Okay I 'm going to go ahead and say it, Alt-J is the new Radiohead. I know, I know, how can you compare anybody to the Legend, however if you listen to Alt-J's two albums, start to finish, you will understand why. Both of these bands are musical geniuses. They go outside the box, using different types of instruments, sounds, and tempos etc. Alt-J is an indie rock band from Leeds, England. They released their second studio album called "This is All Yours" this past year. The album is a true masterpiece, not only do I feel incredibly peaceful while listening to it, but I feel the passion and energy they put into each track. Beautifully written and orchestrated, they are serious music gods in my eyes. I feel like if I were a painter, their albums would be constantly on repeat. My creative juices start flowing when I listen to their magical songs.
Now to go back to my earlier reference, much like the legendary Radiohead, Alt-J can be a little weird. However over time I've realized, weird is good, weird is very good. The weird is what sets these artists apart from the mainstream typical rhymes and rhythms, I totally dig it. Dying for the day I can see them live, there must be so much that goes into producing their music.
Much like every other bands I've ever written about, picking a favorite song to share with you is nearly impossible. I would definitely recommend you buy their first and second album, you wont be disappointed! Having said that, today I will share two songs with you, one off their 1st album, and one off their second. Here is "MS" off of "An Awesome Wave", and "Every Other Freckle" off "This is all yours".
Enjoy.
Hi my name's Katie, and I'm obsessed with Vance Joy.
Last Thursday, I had the pleasure to see him perform live in Montreal, for the second time in 2014. Both shows, were absolutely incredible. Osheaga was wild, with thousands of people crammed together, you could literally feel the human electricity in the air, the crowd brought so much energy and enthusiasm to the show. Metropolis was more intimate, it was seriously incredible. It was one of those shows you wished just never ended, great from start to finish.
This Aussie gives me that butterfly “in love” feeling. First off, the singer/songwriter James Keogh (better known as Vance Joy),
is totally hot. Dark hair, tall, insane voice, and plays the guitar - smoking
hot (he's definitely my free pass card). Vance's band is made up of Jonothan Colliver on bass, Edwin White on drums,
and Christopher Mulhall on keys. These super talented Australians signed a five-
album deal with Atlantic Records in 2013. Vance's Ep “God loves you when you’re
dancing” was released in March 2013, and they later released their debut album “Dream
your life away” on September 9th 2014. Many ask why the name Vance Joy? Well fun fact, James got the name from a book he was reading called "Bliss", one of the character's was named Vance Joy. He was a storyteller, so James thought it was fitting for his music. Buzzfeed released "19 things you never knew about Vance Joy", check it out!
I love the upbeat tempo of this folk rock band; they’re
really fun, but also a little shy, which I really adore. At his most recent
show on October 30th at Metropolis, Vance seemed generally
grateful to be playing for us. They were originally scheduled to play at the Corona Theater, however due to how popular they've become, they needed a bigger venue. Vance mentioned during the beginning of the show how fast his heart was beating from the nerves - so cute (MELT!).
The entire show was energetic and real. He is a true artist, and he's come a long
way in such a short amount of time. On
November 3rd, 2014 Taylor Swift announced that Vance Joy would be
touring with them for her upcoming 2015 “1989” world tour. (If they start dating I might actually cry, better not break his heart Swift!) I'm super happy for him, This means BIG
things for these boys!
I decided to share two songs with you today; “Red eye”, of his debut album "Dream your life away", and “Snaggletooth”, off his EP "God loves you when you're dancing". These are two of my favorites, but let's be honest they're all fantastic, and so it's hard to pick just one!
I actually filmed the video "Red Eye" that I am sharing with you today, I apologize in advance for the shitty zoom, and shaky camera.
UNREAL no? So talented, love him.
Here's a couple of pics from his most recent show!
Sooo it’s been awhile since I've posted anything on the blog, 489
days to be exact. I don’t really have
anything that exciting to report during those 489 days, just living life. I bought a house with the boyfriend, friend’s got engaged, I made some new
friends, lost some old ones, you know - life. Ok I guess buying the house, and having
friends engaged is pretty exciting!!? Anyways,
I’m back and I decided this time around, I’d write about something I really
love. However asking yourself what you really love can be kind of tough... I love a lot of
things, naturally, but what do I truly love enough to write about, and share
with the world? MUSIC. Music is my love of all loves; it’s the sole thing that
I never ever get sick of. Whether I’m
happy, sad, or mad, music can leave me feeling perfectly content. For as long as I can
remember (thanks Dad) music has been a part of my life, it seeps out of my
pours like garlic does when you eat too much of it. Music educates, heals, and brings
people together, and without it, I think life would be very different. Alright let’s be
honest, life without music would just downright suck.
Getting back to the point, I am always on the hunt for
new tunes; I get that “I just met the love of my life" butterfly feeling when I
hear a new song or artist that I really dig. About a year or two ago, I started
creating playlists on Soundcloud (thank you 8Tracks for the help) and this
fueled my passion for music even more.
I love sharing new talent, my dream job
would be scouting bands from around the world (if you’re reading this and
hiring, call me). No, I don’t really sing, or play instruments (although ask anyone who's been in my car, there's been an electric guitar in my back seat for 4 years? Don't ask..) but I like to believe that I have the
ear for music. It brings me joy playing a new song, and seeing friends
get excited over it. This goes back to saying that music brings people
together, I'll never fully be able to explain my love for it.
I read a great quote the other night, that seems fitting for this post, "When you do things from your soul, other people really dig that shit". Couldn't agree more, music is definitely a large part of my soul.
Back when I used to blog regularly, every Tuesday I would
post “Tuesday’s Tune” which would introduce new or older bands, that I
completely adored and needed to share. Going forward, every Tuesday I am making it my
mission to share my faves with you. I enjoy a wide range variety of music... so beware.
I heard today’s artist while driving to my friend’s place
this past summer. I am fortunate to have Sirius Satellite radio, and therefore
get to hear some great music before it hits the mainstream radio (which they
then completely ruin...). “Take me to Church” by Hozier, immediately gave me
chills. I’m not religious at all, so it wasn't really his lyrics that enticed
me, but his voice. O M F G this guy can sing, his range is incredible!! After
hearing what Sirius called their “new-artist alert” hit, I did some digging
for myself, and came across today’s tune, “Work Song”. Ok so warning it’s a little deep,
if you’re going through a hard time this can either help you heal, or drive you
to take a bath with a toaster, but if you’re just a music lover who appreciates
a seriously talented voice, this is for you!
I bought his self-titled debut album yesterday, it’s pretty fantastic!
This 24 year old Irish man, will be playing at the Corona Theater in Montreal,
on Wednesday October 29th 2014! Unfortunately after getting totally hyped about
this news, I read it was sold out. If you have the pleasure to attend this
no doubt amazing show, please enjoy it for me!
Although the weather has been complete garbage for the past week or two, today’s sun & heat is giving me hope for this Summer!
Now if you’re like me, Summer means light, easy meals. I find myself always on the go, and therefore spending hours in the kitchen on a week night, isn’t always ideal!
I came up with this meal in early Spring, in hope that it would save me from ordering out, on nights that I don't feel like cooking. It’s easy, healthy, and DELICIOUS!
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:
· 2 cooked chicken breasts* (this makes enough for 6 wraps) season with cumin, paprika, curry, sea salt & pepper. Baked at 350 for 20-25 minutes
· 1 head of Iceberg Lettuce
· ½ cup full fat Goat yogurt
· 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
· ¼ teaspoon ground Paprika
· 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
· 1 tablespoon fresh chopped Cilantro
· 2 minced Garlic cloves
· ¼ cup chopped Cashews
· Sea salt & Pepper
· Coleslaw mix (Red, Green cabbage & Carrot… this is sold at Adonis or any grocery store)
*I baked the chicken the night before, I prefer the chicken to be cold in the wraps. Plus, with having the chicken already cooked, this makes this recipe even easier! Note that if you’re not a fan of curry, you can season the chicken however you like.
1)Fry coleslaw mix with a bit of Olive oil (and if you want an extra kick, add in some dried hot chili flakes)
2)In a small to medium sized bowl, mix yogurt, mustard, paprika, garlic and lemon zest.
3)Chop the chicken into small cubes, chop cashews and add both ingredients to the yogurt mixture.
4)Add the fresh chopped cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix all together.
5)Delicately unroll lettuce, place fried coleslaw and about ¼ cup of the chicken/ yogurt mixture.
What do you eat for breakfast? For years I didn't eat anything, terrible I know. It was when I started working in an office that I realised how essential it was. So for the past couple of years, I would just do toast & low fat yogurt when I got into the office, but after learning from friends and doing some research, I realised that I had it all wrong. Instead of my toast & low fat yogurt, I opted for a shake for the drive in, and an organic hard boiled egg for when I arrive. This keeps me full all the way till noon, but I do think its important to keep your metabolism up, so I enjoy having some fruits and nuts in between breakfast & lunch! Today I'm going to share with you this delicious shake recipe that I created just over a month ago! Just by switching up certain foods, (ie low fat to full fat yogurt, and eliminating bread) and incorporating new ones, I've noticed a huge difference!
Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons Goat Yogurt (2% or full fat) 1/2 Cup Frozen berries 2 Tablespoons Ground Flax Seeds 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds Handful of fresh Spinach 3/4 Cup Organic Soy Milk Blend all ingredients & voila! Because the Chia Seeds absorb liquids like crazy, I would suggest you drink it asap. Now I know you're probably thinking Goat yogurt & Seeds what? But give it a chance! Goat dairy is much better for you than Cow dairy, our bodies burn & break down the fats much easier. Its hard to train yourself to think otherwise (took me a while) but low fat anything, is terrible for you! It just basically means that they've removed the fat and replaced it with chemicals! So if you're not sold on the Goat yogurt, fine, but at least go for a full fat Greek yogurt instead! We will get into the benefits of Chia & Flax seeds another day, but trust me when I say that they're PACKED with nutrients. Because of their natural gelatin properties, they absorb the liquids and make you feel fuller, for longer. Both can be purchased at your local health food stores, or even your local Bulk Barn (where I buy them).
Rude, condescending, and pompous, are just some of the words that come to mind when thinking of Kanye West. I'm sure after his Taylor Swift stunt, a lot of you felt the same way as I did towards him, pissed off. Still to this day it annoys me, what a prick for taking away that moment from her!! BUT, I gotta say... if there's one word that does describe this jerk, its talented. I actually boy-cotted his music for years, but recently I've been listening to his earlier albums, specifically "Graduation", released in 2007. Really good stuff, doesn't take away that he's still a total douche bag in my books, but I do appreciate his music, I'll give him that.
So today's tune is off his 2007 album "Graduation", featuring the ever so talented Chris Martin from Coldplay. Enjoy!
Well I woke up this morning with a sore scratchy throat, wonderful. I had a stomach bug for Christmas, why not have a cold for New Years! It's a clear sign that I need to brush up on my vitamins and start working in the health department, because my immune system seems to be shot! I’m hoping I’ll chase off this cold with tonight’s alcohol. (Don’t judge me.) One of my besties, is celebrating her 24th today! (Happy Birthday love!) Her sister is throwing her a little potluck shin dig and I’m super excited for this event! With tomorrow being a vacation day for me, today is technically my Friday! Score! Let the celebrations begin!
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