indie – that lemon life

Infinitely Ordinary

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to another Friday and another end of the week. How are you guys? I hope you’ve had a good week, despite the current circumstances, and that you’re looking forward to the weekend. Also, guess what guys? I went outside today… without any reason. I know, what a shocker. And you know why? Because the quarantine here in Austria is officially over and I’m finally free to leave the house whenever I want. Weheeeeeee. I can’t believe it. It makes me so incredibly happy that we’ve already reached that point here, but also sad because the UK is still doing so bad and I have no idea when I’ll be able to fly back. I remember after I had left London, I told my mum that we should immediately fly to the first country that was doing well again, where life had gone back to normal. And now we already are in that country. Oh, the irony. But oh well, I’m glad I’m home, no matter what.

Thankfully, music has kept me calm and collected throughout this madness and has brought me a lot of highlights and happiness. Just like today. Because today, after what felt like an eternity, The Wrecks finally released their debut album and I can’t even put into words how happy I am that it’s finally in this world.

I’m not going to lie, I might be a bit biased when it comes to this band. Their song Favorite Liar was my most listened track of 2017 and even other years included it’s still high on top. So when I heard that they were about to release an album, I could only just about contain my excitement. And a debut album as well. I don’t know why, but I feel like debuts always have this unique touch of excitement and newness. There’s nothing like a first album, the first time a band really gets to show and present its talent in its full colours. And today is the day The Wrecks finally get to show us who they are. And I swear, they didn’t disappoint. Very much the opposite, to be honest. Because Infinitely Ordinary is even better than I had imagined.

First of all, the probably most unique aspect of the album is that every song sounds different. I’m not gonna go into much detail, because I’m a strong believer that you can spoil an album just as much as you can spoil a movie and I definitely don’t want to spoil this fun rollercoaster of an album for anyone. So I’m going to keep the overall tracks and what they sound like a secret. All I’m gonna say is that they all sound phenomenal and that the debut couldn’t have been a better one. It’s an album that lights up the rainy day when you’re stuck inside with nowhere to go. It’s an album that makes you think of Californian beaches and the ease that comes with being young and free. And it’s album that reminds you that there’s always something to look forward to, even if it’s just a nice piece of music.

I know that a lot of bands have decided to postpone their albums due to the current situation, which I totally understand. Still, I’m insanely happy that The Wrecks decided against that and went on to release their album as planned. Because the world might not be able to go to music stores now and get physical copies of songs and albums, but I think especially now we’ve got even more time on our hands to listen to some good music. And Infinitely Ordinary is no exception to that. It was definitely worth the wait and I already can see myself playing this over and over again. Naturally, this also means that I can’t recommend it enough to you guys. I swear you won’t regret giving it a listen. These boys really deserve all the attention they are receiving and I can’t wait to watch them grow bigger and bigger in the upcoming months. And hopefully come to Europe so I can finally see them live. I sure damn will be standing in the front row, waiting to hear this masterpiece of an album live. And until then it will stay as a staple of my quarantine playlist and hopefully of yours as well.

And there you go, guys. This is today’s music recommendation from yours truly. I hope you enjoy the album just as much as me. And if you want to find out more about the guys, here are their Spotify and Instagram accounts. If you give them a listen, I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. And until then I wish you all a lovely weekend and hope that you’re doing good. And, as always, I’m sending you the tightest hugs and thanks for reading. x

“Rock with Horns”

Hola everyone.

Looks like we’ve reached another Friday yet again. To be honest, I’m surprised I still know what day it is. They seem to blend into each other the past weeks. But here I am once again, sitting in front of my laptop, thinking about what to write about today. And I know it might not sound like that, but this simple act of typing something up to share with you guys is one of the things that have been keeping me afloat. It gives me a sense of structure and responsibility. I might not be able to the cinema or meet my friends, but I’m still able to talk to all of you and I can’t even put into words how much I appreciate that. So here I am, once again.

Okay, and now let’s talk business. I know I’ve hinted at it already a few weeks ago, but today the time has finally come for me to share the fantastic interview I did with the uber-amazing band HUNNY. If you’ve been following me and my blog for a while, you will probably already know who these very special boys are. In a nutshell – they make crazy good music, I was super excited to finally meet them and you should definitely read the interview and then give them a listen. You won’t regret it, I promise. And so, without further ado, here’s our little chat. I hope you enjoy it.

“Rock with Horns”

Going to a concert of the Californian band HUNNY is a very special experience. They meet all the criteria for the perfect indie band: charismatic with a touch of rogue, a frontman who turns the stage into his dance floor, a flawless shredder on the guitar, a synth magician, and a funky bass player. That’s why it’s fairly easy to be obsessed with HUNNY, consisting of Jason Yarger (vocals), Jake Goldstein (guitar), Joey Anderson (drums) and Kevin Grimmett (bass, keyboards) – these LA rockers are absolute favorites: young, passionate and full of sugar. I met the humorous guys for an interview before their sold-out show at Shepherd’s Bush in London and talked to them about their current tour, the production of their newest album, and the fight for authenticity in the music business.

How did your band start off?

Jake: Same old story. Some old story. We’ve just all known each other forever. Jason and I lived together in a house and then everybody started to come to us and hang out and then this band happened.

Joey: Pretty boring origin story. Nobody got bitten by a radioactive spider or anything.

How would you describe your band to someone who doesn’t know you?

Kevin: If you mean an older person, like a boomer, then we’re a rock band, they wouldn’t understand anything else. But when we’re talking to someone who knows what we’re about, we do alternative rock.

Jason: I don’t like that one though. It’s so broad to say that. I never know how to describe us.

Jake: We make rock with horns.

What do you dislike most about your job and what do you love most?

Jake: The industry behind music sucks. But that’s also the thing that allows us to play shows like tonight. Venues are only open because people buy tickets and drinks and come to concerts. That is also the catch 22. I wish every show could be five pounds, but unfortunately, that wouldn’t work.

Jason: Speaking of catch 22, tour is the worst and best part. It’s tough, but it’s also the greatest time. When we played a small gig recently, there were two girls from Japan at the show who go to school here in London. So they came from Japan and are here in England and we are also here and we are all very far from home and connected by this one thing, by the music. That’s really cool.

How does your production process work?

Jason: Basically, we sit around the laptop and play around with melodies and rhythms until it sounds cool. We don’t really jam with all our instruments in one room, because then everyone just worries about what they do personally. Because you feel like you have to add something even if the song doesn’t need it. That’s why we prefer to sit together and talk about what we have to add to a track instead of everyone doing something just to do something.

From your album cover to your merch, everything you do looks really nice. I assume aesthetics mean a lot to you?

Jake: Yeah, we have a hand in pretty much everything. Jason designs our merch and album art and in general, we talk about our visuals a lot. It’s definitely something we actively talk about and think about.

Me: Do you think that will ever change?

Jason: I’m too much of an asshole to let anybody else make any of our art for us. So probably not. I have a very tight grip on things sometimes.

Joey: He rules with an iron fist.

What does the contact to your fans mean to you?

Jake: That’s the most important thing. It’s our favourite ethos – we come from loving DIY bands and punk bands, where the whole idea is the connection of the fans being a part of the greater thing that is the band. The fact that they have such a strong bond with our music and want to share their art and ideas with us means that they are as invested in the band as we are, if not even more. That means a lot to us.

How do you try to stand out from the endless mass of bands?

Jason: I think we try by not trying. As lame as that may sound.

Joey: Being genuinely ourselves is going to make us stand out. Trying to be anything else will only make us look like doofuses.

Jake: Absolutely true. Those are the things in music that cut through right now. Things that feel genuine, that are authentic, that’s all people want. To know that something is real.

What does music mean to you?

Kevin: I think it’s everything. It’s style, the way you act, everything.

Jason: Music took over my life when I was ten years old. It’s quite literally absolutely everything in my entire life right now. I was up on a night drive with our tour manager in the states a while ago and we were talking about how insane it is that some people are not like that. Obviously, everybody is different but it’s so crazy that it’s literally the only thing I can think about. It’s made me homeless and happy and depressed and everything in my entire life revolves around it.

Jake: It has to mean a lot to you to give it a go like we are.

Jason: Tell Rolling Stone my last words were I dig music.

HUNNY’s new album “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes” is available everywhere now. In short – you should definitely give these guys a listen right now – here are their Spotify and Instagram accounts -, they’re too good to miss out on them. And until then, I hope you all enjoyed this interview and wish you all a fantastic weekend. I hope you’re all doing good and getting through the quarantine okay. We’ll get through this together, I promise. If any of you need to talk, I’m here. And, as always, I’m sending you all the tightest hugs and thanks for reading. x

I’m officially old

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and also another week. I hope you all had a lovely weekend and that you’re feeling great. As you can read from the title, today’s post is going to be a different one. And no, I’m not having a crisis, but only stating the plain and true facts. But let me explain…

I’m officially old, guys. But not in the way you’re thinking. Yes, I’ll be 24 in just about three weeks (don’t talk to me about that please and thank you), but that’s not old. And no, I’m not telling myself that over and over again to keep my heart rate steady. I am fine. The thing that’s putting me off at the moment is that, for the first time ever, I felt too old to be at a gig. Yes, I am talking about the Cavetown gig I went to last Saturday. I felt like I had landed on some weird planet that was full of little kids with kazoos. And I didn’t understand a thing that was going on. At one point, there was a duet happening with – and I’m not making this up – an imaginary character from Animal Crossing. I mean… what?

But it’s not like I wasn’t expecting it to be that way. For those of you who don’t know Cavetown, he’s a British singer-lad, who currently is 21, but who, from what I saw last weekend, is also trying really hard to not be an adult. And I’m not criticizing him for that in any way, because, clearly, it’s working. Selling out Shepherd’s Bush surely isn’t easy, so props to him. The thing is, he is incredibly talented, but he looks and sounds, and sometimes also acts like a kid. Again, not hating on him here, just recalling my experience. Maybe I was also just the wrong person to attend the gig. From what I could find out, his main fanbase is mostly between 14 and 19 years old. I am clearly about 5 years too old for him then. But I can’t even say that I didn’t enjoy the gig. To be honest, I’d actually say I loved it to bits, but maybe not in the way many others did that night.

In short – my friend Lauren and I had a blast. We stood there, didn’t understand a thing of what was happening, were clearly confused when suddenly a huge teddybear named Patrick Stewart was brought on stage for emotional support, but nonetheless, we turned that evening into one of the funniest nights ever. And you know when something is so cute that it’s getting a bit too much, but you can’t be mad at it, because, yes, it’s still cute? That’s what that whole evening was like. Robin (Cavetown) is just the real personification of Peter Pan. An incredibly talented Peter Pan. At least that’s what I got from it.

My favourite part of the whole night – besides finally getting to see HUNNY live as Cavetown’s support – was probably the end of the gig (no, I don’t mean it like what you think, I’m not that mean), when they played the concert-ending track. You know, with bands like Twenty One Pilots or The 1975 you get indie or rock songs. Or with Bombay Bicycle Club, you get a fun dance number from the 80s everyone can dance to. And then there’s Cavetown and we got the Wii music. I am not joking, please take this seriously. Yes, the Wii music. I had the time of my life. Nobody can imagine what a blast I had in that moment, with that utterly stupid but fun track playing, kids running around with their kazoos and Lauren looking at me in a way that said “please kill me now”. It doesn’t get better than this.

But, all jokes aside, it really was a great gig and we really did have a fun night. HUNNY was an amazing support and an even better and funnier group to interview. Cavetown was incredibly talented and I absolutely loved his voice, even more so the stage design which was made up by tons of fairy lights in the background. But, nonetheless, I definitely wasn’t meant to attend that gig. Yes, I saw a lot of parents there, but we all know why most of them were there. I think I’ve just passed the point where I can go to fangirl-packed, kids-filled gigs. And that’s kinda sad, but I feel like also just a natural thing to happen. We all grow up, I guess. But my inner child that loves to dance to the Wii music will stay forever.

And there you go, guys. That’s my story of being officially old. I hope you like it. As always, please let me know what you think. I wish you all a lovely week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

Indie goodness with The Jungle Giants

Hola everyone.

I’m so sorry for posting this late today. I haven’t really been feeling well all day, so I spent most of my time tucked into bed after uni, where I still currently am, cuddling with Maisy (our cat here in London, obvs) and writing this post. I hope your Monday and your weekend have been great and that you’re doing well.

I spent most of the weekend working on my uni projects, but there was also this other really exciting event on Saturday, which I would like to tell you all about today. And who would’ve guessed it, it was a gig. Surprise surprise. A The Jungle Giants gig, to be exact. But, in all honesty, it was a fantastic show and I enjoyed every second of it. Naturally, the day afterward, I had to sit down and write a little review on it, which I would like to share with you. I hope you enjoy it. Also, if any of you ever get the chance to see this band live, please don’t let it slip. It was my second time seeing these Australian indie rockers live and I would go and see them again any day if I could. Because the show was just so much fun, so exhilarating and, yeah, just really really really fun. But I’ll let the review do the rest of the talking. Please enjoy. Also, as always, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below – I’d love to hear what you think. And, of course, I wish you all a nice week and thanks for reading. x

Live Review: The Jungle Giants @ Electric Brixton

They say time flies when you’re having fun, and The Jungle Giants’ Brixton gig seemed to be no exception from that, as it was over just a second after it had started. Or at least it felt like that.

As band members Sam Hales, Andrew Dooris, Keelan Bijker, and Cesira Aitken took to the stage, the already hyped up crowd exploded in screams and cheers in anticipation of what they knew was going to be an incredible live set. Limbs were loose and smiles were big, with everyone seemingly being ready to dance through the following one and a half hours of pure Australian indie goodness.

Throughout the whole night, there was no denying that whether you’re a casual listener or die-hard fan, The Jungle Giants have something to offer for everyone. Handpicked from their magnificent discography, the setlist was packed with timeless hits and fan-favourites such as ‘Feel The Way I Do’, ‘Anywhere Else’ and ‘She’s A Riot’ – which instantly caught on fire and left the dance floor in flames. But of course the band also didn’t want to miss out on the chance of showcasing their amazing transformation of the past eight years, moving seamlessly between their classic indie pop-rock moments and their newer, more electronic-based tracks, peaking with the eclectic and infectious ‘Heavy Hearted’.

And while the band kept banging out hits throughout the night, it was Sam Hales as their frontman, who particularly stood out on the black, colour-struck stage. From square dancing, to the constant crowd engagement and even letting an ecstatic girl in the crowd play his guitar, he sure knew how to hold the audience in the palm of his hands.

It was that enthusiasm and love from the Australian four-piece which radiated through the room and shone in the eyes of the dancing, singing and cheering crowd, that confirmed that The Jungle Giants really are the new indie sweethearts. With their fully sold-out second ever show in London and their ability to flawlessly transition from their old rock times to indie electronic excellence, The Jungle Giants have proved that they are not only here for a good time, but a long one as well.

An evening with Tom

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing on this – at least here in London – grey and rainy Monday? I hope so far your Monday has been less grey and less rainy than mine. And if it hasn’t, oh well, at least there’s your reason to cuddle up in a blanket and watch a nice movie. Besides that, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that you’re looking forward to the upcoming days.

Today, I thought, would be a nice time to talk a bit about the last Tom Rosenthal gig that I went to at the beginning of December last year – as promised – and share the review with you that I wrote about it for the LDN magazine (click here to check out our website). You all can probably guess that I absolutely loved every single second of the gig – and yes, I did. It was so beautiful and just straight-up lovely, I never wanted the evening to end. Tom never fails to excel even my biggest expectations, while still staying himself and just so down to earth. The crowds have become bigger, but he’s still the same Tom, with his dad jokes, strange concert outfits (this time, specially for the Christmas gig, it was a fluffy jacket that lit up like a colourful Christmas tree) and way too stunning voice. He’s definitely one of those artists that I will never ever stop being in love with and that I could see live over and over again without it ever losing its thrill and excitement. That’s just who Tom is. The perfect talent.

Because of this, it was an absolute honour for me to write a review of the gig for our magazine. He deserves all the attention he’s receiving and so much more. And I already can’t wait to write more about him. But until then, I hope you guys enjoy this review (see down below) – according to Tom himself it’s a good one, so there you go. And speaking of him, he’s currently doing another small EU + UK tour and you should all definitely go and see him. I’m not even kidding. You’ll miss out on one of the best, loveliest and nicest gigs of your life if you let the chance of seeing him live slip. Really. So, go and see Tom. You won’t regret it, I swear. And on my part, I hope you enjoyed this post. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below and I wish you all a nice week. And, of course, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy the review. x

Live Review: Tom Rosenthal @ Islington Assembly Hall (10.12.2019)

Tom Rosenthal has always gone a bit against the current. His special style of indie folk-pop has always been very self-contained to mainly acoustic songs that make you dream of long car rides under a starry night sky, but still, they have stayed on the right side of indie cheese. For the past ten years, Tom has continued to make songs that are ridiculously catchy but feel homegrown and more like a tight, warm hug than anything else. And until a series of small-scale 100 capacity gigs at the St Pancras Old Church at the beginning of 2019, most of them used to be cherished secrets, buried deep in the depths of Spotify & Co.

Today, a few months, a handful of new songs and a whole UK/EU tour later, Tom has come back to London, with an added zero to his sold-out gig at the Islington Assembly Hall. But this where the changes begin and end again. The banner below Tom’s keyboard is still the one made by his wife. His accompaniment still consists of only a single cellist and a guitarist, which again reflects his musical style perfectly: intimate, emotive, and wonderfully personal. And he is still the same Tom Rosenthal, moving seamlessly from existential sorrow to jolly comedy. The haunting harmonies of the oh so popular ‘It’s OK’ make way for the uplifting brightness of fan favorites‘ P.A.S.T.A’, ‘Watermelon’ and ‘Red Red Red’, also known as the ‘fun sing-a-long bit’, where the audience does actually sing along.

Through the usual dressing of overwhelming emotions, endless smiles and even the odd dance number to the sunny ‘Love Loosens Limbs’, it becomes clear that the true power of Tom’s talent flourishes in his live performances. He jokes that it may have taken him a bit long to finally play his own gigs and thanks the crowd for sharing the evening with him countless times. And as he leaves the stage to rapturous applause, everyone in the small venue silently agrees – Tom Rosenthal has finally arrived and he has come to stay.

Nothing But Them

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and another Friday. I hope you’ve all had a great week and that you’re looking forward to the weekend. Usually, at this point, I’d be starting to tell you all about my favourite songs of 2019, but I have to interrupt the usual program for an important announcement – Bombay Bicycle Club are back and have just released their album and I need to talk about it.

First of all, I have to explain why this album and this band’s comeback means so much to me. At the end of 2016, Spotify recommended a song called “Shuffle” by the band Bombay Bicycle Club to me and I, unsurprisingly, fell absolutely in love with it. And the band in general. That was the good part. But then I found out that I had been too late, too late for this amazing band that had broken up a few months before I stumbled over and into them. To put it short, I was devastated. For years I had been on the safe side, but now even I had found the one band that I had been too late for. The one band I was sure I’d never get to hear new music from, never get to see live.

Fast forward to this week’s Wednesday: I’m leaning against the barrier in the tiny Concorde 2 in Brighton, excitedly chatting to my friend Lauren with the prospect of seeing Bombay Bicycle Club live for the very first time. Even now, two days later, it feels like an absolute dream, like it never really happened. But it did. I was really there, dancing around in the front row of this small venue to the fantastic Bombay Bicycle Club. Needless to say that I teared up to all their old songs, the ones that have been accompanying me for several years, and cheered to all the new ones that I’ve been longing for for so long.

And now, after all this time, their new album “Everything Else Has Gone Wrong” is finally out and it’s both everything I’ve always wished for and a total surprise. A lot has changed, but Bombay still sounds like Bombay, with addictive guitar strokes, energetic beats, and enchanting lyrics. Somehow, their music has become more intense, the lyrics more direct, perfectly transporting the overall theme of finding comfort in music in troubled times. And with the beautiful “Racing Stripes” as the closing track of the album, the LP really does feel like a big, tight hug. One you definitely want to come back to again and again.

If I had to choose my favorites, it would definitely be “Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)”, the first song to see the light of day after their hiatus, the amazing “I Can Hardly Speak”, the lovely “Do You Feel Loved”, which is pure heaven live, and the intense “Let You Go”, a track that feels more like an adventurous journey than a song. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that the remaining songs are any less amazing than my favourites, to be honest, I actually feel like this list of preferred tracks is bound to change about every day. And that just underlines how great this album truly is.

Concluding, I can only recommend giving this album a listen, you won’t regret it, I swear. A year ago, I never thought I’d ever be able to say that I’ve just listened to the new Bombay Bicycle Club album and that I was able to see them live. But now all of these things have come true and I really can’t believe it. And to make things perfect, I’m also going to see them again on the 7th of February. Life is beautiful, truly. And to Bombay, I can only say – welcome back, guys. Please stay this time, we missed you.

As always, I’d be super happy to hear from you guys, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch and share your opinion. I’d love to hear what you think about the album. Also, I hope you enjoyed this post and wish you all a great weekend. And, of course, thanks for reading. x