'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

Take a Trip to San Cisco

San Cisco ,a  Australian four-piece Indie Pop group who have recently been brought to fame in the UK . Their techno vibrant sound cultivated me within seconds and persuaded me to listen on and find out what other quirky songs they have created. And luckily enough I was drawn to them, and to their individual unique addition to music. They definitely have a vintage feel to them and their song,  Beach  certainly proves this as it has an 80s deep base and the  60s out of this world intoxicating vocals that send your mind into many segments of fascination. They released their first EP, Golden Revolver in 2011  and from then on have grown into an even bigger success releasing four other songs and awaiting an album to be released. For anyone with a music taste that dabbles into multiple genres like myself, I highly recommend this new exciting four piece. And even to people who normally see indie pop as another kettle of fish to their usual genre, I would still recommend these to anyone. This band in my eyes is categorized as many different styles and tickles the taste buds of all my musical needs.  So listen, enjoy, and look deeper into the sounds you may not like as you will probably find something you wouldn't think you'd like but seem to adore. 

Beau x

A Bugg You Can't Shake Off

Jake Bugg, an 18 year old from Nottingham. Influenced by Oasis, Bob Dylan  and The Beatles, he is an unmissable new star in the music industry. With rustic sounds and a voice that sounds like its from the 60's Bugg has certainly grown on us all. His sounds may not appeal to all 'music fanatics' but the songs he's written himself show a true talent in themselves aside from the way he presents them.

His quirky and unique talent hit me straight away, I was engaged with the tone style and era of his voice as he's not the typical new release you hear in our 'charty tarty top forty' every week, Bugg has blown away the music industry, even Lana Del Rey , Example and Michael Kiwanuka have had him supporting their tours.  Unlike his friends who supported the hip hop culture ,Bugg ventured away and decided to turn to Rock.He received an acoustic guitar from his Uncle when he was younger he decided to turn on his first Dylan album and practice along and if that doesn't make you fall in love with him, I don't know what will. From reading an article about his up and coming fame he was asked whether he'd enter a show such as Britains Got Talent or X Factor, the musician however described that ordeal as 'not feeling natural or genuine'. At least he's got some sense. The 18 year old even dropped out of studying Music Technology in his local college when he found some old Beatles song books in the library and decided he'd rather learn songs then go to classes. His somewhat outgoing  and confident characteristics have led him to this success and one big one at it. Nick Grimshaw has already listed his first Lightening Bolt song of the week and his first released hit of Troubled Town took to the industry a storm. The success he has gained so quickly is astonishing. I can't wait to see what else he has to offer the music industry and I hope he sticks to his deliciously new and individual sounds. 

Beau x