My September Soundtrack

I swear, this is a solid choice of songs. Mostly alternative, it’s been a ‘I swear I’m indie and cool’ month. Most of these songs actually remind me of a simpler time, they’re quite fun and not too heavy, just easy to listen to and really deserving of some appreciation. Obviously, there are one or two songs on this playlist that are intense compared to the rest (for instance, number 8’s chorus makes me want to march around for some reason). These songs are truly brilliant, and I came to listen to some quite late into September but they really dominated my Spotify account since I discovered them.

1. Hurt Me – Låpsley

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kn5LXZv11ww?feature=player_embedded

2. All Clear – Aidan Knight

https://www.youtube.com/embed/JdOkpUS_iYM?feature=player_embedded

3. Arcadia – Tiny Folds

https://www.youtube.com/embed/NWPKp8rCHoY?feature=player_embedded

4. Better Love – Foxes

with a bit of Dan Smith from Bastille

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oQBiPwklN_Q?feature=player_embedded

5. Brazil – Declan McKenna

https://www.youtube.com/embed/39r0QFD1oPM?feature=player_embedded

6. Dream Lover – Destroyer

7. Letter To the Team (After Another Imperfect Season) – Tellison

https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4179405170/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=de270f/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=2056974331/transparent=true/

8. Lights On – XY&O

https://www.youtube.com/embed/T6jejUVW_sQ?feature=player_embedded

9. Oh No – Bring Me The Horizon

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xLD0VmzhmkY?feature=player_embedded

10. Spring/Sun/Winter/Dread – Everything Everything

https://www.youtube.com/embed/u3FO46D1dqs?feature=player_embedded

Honorary Mentions

All My Love feat. Becky Hill – Watermat

Here For You – Kygo

Bloodsport – Raleigh Ritchie

Sun Is Shining – Axwell^Ingrosso

That’s all for now, be sure to check TotallyCulture in the next few days for the start of Halloween month!

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Totally Culture

My July Soundtrack

Hello! Happy August! This post is a monthly feature on this blog, where I list 10 songs (and a few honorary ones) that I’ve been obsessed with the past month. Now that it’s August, and the summer is here, I feel like this month is going to be good, I’m seeing a bunch of my friends this month for the last time before they all head off to University and I start my gap year (which so far has consisted of binge watching Arrow, Shrek, Harry Potter and Modern Family). Anyway, let’s get started, July was a fairly ‘chill’ month, with a few parties in between including MY 18TH which was a tonne of fun. The music for July is fairly similar, with a relative ‘summer’ feel, but a bit more subdued, especially towards the end of July where it’s just been raining non-stop.

1.Weathered – Jack Garratt

https://www.youtube.com/embed/H6bjwDFk8mo?feature=player_embedded

2. Gold Dust – Galantis

https://www.youtube.com/embed/t10s26GsWvY?feature=player_embedded

3. Glitterball – Sigma feat. Ella Henderson

https://www.youtube.com/embed/DQF5aHVOW5s?feature=player_embedded

4. Delilah – Florence + The Machine

https://www.youtube.com/embed/gJ50rvySDCk?feature=player_embedded

5. Gold – Years & Years

https://www.youtube.com/embed/KCog-KpzwgY?feature=player_embedded

6. Body Talk – Foxes

https://www.youtube.com/embed/VAerYplzZUE?feature=player_embedded

7. Revolution – Catey Shaw

https://www.youtube.com/embed/dWc3ZWzBZdE?feature=player_embedded

8. Papercut – Zedd feat. Troye Sivan

https://www.youtube.com/embed/HwtljkGZJnI?feature=player_embedded

9. Hideaway – KYKO

https://www.youtube.com/embed/K1w4RXXSo6o?feature=player_embedded

10. Tonight – Chasing Grace

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_UGeHXXJyeo?feature=player_embedded

Honorary Mentions

Running Wild – Prides

I Want To Love – Years & Years

Wings (Acoustic) – Birdy

The Hills – The Weeknd

These songs are great, they’re either feel good or thought provoking, yet they’re both fulfilling at the same time.

See you next time for a Doctor Who post!

BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

TotallyCulture

MY DREAM MUSICAL COLLABORATIONS

We’ve experienced many collaborations in musical past and present, from the likes of Charli XCX/Marina and the Diamonds’ Just Desserts to Florence + the Machine/Dizzee Rascal’s You’ve Got The Dirtee Love, as well as Elton John/Kiki Dee’s Don’t Go Breaking My Heart and Diana Ross/Lionel Richie’s Endless Love. 

Yet, there are some collaborations we still don’t have, and well, these next 5 hypothetical collaborations are what I’d like to see, no matter how likely or unlikely they are. 

1. Marina and the Diamonds/Florence + the Machine 

Florence and Marina are two hard-hitting musicians, and despite their slight difference in genre despite mostly maintaining an ‘indie’ vibe, I feel their collaboration would lead to great things. Heck, I’d even want a full album from the two together. If you have a quick browse on YouTube, there are many great fan-made ‘mashups’ of their songs. This is one I’ve been obsessed with for a while, however it’s since been moved onto soundcloud, it works really well and their voices truly compliment each other. 

2. James Bay/Ed Sheeran

Just imagine all the soul and sheer emotion coming from a James Bay and Ed Sheeran collab. Oh THE FEELS I CAN’T EVEN. Sorry for going all tumblr fangirl on you, I truly am sorry. Anyway, James’ album is probably one of my favourite albums of 2015, Ed Sheeran manages to release a hit after hit. This collaboration would do wonders. 

3. Taylor Swift/HAIM

Apparently they’re friends? I don’t know, they’re never seen together at all (sarcasm intended). Imagine a song combining the likes of Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood and HAIM’s My Song 5, some hardcore rant-pop right there. Heck, I wouldn’t mind if they collaborated, with either an intense track like Bad Blood/My Song 5 or perhaps an explosion of pop and disco with Shake It Off/If I Could Change Your Mind, ooh I can see myself dancing already. 

//legitmix.com/securepublic/widget.aspx?res=mix/23706#%7B%22id%22%3A%2223706%22%2C%22context%22%3A%22mix%22%2C%22solution%22%3A%22flash%2Chtml%22%2C%22theme%22%3A%22min%22%7D

4. CHVRCHES/Years & Years

Imagine all that electro pop gold sparkling down onto your ears and BAMN instant fun and instant dancing (what did I just say). Here I imagine a track combining CHVRCHES’ The Mother We Share with Years & Years’ Shine. Oh how satisfying to imagine. Please, please, please let this happen. Now. I demand it. Give it to me. NOW. But seriously, I could see perhaps a ‘VS’ collaboration, similar to Bastille VS HAIM’s Bite Down. The best of CHVRCHES VS the best of Years & Years. I’m already dancing thinking about it. 

5. Foxes/Bastille

Two of my favourites, Foxes, a singer, and Bastille, a band (Dan Smith, the lead singer pictured above), create these songs that are not only fun (for the most part, check out Count The Saints by Foxes and Oblivion by Bastille for some serious stuff) but also genuinely GOOD. It’s not often we get music that is both nice to listen to and fun to dance to. Here, I would perhaps imagine a line between Foxes’ Glorious and Bastille’s Laura Palmer, to make a song that has a huge impact on young people and kind of have those ‘hipster’ vibes. Foxes also supported Bastille on tour, so you know, it could almost definitely happen. 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7sFtb1oXVYs?feature=player_embedded

Anyway. That’s all for now. Perhaps another time I will post another set of dream collaborations. Be sure to follow me on BlogLovin’, Twitter, like my Facebook page or even subscribe to get email notifications every time I post a new blog post. A new blog post will be going up later in the week, be sure to check it out when it arrives!

TotallyCulture

MY TOP 10 FEEL GOOD SONGS

I love songs that make me feel upbeat and positive, songs that make me want to travel the world with my friends, songs that make me want to have a picnic, songs that make me want to dance at a party. So, I’m going to tell you my top 10 feel good songs.

DISCLAIMER: Of course THAT song by Pharrell Williams isn’t on here. Kill it with fire.

1. On Our Way – The Royal Concept 

2. Dreaming – Smallpools

3. Break The Rules – Charli XCX

4. Something Good Can Work – Two Door Cinema Club

5. Falling – HAIM

6. Lifted Up (1985) – Passion Pit

7. Ain’t It Fun – Paramore

8. Radioactive – Marina and the Diamonds

TONIGHT I FEEL LIKE NEON GOOOOLLLLLDDDDD

9. On Top Of The World – Imagine Dragons

10. Youth – Foxes

Honorary mentions

Icona Pop – Get Lost

Flor – Get Behind This

Calvin Harris – Summer

The Wombats – Techno Fan

Youngblood Hawke – We Come Running

That’s all

Bye for now

Geek Culture and Me

Curtis

“Let us shine for what it’s worth”

WHO SHOULD HAVE WON AT THE BRITS?

Obviously, all the artists that won did so deservedly apart from One Direction, sorry. However, I can’t help but feel as if some musicians that weren’t nominated should have won, or those that were nominated but lost should have won. If I haven’t mentioned a category it’s because I agree with the outcome. Here’s my verdict:

1. International Group

Winner: Foo Fighters

Should have won: First Aid Kit

Should have been nominated: Galantis, Imagine Dragons

I love First Aid Kit, I love Foo Fighters, but it would have been great if First Aid Kit won. They’re so talented and atmospheric. Galantis are a little less well-known, but their song Runaway is one that I always play at a party, or even when I’m out and about because it just makes me feel upbeat. Imagine Dragons? I mean, do I really need to explain? 

2. British Video

This category seemed to be more about getting publicity for the Brits through social media than anything else, with the general public being made to vote through Twitter with a good old hashtag. The videos nominated were simple and uncreative. I’m sure they were chosen on the basis of popularity and the size of their fanbase, which thus leads to awareness of The Brits. 😦

Winner: One Direction – You And I

Should have won: Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud

Should have been nominated: Foxes – Holding Onto Heaven, Ella Eyre – Comeback, Years & Years – Take Shelter

3. British Single

Winner: Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk

Should have won: George Ezra – Budapest

Should have been nominated: Ella Eyre – Comeback, Twin Atlantic – Heart and Soul

4. British Breakthrough Act

Winner: Sam Smith

Should have won: CHVRCHES/George Ezra

Should have been nominated: Foxes

Yes, technically Foxes would have been nominated for the 2014 awards, but she did so well in 2014 and really became a chart topping artist so suddenly. She was even in Doctor Who. I mean come on. DOCTOR WHO. CHVRCHES were also nominated and they’ve been around for ages, but they really achieved success in 2014. 

5. International Male Solo Artist

Winner: Pharrell Williams 😦 😦

Should have won: Hozier

Should have been nominated: Tiësto, David Guetta, Phillip Phillips

Predictions for next years nominees and winners:

Marina and the Diamonds

Florence and the Machine

Kodaline

Blur

Palma Violets

CHVRCHES

HAIM

Adele

Ellie Goulding

Kanye West

That’s all.

Bye for now.

Geek Culture and Me

Curtis

 

Music Videos I Like

Hi there!

Basically, music videos are my life. Not really, but still, they’re a huge part. It’s great to be able to see a visualisation of music. I don’t know what I’m saying. Let’s get started! Here are a bunch of music videos I find myself watching more than often.

1. Birdy – Wings

2. Marina and the Diamonds – Radioactive

3. Keaton Henson – You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are

This one’s a bit strange, because it’s just one shot of a woman crying, but the emotion conveyed surpasses a video with tonnes of different scenes and cuts.

4. Porter Robinson – Lionhearted

SO MUCH COLOUR

5. HAIM – Falling

6. Bombay Bicycle Club – Carry Me

7. Zedd ft. Foxes – Clarity

8. Lorde – Yellow Flicker Beat

9. Hurts – Stay

10. Florence + The Machine – Never Let Me Go

11. Sheppard – Geronimo 

12. Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed

13. Bastille – Oblivion

SANSA STARK??????

That’s all.

Bye for now.

Geek Culture and Me

Curtis

“keep my eyes above the waves when oceans rise”