#moderndaypoets

Say Hey - Modern Day Poets ( Official Video )

Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra- Well Soon

The relatively unknown Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra make lo-fi indie folk tunes, with low production costs, seemingly recorded in a basement or a garage. The music however is wonderfully written and the album Well Soon flows from start to finish like few I’ve heard before. The lyrics are incredibly strong and capture the struggles of twenty somethings everywhere, just trying to work their way through the puzzle of life. The lyrics are relatable but have a subtle complexity to them at the same time. So If  you’re not really sure where your headed in life and you are sort of just floating along this record unfortunately won’t actually provide you with any answers. What it will do however, is at least make you feel as if you’re not on your own and sometimes that is enough.  Lyric Highlights

I wonder if we could memorize our thoughts, put them into songs, would they ever really change much?-Walks on Alberta

Arctic Monkeys-  Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not 

Five albums in and one of the biggest and most recognisable rock bands on the planet, Arctic Monkeys are an extremely well-polished outfit. However their debut is what kick-started them over a decade ago when the teenagers burst on to the scenes with the indie smash hit ‘whatever people say I am that’s what I’m not’. It’s packed full of rollicking indie tunes to bang your head and stomp your feet to, but it’s still hard not to identify front man Alex Turners lyrics as the draw point. Tuner is regarded as one of the best writers of our generation and it was already on full display on their debut. A master of observation, Turner captures with such realism, the lives of young men growing up in Northern England, complete with thick accents and slang terms. No glitz and glamour, no sign of the rock star persona he now possesses (don’t get me wrong, he’s earned that), but this has the every-man charm that could only be achieved before superstar status. If you haven’t listened to this record before you are surely missing out. Alex Turner is a modern day poet. Lyric Highlights

“Oh, there ain’t no love, no Montagues or Capulets Are just banging tunes and DJ sets and… Dirty dance floors, and dreams of naughtiness!” -I bet that you look good on the dancefloor  

Kate Tempest is certainly one to keep your eyes and ears out for, finding success in almost everything she has put her name to, she recently entered the world of music. Before doing so she has excelled on the spoken word circuit, worked as a playwright, published multiple works of poetry, and is currently working on a novel making her one of the most diverse and important writers of our generation. The link above is an interview she did with kaltblut magazine, check it out, it gives great insight into the world of a such a prolific wordsmith. Kate tempest is the very definition of a modern day poet. It’s the Bored Of It All generation The product of product placement and manipulation, Shoot em up, brutal, duty of care, Come on, new shoes. Beautiful hair. - Europe is Lost

If you think that all new music is dumb and they don’t make it like they use to, trust me they’re are some shockers from back in the day. NME has compiled a list of the 50 worst pop lyrics of all time. Thanks Guys. Some of my favourites:

Discover- Matt Pless

Matt Pless is an artist I discovered by chance whilst browsing music on Spotify. I came across a beautifully written tune called ‘the crayon song’. Immediately after I looked into the artist and to my surprise there was very little information about Pless. Perhaps this made it easier for me to enjoy the songs for what they were, wonderfully written folk tunes. I guess sometimes personality can cloud our judgement when it comes to music. Pless is a strong lyricist that will hopefully garner more attention in the future. Check out his bandcamp page and fork out a couple of dollars for his albums and support a man that deserves to make a career out of music.

Lyric Highlights

“she’s got powders and pills, chasing thrills through dollar bills, tracing lines of her reflection, with her senses so distilled”- The Crayon Song

Nas -illmatic

Nas’ illmatic was released in 1994, initially finding only moderate success. Today however the record is regarded as a classic and a direct influence on today’s hip-hop artists. Hip-Hop provides an incredible platform for lyricists to use words and phrases that just wouldn’t be possible in other genres. Nas’ incredible debut takes that opportunity and runs with it.  Illmatic picks you up and places you right into his world, New York’s Queensbridge housing projects. Filled with vivid imagery, clever wordplay and turn of phrase Nas provides amazing insight into his environment, a world of violence and crime, a world that was his reality. This is a staple in any music collection. Nas’ is truly a modern day poet. “I rap from a perspective of a human being, and in rap, that wasn’t really the thing…[mines was] one of the first albums that talked about life in that manner, hands on.” …. “I want you to know who I am: what the streets taste like, feel like, smell like…I told the story that way because I thought that it wouldn’t be told if I didn’t tell it. ” Nas

Lyric Highlights

“It drops deep as it does in my breath I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death Beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined I think of crime when I’m in a New York state of mind” - N.Y State of Mind