Current Music Loves

Hello everyone!

I know they say everyone loves music, and I suppose that's true, but I really, really love music. Music is the soundtrack to my life: it's what gets me through the long bus journey to school every day; it's what I dance to in my bedroom on a Saturday night when everyone else is busy having a social life; it's what I play when I want to feel happy, or sad, or romantic. Music is so, so important to me, which is why I've decided that this week I will share with you some of my current music favourites, bands and artists alike!

DISCLAIMER: Beware, I have a strongly Alternative music taste. There will be no Top 40 hits or pop tunes in sight on this blog, no siree. I will solely be including artists/songs that you probably won't have heard of, because I like discovering music slightly off from the mainstream.

ARTIST: Eliza And The Bear

I love this band. I discovered them a couple of weeks ago, purely by chance after listening to an advert for cider (their song "Friends" was the soundtrack to the advert; I looked up the sound and found them), and the rest, as they say, is History. The band has a very alternative feel to it, with echoes of influences from bands like Kodaline and Amber Run (both awesome bands, by the way). Some favourites of mine from the band include "It Gets Cold" (listen to the acoustic), a haunting display of simplistic piano and breathtaking harmonies, "Talk", a punch-the-air-give-it-some-welly tune, "Friends", a party number, and my all-time favourite of their offerings, "Light It Up", a real feel-good dance tune.

SONG: "Comfortable Shoes" by The Musgraves

Ugh. THIS SONG. I discovered The Musgraves via the Spotify 'Discover' section, clicked shuffle, heard "Comfortable Shoes" and never looked back. I've been singing it for the past couple of weeks, on and off, and every time it comes on I have to get up and dance (I'm a right saddo, I know). It's got a real Mumford And Sons vibe to it, with banjo and ukulele (I'm just going by my ears at the moment) being the predominant instruments of the song and the up-tempo providing the basis for some seriously cute lyrics ("I need to fall back in love with you" being one of them). Give this song a listen if you want to feel good.

ARTIST: Saint Raymond

I got to know Saint Raymond through a friend, and his/their (still haven't quite worked out whether they're a solo artist or a band) style of music is quite similar to Eliza And The Bear's, only a bit more alternative, I'd say. Saint Raymond's songs are the sort of songs that I'll get out my hairbrush for and karaoke along to, throwing in some dodgy dance moves as I go. Particular highlights include "Everything She Wants", a romantic dance-y song, "Fall At Your Feet", a sort of 'I-love-you-why-don't-you-love-me' kind of song, good for releasing tension, and "I Want You", my favourite, a song you could fall in love to.

SONG: "Pull Down The Moon" by Cattle And Cane

I only discovered this song last night and I've already listened to it six times. If that doesn't tell you something, I don't know what will. Cattle And Cane are a band with hints of country mixed with an alternative style, and the outcome is one that is very easy on the ears indeed. This song is such a lovely, happy song, with some great melodies and a good rhythm that makes it great to dance to (sensing a theme here?). It's one of those songs that I loved from the first opening harmony, right through to the last little tambourine shake. As soon as I heard it for the first time, I loved it. I could already sing you the entire chorus by now, I love it so much. "If I could, I would, pull down the moon/ you could, swallow it whole / through your fingers, let the beam shine..." I'm being embarrassing, aren't I? I should stop. I'll stop.

ARTIST: Train

I don't know how, I don't know why, but I've somehow fallen back in love with Train. I remember a couple of years ago being obsessed with "Hey Soul Sister" and not thinking that Train had ever released any other songs, so it's nice to come back to them now with a couple of songs I love that aren't hopelessly overplayed on the radio (I mean, it was a good song, but it was overplayed, you have to admit). If you haven't heard of Train, then they're a band with a sort of country band, very fond of the guitar and its family (which I am not complaining about one jot). I'm not entirely sure how to describe their style, except that it's good and I like it (good going, Olivia). Anyway. Some of my favourites from Train at the moment, songs that I've been singing non-stop for a few weeks (interspersed with the other songs/artists I've mentioned thus far), are "Marry Me", an unashamedly slushy first-dance-at-a-wedding or last-dance-at-prom kind of song, and "Bruises", a bittersweet song of love and regret, set against a stunning acoustic guitar riff.

SONG: "Blame It On Me" by George Ezra

I'll be honest here, I included this song mainly because of the connotations now associated with the song and the consequent meanings it has for me, but it's still a pretty damn good song. Although I liked Ezra's other significant offering, "Budapest", "Blame It On Me" is much more my kinda groove, with a guitar/ukulele (I'm hopeless at this) making up the backbone of the song and a great, fast beat that makes it great to twirl someone round a drama studio to. Cough. Moving on...

Right, I think that's it for this week's post! I hope you enjoyed reading about all of my current music loves and have been inspired to look up some new artists and/or songs. If you do listen to any of my recommendations or have some of your own, please let me know, I'd love to hear your opinions!

Until next week,

Olivia x