Mystique Magic

The Civil Wars are pretty new to the scene, forming in 2008 when the two forming members met at a Tennessee song writing session. I became aware of the duo in mid 2011 when they released their track “Barton Hollow”. However, I have only recently started to really appreciate their sound and I hope you will too, they truly are a unique talent.

Despite me only discovering them last year, it was their song “Poison & Wine” that got them noticed. In 2009, the track was featured on TV show ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. The mystery of this song and where it had come from caused a lot of people to head on over to trusty old Google, thus discovering the magic that is The Civil Wars.
Barely getting used to the sudden recognition of their music, The Civil Wars were once again suddenly thrust in the direction of international success when pop star Taylor Swift tweeted her love for the duo. Suddenly a whole new group of fans were latching on to the band, enabling them to go from strength to strength in their music career.

They have so far won two Grammy Awards and I predict that there will be many more to come in the future. This will be helped along by the fact that their latest song “Safe and Sound” with Taylor Swift, will be featuring in one of this year’s eagerly awaited films, ‘The Hunger Games’ (which, if you haven’t read the books, you must do immediately – they are amazing!!) which is sure to get them recognised by yet another audience.

The type of music they create should attract a fairly niche and specific audience, however it is so much more than that, which is why they are a attracting a much wider and mass audience (and rightly so – everyone deserves to hear their music). They are a folk band, but don’t let that put you off if you’re not necessarily a fan of country music, their music is so much more than that. Their songs tend to be very dark, mystic and captivating whilst still being very chilled out and easy listening music.

The Civil Wars however are not your typical band. They travel light with only themselves and some acoustic instruments, leaving behind the backup group and big band theatrics that a lot of groups tend to favour nowadays. All of this just adds to their charm and deepness of their music. It allows them to be stripped down and perform to a raw level, enhancing the emotions their music and lyrics exude.

All I can say is give them a chance. Give them a listen and if you don’t like them then that’s okay, but I am sure you’ll soon be a fan of their music like me.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that singer John Paul White bears a striking resemblance to Johnny Depp mixed in with a little Jack White.

Let me know what you think. Do you know of any bands similar to The Civil Wars that I should be made aware of?

Kirsty xx

The Benny Hill Bouncers

So, we were given a task in my Digital Marketing course at University to create a video and make it go viral.

Our group decided to go down this route:

As you know, it's a very obvious choice when told to create a video, to bounce around to a bit of Benny Hill. I mean what else would we do?!

So what do you think??

Kirsty xx

90's flashback

It’s Monday ... we all need a bit of a pick me up. This is where Stooshe comes in!

Stooshe (pronounce stoo-she ... similar to sushi, but not to be confused) are a three piece British R&B/pop girl group.

Formed in 2011, Stooshe’s debut track “Betty Woz Gone” stirred up some initial noise around the band, with the video currently racking up almost 300,000 hits on YouTube. However, it’s their new single “Love Me”, featuring Travie McCoy, that is looking to be the song which really gives them a name in the music industry. It is due to be released on March the 5th and the video already has almost 450,000 YouTube hits.

When I first heard “Love Me”, I immediately thought ‘Spice Girls’!! And it’s true, Stooshe do have an air of the Spice Girls around them (particularly the opening talk of “Love Me”) however, they are much more modern and (to put frankly) explicit, and it works for them. Stooshe have also been called an x-rated ‘En Vogue’ (classic 90’s group right there – if you don’t know who they are, look them up) and whilst I can see the similarities, I think Stooshe are much fresher than ‘En Vogue’ were in their time.

So if you fancy something new, colourful, fresh, a little bit cheesy, but most of all something to make you smile ... check out Stooshe.

(They also have an amazing unique style ... and a bright pink Stooshe bus, which helps!!)

So what do you think?? Do you agree with me that this is a group to look out for in 2012? Or do you think they are too 90’s for the music industry today? I personally love them.

Let me know :)

Kirsty xx

You were loved

Today marks a terribly sad day with the loss of the extraordinary music icon, Whitney Houston.

Regardless of the troubles and controversy she faced in life, she was and will always remain a vocal inspiration to many. She is without a doubt one of the greatest vocalists of all time and will hopefully be remembered for her amazing contribution to the music industry rather than some of the choices she made in life.

Whitney’s career speaks for itself, receiving over 400 awards throughout her career (more than any female singer) and spanning almost 30 years. She is a legend in her own right and deserves to be remembered at her best.

Whitney was a true diva with an incredible voice; she will be forever in our hearts and never forgotten. Thank you for the music, may it live on throughout history.

May she find the peace now, that she was searching for in life.

Rest in peace Whitney Houston.

Kirsty xx

 “We all wanna make a place in this world
We all want our voices to be heard
Every one wants a chance to be someone
We all have dreams we need to dream
Sweeter than any star you can reach
Cuz when you reach and find, you've found someone
You'll hold this world's most priceless thing
The greatest gift this life can bring
Is when you look back and know
You were loved”

You Were Loved – Whitney Houston

Friday fun

Now I know this isn't totally music related but if you squint, it fits in there somewhere ;)

It was my day off from work and uni today so me and my friend decided to have a movie day ... yeah, that didn't quite happen.
Somehow (and i'm not exactly sure how), we decided to make a little video instead (as you do).

It was so much fun to make, so hope you enjoy it.

This was the finished product:

Kirsty xx

Dance Our Lives Away

So considering it was Super Bowl Sunday yesterday, there is only one person I can write about today really ... Madonnaaaaaaa!!

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it was the Super Bowl yesterday which not only means a great game of American Football, but a brilliant halftime show to look forward to aswell.
This year it was the New York Giants vs. the New England Patriots, which meant a brilliantly tense game (yes I stayed up until 4am to watch the game, don’t judge) and a performance from Madonna at half time (woo!)

As to be expected, there was a big buzz around the Queen of Pops halftime performance – would she live up to the hype? Was she the right choice? What songs will she sing? Well let me tell you something ... she did not disappoint!! Her set was incredible.
She entered the stage with a remix of the classic “Vogue” (along with a lot of hot gladiators), the stage then transformed into a big futuristic disco set for party classic “Music” ... of course, this is Madonna, it’s not going to be that simple – she had a little extra entertainment for the crowd with a man (possibly Will Ferrell) on a tightrope (sounds weird, but you have to see it and then you’ll understand).
This is the point where LMFAO decided to drop in on the party with a little “Party Rock Anthem” – could have been a disaster, but they worked it in brilliantly and flawlessly.
Following on from this, M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj decided to get in on the action and joined Madonna on stage for her new single “Give Me All Your Luvin’” where they were dressed as cheerleaders (of course they were ... would you expect anything less?!). This is also the time in the show where the ‘controversy’ occured – surprisingly nothing to do with Madge herself for once, this is where M.I.A. flipped off to the camera (yawn).
Anyway, back to the set. So how could she possibly top this you ask?? Easy ... bring on Cee-Lo Green for a little sample of “Express Yourself” followed by an enormous choir and a rendition of “Like A Prayer” of course!!
The whole extravaganza ended with bright lights spelling out the words “World Peace” on the ground.

So there you have it, the Super Bowl 2012 Halftime Show. It was absolutely amazing, Madonna rocked it and all I’m saying is ... next year’s act are going to have a hell of a time trying to beat that!!

Now some people are disputing her performance purely because she lip-synced. At the end of the day, does it really matter if she mimed?? She put on an absolutely incredible show which could have potentially been compromised if she was expected to sing live.
I mean come on, give the girl a break, she was dancing non-stop and I don’t know about you, but even after running up a couple of flights of stairs, I can’t be expected to hold a conversation, never mind singing my heart out whilst simultaneously busting out a move (I apologise now for using the phrase ‘bust a move’ but it just felt right).
And anyway we all know she can sing, she wouldn’t have gotten where she is today without some sort of vocal ability. I went to see her last tour (the Sticky & Sweet tour) at Wembley Stadium in London a couple of years ago for which she sang live, and I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised. I mean I knew she could sing but I was expecting her to be all about the performance she put on rather than perfecting her vocals, but she managed to pull both off spectacularly! So we know she can do it, so who cares if she actually does?? She’s Madonna, she can do whatever she wants!!

As you may have noticed, I am slightly obsessed with Madonna (like that’s a bad thing) and if I’m honest, the Super Bowl just gave me the perfect excuse to blog about the undisputed Queen of Pop without seeming weird (I hope).

So check out the Halftime show below and let me know your verdict :)

I’ve also included her new single “Give Me All Your Luvin’” as it’s definitely worth a watch in my opinion. What do you think??

Kirsty xx

Before you know it

I’m pretty sure that by now, most people have heard of The Maccabees and deservingly so, they are a brilliant band.

The Maccabees are an indie rock band from London, England. They have recently released their third studio album ‘Given to the Wild’ which debuted at number 4 in the UK charts (and rightly so, it’s a great album).

The debut track from this album was ‘Pelican’. I absolutely adore this song, every time I hear it, it makes me smile (which I admit, isn’t great when you’re sitting on a train on your own with your headphones on ... I may or may not have been subjected to some funny looks from other passengers).
The song itself, in my opinion, was extremely underrated when it came to its position in the charts, reaching only number 75.

The opening beat to this track is just spectacular and as soon as it plays, you know this is going to be a special song – and it doesn’t disappoint!

Also, is it just me or does it remind anyone else slightly of the song ‘Prince Charming’ by Adam and the Ants? No? Just me? ... okay.

All I’ll say is if you like The Vaccines, The Wombats and even The Who, give The Maccabees a listen, I think it’ll be right down your street. And even if you’re not a fan of those bands, give it a listen anyway ... for me :)

Let me know what you think (particularly on the ‘Prince Charming’ thing, surely I can't be alone with that similarity).

Kirsty xx

Drift away

What does the name Benjamin Francis Leftwich mean to you?? If like me, it means nothing to you, hopefully this will open your eyes like it did mine.

Benjamin Francis Leftwich is a singer/songwriter from York, England. His debut album “Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm” reached number 35 in the UK charts (not too bad for a newbie) and although it received praise, none of his singles really got anywhere.
However, I think this will change with his latest song.

His last release “Pictures” is an extremely chilled out and dreamy song – the type of song you can just get lost in and drift off into your own little world.

The track was original released in March 2011 but didn’t chart, however it is now being re-released as his new single on February the 20th 2012, to coincide with his upcoming UK tour.

Benjamin’s voice is quite mellow and he has slight hints of David Gray and Chris Martin to him. However, I think it is slightly unfair to compare him with others as he stands strong as a standalone artist. Not only are his lyrics powerful, but put that together with the acoustic melody, and you have yourself a brilliant song.

Anyway, give this song a listen and tell me what you think :)

Kirsty xx

RIP Etta James

It’s a sad day for the world of music as legendary blues and soul singer Etta James has passed away.

Despite her turbulent personal life, Etta James was undeniably the Queen of Soul. She put each and every one of her troubles and pains into her music, making it heartfelt and real.

Whether it’s the lyrics that people can relate to or purely the sensual beats of her songs that they enjoy, her music is loved by every generation (myself included). She is and will always be one of my all time favourite artists.

Her hits included the iconic ‘At Last’, sensual ‘I Just Want To Make Love For You’ and the emotion filled ‘All I Could Do Was Cry’.

Her music has touched millions, and she will not be forgotten ... she will forever be an icon in the music world.

Kirsty xx

Perfect for those rainy nights

So most of you have you have probably heard of Lana Del Ray by now, but for those of you who haven’t, what’s your excuse??

 Not to worry though, this is where I come in :)

Lana Del Ray is an American singer/songwriter who is fairly new to the music scene.

Her first single was ‘Video Games’, which you may recognise as it reached number 9 in the UK charts and essentially put her on the map.

As much as I love that song, I have to say, I personally prefer her new song ‘Born To Die’. It has a chilling and almost haunting sound to it (which I love) and the lyrics are beautiful.

For me, ‘Born To Die’ is the kind of song that’s perfect for those dark and rainy nights. Whether you are walking along the streets with your headphones on and the world around you blocked out, or having a night in with the lights dimmed and music loud ... either way, this is the song you want to listen to.

Give it a listen and tell me, am I wrong?

Kirsty xx

Two for the price of one

If, like me, you sometimes like to listen to something a bit different, a bit quirky, then I think you may appreciate this.

A track that I just can’t seem to stop listening to is ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ by Gotye ft. Kimbra.

‘Somebody I Used To Know’ is from Gotye’s third album ‘Making Mirrors’. It has a very soft, chilled out feel to it ... and there’s something rather ‘nursery rhymey’ about it – and I don’t mean in a humpty dumpty kind of way, but in a way that the rhythm is quite playful. Also, if you listen to the beat at the very beginning of the song, you can hear the Baa Baa Black Sheep tune (it’s about time someone sampled that if you ask me).

To me, Gotye has a bit of a Sting sound to him ... and he has the same mouth ... just sayin’.

 

Another bonus of this song is that one of my latest obsessions – Kimbra – features on this track.

Kimbra is a new singer/songwriter from New Zealand, and although pretty successful in New Zealand and Australia, she is still very much unknown in the UK.

If you like Nina Simone and Bijork, I think you’ll love Kimbra ... and even if you don’t like either of those artists, give her a listen anyway, you might be pleasantly surprised.

One of my favourite tracks of hers is a song called ‘Settle Down’ which was her first single from her debut album ‘Vows’. This song has a very ‘pop’ and bubbly feel to it, without being so cheesy that it sounds like every other pop song in the charts at the moment.

Kimbra is a very quirky artist with a stylish sound to match.

Give it a listen and let me know what you think :)

Kirsty xx

Let's try something new

Have you heard of She & Him?? No?? Well why not??

Although they're not exactly new on the music scene, they are my current obsession!

If you don't know who they are, She & Him are a duo from America made up of indie actress Zooey Deschanel (you may recognise her from the films '500 days of Summer' and 'Elf'), and singer/songwriter and guitarist, Matt Ward.
It's hard to describe their sound as there's nothing else really like it out there at the moment. If I had to put it in terms of genre, I'd say She & Him are an indie/pop/folk sound, but I don't think you can group them into one particular field.

Now normally I am the type of person who cannot stand all that cheery cheery, happy happy music, but in this case I am willing to make an exception.
She & Him produce the kind of songs that just lift your spirits. It could be a miserable, grey and cold day (so pretty much every day in England) but put a bit of She & Him on and instantly it's like the sun is shining and you could easily be lying in the middle of a field somewhere (no cows present), eyes closed, lost in your own little world (cheesy I know – so tell anyone I said that and I WILL deny it!) ... but because of this, trust me when I say, She & Him are the perfect soundtrack for your summer, whilst also being the perfect pick me up during those winter months.

Now I know you've listened to me drone on, but just do one thing today - listen to just one of the duo's tracks. I guarantee you this, if nothing else, it will make you smile ... either that or you will no longer trust my judgement and abandon this blog altogether ... personally, I am hoping for the first option.

So try them out and let me know your verdict :)

Kirsty xx