So in the spirit of the ending of the year I only felt it apt to present a generic round up of my favourite music 2011 has delivered!
There is no doubt that this year has been pretty strong for music (if you weren’t listening to the chart where David Guetta seemed to prevail) and although at times I haven’t felt as though I really paid all that much attention to it (damn university work) I have discovered some real gems.
First things first here are my top 10 albums this year, although there could have been many many more:
1.’The English Riviera’- Metronomy
2.’Bon Iver’- Bon Iver
3.’Helplessness Blues’- Fleet Foxes
4.’A Different Kind Of Fix’- Bombay Bicycle Club
5.’Wounded Rhymes’- Lykki Li
6.’Ceremonials’- Florence + The Machine
7.’Smother’- Wild Beasts
8.’Skying’- Horrors
9.’Every Kingdom’- Ben Howard
10.’Metals’- Feist
We also saw some cracking songs come out so I have also created my top 10 songs of 2011:
1.’No Rest’- Dry the River
2.’Santa Fe’- Beirut
3.’The Look’- Metronomy
4.’Down With The Trumpets’- Rizzle Kicks
5.’Landfill’- Daughter
6.’Still Life’- Horrors
7.’Video Games/Blue Jeans/ Born To Die’- Lana Del Rey
8.’Holocene’- Bon Iver
9.’Lights Out Words Gone’- Bombay Bicycle Club
10.’Set Fire to the Rain’- Adele
So after a cracking year I can’t wait to see what is in store- with the short-list for the BBC Sound of 2012 being announced next week it will be interesting to see who they predict is going to be big!
Anyway thank you for reading and I Wish all of you a very happy year xxxx
Here are a couple of songs that have made my last week of term spent in the library bareable:
1. Sea of Bees- ‘Marmalade’. The ever useful ‘related artists’ section of Spotify has lead me to listen to this Californian native; This track is moody yet retains a folk-like essence making it an interesting listen!
2. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros- ‘Home’. Up beat and catchy with a vintage feel this is a great song to put you in a good mood!
3. Feist- ‘The Bad in Each Other’. I only discovered Feist’s new album recently and it is an absolute cracker! This is the opener from ‘Metals’ and I can’t get enough of it!
I am finally home for Christmas and although I am not feeling all to festive yet what better way to remedy this than to listen to some cracking christmas songs!
My favorite christmas song of all time has to be Shakin’ Stevens ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’- I would love to know what everyone else’s choices are so tweet me @emmawilford
So you’ve probably all heard of Lana del Rey by now and she was on my songs of the week list a couple of times and yes I do bang on about her a LOT!
So here is her new single ‘Born To Die’ which is from her new album which is out at the end of january. As soon as I heard this song I knew I loved it and it has swiftly taken over ‘Video Games’ as the song I rather shamefully play on repeat!
The video for ‘Born to Die’ was finally released on wednesday and all I can say is Wow! This is del Rey’s first go at a ‘proper’ music video- although I am slightly sad to see the likes of her ‘Blue Jeans’ video completely dissappear’- but as you can see from this video no expense has been spared.
However it is the right side of crazy and decadent that Lady Gaga and her wannabees often seem to completely miss, it is not too ambitious and if anything is a stunning piece to watch. Although I might be a little swayed by her very attractive tattooed boyfriend in the video or the fact that it features one my favourite animals.
What is certain is that the buzz surrounding Lana Del Rey seems to keep growing and her album will be one of the most highly anticipated next year. For now her music can do no wrong and I hope her album doesn’t dissappoint!
One of my favourite things about winter is not only wrapping up in coats but is the excuse to bring out the sequins, metallic eye shadows and general sparkly clothes.
Like a true magpie I love all things shiny and I was very pleased to see the trends for A/W11 consisted of many a glittery garment. Now I’m not talking about glittery in the tacky sense and sadly I have seen an array of tacky looking clothes that should remain in the fancy dress box. It is important to not go overboard!
Sequins are my choice trend for adding extra glamour to what has otherwise been a very wet and dark few months and with christmas parties coming up and of course New Year what better way to look festive. A staple item such as a sequin tee can be worn with a pair of black skinnys or leather trousers and heels to create an instant glam look. Or if you are looking for something a bit more dressy then why not wack on a sequin or embellished dress. However if you aren’t in to that you can even accessorize a day-time look with a sequin jumper.
Here are a pick of a few of my high street favourites:
Topshop Jumper £46Topshop £45
Warehouse Shorts- £55Boohoo- £35
If you’re not a fan of going all out with sequins you can try a more understated look with metallic nail and eye shades such as Chanel’s Blue Satin Nail Polish Or a deep purple eye shadow! Velvet is also massive this winter and helps give a luxe feel to any outfit, expecially in royal blue and emerald green.
So I’m looking forward to embracing my love of all that glitters this christmas season and if you find yourself strapped for cash then it is well worth checking out your local charity shops as they too seem to have cottoned on to this massive trend. And for those who want to be in on the trend but still remain individual remember vintage shops are always a great source of beautiful embellished clothes.
So I am aware that Emma’s world has been VERRRY quiet recently and I apologise but I have been bogged down with a tonne of uni work! Now that I am a little bit out of the woods and the end of term is only a month away I felt I should really start blogging again (even if no-one reads it!)
I have seen and heard a whole array of amazing music lately but I feel the big one to mention is Swn Festival…
Swn festival is Cardiff’s very own live music extravaganza set over four days all around the city. Last year I broke my Swn virginity and I have to say I have never looked back and it has become one of my favorite things about Cardiff.
Last year I only covered the music for the Uni Magazine Quench so all it required was seeing a LOT of live music coupled with a copious amount of alcohol. However this year I was charged with filming it for Cardiff Uni TV. Thanks to the amazing Morgan Applegarth we managed to set up our media base in Alpha Omega tattoo parlour and throughout the weekend had some great interviews and sessions.
Swn kicked off on the thursday night and I had my first interview with Sean Flinn. Sean Flinn and the Royal We (Spotify him) are an american band who were over here on tour with the incredible Herman Dune. After the interview it transpired that Sean was bedless so as any good person would do he was offered one in my boyfriend’s house. So with a musician in tow we wandered over to watch Herman Dune who was preceded by Charlotte Church nonetheless and then headed over to the welcome party. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive of taking Sean to ‘Glam nightclub’, a pretty generic variation on any nightclun, however he seemed to have a great time. Who said American’s don’t get our culture?
Friday was a struggle. Having got to sleep at 6am I was up again at 1 to film an interview with Joy Formidable. On the friday night I saw Clock Opera who’s unique sound and quirky performance definitely stood out.
By saturday I felt rejuvinated and ready for the hectic day we had ahead. First into the tatoo parlour was the incredible Benjamin Francis Leftwich. I have to admit I was a little in awe of Ben and his faultless voice as he gave us a rendition of ‘Atlas Hands’. Then came Cardiff-Leeds based folk band Joseph & David. No mere ‘uni’ band these guys create an incredible take on folk to produce poignant music. That day we also got to speak to Esben & the Witch, The Roseville Band and Melodica, Melody & me.
Suitably full to the brim of music from the sessions people had played for us I sauntered over to Clwb Ifor Bach for Jim Jones Revue. I had never listened to them before but I had been told that jiiving was a must. All I can say is that they were the essence of rock n roll, dirty, sweaty, hip gyrating, rock n roll and a lot of fun. Next stop was over to see 90’s rap legends Ugly Duckling in a packed out Cardiff Arts Institute. Ending up in the obligatory Swn Silent Disco, Saturday was a little bit of a blur.
The last day of Swn came with an interview and session with Cardiff-based singer/songwriter Sweet Baboo. Then I saw Mechanical Bride, who’s eerie dark folk was a perfect listen for a sunday afternoon. As evening set in I saw the adorable Lucy Rose (yes she is ‘that girl’ who sings with Bombay Bicycle Club) followed by the incredible Ben Howard. Again I did not know much about Ben however he was faultless in my opinion. His music was vibrant and unexpected helped by his amazing voice. The whole crowd sang along to favourites such as ‘Wolves’ and ‘Keep your Head up’ making it no wonder that he is getting more and more talked about each day.
As we staggered home, our feet sore from copious walking and dancing, our ears still tinged with a slight ringing, I got a little sad that I had to wait a whole year for this to happen again. It was definitely a memorable weekend and I can’t wait for Swn 2012!
p.s the video of all this footage will be coming soonish so watch out for it!
Here is a piece I wrote that can also be found at the blog for the music section I edit for Cardiff Uni’s magazine Quench http://quenchmusiccardiff.blogspot.com/
An album that I have been waiting for, for a while is that of Laura Marling. Her third album A Creature I don’t know came out this Monday.
I would like to start this review without mentioning two other male artists she has been romantically linked to as I feel she deserves to not be defined by her love life. Anyway moving on. After the success of her previous albums (both were nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize) Laura has had the tough task of bettering herself, which at the young age of 21, is no mean feet.
I found A Creature I don’t know difficult to listen to at first, perhaps this was because I love both Alas I cannot Swim and I Speak because I Can so much so that I still listen to them frequently. However I had to remind myself that I was the same when her last album was released. So after many more a listen I feel less hesitation towards the new path she has taken.
Once again Miss Marling appears to have progressed. The new album feels darker than her previous releases, demonstrating her maturing as an artist. She appears to have moved out of the ‘nu-folk’ bracket she helped establish and into the realm of the experimental or sometimes country as seen in Sophia. Her voice is lower and steeped in emotion throughout many tracks such as Night after Night and The Beast making her appear well beyond her years. The album perfectly displays Laura’s talent as a songwriter, her songs are lyrically flawless and emulate a sense of ambiguosity that she exudes so well. Although we may never know entirely what she is singing about it is part of her charm.
This album is not as easy to listen to yet it is interesting. Songs such as Rest in my Bed and Don’t ask me are my favorites for now, yet I’m sure this will change on further listens as has happened with her music before.
Various reviews I have read have linked Laura’s talent to that of Bob Dylan and from listening to A Creature I don’t know I am certain that Marling is heading towards being known as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time.
For a film that has had so many adaptations made over the years it is hard to see why someone would want to make yet another. However having watched Fukunaga’s interpretation of such a beloved book it is evident that it has not been a mistake to remake it yet again.
From the opening scenes of Jane (played by Mia Wasikowska of Alice in Wonderland origin) running from Thornfield accross the perilous British countryside it is evident that this is going to be a visually beautiful film. As I would hope from a period drama it is stunning to look at. The amount of detail put in to every costume, set and scene is breathtaking yet subtle making the world of Jane Eyre feel all the more believable.
The film has a strong cast, with small appearances from Sally Hawkins as Mrs Reed and Jamie Bell as St. John Rivers. Judi Dench adds a touch of light humour to what might else be considered as a desperately sad story with her portrayal of Mrs Fairfax.
Both the leads of Jane and Mr Rochester I feel have been perfectly cast. Wasikowska is convincing as plain yet feisty Jane, a role that could easily have been given to a non-plain-yet-big Hollywood name. She manages to capture the emotions of a complex character perfectly and I have high hopes for her.
Michael Fassbender in my eyes can do no wrong, but that aside he does a brilliant job as the turbulent, byronic Mr Rochester. Perhaps a little over-charming in parts it is easy to understand Jane’s attraction to his character and secures Fassbender’s talent as an actor.
At times I have to admit I found the film a bit scary, even though it is only rated a PG, but this stopped it from being another period drama in my opinion. It did not linger too much on elements of the story but instead moved at a perfect pace. If anything Jane Eyre was a pleasure to watch. I don’t feel it will be a massive awards film (apart from costume, set and potentially music) but it encapsulated everything that I enjoy so much about this film genre.
One this is for certain this will be one adaptation that will be hard to top.
A new trend has been bubbling under the surface in the world of fashion for quite some time now and that is the use of gender-ambiguous models.
You may or may not have heard of Andrej Pejic, the 20 year old Australian-Bosnian androgynous male model who is making waves in the fashion industry in both womenswear and menswear, but I’m sure you will soon.
To look at Pejic is stunning, he has a face almost indistinguishable from his female contemporaries to match his svelte 6” frame. He has walked for designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and features in ads for Marc Jacobs, feats many female models cannot boast.
So why is it that we have a man modelling womenswear? Is the concept of gender become obsolete? Certainly as you look at Pejic in make-up and couture he looks no different to the female models surrounding him, and if anything he is more interesting.
Fashion have always tried to push the boundaries of what we consider normal and this latest ‘gender bending’ is taking androgynous dressing to the next level. In a society where we seem to be becoming more free with the concept of the self why not have a male model modelling women’s clothes?
In an industry where the aim is often to shock maybe next year we will have fat old men walking down the runway in Chanel Women’s couture. Who knows.
Here are some songs that have been making a very wet and cold week better…
1. Beirut- ‘Santa Fe’. I love love this song off their new album.
2. Lana Del Rey- ‘Kinda Outta Luck’. Yes miss Del Rey is back on my list with another more upbeat song. This girl is definitley one to watch, plus she makes some pretty cool videos! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DtZNmkJYks
3. Maroon 5- ‘Moves Like Jagger’. This song is insanely catchy and I’m sure we are going to here it more and more as it is near the top of the charts!
It is time for a rant and I apologise in advance but this topic is something that really annoys me!
So a while ago I stopped listening to Radio 1 as all they seemed to play were the same songs over and over. I understand they have a playlist to play so I could forgive them for that. But recently I decided to give them another listen so that I could be more ‘up to date’ with current music and alas it appears to have got worse. Not only were they playing that Ed Sheerhan song (you need me I don’t need you bla bla.) but almost every song after that seemed to be suitable for a club in Ibiza.
This leads me on to a question apparently Scott Mills posed about whether guitar music was dead?
Honestly I hope he was joking when he said that because yes maybe on Radio 1 during the day time it has become in the minority among the vast swathes of repetitive, manufactured music that seems to frequent the majority of their air time. Do we really need to hear another famous artist singing on a David Guetta song? Or another sample used to make what would be a really boring song vaguely interesting? How many of the past X factor competitors can they physically play in one show?
You only have to look outside of the commercial music outlets to see that there is much more going on in the world of music than what is commercially viable. There is so much more talent out there than what seems to top the charts. It is strange as only four or five years ago a whole string of different artists not involved in dance music started to appear and make it big.
So perhaps it is a sign of the times. Perhaps dance music is the type of music people want to hear and they don’t mind that each song is a variation on a theme because they can dance to it when their drunk (and probably cannot remember which song is what). And we don’t mind that the people involved in the music are completely manufactured to be ‘hot’ (yes I mean the Wanted and the Saturdays) because they are attractive. All I can say is that I won’t be listening to Radio 1 until after 7pm for a while.
One thing is for certain is that guitar music is not dead, it’s just been swept under the carpet recently and as with everything music swings in roundabouts. I just hope this phase ends soon!
So in the spirit of the ending of the year I only felt it apt to present a generic round up of my favourite music 2011 has delivered!
Topshop Jumper £46
Topshop £45
Warehouse Shorts- £55
Boohoo- £35
