review – Page 2 – that lemon life

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

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

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

The Romantics

Hola everyone.

How are we all doing on this beautiful Monday? I hope so far you’ve had a great day and that the past weekend has been nice. I, on my behalf, am pretty good, thank you. I’m currently juggling uni, work and free time, but I can’t complain, as I think that, besides missing my family and my pets and my home in general, I couldn’t be any happier than I am right now. My time here in London has been the absolute best so far. I can’t even believe that it’s not even been two months since I moved here. It feels like I’ve been part of this city for such a long time. But that’s probably thanks to Brighton and just my overall situation. I feel right where I am. And I love it more than I could ever describe.

And speaking of that – this is also what I wanted to talk to you guys about today. Love. Or parts of it, at least. You know, I think nowadays it’s very hard or difficult for people to believe in love, to put their soul and trust into it. Although it’s the one constant in our life that surrounds us every single day, and we might not even notice it. Because love isn’t just what two partners feel for each other. It’s shared between family members, parents and their children, friends, grannys and their cats (or in my case, me and my babies). We might not think of these kinds of love as true love, but it is, just another version of it. I for my part am a hundred percent certain that there isn’t any bigger form of love than the one shared between parents and their kids. My mum once told me that I’m the reason for her to be on this earth (I’m trying very hard to not tear up at this part) and, in all honesty, I can’t imagine there’s any deeper version of love than this. At least in my opinion.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been a romantic. A hopeless one, to be exact. I want all of it. The cheesy gestures. Tons of butterflies. Sweaty, nervous, shaky hands. Throwing pebbles at windows. Finding a bunch of flowers on the doorstep. Goodnight and good morning texts. The whole deal. I’ve always been in love with the idea of true love, which is funny, as I’m one of the people who unfortunately have never been a recipient of such cheesy gestures. And sometimes it gets difficult to not lose hope. But then something happens, you experience or come across something and suddenly it all comes flowing back. And in the case of the past few weeks, that something was a new TV series I found on Amazon. Which is exactly what I wanted to share with you today. I know, what a dramatic way to introduce a TV show, but I felt like being a bit emotional and dramatic.

The show I’m talking about is called “Modern Love” and The New York Times fans among you will probably recognize that name from the column of the paper, which is exactly what the show is based on. The episodes embody the cinematic versions of the columns and the absolutely stunning stories that are told in them. And oh my god, I can’t remember the last time when I instantly fell so deeply in love with a series as I did with Modern Love. I adore it to pieces. And actually, I have to thank it as well, because it made me fall in love with love. With true love, in whatever form and between whoever. And it made me happy. So so happy.

The show itself features eight episodes with eight different love stories that explore this very phenomenal feeling in its multitude of forms – including sexual, romantic, familial, platonic, and self-love. They only have two things in common – all of them revolve and happen in the beautiful New York and all of them depict a form of love. So far there unfortunately only exists one season, but I’ve got high hopes that there will be another one to come (please please please).

As you can see in the trailer, the show doesn’t just contain super lovely stories but also features uber-fantastic actors and actresses and stunning cinematography. Needless to say that I cried more than just a few times. It’s just too beautiful. And too much for my romantic heart. If I had to choose, I’d probably say that the first two episodes and the seventh one are my favorites ones. All of them touched me in different ways, but these three earned a special place in my heart (especially the first one, just putting that out there).

But, of course, I love all of them. The show is absolutely beautiful and I can only recommend it to any and all of you. Please go and watch it, seriously. You won’t regret it, I swear. Open your heart and let it make you fall in love with love. It’s currently available on Amazon for free if you’ve got Prime, so it’s basically just a click away. You know, the show left me with a feeling of hope that isn’t easy to evoke, so it really is something special. If any of you have already watched it or want to watch it, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comment down below. I’d love to hear what you thought/think. And until then I hope you enjoyed this post and wish you not only a great week but also lots of fun watching the show (which I hope you’re going to do). And, as always, thanks so much for reading. x

Ps: you can also check out the column on Spotify and on their website.

What’s up

Hola everyone.

How are we all doing on this beautiful Friday? I hope so far you’ve had a nice week and that you’re looking forward to the weekend. I am definitely. This week has been quite busy, so I’m really excited to just relax for a bit. Actually, this is what I wanted to talk to you guys about today. Quite some time has passed since my last update post and since I just sat down and chatted to you guys for bit, told you what’s happening in my life and how living in London has turned me into a whole new person (I’m only kidding, obviously). So, why not get straight into it?

This Sunday, on the 20th of October, it will, in all honesty, as much as I can’t believe it, be my first anniversary of living here in London. One month. I think this month has actually been the shortest of my whole life. Feels like a week. But at the same time, it feels like I’ve been here for ages, simply because of all the things that I’ve already done and that have happened. Concert season officially started two weeks, opened up by the fantastic band Inhaler, who were, as always and unsurprisingly, absolutely fantastic. They played at this tiny venue in Camden, which was sold out, of course. But you could really tell that they are one of those bands to keep an eye on right now. Also, the freakiest thing ever happened. Not only was one of the actors from the show Discovery of Witches (and I think he’s in Killing Eve as well) standing right in front of my friend and me in the crowd – his name is Edward Bluemel if you want to look him up. But when the gig had ended, after a few minutes of us waiting for the space to clear up and maybe another celebrity popping up out of nowhere, Noel freaking Gallagher walked past us. Yes, the Oasis dude. That one, yep. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I was not even close to being as excited as my friend, who I think had a hard time trying not to squeal, but, I mean, it’s Oasis. Everyone knows Oasis. Everyone loves Wonderwall. And that guy literally just stood in front of us for so damn long. And nobody even cared. It was the coolest and most surreal experience.

The next gig I went to was actually just a few days ago – The Academic at Scala. I mean, what can I say. I just love those guys. It was such a fun gig. And on top of their whole amazingness, it was even Craig’s, their lead singer’s birthday, which made it all even more special. Again, another sold out gig, which didn’t surprise me at all. They deserve to play sold out shows, they really do. If any of you ever get the chance to see them, I’d totally recommend you checking them out. They’re worth it, trust me.

What I’m not counting as going to gigs though are all the shows I’ve been to the past few weeks due to my work. Yes, I did actually manage to get a job, within the first week I had moved here, to be exact, which I’m still incredibly proud of. I now work at a fantastic venue here in London, which I’m incredibly happy about. I wouldn’t say it’s the most chill job, but it’s definitely worth it. And I just love being in that space. There’s great music and everyone is happy and celebrating this phenomenal form of art. I love it.

And yeah, besides that, nothing much has been going on. Uni has been absolutely amazing so far, which I’m very happy about. Our cat here at home, Maisy, has officially become my new roommate, as she basically spends all her time in my room when she’s not eating or outside in the garden. I’m not going to lie, that’s actually one of the most prominent reasons why I love our place so much. I mean, I basically own a cat here. A cat. Me. The personification of love for cats. I’m the granny with 20 cats. That’s me right there. Although, I have to admit that it sometimes does make me miss Peaches, my baby, even more. I’ll be going home for the Christmas break again this year, so I’ll be seeing her and the rest of my lovely family again in less than two months, which I’m already so excited about. As much as I love being here in London, basically living (in) my dream, I’d still do everything to be able to shrink my house and my family and just bring them with me. But that’s the price I had to pay for this. And I can still “see” them whenever we facetime, so at the end of the day, it’s all good.

So, all in all, so far the month here in London has been absolutely stunning. I still haven’t fully reached the level of realization that I now really live here, but that’s alright. Maybe I’ll be walking around in Soho in one or two months and then it will hit me and I’ll burst into happy tears and everyone will think I’m crazy. Oh well. In the end, I again have to thank my family for making all of this happen. This is absolutely unbelievable and I feel like the luckiest person in the universe.

But, now, enough from me. What about you guys? Are you all doing good? How has life been? Please don’t hesitate to send me a message if you want to chat or leave your comments and thoughts down below. As always, I hope you enjoyed this little update and wish you an amazing weekend. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

New Music Friday

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to another Friday. And, also, to another episode of our all-time favourite series – the New Music Friday. Amazing, new and exciting music that you can relax and/or get hyped to. Music that you can fall in love with. Could there be any better way to start off the weekend? I don’t think so.

As the last New Music post was done at the end of May, you can probably imagine the huge bulk of music I’ve collected over the past two months. I don’t think the list has ever been that long. But I’m honestly so so so happy I get to share all these fantastic songs with you guys. There’s so much waiting for you to discover. Ed just released his new collab-album, or as he calls it, his new project. Amber Run are back in the game. Two Door Cinema Club also moved on to their new phase with their new LP. Tyler still owns my heart with his reconstructed versions of some songs. And Hippo Campus blessed us all by releasing all their demos. I mean, what more could you wish for? The more music, the better. So, let’s jump right in and please enjoy.

Antisocial – Ed Sheeran ft. Travis Scott

To say that this new album and also this new song blew my mind would be a huge understatement. I mean, we all know Ed and his typical style of music. You get the idea. Good. Now throw all of that away. Because “No.6 Collaborations Project” is anything but what you would expect to hear from Ed. And that’s exactly what makes it this good. Especially the last song, “Blow”, with Bruno Mars and Chris Stapleton is absolutely mind-boggling. I was so shocked when I listened to it for the first time. Actually, I think I’m still a bit shocked. I won’t spoil the surprise, just listen to it yourself.

But that’s not the song I want to share on this list. It’s “Antisocial”, with Travis Scott, featuring the weirdest music video ever. I still have no idea what’s going on or what the idea behind it was. I just know that I absolutely love the song and its vibe. That’s a hype up song right there. Well freaking done, Ed. And Travis.

Affection – Amber Run

Ever since hearing “I Found” by this absolutely amazing band, I’ve been attached to them and their music. Joe, their lead singer, has such an incredible, distinct voice that I really don’t know how to describe it. They are just one of those bands that you listen to whenever and wherever and their music will always be great and make you feel good. Which is also why I’m so damn happy that they’re back with new music. I honestly can’t wait to see them live. Finally.

Wallflower – Larkins

This is one of my newest finds, but I’m so happy I stumbled upon it. You know, every single year, when the weather gets nicer and everyone starts to cheer up and the sun tries to burn you alive once in a while, I try to look for a few perfect summer hits. And this right here is one of them. While listening to it, I can already see myself lying in the sun in my garden or on my way to a festival. It’s pure summer.

So Many People – Two Door Cinema Club

Oh, how I long I’ve waited for this album to come out. And I have to say, although it has some ups and downs, I’m so damn glad the guys are back in the game and doing exactly what they want and love. Some people might say that compared to their last album “Gameshow”, their new “False Alarm” isn’t really much of a change, but I don’t think so. And this song right here proves it. TDCC never fail to grow. Nor to make me love them even more.

Runaway – Half Alive

Sometimes I’d really love to give YouTube a big thank-you-kiss on the cheek. Because if it wasn’t for this amazing platform, I would’ve never found this band and I would’ve never gotten the chance to listen to this beautiful song and watch this stunning music video. If you aren’t a fan of this band already, you definitely need to check out this song and all their other stuff. They’ve got big things ahead of them, I just know it. And I’ll be right with them to experience it all.

Superlike – The Academic

Well, well, well, as if we weren’t here just about a year ago. A year has passed since I found this band and fell in love with their music. Since I saw them live and then loved them even more. Now, a year later, nothing has changed. I still love them. I still want to see them live again. And they still manage to release absolute hits you can easily get addicted to. They just know exactly what they’re doing and this song shows that. I’m not going to make the really bad pun and say I superlike it… but I do superlike it.

What I like – Archie Faulks

Another one of my newest additions to the list and a slow one as well for a change. As far as I can tell, Archie is one of those artists who’s are just getting started and I’m already so excited to see where his path will go.

Chlorine & My Blood (Reconstruct Versions) – Twenty One Pilots

Honestly, guys, do I need to say anything? I don’t, right? I think I’ve talked enough about this phenomenal performance in one of my latest posts (click me), though I could easily talk about it for hours and hours and hours. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve already watched this video since they put it on YouTube. And I still can’t get enough of it. Though I think I never will. Tyler’s talent just never fails to fully blow me away, especially with these two performances right here. During My Blood, I highly recommend paying extra attention to minute 3:28. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. This band is such a blessing, honestly. Wow.

Everything Means Everything Meant Everything – Hunny

Guys, it doesn’t get any newer than this song. Hunny just released their new album “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.” (yes, that’s really the title of the album) and I’m honestly so happy that it’s finally out and about. Thank god. I’ve waited so long for this. Though it definitely was worth the wait, because it’s simply fantastic. It’s a Yes. Now, can they please come tour in the UK so I can see them in London? Thanks.

Kentucky & Chapstick (Demos) – Hippo Campus

Have you ever had the urge or maybe just the pure interest to listen to demo versions of songs of a very cool, very great band? Well, ask no more, because your wish just got granted. Hippo Campus did it. They released all their demos from their latest album “Bambi” and now I basically want every single band and artist to do the exact same thing. Yes to more music. To more like these two songs. So damn good. Also, fun fact, when I first listened to “Kentucky” I immediately started to cry and I honestly can’t tell why. Again proves that music can trigger emotions simply by having a special rhythm. The power.

Best Part of Me – Ed Sheeran ft. YEBBA

Well, we started off this list with Ed so we might as well end it with him. I’m not gonna say much about this, just that Ed is an angel, especially towards the end, that YEBBA is breathtaking and that this is what heaven must sound like.

And that’s it, guys. These are the incredible songs I’ve been in love with the past few days and months. All of them are very special, very beautiful and very unique in their own ways. And I’m honestly so happy that I get to share them with you and hope that you love them just as much as I do. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all a lovely weekend and thanks for reading. x