Friday Favourites

Oh yes. Favourites written the UK way!

 

Now back to the music:

 

Every week, I am going to attempt the mighty task of picking three of my most favourite and most listened to songs from the week to share with you. There are no genre rules or age restrictions. Anything goes. Even the cheesy pop wonders from the UK charts in the 90's might make a sneaky comeback. And I might even mention some of my all-time favourite hymns too.

 

 

1. Elbow- The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver

 

To start off the series, I've chosen to stay true to my roots and choose one of my new favourite British bands. Elbow have been on the music scene for years and have truly made a name for themselves in the live-music world. Although Elbow have been making quality music for many years, I have to admit that it took one of my American friends countless hours of persuasion to get me to listen to more than just Grounds For Divorce. I now realise that I should have listened to him a lot sooner. This certain American's power of persuasion worked in more ways than one, and after receiving Elbow's incredible album, The Seldom Seen Kid, as a birthday present, it only took me one full listen to get me hooked. The album has a mix of extremely thought-provoking songs which conjure up a wide range of thoughts and emotions. One of these songs happens to be The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver. So good. The "lulling" quality at the beginning of the song sets the scene perfectly for the opening lyrics and really carries the piece throughout the different stages of the song.

 

 

2. Fleetwood Mac- Dreams

 

This is an absolutely obvious choice for me. A bit too obvious now that I think about it. But I cannot help it, this song is beautifully written. This song instantly puts me at ease, which is surprising due to the song's subject matter. I'm a sucker for a good intro, and this one hits the spot; simple and completely effective. Stevie Nicks makes songwriting seems like a piece of cake and I really wish it was! It probably doesn't help that I'm listening to their Greatest Hits album as I write this as I'm now deeply regretting the fact that I missed out on tickets to their now sold out UK tour dates which were released last month. I also love the cover version of the song by the Irish pop/folk band, The Corrs, which was released back in 1998.

 

 

3. Misty Miller- You Know What I Mean

 

I was a fan of her previous releases, but when I heard her latest EP, Girlfriend, I realised she had taken a big step forward with her musical choices and writing style. I love the nod to rock influences of bygone days throughout  You Know What I Mean. The entire EP is definitely worth listening to if you want a faultless mix of songs which seem to sum up Misty's strong sense of new musical direction. Girlfriend also has a great vibe attached to it, which sets Misty Miller up nicely for lots of continued future success.

I hope you enjoyed the first Friday Favourites! Let me know what you think of the songs and artists mentioned above. I'd love to hear your Friday Favourites of the week too!

The Rise of the Music Duos

I do realise that we are well into 2012, but sometimes it takes a while to get a feel for the new music which truly means something important to us.

Over the past year, there have been a few bands that have made an astonishing impact in my life. Some are fairly new to the music business in terms of worldwide publicity and sales, whilst others have been around for years and still have the unique ability to evoke such powerful emotions and messages through their old and new music.

I might be a London girl, but that doesn't stop me from absolutely loving the music created by two American duos. The duos in question happen to be Jack and White and The Civil Wars.

Jack and White made their debut appearance in my iTunes library very soon after I first heard about them on Brooke White's inspirational personal blog, and now play a pivotal role in my everyday listening habits. I have loved White's distinctive vocals since the days of American Idol Season 7, and have continued to follow her work over the last four years. One of her solo albums, High Hopes & Heartbreak, had been my designated "Road Trip" album for many months, so the prospect of even more new material written in conjunction with another excellent musician instantly caught my attention. The partnership with the extremely talented Jack Matranga seems effortless, making the whole listening experience so welcoming and leaves you feeling as if hitting the repeat button is the best idea you've had in days. Their two EPs, Gemini and Winter are packed with stunning songs which definitely deserve to be heard by the masses.

I have to admit that I find myself in the awkward position in which I'm struggling to pick out my favourite track from the EPs as I sincerely love them all. To make it slightly easier for myself, I am going to choose my top 3 songs instead. On second thoughts, that is still too hard for me. I hope this shows you how highly I regard this music duo. If I had to make a fast decision, Inside Outside and XYZ could be the chosen favourites, but don't quote me on that one, it's too close to call. Jack and White are currently back in the studio recording an EP dedicated to cover songs. With some luck, their superb cover of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac will make a welcome appearance on the track listing.

The Civil Wars just make me smile. Uncontrollably. I have often found myself in the situation where I'll be listening to their flawless music through my earphones and someone close to me will ask to know the reason why I am smiling. I really can't help it. When you find an artist or a group that can cultivate a sound that is so pure whilst having the refreshing ability to unearth just the right amount of grit at the same time, you know you have found yourselves a winner. Pairing Joy Williams and John Paul White together truly is a match made in Heaven. Everyone always seems to talk about their heartfelt onstage chemistry and I can absolutely see how their genuine real-life friendship has helped to make them such a roaring success in such a short amount of time. I bought a copy of their debut album, Barton Hollow, whilst I was on holiday in California in the summer of 2011, and am so glad that I did.

On a scale of 1 to 10, their likeability factor is, without a doubt, a 10. Their songwriting capabilities reach further than any other fairly new group that I can name. Their sound is exquisite and the pair unequivocally deserve winning their first Grammy Awards last month. 20 Years from their album, Barton Hollow, is an easy favourite of mine and will be for a very long time to come. The only regret I have is that I didn't manage to buy tickets to their London show at Shepherd's Bush Empire on March 19th before it sold out. I am seriously kicking myself right now.

These sensational music duos have helped to highlight the way music should be created. Sometimes good, honest music wins the fight  against the flamboyant music giants that are all too common in this day and age. These duos are destined for great things, and I am so happy that we are able to watch their future musical journeys unfold.