Tag: music

Random Music: Autumn 2018

I’m listening to a bunch of new stuff at the moment – a lot of it from a friend’s mixtape – and I’m bouncing my way through things like Iron & Wine’s Flightless Bird, American Mouth and Roddy Woomble, My Secret Is My Silence. I’m also enjoying Dan Auerbach’s Shine On Me and my current bop-along song is Matthew Mole Take Yours, I’ll Take Mine.

Bears Den are my latest album purchase, along with Frank Turner’s Be More Kind (of which Blackout is my favourite!)

I’ve also – on the urging of a friend – resurrected my singing playlist again, so I can learn things, and added some new and some new-to-the-list things to it! Currently I’m learning Take Me Home, Country Road (yes, I know, but it’s a good one to walk down the track with) and Son of a Preacher Man, reminding myself of Lazarus by Porcupine Tree, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2 and Even If It Breaks Your Heart (Will Hoge’s version), and I’ve got Bastille’s Oblivion for when I’m feeling braver! – I can hit the high notes, just. It was a good test of my lung and courage capacity last time I was learning to sing, so I’m up for giving it a go this time…

And the final one I’m loving this autumn:

Musical Update: July 2018

Firstly, karaoke. I’m still being volunteered for karaoke at FantasyCon this year, and I was sort of settled between Dusty Springfield’s Son Of A Preacher Man and You Can’t Hurry Love by The Supremes. Then a friend jokes that she wants to sing The Phantom of the Opera, and I – not having seen the film, and not really remembering much of the song – am cheerfully egging her on.

Until she volunteers me for Christine’s part.

And I go and listen to the damn song.

*cue WTF face*

So, uh. I did some singing where not too many people can hear me and…I can (just about) hit those notes. I’d need a bucketload of courage and a few drinks beforehand, but…

Why am I even considering this?!

In other news, I’ve spent this weekend listening to a bunch of random (and I do mean random!) music. A friend at work made me a sort-of-mixtape – aka. he listed a bunch of songs – and so I’ve spent some of the weekend bouncing between Roddy Woomble (don’t ask about the name), Father John Misty, Scissor Sisters and Beck, with some added Queens of the Stone Age and Patrick Wolf thrown in. Said friend is nothing if not eclectic!

I’ve also finally listened to Frank Turner’s new album, Be More Kind – I was a bit hesitant as Frank Turner brings up a lot of memories, but I really like Be More Kind and Blackout, and I’m definitely going to get the album so I can listen to the others on repeat.

I’m also delving into Imagine Dragons, Cash Cash, The Chainsmokers, Clean Bandit, Bears Den and Walking On Cars, so it’s been a fairly random but also quite musical couple of months!

Have my current favourite upbeat tune to brighten your day 🙂

KARAOKE

Apparently I’ve been volunteered for karaoke at FantasyCon this year…THIS MEANS I HAVE TO SING.

IN PUBLIC.

WHICH MEANS I HAVE TO FIND A SONG I KNOW AND CAN ACTUALLY SING AND ARGH.

Before anyone starts panicking on my behalf, it is optional – and I’ve said that I’ll see how I’m doing on the night. So I’m not exactly panicking, just…nervous.

Music is one of the things I feel like I’ve failed at over the last few years; I was trying to pick up piano again thanks to a gorgeous grand piano in the University of Gloucester chapel, and having been informed that I can actually sing (thanks, offhand teenage comment that stuck with me and convinced me that I couldn’t for however many years) I started taking lessons, just to get some breathing control techniques. But it was one of the things that fell by the wayside due to depression (as my fingers don’t always do what I want them to when I’m not great, and panic attacks don’t help with breathing control) and then when Ryan died, I didn’t feel like singing. I’d occasionally sing to myself in the car, but I used to wander around the house humming or sing in the kitchen, and after he left I just…couldn’t.

I’m still not really back into it; I just don’t have the heart most of the time. But I think that I’d like to pick a couple of things that I could potentially do for karaoke, and learn those: if I have a goal, I think that will make it easier.

SO.

I’ve got a couple of things I already know and like – U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, The Eagles’ Desperado, Cranberries’ Zombie, Will Hoge’s version of Even If It Breaks Your Heart. And I know that Son Of A Preacher Man is in my range, so that’s something…I have quite a sweet voice, so I’m going to have to find something that fits that, as well as finding something in my vocal range and something that I actually like.

But if it gets me singing and learning again, then even if I don’t want to sing on the night, I think it’ll be worth it!

I might not go for this, though. Trust me, it doesn’t work.

December 2017: Music

I’m listening to some random new (and old) stuff!

I’ve got Lenka on the playlist at the moment; I’m enjoying her Two album the most, but The Bright Side is also great! It’s on my list to get for the car when I next have CD money – digital’s grand, but not so useful when your car was built sometime around 2000…

Lindsey Stirling’s new album, Warmer in the Winter – my favourite track is Christmas C’mon, but it’s been nice to rock around the kitchen baking fairy cakes to some carol medleys!

And I’ve had Five For Fighting’s Bookmarks in the car, along with Lifehouse’s Out Of The Wasteland and an ongoing favourite – The Best of Dire Straits!

What I’m listening to: Sept 2016 edition

I’ve been listening to Moog on repeat while writing No Man’s Land; I’ve now got to the stage where I pretty much know the entire playlist! I tend to listen to one thing while I write, but it does get to the point that I need to take a break. However, I love it!

I’ve also been listening to Lindsey Stirling’s new album, Brave Enough – I think this might be my option for No Man’s Sky! If you haven’t come across Lindsey Stirling, she does amazing modern pop violin – this album’s more vocals and pop than her previous ones, but I can highly recommend Shatter Me and…well, actually, any of her music!

I’ve also been on classics while I’ve been gaming; 10 Things I Hate About You, Jimmy Eat World and Blink 182…and a couple of newer things, including Blind Pilot’s 3 Rounds and a Sound and Taylor Swift’s Style – yeah, a bit pop-y for me, but I like it 🙂