Music Monday | Cross-Genre Playlist

image source: studded hearts

I’ve compiled a bluesy 11-song playlist for a blue Monday morning. Dreaded school has been in full swing for an entire week now, and as you can probably imagine it’s been quite an adjustment from the Barcelona beaches and French pastries I was indulging in not too long ago. I’ve been really into music that, in the best way I can describe it, is a trippy mix between trance/electronic music and RnB/soul. Not the greatest description, but you’ll get the feel of it once you listen to it.

I’ve come across a couple of definitions across the web, such as “elegantly sad dubstep”, “post-dubstep” (interesting), “torch songs” (I particularly like this one, although I’m still trying to figure out its meaning) and “neo-soul”. Probably the most apt label is what many have simply called “cross-genre”. There we go. My friend Bongi and I lay on the floor of our hotel room listening to this kind of music for like 3 hours in a dizzy haze of mellow euphoria – basically sober/trippy. When I complimented her taste in music, she smiled with a sense of accomplishment and said, “I know.” Let me know what you think, guuuuyyyssss.

PS. Sohn and Kwabs and James and Benedict are brilliant *heart eyes emoji*

Music Monday | HAIM

who: HAIM (Alana, Este and Danielle Haim)

what: R&B/Soft Rock/Pop Rock American band

when: 2006 - present

Now I know I've arrived at the party long after the clean up has been done, and I'm sure they're already setting up for the next party, but I feel like when there's a hype over something new, there are two kinds of people: those who latch onto that the trend before it's even become a thing yet, and those who follow suit eons later. This time, needless to say, I have landed among the second category of often less cool people, who the first group are generally irritated by. (I've been on both sides, so I can relate.)

The hype I'm referring to is HAIM, an American rock band made up of 3 sisters, with the last name Haim (pronounced hi-um, like lion, but with an 'm' at the end). They've sort of blown up in the underground indie scene, and have already worked with some big names like Rihanna, Kid Cudi, Flo-Rida, Florence & The Machine, Childish Gambino, and the list goes on... The other night (morning), at about 01:40, I had a sudden revelation that instead of hopelessly tossing and turning, I could put my insomnia to use and finally listen to Haim, which I've honestly been meaning to do for the longest time. Long story short, I listened to them and bobbed my head and enjoyed their stuff and wrote this post. Not bad for a morning's work, eh?

Their style is a mix of a couple of genres. I don't think you can pinpoint it, but it has a sort of techno vibey, soft pop/rock feel. The kind of music that makes you want to put on a good old slip dress, whip your hair and dance around in a field of wild flowers. "Mellow, grunge, feel-good, easy-listening" is as good of a definition as I can come up with. I wouldn't say HAIM is everyone's cup of chai tea latte, but if you're into the this kind of thing, you'll love it. If you're a free bee like I am, and sort of let music grow on you, I'm sure you'll love them in the end - like I said, they're easy listening. It's always a fun realization when you start liking something you weren't too keen on at first. That's the beauty of life right? A little time goes a long long way!

Last year HAIM released their first full-length album called Days Are Gone. I'm sure this applies to a lot of people: when you first listen to a new artist or a new album, there are songs that you looooove straight off the bat, and others that become your favourites after a while. At this point, my off-the-bat favourite songs off their album have to be Falling, which I've embedded above, and Don't Save Me. PS. School starts today, meeeeehhh!

HAIM's links:

website | soundcloud | facebook | twitter | tumblr

(image source: Michael Flores for Spin.com)

Music Monday | Tinashe

who: Tinashe

what: Hip-Hop/RnB/Pop

when: 2007 - present

As you may or may not know, I have a bit of an obsession with the Kardashian/Jenner clan. They come up in my conversations as if I know them, like, "You know Ky did this, and Khlo did that." I don't know, but it's hard not be a tab bit obsessed with such fabulous people? My love for them goes to the extent of stalking them (and all their friends) on social media, Instagram, Twitter, Vine, Keek, Shots, you name it, and occasionally downloading songs they've mentioned. Kylie in particular has really good taste in music, so when she posted a video of herself singing a particular song with such sass, I just had to have it.

It turned out to be 2 On by Tinashe feat. ScHoolboy Q, which I've embedded above. This song has a really great beat and a sort of old-school-cool feel about it. The lyrics can be pretty vulgar, but so are most hip-hop songs these days (what are you gonna do?). Despite this, I have literally not stopped listening to this song, and neither should you - it's so great! You should also make sure to listen to Boss and That from her In Case We Die mixtape.

PS. am I the only one loving the increase in well-known female hip hop artists over the past few years? (ie. Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea etc.) Ladies for the win, keep 'em coming!

Tinashe's links:
website | twitter | facebook | instagram | tumblr
(image source: noisey.vice.com)
xo,

Music Monday | Paramore

who: Hayley Williams, Jeremy Davis, Taylor York

what: American/Alternative rock group

when: 2004 - present

From around 2008 and into 2009, my group of friends and I developed some fascination with rock/alternative/metal music. One of the only band that really stuck with me beyond that "phase" was Paramore, my absolute favourite band to this day. There's nothing particularly recent that sparked this post, but a couple of days ago, I re-watched their performance at the iTunes festival, which was brilliant. Vocals, energy, everything was flawless. It was the kind of performance that covered you up in goosebumps, and made you like the band and appreciate their music, even if you don't listen to it. Hayley Williams' vocals are out of this world! (And she brought a fan up onto the stage to sing with her, and let me tell you, the screams behind this computer screen were real!)

The video I've embedded above is their single, Still Into You, from their latest, self-titled album. Other favourites of mine from the album are Ain't It Fun, Last Hope and Fast In My Car. If you've listened to their previous albums, you'll notice the difference when comparing it to the new album, but it still has a familiar, distinctly 'Paramore sound'. I probably sound like an obsessed freak, which I am, but I just have this incessant need to express my love for them to every Tom, Dick, Harry, Sally, Sarah and Susan. They're that good.

Paramore's links:

official website | twitter | facebook | tumblr | youtube

xo,

Music Monday | Sonnentanz Cover - Will Heard x Cara Delevingne

who: Will Heard, Cara Delevingne and Klangkarussell
what: Cover of Klangkarussel's Sonnentanz
when: August 2013

Crazy talented Will Heard, a British soul singer invited, get this, the crazy beautiful Cara Delevingne to his studio to record an acoustic cover of 'Sonnentanz (Sun Don't Shine)' by Klangkarussell. I don't know about you, but Cara's singing ability came to me as quite a surprise...

Prior to me actually listening to this cover, I'd heard that the supermodel could sing, but with her already having so many great things most of us would kill for (her face, her body, her modeling career, her face), and the ridiculous amounts of non-singing celebrities suddenly pursuing (and failing at) music careers à la Kim Kardashian's Jam, I can't deny that I was a little skeptical. Nevertheless, I finally got around to giving her a try, and she can sing, like, really-and-truly-no-jokes-no-gimmicks SING! The cover is great, and I've played it over a hundred times, but even though I'm obsessed with it, the little pain in my heart hasn't disappeared. I mean, Cara is literally winning at life. She's beautiful, she's talented, she has a job that she seems to love and could most likely cover her bills for the rest of her life, and now she can sing too?! I mean, give me a break.

The original song is by an Austrian electronic music group, Klangkarussell ('Sound Carousel' in English), and has a pretty sick beat. It's not the kind of thing you'd pump your fist to, but it's a sort underground dance track... It's the kinda chill, kinda funky, kinda easy listening type, ya feel? I haven't heard any of Klangkarussell's other songs yet, but by the refreshing sound of this one, it's definitely on my to-do list.

Klangkarussell (Tobias Reiser and Adrian Held)

Klangkarussell's links:

official website | soundcloud | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube

Will Heard's links:
youtube | soundcloud | facebook | twitter

xo,