Musician's Review #4 - Frank Turner

After only discovering Frank Turner via YouTube a week or so ago, I'm quite (pleasantly) disturbed at the fact that he's become one of my favourite 'find-me musicians' - by which I mean the musicians I tend to return to time after time (kind of like getting lost, then finding the trail of breadcrumbs you left and following them home!) 
As a musician, he is incredibly unique - not sticking by a certain genre, but playing all his cards (folk, acoustic, punk...) and his vast experience of the music world makes me cringe intimidatingly at the fact that it's taken me so long to discover him (especially since RJ Thompson made a cover of Turner's 'Peggy Sang The Blues', which is one to watch!)

Nevertheless, this man has something special, and although his journey's a far way from its beginning, its end is not yet in sight...

Over-thinking Timelines

Sometimes I wonder whether I was born in the right era.  Don't get me wrong, I have no substantial gripes against the 21st century (apart from the usual war, politics etc. etc.), but sometimes when I think about it, I wonder how different my life would've been had I lived in a different time.

This evening, I watched a documentary called 'Festival!' on the Newport Folk Festivals during the 60s, and realised that if I was born in America during the 1950s, I'd probably have been one of those people there. One of the kids in the black-and-white film, expressing their opinions on life and love and war and music. I'd have been the one fan-girling over Bob Dylan and crying to Joan Baez.  The one making up lyrics to the strumming of a guitar simply because "folk is expressive creativity".

That kind-of scares me, and I don't know why.

Musician's Review #3 - Amber Run

Today's 'Musician's Review' is Nottingham-based five-piece 'Amber Run'. 

I came across this band a few weeks ago on MTV Rocks' 'Folking Good Music' programme, and feel that - like so many young British bands played on MTV early in their career - they are sure to go far.

Though their debut single 'Noah' contains elements of folk-influence (often compared to that of 'Mumford and Sons') the band's sound is described as being 'alternative rock' - but this is a band that isn't afraid to play its own game...

Close-knit harmonies, well-thought-out lyrics; this is a group of young people verging as far from the pop stereotype as their guitar strings can take them.  And, for this, they are definitely ones to watch...

A Little Red Notebook

Welcome to 'A Little Red Notebook'.  Come in, have a wander, say hello...


I decided that this blog deserved a slightly better name than 'Five Green Bananas', ergo - Welcome to 'A Little Red Notebook'!

My URL has also changed: As you can see, this blog is now officially this!!!

Speed-blogging

So, I've recently been reading some blogs, trying to get some inspiration, and I came across something I think is pretty darn cool.  This, my friends, is what is called 'speed-blogging', and is basically like speed-dating, but you answer your own questions to make a kind-of "who am I" thing.  Like I said, I thought this was cool, and so I've decided that to give you guys more of an insight into me, I'll give it a go! Before I start though, I must give credit where it's due - marffie.blogspot.com (go check her out - you won't regret it!!!)

So, here goes...

What are your...

Favourite TV shows: QI, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Jonathan Creek, and basically anything murder-mystery/detective-esque!

Favourite pastimes: Snuggling on the sofa with a good book, listening to folk music, listening to any other kind of music, writing, drinking tea, playing my clarinet, dreaming...

Favourite musicians: Charlie Simpson, RJ Thompson, KT Tunstall, Pigeon Detectives, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, John Rush, Queen, ...

Favourite songs: "Small Hands" - Keaton Henson, "The Way I Tend To Be" - Frank Turner, "Falling Slowly" - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, "Shadow Days" - John Mayer, "Excuses To Fall" - RJ Thompson...

Favourite places: The countryside - South West Wales or Brittany.

Who is your...

Greatest inspiration: My grandfather. He's been through so much, but he always manages to keep a smile on his face through everything (and he helped me soooo much with my French GCSE!)

Sporting inspiration: Michael Phelps - who else??! That guy is something else. He just... aah... there are no words...

Writing inspiration: John Keats

Hopes for the future?:
I'd like to travel. Where - I'm not too sure. But, I'd like to see a bit of the world...

One thing you'd say to your former self:
Don't be afraid to be yourself. If you let others rule your life then there's no point - you'll be doing no more than living theirs.

So, yep, that's me! If you'd like to know more, or just want to ask anything (within reason!) then feel free to comment/message/whatever....

Hwyl am y tro!
FGB x

...and a Happy New Year!

Hello! Bonjour! ¡Hola! [insert greeting here]!
Happy 2014! The 14th year of the 21st century... The year of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games...Brazil's hosting of the FIFA World Cup...Scottish Independence Referendum...You get the gist...

I know I'm a bit late off the mark here, and that I haven't posted in a WHILE even though I said that I would, but Happy New Year!!!

Now that I'm back in school I've been bombarded with the rest of my mock exams. Two today and one tomorrow. Yaay(!) And because it's after Christmas the teachers are even more insistent that we have to prove ourselves in these mocks. My Psychology teacher told us that if we fail the exam he'll kick us off the course, which is fair enough, but y'know...

But on a happier note, I might be going to Coventry with my Lit. class. Maybe.
Ok, so three hours on a minibus might not be your idea of fun but I'm pretty worked up at the moment and a trip to Coventry sounds like a perfect solution!

FGB x