music review – Page 2 – that lemon life

My Level Of Concern

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog. How are you all doing so far? Are you getting through your quarantines okay? Here in Austria, we’re slowly reaching the end of ours, thank god. So far, it’s planned that most shops will reopen next Tuesday, but it all depends on how the numbers will look at that point. I’m hoping for the best, naturally. Maybe they’ll “give” us even more if the numbers are super low. Kinda insane though, when you think about it, isn’t it? We’re all stuck at home, waiting for men in a higher power to finally tell us that we can go out again. Very very freaky. But oh well. We’ll get through this together, right?

And speaking about quarantines – guess who just saved 2020 for me? Made my day. Made my week. Mady my quarantine. That’s right. My boys. Ty and Josh did it again. Twenty One Pilots resurfaced to save the day. And they did it well because their new song with the title “Level Of Concern” brought smiles and tears not only to my face but those of countless others. The title was trending for hours on Twitter, the single swooped the charts within minutes and right now the uber-cute video has over 4 million clicks on YouTube. That’s what I call taking over the world in a heartbeat.

It’s not just that the song is absolutely amazing and such a huge surprise as well, but also its backstory makes me incredibly emotional. Apparently, Ty’s mum told him to release a song for the fans in these tough times, to give us something to get our minds off all the negative stuff that’s happening right now and put a smile on our faces. And so Ty went and wrote a song about the time he last felt this lost and isolated. Once again, he dedicated it to his beautiful wife Jenna and turned it into a hopeful, shiny love song. And that’s how “Level Of Concern” came to be. How incredibly cute is that?

On a personal note, the song really did save me yesterday and really managed to take my mind off things. In a nutshell, it feels like a well-needed hug from my favourite boys. I was actually in the middle of my online class when it got released, so, obviously, I had to leave the “room” for a few minutes. I was lucky, as the teacher had just given us a few minutes to discuss our current projects, so I could disappear without anyone really taking any notice. And then I heard the song and it just changed everything. For those three minutes and a few seconds, I was able to forget everything around me and just be with the guys, back in my comfortable clikkie cloud. The one that I had missed so badly. And after that, funnily enough, I watched the video while being back in “class”. Basically, I watched the video and had a bit of a fangirl freakout live on camera. Apparently, my teacher recorded the whole session for everyone to watch later on. So everyone will be able to watch me have a happy breakdown. Fun stuff. I know, it sounds very strange now, but once you watch the video I’m sure you’ll understand. It’s peak cuteness. Jenna and Ro are in it, glowing as bright as the stars, and Debby has the sweetest scene with Josh.

Also, although the song and the video were released without the boys being cryptic in any way, it still manages to be cryptic, at least a tiny bit. The scenes for the video were all filmed in their homes, their own studios, and they all feature their families and loved ones. But what we also see are the past versions of Twenty One Pilots. Their past eras. Ty is literally wearing the same shirt he wore in, like, 2011. Back when it all started for them. So, while being so simple and sweet, the video and the song still stand for something more. They stand for everything. Another masterpiece, basically. Oh, and let’s not forget that it’s all for a good cause as well, as the parts of the proceeds go to the charity Crew Nation, which is supporting all the people that were supposed to go on tour with various artists now. I can just repeat myself over and over again – I love this band so freaking much.

To be honest, ever since I heard the song for the first time, nothing much has been of any concern to me. Naturally, I’ve had the song on repeat all day and all night and I’m not even considering changing that. And another thing the song did is that it brought me hope. And an even bigger urge to see Ty and Josh in June. My mum and I still have our tickets for their show in Dublin on the 25th of June. One of 14 shows they’ll be doing this year. And their only headline show. I just have to go. I can’t have that be canceled. I just can’t. And if I can’t be in Dublin, I’ll go to one of those other 13 shows. I will see Twenty One Pilots this year. I swear to god and everything and everyone else. I will see them.

In the end, I can just highly recommend you listen to this song. It will put a smile on your face, guaranteed. And hey, by listening to it you’ll actually be doing something good as well. I mean, how great is that? It doesn’t get better than this. And until you give it a listen, I’ll be here, blasting it on repeat and waiting to hear your thoughts and opinions and hoping you love it just as much as I do. I even did a photo shoot yesterday, after I had noticed that I was unintentionally dressed in the colours of the single cover – see pictures down below. That’s what I call fan love.

Again, I hope you enjoy the song and please don’t hesitate to get in touch. And until then, I wish you all a lovely weekend and a happy Easter. Please continue to take care of yourself and others and spread positivity. We’ll get through this. I’m sending you all tight hugs and, as always, thanks for reading. x

‘Sadboy Guitar Bangerz with too many soloz’

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and another Friday – not really a New Music Friday, but something more exciting than that. Here in Austria, I can slowly start to see the finish line of our quarantine and maybe it’s because of that or maybe because I’m sitting outside, enjoying the glistening sunshine and some fantastic music playing the background, but I’m feeling a lot better than I was a few days ago. I’m already imagining how we’ll talk about this crap of a spring in a few years. The time we couldn’t go outside anymore and hugs were illegal. Crazy times.

But speaking of fantastic music – today’s a very good day for music. Specifically for the phenomenal indie band Peach Pit, who just released their new album today – it’s a banger – and who I got to interview a few days ago. And I couldn’t be any more excited to share the finished article with you guys. Please enjoy. And please go and give the guys a listen. They’re honestly so good. And the album is literally the perfect addition to any playlist. And we’re all in need of some great music right now, aren’t we?

‘Sadboy Guitar Bangerz with too many soloz’

It’s safe to say that 2020 has already been one hell of a year, and while that’s not necessarily a positive sentiment for a lot of people, for the members of Vancouver-based band Peach Pit, it’s been an unforgettable year for all the right reasons, with their newest album “You and Your Friends” just having been released. Intense, fun and with the warm breeze of a day at the beach, the album makes a perfect addition to any quarantine playlist. And it’s true – Peach Pit is the type of band whose music is always, and without fail, good, with their second full-length effort being no exception. To celebrate their special release, I got to chat with lead vocalist Neil Smith about the early beginnings of his band, the importance of teeth and their plans for when we all finally get to leave our rooms again.

Let’s start right at the beginning – how did this band start off?

Well, our guitarist Chris and I met in high school, but him and our bassist Peter actually go all the way back to kindergarten. The four of us didn’t really become friends though until we were in our early twenties. That’s when we all connected and actually became good pals.

Did you think you’d end up where you are now back then?

We were always hopeful, which is how you have to be when you start out trying to make music. But no, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come since playing in Chris’ dad’s basement 5 years ago.

What do you enjoy most about being a band? What do you dislike most?

Getting to tour all over the world and have fans in every city wanting to see you play is very surreal. That’s probably my favourite. And my least favourite is being stuck in the van with Mikey when he starts to feel cooped up. He goes crazy sometimes and just starts playing his drum machine super loudly to annoy us. It sucks!

Looking back on your career so far – what is your favourite memory?

Probably playing our last big hometown show in Vancouver. It was on Halloween and at a big theatre that has always been on our bucket list to play. All of our family and friends were there and we dressed up in full KISS costumes. It was sick pretending to be Gene Simmons for a night.

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

Sadboy Guitar Bangerz with too many soloz!

I read you like to describe your sound as “chewed bubblegum pop” – could you explain the meaning behind that?

We only said that because people always ask what kind of music we play, and because Indie music steals from rock and pop and more down tempo stuff it can be hard to pick which “genre” you belong to.

What was the process of producing and creating your new album like?

The writing portion was pretty challenging, we all spent a lot of time in our rehearsal space and I spent a ton of time at home alone trying to write songs last year. The recording of the record was the best though. We got to work with John Congelton and we hit it off immediately with him. He’s one of the funniest and most fun guys to have to hang around for weeks on end. I hope we can record another album with him in the future.

Do you follow a certain formula when you write your songs or is the process different every time?

Yes. Usually I come up with either the song title or the first line of the song and write it down in my notebook. Then I try and come up with a chord progression that I like and add a melody and lyrics to it. Once the song is done being written, then I bring it to band practice and the guys and I mess around with it until we’re happy with all the parts and the arrangement. The song generally changes a lot from when it’s just me at home to the full band playing it.

Why are teeth so central in your new album?

Because their highly underrated, how hard would eating be without them!

What is your favourite track of the album and why?

My favourite has changed a lot since we finished recording the album. But right now, it’s probably a two-way tie between Brian’s Movie and Your Teeth. With Brian’s Movie, I really like that Chris is playing a 12-string guitar with a slide (he’s never done that before) and Your Teeth I just really love the melody, it’s kind of creepy but also sad and pretty.

What has been your most enjoyable song to write so far and why? What’s your favourite song to play?

Shampoo bottles was written really fast, like in two days which is way shorter than normal. I love when a song just falls out of you super easy. And my favourite to play would be Brian’s Movie, I just can’t get enough of that 12 string.

How do you try to stand out of the crowd?

We just try to be ourselves as much as possible. I think people can sense when you’re being fake so you might as well avoid trying to be something that you are not. This would be my strongest piece of advice to any young bands starting out.

What are your plans for the future, after all of this is finally over?

Well once all this shit dies down we’ll be able to get our touring schedule back on track. We were so excited for this spring but unfortunately staying at home is the most important thing we can do right now. So, in the meantime we’ll just be on Instagram live as much as possible. Please tune in.

What does music mean to you?

It means everything to me. Besides my family and friends, it’s the most important thing. Not only is it our livelihood but it’s just our favourite way to spend our time. Being able to pick up a guitar and entertain myself while being stuck inside has been a huge blessing.

Peach Pit’s latest album “You and Your Friends” is now available in stores and on all download and streaming platforms.

And there you go, guys. I hope you enjoyed the interview. Please do go and give Peach Pit and their new album a listen – it’s uber fantastic, it truly is. And just so much fun to listen to. And besides that, I hope you’re all doing good and not going too insane at home and wish you all a lovely weekend. And, as always, 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.

New Music Friday

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and another Friday. A very special one, to be exact, because, after a way too long time, the New Music Friday is back again. FINALLY. So, you know the drill – I’m gonna tell you all about my favourite new songs that have recently come out or that I’ve recently discovered and your job is to sit back, relax and enjoy the music. Here we go.

Simmer / Leave It Alone – Hayley Williams

Well, if it isn’t my female singer? I know, this sounds every undramatic, but the excitement I feel surrounding just the fact that Hayley is back with new music can’t really be put into words. I know, it’s still not like Paramore is back – although they haven’t broken up, everyone calm down again – but I’m so happy to hear her voice again. Also, I mean, the two new songs are freaking amazing. And it’s not even just the music, but the whole story surrounding it as well and the videos. Absolutely magical.

Heavy Hearted – The Jungle Giants

It’s been quite some time since these Australian lads and girl (their badass guitarist) have blessed my and our all ears with new music, but a few days ago I finally stumbled across their new tracks and since then I haven’t been able to stop listening to this absolutely addictive dance hit. It’s literally SO good, holy moly. You definitely need to give this band a listen, if you haven’t so far. You won’t regret it, I swear.

Fine Line – Harry Styles

I know what you’re thinking right now. What is a Harry Styles song doing on this list and on this blog? And I totally understand your confusion, because I usually really don’t listen to Harry at all and Ed is as far as I get in listening to pop in general, usually. But here we are. And I’m not going to lie, Fine Line is a fantastic track and I’m more than happy to share it with you. Actually, I think his whole album is very share-worthy (and a definite improvement from the first one) and if you haven’t given it a try yet, you really should.

Beautiful Faces – Declan McKenna

It can’t get any newer than this. It’s definitely no surprise or news that I like to include any of Declan’s new stuff in my lists and that I am head over heels in love with it, so, here he is, again. And wow wow, what a great song. It’s the first single of his upcoming album “Zeros”, that will be released on the 15th of May, and, not to be dramatic or anything, but I really can’t wait for this album. And his tour. It’s going to be unbelievable.

Used To Love – Martin Garrix featuring Dean Lewis

Don’t even act surprised – of course I had to include Marty in this list. And it totally deserves the spot, because the song is freaking amazing. From Dean Lewis’ beautiful voice to the magical strings in the background and the addictive drop – dance music royalty, I tell you. But it’s Marty, so who was expecting anything else?

Ps: If any of you get the chance, I highly recommend watching Marty’s diary series on YT, which also includes the making of this song (clip down below). The work behind the track is freaking incredible.

Big Pot Of Hummus / It’s Been A Year – Tom Rosenthal

And last but not least, here’s the guy that always closes New Music Friday – Tom. And for a reason, because Tom is Tom and that means heavenly music is on its way. While the one song puts the biggest smile on my face, the other one made me instantly tear up. And that’s the magic behind Tom’s music. It never lacks emotions and it never fails to make me emotional, in whichever way. And that’s why I will never stop being addicted to his music and loving it to pieces.

And with that, we’ve already reached the end of today’s New Music Friday. I hope you all enjoyed or enjoy all the clips and songs I shared with you today, but as always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all a nice weekend and thanks for reading. x

The most aesthetic concert EVER

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and also another week. First of all, I’m so sorry for not posting anything last week. At the beginning of it, I was super busy with uni and interviews and going to concerts (which today’s post may or may not be about) and then, what a surprise, I got ill and have been carrying this damn ass cold around with me ever since. Can you feel my frustration through the screen? I’m so annoyed, honestly. But let’s not go there, let’s just focus on the good instead. I hope you’re feeling better than me, but if you’re ill as well, I wish you a quick recovery.

So, there’s that. Now, here comes to the fun bit – the story of the concert I went to on Tuesday, which may or may not have been the most aesthetic gig I’ve ever been to. I’ve never experienced anything like it, so I’ve got no other choice than tell you everything about it. First, the band – half•alive. If you’ve been following my blog for the past few months, you’ll probably know this indie trio from California. But if you don’t know them, please go and check them out immediately. They are so good. And their show was absolutely stunning as well, as you can probably tell by me not being able to even fully describe how much it blew me away.

I might have to add that Leni and I actually managed to get to the very front of the stage, which, I think, made it all even better because we could see everything. It’s probably also a good time now to mention that I actually got to interview these incredibly talented guys the day before for my uni magazine, which made the whole gig even more special. It kind of made me appreciate it all even more because they had directly told me how much effort they put into the shows and how much they mean to them. I’ve never met a band at the level they are right now that puts this much thought into the shows. According to them, they try to put as much of their music videos into their live shows as they can. Makes sense, thinking that their gig felt more like watching a theatre or art performance. It was that special.

They had everything. Colours, expressive dancers (also known as JA Collective), a very impressive light show, a live string duo and the most interesting stage set-up. They definitely used all the available space the stage could offer. And don’t even get me started on the music. If any of you have got the chance to check out some of their live performances on YouTube, don’t be misled – they are actually A LOT better live at their shows than you’d ever think from just watching those clips. Josh’s voice (the lead singer) is absolutely breath-taking live and Brett and J just turn the three of them into the perfect trio. I adored how passionate and happy they looked on stage and it made me so happy to see them enjoy the show.

If I had to choose my favourite parts, it would probably seeing the dance performance for the first time, which surprised the hell out of me, as I definitely wasn’t expecting that, and the moment when Josh literally threw his guitar over one of the dancers into the arms of their tech guy. It was way more thrilling than I thought because the guitar looked close to either hitting someone one the head or plain crashing onto the floor. Also, did I mention that they changed their outfits three times? In the span of one hour? How crazy is that? First I thought the clothes were meant to fit the background and the lights, but nope. They’re just that extra. But in the best way.

So, overall, it was one of the craziest experiences ever. The interview the day before was absolutely fantastic and they were super nice as well, and then the gig but the biggest cherry on top. Absolutely incredible. If any of you ever get the chance to see half•alive live, please go and check them out. They’re truly phenomenal. And until then, please give them a listen on YouTube or Spotify. You won’t regret it. Also, I hope you enjoyed this post. I would really love to hear your opinions and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to leave them down below. And until then I wish you all a nice week and thanks for reading. x