Favourite New Music Discoveries

I'm constantly listening to music but easily forget what I actually liked and what just kind of washed over me, so I thought a new music post was in order. This is partly inspired by a gig I went to in London last week, where I saw a few bands I'd never even listened to before I got tickets. I like opening up to new music, so here are my five favourite recent musical discoveries.

1. Palace

Palace are a four-piece from London, who I literally listened to for the first time today. I reviewed their new track, 'Head Above The Water' and I can't stop listening to it. They're kind of like Foals but with less of the harsh edge, and the vocals are lovely. I'm hoping to see them in October, and fingers crossed getting an interview too!

2. Natalie McCool

Natalie McCool is one of the acts I saw last week at the Sebright Arms. Her stage presence was effortlessly cool and her vocals were incredible. Her tracks are have jaunty pop inflections but aren't limited to merely being categorised as pop. She's pretty unique, and her voice is brilliant.

3. YOUTH

YOUTH was another act last week, and I had a lovely chat with her after her set. Her vocals are killer and her stage presence was so energetic, it was refreshing. Her music combines her amazing voice with fairly simple electronic stuff, but that works to her advantage as it makes the vocals the focal point. She didn't play my favourite track though, but has promised she will at her next gig.

4. Zola Blood

I wrote an introducing article about Hackney-based Zola Blood last week, and I'm still pretty excited about them. My favourite track of theirs is the dreamy 'Play Out', which intricately combines undulating synths and beautiful vocals.

5. Clean Cut Kid

I've had 'Vitamin C' as my go-to morning track all week. It's upbeat, jaunty and just plain lovely. I'm really excited to see what else these guys bring because if this track is anything to go by, they are ones to watch.

I seem to be trying to tailor this blog a bit more towards music, which is probably a good thing. But if I do anything else that's worth writing about, I will probably stick it on here anyway!

Summer Reading List

Although I'm going to be pretty weighed down by the hefty reading lists I already have for my modules next year, I definitely need to find time this summer to read things that I want to read. I'm hoping that I can get myself back into the swing of reading as much as I used to- at least then the plunge into term time won't be quite so daunting.

American Psycho is my first read of the summer. I've managed to read some of it in the sporadic spots of sunshine that I've spent in my garden, and it's style is very gripping. It's pretty intense, but I'm looking forward to finishing it.

I don't think summer would be complete without a proper chick flick - and who better than Bridget Jones? Granted, my love for her did go down a bit during a film adaptation module last year, but I still can't believe I've waited this long to read the third instalment.

I've been meaning to read this sci-fi masterpiece for about a year now. I actually ended up reading another of Dick's novels, A Scanner Darkly, and writing about it for a module. His style is at once effortless and intensely detailed, so the novel that Blade Runner sprang from should be a good read.

Lastly, I need something to fuel my everlasting love for Virginia Woolf. I haven't read anything of hers for a while, not since Mrs Dalloway featuring on one of my modules, so I'm happily going to throw myself into the poetics of this novel.

I'd love to say I'll get reviews up of all of these, but I probably won't...I'll just be content with setting aside time for reading again.

Review: Prides - The Way Back Up

The debut album from Glaswegian trio Prides is finally here. With the album’s lead single, ‘Messiah’ dropping ahead of its release, excitement has been bubbling for the unstoppable force that is the anthemic The Way Back Up.

‘I Should Know Better’ begins the album with punchy beats balanced by Stewart Brock’s consistently brilliant vocals, and a soaring chorus. But Prides do not leave it there. The track is elevated further by its synth counterparts before isolating its vocals, providing an exciting contrast to the anthemic ‘Messiah’. It’s ‘Messiah’ that catapulted Prides into the music world after their performance at 2014’s Commonwealth Closing Ceremony and it remains one of the strongest tracks on the album. ‘Higher Love’ is one of the band’s most recent releases, and its fun opening echoes childhood video game theme tunes.

Prides threaten to “tear it up” in ‘It’s Not Gonna Change’. Its opening’s synth construction reflects CHRVCHES’ work on The Bones Of What You Believe, before it builds to the foot-stomping power found on ‘Messiah’. ‘Out Of The Blue’ enters with a thundering drum, and is one of the catchiest tracks on the album. The band’s strengths lie in their ability to carefully layer repetitive lyrics in their tracks, without making it whiney or dull- which is what works for them on both ‘It’s Not Gonna Change’ and ‘Out Of The Blue’. The album’s title track falls penultimately on the album. Prides sing “We’re closer today and that’s enough”, hailing the album as something of a journey back to the surface. It’s uplifting. Reassuring, even.

Despite the consistent sound of The Way Back Up, there are still a few surprises along the way. ‘Same Mistakes’ is one of these surprises. It shows a softer side to Prides, opening with a carefully picked guitar melody and soothing vocals that showcase their talent behind the electronic work that has made their name. It’s a refreshing the track, providing an interlude from the album’s intensity without being out of place. There’s something beautifully raw about the melancholic ending to the album, too. ‘The Kite String And The Anchor Rope’ takes you by the hand and leads you out with a fading piano melody, making it hard to remember the upbeat excitement of opener ‘I Should Know Better’.

Prides have created something great with The Way Back Up. It’s intense, it’s fun, and it’s full of dreamy synthesisers. If you thought that they would provide an album saturated with anthems like ‘Messiah’, then you were mistaken. This album has diversity, and diversity makes for a winning debut.

My favourite albums of 2015 so far

A lot of publications are showcasing the best that 2015 has offered us in music so far. I'd like to do the same.

Kicking off this list is Wolf Alice's daring debut, My Love Is Cool. After its release, glowing reviews erupted left, right and centre- and mine was no different. I hailed the album as worthy of a five star review for its genre hopping diversity and its raw coolness that make it such a stand out debut.

Favourite tracks: 'Turn To Dust', 'Bros' and 'Silk'.

Summer Camp's Bad Love sparked my attention after watching Beyond Clueless, a highschool movie montage featuring an amazing soundtrack from the band. This was the first album in a while I had got really excited for, and after talking to Elizabeth Sankey on Twitter in the lead up to its release, I was so glad it didn't disappoint (not that I thought it would). The album is full of dreamy pop and excitingly fast-paced lyrics. It's fab.

Favourite tracks: 'Bad Love', 'Run Away' and 'Keep Up'.

Next up is the second album from Lucy Rose, Work It Out. As Rose said, the album is a little bit different- and it is sure to get people dancing. Not that she had anything to prove, but Work It Out shows listeners what Rose is about, and it is certainly bolder and more full of life than her debut. I'm glad she didn't just make a record that was exactly the same as her debut; whilst still maintaining the honesty of her music. The album packs a punch, and I am excited to dance around at her Autumn tour.

Favourite tracks: 'Our Eyes', 'Work It Out' and 'Lone Ranger'.

Another exciting debut to spring is Prides' The Way Back Up. I was lucky enough to get a stream for this album (ahem, records ed perks) ahead of its release at the end of the week. I gave it a lot of time, and it was ace to find diversity in place throughout the album, with a few surprises along the way. Prides have proven that they are ones to watch with this album, combining dreamy synthesisers and punchy beats.

Favourite tracks: 'Same Mistakes' and 'Not Gonna Change'.

When I ran for The Edge's Records Editor, my predecessor asked us all what we thought of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly. I'd never listened to it (but luckily people still voted for me). Of course, when I went home, I did some research and got quite into the jazz and hiphop fusion that is this album. It oozes cool and makes you feel pretty badass if you listen to it whilst wandering around campus.

Favourite tracks: 'Wesley's Theory' and 'Institutionalised'.

This list is by no means extensive; I've also loved Everything Everything's Get To Heaven, SOAK's debut Before We Forgot How To Dream, and surprisingly, Snoop's BUSH. I'm excited for what the rest of this year will bring music-wise. Even this month is jampacked, with Tame Impala's Currents and MS MR's second album, How Does It Feel both on the way.

Update on...life

It's definitely been a while, to say the least. Whether that's due to business, lack of motivation, being snowed under with assignments or just not really thinking about writing- I don't really know. But the onset of the summer holidays brings with it an overwhelming sense of boredom, though I hate to admit it.

In reality, I actually have quite a lot going for me this summer. I've been lucky enough to get an internship at my university, working in the Marketing and Communications team, and four weeks in I'm loving it. I even got to spend a day handing out free cupcakes last week (which I think is now my ultimate career goal).

Internship aside, the best thing that has happened to me over the past few months is being elected Records Editor for The Edge. This basically means that I get to spend a lot of time writing about music, reading about music, and getting others to write about music. It's the most amazing opportunity and I genuinely feel so lucky to be able to work with such an incredible group of people. It's ace. I also got to interview the lovely Lucy Rose, who was an absolute gem.

Back to the reason I'm actually in Southampton, my degree. Academically, I've probably just had the best year ever. I got to study Women in Hollywood, Film Adaptation and an amazing module called Images of Women. You know when you imagine what English will be like at university; reading Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, slating Freud and learning about great literary women? This module was all of that and more.

There's probably not a lot else to say. But maybe over this summer I will make sure I'm around a bit more and get writing lots (if I can find anything interesting to do/write about, that is!).

For now I will probably throw some reviews I've recently done towards you, so have a read if you please.

Review: The Lion King at the Mayflower Theatre (04/09/14)

Following 15 years at London’s Lyceum Theatre The Lion King is currently doing its first ever tour of the UK, with the first stop being Southampton’s very own Mayflower Theatre. Disney’s award winning musical, brought to life for the stage by Julie Taymor, has now been seen by over 70 million people worldwide and cannot only be seen here in the UK, but in five other countries around the globe.

The Mayflower Theatre set the perfect backdrop for the show, so it is no surprise that with it came record-breaking ticket sales. The fairly small venue allowed for an heir of intimacy as the sun rose on the stage and the audience was transported from Southampton to the Serengeti Plain where Simba’s epic journey takes place.

Many will remember the spectacular opening of Disney’s animated film featuring every animal of the Savannah joining together to witness the presentation of Simba accompanied by Elton John’sCircle of Life. This spectacle was not by any means hindered by the limitations of stage production, audience members gasped as all animals (represented by both costumes and clever puppetry) took to the stage to welcome the new cub. Unlike with other musical productions, The Lion Kingrequired short adjustment to adapt to the puppetry of animals without the easy representation of an animated film. It was orchestrated beautifully, making it easy for the imagination to take over.

The first act of the show takes us through Simba’s journey towards adulthood, including the moving death of his father Mufasa. With much of the dialogue and songs being lifted directly from Disney’s film, this somehow did not detract from the enjoyment. It proves to be quite possible to find great enjoyment despite knowing the exact outcome which demonstrates the splendour of the costumes, dance and performance as a whole. The stampede chase leading up to Mufasa’s death was executed brilliantly, combining row upon row of wildebeest as backdrop as well as dancers to create the tension of the chase. Mufasa’s death was nothing short of heart-breaking, which gives great credit to the actors of father (Cleveland Cathnott) and son.

What truly made the show a success was the masterful use of puppetry, costumes and particularly the masks; many of which were designed by the show’s director, Julie Taymor. Not only were masks used on the characters throughout, but also in representation of the dead Mufasa. With the song He Lives in You, cast members formed a giant lion head from separate pieces that filled the backdrop of the stage. The show seamlessly combined puppetry and live action with some scenes, the most obvious being the fight scene between hyenas and lions, flitting between the two as a showcase of both the actors’ talent and the artists’.

The finale of the show, following the dramatic death of the show’s spineless villain, Scar (Christopher Colquhoun), brought the audience full circle with the Circle of Life, echoing the beginning of the production. Performed with the same precision as the opening, the finale was a great end to the show that cannot be described as anything but spectacular, bringing all of the animals of the Savannah together once more.

Something The Lion King stage production has that the film does not is the inclusion of traditional traits of the film’s African setting. It is Rafiki, the wise baboon (Thulisile Thusi), who truly sets the scene of the Serengeti from the opening of the production with her use of language which is continued throughout with dance and costume. This is definitely something that is missing from Disney’s animated film, and was a great addition to the show.

The only criticism that could be passed was that some of the humour bordered on pantomime comedy which proved a little awkward at times. However, some of the jokes fondly remembered from the 1994 film were topically updated which made the show more relevant to its audience; and example being the swapping of Zazu’s rendition of Merv Griffin’s I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts with The Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) much to some peoples’ dismay! That aside, the use of comedy throughout the production to break the tension of more serious matters made the show absolutely perfect for all ages.

Although The Lion King’s time at the Mayflower Theatre has now sadly come to an end, it is of course continuing its run at London’s Lyceum Theatre, as well as continuing its UK tour in Sunderland, Cardiff and Manchester.

9/10-The Lion King is nothing short of a spectacular transformation of Disney’s childhood favourite, with stunning music lead by Jonathan Gill, and amazing artistry of costumes and puppetry throughout. A perfect musical to be enjoyed by all generations and a credit to the Mayflower Theatre!

Review: Arcade Fire at Earls Court (06/06/2014)

In their first show in London for three years, tickets were sold out for Arcade Fire’s return at Earls Court on both the 6th and 7th June. The two dates serve as a build up to the climax of the ‘Reflektor’ tour at Hyde Park’s British Summer Time on 3rd July- which is also set to be their last London performance of 2014. Friday 6th June saw the band joined by a DJ set from Pulp’s Steve Mackey, and an amazing performance from Owen Pallett who later joined the band on stage for the main event of the evening. They were even joined at one point by Echo and the Bunnymen’s frontman Ian McCulloch for a cover of ‘The Cutter‘ that was originally released in 1983. Those attending the gig on Saturday will be treated to live performances from both Lorde and 2 Many Djs.

The request made by Arcade Fire on their Twitter on Friday, asking fans to wear either fancy dress or formal attire, was taken very seriously by some. Earls Court was brimming with glitz and glamour, and all costumes from robots to princesses, to the lion from the Wizard of Oz. Having the dressing-up element present at the gig made the event truly unique and created nothing short of a great atmosphere- that was raised higher once fans stepped inside of the main venue. Earls Court was decked out in disco balls and strings of fairy lights, and even included someone dressed entirely in a suit made from reflective material appearing on the second stage at certain points of the night. Arcade Fire truly went all-out with the ‘Reflektor’ theme!

As a seven piece band, I can imagine that the stage presence of Arcade Fire is always huge, but Friday and Saturday saw the band as a staggering eleven-strong band. Not only were they joined on stage by Owen Pallett, who had supported them earlier in the night, but previous core member Sarah Neufield and two additional percussionists. Despite the vast number on stage, it was frontwoman (wife of frontman Win Butler) Régine Chassagne that stole the show with a stunning performance. During Afterlife, Régine made her way to the second stage in the venue, that was in the centre of the crowd. Surrounded by dancers dressed as skeletons, the whole crowd turned to watch her and seemed to be totally transfixed by her performance- making her the stand-out member of the night.

Arcade Fire’s two hour set was kickstarted by the title track of their fourth album, ‘Reflektor,’ which was perfect for setting the mood of the evening. All of the band’s visuals corresponded to the theme of ‘Reflektor,’ with the band surrounded on stage by mirrors and a hall full of disco balls. The highlights of the night included ‘Neighbourhood (Tunnels)‘ and ‘Wake Up’ from the band’s first album, Funeral, the title track of ‘The Suburbs,’ and ‘Joan of Arc.’ A personal favourite for me was ‘No Cars Go‘ from Neon Bible. Having said this, every song was performed with the same precision and the experience was amazing.

The band covered a huge range throughout their set from all four of their albums, which can’t have been anything but a treat for the whole crowd. We have definitely been left wanting more, so it’s probably a good thing that tickets are still on sale for their performance at Hyde Park where they will be joined by Jake Bugg, Wild Beasts, Band of Skulls and Future Islands.

Review: Kindness - Otherness

Alan Bainbridge, the luscious-locked man behind Kindness, has released his second studio album.Otherness, released on 13th October, succeeds his debut album World, You Need a Change of Mind that was released in March 2012. With Otherness, Bainbridge brings us a meticulously constructed hybrid of experimental soul, in an album that tells a narrative of unrequited love.

Otherness marks a slight shift in genre from Bainbridge’s first album. Although both are experimental, World, You Need a Change of Mind covers a wider range of musical platforms and focuses strongly on electronic and synth compositions. With his second album, Bainbridge is more concerned with the soul genre, which brings a bluesy level to his electronic undertones.

The album opens with ‘World Restart’, featuring vocals from Ade and Kelele. Bainbridge introduces us to the album with a track that falls nicely into two halves. With the first half of the track inviting listeners to focus entirely on instruments and vocals, and the shift after a pause at the midway point to a more upbeat and almost dance feel, Bainbridge lays down the two elements working strongly together throughout the rest of Otherness.

Bainbridge’s use of lyrics and quite blatant track titles allow Otherness to tell a story. With ‘Why Don’t You Love Me’ seeming to provide an answer to the third track of the album, ‘Who Do You Love?’ a relatable journey of tensions in a relationship and its demise is created. We are, however, left with the reassuring note that ‘It’ll Be Ok’ with the concluding track of the album.

Otherness is interesting to look at in terms of its collaborations, with the most well-known of these being Swedish recording artist Robyn whose vocals feature on ‘Who Do You Love?’. The collaborations on the album allow for a diversion from Bainbridge’s vocals and lift Otherness to a more diverse platform.

Award winning Ghanian rapper M.anifest may seem like an unusual addition to ‘8th Wonder’, with the track covering a strange range from Bainbridge’s own vocals, to M.anifest’s section of the track, to an entirely instrumental ending. On the surface, it would seem that the track is too jarring and in fact the three sections don’t work together at all- but if you give it a chance, what Bainbridge achieves is to unify separate layers of music in a track that exemplifies the diversity of the album.

Others involved with Otherness include Tawaih and Devonté Hynes (formally known as Blood Orange), who features on the soundtrack of Gia Coppola’s film Palo Alto.

It’s great to find a second album that strives to be just as experimental as the debut. Bainbridge’s diversity is made apparent in the way that he continues to link seemingly incongruent elements together to create an album that, although precise in its composition, cannot placed in a rigid genre.

Otherness is a great feat of experiment and diversity, but at the hands of this it can also be a little too jarring at times.

Review: SBTRKT - Wonder Where We Land

Wonder Where We Land is the second studio album from London-based Aaron Jerome, formally known as SBTRKT. The album maintains the distinctive experimental style recognisable in SBTRKT’s self-titled album released in 2011, and even takes the experiments a step further- with 21 songs packed into an hour long double album.

Before releasing the full studio album, SBTRKT released 3 EPs as part of his ‘Transitions’ series. The EPs, which can be found on his Soundcloud, mark a transition between the self-titled first album and Wonder Where We Land, preparing listeners for the innovative style to come.

We are eased into Wonder Where We Land with ‘Day 1’, 30 seconds of rising electronics, before being greeted with the title track of the album. The title track is a little tamer in style than others, but with a multi-layered construction of vocals and electronics – featuring SBTRKT’s frequent collaborator, Sampha – it does not falsely lull you into a sense of security. The start of the album presents an almost calculated theme of alternating between songs with vocals and those that lay bare the electronic talents of Jerome, but as it progresses this scheme falls away and listeners are introduced to the huge range of collaborators on Wonder Where We Land.

Sampha, who featured on SBTRKT’s self-titled album back in 2011, is not the only one to collaborate once more with the solo-artist. Jessie Ware, who featured previously on ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Right Thing To Do’, works again with SBTRKT for the track ‘Problem (Solved)’. Her vocals work wonderfully against the backdrop of SBTRKT’s music on what is one of the lighter tracks of the album, and it is perfectly clear to see why the choice was made. Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig is also among those to collaborate on the album with the cleverly lyricized ‘NEW DORP. NEW YORK.’

Others to feature include Warpaint, Raury, Caroline Polachek, Koreless and A$AP Ferg. It would be all too easy to focus almost entirely on the collaborations that feature so strongly on the album, but that would dismiss the talent of SBTRKT that is the undercurrent for all of the tracks on Wonder Where We Land.

The separation of the two disks of the double LP seems to mark a slight shift in tone from the first to the second, with the latter end of the album (particularly ‘War Drums’ which features vocals from Warpaint) marking a more haunting tone to the former. The album as a whole is then brought full circle by ending on a purely electronic final track in the form of the beautifully constructed ‘Decemberist’, which presents the style we truly associate with SBTRKT.

Wonder Where We Land is, essentially, an excellent follow up to SBTRKT’s self-titled album. At the hands of a more ambitious range of collaborations and styles comes an album that is a little disjointed at times, but it is possible to get past this. You could not knock the sheer talent of Aaron Jerome and his ability to unify such a level of experimentation on one album- so let’s hope there isn’t another three-year wait before his next instalment.

Review: Manchester Orchestra - Hope

The latest instalment from Atlanta based Manchester Orchestra succeeds the band’s release ofCope, their fourth studio album, in April this year. The release, titled Hope, is a reimagining ofCope, which lays bare the intricate details (or, as frontman Andy Hull put it- “the beautiful, slow stuff”) behind the album that is perhaps a little brutal in comparison. In this reimagining we receive a beautiful new album, exposing elements that were hidden by the heavier nature of Cope.

The alternative rock band are currently on a UK tour which was kick-started at Portsmouth Pyramids, which left fans eagerly awaiting the digital release of Hope after announcing it on their Facebook page on 16th September. Checking every day after this announcement to find out when UK fans could get hold of the full album, it wasn’t until the 26th September that the band finally announced that it would be available for digital download…but not until the 29th! Along with Hopecame news of a “stripped down” tour that, much to our dismay, will sadly only be performed in the United States.

It is quite rare that a band will release a new album that is essentially an extension of a previous release (alt-J’s ‘Bloodflood Part II’ on This Is All Yours has the same principle behind it but not quite on this scale), but Manchester Orchestra pull it off beautifully and with great reason. The redevelopment of Cope takes the album full circle, and listeners get a true feeling of the bare frameworks of the band’s talent.

To really appreciate the difference between Cope and Hope, it works quite well to listen to the tracks in pairs, going between the two albums. This isn’t to say that each album cannot be appreciated without the other, it simply allows for a more interesting look at the composition of both of them. The first instalment of Hope, along with ‘Girl Harbor,’ was ‘Top Notch,’ tantalisingly published on the group’s Soundcloud before the album’s digital release. From this track alone the beautiful rawness of Hope is made apparent.

The release of a stripped down album could seem to some a discredit to the first. If what makesHope so wonderful is that it is Cope without the loudness, then what is the point of Cope’s loudness in the first place? What Manchester Orchestra have achieved, however, is to present what is underlying in Cope, whilst giving credit to the sheer talent that has gone into it.

With standout tracks such as ‘Girl Harbor’ and ‘Choose You,’ Hope achieves the same greatness at Cope without quite so much punchiness. Despite its obvious tie to the band’s previous release, I think that Hope can stand alone as an album in its own right, which is a great credit to Manchester Orchestra.

My Most Memorable Concert: Foo Fighters at Milton Keynes Bowl, 2011

My most memorable concert happily coincides with my first ‘proper’ concert (that is, unless you count an 8 year old me bopping along to S Club 7). In July 2011, I was lucky enough to see Foo Fighters perform on one of two dates at Milton Keynes Bowl, at the height of their Wasting Lighttour.

The value I attribute to this concert probably has quite a lot to do with having hailed Foo Fighters as one of my favourite bands of all time- thanks to the introduction by my mum. That said, I’m not sure I had a lot of choice what with One by One being blared out in the car at any given opportunity!

I can still clearly remember my excitement when Foo Fighters took to the stage, opening with ‘Rope’. ‘Rope’, which also marked the opening of Wasting Light, was a perfect opening. I don’t think anyone there – which, at the hands of the bowl-shaped venue, had an absolutely amazing sound – could have escaped the contagious excitement. Before Foo Fighters’ slot, Tame Impala, Death Cab for Cutie and Biffy Clyro had all performed throughout the evening. Having seen Tame Impala and Biffy Clyro since, I think I definitely should have appreciated them more at the time- but I think I was just a little bit too geared up for the main event.

Highlights of Foo Fighters’ set were hard to pin down at the time, as they still are now. But, as an all-time favourite track, singing to ‘Best of You’ at the top of my lungs whilst crushed in a crowd of people twice my height was definitely up there.

It wasn’t until the Wasting Light tour that I had really been old enough to go to a concert and properly enjoy it, so I think that’s part of why this particular concert stands out so much. I’m glad to have seen Foo Fighters at the age I was, because all too often now I see bands as part of festivals which always end up a little bit hazy.

It’s probably mostly the nostalgic attachments I have to this concert that have prompted me to choose it as my most memorable one, but it truly was an amazing night of music and I hope that I get the chance to see them again soon.

WARNING

Am about to post an influx of various reviews and what not that I have (fairly) recently written for an entertainment publication at my university, The Edge. Apologies in advance anyone who may be watching this space (that I admit has been inactive for some months now) but I thought I would make some use of it.

April Goals

I was reading another blog earlier and saw that every month, the writer set herself goals for things to achieve in the forthcoming month. I thought it was a lovely idea, hence this post being here! It will be nice to carry this on throughout the year so that I can actually see that I'm doing something, and it'll be an easy way to blog more. So, here are April's goals...

1. go running

There was a stage after Christmas where I was running pretty much every other day, and I started to really enjoy it. I think I stopped when I restarted Tae Kwon Do because that was a more sociable form of exercise, but now that I'm home for Easter I'm not able to train- so I definitely need to do something! As of tomorrow I will start running every other day again, and I will hopefully carry it on once back in Southampton too...because I don't really fancy turning into a huge blob over the Easter break!

2. be motivated

I noticed that towards the end of last term (probably for the last 3 or so weeks) I've had little or no motivation for anything to do with university work, despite the fact that I was still really enjoying my modules and do want to do well. So, I'm going to get back on track this month. I've already started planning for my Stage and Screen module portfolio (which isn't due until 22nd May...gasp) and have planned out an essay that isn't due until 5th May- hopefully I will knuckle down this holiday and get some proper work done so that when I go back to Southampton I can feel a little less stressed and crazy!

3. read more books

I realised that I haven't actually read a book that I want to read, that is, outside of my university course, since reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (a review of which can be found here). In fairness, I haven't actually been reading all that much for university either, so I don't have any excuse not to be reading! I still have a stack of books left from my last book splurge, so I think I will get myself back into the swing of reading with either William Burrough's Junky, or Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being as I have both of those at home with me!

4. worry less

Another thing I found towards the end of last term was that I was worrying about everything. Even things that don't need worrying about. So, I think I need to concentrate on worrying about things that I can actually do something about...and instead of sitting about in an anxious mess, actually doing something productive about the things that I'm worrying about. It's definitely easier said than done, but if I manage to get my motivation back on track hopefully I'll find myself with less on my mind!

Update on...pretty much everything!

Seeing as I've just come to the end of my second term at Southampton (gasp, time please slow down) it seems fitting to do a little round up of recent happenings, especially as this term has been a pretty hectic one! I've also realised that I haven't blogged in a very long time...I spend a lot of time being busy doing nothing when I'm at university, but I'm hoping to get back on track with this blog from now on!

The last time I actually did any sort of life update was way way back in November, so five months down the line you'd think I'd have a lot to talk about- and I probably do, but I can't really remember everything I've been doing. It's probably easiest to do little sub-headings of important parts so that I can get everything down (which is probably better than plodding through month by month!).

I'll start with University:

Work-wise, everything seems to be going pretty much okay. I managed to bag myself a couple of firsts on some of the assignments that I was completing over the Christmas holidays, and a first in my Old English exam, so that stuff was good. A new semester meant new modules, and I think almost everyone taking the Old English module last semester was extremely happy to say goodbye to it! My modules this semester have been far better than the ones I was formerly taking- but I have to say that I really miss doing a proper Film module. My favourite at the moment is Stage and Screen, which as the name would suggest is about as close to a Film module as English can get. We've been looking specifically at the Classic Hollywood period, along with looking at theatre too- and it was this module that bagged us all a free ticket to see Caryl Churchill's A Number at the Nuffield Theatre (my little write up can be found here). Surprisingly, I've really enjoyed Critical Theory too- even though after most of the lectures I exit questioning almost everything about my life and literature! The last part of this year, when I go back to Southampton after Easter, is probably going to be the most important part of the year. I haven't got any exams (high five to English degrees) but I do have two 'take away' essays (that unfortunately do not include take aways, though I'm sure my flatmate Becca and I will reaching for the late night Dominos when writing them), and two portfolios...so I think things will be pretty hectic once I'm back. My only worry is the horrible lack of motivation I've had for the last few weeks or so, I found myself submitting work that I knew could probably be better whilst saying that I didn't care- which for anyone who knows me, is really, really unlike me. I'm hoping that a little time off and a break will help get me back on track and that once I'm back in Southampton I will get my bum back into gear and finish this year well!

Whilst writing that, I've kind of realised that I'm going to bore anyone who reads this to death if I carry on rambling, so for the rest I'll just do a little summation of good stuff that has happened! Nick coming to stay in February was ace, as you will know if you've read my blogpost about it! It was really cool being touristy in a place I've lived in for about 7 months now, and was great fun showing Nick around. The lovely Georgia also came to stay at the end of term, and it's fair to say we remember very little of it...but I think two great nights out were what we needed! In March, I went to see Joanna,  a friend from a module last semester, in a play called The God of Carnage (which I didn't review and I feel a little bad about) and it was hands down the funniest play I have ever seen, and it was only composed of one scene with four cast members. I need to carry on doing nice little things like going to the theatre, and I think after I've finished my assignments for this semester I may have to treat myself to another trip. In March I was also lucky enough to go to the Student Tae Kwon Do Nationals (yep, after six years I have started Tae Kwon Do again) with Southampton's club which was an amazing experience- not only because we won overall, but being part of such a great team was incredible. A more recent cool thing was seeing Wild Beasts in Cambridge on Monday, which was absolutely amazing (...and another thing I haven't reviewed but should have done). They were supported by a really cool guy called East India Youth, who is very temptingly playing at Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth soon- so I might have to go to that. Looking at all of the good things that have happened over the term show how great it's been, and I have lots more to look forward to! On 2nd May I have the Athletics Union Ball with Tae Kwon Do, on 6th I'm finally seeing Arcade Fire with Georgia and Bradley, and I've also put the deposit down on my Reading ticket for this year- so things are looking good!

Georgia in Southampton feat. most of my flatmates!

SUTKD!

Sorry for such a heavy text based post, I will hopefully have some more interesting stuff to come soon! (watch out for a denim jacket post feat. Ladybird Likes, more book reviews when I get myself back into reading, and probably a post about the AU Ball!)

Gallivanting...in Portsmouth with Fhionna and Owen

After hearing about Pie and Vinyl in Portsmouth a little while ago, I've been itching to take a trip- and today we finally got around to it! Despite having lived in Southampton for near enough six months now, we haven't done a whole lot of exploring, so today was an ace opportunity for me and two of my flatmates (Owen and Fhionna) to be a little bit touristy and venture further afield than Southampton town centre. Apologies again for the slightly rubbishy photos- I made use of my film camera rather than using a digital one, so will of course have to wait to get them developed! The best way to go about this post is probably a simple picture-and-caption affair, so here we go...

Thanks to Fhionna's (ahem, Fhionna's phone's) navigation, we made it safely and swiftly to Southsea's Pie & Vinyl after a nice little train journey from Southampton. I didn't realise how nice it would be to escape Southampton for a bit, it was ace to be in a new place and be able to look around and new things- and Portsmouth is so damn pretty! 

I absolutely loved the little dividers between the records that were used, and that the vinyl was all kept in old suitcases. The vinyl room was a little smaller than we expected but it was so full up that it made up for it in content! I don't have any pictures of the room as a whole, but it was so, so cool and I'd quite like to set up camp there and live there for forever. I somehow managed not to buy any vinyl (well done me and my self-control) but instead treated myself to a baseball-style top with the shop's logo on, which I am very happy with!

After spending quite a while browsing the vinyl, we decided to sit down for some pie- and it was possibly the best decision we've ever made! As you can see from the pictures, the whole place is really ace and the atmosphere was so lovely. We had a chat with one of the staff members and he made us feel very welcome, and we have promised to return at some point.

I had a chicken/bacon/garlic/all things wonderful pie. It was the best pie I have ever eaten.

Owen and Fhi looking lovely post-pie

After leaving Pie & Vinyl we headed towards the sea and walked along the wall. It was lovely to be by the sea but at the same time it made us a little bit jealous- I really wish we had a beach in Southampton!

Lots of stone-skimming happened. Owen was crowned King of Stone-Skimming.

Wall-walking shenanigans

We had a great day, even though we managed to miss the stop at Southampton and ended up in Romsey for half an hour. We found out in that half an hour that there isn't a lot to do in Romsey. I think we will definitely be visiting Portsmouth again, it'll be lovely in the Summer!

Gallivanting...in Southampton with Nick

Earlier this week Nick took a little trip to Southampton to see me, and we had an ace few days. Despite having been here for near enough 6 months now, I haven't really done much of the touristy stuff like trawling around the docks and walking around exploring, so it was really nice to have an excuse to do that. Highlight of the days was definitely Ed's Diner though- although Mettricks Coffee (a little coffee house in Old Southampton that I started visiting a few weeks ago) still reigns on as my favourite place in Southampton so far! Sorry for the pretty rubbishy phone photos, took the opportunity to take the film camera out so a lot of nicer ones are on there! 

1 & 2. Evidence that Ed's Diner is a place of wonderful food and milkshakes. Nick had a peanut butter milkshake and it was b-e-a-utiful!

3. We paid a visit to the docks...and um, the docks are quite boring...we saw some boats...and that was about it

4. I thought it was cool that nice old houses like this are about when I'm so used to the boring old city ones around town!

5. I just liked the old lamppost and old pub so took a picture of them together.

6. We stumbled across a pretty cool-looking restaurant that serves Greek, Italian and something else...will hopefully be paying them a visit!

7 & 8. Mettricks is the loveliest little coffee house I've been to in ages, it was the last stop on mine and Nick's Southampton adventure before he hopped on the train home! Nick treated me to a pot of 'Char Winter Fairytale' and it was the nicest tea I have ever had- will definitely need to stock up on it at some point! 

Overall Nick and I had an ace few days, and I'm really excited for him to come and stay again! 

Foals at Alexandra Palace (15.02.14)

On Saturday Chloe and I ventured to the lovely Alexandra Palace to see Foals- which after trying countless times to get tickets, was absolutely amazing. The first ace thing about the night was the venue- I've never been there before and it was absolutely beautiful, I'm a bit of a sucker for stain glass windows and nice buildings! As always, I was a little too short to be taking photographs in a big crowd, so this post is going to be a little lacking in pictures but I will see what I can pinch from the ones that Chlo took.

Doors opened at 6:30 which was a little earlier than I find most places do, but it meant we had time to have a nice little wander around all of the yummy food and drink stalls inside (as well as spend about twenty minutes umm-ing and arr-ing over which t-shirts to buy!). I treated myself to a Chicken Katsu Curry and a really cool baseball style Foals shirt, which I have pretty much been wearing since the gig and you will have seen if you follow me on Instagram or Tumblr. They also had a little live band in the middle of the hall and it set a lovely atmosphere.

The first of the two bands before Foals (I feel really awful for not knowing their name!) was a little, um, different- they was no singing but a lot of pretty awesome guitar solos. It was nice to have something out of the ordinary to kick start the night but I think it just made everyone all the more anxious for Cage the Elephant and Foals to come on stage! Cage the Elephant aren't a band I know very well, other than the obvious 'Shake Me Down' that I really love, but their energy on stage was amazing, and the songs I did know were ace to sing along to which helped to get us into the 'spirit' of the night. Then it was time for Foals, who of course everyone was waiting for. Their set was a little disappointingly short, I think they were only on for a total of about ninety minutes, but it may have been a blessing in disguise because the crowd was a little bit nuts on Saturday!

Photo Credit to: vicstaa.tumblr.com

They entered the stage in darkness and began playing the Prelude from their latest album, Holy Fire and then kicked off the gig with 'Total Life Forever' which has always been a song I've liked so it was a nice way to start. They played all the greats, focusing a lot on their newer stuff like 'Inhaler' (which was absolutely insane, even more so than when they played at Reading '13) and 'My Number' which really suited the crowd and everyone was singing along and being all crazy. A highlight for me was 'Spanish Sahara' and I think that could be said for literally any time I see them, because it is, and probably always will be, my favourite song of theirs. As they did at Reading, they made everyone get down onto the floor (which was ace for me, because it meant I could actually see the stage!) and then rise up at the chorus- everyone was belting it out and there was a really great atmosphere. One of the only disappointments of the night was them not playing 'Cassius' which was the first Foals song I ever heard, but hey ho.

All in all it was an amazing night and would very much like to go back and relive it! Next up, Wild Beasts on 31st March at Cambridge Corn Exchange.