a beautiful tribute. I believe my Auntie Sue loved the lyric " You are the only one in any room you're ever in"

2. This song was played at Julie's funeral because she loved Erasure and danced around the living room hoovering to it.

Love you forever Auntie Julie & Auntie Sue X


Beau x

'He not busy being born,is busy dying' - Bob Dylan

So it's been four months since I last posted!I'm a terrible blogger aren't I. But I have been very very busy these last four months. I have left my hometown of Chester and embarked on the 'uni' lifestyle here in Sheffield.  So far, being a Sheffield Hallam student I have joined and been elected onto the SHU RAG committee, met lovely people from all different lovely places and I've also had the honor of writing for online music magazine OnTheComeUpTV(www.onthecomeuptv.com/), which is fab so take a look at it and check out my reviews and features.So I've been quite busy but I will try much harder to get a weekly/monthly regular blog back onto here.

Anyway,  while being in university I have explored different types of music and found that I do actually like different types of music then what I thought I liked.  I'm not sure whether it's the people around me that influence me or its my ears maturing and starting to like more diverse music. Who knows? But anyway, I thought I would share with you five of my favourite songs that I have been listening to nonstop here in Sheffield. Enjoy!

1. George Ezra - Budapest
 I first heard George Ezra when he supported Tom Odell last year and he entrapped me in his music as soon as he started playing.  He has got a extremely unique voice and it's one that you could listen to all day. This song especially caught my attention because it's very soothing and the lyrics really take you on a journey. I also love it because after the first time hearing it, you will start singing it all around the place. I even found myself singing it to myself in a lecture.  So yes, listen to it!

2.  Jordan James - Loving In Sin  
Jordan James is someone I found through Soundcloud and also his name being mentioned on various music websites. This song is my favourite out of his because it's so relaxing and chilled. Normally this type of music isn't really what I listen to but as soon as I heard it , it had something in it which made me want to listen a second time. Its one of those songs which take about three listens before you become a full fan of it. But it's a really good song and he has such a smooth and effortlessly good voice.

 3. White Lies- Unfinished Business
I only came across this fairly recently but I am so ridiculously obsessed with it. I had come across the Mumford and Sons version of it and loved that too but when I heard this , I have to say I preferred it by far.  Harry McVeigh's deep and booming voice really makes this song powerful and extremely unique.

4.  Clean Bandit- Dust Clears
This song is one of those which you play over and over and over again. I think within the first week of listening to this song I overplayed it so much I slightly ruined it for myself, but Its still a great song. Clean Bandit have a very unusual sound as they are composed of a blend of genres. The use of trumpets give them a very old Jazz sound and then the techno-house drop in the middle of the song reflects a very modern and 2014 sound. The blend of the eras of music together create a very individual sound and one that can appeal to a very wide audience.

5.  Jake Bugg- A Song About Love 
The final song is Jake Bugg's 'A Song About Love' . This song is off his new album Shangri La and is my definitely my favourite. Bugg has outdone himself with this album and I severely recommend everyone to take a listen. This song is one that you belt out in the shower and hum all day long, so if you're a fan of Jake Bugg, or even if you're not, take a listen.

Can you describe good music?

 I've recently experienced  a mild and quite humorous case of writers block when it has come to writing these blogs. Not because I can't find a topic to talk about, because music evolves every day, but instead I haven't found anything I feel passionate or excited about in a while until recently. The other day I stumbled across one of the only interviews Joni Mitchell has ever given. Watching her refreshing attitude to music and the progression,development and heartache that went into her own music really made me appreciate and envy her thoughts on what good music really is. So what is good music?I believe that there is no single accurate description of good music. We all have our own opinions about what we think it is. Our opinions are influenced by factors such as whats 'in' at the moment, what our friends like and what we think is cool to like. When it comes down to it we all hold our own thoughts about what is good music and what isnt but the most important thing to think about isn't what good music is but how it is appreciated.  For example , in my own opinion I believe Fleetwood Mac are one the greatest things to come out of the music industry. I dont believe that every one of their songs is amazing but the heartache, talent and true determination behind each of those songs showed and proved that their music was some what of an art.'Good music' is something that  shows off this art and creativity. I really do struggle to understand who decides music is good or bad when in fact it is our own personal opinion that criticis it.

The word 'guilty pleasure' gets used frequently when it comes to my music opinion. Sean Paul for example . Not the greatest of song writers/performers but somehow I still adore his music and love his way of singing( and I'm not even joking). Normally this would be a blasphemous choice when it comes to naming artists that I like but we can't control what music we like or what we see as 'good'. You might claim to be some kind of alternative/indie rock lover but hear Michael Buble on the radio and suddenly get attached. We can't stick to a particular type of genre and say that we only like that. We are and should be more open to music and naming it good or bad.  As cheesy as this sounds, music is not something to label its something to embrace, explore and enjoy. 

 Beau x

             Procrastination or Motivation?

I most definitely should be revising at this minute in time, but instead I'm counting this blog as an English Language A-Level revision exercise (hah).  There are ridiculous forms of revision , one of them being getting up early and working in silence on a table all day with no distractions. As much as people want to say that they do this everyday, it really won't be true. One of the tools that helps me revise on a day to day basis and soothes my utter frustration of the concept of A levels is  my ever soothing and honestly motivational playlist. You might just see this as the worlds worst distraction to your revision and one of the most ridiculous blogs  you have read, but I just thought I'd share and see if it helps. Here are five songs that help me revise and motivate me to break free from the mental block revision creates. 

                                          

 Enjoy

Beau x

Big Yellow Taxi for Mitchell

 

Joni Mitchell has to be one of the most inspiring and talented musicians of all time. Some of you may not have heard of her or her music but I recommend you pick up whatever laptop, Iphone, Ipad or device you have sitting next to you and search it. You will never look back.  Producing nineteen albums in her successfull career has lead her legacy to be one to remember, and one that proves that even though these generations have past, her music still stayed as gripping as ever. Being described as 'a powerful influence on all artists who embrace diversity, imagination and integrity' won her over ten awards over the years and to say the least she deserves them.  

 

 

Mitchell's  hypnotic and beautiful  song writing has influenced numerous artists all around the word, some of these being the legendary Led Zeppelin, Morrissey and Prince.  The Rolling Stones magazine even labeled her as 'one of the greatest songwriters of all time'.  Her pure voice is one that sticks in your memory and one that sticks in your head after just one listen.  Her music drifts between folk -rock and folk-jazz and each song reflects its own individual genre in a talented and quirky way. The gritty yet soothing tone of her voice is one can put you in a trance and leaves you just open to the beauty of the song. Even though this music might be  the opposite to what you normally listen to or  isn't your cup of tea, Mitchell  needs appreciating. So for the sake of reading this blog or just out of curiosity, have a cheeky listen!

Beau x 

                                 Watch, Listen and Tell

There are over 120,000,00 videos on YouTube, about 200,000 uploaded each day, over 10,000,000 YouTube videos watched daily and over 300,000,000 accounts exist. Watch,Listen and Tell are a YouTube channel dedicated to acoustic and live music. They have over 30 videos of amazing mixed genre bands playing their songs acoustically in different areas around England. 

       The magic of Watch, Listen and Tell is that the videos are filmed with a warm tone and with just the sound of the instrument, the voice and the nature behind. The videos show the raw talent of many known and unknown artists and it gives them opportunity to really show off the pure voices they have and create the platform for success in the future. WLT provides musical enchantment for everyone's ears and what made me  love and divulge in WLT was that I found that with every video I listened to  it made me want to listen to more of the band playing. I found numerous new bands that I liked and discovered that the genre I may have thought I didn't like appealed more to me. If WLT doesn't appeal to you now , I highly recommend listening to all the videos and you will be sure to find something you love. This YouTube channel really helps you to relax and explore the musical world. You may even find a band you love that's been right in front of you all along.

The video below is when WLT visited a village called Hambale in Zambia to help build pit toilets that help fight the number of people dying of diarrhea. They found that one of the builders had built his own handmade guitar and wanted to play for WLT as the sun was setting. This video will captivate you in a way you wouldn't believe. If your Sunday is not so bright , listen to this.
          
        Watch, Listen and Tell. Happy Sunday!

 Beau x