So this is the thing...

And the things that keep us apart, keep me alive

The things that keep me alive, keep me alone.

This is the thing...

L.O.V.E.???

Something I am completely confused about at the moment. Did I just fall in love with the beautiful boy that held the door for me out of the pub saying "Pretty girls first" or am I in complete L.U.S.T for a perfect gentlemen who looked like he'd fallen right out of the pages of Amainglyhotbandboymagazine and into Nation of Shopkeepers on a Wednesday night? It's a toughy! Trying this single girl milarky is quite the task I tell you, especially when the L word is sat across from me on the last train home snogging eachothers faces off, holding eachothers hand as they walk past me in the street and shouting "I LOVE YOU TOO BABE" within half a metre of my face! Okay so that last bit didn't happen but it might as well do to complete the (shall we say bitterness? no, sounds horrible! we'll go with...) "My ever so romantic heart"..................

So what would be so fitting with this feeling of having to do a massive gulp when you hear the L word being thrown about? Well, I have two options for today........... one of those "Good Feel" songs OR one that forces you to be reminiscent? I'm going for the latter, it's been a while since I have let emotions get the better of me!

Fink are who I would like to have a little talk about today of the Folk/Blues/Dub genre. A beautifully elegant sound, very relaxing to listen to yet the lyrics are subtly stimulating of your thoughts. They got me thinking about deeper things and made me a reflect a little more..... Fink say they "sing about relationships and love and emotions; but also sing about other stuff: embracing fear, Berlin dawns and looking forward". I read this quote after I listened to as much of their music as I could... and could agree with all of what they had said.

The songs I have listed below are just a couple of ones I would call my current favourites, over time it might change but for now I'll choose these. The first song "This is the thing" is once I think anyone can relate to; knowing someone wasn't very good for you but you were in love so you stuck it out. I have only had that feeling once I must say, a few years back now but it's still good to look back and realise how far you have come! :)

Thanks for reading! 

Graciegrace xx

The world is lazy, but you & me, we're just crazy.

Ever since I was a little girl, 

My Momma told me always there'd be boys like you.

So when I'm with you I have fun.

Yeh when I'm with you I have fun.

A good friend sat across from me the other day, seeing the disheartened and slightly reminiscent look on her face as she drank her tea... I told her that this little bit of upset she was going through is just when the sat nav goes wrong on your way to following fate to a perfect little destination of happiness that waits at the end. Her response was. "You have cheered me up you crazy little f**k. Sat Nav to happiness? Idiot". As explained before, my mind is elsewhere most of the time yes, but come on... how nice would that be? Little sat nav, with  maybe Paul McCartney as the voice over. Giving you little updates as to how long it is til you find love? I would love it, screw you she who shall not be named in the post!

The lyrics above are from a song called "When I'm with You" by Best Coast. Two lovely and by the looks of it very musically educated of the romantic sort of music gave me a nice little list of bands and songs I needed to listen to. Best Coast were one of them, and I am loving not only their album "Crazy for You" but just their relaxed Surf Rock sound that make them such an easy and enjoyable listen. The singer/songwriter Bethany Cosentino is first of all beautiful, had to be said. But a very talented young lady and musicians Bobb Bruno and Ali Koehle bring this American Surf Pop/Indie Rock band to the forefront of my iPod and to the top of my scribbled list of "Albums to Buy". Which really should be transferred from a scratty bus ticket to a notepad, or a book, or a binder....coloured coded and labelled! Ooo I do love a bit of stationary madness!

"Goodbye"

I lost my job, I miss my Mom, I wish my cat could talk

Every time you leave this house, everything falls apart.

If you're a girl and feeling completely wiped out over an Ex this is a perfect little song for you, the lyrics and the constant quite monotone beat should have been played all those times I climbed into bed at 3 in the afternoon in a self pitying and lost mood. And the words at the end of the song that repeat, "Goodbyes are Goodbyes" are a perfect way to end a very honest song.

"When I'm with you"

Love it, lyrics ring true in my ears. Just the right level of upbeat without losing the fuzzy lo-fi tone.

"Boyfriend"

I wish he was my boyfriend

I'd love him to the very end

But instead he is just my friend

I wonder if he knows I want him

"When the Sun Don't Shine"

"Crazy For You"

And even though you are my guy, I always freak when I get high

I'm always crazy when I miss you, I'm always lazy when I miss you.

Again the lyrics are brilliant and I could listen to this song over and over for days. 

I won't go on, great album, great band. Possible new favourite that I wish I had come across a long time ago!

FiftysAtHeart

Sounds so soulful don't you agree?

Jay is chillin’, ‘Ye is chillin’
What more can I say? We killin’ ‘em

Fingers drumming on the table, feet tapping, heavy sighing... after months of sitting impatiently waiting for it to come, it has arrived. The second Watch the Throne song collaboration between Kanye West and Jay Z is here. Now i'll be honest, as always, their first release H.A.M I wasn't keen on... I just wasn't feeling it, a bit aggressive, no melody and no format whatsoever - from what I heard anyway. Sorry if I missed something?! So I was pretty happy to hear it was moved back as a bonus track on the album. On a much lighter more supportive note, I absolutely love their new track, beautifully named "Otis".

This track "shows off" - if you like- everything we love about Kanye and Jay Z. As they opt for no chorus, just verses. We hold onto every beat and every lyric that rolls of their tongues so casually. I feel like this is a song made for the fans that have followed them over the years rather than for Radio One to play 15 times a day, giving little chavs the opportunity to steal its identity - sing the chorus with all their friends and add some "MASSSIVVVEE BASSSEEE" too maaattteee. Yeh, you heard me Cher Lloyd! These boys use the word "Swagger" properly in "I guess I got my swagger back"...... "Not Swagger Jaaaaggerr!" 

They aint see me cause I pulled up in my other Benz

Last week I was in my other other Benz

"Sounds so soulful don't you agree?"; Jay could not have put it better as Otis opens the song up so romantically with a voice that feels so familiar, I felt a quick tug on the heart strings as I remember Otis was one of my late grandma and grandads favourite singers. "Squeeze her, don't tease her. Never leave her" Oooo Otis you do speak some words of wisdom... BOYS: Are you listening?!?!?!

Verse after verse their poetry blasts into my headphones, no breaks, no chorus to be a part of, you will listen intently to the words to get a jist of what their saying but I promise you that the moment you start to understand the song is over and ends with a huge thud of a note. This song makes me feel excited, a tiny bit depressed that I'm not in America rubbing shoulders with this sort of talent, but over everything makes me want to drag out every CD I have made by Jay and Kanye, wear a huge t-shirt and dance around my room being as hip and as hop as I can be! Haha... I know what you're thinking... But Grace you are the blackest white girl I know! Ohhh you guyysssss, you flatter me.

So what's my suggestions? Listen to their album "Watch the Throne", listen to the track "Otis" and two other songs "Thunder " and "Beautiful Girls" I have posted underneath from the album too. Thunder is a wicked introduction and mix of beats that I loved straight away, the boys aren't in it... but it really has a feel of Kanye's short film in it - sort of movie type and the like... while still holding onto a heavier Jay Z feel. Ooo I do talk some shit! Just listen for me ey? Cheers.

FiftysAtHeart xx

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