The June mix-tape

I know I have a varied music taste as it is and I usually have a strange mix in these monthly music posts, but I really do feel like this month's post has one of the strangest mixes yet. I've been listening to loads of music over the past month while I've had exams and been revising (I discovered after trying to revise in silence for the majority of exam period that I can't revise in silence).

1. Fade Away - Susanne Sundfor
I discovered Susanne Sundfor on Instagram via one of Maddie's posts, this was the song she recommended and I immediately loved it, and proceeded to listen to everything else she's ever done on Spotify. She reminds me a lot of Kate Bush or Tori Amos, and the album Ten Love Songs is really amazing - it's quite atmospheric and the whole album flows so well, it really feels like it's telling a story in the same way a film does with its music. Love love love.

2. Staircase at the University - Morrissey
If you're new here, hello my name is Bess and I like Morrissey a lot. I had heard this song before and the whole World Peace is None Of Your Business album but I didn't really give it a proper listen when it first came out, in fact I only gave it a proper listen (y'know the whole ignore everyone for about an hour and listen to the album start to finish kinda deal) a few months ago when I needed something to listen to in my free periods at school, and it was then that I realised the album was actually amazing, it just took some dedicated listening time (also, a lot of the songs are growers). I only just got round to ripping the album to my computer as when I got my new phone I decided I needed a lot more music, and I've been listening to this a lot just because of how #relatable it is. One of the quotes is "if you don't get 3 As, her sweet Daddy said 'you're no child of mine and as far as I'm concerned you're dead". Okay, perhaps it's not that #relatable to my life but it definitely made me laugh because of the amount of people I know who are in that situation (when I say laugh, I wasn't laughing at them I'm not a sadist)

3. Panic Station - Muse
I've been having a massive Muse moment this month, it started with their newest album, then moved to their oldest albums, and then it got the point where I was just putting all of their songs on shuffle and ignoring everyone for the day whilst I cracked down on revision. I actually didn't know The 2nd Law album all that well so I didn't really know this song. What I love about this song really is the instrumentation, I just love a good brass in a song (seriously, a bit of brass can quite easily turn me on to a song) and you've got a bit of a guitar solo in there too, just seriously top notch.

4. You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man) - Loretta Lynn
This is definitely the oddest song of the bunch in here, but I've fallen in love with Loretta Lynn. Not literally, although I do love her as a person too - she was presenting feminist ideals in the 60s and 70s which wasn't done so much in mainstream media, in fact she had a song called The Pill which was literally about contraceptives, how many artists would do that? I started liking Loretta Lynn after watching the Coal Miner's Daughter in about February (great film) but I decided to give her a bit of a listen on Spotify and I have been obsessed. There's something about country music that I really love, and Loretta has a gorgeous voice and catchy songs. This is probably the one I like the most but I also like I'm A Honky Tonk Girl, You're Looking At Country, and Wine, Women and Song.

5. Androgynous - The Replacements
This is a song that I added onto my Spotify a while ago but I don't remember why or when or how or anything (I have a tendency of doing that, if I listen to a song once and like it I add it to my Spotify so I don't lose it but then I'm always confused when it comes up on shuffle because I don't remember how it got there). This came up on my shuffle and I've been listening to this a lot, it's really chilled and simple with just a sort of honky tonk kind of piano and a little bit of percussion, plus the song is about gender and sexuality which isn't necessarily something you hear about a lot in mainstream music . I also love this cover that Miley Cyrus, Joan Jett and Laura Jane Grace did!

Special mention to Beyonce, I've been listening to her a crazy amount recently (you could say I've been crazy in love with Beyonce, okay that was terrible but seriously she's great).

What music have you been listening to recently?

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Music of the month - March 2015

1. SAVAGES - MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS

Marina Diamandis is so so talented, her ironic poppy style in the Electra Heart era is what really drew me in so when she started releasing singles for her new Froot album, I was very excited to hear what she had on offer. I do like the singles she's released, don't get me wrong, but besides from Forget, they were all very different from what I had liked from in her the past. When the rest of the Froot album came out, I was really surprised that I loved the songs on the album that weren't singles as usually the singles from an album are my favourite. Savages is a quite a good pop song with a strong social message - you gotta love that.

2. SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT - BADLY DRAWN BOY

This isn't a new a song to me but it is a rediscovery. As you may know if you read my review of the book, I read and rewatched About a Boy, and I've been listening the soundtrack an unhealthy amount since then. This song has been constantly stuck in my head, I'm not sure if it's my favourite on the soundtrack but it's definitely been the one that I've had stuck in my head most.

3. CELEBRITY SKIN - HOLE

Hole isn't a new band to me but they are one that I dismissed a while ago and never really got into. I've always had this conception that you choose either Nirvana or Hole, and I chose Cobain over Love. I'm not sure what it is that made me give them another go, but I did and they are a really good grunge band. This is probably my favourite song by them but I do really enjoy the whole Celebrity Skin album, it's a bit grungey, a bit rocky, and the group is mostly made up of women which is great because I don't know a lot of girl rock bands and I'd really like to because girls are awesome.

4. BIRDHOUSE IN YOUR SOUL - THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS

A big thing has happened this month, I have discovered a new favourite band. By that, I meant they're in the top ten but that is a big thing for someone who is as obsessed with music as I am. That band is They Might Be Giants. I discovered them through listening to a playlist and I have gone forth to listen to most of their discography, they've been together for quite a long time so I'm still not all the way through but oh Kanye where have these people been all my life?

If I had to put them into a category, it would be alternative rock. They're quite similar to Ben Folds Five (who I love and you'll know that if you've read this post) so they're definitely worth a listen. It was hard for me to pick just one song by them but I do really like this one, if you want to see what I'm listening to though you can always just follow me on Spotify to get updates!

5. DEBBIE DOWNER - COURTNEY BARNETT

Courtney Barnett is a fairly new musician to me (like as in the past couple of months) but she is really great, she reminds me a little bit of Hole actually. She came out with a new album in the past week and I listened to the whole thing in the morning before school one morning and I just really liked this song, the lyrics and the hook are really catchy - she's definitely an artist who deserves a bit more recognition! Other favourites on the album are Pedestrian at Best (which I actually loved when it was released as a single before the entire album), An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York), and Depreston.

What music have you been listening to this month?

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I'ma let you finish but Ben Folds Five are one of the greatest bands of all time

I was considering doing an entire post dedicated to music that isn't so well known but is really good and well worth a listen, the focus being on the band Ben Folds Five, but then I realised that I love them too much to dedicate just a fifth of a post to them. My favourite bands are The Beatles and The Smiths, but Ben Folds Five are way up there and sometimes they're equal to The Beatles to me, which is a sweeping statement to make but that's how good they are, seriously.

I first listened to Ben Folds Five when I was about five years old and I think the song that stuck with me most at that age was Jackson Cannery, although I didn't know it was called that for years, I just called it the 'stop the bus' song because the first line of the song is 'stop the bus'. I majorly got into Ben Folds Five (opposed to just knowing a few songs) when I was about ten or eleven years old, and when I was sixteen I was lucky enough to see Ben Folds Five live as they reunited for a tour and a new album.

Ben Folds Five are by far one of the best bands of all time, Ben Folds' solo work is pretty awesome too. Ben Folds Five set out to prove you don't need a guitar for rock music and so the piano is the focus in their music, for a pianist obviously this is a selling point, but their songs are genuinely so so good. If you keep on reading, I'll give y'all a breakdown of my favourites (for which reasons) because I love all of their songs, they're one of the few groups who don't have any rubbish songs, it's really quite a strange thing.

I know Rockin' the Suburbs isn't a Ben Folds Five album, but I couldn't leave it out as it's probably one of my all-time favourite albums and it's still Ben Folds so y'know it's not a completely artist.

THE SAD SONGS:

1. Boxing
2. Brick
3. Smoke
4. Missing the War
5. Evaporated
6. Mess
7. Thank You for Breaking My Heart

THE 'I'M DOING ME SO P*SS OFF' SONGS:

1. Philosophy
2. Underground
3. One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces*
4. Draw a Crowd
5. Do It Anyway

THE SING IT OUT LOUD SONGS:

1. Jackson Cannery
2. Philosophy (again, seriously amazing amazing song)
3. Where's Summer B?
4. Underground (another repeat, versatile band man)
5. Sports & Wine
6. Uncle Walter
7. Best Imitation of Myself**
8. Video
9. The Last Polka
10. One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solem Faces
11. Song for the Dumped
12. Kate
13. Battle of Who Could Care Less
14. Army
15. Erase Me
16. Michael Praytor, Five Years Later
17. The Sound of the Life of the Mind
18. Draw a Crowd
19. Do It Anyway

I could pretty easily do the same thing for Ben Folds' solo work, but I think Ben Folds Five are marginally better at least for me and I wouldn't want to overwhelm you with good music.

Who's your favourite band/artist?

*If I ever became famous this would be the song I'd sing to my high school buddies
**Fun fact, my Tumblr username came from this song - see if you can spot it

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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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Music of the month - October 2014

I'm sure you'll all be relieved not to see another single product review on here at least for the moment, I have really been enjoying doing them so often and I will keep on doing them however I still want to keep my Music of the month series going as my music taste is one of the few good qualities about me.

1. Warm foothills - Alt-J

I'm still in love with Alt-J's new album (as if I hadn't gone on about them long enough in my last Music of the Month post) but I just think Alt-J are great and I find their music so alternative and calming, I'm really hoping to go and see them in concert in January!!

2. Luv, hold me down - Drowners

This is more of a song that I've rediscovered. It's upbeat and it's fun, it's a nice combination. I really should get round to listening to more music by Drowners because they're really good!

3. Twelve feet deep - The Front Bottoms

The Front Bottoms are a new discovery for me this month, as usual I have discovered them through Tumblr. I'm honestly so thankful that I follow people on Tumblr with a similar music taste to me because I discover so much music on there. I love the whole album entitled Rose by them anyway so I could recommend that generally.

4. I'm an Actor - Phoenix

I really like Phoenix but I hadn't heard this song before and it sounds quite different from the other songs I like by them, it's a lot slower but I like it. I feel I should also give a mention to If it's not with you from the same album which is called Alphabetical.

5. Mesmerise - Temples

I am really surprised I didn't get into Temples earlier as I had seen lots of them on my dashboard, I did give them a go ages ago but I didn't really get into them. Then someone I know recommended them to me and I gave them another go because they told me Shelter Song sounds like a song by The Beatles (which it does, the introductory riff in that song is uncannily like George Harrison) so went on to listen to their Sun Structures album and I have fallen for them. This song doesn't sound massively Beatle-esque but I still very much like it.

I also feel like I should give an honourable mention to the High School Musical soundtrack, I've been listening to it whenever I do homework or revise and I have to say it really does brighten up my mood. I'm also just a massive loser who still isn't over High School Musical.

What songs have you been loving this month?

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Music of the month - September 2014

Hello there readers - I do apologise for not blogging that much over this month, I am back in the humdrum sixth form lifestyle, I'm actually doing my last year of A levels so it's a pretty important year but I don't want blogging to take a backseat so I'm still going to try and upload as often as I can! As you can tell by the title, it is time for another 'Music of the month' post (you can read my last one here) because whilst I am spending most of my time crying over the fact that I'm doing A levels and I want to melt my face because of that, I am still listening to music so I have been listening to a few songs on repeat this month!!

1. Babooshka - Kate Bush

I've been listening to Kate Bush a lot this month because my Philosophy teacher loves her, and at the beginning of every Philosophy teacher he recommends some music or a film or a book to us (and then we can recommend something if we want to), and he's recommended Kate Bush a fair few times so I've been listening to her a lot. I turned to her popular tracks on Spotify and Babooshka was the third one in there and I just like how quirky it sounds, and I also think she has a great voice.

2. Every Other Freckle - Alt-J

I have been listening to Alt-J's newest album on Spotify non-stop since it was put on there, it's slightly different from their old album but still has some similarities. Every Other Freckle is fairly similar to the songs on their last album but less chilled and more 'groovy' - I really didn't want to have to use the word 'groovy' in this post but that's what it's like, don't judge me.

3. Lovely Day - Alt-J

As I just said, I have been really enjoying Alt-J's new album. It sounds a little bit different from their first album in some ways but it's also similar enough that if you liked the first album you won't be disappointed with this one. This song is a bonus track on the album and I really like it because it sounds a bit strange and quirky but it's a nice chilled song.

4. The Girl in the Dirty Shirt - Oasis

I have liked Oasis for a long time but I haven't heard all of their songs so I'm always discovering new ones. I feel like all of their most popular songs like Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova (which I love don't get me wrong) sound quite similar but this song provides some variation. My family are always criticising me for liking Oasis (they prefer Blur) because all of their songs sound the same, but this one sounds slightly different and a bit more 'rocky'.

5. Lullaby - The Cure

The Cure also aren't a new band to me but I don't know that many of their songs, and I think this song came up on my tumblr dashboard and I instantly liked it. It's another chilled song but it's more upbeat than Alt-J. I'm never sure if it's wrong for me to like The Cure seeming as The Cure fandom seem to hate The Smiths fandom (please just let me love who I love)

Thanks for reading this month's 'Music of the month'!!

What music have you been enjoying this month?