Music is good for you. According to Psychology Today, “listening, and creating music of any kind will provide an immediate biological and psychological benefit for everyone. In fact, music can be a salvation and antidote to most psychological challenges: that’s why people sing in the shower and while driving Continue Reading
Music
The delightfully quirky indie joy of Pomplamoose
Could making the musical acquaintance of a pair of talented multi-instrumentalists from California, real life couple Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn, who have named their combined entity Pomplamoose after a delightful play on the French word for grapefruit pamplemousse, possibly have made my week, month and year just a short while Continue Reading
This is Ulaanbaatar calling! Coldplay’s surprise new song Midnight
I have felt it … and it seems many others have too. The sense that we know too much, too soon and for too long before it appears in this digital age. That all the fun, the element of surprise has disappeared in a world where we have teaser Continue Reading
Now this is music 23: Låpsley, The Golden Pony, Neneh Cherry + Four Tet, Rae Morris, Solander
It’s Friday! (Pretty sure you’ve worked that too.) And while it’s always good to let your hair down and dance up a storm, it can also be good to sit back, chill and take in lovely meandering tunes that feed the soul and ease away the stress. So this Continue Reading
Now this is music: 5 non-syrupy but heartfelt tunes for Valentine’s Day
Ain’t love grand? And thus by extension, songs about love even grander? Perhaps but do we necessarily want to listen to them all day long? Not necessarily. Even an ardent romantic like myself finds too many love songs, and especially those with enough syrupy, cloying sentimentality to give you Continue Reading
Now this is music 22: Maria Sejer, YACHT, Phantogram, The Pass, RDGLDGRN
Hark! What’s that sound? Everybody look what’s going down … No it’s not “Something’s Happening Here” by Buffalo Springfield (released 1967), though that is a very fine song indeed, but five brand new, amazing songs to enthral and delight your ears, and fill your download streams with sweet new Continue Reading
Now this is music #21: Vök, Katie Herzig, Paper Moon, Neon Cloud, Little Bear
A new year dawns my friends and with it the promise of more music that your ear drums can possibly take in. But fear not! I have laid in the path of all those oncoming tunes, iPod pressed firmly in my hand with the thumb unequivocally on PLAY and Continue Reading
Happy 40th ABBA: Big plans to mark the Swedish supergroup’s epic 1974 Eurovision anniversary
You know that sinking feeling you get when you realise that time is screaming by at an unconscionable pace and there’s nothing you can do about it? Of course you do. It’s usually triggered by some major event or watching a TV program you watched as a youngster turn Continue Reading
Gifted singer ÁLI bridges two musical worlds with new single “Breakout Breakfree”
I first came across ÁLI about nine months ago when I came across her beautiful song “Cocoon”, an impressive melding of the operatic and pop worlds, firm evidence that it is possible to mix the both without coming across as kitsch or a one hit wonder novelty act. So seamless Continue Reading
FUTURE ZEITGEIST: Pop culture goodness I am looking forward to in 2014
I love new years! I am most definitely not one of those cynical old souls who reaches New Year’s Eve, harrumphs with Scrooge-like intensity and balefully glares at the next 365 days, convinced they will be just as awful as I imagine them to be. While I am old Continue Reading