Alternative Christmas Songs!

Nothing says Christmas quite like a cheesy Christmas song. Year after year shops blast an array of Christmas tunes, featuring such gems as Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', a questionable cover of Jingle Bells, and inevitably a delightful rendition of a Christmas classic by the latest X Factor people. Shops force festive cheer on their customers , while tinsel-clad cashiers slowly lose their minds after the 59th play of Rudolph The Red-Nose Reindeer.

I've decided, after spending the past afternoon being subjected to such songs, to compile a list of alternative ones - still festive, but for those bored of Buble and sick of Slade (and possibly those with a sense of humour!)

1. Won't Be Home For Christmas - Blink-182


2. White Wine In The Sun - Tim Minchin


3. My First Christmas As A Woman - The Vandals


4. All I Want For Christmas - Bowling For Soup


5. Deck The Halls - McFly


6.Once Upon A Christmas Song - Geraldine


7. Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses


8. White Christmas - Stiff Little Fingers


9. Fairytale Of New York - The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl


10. We Three Kings - Blondie

Twit-twoo!

It's 1am on a Tuesday morning. Everyone is asleep, yet you're sat clutching your laptop in a sleep-deprived haze, eagerly awaiting a reply from your favourite band, looking upon a re-tweet as a gift from God. Sound familiar? No? Er...me neither.

There's no denying it, I am completely addicted to Twitter. And I know I'm not the only one. Some artists have so many followers, they have no chance of replying to the majority of their messages. Worryingly, one of these people is Justin Bieber... The point I'm trying to make is that websites such as Twitter have completely changed music. 10 years ago, however much you loved a band, chances are you couldn't easily contact them, let alone receive a reply. The closest you'd probably get would be a ill-advised stalkerish letter sent to their record company. And who's going to reply to that?

Now however, providing it's not too creepy, a tweet can be sent you your favourite musician, with a decent chance of a reply. The barrier between band and fan has been broken down - good for the band because it makes them more likeable, and good for the fans, because they can stalk to their hearts content, without the risk of a restraining order! (I would like to add, I do not have a restraining order. I'm not describing myself...) I admit last week, that I got so excited about getting a reply from Bowling For Soup I fell off my chair. The "jr" at the end was simply too exciting. That said, I really bloody hope that stood for "Jaret Reddick", and not some band manager called "John Richards" or something. Because that would REALLY suck. Anyway, my English lesson is calling me, so I must sign off. Well, not literally, that would be weird.

Help Needed - WHAT IS THIS NOISE?

I was sitting minding my own business yesterday afternoon, when inexplicably, to my genuine horror, a terrifying noise suddenly emits from my radio. The horrendous racket was incredibly painful to my ears -I rushed to turn it off as quickly as possible, but I was still exposed to the excruciatingly high pitched , unpleasant sound. Of course, once I had managed to stop it, I rang the radio station, and demanded to know the reason for such an unexpected and traumatic experience. They were perplexed by my query, but eventually tried to explain to me that the sound I was complaining about was in fact a noise that some people choose to listen to. I subjected myself to this awful sound several times more, but eventually gave up – it was just too unpleasant to bear listening to. I have included a link to it, and if anyone can explain what this sound is meant to be, please comment or message me. Though don’t say I didn’t warn you – it is incredibly unpleasant. Radio presenters should give prior warning to people burdened with ear drums, before they play such horrific noises.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4&ob=av2e

Bowling For Soup & Orange, Suburban Legends - O2 Academy Birmingham - 16/10/2011

24 hours ago, if asked what the best gig i'd ever been to was, I would have undoubtedly said Green Day. Seven years ago, at the MK Bowl, they played to their largest ever audience. The band themselves say those shows were among their best - that gig made a huge impression on a 10 year old me. However, to give you an idea of how much I liked seeing Bowling For Soup last night, my favourite gig award has a new and very strong contender…

Three words come to mind when I try to describe what it was like in the crowd last night: awesome, bizarre, and genuinely-terrifying. (yes, I know that's technically four words..)
Orange were first on, the lead singer arriving on stage wearing what I can only describe as a significantly brighter version of Gerard Way in The Black Parade, with impressively big red hair. If you've read any of my blog posts, you might have noticed I've mentioned them a few times before. I love their album Escape From L.A, and was a bit disappointed when they played mainly new songs, but I’m not trying to be negative - it was a good set. They had great stage presence, with their 'Orange Salute' certainly engaging the crowd, I just felt they were perhaps not playing completely to their strengths.

Other than one or two songs, I didn't know much about Suburban Legends prior to last night. I soon realised what I’ve been missing - catchy upbeat songs, mixed with awesome outfits and a phenomenal amount of energy! Sometimes support bands can fall a little flat with crowds, but it’s safe to say that they certainly didn't! If I wasn’t so ridiculously excited I think I could have appreciated their set a bit more! Forget a support band, these guys deserve their own shows.

The main reason I like Bowling For Soup so much, is because their songs are both fantastic, and happy. So many bands, especially in punk-rock, have an endless back catalogue of truly depressing songs. Seeing what I like to call “miserable-emo-crap” bands live, is more often than not, just no fun. I’m so glad to say that last night couldn’t have been more different. The mixture of feel-good songs, and the fact that the band thankfully don’t take themselves too seriously, made the atmosphere in the crowd infectiously happy. Determined to get away from the moshers that kept pushing me over (who were for the record, unnecessarily violent!), I managed to get really near the front. The relaxed, genuinely funny nature of the show was what made it so fantastic – I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at a gig. I was so incredibly excited, I am ashamed to admit I did an embarrassing girly scream and hugged Jaret when he has near the stage. That is definitely not how I’d normally behave, to give you some idea of how excited I was! After two hours of singing my heart out and dancing non-stop, I honestly could have cried when it came to an end. It was without a doubt one of, if not the best gig I have ever been to.

Underrated and Unmissable

What do Take That, Lady Gaga, My Chemical Romance and Katy Perry have in common? Apart from their impeccibly staged PR stunts and irritatingly catchy choruses, they're all artists who never seem to fail. Their music rules the chart, selling out tours year after year, encouraged by an army of ever adoring fans. While I'm not denying they don't deserve their success, there are so many fantastic bands and singers who work incredibly hard, who simply don't recieve the publicity they're worthy of. Here is my list of underrated but truely unmissable bands.

Orange
My recently discovered favourite band emerged from LA, and produce more punk-rock gems than Louis Walsh produces mind-numbingly boring boybands. Their catchy songs are incredibly likeable - punk-rock with a playful edge. Joe Dexter has a voice perfectly suited to the band, an epic amalgamation of American and a typical punk 'English' accent.
Best album: Escaoe From LA
Best song: Last Punk In LA

Motion City Soundtrack
This band works so well, particularly due to the contrast between the wonderful pop-punk melodies, and Joshua Cain's beautiful but endearingly quirky voice. 'Worker Bee' from their album 'My Dinosaur' is a perfect example of their diverse abilities, beginning with a beautiful melody, and developing into pure pop-punk genius.
Best Album - My Dinosaur
Best Song -The Future Freaks Me Out

Bowling For Soup
They're by no means unheard of, but I still don't think they get the recognition they deserve. Songs like 1985 and High School Never Ends have been played countless times on radio stations throughout the world, but so many of their songs have not be heard. They have so many fantastic songs, they're a band that I'm so happy to have discovered. They understand not everyone wants to be miserable all the time, (you hear me Gerard Way?) and thankfully filled a gap in the market - they created happy rock songs.
Best Album - A Hangover You Don't Deserve
Best Song - Val Kilmer

Alkaline Trio
Again, well known, but not well known enough! Admittedly, the lyrics are little miserable in some of the songs, but the music is just so good it doesn't matter. They're cover of The Muppet's 'Movin' Right Along' is reason alone to love them! http://thepunksite.com/news/2011/08/12/alkaline-trio-movin-right-along-muppets/
Best Album - Agony and Irony
Best Song - Calling All Skeletons

No Use For A Name
I was so astonished by this band when I first heard them, because they didn't seem to have a bad song. Each one is melodically unique, and genuinely good. They're really worth a listen.
Best Album -The Feel Good Record Of The Year
Best Song - I Want To Be Wrong

Song Of The Week - 3/10/2011

My song for this week is by the Californian band Orange. I discovered them as they're touring with my beloved Bowling For Soup later this month, and are all i've been listening to for the past 8 days! After a bit of research, it seems that they're not overly well known. I can't imagine why! Joe Dexter's English/American punk vocals give it a sound from another era. Escape from L.A. is probably the best album they've produced. Listen, enjoy, and listen some more!

Not Coming Home - Orange

Can we blame Adele?

Adele was recently booed at by her own audience after announcing she was planning a 2012 Arena Tour, after saying she would never play one. The crowds reaction may be slightly harsh, but are they right? Are they an effective way of performing to the huge amounts of people, or just simply a money-making scheme?

They are undeniably a good way to perform to vast crowds, but it can't be ignored that these huge performances are often accompanied by equally huge ticket prices. Some tickets, for example Michael Buble have sold for £200+! I've been to big arena tours, and small venue gigs, some I've liked, and some I've not. I have come to realise that I'll never see bands I love such as Green Day in a small venue - arena tours are sadly as good as I'll ever get. But for increasingly popular bands such as The Vaccines, it would be a definite shame for them to ditch their small intimate shows for huge commercialised venues.

I think there's a good argument for both huge arenas and small venues. While there's something magical about the atmosphere of small venues, vast crowds provide huge amounts of energy that small venues can't compete with. That said, if someone said that I could choose between seeing Green Day at a small venue, or an arena, I would not hesitate in choosing the small gig.

As for Adele, yes she may have gone back on what she first said, but who can blame her for wanting to make some more money?

Song Of The Week - 24/9/11

I regret to inform that Song Of The Day has had to become Song Of The Week, as I don't have time. And I'm forgetful.

Anyway, my song for this week is Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. It was released in 2009 and is by no means a new song, but it's new to me. The beautiful laid-back melody gets under your skin, it's an addictive little song. You'll find yourself whistling it long after it's finished! Enjoy!

An apple a day keeps Windows away?

It's common knowledge that I can't go anywhere without listening to music. A normal tiresome bus journey can be transformed with a few songs from my carefully selected 'Happy Playlist', which includes the likes of the embarrasingly sing-along-able' Flagpole Sitta' by Harvey Danger and far, far too much Lady Gaga. However, although it's sad to admit, my beloved iPod is getting rather old, I fear it is on it's last legs.

I'll say this quietly, as my iPod is within earshot, but I have been looking at replacements. Automatically I would choose another iPod, but as they're so expensive I thought I'd look at the iPod's main rivals as well, to see if they compare.

Firstly I looked at the 'Creative en X-Fi 8GB'. (yes, it's meant to be sen spelt with a sed, but for some reason the sed key has broken, roll with it...) I've never liked 'ens', I find the layout confusing and they're far too boxy for my liking.

Next, I found the Sony Walkman A865. It's aesthetically nicer that the 'Sen', but at £149 for 16GB, it's hardly a bargain.

I'm still not convinced by the alternatives to the iPod. Yes they may be cheaper, but I think there's a reason for that.

Song Of The Day - 14/09/2011

When Your Heart Stops Beating - +44


+44 were formed by Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker just 3 months after the split of blink-182. I'd forgotten about this song until I heard it on Kerrang earlier today. It unsurprisingly has a similar sound to blink-182, but that's fine by me!

Song Of The Day - 13/09/2011

Last Night - Good Charlotte

The latest Good Charlotte albums are probably what you would get if you mixed punk-pop with techno. Weird as it sounds, it works. This song is incredibly catchy and fun.

Song Of The Day - 12/09/2011

Stray Heart - Green Day


This is a incredibly scratchy live recording of a new Green Day song. It's good none the less - and gives an idea of what the old album's going to sound like it. It seems to be more in the style of their older albums, which is very exciting! I know I'll be buying the album the day it's released, I can't wait to hear what it has to offer.

What did he expect?

Mike Pedicone, My Chemical Romance's recently sacked drummer, is now trying to defend his actions, after he was caught red-handed stealing from his fellow band members. They were understandably shocked his behaviour, and after confessing to the police, he was immediately asked to leave the band. Guitarist Frank Iero posted on the bands website, saying - "We are heartbroken and sick to our stomachs over the entire situation." They are choosing to not press charges against him, so you would assume he would realise he's gotten off lightly, but no, he is now trying to explain exactly what happened, and why he stole from the people he thought of as friends.
"Almost as soon as I began touring with MCR I ran into problems with a member of the band's crew who i'll not name." - this is part of the statement he recently released, and continues on to explain that he was trying to frame said crew member, as an attempt to resolve the conflict, and did not intend to actually steal from them - "I had no intention of profiting whatsoever...". I cannot understand how someone could expect to be forgiven after doing something like this - regardless of whether it was a greatly misjudged situation or not, he was undeniably in the wrong. I have my suspicions that his version of accounts may be very different to the actual event - it seems all too convenient that his behaviour was 'completely innocent'. I don't think that any decent person would steal from their friends, to bring down an enemy. I completely understand why he has been told to leave the band - behaviour like that destroys any level of trust.

Song Of The Day - 08/09/2011

Graduation Song - Bowling For Soup


This is another one by the wonderful Bowling For Soup. I love that a story is told throughout the whole song, and the acoustic guitar is makes it even better.

Song Of The Day - 07/09/2011

High School - Superchick


I couldn't resist choosing this song, as today was my very last day of school. It's an understatement to say that I didn't overly enjoy school much of the time, so many aspects of it irritated me -the lyrics of the song suggest that Superchick feel the same! It's an insanely catchy song, I cannot stop listening to it!

Barclay's Mercury Prize 2011

I noticed while flicking through my SKY tv guide, that it is the Barclay's Mercury Prize for Album Of The Year tonight. I also realised that I have no idea who is nominated, so I thought I'd find out.

Metronomy - The English Riviera
I can understand why this has been nominated, it's a great and completely unique album. 'The Bay' is reason enough in my opinion - such a fantastic song!
Best song on the album: The Bay

Adele - 21
This is a superb album. Each song is beautifully written and perfectly performed. In actual fact, I'd be very surprised if this album doesn't win.
Best song on the album - Someone Like You

Everything Everything - Man Alive
It's just a matter of taste, and I know they have many fans, but in my opinion I don't think this album is worthy of the prize. They are increasing in popularity, and I wish them every success, but I guess this album just isn't for me.
Best song on the album - Photoshop Handsome

Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter & Melancholy Jam
I have to admit I didn't make it the whole way through this album. I'm sure it's fantastic - the lyrics are good, I'm just not the right person to review it fairly - it's simply not a style of music I enjoy.
Best song on the album - Survive It

Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
This album has a very distinctive sound - it reminds me of a slightly bizarre yet appealing mixture of Marina and The Diamonds and Bjork. I'm not sure it can beat the heights of Adele's album 21, but it's certainly a solid album.
Best song on the album - Desire

Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy
I was given this album last month, and although it's by no means the kind of music I'd normally listen to, I approached to it with as much positivity as I could muster. I can honestly say, it's nowhere near as bad as I though it would be. I've heard 'Pass Out' lots of times at parties, and never really minded it. Although I think it's safe to say I won't be listening to it again any time soon, I can understand it's appeal.

Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys
'Open Arms' is one of my favourite songs of the year. I thought their previous album 'Seldom Seen Kid' was utterly beautiful, and while I don't think 'Build A Rocket Boys' reaches he heights of that album, it's very good.
Best song on the album - Open Arms

Gwilym Simcock - Good Days At Schloss Elmau
While I love jazz piano, and this album is undoubtedly good, I'm not sure it really packs enough punch rival it's opposition.
Best song on the album - These Are The Good Days

James Blake - James Blake
He has a nice voice, but I think this album is trying to be a bit too indie and original for it's own good. It's not something I would rush out and buy, and I don't think it deserves the Mercury prize.
Best song on the album - The Wilhelm Scream

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
I know there has been a lot of praise for this album, but I find the songs pretty uninspiring. Her voice irritates me - it's definitely not an album I particuarly like!
Best song on the album - The Glorious Land

Katy B -On A Mission
Once again, this isn't the kind of music I'd listen to, but this time I really quite liked it. Her voice couldn't suit this kind of style any better.
Best song on the album -Katy On A Mission

King Creosote & John Hopkins - Diamond Mine
This is a beautifully-crafted album. It really stands out from the other nominations.
Best song on the album - Bubbles


There are some nominations with a really worthy of the Mercury Prize, and some others that I feel perhaps are not, but overall I think the most worthy contender is 21 by Adele.

Song Of The Day - 05/09/2011

Friendly Goodbye - Bowling For Soup


Bowling For Soup are probably one of the most talented, but under-rated bands around. They write catchy, often funny and genuinely good songs. Friendly Goodbye, the 'swearing-without-swearing' song is one of their best.

Song Of The Day - 04/09/2011

Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club


I spent last Friday night learning the chorus to this song off by heart, which is no mean feat by any means - there's a lot of syllables to fit in! It's a quirky, happy, and slightly addictive little song.

Song Of The Day - 2/09/2011

If I Ever Stray - Frank Turner


Frank Turner's music is like a more powerful Mumford & Sons - it's mixture of rock and folk, and it works really well. If I Ever Stray is a lovely, happy song, and probably the best song on his latest album.

Z Factor

Time after time, year after year, hundreds of hopeful singers audition for the X Factor, convinced that they're the next big thing, only to have their dreams crushed by a panel of increasingly Z-list celebrities, much to the delight of millions of misery-seeking viewers. Although the majority of the normal judging panel have thankfully been replaced, Louis is still hanging around, more reliant on ITV than Katie Price is on Botox, presumably unable to cope with life without the show. I don't blame him for staying though, it must be difficult to compete with Simon Cowell when Westlife and Jedward are your only business assets. It's not all bad news though, as Kelly Rowland and the girl from N-Dubz have joined the panel, who are at least pleasant to the auditionees (sorry, I can't remember her name, and I'm not going to google it incase some some N-Dubz accidentally plays, and sabotages the Metronomy song i'm listening to). The best news of all however, is the addition of the lovely and not too ugly Gary Barlow. He seems to be a replacement for Simon, but he doesn't pull it off too well - he's simply can't compete with his predescessors harsh attitude.
I can't help wondering though, if all the competition to succeed in the X Factor is actually worthwhile. There have been some successful winners, such as Leona Lewis, but each series there are also an abundance of arguments, tears and tantrums, when an often delusional contestant is denied their "life-long dream" of a singing career - it can't be ignored that there are so many previous finalists and winners who have simply sunk without trace, despite the promise of fame, fortune and success.
Although it could be argued that auditioning for the X-Factor means you are leaving yourself open to ridicule, it seems somewhat cruel to deliberately choose people who are clearly not talented singers, simply for the viewers entertainment, particularly if they honestly think they have what it takes. This may be hypocritical of me, as I have many a time laughed at car-crash auditions, but it's sometimes easy to forget that these are actual people singing on stage - real people with real feelings. So, while I can't promise I won't stop watching the auditions (Gary Barlow, enough said), I may at least consider the fact that these people are doing the best they can, particularly as they have Louis Walsh staring back at them - knowing that he is the key to your future can't fill you with a great deal of confidence!

Song Of The Day - 31/08/2011

The Bay - Metronomy


I heard this song at about 1am last night, when I was almost asleep. I liked it so much that had to wake myself up to google what it was! It has a super-cool bass line, and I love the way he says 'Berrrrrlin'! It's incredibly catchy, and combines electronic synths with normal instruments which works really well. This is without a doubt one of the best electro-inspired songs i've heard in a long time.

Song Of The Day - 30/08/2011

Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden


I have to admit I know literally nothing about this band, but I heard it on the radio yesterday, and really liked it. I could research them, but I like the mystery...and also can't be bothered.

Song Of The Day - 29/08/2011

My Body - Young The Giant


I don't know how Young The Giant have managed to slip past my musical radar, but I'm glad i've finally discovered them! This is great, and has a very 'sing-along-able' chorus. Enjoy!

This Many Boyfriends

NME recently described This Many Boyfriends as "Leeds' newest indie pop superheroes". While I'm yet to hear enough of them to make a such a eager judgement, I suspect their enthusiastic review isn't far from the truth. Their first single, Young Lovers Go Pop!, is so infectiously upbeat and ridiculously catchy that you can't help but appreciate it. It's the sort of song that would chase you around with guitars and throw plectrums at your head if you said you didn't like it, until its unrelenting poppiness becomes too much to ignore, and you change your mind. Their style is far more positive in comparison to many of the bands also in the "indie pop" category, and this makes them stand out hugely. They claim to want to change the face of indie music in Britain, by fighting against the "pop posers" and "Britpop bores" - I suspect and genuinely hope that they'll do just that.

Song Of The Day: 28/08/2011

Common People - Pulp


I watched the BBC footage of Pulp playing at Reading last night. It was a fantastic set - full of energy, and they had incredible stage-presence. Considering that they were meant to be co-headling with The Strokes, it's laughable how much they outshone them! Constant interaction with the crowd, and boundless amounts of energy put their set to shame! Common People is a completely genius song, and I never get tired of hearing it. The crowd went crazy when they played it, and it's easy to see why!

Song Of The Day: 27/08/2011

We Don't Need Another Song About California - My Chemical Romance


I know this completely contradicts my last post about not over-doing it with MCR-type songs, but I was so excited to find a few B-sides to their latest album, that I had to choose one as my song of the day.

Smile! It might never happen...

"Have you heard the news that you're dead?
No one ever had much nice to say
I think they never liked you anyway
Oh take me from the hospital bed
Wouldn't it be grand? It ain't exactly what you planned.
And wouldn't it be great If we were dead?
Ohh dead."

This is the chorus from Dead! by My Chemical Romance. It's a great song, from an equally great album, but it's hardly chirpy, is it? Now, I'm not saying we should all throw away our MCR albums (i certainly couldn't), and start listening to Cher Lloyd or Tinie Tempah (God forbid!), but I do think that everybody needs a few happy songs, inamongst the sad, angry ones! So, i've compiled a list of positive, upbeat, but still halfway decent songs:

If You Haven't Got Anything To Say - Luke Leighfield
Roshambo - The Network
The Luckiest - Ben Folds
Mr. Brightside -The Killers
Dreaming Of You - The Coral
Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis
Friday I'm In Love - The Cure
Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus
Friday Is Forever - We The Kings
Star Song - Bowling For Soup
1234 - Plain White T's
The No No Song - The Sounds
Adelaide - Ben Folds
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Surfin' USA - Beach Boys

Here is a playlist of all the songs:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL86A1E5253140E7A5&feature=mh_lolz

And if you're still not convinced...then stick on some MCR!

Song Of The Day: 26/08/2011

Arlandria - Foo Fighters


As I turned the radio on this morning, I was so relieved to hear this song playing. It's not that I didn't wish to hear the latest Kasabian song played for the 30th time this week, only it was great to hear a real rock song in amongst the endless plays of The Drums and Bombay Bicycle Club. Foo Fighters are a band that never seem to run out of talent or fresh ideas, and Dave Grohl without a doubt has one of the most distinctive and powerful voices the rock industry has ever known. I'm off to listen to their latest album now...

Top 10 Songs Ever!

Choosing my 10 favourite songs, was about as easy as getting a degree in Mathematics. Or running a double marathon. Backwards. And incase you're under the illusion that I'm some sort of genius mathematical child prodigy, with the athletic ability to rival Usain Bolt, you could not be more wrong. I have literally no grasp on maths, and have the fitness levels of an asthmatic sloth.

Anyway, after searching through the 135 CD's in my room (yes, I counted), an entire bookcase full of albums downstairs, and the thousands of of songs on my iPod, I managed to cut in down to 10 worthy songs.

1. One Way Or Another - Blondie

I'd love to know how many times I've listened to this song. I love the raw quality it has, the lack of perfection and editing most recent bands rely on, is what makes it so good.

2. Christie Road - Green Day

There's not a lot I can say about this song, other than it's simple, endearingly messy, and utterly brilliant.

3. I Don't Like Mondays - The Boomtown Rats

I was only recently that I discovered the meaning behind this song. Reading more into it, I realised how clever a song it actually was.

4.Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks

I love this song. And I love The Kinks. I read recently that to create the guitar distortion in their song Sunny Afternoon, they slashed their amps with razor blades. It's such a clever thing to think of doing. Their simple but wonderful songs make them without a doubt, one of my favourite bands ever.

5. Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) - The Vaccines

I fear that my love of The Vaccines is simply because their music sounds old, but I think that's their appeal. I'm listening to each song as I write about it, and I'm finding it increasingly difficult to write this, because i'm so busy 'Ra Ra-ing'! And I think that's all that needs to be said.

6. Speechless - Lady Gaga

I'm aware that I haven't really delved into the world of pop yet, and while generally I prefer rock, or punk, or indie, I will always love Lady Gaga. Speechless is the most listened to song on my iTunes, I know it inside out, and back to front. It's beautiful, heartfelt, and stands out completely from the rest of her songs. My paws are well and truely up, Mother Monster!

7. Basket Case - Green Day

You may now have realised that quite like Green Day. I listen to so many different bands, genres, and styles of music, but Green Day will always be my favourite. Basket Case is the song I listen to, whatever mood I'm in. Happy, sad or angry, it always fits. I honestly don't think it's possible to listen to it while in a bad mood, and still feel the same when it's finished.

8. Nantes - Beirut

Beirut stand out hugely in my record collection. I'm a bit of a music-geek at heart - I love their use of an orchestral section. Their songs are beautiful, and Nantes is particularly great. Zach Condon's voice is so beautifully imperfect, that I can't help but love them.

9. Dead - My Chemical Romance

There are two reasons, and two reasons alone that I love this song. The first is that Gerard Way has an astonishing voice, and the second is the truely awesome guitar sections.

10. Star Girl - McFly

Right. There's no point trying to hide it anymore, so I'll be honest... I love McFly, I've seen them live 4 times, and I've even met them. Although I've grown out of my previous tweenager McFly obsession, I still love them. Star Girl is such an upbeat, unbelievably happy song, that it had to make my Top 10.

So there you have it, my favourite songs. There were sadly some casualties that didn't make the final cut, but I'm sure they'll inevitably make an appearance at some point!

Poor Jedward...

I am genuinely worried about Jedward. They don't seem to be entirely normal. If the questionable music and sparkly outfits they love so much are not example enough of their 'individuality' shall we say, their behaviour in the Celebrity Big Brother house surely is. I'm not proud to say i've seen, and almost enjoyed a couple of episodes, but incase you've missed this gem now airing on Channel 5, they spend a great deal of time singing and dancing in unison, to imaginary audiences, completely unaware of the world surrounding them. What worries me even more however, is that the simplest of remarks or conversations seem to perplex them.

Ordinarily, I would find people such as themselves unspeakably irritating, but somehow they possess a certain charm and bizarre likability. Although I think it's safe to say I won't be rushing out to buy their next contribution to music, well not unless they ditch the quiffs and decide to collaborate with a band like Mumford & Sons, in some sort of strange Indie/Childrens Pop mash-up, (which would be epic, incase you're reading this, Marcus Mumford), and my like of them may well be some sort of subconcious maternal instinct to feel sorry for them, but I can honestly say I don't really mind them anymore. They seem so innocent and helpless that it could be seen as cruel to mock them. And it has to be said that those quiffs must weigh them down a little in their everyday life, so you have to admire their perseverance. Well done Jedward, you are now almost tolerable. And that's more than I can say for the Gallagher's.

MB: I was almost about to sign off, when I found this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmrmZahuGvU&ob=av2e
Of all the songs to ruin, why this? Oh dear, oh dear...

Song Of The Day: 25/08/2011

Up All Night - blink-182


I literally could not be more excited about blink-182's new album. This is the first single release, and to say it's promising is an understatement! It seems much darker, and heavier, than previous songs, but it works well. I would be disappointed if the whole album is as dark and kinda downbeat, but maybe it's the next logical step for them. All I can say, is I hope they used the 8 years inbetween albums to make the fantastic album they're capable of. If the first single is anything to go by, then they've done just that.

Song Of The Day: 24/08/2011

Always Something - Cage The Elephant


Always Something, the first track from Cage The Elephant's latest album, Thank You Happy Birthday, has been rattling around my head for the past week, and whatever I do, it just won't go away. There is something about Matthew Shultz's voice that is completely brilliant, and the atmospherical quality it has is almost magical. The slightly dischordant guitars, and completely compelling drum beats, intertwine to create a truely astonishing song, which leaves you wanting more.

I know that this is meant to be a song of the day, and ordinarily it will be, but I have been so impressed by Thank You Happy Birthday, that I feel I should write a bit more about the album. The second track, Aberdeen, is so incredibly catchy, that I had to stop myself singing outloud on a very busy bus earlier today, and Shake Me Down, the first single release from the album, is just as good, if not even better. I am pleased to see that this album reached No.2 in the US charts, as I think they really deserve it - it's a fantastic album. Shame on the UK though - it only reached No. 26 here...

(What's The Story) Incredibly Boring?

Liam and Noel Gallagher need to learn to be quiet. Their moaning and attention seeking can be likened only to the behaviour of small trantrum-prone toddlers. Sadly, it seems that they are under the illusion that Oasis were the single most influential band ever to have graced the planet, and Liam astonishingly seems to think that he is worthy of an almost God-like status. I'm by no means trying to argue that they are not talented, quite the opposite, but the constant twittering about their brilliance is frankly, tiresome. No one cares about their latest argument - the majority of humanity are far more interested in amending their ever-increasingly irritating haircuts. I think the best way to treat them, as you would a small child, is to ignore them. The perhaps they'll shut up, and go away.