On Music

Music is an inspiration, a basic pleasure that without leads to a less colourful life. Without music I find life black and white, mono-chromed and monotoned.

I’m not a particularly musically gifted person, but music plays such a huge part in my life, gives highlights to my ups and downs, and I am striving to understand the role that music plays for me.

Over years and years of hard work, I taught myself how to play the clarinet and the piano, and am now attempting to learn to play guitar, so that I may have a better understanding of this amazing art that gives me so much to live for.

I’m starting by learning how to play ‘Feelin’ Alright’ by Rebelution, which is basically the soundtrack to my life.

The 2012 Chill

At this stand still after Christmas and before the New Year, before life goes back to it’s normal pace, kids return to school and adults reluctantly return to work, I spend my time at home, eating yummy comfort food, reading books and listening to chill out music. This, people, is what I would term paradise.

 

So my top 3 chill out recommendations for this year are:

Rebelution. These guys make amazing music, the kind you can but on repeat, listen to a thousand times and never get bored. I’ve been listening to Rebelution for the past few years, and am in desperate hope that they will, at some point, land on the windy shores of the UK and gift us with their music live.

My top Rebelution track this year is Honeypot

 

 

 

The Decemberists. If you watch How I Met Your Mother, I can guarantee you have probably already heard a great variety of their music. They were discovered by myself and other half after Shazam-ing one of their songs on HIMYM.

My top The Decemberists track this year is January Hymn

 

 

 

Don Carlos. This guy is classic reggae, chilled out and relaxed. It’s hard to find a song of his that isn’t good. My other half was lucky enough to see him live, which, as I have heard constantly since, was the best experience of live music EVER!

My top Don Carlos track this year is Time

Songs for Christmas

While Gangnam style may be a very popular song that has a tendency to induce psychotic episodes and brings people to a happy place by dancing like a complete moron in public, I was left quite perplexed whilst watching BBC3 last night. Before the episode of Family Guy at 10.30pm, there was a show reel of all the films and television that will be shown throughout the Christmas season. These classic Christmas songs were set to the background music of Psy’s Gangnam style.

While I have nothing against ridiculous music that actually has the added effect of making ‘cool’ people look like retards, I am not sure whether the BBC has chosen the best genre of music to represent Christmas.

Here’s a list of better suited songs:

Jingle Bells – Yuletide Blasphemy

Merry Christmas I F_____ Your Snowman – Showcase Showdown

Slashed Wrists This Christmas – Gruff Rhys

I Will Cry at Christmas – Denim

Coventry Carol – Maddy Prior

Reindeer – The Knife

Blue Xmas (To Whom it May Concern) – Miles Davis

I Believe in Father Christmas – GregLake

I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up for Christmas – Aimee Mann

No Xmas for John Quays – The Fall

Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa – De La Soul

Santa Claus – The Sonics

Yeah so the entire list was stolen from a Guardian article but its Monday morning and I’m tired and lazy. Plus copy and pasting is so easy.

These cool dudes…

This group of guys are, collectively, the epitome of cool. They are the most talented bunch of fellows I have ever seen, and it’s a damn shame that they were around so long ago. Man, it would be so cool if music were like this now. I should have been born in the 40s!

Music has taken a turn for the worse in current years, with scantily clad ladies, occasionally dressed in cuts of meat, singing about meaningless rubbish like how badly they want to be Barbie, to tunes that make you want to rip your hair out. Well, I like jazz. Judge someone else, you Nicki Minaj loving hippies.

Anyway, about these guys: They are Cab Calloway and the Nicholas brothers performing together and they are amazing! The Nicholas brothers were singers in their own rights, but this video only showcases their tap ability which, I must say, is outstanding. And Cab Calloway, well he’s just about the coolest singer I’ve ever seen! (heard)

Watch these videos, add them to your favourites, and acknowledge the fact that your iPod will remain obsolete until these are amongst your collection.