#jamiewoon

Hello all. It’s that time of week again! I do hope the first few posts have been well received and at least one of the songs has made it’s way onto your musical radar! 

First this week is a song from my Uni days! I’ve been in touch with an old chum this week from when I was at University. We had similar tastes in music, bar sports and fried food! Whenever I hear this artist, and more specifically this song I’m immediately taken back to a time when Myspace was the first thing you’d check when you logged onto the Uni network, right before wasting time playing pool and drinking in the SU and trying to squeeze in the odd bit of work! I miss the ‘good old days’, sounds very cliche but one thing which made the four years of my Uni life enjoyable was the access to live music and the emerging talents of Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks and countless other indie bands popping up at the time. Whilst at Uni I saw Fatboy Slim, Milburn & Jack Penate at the SU, as well as countless others around the country. From being told at each gig that we were the best crowd that the band had ever played to I can therefore assume that, statistically speaking, I must have been the best crowd member in the UK! 

I went to see this band over at Keele Uni with my friend and Example supported. He was so bad people set the fire alarm off to stop him performing. Fact. As I said, the good old days!

The Rifles - Peace & Quiet - https://youtu.be/FY74RmVucYg

I must admit that previous song had me smiling, always nice to reminisce about happy times in your life! Second song belongs to a very talented singer and song writer Jamie Woon. Born in the UK to a Malaysian Chinese Father and a Scottish Mother, his genres are more of those whimsical Wikipedia inventions ‘neo soul, downtempo’........(?!) All I can say is that I love his 2011 debut album ‘Mirrorwriting’ and recommend you give it listen, pure bliss from start to finish. Songs ‘Night Air’ and ‘Spirals’ being the real highlights for me although every song I enjoy. The song of his I have chosen is from his second, and currently latest album, ‘Making Time’ and when I first heard it I think I played it on repeat for about 45 minutes! Also worth a listen off this album are the songs ‘Celebration’ and ‘Forgiven’, needless to say I do enjoy many of his songs, I hope you do too!

Jamie Woon - Sharpness - https://youtu.be/CxvsFwKR89Q

Finally we have the bizarrely named Unknown Mortal Orchestra. From New Zealand, their brand of psychedelic rock has only recently made it’s way into my life via my Spotify explorations. Very popular and successful in their native New Zealand the band are now based in Portland, Oregon. That’s in the United States of Americanland FYI. The band actually have a number one in New Zealand with the track ‘American Guilt’ off their latest album Sex & Food. However it’s their earlier works which have caught my eye. I first heard the song ‘So Good At Being In Trouble’ off their second album, the 2013 release ‘II’. Good listen and very catchy but the track I have chosen I heard on my way home from one of my night shifts and at 3am it just made sense! According to one website, the video tells the story of two characters whose insecurities & paranoia eventually drive them apart. I could have said the video depicts a man and his love for an oak tree it wouldn’t make a jot of difference to you but goes someway to explain the lyrics to the song. I hope you like it!

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Necessary Evil - https://youtu.be/XqjWidsMhvM