musical caffeine

Hello folks,

It's been a while. But I'm back with a musical discovery which I believe literally cured parts of my soul.

I was scrolling through TikTok and came upon Augusta's live on the Raws Youtube Channel. Btw, this app is now a gold mine for small independent musicians, and since the algorithm is quite well made, I came up with pretty amazing live sessions that I cannot wait to share with you!

Augusta is a mix of Billie Marten, Ocie Elliott and Amy May Ellis. She has this sweet, humble yet powerful voice that delicately touches your soul. With simple melodies and chords, listening to her music will make you feel like you're walking barefoot in the grass on a sunny day. You take a deep breath, and you start appreciating the little things again.

I fell immediately in love with her song that is yet-to-be released, entitled "No Coward":

She only released a couple songs on Spotify, but each and everyone of them is brilliant.

My second personal favourite is one called "the beetles & the bugs":

I will fall once over For this place I’ve known But I’m fooled by mind Like it’s not my own I see you playing in the sun out the window Show me the beetles and the bugs you’ve found, in the garden Show me the beetles and the bugs you’ve found

Need I say more?

I'll leave you with this last song, "The Birds," which I was listening to while sitting on my windowsill, at the exact moment when two birds, a black one and a white one, started dancing and flying in front of me. I saw it as a sign - a good omen perhaps?

As always, music for me is a way of processing, expressing, dealing with feelings. Here’s what these music genres represent to me.

There are days when you feel like it’s all a bit too much. You feel that there is an underlying anger boiling in your chest. You feel like you could run a couple of miles and just shout, but you’re also aware it might be a bit pointless. When you could definitely use a smoke right this minute. When you just feel like taking a break from it all. These days when you want to feel strong, worthy of love and respect, that you are fighting for what you believe in. That’s what rap/hip hop/chill hop music feels like to me.

Whenever these feelings come to me, I put on a playlist with songs from Loyle Carner, Kari Faux, 2nd Exit and more (see the link below).

Now, I’m not really into « raw » rap music. The rap music I rotate around are a mix of rapping and soul/chillhop beats. They’re a mix of rapping melodies and jazzy/soul rhythmics. It’s simply a treat.

Here’s a little more about the artists I’ve just mentioned.

1. LOYLE CARNER.

Does Loyle Carner still need to be introduced? This London-based rapper’s soulful voice mixes rap and moving lyrics perfectly. I discovered him about three years ago, and have been following his work ever since.

My favourite tracks from him are :

« Ain’t Nothing Changed » « The Isle of Arran » « No CD » 

He’s also recently released a new album that’s just as amazing as the first album.

2. KARI FAUX

Kari Faux is a wonderful US singer songwriter. Her songs are strong, empowering, and full of self-love. Drawing more towards hip-hop/RnB rather than « pure » rap, I discovered her with the song « No Small Talk », which is pure delight. 

I also love these tracks: « Lowkey » « Supplier » « Color Theory »

3. 2nd Exit

I discovered this band years ago. They’re not really famous but whenever I feel like I can’t be bothered with the world, I put on their songs and I feel like they understand the feeling.

These songs are little gems, have a listen at them : « If You Wouldn’t Mind » « Dawn’s Insight » « Say it is »

If you want to let this anger burn, if you feel like grooving around some beats and signing fast, you can listen to the rest of my « rappin’ » playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/30K4xe9PYaWWRegM3VzvfW?si=84rbzTU3TpGXMSezSvQkow

And to finish, here’s a link to a Spotify playlist that matches mine (whose cover picture is Loyle Carner’s EP cover 😉 )

There is something truly ethereal about bands that come from Iceland. Is it because of their country’s beautiful landscapes? Their breathtaking colours and their intense loneliness? It does gather a lot of material for a deeply emotional music.

Let’s travel to the other side of Europe and dive into calm and unique Icelandic songs.

1. Sóley

Sóley is an artist I discovered last year. I came across a live version of her song « I’ll Drown » in my YouTube recommendations and my heart melt. With a simple loop pedal, she creates a hypnotic atomsphere that took my breath away. I was instantly moved by the timbre of her voice and by the rhythm of the song.

As most Icelandic songs are, they are simple but extremely powerful and emotionally charged.

I would also highly recommend listening to « Endless Summer » which profoundly moved me as well.

2. Pascal Pinon

These twin sisters blew my mind with their album « Twosomeness ».  I don’t know how many times I have listened to it. They sing both in Icelandic and in English and their songs are a mix of ethereal, breathtaking vocals and harmonies. I cannot recommend them enough.

The group has described their music as “simple and honest, filled with both melancholy and optimism. We hope to make music that can inspire, soothe heartaches and warm you inside.” (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal_Pinon_(band). And I couldn’t agree more.

Their third album, « Sundur » is just as beautiful.

My favourite songs are : 

“Evgeny Kissin”

“Somewhere”

“53″

“Bloom”

3. Sigur Rós

You’ve most probably have already listened to one of their songs. Sigur Rós have written many score songs for famous movies and TV series (such as Black Mirror) and their songs were featured in many movie and series soundtracks as well (Upside Down, Orphan Black, Sense8...). The high-pitched voice of the singer will take you to another dimension.

My favourite songs are :

HoppÍpolla

Svenf-G-Englar

Andvari

4. Kaleo

Kaleo is a bit of a mix of different genres. The band is currently based in Texas (hence the deep blues and rock influences of songs such as « No Good » or « Broken Bones » - which are absolute treasures). Their entire album is magnificent and the last songs sound closer to the folk tradition. The singer, JJ Julius Son, has a really polyvalent and powerful voice that definitely took my breath away.

I always shed a little tear when I listen to "Vor í Vaglaskógi » which is an ode to Icelandic landscapes. The hypnotising rhythm of the electric guitar and strings and cannot leave you unmoved.

5. amiina

Amiina is a band whose music could fit in many movie soundtracks too. Mostly instrumental, their album will let you travel to different parts of the world with the power of their music only. Their songs are also really relaxing. And they are a female band! Here are a few songs that I’ve listened to a lot :

Perth

Café

Alright mates. I literally dug into the deepest parts of my soul to write this article. The beginning of this story is not very glamorous but bear with me!

When I was 13, I became obsessed with Twilight —I say “obsessed” a lot because I’m the kind of person who has random phases on albums, films or subjects for a while, dives into it deeply, learns as much as there is to know about it and then moves on to something else. And in this case, I’m not talking about the movie (whose quality is debatable) but about the soundtrack. The movie might not be a masterpiece but I can tell you that the soundtrack is.

This is how my love for independent folk music was born. The soundtrack introduced me to Bon Iver, and from this moment on I started digging around for similar artists. I was already listening to Ben Howard, but now I was expanding my knowledge in indie folk with bands such as Daughter, James Vincent McMorrow, RY X, Keaton Henson, (old) Coldplay, and many others. This is the music genre I’ve been listening to for most of my life. Many people qualify this type of music as “depressed music” or sad songs that you turn on when you need a cry. Well, yes, I must admit that they do serve this purpose, but that is only 10% of their power. They put a blanket over you, tell you that your woes are okay. That you will heal, that you’re not alone, that the rain can actually be nice and soothing, and that kindness, love and tenderness matter.

In addition to this, folk music was my best friend’s big passion. We’ve always shared the same love for this genre, sending each other live songs and titles we had just discovered. We went to see Ben Howard play on her birthday, her sisters were there and they both admired and loved his music as well. It was such a spiritual experience and the night felt like it was out of any time limits.

I have created a playlist that gathers my all-time favourite songs (which you can find here) and they're all folk music. They are the kind of songs I never get bored of hearing. I have grown up with these songs but they also have the power to bring me to back to my "core", to the kind of person I feel I am deep down. I am always a bit reluctant to sharing them with people I know, because I don't want them to "tint"or "colour" my songs with memories I will end up associating with them (yes, that's the kind of person I am, I know...). But I actually did it with a person I deeply fell in love with, and the feeling the songs give me has remained unchanged. It's like they're printed into my genes and it's also how powerful they are to me.

Another fact I noticed is that I share very strong emotional links with the friends who enjoy listening to this genre. It's a true way of bonding for me and I'm always surprised to see other people share this interest as it is not that “popular” a genre.

So please go check some indie folk songs out! And to guide you through your journey (make yourself some tea and get comfy); here a little recommendation selection:

“re:stacks”; Bon Iver “Candles” Daughter “Everything”, Ben Howard “Petrichor”, Keaton Henson “Alaskans”, Volcano Choir “Your Heart Must Be Tired", Sanders Bohlke “Sparks”, Coldplay “Rosyln”; Bon Iver and St. Vincent Jeff Pianki (find his bandcamp here) "Smoke Signals", Phoebe Bridgers "Out of the Black", Billie Marten "Still Trying", Nathaniel Rateliff "Nowhere", George Ogilvie

I gradually fell in love with George Ogilvie. His songs slowly started to pop up in my recommendations' playlist, in my daily mixes and the radios I was listening to on Spotify. I recently listened to his entire discography and I can tell you that I was blown away by the deep emotions it made me feel. His folk-rock music is pure, spiritual and powerful. His voice has an amazing timbre and he plays with simple chords and harmonies perfectly. He has interesting melodies and he cuts the syllables in a quite interesting way that constantly surprises you. Here's a selection of the songs I fell for: 

1."Nowhere" - Acoustic Version. This one made me cry my eyes out. It's extremely powerful and it actually totally relates to my life right now. It felt like I had discovered it at the perfect moment. The lyrics overwhelmed me with their simple honesty and their imagery. Please let yourself be carried away by this one...

Listen to it here!

2."Foreign Hands" was introduced to me by a person I deeply care about. It was in one of her playlists and I came back to it several times, realising I absolutely loved it. The rhythm is quite energetic and it's the kind of song that makes you want to get active and do something, you know? The lyrics themselves invite you to move forward, to take a new path and feel it could be the right one.

3."Count Your Blessings" is the song I first bumped into. It slowly builds up, it's thrilling and I bet it is impossible for anyone not to nod their head at some point while the song is playing. 

4. “Grave” is George Ogilvie’s latest release and it’s a treat. I found there were a lot of Radiohead vibes in this song, it’s quite dark - as the title sort of hints at - and it just takes you to another dimension...

Intense and melancholic rock and roll.

There is something absolutely euphoric about Sam Fender’s music. The British boy’s songs and deep voice are a blend of energy, nostalgy and emotions.

He’s got some deeply rock song that will make you want to scream around in your room but some are also calmer and more melancholic. Some of his songs are a bit too “hard rock” for my taste, but his whole discography is worth checking.

I discovered him with his song “Play God”. It was last summer, I had just gotten my driving’s licence, and I deeply associate this song with this moment. The bridge is wonderful, the way the harmonies slowly build up made me lose it.

He has not released a whole album yet, he has only released singles and EPs, but I’m sure an album is coming up!

Here are a compilation of some of my favourite songs.

1. “Dead Boys”

"Dead Boys”, the eponymous title of Sam Fender’s EP, opens with a prelude. The song comes in two parts: a prelude and the song itself. The prelude immediately sent shivers down my spine, and the song finished me. It’s the kind of songs I listen to when I want to let everything go, when my mind’s heavy and I need to clear it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcO8uV2n3Ys

2. “Leave Fast”

This one is pretty melancholic. I cried (you’ll quickly understand that I cry A LOT). I discovered this song and became obsessed with it last winter, when I was close to losing someone I loved. I didn’t know if I was losing her for good, if I myself had left for good. These were odd times for me, full of mixed feelings and uncertainty.

3. “Will We Talk?”

His latest release and most energetic song I’ve listened to. It’s a song about the disillusionment a one-night stand can create, it’s the kind of song that makes you feel young and free.

So enjoy and rock on!

Songs to drive to, windows down and sunglasses on.

There are songs that make you feel like you’re in a indie movie filmed on a Super 8 camera, windows down while you’re driving near the sea with your sunglasses on. They are dreamy songs, that sound a bit like they were made in the 1960s-70s with slow beats on electric guitars and old microphones, but you’re not quite sure of their release date. They make time slow and soothe your soul. They are dream pop songs.

I started listening to dream pop song a few years ago, and I always come back to them when the sun pops out.

Here is a playlist of my favourite songs of that genre. Let yourself be driven to the sea - in thought or in reality.

Goth Babe

Under the nickname Goth Babe is hidden Griff Washburn, an adventurous and curious man who produces his own songs in between his trips around the US and the world. I adore his psychedelic influences that make you see the world in slow motion.

1.“Weekend Friend”

This song always puts me in a good mood and I love driving to it. It’s also really hard to resist not walking in sync to the beat when you’re having a stroll...

2. The Hills"

I actually cried many times while listening to “The Hills”. I don’t really know why, but there’s something to it that sounds really nostalgic to me. It’s a bittersweet song which makes me feel both sad and hopeful…

3.“Sometimes"

Another upbeat song that will make nod your head with appreciation

4.“Lonely Days"

The most psychedelic song I’ve heard from Goth Babe. Leaves you floating around for a bit - and it’s nice.

Dvd Fair

I found this band on bandcamp (stay tuned for an upcoming blogpost on this website later) and immediately bought their records. Their song “photographs & laughs” was featured in a video made my LaMadelynn whose work I really like. She has a really vintage lifestyle and aesthetic and this song perfectly suited her video. Unfortunately, their EPs are not available on Spotify, only on bandcamp, but it’s worth the detour.

“photographs & laughs”

Their bandcamp:

https://dvdfair.bandcamp.com/track/photographs-laughs

On LaMadelynn’s video:

Mac DeMarco

Mac DeMarco is quite a character. You won't be able to watch a live performance of him where he does not just behave as though he was on his own. His music sounds more like chill indie rock, with strong 60s-70s vibes going on. My favourite albums are “This Old Dog” and “Salad Days”, but you can start off with these songs:

1. “The Stars Keep on Calling My Name"

This one makes me want to jump around and just enjoy the summer, and the guitar solo is irresistible.

2. “Salad Days”

Sounds strongly influenced by The Kinks’ “Picture Book” and it’s lovely!

3. “Still Beating” & “This Old Dog"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5RSQaF0I2o

This one’s is chill, just like the vibe of this live really. This is pure Mac DeMarco, is he more focused on the parc or on the music? A bit of both.

Beach House

In my opinion, Beach House are one of the absolute ambassadors of the dream pop genre. Some of their songs are the definition of what it feels like to fall in love, to let yourself drown in a sleepless but calm summer night.

1. “PPP”

A pretty powerful song to dream on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFhJRTdmviA

2. “Used To Be"

This one actually helped me understand the kind of feelings I felt for someone I was idealising. I had know this person for years and “re-met” him in my 20s. To me, this song represents the idea of making assumptions about someone and about yourself and understanding that your thoughts actually don’t match reality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihAwsK0nKpI

3. “Space Song"

Here’s your first-class ticket to dream pop heaven.

Vansire

Vansire’s music is like falling in love effortlessly. You don’t feel yourself fall, it just happens and it feels so natural.

"Nice To See You"

I realised I had fallen deep for someone listening to this song. I still feel some butterflies in my tummy when I play it.

And finally, “Halycon Days” will soothe your mind in a split-second. 

I think we can safely say that Lily Moore is the new Adele. If this doesn’t make you want to know more about her, I don’t know what will.

Lily Moore is a 20-year-old Brighton-based singer songwriter. She has released a few singles and an EP, has toured with Vance Joy around Europe, and has released a brand new song called “Why Don’t You Look at Me”. Here’s why I was blown away by her talent in a few words:

I discovered her music thanks to the amazing algorithm at work in Spotify Weekly Discoveries’ playlists (customised to each Spotify user) and oh boy did I fell in love with her music.

Her deeply soul voice and music, amazing choir singers, jazzy variations and gospel vibes are beyond magnificence. I was amazed by the balance of the songs and their interesting rhythms that sound familiar and new at the same time.

She has mentioned artists such as Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke in her influences and it definitely shows in her songs, but as far as I’m concerned, the first artist that I felt had a filiation with Lily Moore was Adele (as well as Amy Winehouse and Selah Sue). I find that both singers have perfect soul singing intonations and variations that are absolutely delightful.

She has quite recently peaked in the music world, so there are still few live performances available, but here’s a little selection of my favourite songs:

1. “I Will Never Be”

“I Will Never Be” is the very first song I listened to. The first organ notes just made me lose it.

2. “Lying to Yourself”

In my opinion, “Lying to Yourself” is the most “soul-inspired” song from her album. The bridge is to die for, the organ playing in the background and the very first piano chords made me melt in a split-second. The lyrics also literally killed me (in a good way).

3. “I Know I Wanna Be With You”

This one is clearly one of her most upbeat songs and I’m seriously considering chosing this song to get married on.

I hope I have convinced you to dig into her work, and I can’t wait for her to release some concert dates!

Find her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilymooremusic/

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/search/results/lily%20moore 

Heya! As a little introductory post, I thought I’d share with you some of the reasons why I was drawn to music, the genres I was introduced to and the people who helped me develop my knowledge in music.

Parental roots

My dad has always been a great music fan and player - he studied it for years but didn’t make it his profession despite the fact that he plays and listens to music all the time.

Ever since I was little, there would always be some music playing in the house, at any time of the day. My dad is a massive Beatles fan, and he would lull my sister and I to songs such as “Across the Universe” and “Dear Prudence”.

When I was a kid, I used to listen to whatever my father would listen to because I always found it very cool (my dad was cool okay, and yes, I was pretty influencable). When I was in primary school, I became obsessed with Lily Allen — beware that I did not speak a word of English at the time, and I find it very funny to realise I was actually singing her songs in gibberish, songs about getting drunk, partying and having sex.

I was very proud of having different tastes than my classmates (yes, I used to be that kind of hipster bitch) but felt pretty lonely talking about music since no one knew the artists I was referring to. I remember the day I bought my very first album with my own pocket money: “It’s Not Me, It’s You”, by Lily Allen (2008). I felt so proud!

My mum told me that my dad would spend days making mixtapes, adding little scene extracts from movies to link the songs together. He would buy photography magazines only to cut out some of the pictures and turn them into mixtape covers. He would write the song list by hand, changing colours and handwriting on each tape. He made many tapes for my mum as little presents and he made some for my sister and I when we were born. And I now have the same habit, only with Spotify playlists.

There were some songs on these tapes that I had completely forgotten about and that I was able to find from the tapes thanks to Shazam (that’s less glamorous I must admit). It struck me how I easily remembered the rhythm and some of the song lyrics. It did not bring precise memories back to me, sensations rather. What I mean is that the songs enabled me to remember what being a kid felt like, this particular way of feeling and understanding the world around you, the different passing of time, and how everything felt so big when you were so little. 

My brain can’t seem to function without music (ugh ,sounds teenagy I know)

Thinking about it all, I realised that it is actually how I make most of my memories: I hang on to feelings rather than visual images. This is the most efficient and accurate way for me to remember periods of my life: thanks to the songs I used to listen to at this particular time of my life. This is why I’m so reluctant to deleting my old playlists - since to me they are more emotionally charged and more striking than any photo I have ever taken.

And I like to play myself a little every now and then

Ahem. Alright. Well, I took piano lessons for three years, and then moved out to study in a different town, and I couldn’t bring my massive piano forte with me. So I quickly lost what I had learnt.

I’ve been playing the ukulele since I started high school, but honestly; anyone can easily reach a medium level of uke (like me) rather quickly.

After that, when my dad left me his old guitar, I started playing it and rapidly grew to love it.

Basically, I’m mostly self-taught, really unprofessional and just playing around. But I guess that is why I have so much fun playing music too.

So what’s the point of this blog then?

I simply really want to develop my knowledge in music by searching and sharing my discoveries, better understand how it affects me and why, and see if people relate.

This is the enthusiasm I’d like to share on this blog!