Archive of ‘Albums of the Month’ category

26
Feb
2013

Albums of February!

categories: Albums of the Month, Music

Hi All!

So the end of February approached at light speed and suddenly today I realized I had to get organized and do my monthly posts! This month, music-wise, I signed up for the 30 day free trial on Spotify (slow to the party, I know) and have been having heaps of fun finding old music that I no longer have and also listening to some new albums. Here are three albums I have been listening to quite a lot this month, only one is a brand new to me find but there are heaps more I just haven’t had the time to listen to properly yet. So enjoy!

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1. The O.C. Volume 2

So way back when I was pretty obsessed with the O.C. My best friend had all the DVDs and we would watch them endlessly. One of my favorite parts of the O.C. is the great music they use. So many bands I love I discovered through the O.C. haha, is that sad? I love all their sound tracks but this 2nd one is a favorite and just happened to be the one I kept putting on this month. A great mix of indie/alternative music that is quirky, fun and a little bit interesting.

Songs you should listen to: Specialist (by Interpol), You got me all wrong (by dios (malos)), Popular mechanics for lovers (by Beulah) and Eastern Glow (by The Album Leaf)

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2. Emile Sande: Our Version of Events

So this is my amazing new find of the month! Somehow I clicked through to this album by the young, beautiful Scottish singer Emile Sande. I believe this is her debut album and I absolutely love it! I don’t listen to a lot of soul or R&B music but do love a good singer along those lines. Emile’s voice is simply stunning with a lot of soul and emotion and her songs are fun to sing along to even if I do a crap job of it. The album has a good mix of upbeat songs and slower, more melancholic tunes. Definitely give her a listen if you like R&B singer/songwriter stuff.

Songs you should listen to: Heaven, Suitcase, Next to Me, River

Lungs_FatM3. Florence + the Machine: Lungs

Last up is an old favorite that you will all know I am sure! I have listened to the new album by Florence + the Machine and it left me wanting to go back to this album which I used to have and loved to pieces. On Spotify one of the first things I did was go and find this again! Florence has one of the most beautiful and powerful voices in my opinion and this album exemplifies this along with a variety of amazing songs that incorporate rock, pop, soul and indie qualities. Such a huge talent and an album I could listen through over and over. (I should add that choosing my favorite songs below was quite a challenge).

Songs you should listen to: I’m not calling you a liar, Between two lungs, Cosmic Love, My Boy Builds Coffins

That’s it for this month! What’s been keeping your ears occupied?

24
Dec
2012

Albums of December in Christmas Spirit

categories: Albums of the Month

Hi All!

So I am putting up my albums for December a bit early this month as I have included the two Christmas albums I have been loving and thought it made more sense for people to see what they are before it’s Christmas :)

There won’t be a made me smile this week, not because I haven’t been smiling but because I have this to put up and I’m currently visiting lovely family and trying to muck around with transfering photos is a bit fussy. Next week i’ll just do another double post.  Anyway here are some of my favorite albums of the month.

1. Christmas Classics

This is my favorite Christmas album at the moment as it is full of a huge number of Christmas songs by Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole  all of whom I could listen to for hours on end. Their jazzy renditions of a bunch of classic Christmas tunes are fun and catchy without being annoying (which is my usual response to Christmas CD’s). The only thing weird about the album is that their are a couple of songs that are featured more than once (sung by the 3 artists). Other than that this is the perfect Christmas album for me and the only one I could play year round (although I won’t haha).

Songs you should go listen to: Have yourself a merry little Christmas (Ella Fitzgerald), O’Holy Night (Nat King Cole), The little boy that Santa Claus forgot (Nat King Cole) and White Christmas (Ella Fitzgerald)

2. Michael Buble: Christmas

So I think everyone and their Mum loves this Christmas album and its always hard to resist the seductive, sillky smooth voice of Buble and he does some lovely Christmas classics that are very easy on the ears 😉 Not as amazing as my first choice but one that I would happily listen to over the Christmas period.

Songs you should go listen to: All I want for Christmas is you, Ave Maria, Blue Christmas and It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

3. Of Monsters and Men: My Head is an Animal

Okay so I do like listening to non-Christmas music during December as well and this album has been a sure but sudden favorite. After listening to it by accident on Spotify I was obsessed and since then the album is usually played through at least once each day. The first time I heard them was actually on an advert and I had always loved the snippet of song so I was very pleased to come across the album. They are a 5 piece band from Iceland of all places that seem to be getting a lot of well-deserved attention in the music world. The album falls in to the alternative/indie/pop/folk genre but they have a very clear sound that makes them pretty recognizable. I can’t get enough of the loud/quiet contrasts in their songs and the great female/male combinations in the vocals. As usual I find music hard to describe so just go give them a listen on Youtube or Spotify!

Songs you should go listen to: All of them. But if I have to choose a few – Dirty paws, Kings and Lionheart, From Finner and Love, love, love.

4. Birdy (Birdy)

Last up is my most recent find after hearing her cover of Skinny Love by Bon Iver on Youtube (an incredibly beautiful cover I might add) – a 16 yr old with an incredible voice who could take original songs and transform them into something delicate, soft and full of emotion. So far as I know most of the songs on the album are covers but this doesn’t diminish the quality of this album at all that is carefully stripped down to the very evocative and haunting piano chords that allow Birdy’s pure and beautiful vocals to soar through a variety of excellent songs.

Songs you should go listen to: 1901, Skinny Love, White Winter Hymnal and Shelter (my absolute favorite, an excellent cover of The XX)

So there are my picks for the music of December. If I am missing out on any great Christmas albums please let me know!

Today is Christmas Eve here in New Zealand and I hope that whereever you are and whatever you choose to celebrate everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday season :)

xx

02
Dec
2012

Albums of November

categories: Albums of the Month

Hi All!

My three end of month posts are all going to be a bit late for November so apologies in advance :-) Here is the first, three albums that have stood out this month and have been been on repeatedly!

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1. Bon Iver: Bon Iver

Not a new favorite by far but one I have loved for the entirety of this year however this month it has been popping up more than usual. Compared to their first amazing album which I also love this has a very different feel. A blissful yet melancholic sound with Vernon’s falsetto paired perfectly with a soaring band to create a variety of songs that are both personal and yet grand, solemn yet hopeful. Trying to comprehend the lyrics is nearly impossible yet the fractured poetry of Vernon’s lyrics are conveyed in a confusing, beautiful way. Definitely worth a listen especially if indie/folk is something you enjoy.

Songs you should go listen to: MinnesotaWI, Holocene, Michicant, Hinnom TX (but I seriously adore each little piece of perfection this album offers up in every song)

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2. Lena: Stardust

After hearing that a friend (the wonderful Reese) was enjoying this album I gave it a listen. Although it’s different from a lot of my usual music this album from a gorgeous German singer is pop yet sophisticated and elevated with a quirky element that sets it apart from the norm in my mind. An album that I enjoy singing along too and that is catchy, fun and interesting. Lena’s stunning voice is a pleasure to listen to and the whole album is an enjoyable experience that I see being played even more during the summer.

Songs you should go listen to: Stardust, Mr Arrow Key, To the Moon, I’m Black, Goosebumps

 

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3. Bic Runga: Belle

Bic Runga is a New Zealand artist who has always been a favorite and an export that I will always be proud of. Her stunning voice when paired with quirky tunes and catchy lyrics provide excellent car drive sing-a-long music. As well as the rather mainstream, pop songs that she elevates through sheer skill there are also a variety of different sounds on this album, with her time in France shining through in some quaint tunes as well as some slightly moodier tunes. All the different sounds are done with Bic Runga’s classic vocals and a sense of daring and character. The album features a lot of collaboration which works in the album’s favour, keeping the sounds fresh and different but still Runga at heart and the combination of her vocals with Nielson’s are dreamy.

Songs you should go listen to: Tiny Little Piece Of My Heart, This Girl’s Prepared For War, Everything Is Beautiful And New, Belle, Darkness All Around Us (my absolute favorite!)

Bit of a short one this month! Let me know what some of your favorites are or if you listen to any of these :-) All are worth a try, I pinky promise!

30
Oct
2012

Albums of October

categories: Albums of the Month, Music

Hi Everyone,

Hasn’t this month flown by? I have 3 more exams and then my final undergraduate year is over. I am feeling equal measures of excitement and terror. Here are the slightly random collection of albums I have been loving this month. It contains some of my favorite albums of the entire year!

1. Metronomy: The English Riviera

So this is my definite favorite of the month. I actually listened to the album once through and wasn’t that interested or impressed and took a couple weeks before I happened upon it again. Surprisingly, I then fell in love with the quirky indie pop beats that this English band has produced in their third album. The songs are full of variety and are totally catchy. Seriously though, this style of music is so hard for me to describe, sometimes I wonder why I bother to try in these posts haha. I absolutely cannot get enough of this album. It makes me want to dance which is strange because the last thing I would do is dance. Upbeat, unique, fun, quirky, 80’s synth, a little bit alternative. I love it. If there is one album from this post you take a look at let it be this! You’ll probably either love or hate it but its something a bit different :)
Songs you all must listen to: Everything Goes My Way, The Look and The Bay.

2. Miike Snow: Happy to You

So I have always loved music by Miike Snow and so I am not sure why it took me so long to listen to their new album. After listening to it a few times this definitely grew on me. Miike Snow is indie pop with a lot of great dance beats thrown in and that’s the best I can describe it. The songs are catchy and fun to do dishes to (this is a huge factor for me!). I am not a dance music person normally so although there is a definite beat in the album it doesn’t overshadow the interesting lead vocals and the pure gold that is the soaring tunes. I personally love the strange combination of elements that really come together throughout this album. Also an appearance by Lykke Li goes down very well.
Songs you all must listen to: The Wave, Devil’s Work, Bavarian #1, Garden

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3. Mumford and Sons: Babel

I loved loved loved Mumford and Sons’ last album and was highly excited when I heard they had released a new album! I had never expected to love the style of rustic but upbeat banjo playing and yet totally fell in love with Sigh No More. So how did the new album live up to my high expectations? Obviously I enjoyed this album otherwise I wouldn’t be including it in this monthly round up. The title track Babel is definitely catchy and emotive, everything their last album had captured perfectly. I’m not sure if this album is as strong as the last but it definitely satisfies my cravings for the rather addictive banjo playing and absolutely lust worthy voice of the lead singer that captures so much emotion in each note I can hardly handle it. Seriously, if this guy ever spoke to me I would probably die on the spot. Someone give him my phone number? Anyway… great album and worth a listen if you loved the last! No big changes but sort of what we would expect following their debut. And that’s just fine with me :)
Songs you all must listen to: Babel, I Will Wait, Hopeless Wanderer, Where Are You Now

4. Kings of Convenience: Quiet is the New Loud

Lastly I have the only album that isn’t a new one for me. This album has been a favorite for countless years and recently I found it in the depths of my computer and have been wallowing in it ever since. Okay I don’t know if wallowing is the right word. The duo from Norway have a soft and gentle acoustic sound that I love very much. The slow but catchy beats are paired with harmonized voices and idyllic acoustics. Definitely an album for a relaxing afternoon in the sun. This is my “calm down” album when stress levels are getting a bit intense. Somehow I haven’t got my hands on their new album so expect that in the future… Okay wait apparently their have been two albums since this. Wow. My bad.
Songs you all must listen to: I Don’t Know What I Can Save You From, Summer on the Westhill, Parallel Lines

28
Aug
2012

Albums of August

categories: Albums of the Month, Favorites, Music

Hi All!

Well August is coming to a close and I thought I would do a favorite albums of the month that I have been listening to and loving! Just a little warning…I listen to a rather wide variety of music genres (very wide some might say) and I am terrible at classifying music! So bear with me haha! Also these are in no particular order.

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