WE CANNOT POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT WILL MANIFEST IN OUR LIVES. WE LIVE AND HAVE EXPERIENCES AND LEAVE PEOPLE WE LOVE AND GET LEFT BY THEM. PEOPLE WE THOUGHT WOULD BE WITH US FOREVER AREN’T AND PEOPLE WE DIDN’T KNOW WOULD COME INTO OUR LIVES DO. OUR WORK HERE IS TO KEEP FAITH WITH THAT, TO PUT IT IN A BOX AND WAIT. TO TRUST THAT SOMEDAY WE WILL KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, SO THAT WHEN THE ORDINARY MIRACULOUS IS REVEALED TO US WE WILL BE THERE, GRATEFUL FOR THE SMALLEST THINGS.
Frank Ocean is an American R&B singer-songwriter from New Orleans, Louisana. In 2010, he became a member of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) and lately, he has been very busy, from the self-release of his 2011's mixtape Nostalgia, ULTRA to his collaboration on Jay-Z and Kanye West's album Watch the Throne.
I've been listening to the old Frank Ocean on repeat for days. Super dope songs!
Now I’m gonna tune into Channel ORANGE, his debut album released on July 2012 (available on iTunes now!). Let's Go!
I came across Oh Land by complete accident while I was browsing around Youtube. No need to tell you it was one of the best accident I've ever had. Oh Land is the stage name of Nanna Øland Fabricius, a Danish singer-songwriter and former ballet dancer. I think her songs and music videos have something magical. It's like plummeting down the rabbit hole straight to Wonderland.
Unfortunately, I couldn't post the third Music Monday of the month because I have taken a social media break for two weeks.
So today I'd like to share with you my love for a Brooklyn all-girl trio, Au Revoir Simone, whose synth-pop music makes me feel like I'm wandering in a dream.
"Au Revoir Simone must have beamed in from a land where lace clouds breeze over crystal lakes and icicles grow from the warm earth. This New York three-piece's glorious synth-lead alt-folk will leave you crying on the stairs in the middle of the night" - NME Radar
FYI, the band's name comes from a line Pee-wee Herman says in Tim Burton's movie, Pee-wee's Big Adventure - and since I adore Tim Burton, this is the cherry on top of my cake ;)
Well, the sweet summery sound of Young the Giant reminds me of Tunisia, when it was like eternal summer for my friends and I. One night, we were all lying on the beach, roasting marshmallows in bonfire, when one of them played a wonderful tune through his phone. And when I wanted to check out the band's name, it wasn't mentioned and nobody knew it.
Since then, I've been looking for Young the Giant without knowing neither its name nor any title of song, and by a stroke of luck I found them while browsing through Youtube a while ago - Oh dear Youtube, how much I love you!
Young the Giant is an American alternative rock band formed in California in 2004 and released its eponymous debut album, Young the Giant, in 2010.
Let me introduce you to the young yet successful Birdy.
Jasmine van den Bogaerde, who goes by the stage name Birdy, is an English singer/pianist who won the 2008's Open Mic UK, a music competition, at the age of 12, then released an eponymous debut album, Birdy, on November 2011.
Each and every song cover on this album gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. Her voice is so powerful, but fragile at the same time. It's so overwhelming. At only 15, Birdy has been able to inspire people thanks to her music. I can truly say she is one of a kind.
'Skinny Love' (Bon Iver cover)
'Shelter' (The XX cover)
'People help the People' (Cherry Ghost cover)
'1901' (Phoenix cover)
"And if you're homesick, give me your hand and I'll hold it" ,
You know when you’re on the Internet, and one click leads you to an amazing video? Well this is the story of how I discovered Crystal Fighters, a British/Spanish electronic/folk band formed in London in 2007. They also do remixes for famous artists like Two Door Cinema Club, The Wombats or Pony Pony Run Run on top of their debut album, Star of Love, released on October 2010 in the UK (April 2012 in the US).
'At Home' (acoustic - Live in the Woods)
'Champion Sound'
'Follow' (acoustic - Live in the Woods)
'Plage'
Love,
XO
P.S.: Here is my post about The Heartbreaks on YM&C! Check it out!
Last week, I received an email from my little sister saying, and I quote, "Check out this video! It's so YOU. Love xo".
So I did what she told me. Actually, she was right. And that made me smile. Ben Howard is an English folk singer/songwriter whose debut album Every Kingdom was released in October 2011.
I discovered Lucy Rose while I was listening to some acoustic performances on Watch Listen Tell and she blew me away. Well, it's hard not to fall in love with her sweet voice. When I listen to Lucy, flowers, warm sunshine and butterflies fill up my heart.
Lucy Rose is an English singer/songwriter from Warwickshire. She is currently recording her debut album and contributed vocals on the Bombay Bicycle Club albums Flaws and A Different Kind of Fix.
Well, I was in Paris last weekend to see Foster The People performing at the Bataclan.
I've followed this band since 2010, after Pumped Up Kicks' release, and it slowly became one of my favorite bands. I couldn't miss the opportunity to see them live. So my sister bought me their concert tickets as a gift for Christmas.
And what a gig! It was DOPE. A band I've never heard of before that night was opening for them. It's called Mini Mansions and you can check it out here. Pretty cool band.
Here are the music videos of FTP live performance. Put on playlist mode and see the awesomeness by yourself.
For those of you who still don't know who Foster The People are... shame on you! JK. But since I'm super nice and in a great mood, I'm gonna enlighten you.
FTP is an indie rock trio who make atmospheric, psychedelic, (and other ending in "-ic" adjectives) dance-oriented pop. Formed in LA in 2009, the band features keyboardist/vocalist Mark Foster, bassist Jacob "Cubbie" Fink, and drummer Mark Pontius. Two musicians, Isom Innis and Sean Cimino, also tour with the band (you can see 5 people on stage, so don't worry you don't have any vision problem).
In 2011, the band released its full-lenght debut album, Torches, available on iTunes and Amazon.
After the show, we joined up with the band at LE TIGRE by l'Alternative where they're planning to DJ till dawn.
Don't need to tell you it was one of the best night of my life so far. I can now cross one more thing off my Bucket List.
The first time I've heard of Of Monsters and Men was last February, when they followed me on Twitter. Being my curious self, I checked their official website and I knew right away I'd come across something special.
Of Monsters and Men is a six piece indie folk/indie pop Icelandic band whose debut album My Head Is an Animal is full of love and joy. Just in time for Spring!
And if you like Arcade Fire, Mumford and Sons, and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, you'll certainly enjoy listening to Of Monsters and Men. I know I do.
'Little Talks' - Of Monsters and Men
'Sloom' - Of Monsters and Men
'King and Lion heart' (Live from Music Hall of Williamsburg)
You can find more songs on Youtube, the album is not available yet on iTunes. Or you can also try Spotify or Soundcloud.
