Music of the month - November 2014

As we enter the last month of 2014 (cray cray right?) I present to you another Music of the month post, so on we go!

1. Passionate friend - The Teardrop Explodes

I'm not sure if it's weird that I have such a similar taste in music to my parents, but at least it means I always have people to go to for music suggestions. My Dad has been playing The Teardrop Explodes' Wilder album a lot this month and this is the song that stood out for me on that album, but generally The Teardrop Explodes have become a new favourite. This song sounds a bit like R.E.M combined with Ben Folds Five and I love both, the instrumentation and harmonies in this song are pretty darn cool.

2. The boy who blocked his own shot - Brand New

Brand New are a group I gave a listen to a while ago but besides from Jesus Christ, none of their songs really stood out for me. I quite like the lyrics in this song even though instrumentally it's not particularly interesting, but I have been listening to this song a lot this month.

3. Undercover lover - Emma Blackery

Emma Blackery is one of my favourite YouTubers, so when her new EP came out I knew I had to give it a listen. I expected it to be generic pop to be honest but I gave it a go regardless and I wasn't disappointed - she really pulled it out of the bag, she reminds me a lot of classic Paramore/Hayley Williams combined with Harriet Wheeler's voice from The Sundays, and this song is really catchy.

4. Fluffy - Wolf Alice

If you don't follow me on Twitter, you may not have seen me freaking out about getting Alt-J tickets for January (SO EXCITED!). The relevance of this is that Wolf Alice are one of the supporting acts! I listened to Wolf Alice a while ago after seeing them appear on my Tumblr dashboard a few times and I quite liked them, so to find out they're supporting Alt-J is amazing so I've gone and listened to their songs again and I've listened to this one a lot. This particular song reminds me a bit of Hole, they sound a bit grungy so maybe that's why I like them.

5. Seaside - The Kooks

How did it take me so long to discover The Kooks?! I had heard Naive when it came out and I really liked it but I had never really given the rest of their stuff a proper listen, and now that I have I am obsessed.

I'd also like to give a special mention to all of the McBusted songs that have been released as I love love love them but they didn't quite make the cut, also I've started listening to Amanda Palmer but she's not quite made it because I've only just discovered her, I've also been loving Taylor Swift's Blank Space but I refuse to give her a proper spot in my Music of the month on the basis that she's taken all of her music off Spotify - sorry T Swizzle.

What music have you been loving this month?

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18th birthday haul

If you've read my last blog post, you may have gathered that I have now entered the world of adulthood, yes yes I can vote, I can drink, I can plunge deeper into my permanent state of existential crisis.. Life is good, but I took some time away from thinking of the inevitability of death and insignificance of humankind to film a haul and take some photos of what I received for my birthday.

Have you read any of these books or films?

What did you think if you did?

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18 things I learned by 18

1. Always bring your iPhone charger with you, where ever you're going. You never want to be in a situation where your battery is too low to listen to You're Gonna Lose That Girl or Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now for the thousandth time. 

2. Never leave the house without a book. A bus journey without reading material is a bus journey not worth taking.

3. Don't forget that your journal is there for when you're feeling the bitter winds of teenage angst.

4. Saying 'I'm not a feminist, I believe in equality' is the most stupid thing a person can say. Embrace your feminism, educate the ignorant and don't stop complaining until things change.

5. Your parents were right about Morrissey and The Smiths. The years of denying yourself the pleasure of The Headmaster Ritual, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, and How Soon Is Now? are years you will never get back, so face facts and accept that when it comes to music your parents know what they're talking about - it will save you a lot of time.

6. Don't be ashamed of still not being over High School Musical, anyone who doesn't like it is a dirty, rotten liar and they need to get their head in the game. Also don't be ashamed of the fact that you still watch Disney channel and get excited when they show Hannah Montana.

7. Foundation and concealer do not make you look cakey and orange if applied in the right shade and with the right amount, you can cover up those dark circles that you hate oh so much.

8. Biology A Level was never going to be your thing, you knew that from the first week of sixth form and just because you got a B at GCSE in a ridiculously hard Biology curriculum (Cambridge iGCSE is no joke people) it doesn't mean you're going to become an expert in phospholipid membranes and tertiary structures, so don't stress yourself out about it too much.

9. Try not to let your anxiety control you, say yes to more opportunities, but don't feel bad and beat yourself up if you're not up to meeting up with friends once in a while, it's all about baby steps.

10. Doctor Who is worth the hype. Give it another go, start from Christopher Eccleston - enjoy.

11. Don't upload photos of yourself on Facebook at least until age 15/16, seriously anything before then is not a pretty sight and by the time you discover this there will be hundreds to go through and make private or delete - save yourself this time.

12. You don't need to buy every Beatles band shirt you find, if you have nearly twenty, you have a problem and an empty purse.

13. As much as you want to date Tom Felton/Draco Malfoy (in the movies of course because Draco in the books is an arse wipe) you are not a Slytherin, as you find out at age 17, you are a gryffindor (and it's great - go go gryffindor!)

14. Answer your phone. Seriously. People know you're scared of picking up the phone, and they're generally sympathetic, which is why if they're calling you it is important - so pick up your damn phone once in a while.

15. Reading reader insert fanfictions probably isn't the best use of your time, but if it helps you forget about the inevitability of you being forever alone, go right ahead and do it.

16. That existential crisis you've been having since you were 12? Yeah, that's not going anywhere any time soon. Just try not to bum everyone else out by talking about the inevitability of death and the insignificance of humankind because it's not the greatest conversation starter.

17. One Direction are not that bad. Perhaps pop music is all manufactured and a disgrace to the greats like The Beatles, The Smiths, Ben Folds Five, Arctic Monkeys (and so on) but they are catchy and can be quite fun. However, you can maintain that pretentious façade and claim you only listen to 'I want' because it's written by Tom Fletcher and because it sounds exactly like a McFly song if it makes you feel better.

18. You don't need to have your entire life plan figured out by age 18. Very few people do, enjoy the next few years and get some life experience (preferably experience that doesn't require a wifi connection, yes Tumblr I'm looking at you)

What wisdom can you pass on from your life experience?

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November Wishlist

November's always been a favourite month of mine, probably because it's my birthday, but this year is my 18th birthday which means joining the world of adulthood which is pretty scary but who ever said you can't buy your way out of an existential crisis with clothes and makeup? Right? So if you keep on reading, you'll see the things I hope to buy to distract me from the inevitability of death and all that jazz.

I have read many good reviews on Sleek as a brand in general, but I really want to try out their Contour kit, the one I've seen is in Medium but I hope it is dark enough for my skin tone, Sleek is generally pretty good at catering for the darker skinned people so hopefully it'll be okay (I'm hoping to channel my inner Kim Kardashian so the contouring is necessary)

I'd really like a new neutrals palette and I think this one from Barry M may fit the bill, or I'll try to find something similar. What I really want is the Naked Basics Palette but there's the small issue of money and not having enough of it, you catch my drift?

I would quite like a new dress that will suit me throughout the rest of Autumn and Winter, and also help me channel my inner Wednesday Adams, and I think this one from New Look will do. I actually wanted this last year (and I'm pretty certain I used it in a wishlist on my old blog!) and I was really upset when I couldn't find it in stores, so I'm glad they've brought it back and hopefully this year I'll find it or just cave and buy it online.

I'd really like to buy a nude lip of some sort as I too have been slightly in love with Kylie Jenner, and I think the Revlon Just Bitten ColourBurst Balm Stain in Honey will help be achieve that your-lip-colour-but-better look.

Lastly, I'd quite like a gingham top because I have no gingham in my wardrobe - Dorothy Gale would not be proud, and I think this top from New Look will be great for me as I don't wear a great deal of colour in my wardrobe - I am literally Wednesday Adams, seriously I wore my hair in plaits just like her for the majority of my life, I am not joking.

Thanks for reading, who knew I could talk about channelling Kim Kardashian, Wednesday Adams and Kylie Jenner all in one blog post? That, my friend, is something special.

What's on your wishlist for November?

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