Unlike the film, the circle of life as a graduate sadly doesn't begin by being lifted and presented to the animal kingdom as an awe-inspiring bundle of fur, soundtracked by THAT Elton John gem.
(Sorry, couldn't resist)
In fact, quite the opposite happens really. Instead of being presented as perfect, we're thrown straight into the lions den. The only activity that goes on here is shouting, every unemployed graduate for themselves.
'EMPLOY ME, I HAVE ALL THESE SKILLS,'
'NO, EMPLOY ME, LOOK AT ALL MY EXPERIENCE,'
'PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD EMPLOY ME, I AM DESPERATE FOR MONEY.'
Ok, maybe not the last one, but we're all thinking it. Except, there's just one problem. To get to a lot of jobs these days, you become stuck in the black hole that is WORK EXPERIENCE AND INTERNSHIPS. I don't want to bore anyone, because I know just how many blogs post about this. Trust me, I've read most of them in hopes of finding any way out. I'm not completely writing off unpaid internships by any stretch of the imagination. I knew when I decided I wanted this career that interning was vital in succeeding. They can be an essential way to network and get contacts that will prove priceless in the future. They give you the knowledge you need/can then brag about on CVs and covering letters that make other companies pass out from excitement. Well, almost. Most importantly, if you impress and you're there at the right time, they can be the important stepping stone you need into a journalism career. If you're lucky (I am not. Unfortunately).
Here's the catch, and the most frustrating circle we find ourselves in. To get a job, you need experience. Fine and dandy. HOWEVER, to get said experience, you are expected to break a bank to be able to afford to travel to and from London in peak times, since you're not even being paid expenses. Unless you live in London (where you may just be able to claim expenses for the tube. WOO), or are handsomely loaded, you're stuck between a rock and a very hard place.
This is exactly where I'm currently stuck. I've got a few weeks of experience lined up shortly which I'm really excited about, but I am panicking as to how the heck I'm going to afford it. Depressingly, I've had to sign up to Jobseeker's since many companies won't employ me part-time in case I leave in a few months when I get a better offer (HAHAHA sarcastic laughter). Even this is a bit of a failure in itself, since they won't pay you the allowance if you start working for free, although you can apparently ask to get your expenses covered. We'll see. What I'd like to campaign for is work experience that pays you somehow, even if it's just expenses and lunch. Us graduates are willing to work for free (within reason, we don't want to basically be an employee within the company and not get paid), because we all agree that we need these skills and such to be able to progress. A grand don't come for free and all that. But the vast majority of us are stuck in that lion's den, broke, crying and waiting for Mufasa to present us to the kingdom of employees as the perfect candidate for the role, and we're quickly discovering that it's just not happening. Even though we may have the full range of skills needed and then some, we're constantly being beaten down by those who can afford to travel without robbing the bank.
Apologies if this turned a bit rant-y. It was going to be a really well thought out and articulate piece of work but this whole internship-payment argument is one of the most frustrating things in my life right now. Day in, day out of constant job and internship applications has become exceptionally draining and I just want to run around London yelling employ me until someone calls the police on the crazy person. Contrary to popular belief, we are trying eveything. Signed up to every job site available, we've lost sight on what day we're even on now. And even worse than rejection? Those companies that just point blank never reply... that's a whole other blog post.
So what do you think? Should internships be paid, even if it's just expenses? Leave me a comment below, as I know how fiercely debated this topic is!
Until next time. Here's some Robin Thicke to make everything better.
x
Showing posts with label Own Article/Rant/Etc.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Own Article/Rant/Etc.. Show all posts
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Thursday, 15 March 2012
(500) Days of Summer Soundtrack
This soundtrack, although I know it's 3 years old now, has completely taken over my listening over the past few days, thanks to randomly finding in on Spotify during hours of essay writing in the library (finally, something I can actually thank the library for. Rare). The film itself is one of my favourite films, and the soundtrack is amazing. In case you wanna know the tracklisting -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/500-Days-Summer-Various-Artists/dp/B002BAODSC/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1331853956&sr=1-1
There are some crackers on there from The Smiths, Black Lips, Doves, Regina Spektor, Simon & Garfunkel... I could go on but I'd end up listing the whole whole.
Anyway. just thought I'd share probably my favourite song off the album. It's Regina Spektor - Hero (there's no proper video I'm afraid). Her vocals are beautiful and powerful, and there's a real message behind the lyrics (sounds so corny and whatever, but just listen. No-one's got it all, and even heroes need saving sometimes...). I don't even know if they're the right words to describe it, so just listen to it. Oh, and if you haven't actually seen the film, DO IT.
Any other recommended soundtracks?
There are some crackers on there from The Smiths, Black Lips, Doves, Regina Spektor, Simon & Garfunkel... I could go on but I'd end up listing the whole whole.
Anyway. just thought I'd share probably my favourite song off the album. It's Regina Spektor - Hero (there's no proper video I'm afraid). Her vocals are beautiful and powerful, and there's a real message behind the lyrics (sounds so corny and whatever, but just listen. No-one's got it all, and even heroes need saving sometimes...). I don't even know if they're the right words to describe it, so just listen to it. Oh, and if you haven't actually seen the film, DO IT.
Any other recommended soundtracks?
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Kony 2012
(I'm hoping this works. University computers only have internet explorer and this blog seems to be struggling. We'll see).
[EDIT]: There's been some controversy about this campaign today (http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/), some of which I agree with, some I don't. The most important thing at the moment is raising AWARENESS, so even if you just spread the video, you're helping. I'm not claiming to be an expert on the situation, I'm just going on what I know so don't blame me...
This is not another music review, song of the day, or anything like that. This post is more important than anything, and if you don't read anything else on my blog, PLEASE read this.
Hopefully you've heard by now about the vile Joseph Kony and what he does, and has been doing for 20 years. If not, I need to inform you, which is why I'm writing this now. For 20 years, Kony has been abducting children in Uganda, and turning them into sex slaves and child soliders, and making them kill their own parents. It's not just a few children. As the video I'm going to attach will tell you, those who knew never knew how to stop him. There was an attempt, but Kony discovered what they were doing and changed his tactics. I'll be honest, I never knew about any of this until yesterday, but it completely shocked me, and now I believe everyone HAS to know about this, and help stop it. Every child has the right to a childhood like the one I'm sure the majority of you all experience. If you're reading this and you have kids, how would you feel if your child was abducted and forced to partake in these horrific activities?
I'm not going to write much more, because quite frankly the video does a much better job than I could ever do. It is an amazing video, and I URGE you to watch it. If you've got twitter, tweet out #stopkony #KONY2012, whatever you have to tweet to get attention to this extraordinary campaign (Invisible Children).
This link should work to pledge etc.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/kony-4.html
And I'm putting the video here (you can watch it on Vimeo, and if it works, the link above to):
Thank you.
KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.
[EDIT]: There's been some controversy about this campaign today (http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/), some of which I agree with, some I don't. The most important thing at the moment is raising AWARENESS, so even if you just spread the video, you're helping. I'm not claiming to be an expert on the situation, I'm just going on what I know so don't blame me...
This is not another music review, song of the day, or anything like that. This post is more important than anything, and if you don't read anything else on my blog, PLEASE read this.
Hopefully you've heard by now about the vile Joseph Kony and what he does, and has been doing for 20 years. If not, I need to inform you, which is why I'm writing this now. For 20 years, Kony has been abducting children in Uganda, and turning them into sex slaves and child soliders, and making them kill their own parents. It's not just a few children. As the video I'm going to attach will tell you, those who knew never knew how to stop him. There was an attempt, but Kony discovered what they were doing and changed his tactics. I'll be honest, I never knew about any of this until yesterday, but it completely shocked me, and now I believe everyone HAS to know about this, and help stop it. Every child has the right to a childhood like the one I'm sure the majority of you all experience. If you're reading this and you have kids, how would you feel if your child was abducted and forced to partake in these horrific activities?
I'm not going to write much more, because quite frankly the video does a much better job than I could ever do. It is an amazing video, and I URGE you to watch it. If you've got twitter, tweet out #stopkony #KONY2012, whatever you have to tweet to get attention to this extraordinary campaign (Invisible Children).
This link should work to pledge etc.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/kony-4.html
And I'm putting the video here (you can watch it on Vimeo, and if it works, the link above to):
Thank you.
KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Sax.co.uk
Just doing a bit of plugging on my sister's behalf. She went to college to learn how to be a woodwind instrument repairer and designer, and now works at Sax.co.uk in Crowborough, East Sussex (and London once a week) as a saxophone repairer. She absolutely loves it, and the Crowborough shop was actually on South East Today recently thanks to Yolanda Brown. Anyway, I'm basically here to plug both shops. The Crowborough branch is HUGE, and is located on Brooklands Park, Farningham Road. The London branch is located on the famous Denmark Street, and has seen many famous faces in there (many of which I'm pretty jealous of)!
They've got a YouTube channel too, where they showcase saxophones (and their saxophone skills). Here's a taster:
So if you're ever in need of saxophone repairs, or fancy buying yourself a saxophone (I hope you're rich), pop in to sax.co.uk!
(www.sax.co.uk is their website if you're interested).
They've got a YouTube channel too, where they showcase saxophones (and their saxophone skills). Here's a taster:
So if you're ever in need of saxophone repairs, or fancy buying yourself a saxophone (I hope you're rich), pop in to sax.co.uk!
(www.sax.co.uk is their website if you're interested).
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Brits 2012 Review
Guess who's procrastinating again...
I'll write this now while it's fairly fresh in my mind. A quick (since it's boring to go through every category and say "Yes they deserved it" or "No, they did not) review of the Brits last night.
In general, the first hour (at least) felt REALLY slow, and it felt like the organisers were trying to get all the performances out the way. Not many awards seem to be being given out. But some of the performances were really special. Coldplay opened the show in completely the right way. Another knockout performance from them, and it's made me SO excited to see them in June. Adele needed no special effects to go with her stunning vocals, and she definitely knocked everyone else right out of the water. I also really enjoyed Bruno Mars' performance, and I think he proved he can definitely sing live. Rihanna also put on a great show, although me and my Dad did spend a lot of time discussing how much mess they'll now have to clean up. Sad I know.
In terms of not-so-great performances, I felt Florence & The Machine was weak. I don't know why, I just found it a bit dull. I was also expecting to be completely blown away by Blur, but for me, they were underrated. I still absolutely love Blur, and I heard their performances on ITV2 were brilliant, but I was disappointed with the songs I saw/heard.
Which brings me onto probably the most talked about moment of the Brits, disappointingly. Unless you've been hiding throughout today, you should know that Adele's Album of The Year speech was cut off because ITV were running over. I don't blame James Corden or Blur for this, I blame the organisers. Firstly, if they're going to cut people's speeches off, do it fairly. Blur's speech, although I'm not saying they didn't need their time, was probably way too long, and could've easily been cut off. Secondly, if they knew they were going to run over, they shouldn't have made such an effort to build up to the biggest award of the night, and then not let whoever won speak. I think ITV are big enough to run over by 1 minute to just let Adele say all she needed to say. I found the whole thing hugely unfair, and I think most other viewers did too.
Enough of a badly written rant, onto the awards. I was going to refer back to my original post, but I think it'll turn out way too long winded. Adele deservingly won two awards- British Female and British Album. As great as Laura Marling is, and as amazing as Coldplay's album is, I was more than happy that she won these two. She's had a HUGELY (which still feels like an understatement) successful year and she's worked so hard, so it's great to see that pay off. Ed Sheeran also won two- British Male and Breakthrough. I was expecting Breakthrough to go to Jessie J, so that was a bit of a shock, but a great result none the less. He proved his worth in his simplistic but beautiful performance on the night too.
British Single showed that the result is actually a popularity contest, as One Direction won. Don't get me wrong, I bloody love One Direction, and I got a little bit over-excited when they won. However, I can guarantee that if industry experts had decided the winner, it would've gone to someone like Adele.
Elsewhere, my predictions were pretty spot on I think. Coldplay won British Group (YES!!), Foo Fighters won International Group and Lana Del Rey won International Breakthrough (yay, but also boo for Bon Iver :( ). Overall, I think most of the right people won. I'd love to have seen Bon Iver take International Male, but it was always obvious that wasn't going to happen. I was happy Rihanna got International Female, but I'll always be rooting for Beyoncé.
This was supposed to be some sophiscated review of the Brits, but it's turned into more of a ramble about awards and rants about bad organisation... so sorry about that. Forgot to add, James Corden was a brilliant host, and I hope he presents again next year.
Your thoughts on the Brits?
I'll write this now while it's fairly fresh in my mind. A quick (since it's boring to go through every category and say "Yes they deserved it" or "No, they did not) review of the Brits last night.
In general, the first hour (at least) felt REALLY slow, and it felt like the organisers were trying to get all the performances out the way. Not many awards seem to be being given out. But some of the performances were really special. Coldplay opened the show in completely the right way. Another knockout performance from them, and it's made me SO excited to see them in June. Adele needed no special effects to go with her stunning vocals, and she definitely knocked everyone else right out of the water. I also really enjoyed Bruno Mars' performance, and I think he proved he can definitely sing live. Rihanna also put on a great show, although me and my Dad did spend a lot of time discussing how much mess they'll now have to clean up. Sad I know.
In terms of not-so-great performances, I felt Florence & The Machine was weak. I don't know why, I just found it a bit dull. I was also expecting to be completely blown away by Blur, but for me, they were underrated. I still absolutely love Blur, and I heard their performances on ITV2 were brilliant, but I was disappointed with the songs I saw/heard.
Which brings me onto probably the most talked about moment of the Brits, disappointingly. Unless you've been hiding throughout today, you should know that Adele's Album of The Year speech was cut off because ITV were running over. I don't blame James Corden or Blur for this, I blame the organisers. Firstly, if they're going to cut people's speeches off, do it fairly. Blur's speech, although I'm not saying they didn't need their time, was probably way too long, and could've easily been cut off. Secondly, if they knew they were going to run over, they shouldn't have made such an effort to build up to the biggest award of the night, and then not let whoever won speak. I think ITV are big enough to run over by 1 minute to just let Adele say all she needed to say. I found the whole thing hugely unfair, and I think most other viewers did too.
Enough of a badly written rant, onto the awards. I was going to refer back to my original post, but I think it'll turn out way too long winded. Adele deservingly won two awards- British Female and British Album. As great as Laura Marling is, and as amazing as Coldplay's album is, I was more than happy that she won these two. She's had a HUGELY (which still feels like an understatement) successful year and she's worked so hard, so it's great to see that pay off. Ed Sheeran also won two- British Male and Breakthrough. I was expecting Breakthrough to go to Jessie J, so that was a bit of a shock, but a great result none the less. He proved his worth in his simplistic but beautiful performance on the night too.
British Single showed that the result is actually a popularity contest, as One Direction won. Don't get me wrong, I bloody love One Direction, and I got a little bit over-excited when they won. However, I can guarantee that if industry experts had decided the winner, it would've gone to someone like Adele.
Elsewhere, my predictions were pretty spot on I think. Coldplay won British Group (YES!!), Foo Fighters won International Group and Lana Del Rey won International Breakthrough (yay, but also boo for Bon Iver :( ). Overall, I think most of the right people won. I'd love to have seen Bon Iver take International Male, but it was always obvious that wasn't going to happen. I was happy Rihanna got International Female, but I'll always be rooting for Beyoncé.
This was supposed to be some sophiscated review of the Brits, but it's turned into more of a ramble about awards and rants about bad organisation... so sorry about that. Forgot to add, James Corden was a brilliant host, and I hope he presents again next year.
Your thoughts on the Brits?
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Brit Awards 2012 - Predictions
Ahead of the Brit Awards 2012 tonight, and to procrastinate some more, I thought I'd share my predictions with you, as well as who I would like to win.
British Male Solo Artist
Ed Sheeran
James Blake
James Morrison
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Professor Green
Tough one to judge, but I think it will be between Ed Sheeran and Professor Green. Having said that, Noel Gallagher has really impressed with his solo work, so he's got a big chance of walking away with the title. I'd personally like James Blake or Ed Sheeran to get it.
British Female Solo Artist
Adele
Florence & The Machine
Jessie J
Kate Bush
Laura Marling
Although Jessie J and Florence have had great years, I'm 99% certain Adele is going to win this one, and she absolutely deserves it. I'd love Laura Marling to win for a second year, because her third album is a beaut, but I'd definitely put my money on a well-deserved win for Adele.
British Breakthrough Act
Anna Calvi
Ed Sheeran
Emeli Sandé
Jessie J
The Vaccines
This is another tough one. Anni Calvi was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, but I think this is going to be between Ed Sheeran and Jessie J. The Vaccines have also had great success this year, and I'd love a win for them. But I'm rooting for Ed Sheeran, and I think he may well get it.
British Group
Arctic Monkeys
Chase & Status
Coldplay
Elbow
Kasabian
I'd like Kasabian to win, but I'm rooting for Coldplay. And I think they have a huge chance of winning this category. To be honest, I'll be happy with any, as long as it's not Arctic Monkeys...
British Single
Adele - Someone Like You
Ed Sheeran - The A Team
Example - Changed the Way you Kissed Me
Jessie J ft BOB - Price Tag
JLS ft Dev - She Makes Me Wanna
Military Wives/Gareth Malone - Wherever You Are
Olly Murs ft Rizzle Kicks - Heart Skips a Beat
One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
Pixie Lott - All About Tonight
The Wanted - Glad You Came
There's too many to go through them all, but there's some really good ones in the list. I think Adele may well get this one as well, considering how long Someone Like You held on at the top of the charts. I'd love One Direction or The Wanted to win too, since I'm still addicted to both those songs (bringing out the 14 year-old in me yet again...). I can't call this one for definite.
MasterCard British Album of the Year
Adele - 21
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
Ed Sheeran - +
Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Another category that's too close to call for me. PJ Harvey won the Mercury Music Prize, but I have a huge feeling that Adele could definitely walk away with this one too. 21 is a stunning album, so I have no issues with that. Coldplay's album is also a standout, and has been on repeat for a while. Ed Sheeran's album is also a winner for me. Too much goodness here!
International Male Solo Artist
Aloe Blacc
Bon Iver
Bruno Mars
David Guetta
Ryan Adams
I'm thinking that Ryan Adams is the Bruce Springsteen in this category this year. I'd LOVE to see a win for Bon Iver, since the album is too good for words, but I think this could go to Bruno Mars or David Guetta. Tough one.
International Female Solo Artist
Beyoncé
Bjork
Feist
Lady Gaga
Rihanna
All these categories are too tough this year. This could easily be a win for Beyoncé, Gaga or Rihanna, no questions. I'm rooting for Beyoncé.
International Group
Fleet Foxes
Foo Fighters
Jay Z/Kanye West
Lady Antebellum
Maroon 5
Jay Z/Kanye West's album got amazing reviews, so they definitely have a shot here, as do Maroon 5 after THAT track that got stuck in all our heads. However, I think this one could well go to Foo Fighters. No qualms.
International Breakthrough Act
Aloe Blacc
Bon Iver
Foster The People
Lana Del Rey
Nicki Minaj
I think Lana Del Rey could well grasp this one. She's had all the hype and has been all people have been talking about recently so it wouldn't surprise me. Foster The People and Nicki Minaj could also be front runners.
(Outstanding Contribution to Music and Critics Choice have already been decided so no need to cast judgement there).
British Producer
Paul Epworth
Flood
Ethan Jones
Think this could be a well deserved win for Paul Epworth, especially after the amazing success of '21' in particular.
Sorry if some of this is pretty vague, but some of the categories are too hard to call. I would sit and add who I think was forgotten about in these lists, but this post is too long enough already and you're probably all bored of reading it. I'll blog asap after the Brits to cast judgement on whether the right people won (in my opinion).
The Brits are on at 8pm tonight, ITV1 (or 7pm ITV2 if, like me, you want to watch all the Red Carpet stuff).
British Male Solo Artist
Ed Sheeran
James Blake
James Morrison
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Professor Green
Tough one to judge, but I think it will be between Ed Sheeran and Professor Green. Having said that, Noel Gallagher has really impressed with his solo work, so he's got a big chance of walking away with the title. I'd personally like James Blake or Ed Sheeran to get it.
British Female Solo Artist
Adele
Florence & The Machine
Jessie J
Kate Bush
Laura Marling
Although Jessie J and Florence have had great years, I'm 99% certain Adele is going to win this one, and she absolutely deserves it. I'd love Laura Marling to win for a second year, because her third album is a beaut, but I'd definitely put my money on a well-deserved win for Adele.
British Breakthrough Act
Anna Calvi
Ed Sheeran
Emeli Sandé
Jessie J
The Vaccines
This is another tough one. Anni Calvi was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, but I think this is going to be between Ed Sheeran and Jessie J. The Vaccines have also had great success this year, and I'd love a win for them. But I'm rooting for Ed Sheeran, and I think he may well get it.
British Group
Arctic Monkeys
Chase & Status
Coldplay
Elbow
Kasabian
I'd like Kasabian to win, but I'm rooting for Coldplay. And I think they have a huge chance of winning this category. To be honest, I'll be happy with any, as long as it's not Arctic Monkeys...
British Single
Adele - Someone Like You
Ed Sheeran - The A Team
Example - Changed the Way you Kissed Me
Jessie J ft BOB - Price Tag
JLS ft Dev - She Makes Me Wanna
Military Wives/Gareth Malone - Wherever You Are
Olly Murs ft Rizzle Kicks - Heart Skips a Beat
One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
Pixie Lott - All About Tonight
The Wanted - Glad You Came
There's too many to go through them all, but there's some really good ones in the list. I think Adele may well get this one as well, considering how long Someone Like You held on at the top of the charts. I'd love One Direction or The Wanted to win too, since I'm still addicted to both those songs (bringing out the 14 year-old in me yet again...). I can't call this one for definite.
MasterCard British Album of the Year
Adele - 21
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
Ed Sheeran - +
Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Another category that's too close to call for me. PJ Harvey won the Mercury Music Prize, but I have a huge feeling that Adele could definitely walk away with this one too. 21 is a stunning album, so I have no issues with that. Coldplay's album is also a standout, and has been on repeat for a while. Ed Sheeran's album is also a winner for me. Too much goodness here!
International Male Solo Artist
Aloe Blacc
Bon Iver
Bruno Mars
David Guetta
Ryan Adams
I'm thinking that Ryan Adams is the Bruce Springsteen in this category this year. I'd LOVE to see a win for Bon Iver, since the album is too good for words, but I think this could go to Bruno Mars or David Guetta. Tough one.
International Female Solo Artist
Beyoncé
Bjork
Feist
Lady Gaga
Rihanna
All these categories are too tough this year. This could easily be a win for Beyoncé, Gaga or Rihanna, no questions. I'm rooting for Beyoncé.
International Group
Fleet Foxes
Foo Fighters
Jay Z/Kanye West
Lady Antebellum
Maroon 5
Jay Z/Kanye West's album got amazing reviews, so they definitely have a shot here, as do Maroon 5 after THAT track that got stuck in all our heads. However, I think this one could well go to Foo Fighters. No qualms.
International Breakthrough Act
Aloe Blacc
Bon Iver
Foster The People
Lana Del Rey
Nicki Minaj
I think Lana Del Rey could well grasp this one. She's had all the hype and has been all people have been talking about recently so it wouldn't surprise me. Foster The People and Nicki Minaj could also be front runners.
(Outstanding Contribution to Music and Critics Choice have already been decided so no need to cast judgement there).
British Producer
Paul Epworth
Flood
Ethan Jones
Think this could be a well deserved win for Paul Epworth, especially after the amazing success of '21' in particular.
Sorry if some of this is pretty vague, but some of the categories are too hard to call. I would sit and add who I think was forgotten about in these lists, but this post is too long enough already and you're probably all bored of reading it. I'll blog asap after the Brits to cast judgement on whether the right people won (in my opinion).
The Brits are on at 8pm tonight, ITV1 (or 7pm ITV2 if, like me, you want to watch all the Red Carpet stuff).
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Changing Musical Tastes
Just like to point out that I'm finding it hard to concentrate on writing this blog because I can't stop watching and 'aww'-ing at this:
This is actually kinda appropriate for this post though.
Since I started University last September, my music taste seems to have changed quite dramatically. Before Uni, I was probably the definition of a 'NME Kid,' never really listening to anything past indie etc. I hated most chart-y music (note: most, I had my guilty pleasures), and most my money went on concerts, CDs, band t-shirts etc. I also had that nu-rave phase... yes, I did wear some stunning neon trousers and cover myself in glowsticks for concerts. Don't judge. I still do spend the majority of my money on CDs, and went I can spare some money, concerts, but I have branched out my music tastes.
Nowadays, if it's in the charts, I know the words to it and it's played in a club on a regularly basis, the chances are I will love it (with exceptions. I do still have some musical taste). For example, I would probably have hated any boyband before University, but now, I'm pretty obsessed with One Direction and The Wanted, and I love JLS. If What Makes You Beautiful comes on in a club, I will sing my heart out, no questions asked. I can pretty much guarantee that everyone else will also be singing every single word. Why? I don't know.
I'm not sure if it's a sign of our generation, of general university life, or of the influence of friends. I do still love my less-chart-y stuff (I'm in love with Lana Del Rey (I know she's pretty bleedin' radio friendly at the moment), Bon Iver and Ben Howard at the moment), but I've become more open to the pop music that has taken over the chart at the moment. I used to call it a guilty pleasure, but if it's really good pop, then I'm not ashamed to like it. I'm actually glad I've opened my mind to other music, because I think I was stuck in a bit of a rut.
So, does a change in environments, such as going to university, change our musical tastes? Is it a conscious decision? I'm not sure. But I'm going to blame university, and clubs... our union in particularly. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and unashamedly listen to One Direction's album.
This is actually kinda appropriate for this post though.
Since I started University last September, my music taste seems to have changed quite dramatically. Before Uni, I was probably the definition of a 'NME Kid,' never really listening to anything past indie etc. I hated most chart-y music (note: most, I had my guilty pleasures), and most my money went on concerts, CDs, band t-shirts etc. I also had that nu-rave phase... yes, I did wear some stunning neon trousers and cover myself in glowsticks for concerts. Don't judge. I still do spend the majority of my money on CDs, and went I can spare some money, concerts, but I have branched out my music tastes.
Nowadays, if it's in the charts, I know the words to it and it's played in a club on a regularly basis, the chances are I will love it (with exceptions. I do still have some musical taste). For example, I would probably have hated any boyband before University, but now, I'm pretty obsessed with One Direction and The Wanted, and I love JLS. If What Makes You Beautiful comes on in a club, I will sing my heart out, no questions asked. I can pretty much guarantee that everyone else will also be singing every single word. Why? I don't know.
I'm not sure if it's a sign of our generation, of general university life, or of the influence of friends. I do still love my less-chart-y stuff (I'm in love with Lana Del Rey (I know she's pretty bleedin' radio friendly at the moment), Bon Iver and Ben Howard at the moment), but I've become more open to the pop music that has taken over the chart at the moment. I used to call it a guilty pleasure, but if it's really good pop, then I'm not ashamed to like it. I'm actually glad I've opened my mind to other music, because I think I was stuck in a bit of a rut.
So, does a change in environments, such as going to university, change our musical tastes? Is it a conscious decision? I'm not sure. But I'm going to blame university, and clubs... our union in particularly. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and unashamedly listen to One Direction's album.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
News Associates' Journalism Workshop
Also thought I'd blog about something completely un-music related. Last week, two employees from News Associates came to my university to run a workshop on how to report breaking news. They got us to do an exercise that they normally give students on their NCTJ course after a couple of weeks. We were put in a pretend situation, where we had the task of writing the front page story for the Birmingham Mail. 'Luckily' for us, breaking news occurred just as we were about to start writing, so we were immediately thrown in the deep end. It was tricky to start with, as you only receive minor details of the incident at first, but you have to keep writing so that you don't run out of time and have no article for the front page. Our word limit was 500, although this was upped near the end of the task. We also got a chance to speak to the policeman involved in the incident (obviously not a real one, since this was a fake event) which was great experience for when we'd have to interview people in situation like this.
It was definitely harder than I expected, as there's such tight deadlines and you're constantly getting new updates on the situation, and with an unbreakable word count, it can be tough to decide what needs to go in the article. There's also the issue when you put in some news/assumptions, in ours this was that a bus of schoolchildren were still missing, which is then proved wrong or solved half an hour later, causing the whole article to potentially change. We were given the opportunity to email our articles to the people running the course, and I'm currently awaiting feedback. It was a great experience, and I gained some brilliant tips from it.
Anyway, thought I'd include my efforts on this blog. If anyone's got any comments, they'll be greatly received!
If anyone's interested in the NCTJ course at News Associates, the link to their website is below. They run courses in Wimbledon, London and Manchester.
http://newsassociates.co.uk/
It was definitely harder than I expected, as there's such tight deadlines and you're constantly getting new updates on the situation, and with an unbreakable word count, it can be tough to decide what needs to go in the article. There's also the issue when you put in some news/assumptions, in ours this was that a bus of schoolchildren were still missing, which is then proved wrong or solved half an hour later, causing the whole article to potentially change. We were given the opportunity to email our articles to the people running the course, and I'm currently awaiting feedback. It was a great experience, and I gained some brilliant tips from it.
Anyway, thought I'd include my efforts on this blog. If anyone's got any comments, they'll be greatly received!
If anyone's interested in the NCTJ course at News Associates, the link to their website is below. They run courses in Wimbledon, London and Manchester.
http://newsassociates.co.uk/
A huge
gas explosion has occurred at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Solihull,
Birmingham at around 2.04pm this afternoon.
The
explosion was heard as far as Lozells and Perry Bar, around seven miles from
the NEC.
Emergency
services arrived on the scene within five minutes. Deputy Chief Constable
Andrew Satterthwaite, responsible for operations at the scene, has reported
around 60 casualties, with no fatalities. Ten people are said to be in a
critical condition.
Heartlands,
Moseley Hall and Sandwell and West Birmingham hospitals have all activated
serious emergency plans. Alan Richards, present at Heartlands Hospital, has
said “it’s like they are arriving from a war zone.”
NEC
eyewitness Simon Chiles has described the event as “chaos and pandemonium.” Mr
Chiles reported hearing “three or four loud bangs,” presumed to be due to the
size of the explosion.
Bus
driver John Hodgson described the explosion as “the loudest thing I’ve ever
heard.”
The M42
is currently closed between junction 4a and 7 in both directions to facilitate
emergency services. The M6, A45 and roads around Birmingham International
Airport are reporting severe traffic delays and some closures. Police
are advising to not travel unless absolutely necessary.
Future
events at the NEC are on hold. Details on rescheduling are available on the NEC
website.
Deputy
Chief Constable Andrew Satterthwaite has stated that the second incident on the
M6 is not connected to the explosion. Possible links to terrorism have been
dismissed.
The
emergency contact number for those concerned about relatives or friends is 0800
81 2583. Information can also be found at www.west-midlands.police.uk.
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Procrastination.
THIS will be the last post tonight...promise? Just thought I'd add on here the 2011/2012 feature I've written for Spark*. Nothing particularly over-exciting, but just to put my opinion out there...
I found it extremely difficult to pick my favourite album,
since 2011 has been an amazing year for music. I could probably sit here and
continually list all my standout albums of the year, from Noah and the Whale to
Adele, Coldplay’s recent release to James Blake. However, after much
deliberation, I’ve decided to give my Album of 2011 to Bon Iver- Bon Iver. I was nervous to see how he could improve after
his stunning debut album, but his second self-titled album showed that he has
still got a lot more to give. It’s a beautiful album that I can’t stop
listening to at the moment. I highly recommend it to everyone.
Sounds of 2012
Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey has already made a huge impression on 2011 with
her captivating debut single Video Games.
Appearing on Later…with Jools Holland, as
well as having the single covered by both Bombay Bicycle Club and Kasabian, she
has clearly gained herself much popularity in just a few short months. Not only
has she received recurring radio play, both her debut single and Blue Jeans have appeared on the likes of
Made in Chelsea and The Only Way is Essex. With her debut
album Born to Die set for a 2012
release, there’s no doubt that Lana Del Rey is set for a huge year ahead.
Fixers
Oxford five-piece Fixers first graced the airwaves in 2009
when they were played on BBC Oxford Introducing. Since then, they have started
their own vinyl/cassette label ‘Dolphin Love’ and headlined the BBC Introducing
stage at Reading and Leeds this year. Not bad for a band who are seemingly
doing a lot of things their own way. Third single Swimmhaus Johannesburg, aside from being a really bleeding good
song, has gained considerable favour with Radio 1, being played regularly and
gaining them the opportunity to play a session with Huw Stephens. Fixers are
set to be undoubtedly big in 2012.
Other tips: Givers, Emeli Sande, Josh Kumra
Albums of 2011
Bombarding with posts today, I know. Mainly I'm just trying to avoid doing any real work, but I also thought I should give this blog some TLC. This will be my last post today I think, unless I find more things to write about that are more interesting than analysing sentences (this is highly possible).
I was just writing a feature for Spark* about albums for 2011, and it struck me how much good music has been released this year. I know this is a bit boring, but this is my list of my favourite albums of 2011 (everyone else is doing it so why not?!).
Noah and the Whale- Last Night on Earth
Bon Iver- Bon Iver
Coldplay- Mylo Xyloto
Adele- 21
Miles Kane- Colour of the Trap
James Blake- James Blake
White Lies- Ritual
The Horrors- Skying
Charlie Simpson- Young Pilgrim
Jamie Woon- Mirrorwriting
I was just writing a feature for Spark* about albums for 2011, and it struck me how much good music has been released this year. I know this is a bit boring, but this is my list of my favourite albums of 2011 (everyone else is doing it so why not?!).
Noah and the Whale- Last Night on Earth
Bon Iver- Bon Iver
Coldplay- Mylo Xyloto
Adele- 21
Miles Kane- Colour of the Trap
James Blake- James Blake
White Lies- Ritual
The Horrors- Skying
Charlie Simpson- Young Pilgrim
Jamie Woon- Mirrorwriting
Sunday, 7 August 2011
Laura Marling- Alas, I Cannot Swim
Just a quick post today. Yesterday, I finally got round to buying Laura Marling's first album, Alas, I Cannot Swim. As expected, it's a beautiful listen, full of charm and sung with a voice that is so pure and adored by many.
Strangely, one of the best things about the album came right at the end. Hidden at the end of 'Your Only Doll (Dora)' is title track 'Alas, I Cannot Swim.' To sum it up in one word, it's a gem. Although said to be connected to depression, and her possible battle with, the track itself has a feeling of joy. Simplistic and chilled, it brings the album to a perfect end, rounding off a collection of her finest work. If you've got the album, make sure you listen to the very end so you don't miss it.
Strangely, one of the best things about the album came right at the end. Hidden at the end of 'Your Only Doll (Dora)' is title track 'Alas, I Cannot Swim.' To sum it up in one word, it's a gem. Although said to be connected to depression, and her possible battle with, the track itself has a feeling of joy. Simplistic and chilled, it brings the album to a perfect end, rounding off a collection of her finest work. If you've got the album, make sure you listen to the very end so you don't miss it.
Friday, 5 August 2011
Arctic Monkeys
By the looks of things, I'm in the minority with this, but there we go.
I'll be honest, when I first heard Arctic Monkeys, I was really impressed, and thought their 'hype' was thoroughly deserved. 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' is a brilliant record, jammed full of huge songs with some of the best lyrics around. 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' mirrored this success, showing their progress and confirming their place as one of the best bands around. However, in my opinion, Arctic Monkeys started to dip with third album 'Humbug.' Whilst their musical skills were still apparent, a certain energy seemed to have been lost, and the excitement of their new release faded. After seeing them live at Reading Festival, expecting big things, I was disappointed, and ended up leaving the set early.
And now we hit album four, 'Suck It and See.' I was initially interested, verging on excited, to see their next step, but after hearing 'Don't Sit Down 'cos I've Moved Your Chair,' I was extremely disappointed. To me, the track comes across as bland and lacking the magic that first propelled Arctic Monkeys to their success. The lyrics don't seem to match the genius of the first couple of albums, making the track seem all the more mediocre.
Latest track 'The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala' redeems the band slightly, as some of their lost energy is found. But I'm still not completely convinced. I hope I am proven wrong, as I believe there is something special in the band, but for now, I'll be switching off.
I'll be honest, when I first heard Arctic Monkeys, I was really impressed, and thought their 'hype' was thoroughly deserved. 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' is a brilliant record, jammed full of huge songs with some of the best lyrics around. 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' mirrored this success, showing their progress and confirming their place as one of the best bands around. However, in my opinion, Arctic Monkeys started to dip with third album 'Humbug.' Whilst their musical skills were still apparent, a certain energy seemed to have been lost, and the excitement of their new release faded. After seeing them live at Reading Festival, expecting big things, I was disappointed, and ended up leaving the set early.
And now we hit album four, 'Suck It and See.' I was initially interested, verging on excited, to see their next step, but after hearing 'Don't Sit Down 'cos I've Moved Your Chair,' I was extremely disappointed. To me, the track comes across as bland and lacking the magic that first propelled Arctic Monkeys to their success. The lyrics don't seem to match the genius of the first couple of albums, making the track seem all the more mediocre.
Latest track 'The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala' redeems the band slightly, as some of their lost energy is found. But I'm still not completely convinced. I hope I am proven wrong, as I believe there is something special in the band, but for now, I'll be switching off.
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Mercury Music Prize
I'm a bit late on this I know, but I had to write about this year's Mercury Music Prize nominees. They are:
Adele - 21
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!
Everything Everything - Man Alive
Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
Gwilym Simcock - Good Days At Schloss Elmau
James Blake - James Blake
Katy B - On A Mission
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
Metronomy - The English Riviera
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy
Whilst there are some good picks in there- James Blake and Metronomy for example-, along with the usual bands that noone has heard of, and the obvious choice- Adele (amazing album, but maybe a too obvious choice for the winner?), it's not the impressive list that many were hoping for. I know this has now been written a gazillion times, the prize this year seems to have steered away from boosting new talent, which has always been the great thing about the prize. I thought I'd add my opinion on what I think has been overlooked:
Friendly Fires- Pala
Hurts- HappinessJamie Woon-Mirrorwriting
Noah and the Whale- Last Night on Earth
White Lies- Ritual
The Vaccines- What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?
I'd also say The Horrors- Skying, and Patrick Wolf- Lupercalia, but I'm not entirely sure they were eligible as I don't know the cut off dates for the nominees. Another name which seems to be on every blog, tweet and website is Wild Beasts. I've never really heard their music, but they seem to be the perfect nominees for the prize, and it is unusual for the Mercurys to overlook such a band.
Whether they will choose an obvious winner or not we don't know, but perhaps the outcry over some poor decisions this year will be a message to improve things next year. The winner is announced on 6th September.
Adele - 21
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!
Everything Everything - Man Alive
Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
Gwilym Simcock - Good Days At Schloss Elmau
James Blake - James Blake
Katy B - On A Mission
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
Metronomy - The English Riviera
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy
Whilst there are some good picks in there- James Blake and Metronomy for example-, along with the usual bands that noone has heard of, and the obvious choice- Adele (amazing album, but maybe a too obvious choice for the winner?), it's not the impressive list that many were hoping for. I know this has now been written a gazillion times, the prize this year seems to have steered away from boosting new talent, which has always been the great thing about the prize. I thought I'd add my opinion on what I think has been overlooked:
Friendly Fires- Pala
Hurts- HappinessJamie Woon-Mirrorwriting
Noah and the Whale- Last Night on Earth
White Lies- Ritual
The Vaccines- What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?
I'd also say The Horrors- Skying, and Patrick Wolf- Lupercalia, but I'm not entirely sure they were eligible as I don't know the cut off dates for the nominees. Another name which seems to be on every blog, tweet and website is Wild Beasts. I've never really heard their music, but they seem to be the perfect nominees for the prize, and it is unusual for the Mercurys to overlook such a band.
Whether they will choose an obvious winner or not we don't know, but perhaps the outcry over some poor decisions this year will be a message to improve things next year. The winner is announced on 6th September.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Guilty Pleasures
We've all got them, be it food, drink, music... you get the point. In the past couple of weeks, I fear I have discovered my guilty pleasure in music.
I originally thought my guilty pleasure would stem from the clubber in me, who has emerged since I've been at University. I now own a significant amount of 'that' kind of music, which as anyone who truly knows me will know, is not exactly my usual taste in music. However, I have learnt to embrace it and love it (with some exceptions of course...)
My guilty pleasure is also not all the 90s Pop I own, because let's be honest, I am PROUD to have loved S Club 7, Busted, Steps... I could go on.
No, the most worrying development in my musical tastes has come in the past couple of weeks. Since S Club 7 split up, pop music has ceased to be my forte, excluding Take That of course. Any mention of The Saturdays for example and I run a mile. I would normally say the same for The WANTED, but the release of 'Glad You Came,' has changed my mind. In all honesty, I have become a little bit obsessed with listening to it, which has since developed into an unhealthy obsession with their other videos, mainly 'Gold Forever.' I'm starting to annoy myself with how much I listen to their latest hit, so much so that I downloaded it, just so I could stop watching the video on YouTube. It has now become my iPod's guilty pleasure.
I'm sure I will get a lot of grief for my obsession with this song, but I will constantly use the excuse of it being my guilty pleasure. What's yours?
I originally thought my guilty pleasure would stem from the clubber in me, who has emerged since I've been at University. I now own a significant amount of 'that' kind of music, which as anyone who truly knows me will know, is not exactly my usual taste in music. However, I have learnt to embrace it and love it (with some exceptions of course...)
My guilty pleasure is also not all the 90s Pop I own, because let's be honest, I am PROUD to have loved S Club 7, Busted, Steps... I could go on.
No, the most worrying development in my musical tastes has come in the past couple of weeks. Since S Club 7 split up, pop music has ceased to be my forte, excluding Take That of course. Any mention of The Saturdays for example and I run a mile. I would normally say the same for The WANTED, but the release of 'Glad You Came,' has changed my mind. In all honesty, I have become a little bit obsessed with listening to it, which has since developed into an unhealthy obsession with their other videos, mainly 'Gold Forever.' I'm starting to annoy myself with how much I listen to their latest hit, so much so that I downloaded it, just so I could stop watching the video on YouTube. It has now become my iPod's guilty pleasure.
I'm sure I will get a lot of grief for my obsession with this song, but I will constantly use the excuse of it being my guilty pleasure. What's yours?
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Summer Anthems
We're doing a 'Summer Anthems' feature in the next issue of Spark*, so I thought I'd share mine:
My summer anthem of all time is Oasis- Wonderwall. An obvious crowd favourite, and will always remind of me when I saw them in Summer 2009, with the whole crowd belting this song out. Also, although I wasn't there, Jay-Z nailed it when he sung it at Glastonbury. Tune!
My summer anthem for this year is Foster the People- Pumped up Kicks. Ever since Greg James played it on the Radio 1, I can't stop listening to it. It's got a huge chilled out and summery feel to it, and never fails to put me in a good mood.
My summer anthem of all time is Oasis- Wonderwall. An obvious crowd favourite, and will always remind of me when I saw them in Summer 2009, with the whole crowd belting this song out. Also, although I wasn't there, Jay-Z nailed it when he sung it at Glastonbury. Tune!
My summer anthem for this year is Foster the People- Pumped up Kicks. Ever since Greg James played it on the Radio 1, I can't stop listening to it. It's got a huge chilled out and summery feel to it, and never fails to put me in a good mood.
Thursday, 17 February 2011
The Brits, Shoes and 2 Strictly Judges
Catch up blog post. It was the Brits on Tuesday, so I thought I'd give my quick opinions on that. Plus, I went to see a dance show called "Shoes" yesterday evening, and it was fantastic, so just a few things about that.
For me, the Brits 2011 was really good, in that yes, we had the usual predictable winners, but there were some welcome surprises in there too. Take British Female Solo Artist for example. I was fully expecting either Cheryl Cole or Ellie Goulding to take the statue, considering the radio support (and such) they've had over the past year. However, as much as I quite enjoy Ellie Goulding's music, it was actually Laura Marling who received the award, which was a welcoming surprise. Accepted humbly, it was good to see someone who has made a perhaps understated, definitely brilliant album in the past year get the award. If you haven't heard "I Speak Because I Can," I highly recommend buying it.
Mumford and Sons were another shock (in a good way) of the night, picking up the award for MasterCard British Album of the Year. I personally put my money (not literally) on a win for perhaps Take That or Plan B, since a] they're both really good albums, and b] they've been hugely hyped since their release. However, perhaps it was the Mercury Music Prize nomination that clenched it for Mumford, although I'm in no way dismissing how good a record it is. Again, I would highly recommend listening to 'Sigh No More.'
Arcade Fire, following their recent Grammy Win, deservedly picked up awards for International Group and Album, whilst, unfortunately, Justin Bieber grabbed International Breakthrough Act.
In terms of performances, Adele, Plan B and Take That were standouts for me. Adele was quite possibly my favourite, because it showed just how beautiful her voice really is. Tinie Tempah's performance was also pretty flawless, full of energy (perhaps because he'd just deservedly won 2 awards). Rihanna disappointed voice-wise, although through no fault of her own, singing live less than expected, reportedly due to contracting laryngitis. Paloma Faith put a damper on the Cee-Lo Green performance, which had started on a high, which I was highly annoyed by.
All-in-all, with James Corden being a thankfully superb host, The Brits 2011 was a great show.
A full list of winners can be found here:
http://www.brits.co.uk/history/shows/2011 (Scroll down and it's on the right)
Onto Shoes. This was something organised by my University as part of my (Film &) Theatre modules, but as I couldn't go on the day they organised, I went last night with a friend. And what a good decision it turned out to be. When we arrived, there was a red carpet outside... unfortunately not for us as hoped. After waiting inside for a while, Strictly judge Craig Revel-Horwood (is that how you spell it?!) walks in a lovely shiny suit and silver shoes. Having done latin dancing myself, and being a bit of a fan of Strictly Come Dancing, I got rather excited- something which was heightened when I realised there was a Strictly 'event' inside. To my surprise/delight, I then later saw Bruno Tonioli, pretty much completing the evening for me.
But enough about Strictly. 'Shoes' is a dance show marking the history of shoes, plus the highs and lows of shoe wearing, and a handy step-by-step guide to walking in heels. With live singing and a visible live band in tow, the show turned out to be much more than I expected. There was also humour involved, something I'd never thought about, as I'd assumed it to be just another standard dance show.
What's nice about this show, is that it doesn't just showcase one kind of dance. There's something for pretty much everybody, be it Latin American, Salsa, Tap, Ballet... etc. It was interesting to see how they were all linked not only to each other, but to the shoes they were showing-off.
Shoes is a refreshing change to the dance shows I've known. Well worth a watch as it's only on until the 3rd April. The trailer is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voBKMe7zfuM
For me, the Brits 2011 was really good, in that yes, we had the usual predictable winners, but there were some welcome surprises in there too. Take British Female Solo Artist for example. I was fully expecting either Cheryl Cole or Ellie Goulding to take the statue, considering the radio support (and such) they've had over the past year. However, as much as I quite enjoy Ellie Goulding's music, it was actually Laura Marling who received the award, which was a welcoming surprise. Accepted humbly, it was good to see someone who has made a perhaps understated, definitely brilliant album in the past year get the award. If you haven't heard "I Speak Because I Can," I highly recommend buying it.
Mumford and Sons were another shock (in a good way) of the night, picking up the award for MasterCard British Album of the Year. I personally put my money (not literally) on a win for perhaps Take That or Plan B, since a] they're both really good albums, and b] they've been hugely hyped since their release. However, perhaps it was the Mercury Music Prize nomination that clenched it for Mumford, although I'm in no way dismissing how good a record it is. Again, I would highly recommend listening to 'Sigh No More.'
Arcade Fire, following their recent Grammy Win, deservedly picked up awards for International Group and Album, whilst, unfortunately, Justin Bieber grabbed International Breakthrough Act.
In terms of performances, Adele, Plan B and Take That were standouts for me. Adele was quite possibly my favourite, because it showed just how beautiful her voice really is. Tinie Tempah's performance was also pretty flawless, full of energy (perhaps because he'd just deservedly won 2 awards). Rihanna disappointed voice-wise, although through no fault of her own, singing live less than expected, reportedly due to contracting laryngitis. Paloma Faith put a damper on the Cee-Lo Green performance, which had started on a high, which I was highly annoyed by.
All-in-all, with James Corden being a thankfully superb host, The Brits 2011 was a great show.
A full list of winners can be found here:
http://www.brits.co.uk/history/shows/2011 (Scroll down and it's on the right)
Onto Shoes. This was something organised by my University as part of my (Film &) Theatre modules, but as I couldn't go on the day they organised, I went last night with a friend. And what a good decision it turned out to be. When we arrived, there was a red carpet outside... unfortunately not for us as hoped. After waiting inside for a while, Strictly judge Craig Revel-Horwood (is that how you spell it?!) walks in a lovely shiny suit and silver shoes. Having done latin dancing myself, and being a bit of a fan of Strictly Come Dancing, I got rather excited- something which was heightened when I realised there was a Strictly 'event' inside. To my surprise/delight, I then later saw Bruno Tonioli, pretty much completing the evening for me.
But enough about Strictly. 'Shoes' is a dance show marking the history of shoes, plus the highs and lows of shoe wearing, and a handy step-by-step guide to walking in heels. With live singing and a visible live band in tow, the show turned out to be much more than I expected. There was also humour involved, something I'd never thought about, as I'd assumed it to be just another standard dance show.
What's nice about this show, is that it doesn't just showcase one kind of dance. There's something for pretty much everybody, be it Latin American, Salsa, Tap, Ballet... etc. It was interesting to see how they were all linked not only to each other, but to the shoes they were showing-off.
Shoes is a refreshing change to the dance shows I've known. Well worth a watch as it's only on until the 3rd April. The trailer is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voBKMe7zfuM
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
The Highs and Lows of Downloading
A few weeks ago, I read this article on Alt Press:
Then, a couple of days ago, I started to have a discussion about illegal vs legal downloading with a friend. I’m currently watching The Brits [and getting excited that people I actually like eg Laura Marling are winning some awards] as I write this, and I’m realised just how much music has become a part of my life. This is all exceedingly tedious, but I thought I’d give my opinion on the downloading “debate”, and what I believe would happy, particularly for me, if the music died. It’s not a perfectly written piece, but I just wanted to share my views. Sorry if it sounds like I’m preaching, that wasn’t my intention.
I have to admit, before I read the Alt Press article, I was strongly under the impression that musicians were pretty loaded, living the lifestyle most of us dream of. Having now read the article, and several others since, I realise this is not really true at all. Particularly in the case of smaller artists, less in the league of GaGa, CD profits (for example) rarely find their way into artists’ hands. As Alt Press explains, various things have to be paid for, like the studio time and manufacturing of the CD. It’s even getting harder to make profit from selling CDs “wholesale” (http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/no_money_mo_problems/), as prices on all sides rise. This links perfectly to how important I believe it is to conserve music as much as we possibly can.
As mentioned, bands and artists rarely see personal profit from the sales of songs, EPs and LPs. This might pose the question: ‘why do we bother paying for a CD when it’s not going to benefit the artist?’ In my eyes, this is wrong. Surely, if we’re not paying for the songs, they can’t use the profits to pay back the money for other things (studio time etc), so have to find the funds elsewhere. This would probably mean losing money they could have used to perhaps go on tour, so as the fans, we start losing out. HOWEVER, I’m not an expert on these things, so for all I know, I could be completely getting the wrong end of the stick.
I will just contradict myself briefly. I think the odd illegal download is ok, IF you are merely sampling the song and buy it/the album at a later date. I guess if you’re using Spotify (which I’ll admit, I do, but I have bought the majority of songs I have listened to, and intend to buy the rest when I get some money), this idea becomes strongly relevant, although I know it is legal as the artists are paid by advertisements and premium users, which I guess makes that point somewhat irrelevant. But it just sums up how easy it is to get music for free these days, which, unless given away by the band themselves, isn’t a good thing.
One argument I’ve heard, in favour of illegal downloading, is “lack of money.” I’m a student myself, and money is obviously hard to find sometimes. However, surely if you don’t have the money to buy music, you shouldn’t just, in all reality, ‘steal’ it. You wouldn’t steal clothes if you don’t have the money, so why do it with music? There’s also the argument of ease. It is so easy to quickly download a song off YouTube and listen to your heart’s content? (Sidenote: we could argue about how far illegal listening/downloading goes. Is YouTube a form of illegal listening, since we don’t pay for it? The argument is too broad to write about in this piece) It’s also stupidly easy to borrow a CD of a friend, rip it on iTunes, and bob’s your uncle- you have that album. I’ll admit, I have done that before. But since then, I’ve made a point of buying all of, or the majority of, those albums for myself. I’m saving up for the ones I haven’t quite got yet. But again, this is just stealing. Yes it’s easier, but it’s just taking money out of someone else’s pockets. I’m guessing you wouldn’t enjoy it if someone came along and took money from you.
I realise I’ve become to ramble, so for now, I’ll summarise what I’ve been trying to say. This article is aimed at no one in particular; I just wanted to get my thoughts across. Apart from in the one or two instances I mentioned, illegal downloading is, in my eyes, completely wrong and extremely harmful, not only to the artists, but also to the fans. If everyone stops paying for music, musicians won’t be able to afford to make music much longer, and then we’ll be extremely limited in our listening choices. Personally, I’m not sure what I’d do without music, as it has become a part of my everyday life. I hate silence, and I find it pretty impossible to do anything without it. I support legal downloading to the upmost.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
White Stripes [The Demise Of]
Quick piece I wrote about my personal favourite White Stripes song- My Doorbell. Very sad to see them go, but hopefully Jack White [at least] will continue to spread his musical genius with all his various projects.
The 2005 single, written by Jack White and featured on the album “Get Behind me Satan,” upholds catchy lyrics, an infectious drumbeat and a black-and-white video to match. A perfect example of what you can do with just two band members, ‘My Doorbell’ is surely one of the most famous and instantly recognisable White Stripes hits. With a particular focus on drums and piano, it’s the simplicity of the song that makes it so easy to listen to and enjoy. This is all echoed in their 2006 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for this song, and in turn, their Grammy win for Best Alternative Music Performance for “Get Behind me Satan.” “My Doorbell” is a White Stripes track that will not be forgotten.
The 2005 single, written by Jack White and featured on the album “Get Behind me Satan,” upholds catchy lyrics, an infectious drumbeat and a black-and-white video to match. A perfect example of what you can do with just two band members, ‘My Doorbell’ is surely one of the most famous and instantly recognisable White Stripes hits. With a particular focus on drums and piano, it’s the simplicity of the song that makes it so easy to listen to and enjoy. This is all echoed in their 2006 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for this song, and in turn, their Grammy win for Best Alternative Music Performance for “Get Behind me Satan.” “My Doorbell” is a White Stripes track that will not be forgotten.
Friday, 28 January 2011
Sound of 2011
At the beginning of this year, I was asked to write a summary of a few bands/people that I thought would do big things in 2011. These are mine... There are more, but I ran out of space!
James Blake
Since the release of his first EP back in 2009, Blake’s work has been praised by many well-respected DJs, including Gilles Peterson and Zane Lowe. His cover of Feist’s ‘Limit to your Love’ has already stormed the Radio 1 playlist, gaining him the second place slot in the BBC Sound of 2011 poll. Not only can he produce stunning vocals like this, but listen to his other work, and you hear his talents as a dub-step producer.
James Blake
Since the release of his first EP back in 2009, Blake’s work has been praised by many well-respected DJs, including Gilles Peterson and Zane Lowe. His cover of Feist’s ‘Limit to your Love’ has already stormed the Radio 1 playlist, gaining him the second place slot in the BBC Sound of 2011 poll. Not only can he produce stunning vocals like this, but listen to his other work, and you hear his talents as a dub-step producer.
Hailing from London, his experimentation with different sounds knows no bounds, making his work somewhat unique, especially as he adds more and more of his own vocals. This is shown on two tracks which feature on the BBC’s website [http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/soundof/2011/artists/jamesblake/#p00d4900], namely ‘Lindisfarne’ and ‘Wilheim’s Scream.’ As he recreates this tracks as somewhat calmer versions of their dubstep originals, the true quality of his voice shines through, as it proves to be a pleasure to listen to whether used acoustically or in a more produced manner. ‘Air and Lack Thereof,’ available on his MySpace, is perhaps a more laid-back dub-step creation, particularly when compared to ‘CMYK,’ also available on MySpace, and a track which has already gained glimmering reviews. Again, this showcases his ability to manipulate electronics, and anything else for that matter, to their full potential.
With EPs already available, he is set to storm the charts with the release of his album in February. 2011 is set to be a good year for James Blake.
The naked and Famous
Formed in 2008, this quintet have already received recurring radio play from both Fearne Cotton and nick Grimshaw to name just two. Having also recently been nominated for the BBC’s Sound of 2011 poll, as well as being compared to MGMT and Passion Pit, this new Zealand group are in no bad place. They’ve already achieved a number single in their home country, which also won them the APRA Silver Scroll for being the new Zealand band to achieve this in 16 years. A reworked version of studio album ‘Passive Me Aggressive You’ is set for in March, which, judging by their previous singles and success, is an album that will hopefully bring some of their new Zealand magic- and sun- into the UK.
Funeral Party
This four-piece LA-based band have been making their mark on the music industry since early-2009, but with the release of their album set for later this January, Funeral Party are set to storm 2011. Formed from boredom of their hometown –Whittier-, Funeral Party set about to make the sort of high-energy music that instantly evokes partying and often mayhem. Just the way they like it. ‘new York City Moves to the Sound of LA’ was an instant radio hit, spurring on support for later singles ‘Finale’ and ‘Just Because.’ Having already supported Julian Casablancas, leading him to announce them as “the future,” Funeral Party should have no doubts as to the success of forthcoming album ‘Golden Age of Knowhere.’
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