Posts Tagged ‘Arctic Monkeys’
Sunday Swoon. February 19th
Fourth Sunday swoon. Curry, Art & Music….
1. My love affair with the British Museum is ever-growing, a fortnight ago I fell in love with the Norman Foster roof, I could have laid down and watched the sky turn from ocean blue to velvet-black (curators at The British Museum can you fix it for me to sleep over one night please? I’ll behave). Last night I made a pilgrimage to the Grayson Perry exhibition, I blogged about it yesterday and you can read it here if you missed it. This article in The Guardian by the man himself is also worth a read.
2. After many thwarted attempts I finally got to try out the Kennington Tandoori on Thursday, my soon to be brother-in-law has never once failed with restaurant suggestions and this is his go-to Indian restaurant when in London. I’ve always thought Tayyabs would be impossible to topple from my top slot but after scoffing their Nilgiri Murgh (a chicken dish heavy on the mint, not like anything I’ve tried before) I am hooked. Can’t recommend it enough to any foodies out there. Also adored the map of India printed in their menu (above). 10/10 for the KT.
3. Ever underrated Field Music get my album of the week, it neatly takes me from flat to desk in 35 minutes. This is their fourth album, it’s short and sweet. I love the simple melodies mixed with the complex music on this album. You can listen to Field Music for free here if you’re curious (via Spotify)
4. For the first time in many many moons I gave a flying toss about the song at the top of the charts this week. I tell you what, it was a nice feeling. Took me back to my teenage years spent squatting in front of the tape deck with my hand hovering over play and record, ready to tape the top 40. Also, allowed a tiny bit of faith to creep into my bones over folk showing some good taste (eek! hope that doesn’t sound snobby?). Congratulations to Gotye.
5. Something about Richard Hawley sends me into a proper tizz, weak at the knees, glazed over adoration. He’s popped up on a B-side collaboration with indie cool kids Arctic Monkeys on this track You & I. It’s dirty, gritty, dark and he utterly steals the limelight on this track. ♥
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The Letter ‘A’ Mixtape.
This year I have decided to take the mixtape element of my blog down Sesame Street and work through the entire alphabet so naturally this weeks mixtape is brought to you by the letter….
If you’re a Spotify user click here to play the mixtape and if you’re a YouTube purist click here to play the videos. ♥
1. Aaliyah Feat. Timbaland - We Need A Resolution (Aaliyah was such an amazing talent, production was always perfection on her music, the biggest names wanted to work with her. Such a tragedy that her life was cut short as I have no doubt she had the talent to maintain a long and successful career).
2. Arrested Development – People Everyday (I remember learning all the words to this when I was 15 with my best friend, we’d take the male/female parts and possibly perform the most painfully white rendition of this track ever to exist. There’s a VHS of us performing it kicking round my parents somewhere. Huey Morgan (who else) played this on a 6 Music show recently and I can still KILL the entire song. Memory has served me well).
3. Au Palais – Tender Mercy (This track instantly creates a festival collage in my mind. I think it’s the perfect soundtrack to cider, mud on your knees, hearing rain on your tent as you lie with a loved one stinking to high heaven and deciding if you can get away with peeing in a bottle).
4. The Alps – Not So Laughable Now (One of those bands I was sure would gain a huge fan base but the only person I recruited as a fellow fan was my brother. Catchy indie, chiselled cheek boned singer. I shared some of his rum in The Good Ship, Kilburn once. It was a nice moment).
5. Architecture In Helsinki – Do The Whirlwind (A band that make me happy, Tilly and the Wall. Love the childish joy in this track, like a playground rhyme set to music. Video is also kitsch with its cartoon graphics).
6. Arctic Monkeys – Fluorescent Adolescent (Consistently brilliant, a band to be truly proud of as a Brit. They exude all the confidence of their talent without veering into the swagger and ego some bands have been guilty of. Alex Turner is like Larkin armed with a guitar, bleak and ruthless honesty in his lyrics, this track is especially poetic to me).
7. Anna Calvi – Desire (Beautifully gothic, dark talent who manages to remain quite a mystery. Entire album is a belter from start to finish, hope I get to see her again live in 2012 as she creates a brooding atmosphere on stage that’s hypnotising).
8. The Animals – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (A classic, you don’t have to be a huge fan of 60′s music to adore this track, often the greatest lyrics are timeless and something we can all relate too. Nina Simone’s original is amazing yes, but I think The Animals make this their own. Perhaps the difference coming from a male singing it?)
9. Al Green – Lets Stay Together (I’m not particularly romantic by nature but I hand on my pumping heart I think this is my favourite ever love song penned . So perfect and simple.)
10. Arcade Fire - In The Backseat (Almost impossible for me to pick one Arcade Fire track as I am a huge fan, but this song is so overwhelmingly sad. Fragility in Regine’s vocals backed by the type of melancholic strings that cause a lump in the back of your throat, too scared to swallow in case it gives way to tears. Stunning. Emotive.)
September 19th Mixtape
This weeks mixtape is being brought to you by a girl with a very sore head who is sincerely quite shocked that they exist without booze being the prelude. So I must forewarn you to start reading with low expectations. My weekend of skipping around Open House London was annoyingly cut short when on Saturday afternoon I had to finally admit to myself that I did actually have flu and wasn’t just trying to outdo the boy Lolita’s hangover.
Of course it could just be my body’s way of telling me to chill the flippin’ heck out. Last week wasn’t the best. Remember that job I blogged all excited about? Well three days in I discover the company are going down the swanny and will be closing at Christmas. Having just been through the panic of finding a job it’s unsettling to know you need to put yourself out there again. In this current climate job hunting takes time, energy – it’s a full-time job in itself. It’s rotten luck but what can I do but start all over again (while trying to dampen the simmering resentment currently bubbling away in the pit of my stomach). My flatmate has cleverly pitched this turn of events to me as a chance to sort out exactly what I want to do so I can “nail destiny up the arsehole”.
That low came after the excellent high of The Thames Festival and I also got to review Brian Wilson at The Royal Festival Hall for Flush The Fashion. All this on top off the aforementioned Open House. So in spite of bad news London still delivered culture, creativity and entertainment. Ever reliable beautiful London.
This weeks mixtape is as random as last week was for me. Just so you’re aware, the lyrics in Sleeper “Tore up all your photos, didn’t feel too clever, spent the whole of Monday, sticking you together”… I chuffin’ well love that line. ♥
Click on mixtape to play via Spotify.
- Jose Germain – Tout Le Monde Veut Devenir Un Cat
- The Beach Boys – Don’t Worry Baby
- Pulp - Underwear
- Sleeper – What Do I Do Now?
- The Cribs – You Were Always The One
- Echo & The Bunnymen – Bring On The Dancing Horses
- Talking Heads – Slippery People
- Arctic Monkeys – Love Is A Laserquest
- Brett Anderson – Brittle Heart
- Television – Marquee Moon
