Musician's Review #2 - The April Maze

I decided to post another Musician's Review today out of a pure need of procrastination love of all things musical...

The April Maze are a Independent British/Australian alternative-folk duo based in Melbourne, Australia, consisting of married couple Todd Mayhew and Sivan Agam.
I happened to come across this duo via Spotify earlier this year and instantly fell in love with their beautiful harmonies and vocals - in particular Todd Mayhew's occasional 'whisky-voice', which - in contrast to many male 'gravel' voices seems relatively soothing and natural to the ear.

Though this time last year they were relatively unheard of, The April Maze's popularity grew almost overnight as a result of Spotify's Top 100 Most Popular New Releases playlist, and since then they have toured excessively throughout Australia, Britain and are currently on the road in Canada.

One simple reason to listen to - and enjoy - The April Maze is the fact that they don't care what anyone else thinks. They bring a breath of fresh air to the music scene, incorporating every strength and releasing every emotion into their music (their song 'Two Dogs' uses the exact wording of their wedding vows) in order to tell a story; their story, that can only be told through music...

Tea Issues (A Stereotypical British Rant)

I don't know if it's just me, but there's always that moment in life when someone makes you a cup of tea and it's just not quite right and you just have to stand there in front of them and pretend that everything's fine, when in fact you're debating whether or not to make a comment (but you're too socially awkward to do that anyway, so...) or something.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fussy tea-drinker (I understand that this is completely contradicted however by above statement) and my love for tea won't be destroyed by one dodgy cup, but it's just that it's a constant circle of dodgy cups (which is fine) by the same one person (which is not fine).
So, if I blatantly emphasise that I don't want sugar, and I'm given three teaspoons, then fine. But if I keep blatantly emphasising every time I'm offered a cup of tea by that one person that I don't want sugar and there is sugar in my tea, then I will start to get annoyed.

So, a warning to all. If you ever go to make me a cup of tea, please don't. I do love you and all, but it's such tough turf to tread on...

Musician's Review #1 - RJ Thompson

A few years ago, had someone mentioned to me the words 'Independent singer-songwriter', I would've instantly thought of some twenty-something guy in his bedroom with a tape recorder singing covers of Celine Dion and living off Pot Noodle. Until, that was, I accidentally stumbled upon one such musician.

Scrolling through YouTube videos in mid April 2011, I came across a video - a cover of The Killers' Mr Brightside - by RJ Thompson, who I soon discovered was - of course - an independent singer-songwriter from Newcastle. To begin with, my 14 year old self couldn't quite work out what to think of this sudden musical transition. Over the year, I'd moved from the cheesy-pop of One Direction to the smooth crooning Jamie Cullum, and had even verged into indie-rock influences such as Panic! At the Disco and The Wombats, but never had I imagined the effect that this up-and-coming genre of music would have on both my - and so many other people's - views on the music industry.

Having released two albums and three EP's over the last ten years, with a new album on the way in the next few months, RJ is clearly somewhat of a veteran to the music scene. Though some would say that he's never quite got his break, he seems pretty content with what he's achieved, holding a relatively small yet dedicated fan base, receiving airtime on many BBC Radio stations, and gaining success through his YouTube channel, where he presents both popular covers and original material.

The main aspect of appeal - in my eyes - is that RJ Thompson is a down-to-earth musician. Though he's toured with artists that have achieved wonders - such as Gabrielle Aplin, Joe Brooks, Sandi Thom, The Proclaimers... - he's still the kind of guy that you could chat with if you bumped into him in the freezer aisle in Tesco (so to speak).

This kind-hearted nature mixed with his clear love for music makes him one to watch.

Ummm....

Oh, my... It's taken me two months and seven days to realise that I haven't blogged for...oh... 2 months and seven days.
It's not that I don't enjoy blogging - it's completely the opposite, if anything. It's just that I've got so much on with school and music and coursework and excessive homework and stuff that I'm starting to find it hard to just sit down and actually write something relatively meaningful. Not that I can write anything anyway, but this blog just gives space to write about things that I couldn't really talk about to actual, proper, living people. So yeah. I think I'll just leave it at that. For today, anyway...




Anyway, here's a random picture of a kitten in a cup. Just because...

Failing at life (just your regular teenage rant)

So, I'm getting my exam results tomorrow. (Yaaaaaay.)
Yeah.
Don't really know how I feel about that, to be honest. I've really just given up on it all.

Maybe it'll be different tomorrow, once the envelope's in my hands. But at the moment all I really want to do is hide under the covers and then maybe hitchhike my way to Canada... Ok, maybe Canada's a bit far... But, like, Shropshire or something, and then not come back for two weeks and then start all over.

But I HAVE to get through the next two years of school, because otherwise I won't be able to go to uni and then I won't be able to get a job, then I won't be able to afford to live...
Not that I'll be able to get a job if I go to uni anyway...

And then, maybe, maybe, I can do a road-trip or something. Like, one of those plan-certain-bits-but-get-a-map-and-point-at-random-places-and-travel-for-a-bit road trips. And, like, camp in fields and stuff. 

Maybe.

Home Sweet Home

Paris was awesome! I mean absolutely, positively, genuinely awesome!
The performances were amazing, especially at Jardin Du Luxembourg. So many people stopped to watch and listen to us, and then gave so much positive feedback. A woman came up to me and my friend and congratulated us and we had a lovely conversation about music and the weather!
We even ended up playing an encore of one of the best songs I think I have ever played on the clarinet - called 'Instant Concert' - the smile on my face at the end of it was worth seeing!!!

It's nice to be home, though. I don't tend to get homesick anymore, but I love my house and I love my family!
And then I'm off again on Saturday - camping in Nottingham for a week!
They'll forget what I look like by the time I'm back...

Service with a smile (literally)

My mother and I went shopping in the big city today, which we've never really done together just the both of us. So when we got there, my mum decided that she fancied a coffee, so I had a hot chocolate and a cookie and that was that.
I then finished my hot chocolate and this was staring back at me at the bottom of the mug:

It made my day!

I also started brushing up a bit on my French on the way back, seeing as Paris is only a few days away. Yeah, it didn't quite go to plan...
But at least I can order a sandwich (sort of) and ask where the toilets are. That's got to count for something!
I could always point!