2012 Was…

I do not have a decisive enough personality to make definitive lists so just off the top of my head this year…

Has been soundtracked by albums from Crybaby, The Maccabees, Friends, Wild Nothing, Mystery Jets, Mary Epworth, Beach House, Zulu Winter, Kindness, How To Dress Well, Hot Chip, Sharon Van Etten, Sleigh Bells, Polica, Toy, The Futureheads, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Grimes, Grizzly Bear, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Jessie Ware, Bat for Lashes and Perfume Genius. I wasn’t blown away by Alt-J (someone had to not be).

I can count the amount of times I went to the cinema on one hand but adored all the films. The Hobbit, Avengers Assemble, Moonrise Kingdom. Most of all I loved Beasts of the Southern Wild and Searching for Sugar Man.

It seems to be a year where I’ve mainly read David Sedaris. However, Anna Richardson’s Little Gods would be my book of the year. Stunning debut novel. After reading Virginia Woolf, A Room Of Ones Own I am determined to work my way through the rest of her books next year.

The exhibitions this year have been the strongest since I’ve lived in London. From Charles Dickens writing desk at the London Museum to Grayson Perry at The British Museum.

It’s been a year where I finally got to see Mystery Jets live, and at the Royal Festival Hall with someone who’s support has been unwavering this year. There’s been Gigs where I’ve been with my parents and created cherished memories, gigs of sitting in Hoxton basements and leaning over Heaven’s balcony. Drunk gigs, sober gigs, gigs that have moved me to tears or where I’ve come away with aching feet from dancing so much.

Above all these things it’s mainly been all about London 2012 for me. I hope I am forever changed by the Olympics and Paralympics. It made me kinder, motivated, deliriously happy and proud to be British. Actually, proud to just be a human being. This Public Enemy song will forever serve as a reminder.

It’s been a year of pesky Tinnitus, goodbyes and job changes. It’s been a year where friendships have sprang out of the unlikeliest of places and where I will never underestimate the kindness of strangers. At times you have overwhelmed me with your support and general brilliance (I know some of you read this blog, most of you will never even know you made a difference).

Of course there’s plenty of things I didn’t get round to in 2012. Like swimming round all of London Lido’s, having tea with Ian Hislop, learning how to ride a bike or shaking Robert Jay QC by the hand.

It’s been a year where I’ve decided bravery is one of the most important qualities you can possess. A year of remembering I can breathe underwater.

2012. In equal measures I’m glad to see it gone and reluctant to let it go.

Here’s to 2013. Happy New Year. ♥

NB: Huge thanks to Pete at Flush The Fashion for putting up with my contributions for another year. To Pub Diaries for letting me waffle on in a Q&A. The ever energetic and tireless Dan Thompson for printing my pop up shop piece. To Darren Hayman for letting me talk about my love of swimming and to The Guardian for printing my ‘Six Songs Of Me‘. To Tim for having me on Resonance Radio. And to everyone who reads this. Cheers.

July 18th Mixtape – Marc’s 25 for 2012

Last week I blogged a mixtape made up of twenty-five tracks that have rocked my socks at the halfway point of 2012. This is born out of Twitter discussions with Marc and he’s agreed to let me put his list up so here are his. I expect he’s sleeping off Latitude somewhere so this will potentially pass him by. There’s a smattering of similarities to mine but it feels like a very different mixtape given the tracks he picked in comparison. I can’t stop playing the Purity Ring track.

You can play Marc’s mixtape on Spotify or *YouTube. Enjoy ♥

1. Friends – Friend Crush
2. Best Coast – The Only Place
3. Passion Pit – I’ll Be Alright
4. La Sera – Please Be My Third Eye
5. The Maccabees – Pelican
6. Solar Bears – Alpha People (feat. Keep Shelley in Athens)
7. Lower Dens – Brains
8. THEESatisfaction – Ecnhantruss
9. Pond – Elegant Design
10. Purity Ring – Fineshrine
11. Sleigh Bells – Comeback Kid
12. Nicolas Jaar – With Just One Glance
13. Charli XCX – You’re The One
14. Death Grips – Get Got
15. Alt-J – Breezeblocks
16. Kindness – House
17. Beach House – Wild
18. Polica – Dark Star
19. Hot Chip – Motion Sickness
20. Sharon Van Etten – Serpents
21. Django Django – Waveforms
22. Burial & Four Tet – Nova
23. Perfume Genius – Hood
24. Grimes – Oblivion
25. Oneohtrix Point Never – I Only Have Eyes For You

*Not all the tracks were available on Spotify as he’s clearly too out there with some of the choices so for the full list YouTube is the best option.

Sunday Swoon. May 27th

Charles Dickens, Beach House and Wes Anderson. Providing magic for the heart and soul….

1. My friend leaned over to me during Beach House at The Village Underground and whispered “she sounds like God”. I can’t top that for words. I struggle to think of anyone that sounds as unique as Victoria Legrand without going back to the days of Nico. What keeps your eyes fixed on this woman is that so rare element of mystery. The tracks they played are on this spotify playlist, personal highlights being Turtle Island, Other People, Zebra and New Year. Village Underground is also a fantastic venue, intimate with a sound system that fills up every inch of air.

2. I am ashamed to say I had never visited The Museum of London, nestled in that sci-fi strange but beautiful area in Barbican. Charles Dickens is the man who finally got me through the doors. Inspiring exhibition which took in his relationships not only with London but the people he surrounded himself with. I was unaware just how much Mr Dickens cared for women’s rights (although now I see clearly in his books that he was). He built Urania Cottage in Shepherds Bush, a home for destitute women. He also personally arranged for 56 ‘fallen women’ to begin new lives in Australia. He’s my new feminist hero.

Standing in front of his writing desk and chair, drafts of well-known books, even a shopping list to his servant for “a cooked ham and pork pie from Fortnum & Mason’s” amazed me. These artefacts and trinkets from the past have survived for us to be inspired and amazed by. Exhibition runs until June 10th so there is still time to visit.

 3. Wes Anderson is hands down my most cherished film maker, he has never disappointed me. The attention to detail, the tiny intricacies, the almost graphic novel feel to his films that are tinged with heart-breaking emotions (feeling so alone in the world, misunderstood, disconnected, childish innocence) tug at my heart every time without fail. I don’t want to give anything away about Moonrise Kingdom so all I will say is every character is adorably quirky, the soundtrack is predictably genius and you should all go and see it.

4. Just as Foxbase Alpha was a soundtrack to my awkward teen years Saint Etienne’s Words & Music will now become part of mildly less awkward thirties. Released this week it’s been my accompaniment to balmy walks through London after work as I weave my way onto the sunny side of the street. Inexplicably it brings the seaside to the city for me, and I also adore the soft soothing singing from Sarah Cracknell, its like an old friend.

5. I scoffed down my first ever Banh Mi this week and my stomach just really needs to tell you how amazing it was. This is a Vietnamese baguette stuffed with pickled carrots, coriander, cucumber and grilled meats. This particularly one that I drooled over had pork belly, Vietnamese sausage AND pate. Not one for the vegetarians I’m afraid (sorry Morrissey fans)! If you happen to know a place that you consider serves the best Banh Mi in London please tip me off? ♥

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May 2nd Mixtape

I’ve been having one of those weeks where I’ve been immersed in music, my headphones haven’t left my head as I’ve been sat at my desk (working 9 – 6 so I have it one hour worse than Parton). This mixtape is an attempt to sum up what I seem to have been listening the most. Kwes and Beach House notching up the most plays.

You can play on Spotify or YouTube and then once you’re done listening dash off to your local record store and treat yourself to whomever you toe-tapped the most to. Enjoy. ♥

1. Daughter – Home
2. Zulu Winter – Silver Tongue
3. Kwes – Bashful
4. Cornershop - What Did The Hippie Have In His Bag?
5. White Rabbits – Temporary
6. Lianne La Havas – Lost & Found
7. Cate Le Bon – Fold The Cloth
8. Hollie Cook – Milk & Honey Dub
9. Hooded Fang – Tosta Mista
10. Alt J – Breezeblocks
11. Tom Williams & The Boat – Teenage Blood
12. Grimes – Genesis
13. Jack White – Sixteen Saltines
14. Foe – A Handsome Stranger Called Death
15. Best Coast – The Only Place
16. Beach House – Myth
17. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero’s – Man On Fire
18. Santigold – The Riots Gone

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