Addicted to love - Florence + the Machine

Last week I got to listen to the original version of this song by Robert Palmer and I already had Florence's cover in my playlists, so it seemed a very good convergence of factors pointing me towards posting it here! It took a few days as I've been having lots of great and fitting content lately, but now the time has come to become addicted to love.

Yes, Anastasia - Tori Amos

Recently one of the best albums by one of my favourite singer/songwriters (i.e. Under the pink by Tori Amos) has turned 20 years old, so I thought I'd be nice to celebrate its birthday with a post up here! This is one of the less radio-friendly songs of Tori, but one of the most beautiful in my opinion: its more than 9 minutes of length blend up perfectly some classical music-like melody with clever lyrics, creating an outstanding atmosphere that brings you back in the Russia of the first 20th century. The song is about Anastasia Romanov, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia and here is a quote from Tori about it:

"And that night came, as she softly sings the line “‘We’ll see how brave you are,’ and that was really about the whole record. That came just about before everything. And whenever I sing that chorus, ‘we’ll see how brave you are,’ it means so many different things to me. It’s part of my self, my spirit self saying to the rest of myself, ‘if you really want a challenge, just deal with yourself. The funny thing is that Anna Anderson, who claimed to be Anastasia, died very close to where I was playing, an hour or so from there in the 80s. The feeling I got that Anna Anderson was Anastasia Romanov."

America - Imagine Dragons

Hey guys, I'm very sorry but last night I've been betrayed by my internet connection at home... I will make it up now for you!
This is a song I have been already willing to post, so I was ready!
This is another song from Imagine Dragons, enjoy!

Strong - London Grammar

I've been recently creating a new playlist, the first one since I've come to Exeter. Even though it is filled up with lots of songs by each of the few bands/singers I'm listening to right now, it (unexpectedly) turned out to be quite cool. The song here is quite an exception, as there are not sisters of her in this playlist, but I'm sure they will be featured soon. In the meantime I'll just share with you this awesome little spell that will envelop your heart!

That's not my name - The ting tings

I have been experiencing this since the time of my exchange semester in Canada, and now that I am sending tons of mails to unknown people every day, it's coming back with more and more strength: Anglo-saxon and German speaking people call me Frederico all the time. And even if I'm (kinda) getting used to it, I want to underline... that's not my name!

#sundayrevival Pancake - Tori Amos

Guess what I've just been eating? Well, in such a cold (and lonely, why not?) night like this, what better than a warm pancake with maple syrup? And, given that I've not been doing the #sundayrevival last week either, it seemed like a good idea to me to pick this one song for the blog. Careful, this is one of my most beloved songs ever: super meaningful lyrics (that actually don't have much to do with pancakes) and great music, I just love it so much! So why don't you enjoy a pancake too? (be it a real one or this song, or maybe both of them!)

Forgive me - Leona Lewis

Today I have bought tow more CDs for my collection (used and refurbished CDs at 1£ were an irresistible temptation, I'm actually surprised I didn't buy more of them!) and I realised that I still hadn't unpacked (they were wrapped actually), opened and checked out the two I bought last weekend. So I did! And among these two there is the one this song comes from. And, still aware of all of its trashiness, I couldn't help recalling the good moments we spent together and the liking I've always had for it. So here it is! I hope you'll forgive me (hey, oh oh). [Ok I could've spared you this]

L.A. - Amy MacDonald

Hey guys, I hope your weekend started well! Mine did, last night I've been out for drinks with some new fun and friendly colleagues! And in one of my first pub-nights in Exeter I got to listen one of Amy's songs, her most famous I'd dare say (This is the life). And this made me want to listen to her whole first album. Which I've been doing. And in the end, it came to my mind (again) why I love so much this (other) song!

Blue jeans - Lana del Rey

Blue jeans - Lana del Rey

I can't take this song out of my head. I just can't. It has been obsessing me for the last few hours. Even when I was listening to other songs I still had this in mind, which is kind of rare! I think this little girl is calling loudly for a place here, so I'll give it to her. Here it is. Now. Even if she would wait a million years. But she'll love me 'til the end of time and I can't wait for it to happen!

Barely listening - Pilot Speed

Hi there! Time to celebrate, today the blog reached 1000 pageviews! Yay! Thank you all for this! I hope we'll get to celebrate more and more of these milestones!
The song I'm posting is one I've discovered last year thanks to my friend E. She directed me towards some Pilot Speed songs and I must say I really got to love some of them! I hope you'll enjoy this one too!

Salt silver oxygen - Antony & the Johnsons

Salt silver oxygen - Antony & the Johnsons

Today's song comes out of one of the most surprisingly pleasant albums I discovered in the end of last year. This particular one, I've been having it for quite a while in my library but it never did catch my attention until lately. Better late than never, I'd say.

Radioactive - Imagine Dragons

Today I'm gonna give another pick I've been exposed to in my office lately. Yet this one is also among the songs I'm currently getting to know better. This is radioactive, the (I believe) first single out of Imagine Dragons's debut album. I've been having big expectations for this album and the first times I listened to it I was startled as it was not really like I had imagined it would sound like. Yet after a few listenings I am starting to appreciate and value some of the songs and I have the feeling that going on with it will just keep on increasing my perception of its value. Stay tuned and if you'll see more Imagine Dragons here, well... you'll know it did get me in the end!

Ride - Lana del Rey

I'm super late today (tonight actually)... I thought I had posted already but I didn't! My bad! Today I'll feature some more Lana del Rey, as this song of hers was broadcasted in my office today and it urged me to listen to her whole CD, so just ride and have a good night!

Albuquerque - Neil Young

Hey guys! First day of work today, it's getting pretty busy, then I went grocery shopping on my way home, had dinner and got out for a drink right after! Little time to post for me, and little chances to get to listen to some good music today...! I'll have to pick another one of my songs from the new January playlists: this one is coming out of Neil Young's "Tonight's the night album", I think I already posted another song out of it a few days ago. This is Albuquerque, enjoy and have a good night!

Reason is treason - Kasabian

Another song from my new playlists for you today! I also found it as a soundtrack to a party in a Desperate Housewives first season episode... because everything is aligned! Have a good night.

Green eyes - PJ Harvey

Hey everybody! Big travelling today, I am moving to the UK for a few months, I don't think I mentioned it to you already! Anyway, I am still looking for a home, hopefully gonna find it tomorrow! As of today, I'll share with you a song I've been listening to quite a while lately, a b-side of PJ Harvey that has been serving as the opener of my first playlist of the year. I had never paid attention to that song until I listened to it casually a couple of weeks ago and I realised how beautiful it is!

Shout (live) - OneRepublic (cover)

I know I shouldn't, but I got some much into OneRepublic's second album that today it's practically all I've listened to (that's a lie, but it is indeed what I've been listening to most passionately). This is anyway a live cover of Tears for fears, so it does count only as a half OneRepublic song! Anyway, as I was driving back from Milan to home for the last time in a few months (big life change starting tomorrow!) I was singing the songs (this one in particular) in a loud voice and really enjoying it all, actually I was, well... shouting too. Let it all out you too!

Trapt door - OneRepublic

Hey guys, last night I couldn't sleep and I started listening to my playlist for hard moments (or just, for every moment), with some of my favourite songs ever! Today I am gonna post one of them. Or maybe not. Maybe I will keep them for another moment! I'll post another one of my fav, which should actually stay on that playlist. This is one of the least known songs of OneRepublic, a b-side on their second album Waking up.
"... and you're not a foolish one at all..."

Hey now (live on KEXP) - London Grammar

London Grammar are my most recent discovery: I have heard them being mentioned here and there lately but I wasn't able to find their album. Yet, I found a performance of them on KEXP (goodness bless them and their radio) and I was, together with the radio host, stunned with my jaw wide open after the first song, Hey now, which I'm featuring here now. Be careful with your jaws when you listen!

S.O.S. in Bel Air - Phoenix

Last year I started listening to Phoenix and I liked them, in particular I've been in love with their 2009 album. Then, while I was listening to their older stuff, they came out with a new work that I had the occasion to listen to only recently. Not bad I'll say for now. While waiting for new developments about my liking of it, this is the one that is now most impressed in my memory.

#sundayrevival : Little bird - Annie Lennox

Hey guys, second sunday with a #sundayrevival themed post! The song of today has been ready in my mind for at least a couple of days! While taking a shower I played an April 2012 playlist that I used to listen to (also) when I was in Toronto on Easter of that year. In particular there are a couple of songs on that playlist that instantly bring me back memories of that awesome trip and one of them is of course this. I remember vividly walking down Church street from my hotel to the lakefront listening to Annie Lennox. Awesome.

#100 Running out - Scissor sisters

It seems like yesterday when I started this blog. It seems like a life ago that I started this blog.
The contradiction within these two thoughts that come to mind together explains perfectly well the fucked-up-conception of time passing by that I have in this moment of my life. Well, be it yesterday or a life ago that I started, I have already (/finally?) reached the first important milestone, this is the 100th post of the blog! You'll say: well... and so? Your comment is legitimate. I tend to agree.
Yet I wanted to do something special to celebrate to this moment. This song is not at all what I had in mind, but it is very special to me in its own way. It comes out of my favourite album of the Scissor Sisters (Scissters for friends), the one that got me very close to their music. And it has been with me ever since. I mean, if I'm driving you somewhere with my car, just don't put this record on if you care for your life: the dancing comes unstoppable. "Hands on the wheel!" is just something that doesn't apply, especially with this song!!

Sooo, happy 100th post to you, I hope you had fun up to now and will keep on having more and more fun in the future! Have a good night!! (or day, or whatever time of the day it's where you are!) Cheers!

Teil von Mir - Silbermond

In the last few weeks I had been listening to a bit of German music (pop stuff mainly) to improve my listening skills in preparation of the exam I took yesterday. Some stuff was pretty cheesy or anyway it didn't really... take my breath away, let's say. Yet I also found some valuable stuff. Hoping that all that helped, I anyway have something new and cool to listen to and, why not?, to post here! Enjoy one of the pieces I got to favour, it's called Teil von Mir (Part of me) by Silbermond (Silvermoon).

Survivor - Destiny's child

After three exams in one day and getting back home after midnight, I can definitely say I'm a survivor!!

Dissolve me - Alt-J

"Now dissolve me, two tabs on your tongue"
Tomorrow I have 3 exams, the only thing in the world I would like to do now is dissolving...!
Have a good day people!

Tutto l'universo obbedisce all'amore - Franco Battiato & Carmen Consoli

Hey everybody! Today I'm posting I song I had already up in my sleeve since... well, last year! I've started listening to Franco Battiato lately (for those who don't know him, he's an Italian singer-songwriter who started his career in the 70s, pretty intellectual but one of the most famous players of the Italian music scene of the last XXth century). Yet I have already been knowing this song since 2008, when it came out. I think I have listened to it on the radio while driving to school, when I still listened to the radio (ah, good old times...!). The presence of one of the other most talented Italian singer-songwriters (dear Carmen) makes it even more precious!

Radetzky march - Johann Strauss (New year's concert 2014 directed by Daniel Barenboim)

No post again yesterday, I'm getting bad at fulfilling my duties as a blogger! Yesterday has been a sleep-day actually, I think I've passed more time in bed than out of it...! But, whatever... the new year has been underway for a few days now, but (at least here in Italy) for many people today is the first day of work after the holidays, so it's symbolically another "beginning of the year". To celebrate this I'll post something unusual for this blog, that is strictly related to the real new year's day. Let's get into some classical with the super traditional new year's day concert in Wien.

#sundayrevival : Don't say nothing - Patti Smith

I'll leave you with yet another pearl in this gloomy end-of-holidays sunday. I've gone back listening again to one of Patti's latest albums and I realised that there are few songs on this one that I really like but that have never had the chance to get enough of my attention. This is not one of them. Or, at least, to this one I have devoted a good deal of attention and love, I still don't know if it's enough!
And I just realised that this is the first Patti Smith post on the blog. Shame on me for waiting so long!

I actually made up my mind about formalizing the #sundayrevival theme for the blog, so expect more of my own personal classics to come!
Have a good end of holidays and be strong!

Winter - Tori Amos

I realise that the very structure of this blog tends to give room to what I am currently listening to or to what I have been listening to recently, leaving my good (great) old glories aside. But sometimes they find their own room! I should maybe devote at least one day per week to songs I've been knowing for a long time and which I love! For now I'll start with one. So, what can I pick? It's definitely gonna be something by Tori, as she's not been up here for quite a while...! Ok, I got it. Well, I mean... so many great tunes all together! Anyway, today I think it makes sense to leave some room to the first Tori song I've fallen for, which is also pretty coherent with the time of year!

#sundayrevival

Love me again - John Newman

Notwithstanding the fact that the piano section just before the last chorus is practically identical to the one that Isabella "the Machine" plays live during Rabbit heart, or maybe just because of that, this is still one of the most likable new songs I've been listening around on the radio and on TV lately!

Tonight's the night - Neil Young

I think we are finally all the way into the new year, so it's time to start with posts about what's happening now to my music world! I have started my way through Neil Young's discography a few months ago, I am now listening to his eight album, Tonight's the night (and I'm just close to getting a quarter of the job done, you can imagine how many albums he released!). I must confess I'm really enjoying this one, it's probably gonna be among the top three of what I've listened to up to now. The title track is divided in two parts, one is the opening track and the second one is the closing. Even though I prefer part II, I could only find the opening one on Youtube; they're anyway pretty similar to each other, so no big deal!

Need you tonight - INXS

So, here we are. I promised a story and a story you'll get! One year ago I was celebrating the new year, getting ready for my first Master of science exam session and everything. But, differently from this year, there was a thing bothering me to uneasiness. I had been having in my mind a bass motive, similar to the one of Another one bites the dust by Queen (with the first three beats ta ta ta), but then different (it went like tananananananana going down of one tone each beat, not following the Queen). I knew it belonged to a song that I knew from my childhood, but I hadn't been able to find it. I had been singing this bass pattern to practically all the people I knew and all of them knew it as well but weren't able to tell me the song. I had also been looking for info on the Internet, Yahoo answers and everything, but no clue. Until one day (I think it was around January/February), when my mostly beloved friend B. wrote me a message, saying that it came to her mind! It was Need you tonight by INXS. And it was indeed. It's probably been one of the most relieving moments of my life. It was the stupidest thing, but it bothered me for like 6 months! Now, problem solved thanks goodness!

New year's day - U2

Hey guys, I hope you all started this new year in the best way possible! It strikes me to think that two years ago I was on my way to Montréal, ready to start my exchange semester, waiting for everything to change. It didn't happen, yet everything changed in a way that I was not expecting! Anyway, this revival moment brings me back to the post of today. I know I promised you a story yesterday, I will keep my promise as soon as possible, hopefully tomorrow, but for today... well, enjoy a wonderful New Year's Day!