All I see is you. Stars. Open-arms.

I could bet all the riches that I ever had.
Rush in the night like a shock, babe, would it be bad?
If I had to-
set the alarm 'cause those thrills that run up my back.
You're my star nothing else can lead me off track.

So all I can say is............. Thank Christ for Shazam!

It was getting quite ridiculous that I had been to 4 different bars in 2 weekends and heard this song played, sang to it, "danced" to it and loved it without knowing where on earth it was from. Finally I shazammed it in y hairdressers, moving far too quickly  for my phone and getting some pink/apricot hair dye on my forehead. The hairdresser leapt back from my hair quicker than ever asking "Oh shit you haven't changed your mind have you?" Nopppee I am just a little saddo who gets giddy over music! :) Two days later I realised the CD I had bought on my last day at Urban had it on. Note: Pay more attention to what's front of you to avoid hairdye to the face.

This song SBTRKT - Pharaohs, is addictive and "funky"? yeh i'm going with funky. i'm wearing headphones as big as The Beegees afro (maybe sporting some white flares too) so I feel I can use words like funky. you say the band name like "subtract" and is the stage name of Aaron Jerome, a musician and producer from London. Known for his remixes of artists such as Basement Jaxx, M.I.A and the lovely and ever so polished Mark Ronson he has progressed to collaborations with Drake (Hi Drake, Love you loads). Their most popular song "WildFire" has been an expression of their love for dubstep, two-step and US RnB (Not UK, not you Craig David). I find its easy listening but definitely something for the cool kids of which I am not, therefore I'll keep my love for the music to the confines of my bedroom and tap my foot and possibly nod my head descretly in public places.

SBTRKT is like mr invisible in the music world, he'd rather not talk about himself as a person but let the music speak for itself. Pretty cool, but I can only relate him to the successful guy who was a mute but wore a very large mouses head to all his gigs. PS. Why put a 5 at the end of your name, whether your "dead" or not it doesn't make sense! I see that SBTRKT has gone for the long beard approach instead, it simple makes me think of Doctor BeardFace, "It's Bearfacade!" (Scrubs reference there, no? OK.)

He claims to not be a very social person so gives his records out anonymously and seeing if they like it. "If they play it, they play it."

Well SBTRKT I very much like your music and have purchased your album, so in return I would love to see a few more online interviews and a few of your diary entries to get to know the real you! Thankyou please. So oh yes, get listening anyone reading! 

FiftysAtHeart xx

I heard that you like the bad girls honey, is that true?

Come and take a walk on the wild side
Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain
You like your girls insane
Choose your last words
This is the last time
Cause you and I, we were born to die

She has been described my a certain over-confident american celebrity as a "12 year old girl practicing singing nursery rhymes in her bedroom", she has been scrutinized, complimented and her career talked of by every pessimist and optimist in the music world. Yet it is safe to say that her luscious locks, rose stained lips and sultry  voice have secured her stardom. Lana Del Ray is a bona fide icon of the 10's. In an interview with Lana she says that interviewing, performing and making music videos has really opened up her eyes to how people view her right off the back of one decision she makes. She says that stage character "Lana" and the real "Lizzy" are very much the same person, and that the "sonic and visual world "she created for Lana was like an art project for her. She says her music doesn't feel like work because making time for herself is making time for her music. I love this vision she has and the calm and collected way she presents it to us.

Keep making me laugh, let's go get high

I like her confidence as a performer, the oddness behind her eyes as she sits in the throne in music video "Born to Die" and the way she holds such an intense note for so long. There is no Christina Aguilera wavering voice that makes you shiver to your core, this young artist can sing and sing well. While we're mentioning Born To Die, I'll get the very girly giddiness out of the way first... HOW UNBELIEVABLY HOT IS THAT GUY IN THE VIDEO? 

Ok so gathering my thoughts and moving on. Miss Elizabeth Woolridge Grant is an American singer/songwriter, if you hadn't guessed already with her american flag sweatshirts and stars&stripes backgrounds. She talks of her album and says that her reoccurring obsessions and themes are honoring love even when its lost and staying strong in the midst of true love lost. She goes on to say her music should inspire people to stay hopeful and soft when things get difficult and hard for everyone as they do. I do like that comments like this are so full of depth and meaning, but I also like that she hasn't got wrapped up in the feelings behind the song too much. Whether she's performing or interviewing she stays very cool, I really look forward to seeing her do well in the future and hope all the pretentious negative press won't stop her successes!

Below I've posted "Born To Die", "Video Games" "Elvis". Enjoy the beautiful Nancy Sinatra of our time x

Living a poppers fueled fantasy

 It's safe to say that when I walk, I bob. But you could honestly call me Bukaroo at the moment, commuting on 2 buses and 2 trains a day to work 2 jobs sometimes 6 days a week. Hells teeth. I've got all the 'necessities' stuffed into my velvet rucksack, keys and train pass falling out of one pocket and my falling to bits (piece of shit) phone and ipod crammed into the other. But there's only one reason to explain the bobbing, my beloved earphones that hang round my neck like staple jewelry AND this song........

I posted about Metronomy ages ago, I watched them on the telly and fell in love with the beardy cute lead man ages ago, I added them to the playlist "Just Good" ages ago. But they're still playing a big role as an extra in my busy little life that could be described as being like a poppers filled fantasy at the moment. I only get my kicks from the dream world though, there are no judgements and miserable people there! So this song fits in perfectly, "Everything goes my way", good God its good isn't it? The lyrics;

Why give it up on you, 

When you pushed me aside, three weeks I cried

You shot a hole in my heart straight through

I don't know, it's either the way she sings them or what they could mean to me, but does it chuffing matter? Probably not. But I just love the song, the lyrics describe how when they're apart they give up on eachother sometimes, but the moment they're officially 'back together' they just fall in love again like its a thing to be, or something to be apart of. Its an odd little concept but I like it, falling in and out of love with someone sounds familiar to me! 

Now todays post isn't about the band, the artists and the descriptions, just a few songs crammed into one little post to list a few of my favourites that I personally and pretentiously think everyone in the whole wide world of my limited number of facebook friends and followers should be listening to. So I would like to list a a few more that I want to do a full write up on when I get a chance (maybe tomorrow? yeh tomorrow); 

"Gotye feat. Kimbra - Somebody that I used to know" - unbelievably addictive, the first few seconds you feel like you're tuned into a baby channel, but you quickly change your feelings when you here the sultry voice of lead singer Wouter De Backer.

"Lianne La Havas feat Willy Mason - No room for doubt" - the quality of the recording is so good I feel like I'm listening to her sing in my ear or like I'm playing the track on a record player with all the crackles and the pops that such a beautiful piece would give to us so willingly.

Think I'm just about done, signing off very much looking forward to my day off tomorrow fun filled with a bike ride, a yoga class and an afternoon of baking. Definitely winning! Grace x

You playing out, Grimes?

Grimes

Hey hey wanna play well baby i can go go
and every other day you're running off the phone, no.
Well baby I would call you if I didn't know you but I'm paying for it.

Enchanting and melodic, Grimes brings to us a sound that hooks itself around our ears and embellishes lyrics that are charged up with dark meanings and eery pronunciations. With instruments like the harp, the keyboard and drums playing broken beats, it is to be expected that an unusual sound is to be presented to us so quaintly. Someone more interesting than Florence, but on the same page as Lykki Li and Lana Del Ray. Living through the 2000's where Outkast merged with Marilyn Manson, you would only expect a clash of musical influences. Grimes agrees and comments that she's never been an indie kid; instead of fainting at the sight of a boy with a guitar she'd be more likely to fall over her own feet to get to LL Cool J adjusting his vest and putting on another silver chain. Ok, they might be two extremes but you get the picture right? Good.

Grimes looks and acts how loads of girls, including myself, would love to just....be. Her fringe is that little bit too short, her makeup is daring and bold, the prints she wears clash, she's sexy to the guys who like "weird". Overall she's an icon of the 00's. Its hard to pin point her place in music, but when it comes to the name "Grimes" Claire Boucher allows vision and effortlessly presents music and a style that could well stand on its own.

What I love at the moment is if you were a kid growing up in the 2000's you're music palette is so varied. I used to go to clubs where you'd have a room for 'Pop', 'Old RnB & HipHop', a room for 'Indie & Rock' and (sadly) they still exist but 'Hardcore Garage and Grime". Now I'm walking into places where one minute you are doing a little indie jig  (yeh, jig) to Summer Camp and the next singing every word at the top of your lungs to Destiny's Child 'Say my name'. Ps. Kate Spark and myself definitely new every lyric, every shoulder shrug and hair flick. Could have called it the performance of the night? No? Could do though........

On that note, as Grimes sings and plays her keyboards she's creating an appeal that noone can resist and pushes the most unlikely of listeners to embrace a new sound. Her album "Visions", to be released on the 21st of the Valentines month that is February (not that I noticed or anything) is an exciting time for her. So we can only wait with anticipation and excitement about her next move once the album can be purchased. To make this album, Grimes locked herself away in a room for days, she starved herself of light and everyday ammenities in order to bring us something raw and from the heart. The superficials you might sometimes expect from an artist were out of the window for this album, so a lot of feeling and truth is offered quite willingly in every song. I love her music and what she's about and will be massively keen to see her live as soon as I can! Enjoy the songs I've posted below! FiftysAtHeart xx

"Vanessa"

"Crystal Ball"

"Oblivion"

Hurry up, we're dreaming.

Waiting for a roar
Looking at the mutating skyline
The city is my church
It wraps me in the sparkling twilight

I keep thinking who next, who next, who next? So many amazing bands and artists that have kicked off 2012 for us. Since I had a little break from blogging my ipod seems to have got fuller and fuller and I want to have a little reminising sesh, but no, there is no time. So on a count down from 5, 54321.....I'm going with M83, NO, Ben Howard! Nope, M83 it is, or else that would defy the point of the countdown. Jeeze, pull it together.

Anthony Gonzalez. No, he's not mexican and doesn't wear a sombrero, I know I'm gutted too! He is in fact  a French musician at the forefront of the wonderful band M83, alongside members Yann Gonzalex, Morgan Kibby, Loic Maurin and Jordan Lawlor. Score, I got all the names in. They formed/arrived/begun their "journey" in xfactor language, in 2001. So when I click through endless Youtube clips and read about them online I am reading things dating back to when I was only a teen. I wish someone would have handed me a tape of them when I was 11, and not Hearsay. My life could have turned out totally differently, maybe I wouldn't know all the words to Liberty X (Rival band) and maybe I wouldn't idolise Kim Marsh - she went through so much man! Enough! M83 M83 M83......... Lets talk about their new album Hurry up, we're dreaming.
Oh and a quick PS. When you're trying to tell a hot customer at work about the album and how wicked it is, don't get your words mixed up and call them M62. They are by no means a motorway, believe me!


M83 fall nicely into the playlist you'll call "Chilled" and into the times you'll need music to give you that overwhelming feeling when a song has totally turned your day around. With loud instrumentals and softly spoken lyrics, there is something very delicate and moving about their sound. You'll listen to every drum beat and notice every change of instrument, they're songs make you listen more intently than ever, zoning out of more and more with each song. I love it! For anyone that wants to feel spaced out without smoking a joint, this is the body friendly answer. What a good diagnosis, does that make a Doctor now?

Favourite songs.

"Midnight City". When that high pitched noise first sounds, and you'll know which sound I mean, you will love it. It's even more addictive than the song itself when the instrumentals blast out about 30 seconds in. I can't help but say it sounds like Cut Copy, but maybe since they're on of my favourite bands I think they're in everything.

Guess what I have to do too? Prydz it up, sorry for all you hipsters that don't like dance, but this remix is far to wicked to no mention. If this came on in Wire on a saturday night I would most likely kiss the DJ.

"Kim & Jessie". 4 minutes and 6 seconds of lovelyness. 

"Reunion" - More guitar, more indie... for the radio? I like it either way.

"Too late" - Melodic, romantic and I might go as far as to say beautiful.

So what is more to say than get listening and get buying tickets to see them. :) FiftysAtHeart x

PS. Hope it's been an interesting read!

x

And I went away, now there's every sign that I'm wired again.

Look at you with slimmer lines
Dirty toes un-showered
Unholy sight the state of you
And every sign that you’re wired again

So I stopped writing.

I don't know why, maybe lack of time SLASH confidence in my ability to write about something I didn't do a degree in? I'm not sure, but as I sat drinking tea this morning and listening to The Maccabees new album with my eyes closed (Yeh, I can drink tea with my eyes closed) I knew I had to do what I used to do until last September.... Sit and listen to an album over and over then pick out my favourite lyrics and sounds and write about them on here. And then post it all over Facebook and get laughed/criticised by the people I really should have unfriended about 5 years ago! :)

Ok so here goes, The Maccabees third album.. It is always a slight worry with a third album isn't it?You question whether a band/artist has had enough time/continued with the same vibe as last time/pushed the boundaries and tried something new. Will it be a success/will it not/will I like it/please let me like it. So if I give you an example of the good the bad and the oh shit why moments, then you can work out for yourself  without me having to be nasty and critical.

Example 1.

The Strokes gave us "This is it", Blur gave us "Parklife" AND Arctic Monkeys gave us.............. "Humbug". (Sigh........ Enough said? I think so.)

As a HUGE and probably over biased fan of The Maccabees, you can probably guess I didn't have a Humbug moment when I eagerly typed the tracklist of their new album "Given to the Wild" into youtube, staring, dare I say, slightly sycophantically at the screen as I long for the next time I get to see them on stage. They have that power though don't you think? The power of turning a rainy train ride to work into a feeling like you're going to Disneyland! No, erm, not Disneyland, I meant some dead cool bar where you go to smoke and read poetry, yeh... that's what I meant. 

Anyway its an exciting time, this new album like the last seems to be pushing those "wall of arms" boundaries they talk of in the last album even further away. If I think back to 2005, me being 16 at the time, they have come a long long way from what could sort of be described as a quite channelled and controlled time of the Indie-pop era. Then they were all bright colours and lyrics of love, now they're all about ferocious guitars and unruly drumming that creates passionate melodies and quite heart-wrenching lyrics.

So why such a long time between albums? Well from what I have read they have spent a lot of time in Rockfield Studios (Wales), worldly known to be home to some of the greatest songs ever written. From Rush in the 70's, Adam and the ants, The Stranglers and The Undertones in the 80's and New Order and Delphic through the 90's and 2000's. The Maccabees can now safely join the successors of such great music with their latest album. I would comment that it has been such a long time because of their obsession with detail and and exploration of what sounds rewarding to them. 

"It's a long process, it can get pretty clinical, so it takes a long time to make not very much music". Felix then continues,"This time around it feels like we're ready to go out and play live again. We've got a record we feel deserves it"

Well, I completely agree.

And so forth with my ramblings I won't say anything more and will post some teasing songs that should get you as excited for the release date of January 24th as I am. Enjoy!

FiftysAtHeart. x

Ps. Message me on Facebook (Grace Easter) with any new music, always appreciated. Over the next week I'll be writing about The Jezabels, Oliver Tank, Willis Earl Beal, M83, Grimes and Azealia Banks. Oh and maybe Lana Del Ray, haven't made my mind up on her yet! :)

"Feel to Follow"

"Pelican"

"Child"

Be my distraction

Shyness, let it go, never have to be alone. Yeh, shyness.

Thieves like us are a Swedish-American band yet they call Paris their home. They met over banana sandwiches, a few packets of Seabrook crisps and some Sunny D..... Well, that's not exactly what I read but an interview said they met over a picnic; and that sounds like a cracking picnic basket to me doesn't it you? No? OK I'll eat on my own! 

Now if you've read my blogs posts before you'll know I like a bit of New Order, well a lot of New Order! So when I saw this band name I immediately thought they had got their band name from a single they released way back in '84. The band said it had a little relevance to their name but from what I've read of their outlook on music, they aren't one for taking from others, they create their own sound and take individual taste as an interpretation rather than an opinion. They claim their first album was all over the place, moving from Berlin to London to New York. The chaos of their nomadic lifestyle can be seen to be reflected in their music and in their music videos at that. Restless bodies equalled a restless beat, something you might these days take as less "Restless" and more "electronic" and quite tragically hip! The latest album, Again and Again, is completely different. First of all they say they actually remember recording ALL the songs, so more structure, more vision and stability. The band claim "Again and Again" was the album they wanted to make all along.

Days they go slow

The nights they go fast

It's only some time 

'Til we get together

The method is clear

So, the music. Electronic, disco, quite a french sound? If that makes sense. I just think that it is beautifully noticeable that they have all brought their own culture and background to the band. And I love it. I don't mind a couple of brothers from Manchester getting together and creating a few classic anthems too, but I lust after sounds like this. Lock me in a room with people that can make something good out of drums and a keyboard and I'll sit there with my banana sandwiches and sunny d in my element!

Hold on a second, I've just read that they were discovered by the amazing Kitsune! I should know this, working at Urban Outfitters where you have Kitsune albums and Soulwax music imprinted on our minds after an 8 hour shift!

"Shyness" - A beautifully relaxed and mellow sound. I listened to the lyrics over and over and took the song as saying that even though you might not be able to talk about your feelings, your heart might be beating about it loud enough for someone to hear. The lyrics "Shyness, let it go, never have to be alone" sound wicked alongside the restless beat of the song. Oh and PLEASE watch the video I've posted below with the song. The kids are ridiculously cool and, like a mini movie, you get a real feel for the meaning of the song!

"Drugs in my body" - There isn't much more than I can say than, WOW. It's like their quite pessimistic view on love and romance has been turned on its head by an electronic beat that makes their pessimism sound upbeat. Tres Bien my little thieves!

So there isn't much more to say than listen and enjoy! :) xx