noise dept.
hello vonnie
Xuebing Du
Three Goblin Art
NASA
Monterey Bay Aquarium

izzy's playlists!

Origami Around
sheepfilms
d e v o n
No title available
dirt enthusiast
almost home
Peter Solarz

JVL
DEAR READER
art blog(derogatory)

Love Begins
AnasAbdin
Sweet Seals For You, Always
seen from India

seen from Algeria
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Kenya

seen from United Kingdom

seen from Malaysia

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Spain
@theradioandi
WE GON’ BE ALRIGHT
I love Ariana Grande for three reasons.
#1 She’s cute and bubbly. I’ve always loved cute and bubbly. Just take a look at my girlfriend. Cute and bubbly? Very much so, yes. Exactly.
#2 She is reminiscent of Mariah Carey. Her choice of music is very soulful, and occasionally, tinged with a hiphop-y vibe. Her melodies are always complex. But never too complex. Just complex enough.
Some of her fans are annoyed by the comparison. They should shut up. Mariah Carey is a legend (there was a damn BBC documentary on her); and the comparison is nothing but a compliment.
That being said, those who accuse and dismiss Ariana for supposedly being a Mariah clone should also shut up. She will become her own brand; can we give her some breathing room to grow?
#3 The most important reason: She has TALENT. I love a lot of the new artistes (or at the very least, I can understand their appeal). But a lot of them sound very average when they perform live, proving that they get a little too much help from software and producers.
Ariana on the other hand has a frightening amount of talent. Her vocal control sends shivers down my spine every time.
I welcome her with open arms into my playlists. You should do the same. :)
Above is “Almost Is Never Enough”, a true display of her abilities to sing and harmonize with a co-vocalist.
Should you respond to Kendrick Lamar’s verse? Here’s a handy chart to help you answer.
This is the best thing ever Im sorry…
they really told azealia to respond on record and not in the tweets
On the Formula of Music
Formulaic.
If you've ever read an album review, then it's a term you've come across at least once. When I was younger, and just beginning to realize that music was better than cake, better than sports (oh dear God, yes), and better than cute girls (I was delusional then), I came across this word a bunch of times: formulaic. In fact, I ran into it more than just a bunch of times—seems like they didn't let you graduate music-critic university without having it engraved into your right cheek.
Um…wrong kind of cheek.
The xx ~ Angels (remixed)
Another track that is begging for a rap voice. You can search for the original version of “Angels” by The xx; it’s a smooth, beautiful track. Today though, I’m craving some hiphop so I heard this remix and thought, gosh, how good would this sound as a rap song.
Higher Ground ~ TNGHT
I am dangerously close to starting a Music Buffet up in here. Came across this, and I love it. Would even love it more if somebody rapped on this.
The Weight of Us ~ Sanders Bohlke
I'm sorry, but there is something infinitely epic about this song. And not in an obvious way. Just in a sort of: you almost feel high when you're listening to it (which incidentally, is the exact same way you feel when you listen to Toto's "Africa"). I am a sucker for any song that nails its genre type (which is the whole point of "good music" I suppose). The Weight of Us just feels so genuinely folk. Songs like this remind me of why I will never be able to do anything without music. Music = Food
A Thousand Years ~ Christina Perri
#MellowThursday Okay, so this is my last entry for Mellow Thursday. This is from the pop genre, because I realized I have no pop entry. Also, because @msteeko recommended it, and as usual, she was right on the money. The only downside of this song, in my humble opinion, is that somehow Twilight got its grubby hands on it. Ah well. Great mellow track, nonetheless.
Crush ~ Lira
#MelowThursday Next entry comes way south from Jo'burg. It's Crush by Lira. All I can say is: how have I not already heard of this woman? This is the kind of stuff babies are made to. Amazing, soothing vocals. Genuine, believable lyrics. Turn this up and relax, wherever you are. Another great recommendation from @msteeko.
Kolo for You ~ Retta
#MelowThursday This entry was recommended by the fabulous @msteeko Beautiful song. Always love it when I can hear the earnestness in an artiste's voice.
No introduction ~ Nas
Finally, for the rap enthusiasts. Boy have I got a treat for you. "No introduction" by Nas. The background track is amazing (I have always preferred actual instruments to Synthesizers, even in rap). Take your time to soak this in. Yup, this is rap at its finest.
Letters from the Sky ~ Civil Twilight
Now for the Rock lovers, Civil Twilight gets us all calm and pensive with "Letters from the Sky." If you feel you've heard it before, that's because it's also from the movie I Am Number Four. I wish I could say all their music was as good as this one song, but alas. Still, no point letting a good song go to waste.
Fanti Love Song ~ M3nsa
Another entry into #MellowThursday, from the Afro-blues genre, is Fanti Love Song by M3nsa. For those who cannot speak Fanti, the opening lines to the song go like: "The rain is falling, the power is out, the air is cold... Come sit by my side, talk with me, the day draws to an end..." If that doesn't get your romantic urges going, nothing will. Enjoy.
Since I've Been Loving You ~ Corinne Bailey Rae
#MellowThursday Now we've got an entry from the Soul genre; "Since I've Been Loving You" by Corinne Bailey Rae. The original was by Led Zeppelin, but I don't need to tell you whose version I prefer (hint: it's the one I'm bothering to feature on this blog).
Corinne's "Since I've Been Loving You" never grows old. At least, not for me. Another artiste I am utterly in love with, and have been for many years now. Enjoy.
#MellowThursday Today, I want to see how many mellow tracks, spanning different genres, that I can feature. The first is "Stay Just a Little" by Kina Grannis, an artiste that I am not ashamed to say puts butterflies in my stomach every time I hear her voice. This is one favorite amongst many favorites from her album Stairwells.
Music is good when...
Music is not good because it is catchy. Anybody can achieve that (not to downplay the importance of a good tune).
Music is good when it can connect you so genuinely with the emotions of the artiste, that you feel things you have no business feeling. Music is good when in that moment in time, you feel like an infatuated teenager/gangster/clubber/jilted lover/philosopher/rock star/looter/drunkard/little girl/astronaut/voice of nature/child of God/fire/ice/magic/dancer/baddest villain the world's ever seen.
Music is good when it allows us to fill the shoes of its creator, and visit worlds with them.
Music = Food.