I'm totally addicted to bass / Wow woah ho

This isn't Paris and this isn't London.

And it's not Berlin, and it's not Hong Kong.

Not Tokyo, if you want to go, I'll take you back one day.

It feels so good..................... Oh babe.

Holding onto the edge of the bar I'm staring at a tequila shot and some sort of tomato chaser? What the hell happened to VK's and Blue Wicked's from back in the day?! I am 21 years old and all of a sudden I can't handle more than 5 vodkas and I'm bringing vegetables into the equation! My weekend was more than fun, out every night drinking and didn't get to bed earlier than 4 AM. Whilst working the next day both times, bleugh. The massive alcohol consumption and late nights has done nothing for my diet though, and the lack of sleep caused me to yawn in someones face today. My yawn was about 2 centimetres from her nose, niiiiiceee!

Now before I do my little musical chat for the day I'd like to mention a terrible group of friends who did nothing but take the mick out of me on Saturday night. First they said (on the basis that they don't know anyone I have had, lets say "sexual encounters" with...) that I am a massive lesbian and mimicked me running away from boy's... "bits". Then asked me about fifty times "Grace.... do you like this song?" ME: Yeh yeh it's good. "You gonna blog about it?" " If I do something crazy indie and quirky will you blog about me?" Granted it was hilarious, but come on!!! I just like to write! So Katy, Mark, Gaz and Heppy... HI! Oh and just for the record Heppy said the sleaziest thing on Saturday night..."Grace, you have amazing eyes.... seriously though... when the strobe light hits 'em.... they're lovely" PAH.

So what songs do I love today: This one: Don't Go, Wretch 32, DJ Fresh Remix AND Metronomy - The Bay.

DJ Fresh is part of the Drum & Bass and Dubstep generation; you'll have heard his name mentioned more and more on all the musical mediums as he released "Louder" and hit the number one spot for several weeks. The advert it was on made me NEED roller skates. Why I haven't had four wheels attached to the soles of my shoes in 10 years I do not know! This song is wicked, the beat is electric and gives off the feel of a touch of house music with a drum and bass edge. But over anything, that sound you hear about 1:00 minute in brings back that old school dance vibe that is needed so much this summer! I watched Wretch 32 on a late night 4Music programme and liked him, he has a story, he has a lovely voice and more than anything write his own music which I always like! So this song, it's a bit different.... it's not my usual taste but I am loving it. If you're going to listen to it, listen to it loud!

Metronomy - The Bay. I already blogged about this band last month but I was in Oporto on Friday night and it came on and I got over excited and asked the DJ who it was, seems I had listened to the song so much that I had forgotten about it! The Sunshine Underground (fave band ever) were in Oporto on Friday too, and of course since I quite fancy the guitarist I had to have 2 vodkas before me and the girls were going to go over to chat to them........meanwhile, they apparently gave us all the eye and then left for the next bar. FML. This song is beautifully put together and because of the chorus I almost want to call it a dance tune. It's probably note though, but hey..... if Zane Lowe played it as a dance tune I'm sure we'd all nod along and go yeh yeh mate MASSIVE DANCE TUNE!

Cool, wicked, Awesome........... Have a listen, sorry I talked so much shit. Big weekend = lots to say!!

FiftysAtHeart xx

Can I kick it?

Wipe your feet really good on the rhythm rug

If you feel the urge to freak do the jitterbug

Yes you can

Tonight's post is about three songs, they're not new, not "quirky" or "indie" --- please note these descriptions should be detached from me as a description ASAP. No these songs are songs that everyone knows and remembers and feels that tingling song all the way through to their hiphop bones when they hear them! At Benicassim I saw one of the best DJ sets ever on just before Professor Green. R&B and HipHop all mixed into one little mash up that had the crowd and myself doing a little walking dance towards the stage.

Can I kick it? - A tribe called Quest INTO Fix up Look Sharp - Dizzee INTO Show me what you got - Jay Z. 

"Show me what you got little shorty?"

The first song "Show me what you got" Jay Z - gets me every time with the saxamoofone at the start, Jay Z is my train journey music for a casual Tuesday morning but I can't attach such a song as this as "train music". His work over the years has been substantial and memorable to say the least... but for me it's times as these in a dusty field in the middle of Spain when you're looking down at the programme for the next band when Jay Z's music excites me the most! Unexpected and beautifully vintage!

Do the Humpty Hump.

“Hey fat girl, come here are you ticklish? Yeah, I called you fat, look at me, I’m skinny. It never stopped me from 

getting busy.”

The next song, "Humpty Dance" Digital Underground - it wasn't played that night but it's one of my absolute favourites. WHY?! God knows why! Not in the religious way before you make all your "So your name is Grace Easter? You're proper religious then?" jokes! My brother, the star child dancer of the family loves HipHop and dresses for the occasion every day... if our house was free of parents I swear we would blare this song out daily!

So for me, listen and rem-inis!

FiftysAtHeart xx

The Revolution will not be Televised

New York is killing me.

Note to all shoppers at Urban Outfitters, Leeds: When you look through the rails, pulling out dresses in the sale to have a little look at. Please treat them like broken glass because little old me has to tidy them all up! A girl picked up a top today, walked 5 yards and dropped it on the floor today and walked off today. Come on now! Ha. One thing I will say about my lovely new job, besides the great staff to work with, great clothes and atmosphere.... the music! All day every day I'm jamming (well secretly jamming ie. shimmying through the rails/tapping my little walkytalky) to brilliant music. I had heard of Jaguar Skills before only from my friend Sophie at Uni who had mentioned a fair few times that we needed to go see him. And for some reason I missed it. Jaguar Skills is an album they play at UO at the moment, alongside Annie Mac/Two Many DJs and some other wicked remixes. They sell all the CD's in store too so I may have to make a few purchases when PayDay rolls around - HURRY UP Friday!!! This Friday is PayDay/Night out in Leeds/Change my hair colour AGAIN day...... Can you tell I'm excited - MUCH. 

Not as excited as I am about this new song I was sent by my bestest friend who is a boy EVER. Now Taran Uppal probably knows me better than I know myself EEEEmotional wise/likes and dislikes etc. But I was never sure he knew my music taste. When we lived together, before a night out I would run down to his room for him to check my outfit/tell me I looked fit ha. And he would do the same... Yesss you did Taz lets not deny it! He would be blaring Kanye West and I would be playing "some weird electronica/house shit" is what the boys called it. But anyway, he's done it. He sent me this song and I am eternally grateful to my Leicester boy!

Here goes: It's melodic, relaxed, electronica, cut copyish and has some slightly reggae soulful vocals. I love it!

Gill Scott-Heron with a Jamie XX remix. Now what I knew of Gil before was that he was poetic and kind of linked him only to his composition "The Revolution will not be televised". After a bit of research I found this spoken word performer of the 70's and 80's to "FUSE" jazz/blues and soul with political issues through collaborating with Brian Jackson a well known composer of his time. He described himself as a "Bluesologist" which he defined as a "scientist who is concerned with the origin of the blues".  Absolutely wonderful work, but even more so it is brought present by Jamie XX. Know him? Maybe you'll know him by the name Jamie Smith as a member of the The XX who we all know and love.

You don't know and love The XX? Oh do catch up, a boy I used to date says its an album he soley associated to me. God knows why, maybe I went through one of my phases of feeling quite dark and eery because that is what they are. 

Below I have posted a couple of my FAVES, love the word faves. Have a listen, judge, love them, hate them and more importantly let me know :) On this Tuesday of massive Solitude where my friend Kate and I have established we both might need a boy present in our lives for nights like these. I am going to chill to the many remixes and originals of our lovely bluesologist Gil...

FiftysAtHeart xxx

I'd forgotten all of young loves joy.

Want the same things when we play, otherwise mines a different way.

Making my millionth Latte of the day for the keen coffee drinkers of Leeds someone I work with who I shall not name out of sheer disappointment in them walks in and casually says "Winehouse is dead". Laughing he walks away saying "Not a massive loss though is it?". So what did Miss Can'tkeepheropinionstoherself say? Well we'll cut the story short, I got flustered and lectured him that a loss is a loss, she was someone's daughter, someone's first love and someone's best friend that was so badly damaged by drugs that there was no going back. Pure insensitivity! Rant over? Ooo I think that's enough for today! 

But what a sad loss it is to the music world as well as her family&friends&fans. I came close to tears (yes only close this time, maybe i'm toughening up? ha) on the train watching her last performance where so called fans booed off stage. All I wanted to do was give her a big cuddle and try and get into her head for a minute the poor girl. That voice, the hair, the liquid liner, the tattoos. All those amazing little things that made her such a great character, performer and person. Her music means so much to me as it does many others, heartbreaking lyrics that have a certain twist to them that make you feel that little bit stronger.

I cheated myself, like you knew I would

I told you I was trouble, you know that I'm no good

Listening to "You know I'm no good" and "In my bed" feels far too familiar for me at the moment, NOOO I haven't cheated but with so many feelings flying about at the moment I feel like I might have cheated myself out of a few opportunities these past few months. I started to wonder when the last time I was selfish, did what I wanted to do, felt how I wanted to feel about something. Although this made sense after a couple of wines on Friday night. In retrospect it can sort of be a bad idea to go spilling feelings all over the shop. These feelings were new, don't judge me! I'm sure they'll be swallowed up in working 2 jobs, a few nights out in Leeds and a couple of kisses later!

I'm not gonna meet your mother any time

I just want to grip your body over mine

Please tell me why you think that's a crime?

So to play out my Amy Winehouse almost turned Dear Diary post... I'll leave you with a few of my favourites. Get an empty house, a glass of wine and a loud speaker and pour your heart out to Amy's beautiful work.

FiftysAtHeart, back in the blogging mood but with a ridiculous scheduled life of busyness! xx

L.I.F.E. D.O.E.S. G.O. O.N.

Wherever you go there'll be love love love... I promise. 

Noah and The Whale

Forgive me for I must rant&rave a little.

Favourite word of the moment? Nonchalant. That's right, Grace used the word nonchalant, big word I know but today of all days I feel I must be slightly poetic in what I say or feel. It really is the prettiest word I can use to describe how I plan to feel about something in my life at the moment. Since my close family and friends are appearing ever more important in my life by the minute as I see past the little dramas and things of unimportance, I can be happy in the thought that they are there!  My mum has lost a friend to cancer this week and heard terrible news of another friend just tonight - it saddens me so much.  So I will say now, that my feelings on the subjects of unimportant matters are nonchalant; meaning I shall be seeming to be cooly unconcerned or indifferent. I just want to write a little note to remind everyone to stick with the people that only make you happy, and to appreciate those that want you in their lives forever, and not just for the moment.

Songs? Music? Artists? Yes I know what I am hear to write about. I didn't forget, I have replayed Noah & The Whale's song "L.I.F.E G.O.E.S O.N" about 7 times while I've written all my babble. So there is no room to say I am slacking! So................................ what an amazing little song? I had heard it a while ago when it was released back in January, but until I sat watching this band at Glasto on the telly with my parents and brother I hadn't realized how wonderfully pleasant they were! I also hadn't realised how handsome the lead singer was, yes... he was the reason I got into town at 11.15 pm instead of half 10 with my mates that night. What of it? You can see that picture two paragraphs above can you not? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Nope, you're not daydreaming. I am though.

Enough! The song is beautiful, their sound is enchanting and relaxed and made Glastonbury even more of a pleasure to watch! Don't you worry I am dedicating an afternoon tomorrow just to Beyonce too, of course I saw her! I have already practiced shaking my bum like her in Mc.Donalds at 10 pm with the girls on Tuesday night and did the Beyonce walk  all the way round Sainsbury's today. Holla!

At this late hour, this post is not to critique or to offer anything new, just to lifts any hearts that felt down like mine did today. Get curled up in bed and get listening to these two songs by Noah and the whale.

FiftysAtHeart xx

Metronomy, I'm giving you the look - look.

2 bears remix of Metronomy, The bay

"This photo is going to be with you for the next 10 yeaaaarssss" the photo guy said eerily as he held the most complicated looking camera I have ever seen to his eye. No pressure then I thought? And as he pressed the button I knew pushing my "unacceptable to passport offices" blunt fringe to the side was a terrible idea. And so grimacing a little I collected my new photo ten long minutes later and held it side by side with my old one. WOW. 15 years of age I must have been on my last passport. Long blonde hair, an addiction to eyeliner and the colour black I realised today not only has my musical taste come along way from "Babycakes, you just don't know know. How I -I, wanna take it down low - low" to whatever indie/electronic beat I have grown to admire today at the grand old age of twenty-one.

So who must I talk about today?  

Metronomy

Well Nick Grimshaw my little heart throb, you have done well. Not only are you FIT, but you have an absolutely wicked taste in music. (Marry Me? Cool, yeh, June wedding is fine with me) As I sit here in bed clock watching and deep in thought about a few changes I need to make to my life ASAP, Nick tells me of one of his most favourite tunes of the summer. Metronomy - The bay, remixed by two of his favourite DJ's The 2 Bears. I listen, then have to listen again... and AGAIN. The beat is addictive, and as I have just found as I eagerly clicked the replay button on youtube... EVEN BETTER, LOUDDERRR!

LONDON, PARIS, TOKYO.

Now, as per I've started liking the remix better than the original. Always the case when a DJ plays about with the acoustic, i like a bit of repetition, a heavier bass and quite melodic sounds when they have been sped up. "Sped up"??? I possibly need to learn the music lingo and technicalities if I want to be any good at this! 

But yeh, Metronomy are wiccckeeddd mattteee yehhhh. (Sorry, excuse me jokey dialect in recent posts, being back up north with old friends means i've got back into talking in any accent other than my own. Like for instance, everyone around me seems to be saying things like "He's gone West"..."Oh yeh he is so East its unreal" At first I thought they were informing me of his/her location. But someone mentioned it has something to do with drugs? Please explain before I start telling people I'm West or East!)

...Metronomy - really quite odd, different, unique some might say... tragically hip i say. One of my favorite songs of theirs? The Look. They're trying something new with organ solos, his voice we might have heard before but I like it because its a pitch I can reach! But overall this post is to draw your attention too the band, to this song and to the remix. They're a wicked listen whether you're listening on your own or you want to impress your friends with something a bit retro and hipster. Yeh that's right, I said hipster.

FiftysAtHeart

xx

Cults knew right that they'd been abducted

He tore me apart because I really loved him 

He took my heart away and left me to bleed out, bleed out 

He broke my heart because I really loved him 

He took it all away and left me to bleed out, bleed out 

The first song I ever listened to by Cults was Abduction...

Quiet guitar, quiet vocals almost whispering “I knew right then that he would be taking my heart”... You’re sucked in to the tentative, slightly sorrowful sound of her voice and are made to listen intently as she speaks of what I can only translate to mean the abduction of her heart. Then the acoustic falls flat and the bass and kick drum take over the song and lift the energy and the emotion in her voice from 1 to 100. His voice appears as if you were expecting it, and the Cults begin to develop and define their sound with their band in unison. 

This duo/pair/romantically inclined couple in fact have an individual and eerie sound (I am loving the word eerie right now, plainly because I haven’t physically experienced anything eerie or abnormal since forever ago – Where is the weirdness in my life?).... If need a dose of it I'll be sure to go to this album to regain some quirkiness and individuality.

Brian Oblivion & Madeline Follin : They're both 21,  from San Diego but produced their music in New York just a few months ago. They started by posting music online which to my disappointment isn't where I found them, I found them reading "Wonderland" magazine which is one of my favourites from giving quite fun and personal interviews with bands. What I did read somewhere is that they're recruiting new band members to support them when they gig as a support act with friends "Sleigh Bells"... remember when I blogged about them before? Have a little scroll back through my posts and have a listen, they're wicked too. A little rockier sounding than the chilled out and relaxed vibe of Cults. Singer Madeline has such a feminine and moving voice I feel she's like a young Lesley Gore in the song "You don't own me" - beautiful!
Cults: Formed the name based on their interest in cult's they had seen or read about and said it represents their obsession with presenting a message to people  -a nice one of course - their morals and messages are strong yet don't have the same hostility that might be associated with cults! Also have a listen to "Go Outside" and "You know what I mean"... if you like The XX and Broken Bells (wicked band)... then I've got a feeling you'll like Cults. :)

Here we go, have a listen
Grace, FiftysAtHeart xx