Keeping It Fresh

Hello, hello! It has been quite a while since I last dropped a post on the blog. I want to go ahead and send a huge shout out to everyone who has been patient with me, and the more sporadic nature of my writing. Everything is a work in progress, and continuing to write about music remains in “progress” mode. Moving onto the music, I would be remiss if I didn’t include this particular song. Why? Because it may just be one of the single greatest musical moments to come out of the world of Game of Thrones and television as a whole.  As you all may know, Florence Welch is a singer I am completely in awe in. She has harnessed something so magical in music, something so enchanting that you cannot help but be enamoured by it. Her voice has the power of a tidal wave, soaring and crashing as she chases the high notes and smashes the lower notes. But her voice can also be gentle and deep, like the calm waves of a splendorous ocean. The versatility and depth with which she can sing made he...

Today I have some very interesting music for you especially because it falls in a weird space between being older music and newer music. One of the most well-known events in recent hip-hop history is the legal battle that one of the most prestigious names in hip-hop was fighting. Lil Wayne has brought so much to rap and has influenced so many rappers. The creative differences and legal battle that Lil Wayne was going through is now over. And what this means is that he can go back to releasing and creating music. Now when this legal battle started Lil Wayne was going to release an album but was never able to since the legal battle was with his record label. And now that he has been released from any legal obligations, Lil Wayne has now been able to release that album after waiting almost 9 years. Needless to say, this is quite the triumph! This is also where the music gets very interesting because this album was recorded so long ago and maintains the musicality, structure, and rec...

I feel like it has been such a long time since I talked about a song that is romantically lovely. Today's song is by one a band that always seems to know how to tug at my heartstrings. Parachute is a band who makes music that I always love being immersed in. Their music takes me another place of calm and tranquillity, a place where the world is bathed in a soft and sunny glow. They always somehow know how to make everything feel alright even when the song may be sad. And this song falls right into that wondrous and simple side of music. This track, like many others by Parachute, is emotionally poignant and incredibly soulful. But Parachute is able to achieve this kind of sound in a way that is so beautifully simple and warming. This song tends to move a bit more away from the "band-like" sound that Parachute has been known to showcase. This is meant to be more of an acoustic piece, relying on very few instruments such as the acoustic guitar, a gentle keyboard, and the ...

Tonight was a night for concert goers and music lovers. And the opening act is a name that has become extremely well known across the world. Logic has managed to move people, impact the masses, and spread the message of peace, love, and positivity. But I am not here to talk about Logic's performance. Yes, it was incredibly energetic and pumped. Yes, he is an absolute nerd and shows that side of him with a carefree ease which is almost intoxicating. And yes, Logic loves engaging with the crowd. But today, I want to show a little love to one of the opening acts. NF is an artist that I have had the privilege to watch from the early releases to now. And of course, I feel like a proud mom and am so thrilled to see him ascend through the ranks. But something I noticed while at the show, was that there were still so many people who had no idea who NF was, and was pleasantly shocked to hear him perform. And that is why I write this blog. To elicit that reaction from people, to show ot...

Today I wanted to bring up some music by one of the greatest voices of our time. Jessie J is such a powerhouse, and I find that her music is either underappreciated or underwhelmed by the radio. But I wanted to take today's post to chat about how incredible she is, not only as a vocalist but as a lyricist as well. The British singer has an incredible amount of talent and pedigree to her name. One of the things I love about Jessie J, is that her musical and performance style is rather unconventional. She has this incredible way of blending soul, contemporary, R&B, hip-hop, pop, and electro-pop all into one song. Her music has is a unique blend of so many genres, yet somehow, she is able to pull it off and do so with fantastic amounts of style and power.  In this track, we hear Jessie J tackle a mix of contemporary, soul, and some 90s styled hip hop beats. While this may seem like an odd combination, Jessie J has brought them together in a way to make all the sounds mesh ...

Today I wanted to share some Indian music with you all, as I happen to have traveled there a short while ago. Indian music comes in so many differnet flavors and sounds, but for today, I wanted to go with a song that is one of my favorites. Now this track is one that is not of the more stereotypical Indian songs. Though the track does come from a film, the song itself does not necessarily carry a lot of the same elements as your usual Bollywood song. This song is a bit darker for starters. There is a very special group of songs which fall into this darker category of songs because they outline tragedies in life and love. We do have our melancholy heartbreak songs, but this track is about losing a love to something more than just a breakup. There is so much sadness and almost even a sense of despair in this track. The song evokes a passionate yearning for a beloved who cannot be reached, a desperate call for them to be together just one last time. There aren't a lot of Bollywood ...

Today I have some music by a band called The Afters. Now it has been an extremely long time since I have posted a song by this band. And it is actually a shame that it has taken this long for me to put up another incredible song by The Afters. The song I am posting today was actually used to open and present The Golden Globes on television. Now, this is really cool in my opinion, especially given the fact that they are not one of the more well-known bands in the popular music sphere. Of course,  I found it to b a bit ironic that most people have no idea who The Afters are, yet their music was used for one of the biggest televised events of the year. But to continue onto the song itself, this particular track comes from the fifth album by The Afters.  One of the most notable things about The Afters, something which makes them so great, is their ability to create music that inspires. So many of their songs are so inviting and incredibly inspirational, hopeful on all accounts ...

It's been a bit of a while, but back again with some new music for you! And today's track comes from an artist who has made quite a breakthrough this past year. The New York based singer-songwriter known as Lauv has been making waves out of the underground circuit, making his name and music known to a wider audience. I've talked about some of his music in the past, but I am particularly excited to talk about this song because of how different it is from the rest of the music we tend to hear from Lauv. As the creator and producer of his own music, Lauv has brilliantly created a stylistic sound for himself, one that makes him a recognizable artist among the rest. His music is characterized by soothing sounds, a hint of seduction, and emotion. The way these motifs are portrayed in the music is always different, but somehow the compositions still have a signature style. This song is unlike pretty much every track Lauv has released though. Of course, we still get those stylist...

Today I wanted to take things to the land of Bollywood, taking on a track that I have not been able to stop listening to for the past few days. This track comes from a recently released film called Jab Harry Met Sejal. I haven't seen the film so I literally have no idea what it is about and can't really recommend whether or not to see it. However, the soundtrack is something that is definitely worth taking a listen to. For starters, the singer of this track is one of the most popular singers in Bollywood at the moment. Arijit Singh has made such an impression on Bollywood and Indian music since his debut in 2013. I have to say, I think his rising popularity has resulted in an interesting shift in Bollywood music. As every other style of music, Bollywood music has gone through another stage in evolution. The Indian origin songs are shifting towards a fusion of Western acoustic and Eastern instrumentation. The music is just as romantic, but the sound is very different. The acou...

Today I have some music for you that will leave you completely speechless. Emeli Sande is a singer out of Scotland who has become a pop sensation in the UK. However, it seems like she hasn't made her way to the States, something which I hope will change. But what makes Emeli Sande so special is her spectacularly beautiful and powerful voice, and how she uses that voice to tell us a story. This track has to be my favorite one by her. It's been featured here and there but hasn't taken off the way some of Emeli Sande's other tracks have. None of the music that Emeli Sande has released can be considered "throwaway pop." All of her songs center around a topic and subject, unfolding into a story of some kind. And sometimes these stories are more tragic and heart wrenching than others. The story that we are told in this song is a mix of melancholy and inspiration and moving all the same. One of the beautiful characteristics of this song is the fact that it can be...

Today I have some music for you from a movie that was so incredibly well done. The Little Prince is a movie I recommend everyone to see. It doesn't matter how old you are, what you are doing in life, or where you are, this is a film that speaks to your inner child and your soul. While this movie is definitely social commentary on the status of society, it is such a beautiful message and a magically done movie. The film has different styles of animation that are tastefully done and structured in a way so that the stories that are told really do come to life in their own unique way. And because The Little Prince is based off a French novel, the soundtrack features a few French inspired pieces. This particular song is one of those adorable French songs, with a wonderfully comforting and warm atmosphere. It is a bubbly and lively song, full of happiness and an overall sense of contentment. This is a song that reminds me of kites flying high and bubbles floating through the air. This ...

Today I wanted to discuss an artist who has had a very interesting progression within his career. Niall Horan is well known for being one of the members of the boy band One Direction. He's definitely had his taste of the high life of being a musician, achieving the fame and fortune that so many dream about for themselves. As the band members have now gone their separate ways, we are getting to hear what each member's musical style is. For Niall Horan, I had guessed it would be something more along the indie or folk side of things, going for acoustic guitar style music and coffee shop comforts. I wasn't disappointed either. Niall Horan's direction of music is one that I really like. We've heard a lot of different sounds from the members of One Direction, but Niall Horan has hit on a style that has a very classic sound. Above all though, this album is a romantic one. It is meant to be a vulnerable expression of the heart, with Niall Horan showing baring himself as a...

Today I have some music for you by an artist who seems to have blown up the charts the past couple of years. G-Eazy is one of the more popular rappers making music right now, even though there is quite a bit of his music that goes unnoticed and unheard by the vast majority of radio listeners. G-Eazy is an artist that has the capability of creating extremely meaningful and heartbreaking music. This is one of those deep songs, a song that shows the grounded and vulnerable side of G-Eazy. A lot of rap and hip hop today is about living larger life, that feeling of being completely invincible and constantly on cloud 9. But what G-Eazy does with this song, is bring everything back to humanity, directing the music back to that flawed and imperfect sense of humanity. This song is definitely a meaningful one for G-Eazy, bringing his own demons up to the surface. And I love that he did this song with Kehlani because of what she has gone through. Kehlani has met som...

Today I have some music for you by the artist known as VanLadyLove. The first time I heard this song, I had chills up and down my arms. This is a song that has a lot of feeling poured into it, but not the emotional kind of feeling. This is something that beckons the call of freedom and adventure and letting go and moving into the unknown. This song is something that is immersed in inspiration and makes us feel that sense of having our own wings to go forth and go on our own. But at the same time, the song addresses that we cannot live in the world of our dreams. We have to be able to bring all of those sentiments to the real world, and we cannot run away from everything that we have to face here.So when we look at this song, there are some really nice things that are going on to make this a completely feel good song. For starters, this song doesn't use guitars much, and opts for using a mandolin. I really enjoy the mandolin, with its oddly sweet sound. It is a stringed instrument...

Today I have music for you by the band Echosmith, and possibly my favorite song by the band. This song is really sweet and romantic and it kind of reminds me of what I want in a man. I love the perspective of this song, as it clearly comes from a sad and even lonely heart. I think the first thing I paid attention to was the lyrics. There are a lot of songs out there that are girls telling guys what they should and should not do for a woman. But this is the first song that is about appreciation and love. Echosmith's lyrics are beautiful and moving and are more about bringing confidence and love into a relationship. As I mentioned earlier, the lyrics are from the perspective of a broken heart. And when I say this, I mean they come from a heart that didn't get what it needed. And this song is all about expressing what a heart craves and needs to survive. These lyrics mean so much more because of that. We can feel the emotion and reality in the words, which is what makes them eve...

So today, I only have one song for you. But it is an absolutely riveting and amazing one, so bear with me. Today's instrumental song is one that never fails to leave me breathless and completely in awe and transcendence.  Hans Zimmer has this innate genius, this intense passion which allows him to compose breathtakingly beautiful and moving scores. This song is one of his most recent compositions, and my goodness it has to be one of my favorites. Interstellar is one of those films where everything was done right. The cast, the cinematography, and yes, the score. But if I were to rank my top ten Hans Zimmer compositions, this would be on that list. Now I am going to do my absolute best in talking about this score, but there are so many moving parts and moments that I simply cannot accurately dissect this composition and give justice to Hans Zimmer's piece. The song starts out tense and riled with suspense. There is a soft tapping which introduces the song, a consistent heartbe...

Today I have some music for you by the singer, songwriter, and producer known Pim Stones. My first exposure to Pim Stones was through a show called Teen Wolf. And while the show is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine, I cannot deny that the music is really good. Looks like some things about MTV remain! One of the reasons why I really like this song is because it kind of has a distinctly British underground sound. There is an underlying musical vibe that comes from the British underground scene, and this one carries the vibe it had from a few years ago. The song is really smooth and chilled out, but still, has some dynamism and quirks to keep it interesting.When I listen to this song, I think of colors, with no specific images in mind, rather, a great collection of some softer and more muted colors, even pastels. Pim Stones is a very great artist because when he makes music, it has no method in mind, and I feel like that mental coloration reflects that. There is no formula to his mus...

Today I have an incredibly sweet track for you from the film Begin Again and is performed by an artist who has stolen our hearts away many times in the past. Adam Levine is most famously known as the lead singer of Maroon5, a band that is a worldwide sensation and has been for many years. What few people know is that in this film, Adam Levine actually covered this song which is originally performed by Kiera Knightley in the film. A bit confusing, I know. But I wanted to talk about both versions of today's songs because the performances are so vastly different, yet capture the song beautifully. One of the magical parts of music is that it has many interpretations and meanings, allowing us to see and feel the music as our heart and head choose. Kiera Knightley's original version of the song is one that really gets you in the heart. Purposefully simple and pure, her performance is one that is sweet and vulnerable. She strips the song down to its lyrical content and vocals, tyrin...

Today I have some music for you which is done by an up and coming artist out of Atlanta named Vince Bui. This is a guy I happened to meet in Hong Kong and I was so impressed by this track that I felt the need to talk about it. The original track which this one plays off is one of Drake's most popular tracks. When people hear the name "Drake" it is very likely that this is the track that comes to mind. And so many people have covered it- rock bands, underground pop artists, other rappers, and now our underground producer Vince Bui. What makes this track so different? Everything. Literally, everything. Let's start off with the musicality of this rework. Vince Bui has taken the original track and turned it into a slower, alternative R&B kind of jam. The rework is softer, gentler, and more vulnerable sounding than the original. Instead of going for something which has a lot of background noise, Vince Bui created an atmosphere that is ambient and has flow, but keeps ...

After a few days of travelling, I have finally reached my destination! Hong Kong is so incredible, and I've only seen a very small portion of the region. But that is why my postings have been a bit slow and, well, absent the past few days. But to kick things off, I have some music for you by an artist known as Lapsley. Lapsley is a newer player in the music field, this song being one of the singles off her debut album. I was completely entranced by the song the first time I heard it. Instrumentally, there are so many wonderful things happening, so many beautiful sounds and harmonies that all weave together to create this magical sound. This song is like an emotional autobiography, one that really gets us inside the heart and head of Lapsley. She purposefully draws us in, so that we may share in those same emotions whether it be joy and ecstasy or pain and sadness. This ballad is a fantastically chilled out and mixed track. There are so many instruments being used in this song, ...