David Bowie: Starman

Artist, Hero, Starman...

David Bowie touched something in all of us and made us feel that it was okay to be different.  An oddball himself, he lead his life with dignity and grace and all on his own terms.  In a world where being different isn't always easy, Bowie shouted out his differences in the only way he knew how - with music.  And what glorious, wonderful music it is.

From Space Oddity to Golden Years to Under Pressure to This Is Not America his talent, passion and artistry shines through, every song unique just like he was.  And it's this uniqueness and inspiration that will live long in each and every one of us every time we hear one of his songs.

RIP David Bowie.  You are a Starman to us all.

New Old Music

I love discovering new music and even better -  discovering new old music,  You know the thing. Songs that have been around for years if not decades that you never really paid much attention to until suddenly you find yourself playing it over and over and over again just because of some movie or TV show.

Or at least you do if you're me.

Soul bluesy music it is it seems my latest fad with a touch of 70's pop.  Because you can never have enough of 70's music... even if it is a pop song.

There's a touch of James Brown with It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World a song that only someone like him could sing, all pleading cries and desperation and a beautiful soulful love song in the form of It's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate.  There's also two foot-tapping Stevie Wonder songs Higher Ground and Upright (Everything's alright) and two songs from the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, just because it's so awesome, really you should just check out the whole soundtrack but my 2 favourites are a boppy, feel good 60's tune Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell and a 70's pop/rock song Hooked On A Feeling which always puts a smile on my face.

And finally for something a little more modern there's the superbly bluesy rock song Blood On My Name by the Bright Brothers which I have been playing on constant replay.

So what new old songs have you discovered lately...

This month I am Loving...

Music.

It seems appropriate to carry on with the music theme this week since May is NZ Music Month.  I can't think of a better idea than a month that celebrates music in all it's wonderful glory.

I love music.  All kinds of music.  In fact I'm probably something of a music junkie.  And one of the things I love doing is discovering new songs to listen to and to share them with others.

So here's a random list of songs that I have been playing lately.  Many of which you may not of heard but which I hope you might like and maybe even become addicted to - just like I have.

Cut My Hair by Luca Vasta

It was Amazon that got me onto this song; listed as it was as one of the songs to watch out for in 2013 and Luca Vasta as an artist on the rise.  And I'm so glad I checked it out.  Its boppy and catchy and a perfect head banging dance song.  So click on the link below and see what you think

Haven't Had Enough by Marianas Trench

Another song that I have been playing on instant replay.  I found this band courtesy of Teen Wolf  and have fallen in love with this song and Stutter which I also recommend that you check out.
 

Magic by Leagues

Another break out band that many are predicting as one of the bands to watch out for in 2013 and their debut record You Belong Here as a must buy.  I have to say I agree and I've already got my copy.

Blowin' Smoke by Kacey Musgraves

I'm usually not much of a country music fan but for some reason this song appeals to me.  Maybe it's because it's not as country as some but has a nice laid back feel to it.

Hold On by Alabama Shakes

These guys (and girl) are just awesome and so deserved last year's Grammy nominations which they or the Lumineers should of won but we won't go into that.  All you need to know is that you have you check them out.

Bones by MS MR

I fell in love with this song earlier this year after hearing it on the Season 3 trailer for Game of Thrones.  It's moody and soulful and the amazing lyrics are made even more so by the lead singer's  voice.  Their debut album has just been released overseas but until then have a listen to the video link below and see what you think

I'm Just An 80's Pop Queen

I have rather eclectic taste in music.

I love classic rock, hard rock, indie rock,  pop, jazz, blues and a realm of other types of music but in my heart I am an 80's chick.

The 80's was the era I grew up in.

I had the padded shoulders, the frilled shirts, the leg warmers and most importantly the music.  Boppy, poppy, new wave, new romantic music with a mix of emo thrown in for good measure.   My bedroom wall was covered in posters of my favourite bands and I had a stack of records which by the end of the 80's could fill an entire wall from floor to ceiling.

Going to music shops and flicking through records was one of my favourite things to do.  What new treasures and discoveries would I find today?

Music of course was everywhere.

This was the era that MTV started and Saturday afternoon's must-watch viewing was Ready to Roll and Sunday was filled with listening to American Top 40 on the radio and at night it was all about Radio With Pictures hosted by the very laid back Karyn Hay.

80's music was what it was all about, the era of video clips and pretty boys who sometimes wore more make-up than you did.

Duran Duran  were my 80's idols.

I had posters of them plastered across my bedroom wall and while my friends lusted after lead singer Simon Le Bon my heart belonged to the sensitive, quiet, bad boy guitarist John Taylor.

Yes even then bad boys were my thing.

Surprising as it might be to some Duran Duran are still going strong today some 30 years later and though the boys are somewhat older now and more settled with wives and children John Taylor still plays a mean guitar and makes my heart flutter just a little.

Paul Weller  Indie God, Mod God, Rock God.  Paul Weller, singer, song-writer and guitarist has been called them all and like Duran Duran he is still performing today.

Never really that well known outside of Britain, Paul Weller's music has involved and changed over the years. From the new wave mod of the Jam, to the R&B pop mix of Style Council to the raw, gritty soul/rock of the solo artist he is today.

And today he is still winning awards including the Godlike Genius Award in 2010 by NME.   Pretty good for a working class boy from Surrey.


The Cure  Not the kind of boys you would want to take home to mum The Cure were the Goth and emo band of the late 70's and 80's.

Yet despite the wild hair, pale face make-up and black eyeliner  these guys could sing and play. 

Their music was dark and tormented and mournful and I knew all the words to Let's Go To Bed and Love Cats.

Hall and Oates Admitting you like Hall and Oates is a bit like admitting you like Abba & disco.

Totally not cool. 

Then again I've never worried that much about being cool.  Kiss On My List, I Can't Go For That, Out of Touch, Private Eyes.  These were the songs that I played again and again on my cassette deck and even now I still love their up-beat boppy tunes.

Not being cool is actually kind of neat.

The Police 80's music really wouldn't be complete without these guys despite the fact that they burst onto the music scene in 1978.

From the moment we heard the words "Roxane. You don't have to put on the red light..." I and everyone else was hooked. And from then on they produced song after song of which we all had to have and sang and danced along too.

These guys were and are legends.

Music or How to Ease the Craziness of NaNoWriMo

I seem to be in a musical frame of mind lately.  Last week it was classic rock, this week it's the new artists and albums that I have been checking out and listening to over the past year.

I blame it all on the madness of NaNoWriMo which is currently making my brain so fried that the only thing I am capable of (other than writing) is listening to music.

Youtube is also partially to blame.  A click here, a click there and suddenly I'm busy checking out songs and artists that I have never heard of, all courtesy of the side bar which leds you to similar songs and artists etc. It's seriously addictive stuff.  And also a big time waster (i.e. procrastination...).

Sadly for me a lot of the songs I like aren't known and easily available on CD here which is such a pity as there is some really great music out there in Youtube land.

Still some of my favourite's are available and I've been giving them abit of thrashing in the last few months along with the classic rock featured last week and others.