Album Of The Week: This Wild Life - Clouded

Don't judge a book by its cover. I never used this proverb in a serious context, but when you talk about This Wild Life, it's pretty accurate. Kevin and Anthony look like the perfect example for hardcore guys with hardcore tunes, but as soon as you press play and actually expect some heavy sounds, you'll be quite surprised.
This Wild Life only need guitars and Kevin's voice to convince you, and they only needed one song from Clouded to convince me: Concrete went straight to my mind and has been staying there ever since. No More Bad Days slowly has been developing into my life motto lately because Kevin is right when he sings "no more bad days for you my dear". Maybe it'll work, maybe not (I shall give this experiment a try and will report the results!). Apart from uplifting lyrics, Kevin's vocals feel like you're being wrapped in a warm blanket after a stupid day, especially in History, Roots And Branches or Better With You. 
This Wild Life give you the perfect soundtrack for rainy days, for stressful days, for days when you have to take a step back from all the metalcore you've been listening to for weeks (I certainly enjoy some calmer tunes from time to time).
Looking Back is one of my favourite songs on the record, simply because of its lyrics. It reminds me a lot of my own story when it's about taking two steps forward and three steps back, or when it's about this thing called life getting harder every year. It's not a negative song at all though because "it's gotta get easier from here, I had to learn to life without looking back" and I personally think that's one of the most important aspects of life. No matter what happened, don't look back. I also share the last part of the song where it says: "One thing I've learned is that good things will not fall in my lap. I had to work harder and longer, be smarter and stronger than the person right beside me. Have the confidence and common sense to know there's still something inside me. I gave my very best, with the purest intent and I'll be proud when I look back."

This Wild Life are such an important band, and I really hope they'll be more and more successful during the next few years. I appreciate these songs so much because they're so passionate and pure and honest.

Album Of The Week: One Direction - Midnight Memories

Once upon a time, there appeared a text post on my dash on tumblr (yes, I spend a lot of time there), which went along these lines: "I'm so punk rock I listen to whatever I like." I'm probably not the best example for some "punk rock" girl, but I do listen to whatever I like, which includes One Direction. It's not that I have their whole discography on my iPod, but I regularly have this phase where I open spotify, make my way to their current album Midnight Memories and listen to it. Most of the time this happens at 2am or later. I just realised that I've never listened to the whole album before, so it's about time to do that!

Best Song Ever

This is my main 2am jam, so yes I can sing along, and at that point of time I'd probably even say that this song is pretty good (still not the best song ever, come on). It's so catchy, how can you possibly resist it??

Story of My Life

I can literally feel how I turn 13 all over again, and I'm pretty sure that I'd be all over these guys if I actually was 13 right now (you know, the yes-it's-a-good-idea-to-plaster-your-room-with-their-faces phase). And now that we're doing this whole confession thing, I think they're cute (Louis wins though) and I really like this song no matter what time it is. You can despise them as much as you want, but you can't deny that they're talented singers. If my dad likes this song, your argument is invalid anyway. 

Diana

Oh, it's time to dance again!! Jesus, whoever is responsible for these songs really knows how to create some catchy tunes. Let's move on, shall we.

Midnight Memories

This one reminds me of another song, but I can't think of which one. I linked you to a live version on purpose because for me this looks and sounds a bit like they're trying to take some steps away from the boyband-image and put quite some effort in making their voices sound all raspy and rockstarish! I certainly like it!

You & I

Ah, things are becoming calmer again, that's good. I'm actually waiting for the day that I can recognise them by their voices because then I'll be in too deep and then it won't be long until I consider to actually go and see them in concert. The only thing that's keeping me from doing that is the fanbase. No offense, I'm sure that some of them are all adorable and nice, but I've seen enough trouble they caused to have my opinion and I don't feel like starting a fight with a bunch of hysterical kids. 

Don't Forget Where You Belong

If that's not an important message then I don't know what else you need. Are they singing about themselves? Ah yes, that's a nice song. 

Strong

This sounds faster again, good. There are eleven songs left on this album, holy smokes. Somebody understands the concept of making fans happy, eh? This song is all right, but that's all I have to say so let's move on.

Happily

Is it rude that the lyrics make me chuckle? I hope it's not, I don't mean to be mean (bless the English language). But yes, this sounds really happy, I shall bookmark it for future (sad) reference.

Right Now

I think I figured out which voice belongs to Harry Styles, that's at least a start! And you know what? I prefer the catchy, happy songs a lot over these dramatic ones. 

Little Black Dress

The beginning sounds like it belongs to some rock song, how brilliant is that. I bet that nobody who isn't a fan of One Direction could guess that this isn't part of their discography. This is good, I like it!

Through The Dark

Lovely start actually. I can't stress enough how they deserve a lot more credit than they get from some people. Here's your daily reminder that it's not cool to degrade certain artists because you think they're ridiculous and shouldn't be seen as artists (Justin Bieber is a different kind of story because he obviously pisses off people without even singing)! So stop making feel people like shit because they like a certain type of music!

Something Great

Let's see if this one is something great. The beginning is a bit boring, I'm waiting for the great chorus! Wait, that was it? Nah, sorry but this could be a lot better. 

Little White Lies

Does this belong to the little black dress? At least I'm not tempted to fall asleep while listening to this one, and I think I might know which voice belongs to Niall. I'm making more progress than expected. 

Better Than Words

Yeah, "dancing on the ceiling" is better than words, I agree. Cheesy love song here we go, my inner teenager likes it, the 21-year-old who's typing this right now can't hit skip fast enough.

Why Don't We Go There

Oh yes, I like this one. If I'll actually get this album, I already see it coming that I'll dance down the street while listening to this, oh dear. 

Does He Know

The end is near! No, it wasn't that bad, no sarcasm involved. 18 songs are just a long way to go. This one is all right, nothing striking about it to be honest.

Alive

The lyrics in the chorus are quite nice, the rest isn't too impressive, but then again I'm not sure if this song is intended for impressing anybody!?

Half A Heart

We made it! And now that you went on this crazy journey with me, you might as well admit that One Direction aren't half as bad as you thought they were. I couldn't listen to their stuff 24/7, but at certain times and during certain emotions, some of these songs are really good! 

Album Of The Week: Hands Like Houses - Unimagine

Hello and happy Sunday my fellow music lovers! I recently started reading the Divergent series (I'll probably review it in a video soon), which makes me forget everything. When I mean everything, food is included, so I almost forgot to upload a review today. Last night I got the new Punk Goes 90's, on which I found a band called Hands Like Houses. They covered Torn, originally by Natalia Imbruglia, and it was the only song on this album I actually liked, so I proceeded to have a closer listen to them. Due to this, I discovered Unimagine, the band's current album, which I'll talk about in this post.

I haven't listened to Hands Like Houses before, so I only had a slight idea of what to expect. I was honestly prepared for some breakdowns and screaming, but nothing like that happened. In fact, I got some new, refreshing rock songs.

I really like the dramatic touch with which Developments kicks off the record. It actually inspires me a lot for the stories I write, and I'm very thankful for that.
The first line of the second song Introduced Species is something I thought to myself a million times during the last few years. I never had a place where I had the feeling that I belonged, that I could be the way I was, until I stumbled into this part of the music scene. I haven't met a single person who shares my taste in music and judges me for my looks or my "depression" or whatever people judge me for, I stopped caring a while ago, thanks to this music. 

What I really like about Hands Like Houses is the energy they convey, and how this energy makes me feel like there's nothing I couldn't do, for example in Shapeshifters, when he sings "We will be unbreakable!"
With Oceandust, the band shows that they can be quiet and sensitive as well. The drums and any electric instruments leave and are replaced by a piano and acoustic guitars during the biggest part of the song, but Oceandust still possesses a tiny rock part when an e-guitar appears for a couple of seconds. 

The last four songs on Unimagine form a great ending of a brilliant record. The very last song, A Fire On A Hill, closes the record and if you weren't fully convinced of this band and their work until this point, you will like them after the last tune faded. 

Album Of The Week: The Pretty Reckless - Going To Hell

Hello my fellow music lovers! In case you were wondering, I decided to make Sunday the day for weekly album reviews, yaay! *clapping in the background*

I was looking through my music folder to find something I haven't already discussed, and I found this:

If you still have this image of Taylor Momsen as Gossip Girl's Jenny Humphrey in your mind, welcome to the club. However, you and I urgently have to update this image because Taylor drifted away from the role of cute Jenny, and now spices up the music world with her band The Pretty Reckless. Going To Hell is the band's second album and was released on March 12th. 

Follow Me Down, the first song on the album, already gives a taste for the band's talent as a whole. Of course there's Taylor with her powerful voice, but she's supported by fantastic musicians who know exactly what to do to make her voice stand out.
Up next is the song that names the record: Going To Hell, which sounds like a prayer at first but ends up being about certain sins and being married to the devil. 

As loud and fierce Taylor can sound, as quiet and soft she can be. House On A Hill works without screeching guitars, it's emotional and still as powerful as the louder songs. This record is like a rollercoaster; after going down with some calm tunes, Sweet Things picks up the pace again, goes all the way up and picks up where  Heaven Knows left off: the topic of the devil appears again, but just when you think you're settling into Taylor screaming, there's a short interlude called Dear Sister and the rollercoaster goes down again. It almost sounds like a lullaby, and it's already over just when you start enjoying the calmness of it. 

With Absolution comes back the fierceness, it's going up again for around 4 minutes before Blame Me is taking you downwards again. This time the stay down there is a little bit longer because after Blame Me, there's the next interlude: Burn. 

The next two songs take you all the way up again, and to finish your ride to hell, Waiting for a Friend takes you down again, so you can get out and either leave, or get in again for another round. 

Since we need more women in this scene anyway, I'm really glad that Taylor Momsen and The Pretty Reckless are part of it and show that women can be loud and wild just as much as men can be. If you won't check this album out, you'll definitely miss out.

Album Of The Week: The 1975

Hello my fellow music lovers, I should really get my stuff together and blog regularly, shouldn't I. I'll try to fix one day of the week where I'll post whatever comes to my mind, we'll see how that goes. Anyway, this post isn't to ramble about my blogging skills, but to ramble about some new tunes I recently treated my ears with. 

The 1975 are a four-piece band from Manchester, UK, and their self-titled album is also their debut album.
They've been appearing on my dashboard on tumblr for quite a while now, it just took me a while to become aware of them and to give them a listen. When I finally went to my best friend Spotify to check them out, Chocolate was the first song I listened to and that was the moment I fell in love. I immediately fell for Matty's voice (his accent took care of the rest), I fell for the easy sound which feels like a light summer breeze on your skin, and I caught myself acting out my personal music video to Sex more than once. Listening to this album makes you forget everything around you, and no matter how bad your day was, the tracks on this record make you feel better as soon as you press play. If you're upset, Robbers, 12, She Way Out or The City will calm you down; if you feel like celebrating, Chocolate, Sex and  Heart Out will be your tunes. In case you just want to relax a little, the rest of the album will be perfect. Long story short: The 1975 deliver songs for every situation you could possibly encounter, and that's just a beautiful thing.
If you live for acoustic versions of your favourite songs just like I do, I highly recommend you to check out some acoustic songs Matt Healy did, for example this one, or this one. 

I dare to predict that this band will create more  fantastic things in the future, at least as fantastic as their debut album. 

"You're allowed to enjoy shitty pop songs from time to time!" - A Playlist

One of my best friends called me a "music snob" this one time when I tried to make her stop spamming me with songs by One Direction, and what can I say? I might be a music snob sometimes and I might not be the biggest fan of these pop songs. However, the music you enjoy doesn't make you a better or worse person, and I think that's something many music fans should keep in mind. I often read that people who like punk or metalcore make fun of the "mainstream" artists and their fans (I'm especially looking at Taylor Swift and One Direction), and that's just wrong. Just because you enjoy listening to tattooed men screaming into a microphone, doesn't mean you're the coolest person. And just because you don't enjoy listening to these men, they're not some satanic weirdos who promote suicide. So, can we just agree on not judging anybody for their taste in music? Thanks.

Since I belong to the people who mostly enjoy screaming and yelling, I thought it might be cool to show you a couple of songs I always sing along to, no matter when or where. 

1. Daniel Powter - Bad Day
2. Kelly Clarkson - Behind These Hazel Eyes
3. Counting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi
4. Katy Perry feat. Juicy J - Dark Horse
5. Demi Lovato - Give Your Heart A Break
6. Pharrell Williams - Happy
7. Michael Bublé - Haven't Met You Yet
8. Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble
9. Backstreet Boys - Just Want You To Know (sorry for the bad quality, but the proper videos for the song aren't available in Germany)
10. Bruno Mars - Locked Out Of Heaven
11. Britney Spears - Oops!...I did it again
12. Take That - Patience
13. Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved
14. One Direction - Story Of My Life
15. Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball

What are your favourite pop songs? Let me know in the comments!

Concert Review: Ryan Keen, My First Band & Sunrise Avenue in Stuttgart, Germany

Hey everyone, I hope all is well! My semester break started a couple of days ago and I haven't really done anything productive so far, apart from attending my first concert in 2014!!
 Most of my readers aren't from Europe, so I'm even more excited to introduce a fantastic band from Finland: Sunrise Avenue. I bought their first record in 2006 and I haven't lost it, so that was already a promising sign. I have to admit that I didn't listen to their music properly for ages (unless one of their songs was on the radio), but their vocalist was on the last season of The Voice Of Germany and that drew my attention back to the band itself (yeah he's quite cute, that was a reason, too, but shhh). Luckily I have a friend who's also crushing on Samu big times, so we immediately agreed on going when we found out that they played in my city. 

Shortly after we arrived at the venue, a security guard came out and started to hand out bracelets. This was probably the best-organised concert I've been to so far: The venue consisted of three parts: The first part directly in front of the stage, a middle part and the rest. The security guard explained that those with a pink bracelet were entitled to stand in the first part, so you can guess what we did:

Thanks to these bracelets we actually ended up in the third row and I celebrated a little when there was nobody taller than me standing in front of me (just for the record: that rarely happens). However, since my friend is quite tall, there were two girls standing behind her who tried to argue with her ("You're too tall, how dare you standing in the front???") and this is one of the reasons why I prefer concerts where most of the crowd consists of guys. They don't turn into hysterical balls of too much excitement and they certainly don't try to argue with you because you're "too tall." 

I have to admit that I usually don't have the highest expectations when it comes to supporting acts, but this time I was proven so wrong it was fantastic. Ryan Keen, a singer/songwriter from Britain, was up first and it took him only one song to capture the whole crowd. I've never experienced it before that a crowd was so into the first act, but Ryan had this warm aura which totally fascinated me. He could have played for the rest of the evening and I would have enjoyed it a whole lot. 

He reminded me of John Mayer and Ed Sheeran, so if you like any of them, you should give Ryan a listen (you should give him a listen anyway, he's one of the most talented artists I've seen live)!

Up next were My First Band. Again I had no expectations, and again I had a whole lot of fun! My First Band slighty have the sound of The Killers, they just added some more fun to their performance. I'm not a big dancer, but I danced through their whole performance because it was impossible to stand still.  These guys perfectly managed to transfer their joy of playing to the whole crowd.

As much fun as I had with the supporting acts, I was really excited when it was finally time for Sunrise Avenue. I only knew a handful of songs, but in the end it didn't even matter. They played a big part of their current album Unholy Ground what was great because getting new songs to listen to is always a fantastic thing. However, my favourite moments were those when they played the old songs everybody knew, for example I Don't Dance (hell yes we all danced), Hollywood Hills or Fairytale Gone Bad. Fairytale Gone Bad was my favourite moment of the whole show because the crowd basically sang the biggest part of the song alone and I just love seeing the pure joy and happiness in the band members' faces when that happens. 

The whole thing happened on Valentine's Day and I'm not going to lie - I felt absolutely fantastic when I could tell everybody that I finally had plans on that day which didn't include eating ice cream and being mad at couples. And it was just really cute when Samu asked what Happy Valentine's Day means in German and you know the whatsapp emoticon with the hearts as eyes? Yeah, that was me from the moment the show started until a day or so after.
Sunrise Avenue will be back in my area in August and I honestly can't wait to see them again.