Daydream Believer.

[rhythmandchords]

For a very long time Oasis was one of my favourite bands. I was in the 9th grade when I finally got to see them live in Singapore. For reference, it was the April of 2009, they had sold out the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tt was a pretty defining moment in my life because just a few months later, in August, the band would officially announce their break up. Being at that show felt like fate, because I felt like I had become a part of history, of their history. I was apart of something bigger than me. And whilst to many of you it might seem insignificant or kinda just a meh thing to be so excited to be apart of, but to me, it meant something.

Oasis hold a special place in my heart to this day - so when I woke up and caught wind they had released something, I was excited. I didn’t know much more than that there was a song, old, new, live, acoustic, I didn’t know what to expect but all I can say now is that I wasn’t disappointed. I’ve personally always been drawn to their earlier work (Definitely Maybe will always be the top of my list) so when I heard Don’t Stop, it felt reminiscent of the old them. It reminded me of other classics like  Half The World Away, a little bit of Champagne Supernova and hints of Sad Song - songs from forever ago that always made me feel less alone in this world.

With all that’s going on right now, Don’t Stop is a small something that reminded me to never let go of hope. It’s easy to get lost in the chaos that is life - the depression one might feel when things are not going according to plan, the feeling of loneliness when everyone seems worlds away, the general melancholy of remembering what was but is not longer. The line that stands out to me the most is in the first verse - don’t stop dreaming, which seems a bit obvious but at a moment like this feels immensely important.

Although the song isn’t really Oasis - in the sense that it’s mainly Noel singing over an acoustic guitar, it is very much Oasis. Just not the loud, brash lads we also know, but when they show their quieter side. Like any great band, there needs to be a balance of both and it’s songs like this one that unite us all during the hard times and gives us a little hope. As the song continues, in the chorus Noel sings “Don’t stop being happy, Don’t stop your clapping, Don’t stop your laughing…It’s alright” and he’s right.

If things aren’t alright now, it doesn’t mean it won’t ever be. We grow, things change, we learn, things don’t go according to plan, we mess up but at the end of the day we must remember it’ll be alright.

Hope you’re all staying safe out there. 

[rhythmandchords]

Stumbled across this new tune by Super Whatevr on the Hopeless Records YouTube channel this evening and pretty glad I did. I’d never heard about these guys before and it seems like this new singles in a taste of what’s to come from the band as they explore a new sound. The single seems to be a departure from the quick sampling I did of their 2018 album, Never Nothing, taking us on a different journey with them with the same amount of self deprecation. 

The new single is light, fresh and probably a little heavy - the perfect formula for most millennials to bop to as summer comes to and end and we are forced back into the reality of no more summer Fridays filled with Aperol Spritz’s. Jokes aside, lyrically the song seems quite poignant as lead singer, Skyler McKee sings, “I can’t believe in anything and they know, I’m so messed up, we’re all messed up”. It’s a weird time in our world - politically, mentally, emotionally, we’re all just trying our best. This song feels like a reminder of just that with it’s California cool vibe and riffs that make you feel, better (sorry, I had to). 

Better, I think returns to the feeling captured in their 2017 self-released album, Good Luck. To me, that album feels slightly more raw and lyrically perhaps a little more meaningful with an offbeat charm. My favourite track on that album is Benjamin Alphabet, highly recommend. The new single is a good combination of the old and the new - that indie, pop-y, self deprecation we all love. They remind me of Parekh and Signh meets Noah and the Whale meets Bleachers?

Hate it or love it, I don’t know, I won’t tell you how to live your life but I do suggest you give it a try. If not Better, then maybe Benjamin Alphabet. These dudes seem to be here try and make the shite times, a little less shite. 

[rhythmandchords]

I had a life and I had friends, I miss all of them. 

It’s only been four months for me, since I’ve moved back home but I miss everything, all the time. Nothing feels familiar and I keep searching for things I know I won’t find, I mean that’s what it feels like for now at least. If I wrote a list of things I miss about my city, and I’m afraid I might already be forgetting the little things. There’s so much about the life I had, about my friends that I miss every day. I miss the city and the person it allowed me to be, the person it taught me to be, the person I learned I had to be. 

I miss my friends. My friends who helped me learn more about myself as they learnt about themselves and together we figure out our various personas and how to bring about the best of each one perhaps. My friends, who helped me in more ways that they will ever know, to finally help me be comfortable in my own skin because I let them be comfortable in theirs. The community we created for ourselves that didn’t judge (fuck, you know i can be judgy) but encouraged, loved, laughed and cried as we figured out this messed up world we live in and the lives we were figuring out. I miss my friends. 

I miss the man who many times allowed me to fall apart and find myself in his arms when I thought I was falling apart. Who let me forget what was happening for a little bit when I needed to. He never felt like a stranger, but he never felt like just a friends - he felt familiar, he felt comfortable when I needed it most and I am forever thankful. 

I miss the life I had. It wasn’t easy most days. In fact many times it broke me, but every time, I picked up the pieces - some times with help, some times on my own, to put myself back together, ready to take on whatever came next. I miss the life that taught me so much, where I was constantly learning, the life that I moulded and created for myself so that I felt like I could be me, like I could feel comfortable. 

Most days I try not to think about the life I had, or the friends I miss because it makes it hard. I’m trying my best every day but it feels like an uphill battle most of the time. The constant reminders of what could be, or of what was when I see a photo, hear a song, watch a movie even, there’s sense of loneliness that I haven’t felt in so so long. But I try to remember that sometimes things don’t play out the way you plan them to, and that’s not my fault. I tell myself it’ll be okay soon, make promises to myself to do better, to be better and that things will be alright but most days, I don’t believe myself. 

[rhythmandchords]

When I first heard about The Story So Far, I was not into them. They seemed like another angry band of white boys who had gone through some stuff, bad habits and heartbreak - which don’t get me wrong was very much my thing but also I just felt like Parker yelled a little too much for my liking. Cut to 2012 when I saw them live for the first time - I stood in the back because I didn’t want to get kicked in the face, I didn’t know any songs, I didn’t really take any videos or photos. I regret all of it. I wish I could’ve screamed along to every word because it’s seven years later and these dudes are pretty important to me. I got to see them in such an intimate space, during an important time for the pop punk scene in general and that weekend in Patchogue, (which i’ve written about before) was just such an important night for me. 

TSSF has been a part of the scene forever. They’ve come a long way from playing record stores in Walnut Creek, where they are originally from, to selling out shows on teh other side of the word. My favorite thing about their journey, and my journey with them, is how their music tells a story but most importantly, what one can learn from each story. It’s a story of growing up, being scared of what you know what is right or wrong but doing it anyways, of understanding the things that happen around you, and of course learning how to understand yourself. This is evident in their latest album, Proper Dose, which came out in the later part of 2018. It was highly anticipated and I think did a pretty great job of not letting anyone down. 

The album to me, was about moving on/moving forward even when things are shit - the importance of learning abut yourself enough to know when to draw a line, to call it quits and refocus. It feels especially evident in If I Fall, where Parker sings about dealing with self doubt, letting people down and problems with addiction. “Cut it short when I’m scared I can’t grow, All the loose ends that I can’t sew…”, something I think every one of us has felt a few times. But it’s also about forcing yourself to be strong enough to pick yourself up, try again and fight for whatever it is. At the end of the day, our choices are our own. 

The video for If I Fall, shot by Eric Soucy while the band was on tour in Japan, lends itself to the tone of the song. Shot on a wind up camera with Super 16/Super 8 film - Soucy could only shoot for about 23 seconds at a time, the video follows Parker thought Japan in an almost dream-like sequence, there but a little disconnected. As it is, Parker stands out of the crowds for obvious reasons, but it also parallels the idea of isolation in his lyrics of just being in a different or unfamiliar environment. That said, he also looks completely himself, almost as if to say, this is me, I’m here, I’m dealing with everything I’ve ever done (both good and bad) and I will continue to live my life being responsible for every part of it. Obviously no one is perfect but the overarching idea that we fuck up, grow up and we do our best given whatever the situation is, is an important one to remember. 

All in all, I really live how the video compliments the song and I will always look forward to what TSSF is up to as they continue on their journey - as individuals and as a band. 

[urbnite]

[theintrovertnation]

[unclefather]

[davereed]

Why is this so funny??

[imninm-deactivated20160505]

boy: hi me: i feel like ur lying but okay

[clem-style-deactivated20191229]

[teenagerposts]

person: you're pretty cool!

me: oh my god prepare to be very disappointed

[sunnieblues]

[rhythmandchords]

Who else was wishing they were at Radio 1′s Big Weekend and not stuck at home this past weekend? Good thing you can pretend you were in the crowd thanks to their YouTube channel! 

I have been listening to this new single by James Arthur since it came out earlier this month and while I wait for the day I see him live, this video from Big Weekend will have to do. Since the release of Back from the Edge in 2016, I’ve been keeping my tabs on Arthur and what he’s been up to. From his collaborations with the likes of Marshmello/Juicy J, Rudimental, Machine Gun Kelly, Martin Jensen and my personal favorite, his duet with Anne-Marie for The Greatest Showman: Reimagined, Arthur has been killing it. 

His latest single, Falling like the Stars, is a perfect example of the music Arthur’s meant to be making - a tender love song. We all know I’m a sucker for an acoustic guitar and a man talking about his emotions but that aside, there’s no denying that he isn’t completely in his element when he’s crooning. Arthur recently said it himself in an interview with iHeart Radio regarding his new album that “The core of the album has got that classic James Arthur acoustic, honest thing going on”. Arthur definitely has proved to us over time that he can lend himself to various genres but when it comes down to it - there’s nothing he does better than stripping it down to the basics with some soul stirring lyrics. 

I’ll definitely be looking forward to the release of his new album which no doubt will make us all feel some type of way. 

[rhythmandchords]

First it was Nothing Breaks Like A Heart, featuring Miley Cyrus.                          Now Mark Ronson is back with Lykke Li, releasing a new single and music video as well for the next banger off his new album and all I have to say is that, I am  o b s e s s e d  with what is happening here. I’ve been a fan of Ronson since my wee days (like when I was in middle school, you know) and knew he produced for some great artists, on top of being a DJ and just all around cool guy (not that I know personally but like maybe someday?). I think it was the early 00′s when I first heard about him and his work on Lily Allen’s album which he helped produce, co-write some songs and play some instruments. 

Ronson’s work over the years has spanned genres which is something so impressive and one of the reasons I truly admire him. It’s not an easy thing to do, but he always has a fresh take on things whilst staying true to himself which I think artists can appreciate. He recently released a track with Diplo under the name Silk City, another collaboration that has me pretty excited and on the look out. Over the years, he’s worked with Christina Aguilera on Back to Basics, Amy Winehouse of Back to Black, Adele on 19, Nas, The Kaiser Chiefs, ASAP Rocky, Duran Duran, Bruno Mars, Rufus Wainwright, Solange Knowles, Father John Misty and Lady Gaga just to give us some perspective on this mans breadth of work. 

There’s little I believe he can’t do. To put it bluntly, I definitely had/have a crush. But not just in a he’s good looking way but in a goddamn this dude is really fucking cool, knows some shit and is doing his thing and doing it well. In a recent interview with NME he sites this album as being full of “sad bangers” which, apart from being my aesthetic completely, also just sounds about right for Ronson. For someone who likes to keep the party going but does so with tact, I think we all might be able to relate a little bit. This album already boasts some big names and I’m sure will deliver with some sick beats too. 

[rhythmandchords]

I was one of those people who related EDM with clubbing, excessive drinking and stories of drug overdoses at festivals but the more I got into the genre I learned that was not the case at all. There is so much more to this music than people give it credit for. The impact DJs have made not only on how music is made now but to performing in general, technology, media, business and marketing is undeniable. A once underground community with its many subgenres and its own culture emerged into the mainstream around 2012 and there was no stopping it. 

Tim Bergling, known to most of us as Avicii, entered most of our lives with his hit song Seek Bromance, or for some of us maybe it was Levels. Both song that upon mentioning the titles alone I can hear immediately and if I close my eyes, transports me to a memory of my younger, wilder days. If it’s not the drop in Levels that triggers you then perhaps it’s Fade Into Darkness or Silhouettes - and if it’s none of those either then maybe you were just boring and never went out. But all these songs as well as his many many other songs, remixes and collaborations take me back to a certain time and place - where I was growing and changing into the person I am today. When Avicii passed away almost a year ago now, it was the first time in my life that a musicians death truly impacted my life. 

Whilst I can’t tell you about the very first moment I heard one of Avicii’s songs, I can tell you that I knew when I heard him that he did something others could only dream of. The more I got into EDM, learning about how the music is made, about sampling, remixing, the spirit of electronic music as a whole, the more I really started respecting DJs. Avicii played music but more importantly, he played with music, remixing song, sampling from the likes of Nina Simone (Feeling Good) and Etta James (Levels), reimagining them for a new generation who didn’t even know it. He saw and heard things before any of us did, borrowing from jazz, pop, country, rock - genres that already had strong voices and sounds, reworking them and making us do a double take. 

SOS, his new single featuring Aloe Blacc who also lent vocals to his ever popular Wake Me Up, serves as a precursor to his posthumous album. The album which was about 80% complete before his unfortunate passing is being completed by good friends and fellow music producers Albin Nedler and Kristoffer Fogelmark. The album, Tim, is set to be released in June and all profits will go to the Tim Bergling Foundation whose main focus in on mental health awareness. I truly hope that the album serves as a celebration of Avicii and continues to be an example of his ability to reinvent how music is made, seen, felt and heard. 

Avicii brought happiness to many with his music, he was the soundtrack to new beginnings, carefree nights and hard times. I hope his music continues to be a reminder of the light in the dark for everyone.

[rhythmandchords]

I might write a full Citizen post in the future, but for now I want to talk about their lead vocalist Mat Kerekes. Along with being in Citizen, he is involved with his brothers band, The Flats, and is also a solo artist. I got the privilege of seeing him as Mat Kerekes last Wednesday at Mercury Lounge and it was awesome. This was my second time seeing him and it once again left me in admiration. Music is amazing and I think we all know it’s not easy but seeing bands like this, doing what they love, with the people they love, there’s a real magic to it that always leaves me so inspired. 

Kerekes first released a self titled album in 2014 but it his the release of Luna & the Wild Blue Everything, when I was like I need to keep an eye on this dude. The record really showcases some great instrumentals with strong drums, the introduction of strings, and both electric and acoustic guitar to accompany his vocals. Lyrically the album also stands out as many song have a pretty atypical song structure that don’t rely on repeating choruses or standard verse structures. The record is a departure from teh moodiness of what we know from Citizen but has such an intimacy and nuanced storytelling that shows his versatility as a singer, songwriter and musicians. 

Last month, Kerekes released two singles - Diamonds and Ruby that I’ve had on repeat since they came out and have to listen to every day. There’s a lightness to both songs that make them perfect now that the sun is starting to come out (and stay out) and winter slowly becomes spring. A couple of people online have likened the song Diamonds to being heavily influenced by Queen. I agree to a certain extent - Kerekes is definitely breaking the mold, trying something new and just being hella theatrical (all things I highly advocate). Ruby similarly has a happy go lucky vibe that will make you smile as you walk down the street (or maybe that’s just me). 

Either way, all I can say is that man oh man I’m really excited for this album to drop on Spotify and that you should definitely give this dude a try if you haven’t already and my post has failed to convince you. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. And if this isn’t your vibe maybe check out The Flats or Citizen? 

[rhythmandchords]

“you always did feel just like home”

Wait - Knuckle Puck

I’m sure as you read that, each and every one of you thought of someone who feels just like home. 

For a very long time, he did feel just like home. We weren’t meant to be by any means and it didn’t last long at all. It wasn’t bad but we were just different. I knew quite quickly that it was not going to last long and probably ended things prematurely because that’s who i am - it seemed pointless to keep it going because I didn’t see it going very far and things were only going to get harder. Despite our differences, I remember thinking that when we were together, there was a familiarity and comfort there that made him feel just like home despite being so unreachable. 

It’s been a while now since that boy and I’ve grown to hear that same phrase in a different way. I know that Wait is very much aimed towards a significant other but time and consequence has made me hear that phrase with less somberness than the song suggests and perhaps more nostalgia. There are going to be people who come and go but there are also going to be lots of people who stick around and feel just like home. The anxiety and unfamiliarity of whatever you might be going though can melt away being in the company of certain people and all of a sudden there’s a nostalgia, you can feel the warmth, the happiness, the comfort, the stability of home and what you’ve been missing. This feeling and those people, are the kind of people you want when things get uncomfortable. 

7 years of living 9,521 miles away from home, I’ve understand the importance of having people who feel like home. Because some days, you need the familiarity - to know that the love and care is there. No, I’m not advocating using people to fix things or fix you, everyone is dealing with their own shit. But sometimes you find solace in the form of a friend, a partner, a parent, a sibling etc. I am thankful for everyone out there who I can say has felt like or still feels just like home. It is something that is rare and feels like magic. As I write this, I think back and realize I don’t know if I ever felt like home for that boy but I hope I did, even just for a little. I hope to continue to feel just like home for the people I love and that they too continue to always feel just like home for me no matter what happens to us. 

[officialunitedstates]

I don’t trust the media, too many acronyms.  what does cnn stand for?  literally no one knows the answer

[accioconfusion]

cable news network

[officialunitedstates]

could be.  literally no one knows