It's been too long.

(I was going to title this post, 'A Summary Or Should I Say...An Eastery!?' But then I knew that I would regret calling it that pretty much straight away).

It's been over a month since my last post, that's disappointing.

Well at least that means I have lots of things to tell so hopefully I can make the most of the remaining days of this glorious Easter holiday and write for you a couple of times.

Bare with me...I'm a bit rusty.

Hello there.

Well firstly let me just say, I haven't neglected my writing entirely. I wrote a few things for my school website. Oh the joys! You can read all the articles here if any of you would kindly be interested. I talked a bit about the Kony video (you remember that campaign which went crazy a couple of weeks ago? It really did tie in nicely with my last blog post!) and tried to explain why it wasn't all that it made out to be. I also reviewed a recent Florence & The Machine concert and wrote about many now outdated 'current' affairs. Please ignore all the really awful photos.

Secondly,

Here are two songs for you as a happy, belated Easter present. Shock horror! I actually heard both of these on Radio 1 and loved them.



I think it was Huw Stephens who played the above and he hit the nail right on the head when he made this his 'sunsetter' track. It took quite a bit of finding afterwards! Especially when you only have the word 'lambchop' to go by on.

They next track I believe is a new one by Kanye West. To be honest, for some unknown reason, I am going through a big KW phase at the moment. I just can't get enough of his music. He's so artistic and creative and inspiring and..and..and....geniuslike. *fangirlsigh*



Let me know what you think.

Lastly,

On Wednesday night I went to an acoustic gig at The Croft in Bristol. It featured Gavin Butler from The Blackout and Neil Starr from Attack! Attack! and was supported by Syren City and The People The Poet. It was bloody brilliant! You can look forward to me telling you all about it in my next post coming up shortly. I promise!

Second lastly: Heads up to Finn. If anybody wants her number let me know.

The Wonders of The Viral

Hey guys.

Today I want to write about why some videos go viral.  I'm not talking about music videos and TV programmes but just random clips taken by 'normal' people like us.  It's something which I have been thinking about for a while and it really does perplex me. Of course the reason for this reasonably new phenomena is simple, with social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and of course Email, it's certainly not difficult for information (both accurate and false) to spread faster than wildfire! But what I really wonder is why do these videos go so crazy in the first place?

Is it the shock factor they hold? Do they surprise? Outrage? Or simply make us laugh?

There are millions of videos on youtube (some people estimating around 120 000 000 and counting) and with an astounding 48 hours worth of video uploaded every minute, why is it that one video can suddenly attract millions of viewers and others will simply pass by unnoticed?

Some videos go down in Youtube history (do I really need to give examples?.... Charlie bit my finger, Double Rainbow!! and Sneezing Panda) while some just add to the years' and years' worth of forgotten and unseen footage.

Off the top of my head recent virals have been:

And:



Finally, another one which came to light a couple of months ago was that of the racist woman. She spouted obscene and cruel verbal abuse towards people on a packed London tube. This video caused such shock and outrage, not only at her ignorance and spiteful tongue but also because she continued to swear unconcerned in front of young children. (this video is available on-line but is continually removed) Fortunately for the London passengers, (and for society as a whole) the woman, a 34 year-old called Emma West, was later arrested and charged with racial harassment. Aaaah! The glorious power of the viral video.

This website was excellent for looking at current virals going around the web and it was amazing how they had all gone from being practically unknown to world famous in a matter of days. Of course, the examples here are few and there are plenty more clips floating or more likely racing around the web right now.

So why do these videos catch on? Well for most of them, I think it is the simple fact that they make us laugh and what more do we want in our God forsaken lives? Something to cheer us up.

Others, like the terrible and offensive video described above, appall us so much that we're shocked. We find ourselves needing to tell everyone about it. I think that if a video clip can bring someone to justice and unite society then the viral is positively a good thing.

Lastly, on a more selfish note, virals can be beneficial to the individual because they can provide an easy income and 15 minutes of fame if that person really desired it..

So what do we gain from these clips? Justice, enjoyment, fame and an income. That is what makes viral videos a success. Overall however, laughter.... (usually)...well laughter is the key to their popularity.

This post was brought to you by Youtube (not really).

Oh and lastly...

Hmmm...pensive...

I just had a bit of an epiphany.  

Wouldn't it be really sad if in a hundred years' time people won't listen to some of the amazing songs around at the moment? Complete masterpieces will pass into oblivion - to the graveyard of lost music if you may. 

Some songs have been around for centuries. Greensleeves, for example, is a well-known ditty around half a millennia old. However this song was passed down lovingly from generation to generation, liked a treasured possession or an ancient tale elaborated and changed through every telling. Unlike today in which most forms of media seem to be discarded once they've reached a certain age.

Why is this? Do we simply lack the creative talent to make something truly inspiring and therefore are incapable of adding anything new to our magnificent repertoire of masterpieces? Or are we simply too fickle to appreciate someone's hard work and effort for more than a mere moment? Whatever the case our current contemporary music, literature and art won't last for long unless we're careful.

I think in some cases it's unreasonable to say that we lack creative talent, especially when I see inspiring artwork like this everyday.

Street Art in Bristol

I'm not much of a connoisseur in the field of art so maybe this isn't good enough to become a masterpiece?

But then I don't understand why some pieces like this hang in the Tate?

Please forgive me if this is meant to have some deep, significant meaning, as I'm sure it may but I find work like this so uninspiring. Of course this is just personal opinion but I can understand why art like this gets forgotten especially when comparing it to some of the greats that spring to mind; Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli. 

And what about classic literature, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen? Who do we have to compare it to? The most popular books of the 21st century appear to be Harry Potter and dare I say it...Twilight? Will these become classics in a hundred years' time? Will they be analysed for their poetry and philosophical meaning in a couple of centuries? I doubt it. However just because they're popular now doesn't mean they are or will become a masterpiece. It is often the hidden treasures which are unearthed years after their creation which become inspirational. Perhaps there is a potential classic piece of literature being written right now or a piece of art that is worth a fiver at present and a couple of million quid in centuries time. It seems that this is often the case. 

So what inspired me to start writing about this topic? 

Well...okay...maybe this is a bit of a let down for some but it was Foal's song, Spanish Sahara. Maybe it isn't a masterpiece or maybe it is; that's for the future to decide. However whilst I was listening to it during a very wistful mood, I thought; "It's a shame that perhaps future generations won't know about a song which personally holds a lot of meaning and emotion".

By the way; the introduction is beautiful but very quiet, so turn up the volume!

Dear anyone still reading, hi. I just would like to say that I have touched on a vast subject here and I suppose there are lots of stances to take, so if you have any opinions let me know. (And please let me know of any recommendations for classic/contemporary music, art, literature or even film which you think are inspiring and brilliant.)

The co-dependent, psycho girlfriend.

Good morning! I'm currently sat eating McVities biscuits from the leftover Christmas tin and sipping hot chocolate on one of the first 'wintery' days of the year. It's currently 3pm on a Sunday and I'm staring at the screen willing myself to write something reasonably challenging when all I really want to do is watch television all day. I would quite enjoy that. But I'm determined to be more productive as I have a whole Sticky Note brimming with ideas attained during late night wonderings.

So, today, I am going to talk about how much I hate NME magazine. It's not particularly challenging I suppose because many people already dislike it, but hey! Let's go with the majority here.

I'm going to start off by quoting Matt Bellamy's beautifully crafted words, which can only be formed when one is in a particularly drunken and thus enlightened state of mind.

"I love NME. I love it because it's like that crazy, weird, crazy, sort of co-dependent, psycho girlfriend that like loves you one minute and then hates you and then loves you, then hates you and makes you want to come back for more."

I think this sums up my relationship with the magazine. I used to worship NME because it's one of a select few that are proud to represent less mainstream music, up-and-coming artists and ... Muse. This is what makes me continually read it, even now when I really dislike the swill which is written inside. It's one of the very few 'popular' media sources that give me hope that others also listen to alternative/indie/whatever-genre-we're-calling-it-now music.

However, that pride is its downfall. The magazine will love and nourish a band or artist until they hit the big time. Once they start to entertain the millions rather than the thousands, the magazine will rip them to shreds. I think it's completely hypocritical. Azealia Banks (NME's current love child) should probably watch out.

The articles which are heavily laced in sarcasm and the bitterness of a jealous ex are almost painful to read in some cases. In my ignorance, I used to think the NME was almighty and their opinion was the only opinion that mattered. I have now realised that their holier-than-thou stance is completely biased. Which is why I like Q, it's a couple of quid extra but every article is written from a professional perspective whether they be reviewing Adele or I dunno, Animal Collective. Plus, it's oh-so glossy!

And seriously? The best POP songs of 2011?

NME really enjoy sending mixed messages, surely this list should contain the likes of Justin Bieber and One Direction? Not Azari & III.

However, referring back to Matt Bellamy's quote, why do I still read the NME? Because it's the magazine that you love to hate. Also people seem to think you're some cool, cultured indie-chick if you're caught with it. Whereas if I read something stereotypically female targeted like Heat magazine;

1. I feel my brain cells depleting rapidly.
2. I feel dirty and ashamed.
3. I haven't got a clue who they're talking about - which is funny as the people who read Heat would probably feel the same way when they read names like; Two Door Cinema Club, The Cribs and Crystal Castles (names on the front page of NME's current issue).
4. I lose faith in humanity (a phrase tossed around a lot these days).
5. I really do hate it, there's no love involved.

And Q magazine? Let's face it, it's like NME's uncool dad. 

Sometimes I get a good feeling, other times I'm not too sure.

You might be familiar with these lyrics if you're a radio listener or at least a TV watcher.

"Ooooooh, oh, sometimes I get a good feeling, yeah, I get a feeling that I never never never never had before, no no, I get a good feeling, yeah" 

At present, I think this song appears in at least two adverts on the television and the lyrics feature in two songs in the current UK chart. This is surprising as the original is 50 years old.

I was familiar with Avicii's song 'Levels', which I think is my favourite club tune at the moment, this samples parts of the original and is at number 5 in the chart. Today, I looked at the UK chart update to find Flo Rida's even more uninspiring version at number one.

At first, I was confused. I thought I'd been mistaken. Why were there two very similar songs in the chart? Were they the same song? No.

At least Avicii's contains a little bit of creativity with the lyrics being used to add a climatic element to his song. I think it is not unreasonable for artists to sample other people's riffs and lyrics, if they are willing to recognise the original. However Flo Rida's song is just a copy, it continually repeats the lyrics with him rapping over the top, it's not particularly artistic and it's not ground-breaking. But most chart music isn't, I suppose.

I will honestly admit though, I didn't know that Avicii had taken samples from Etta James' beautiful song, "Something's Got a Hold On Me", until I did my research. (I like to know the inspiration/source behind a musician's work.)

I don't know whether to be happy that a song around half a century old is inspiring artists today and thus our very fickle modern music consumers. Or sad, that in today's pop industry, the current number one is basically a copy of a sample of the original.



The original - or so I hope.



The club one.



The boring chart one.

Three Winter Hangover Cures

Hello there! Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a fantastic new year's, got their midnight kiss and sang Auld Lang Syne into the early hours of the morning.

My new year's resolution you ask? Work hard, play harder. That about covers it. Work hard to get the grades and the university that I want and then play harder celebrating in the summer. Or that is how I hope 2012 is going to pan out.

I have recently got into the habit of downloading or listening to playlists from various, self-proclaimed, music snobs about the best songs of the past year. I used to fall back on NME to give me some deserving and unbiased choices but now in my wizened state, I have realised what a load of pretentious garbage that magazine is.

Last year, I stumbled upon the website, musicforants.com (music for kids who can't read good) and thoroughly enjoyed their playlist for 2010. I appreciate how difficult it must be to compile such a diverse and fabulous range of music and then arrange it in some sort of order according to taste. Then, finally, after all your hard-work, the criticisms from other self-proclaimed, music snobs just roll in. However musicforants did a lovely job and yet I surprisingly forgot about them for a whole year.

Donning my detective hat, I scoured the internet trying to remember where I had found their playlist, in the hope that they'd made another one. They had!

So, I have been listening avidly to their choices and here are three out of the fifty songs which immediately caught my eye - or ear; although all the songs are jems in their own right.

I think I'm loving on these songs so much at the moment because they're very summery. In this cold, dark winter, with the excess Christmas weight and the January debt sinking in, there's nothing like a bit of cheery music to remind you that there is something to look forward to.







And yes, I know, I haven't unearthed any new bands that none of us have heard about, but let's just enjoy the music, okay?

"The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew."

I would just like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, whatever you do or whatever you celebrate!

On this wonderful Christmas eve, I thought I would write about how the best things in life aren't planned. What I mean is, I find that the less I organise an event the better it tends to be. Spontaneity leads to wonderful surprises and unexpected moments that we often cherish for a long time. Instead of planning every step you take, be impulsive! A mapped out path is safe but a winding, twisting detour leads to better adventure. 

Which is like my blog, I'm not planning it. I just write as I go along. So it maybe a bit unstructured and a little hickledy-pickledy but it's more fun for me to write and hopefully a little less drab for you to read. 

So why am I writing about this? Well for me, I hate planning. People often ask me those annoying questions like; "Where shall we go?","How are you getting home?" and "How long are you going to be?". My answer, "I don't know!" Often followed by, "I'll figure it out when we get there."

And usually I do figure it out, I just like to see where the day's events will take me first. This is especially true on a night out. When one chooses their club for the night and sticks to it, one never experiences anything brilliantly unexpected. I like to see what Mr. Fate has in store for me and where I'll end up.

This is what happened the last time I went out.
We started the night drinking Malibu and Coke outside a closed Starbucks...yes, classy. Before strolling through town and finally I managed to get a close look at the street art (see below) which I drive by so often. We took some amazing photos.

Art work from the 'See No Evil' project.

Off we then headed to a bar which we'd always wanted to check out and in the process found a new favourite haunt. Before eventually heading to our intended destination, meeting some interesting individuals on the way!

After clubbing it out for a couple of hours, we grabbed a pizza and sat outside in the freezing cold waiting for our journey home. It wasn't until I got on the night bus that the fun really started, when some plonker decided to head butt another in the nose. This led to an hour's wait on a stationary bus in the middle of the morning, jammed pack full of rowdy townies. We, on the bus, in our semi-drunken/sobering-up state were united against the cause of the conductor who failed to stop the 'fight' in the first place, declaring our need for sleep and food. At 4:30 in the morning, and in just a little bit of pain, we jogged half-heartedly back to my mate's house. At the end of the night, at 5am, I ended up eating hot mash whilst watching How I Met Your Mother - it was a glorious moment.

 And just because it's such a beautiful and almost new Christmas song...

A very long-winded post.

Well hello!

I'm afraid it's been quite a while since my last post and I have only myself to blame. That and time. Yes! Haven't the weeks just whizzed around? It always does towards the end of the year. Maybe it's the shorter days or perhaps in the run up to Christmas everyone starts becoming that little more stressed. I can't believe I'm saying this already but.....Merry Christmas!

So anyway, I've survived! (well almost...I've finally come down with a cold) A whole term of college is over! And this forthcoming spring term will be my penultimate, isn't that a little bit scary?

So how can I summarise over a month's worth of events into a single long-winded post? Well I can't! Now I have the time to do something productive rather than wasting my time twittering away or poking people's faces. I can actually catch up and write some 'interesting' and 'noteworthy' new posts. I have plenty of ideas that I want to share with you all!

Anyway, here are a couple of titbits about my past month:

• I failed my driving test for the second time. I don't want to rant - I've done that enough already - but I had the same driving examiner twice and I swear he made excuses to fail me. Who else fails for stalling? In case you've never had the delight of failing a ludicrously expensive test, let me tell you, it feels like shit (excuse my French) and it's even worse the second time around.

• But I did get one of those golden tickets to see Coldplay in June. (Shock horror!) That was a challenge in itself! I was so close to not getting any but thank God I did. Good ol' Coldplay Karma finally pays off.
• I've received three offers from my chosen unis and I just wrote an absolutely horrific entrance essay for UCL - fingers crossed everybody, please!
• Finally, I saw Example for the third time last week and for free! I have such lovurrrly friends!

Honestly, this wasn't intended to be long-winded but I guess I just had so much to tell you all. If you got this far, congrats!

And I'll leave you with the best Christmas song everrrr! (controversial for some, I know.)

The Fat Lady and Topshop

Good evening everybody.

So what a hectic last few weeks it's been. Now on my half term I can finally reflect and wind down a bit.

Something very special happened to me a couple of days ago. As you may or may not know I write articles for my school's website and I reviewed a recent Ed Sheeran gig I went to. I don't expect much from my articles so it was really nice when I received this in the post. 

At present I'm a bit disillusioned as to what to write in my blog. I think that as work is taking over my life at the moment, it's difficult to decide what I should post. So I'm sorry if this post seems a bit higgledy piggledy. 

Recently I went to see Jack Whitehall. He was hilarious. Of course that's a given. I think my main attraction to him is his posh accent and his charming looks. But of course, listen out boys: girls like guys who are funny. Well I do anyway. He also had a brilliant support comedian, I couldn't catch his name - so I'll get back to you on that. He does a brilliant Peter Dickson impression. UPDATE: His name's Joe Lycett. 

For those of you who don't know Jack. I'll post a video. It may or may not change your life.

Plus: He has a massive grudge against Robert Pattinson. Teehee.

Have a fab Halloween. Hope everyone's got their outfits sorted. I'm going clubbing dressed as a slutty carrot.
Because everything can be slutty on Halloween.

Simple Things Can Provide The Most Joy

So it's been just under a month since my last post. As I expected I have been overwhelmed by waves and waves of work at school. I'm just about keeping my head above the water. Although sadly it means that my average of one post per week is now slipping.

So I finally downloaded those songs I mentioned in my last post. Yay! They are going through quite a regular listening programme on my behalf and plus we're now singing Feeling Good in a singing competition at school - awesome!

Whilst trying to balance a hectic school life as well as organising a chaotic social calendar, I'm pretty much letting my blog go to the dogs. It saddens me, but I shall do my best to update it as much as possible. But that's not the only thing, I just haven't had the time lately to investigate any new or free music! Aaah! What a dilemma that is for me!

Also at the moment I have no money to go to gigs or to even buy albums! And believe me there's plenty of bloody brilliant bands playing in Bristol soon. This also saddens me.

Anyway the CDs on my list to buy at the moment are pretty mainstream:
1. Muse's Origin of Symmetry
2. Coldplay's new album
3. Ed sheeran's debut
4. Kasabian new'un
5. Sgt Pepper's lonely Heart Club Band
6. Ou Est Le Swimming Pool's one and only debut :(

So things you might be interested in:

• I didn't get tickets for Coldplay's show in December at the O2. Absolutely gutted. But to be fair not getting tickets for their shows is becoming such a norm that I'm almost used to the horrible feeling of missing out. You all must know what it feels like to be unable to go to a show you desperately want to see. I experienced this for Glastonbury this year; which is why I was so determined to get tickets for Reading.

• Lately I've been thinking of all the gigs that I really want to see at some point. I might list it in my next post - remind me!

• I've started writing 'fascinating' articles for my school website, if you guys are interested, here is the link. I'm that really stunningly attractive school photo with the name Elizabeth beside it.

Finally, yesterday, two things really cheered me up.
1. I learnt that Never Mind The Buzzcocks is back on BBC2. Hallelujah!
2. This video: Oh my Goshhh, it is like pure gold. Most of you, hopefully, should recognise these two people raving it out in the Radio 1 HQ. I can relate to their dancing and I happen to love this song at the moment. Enjoy!

So that's my random thoughts for this month! Hopefully I can post again very soon!