Your Musical Interlude

Some music is presented so well, it doesn't need lyrics.  I'm a bit of a lyric ingester - I only have to hear a song a couple of times before I know the entire song.  This can be rather distracting when I'm trying to write an email to a client and absent-mindedly start quoting Blink 182 lyrics to them (not great when you're talking about a campaign and instead start mentioning how "the State looks down on sodomy").  Anyways, I digress...

Music helps people concentrate and relax (certainly me), but as suggested above, lyrics aren't always appropriate.  Here's a list of some musical numbers that I adore.

John Mayer - Video Games

I found  this cover last year, I'm not the biggest Lana Del Ray fan (the stone throwing can begin now, but I think she's a bit overrated), but the echoey feel to this song highlights how nice the melody actually is as it all blends together.

Daniel Lanois - Sonho Dourado

Wow.  This song bowls me over everytime.  I first heard it on the sountrack for Friday Night Lights the film version.  I would highly recommend watching this film, the emotion that overtakes when this song plays is spell-binding and leaves me sobbing like a baby for at least 5 minutes.  Sonho Dourado is a bit "God Bless America" in parts, but that's why I like it!

Explosions in the Sky - First Breathe After Coma

This is one you may already know, but its another song from Friday Night Lights.  That film showcases some fantastic songs, this is definitely one of them.

Rat on the Roof - Circus Clown

I first heard this guy playing guitar by Camden station, and pretty much instantly fell in love.  He's got some cool stuff and playing some nice gigs around the country and small venues, add him to your list.

Flofilz - Georgia

Welcome to your easy listening dream, sit back, relax and prepare for the least bumpy ride of your life.  This jazzy twist beat is great to get your head bopping.  

Good News Girls Friday: ii Doe Paoro

Thank you Earmilk for introducing me to Doe Paoro, you are one of my favourite music blogs.  Paoro is like an ultra cool Imogen Heap with a haunting edge that makes you say "Um... what?" and put every song on repeat.  I think I've listened to the album Slow To Love about a dozen times already this morning.

Clarity of emotion in the lyrics, tone of voice and beautiful instrumentals in each song make you reflect back to how music should be.  She's stripped back the elements of music to its basic origin no matter of its genre, and blends them all together to a new musical dimension.  Paoro's album feels like it holds the root of so many strands genres that sprang out from her, rather than the other way round.

I've a couple of favourites already on this album, and there are also some really notable tracks.  "I'll Go Blind" is quite bluesy, Lauryn Hill inspired in places, it also has elements of hip hop to it: all of Doe's music is quite hard to place as it crosses so many genres.  "Slow To Love" is incredibly delicate and easy to listen to and wouldn't go out of place in Baz Luhrman's soundtrack for Romeo and Juliet.  But I absolutely implore you to listen to the full album, I don't think you'll be hearing anything quite like it for a while, and there's a link to it on Paoro's soundcloud, perfect!  I can only dream of a long drive that I need to take which will let me get totally lost in this album.

I'd highly recommend checking out her interview with Earmilk, she's in interesting character having travelled the globe and studied Tibetan opera.


Also, she is insanely cool and beautiful.  That is all.