Seasons run - The XX

After listening to the first few songs of the new XX album, I felt disappointed and a bit frustrated by the fact that they had sold themselves to the cheap, mainstream electronic beats, guided by Jamie and his experimentation. I missed the intimate atmospheres created by their former songs, and luckily I found them again starting from the middle of the album ('Performance' saved my opinion of it during the first listen, it dragged me out of the deep waters I had fallen into). Now I have made my peace with the whole of it and I am starting to appreciate it as a whole, but I still love more the tracks that carry a stronger "The XX" signature. This bonus track is one of them and is quickly becoming a new favourite of mine!! (PS: Click on the image caption for a link to the song)

Seasons run - The XX

Thank you - Dido

Thank you - Dido

Today has been a very Dido day: as we all hoped last night, thyphoon Haima passed quite close to here and so the weather observatory issued the typhoon signal and all day activities have been cancelled! No lectures, no conferences, so I've had quite a bit of time to... well, work on papers and assignments of course! Busy life, but with the colder season slowly coming in (is it actually?), the rain and the quiteness of working in front of my computer, Dido on the soundtrack... it's not been a bad day in the end! I've produced some output and hope I didn't deplet my energies so that I can keep on being productive! Not time to enjoy the weekend yet, but maybe Sunday I'll be able to put my papers aside for a while! I hope you'll be having a more entertaining weekend than me anyway!

Novices - C Duncan

Novices - C Duncan

It's time for a new artist to be featured in the blog! Are you excited? I am, quite a bit I would say! I already mentioned him in my latest post, so it's not gonna be a total surprise. He has been under my radar for quite a while, since I found out about him when he has been nominated for last year's Mercury Prize, and now I finally decided to give him a proper chance. His music is quite similar to that of Fleet Foxes, I just noticed, and both of them mostly attracted my attention thanks to the beauty of their album cover arts! While I haven't been able to appreciate the American band's music (even by getting back to them multiple times), this British guy has been able to catch and keep my attention... probably because his fairytale-like musical atmospheres are paired with catchy melodies, making the whole song experience quite a good combo! I hope you guys can enjoy C Duncan too!

Low halo (live on KEXP) - Lemolo

Low halo (live on KEXP) - Lemolo

Once again I have to thank KEXP for getting me to know new artists: this time it's Lemolo's turn, they have immediately fascinated me with this beautiful song that they played live at the beginning of their recent visit to the Seattle-based radio. I guess you're gonna be seeing more of them here on the blog soon. I am writing now after a very long and very full but satisfying day: after waking up early, writing a couple of e-mails, talking on the phone with another university I have applied to, seeing a friend of mine get her Italian citizenship (she's from Albania but has lived here since she was like 2 years old), then a medical test, talking with somebody, back home for a shower, train to Milan, a dear friend's birthday and here I am! Hope I'm gonna take it easier tomorrow, but I already have some shopping, an aperitivo and a dinner planned... Milan stresses me out but I can't say I don't love how it fills up my life!

Elijah - Lunik

Elijah - Lunik

This is probably gonna be the last Lunik post for a while, as I exhausted my get-to-know listening of their 2012 album 'What is next'. The atmosphere of some of the songs on it is quite 'wintery', in contrast with the 'spring-like' tone of most of my favourite of theirs, the collection 'Lonely letters'. I dare say that this sad and calm mood is quite matching with my own... I am back with cold and coming flu, as usual in winter, and I am not happy at all about it... I just wanna feel good, it sucks that me and the poor people like me are feeling like shit for about half year every time... please senf us to the tropics! Please!!

Cripple and the starfish - Antony & the Johnsons

Cripple and the starfish -
Antony & the Johnsons

I've been keeping Antony's discography on my computer for quite a long time after approaching his 2010 album 'Swanlights' a few years ago... lately I got to think back about their song 'Thank you for your love', during my last trip to Thailand, and so I put their debut album in my queue and got to listen to it. I think I'm gonna greatly enjoy it because, apart from sounding quite awesome, it matches perfectly the winter mood that is surrounding me now, pre-xmas but already dark, gloomy and cold. This song, I'm already in love with it and couldn't wait to share it with you all any longer!!

#sundayrevival Come home - Lene Marlin

Come home - Lene Marlin

Lazy and eventless Sunday for me here: boring F1 race, usual lunch at grandma's with family, really... nothing particularly meaningful to note for today on my part. Nothing particularly bad, nothing particularly good. Seems like my life is on hold, waiting for me to come back home and reset everything. I'm already bored even before getting back here, so I guess I'm gonna need to find something to do in the meanwhile! This nonsense... I kind of find it in the lyrics of this song. Nonsense that hold a meaning somehow. A willingness to listen to this album just struck me, and I believe it did because I needed to post this song. Winter is coming, and so are sad and depressing times. Please, let xmas be here soon!

"Just give me directions I go anywhere

I need to find something I can not find here

Give me a chance I prove that you are wrong

I manage to find I can be strong

And maybe I wanna come home"

Lost? - Coldplay

"Just because I'm losing doesn't mean I'm lost...

Doesn't mean I didn't get what I deserved 

No better and no worse..."

Lost? - Coldplay

So, I wanted to make a double post tonite, but I don't have the strength to write something decent and post it and share, so I'm just gonna take this note and complete the post tomorrow. Just know that I tried, and I started this with the best intentions! But I love this song and I had a moment with it today, so I prefer to devote a little bit more time to it and share it well tomorrow. And in the meantime I've already kind of written the post, so to hell with that, I'm just gonna post it now.

I've been listening to a playlist I compiled thinking about an "aperitivo on a terrace facing the sea" kind of context, with relaxing and chilling songs, which most often end up being songs I feel the most and that communicate very strongly to me. So I got this one playing in my car while driving back from work tonite and being at a point of my life when I decided to turn the page, the lyrics I quoted up here kind of really spoke to me! And I've always been in love with this song, with how you can pick one version for charging-up moments and the other one for calm and reflexive moments (Lost! vs Lost?), and they both work awesomely.

Well now, after a bad, disturbed and not so long sleep two nights ago and a very much enjoyed but short 5-sleep last night, I reaaally need to see a bed. Be well, y'all!

London thunder - Foals

London thunder - Foals

It's really unbelievable how I haven't posted this song yet...! I've been in love with it for weeks now, it's probably the song that I've felt the most since the excitement for Florence's new album came out a few months ago. I will underline again how Foals have done, once again, a very good job in my opinion with their new album. I think that (maybe) their 2013 'Holy fire' is a small step up, but I wouldn't dare say that I am disappointed by the new album, rather...! The two opening singles are both great and I consumed them both, and out of the other songs on the album, which I rank between like and love, this is by far the best. Amazing atmosphere, it sounds just great and makes you fly to another dimension. Makes me fly, at least. Sometimes I can't stop listening to it, so approach it but be careful: it's addictive!

I want tomorrow - Enya

I want tomorrow - Enya

Hello my dear readers, it's been a tough couple of days, as you can imagine. Maybe even more than you can imagine! A pair of more than 6 hours flights one right after the other, with some 3-4 hours of cumulative sleep, getting to Bangkok in the evening, the van that was taking us to the hotel smashes against the wall in the motorway, luckily nothing bad happens but what a fright! Then I get to the hotel, I get a smoking room and can only sleep 1.5 hours. That making it an optimistic 5 hours of sleep in two nights. And here I am right before the beginning of the third night. I think you can imagine how in need of sleep I am. And I think you can imagine even better how in need of Enya I have been and still am! Here she is for you, in case you might need her too!

Free the skull (live on KEXP) - Moon Duo

Free the skull (live on KEXP) - Moon Duo

I found out about these guys a few weeks ago on KEXP and I have immediately fallen under the spell of this song, its melody is enchanting! I have not been as taken by the rest of the album, which I've listened to on Spotify, but maybe I will give them more of my attention in the future... as of now I have way too much music in my queue! That won't prevent me from enjoying some good random tunes every now and then, so I guess you can give it a try too! Cheers to KEXP for this other very nice thumbs-up, keep it up Cheryl!

Sonnet - Hundred Waters

Sonnet - Hundred Waters

Recently I chose Imagine Dragons' 'Dream' as my wake up call, as I've had a new falling in love with it after Sky Sport used it as the soundtrack of its cover for the F1 Belgium GP at Spa a few weeks ago. It's my favourite song out of ID's new album I think, and in these days I got an irresistible feeling to listen to it, so I went back to listening one of my older 2015 playlists that is featuring it. Besides enjoying it and other great songs by ID, I got to think back to other great music that I was listening to a few months ago, and I realised that there are quite a few songs among them that I haven't posted yet! This little beuatiful pearl is one of them: it's the opening track of Hundred Waters' debut (and eponymous) album, a really beautiful musical gem! Shame on me for not sharing it sooner!

Moon - Foals

Moon (live at KEXP) - Foals

I was already more than halfway through posting another song (right after not wanting to post today/night and then changing my mind, because it doesn't make sense to have a personal blog and not to write anything on it the nights you find yourself seating in your car, staring at the moon and thinking about the meaning of life! Ok, then I went on to listen to this song on repeat three times laying on my bed in the dark AND also going to listen to the song that I'm gonna post (I was gonna say tomorrow but I'm forgetting that tonite was not saturday, saturday is now, so tomorrow would actually be correct!) for the sunday revival post! Loads of inspiration tonight, as I finally started finding some life in Veneto, there are bars, there are people who are outside at night! I've finally been a witness of that! And then there's people (like me) who even when they go out in the "nightlife" (and maybe even more so), then get back home and start thinking about the meaning of life, staring at the beautiful, beautiful night sky! Of course with a most appropriate soundtrack, as this one is! Especially in this beautiful live version on KEXP I just found out about!

Wild things run fast - Joni Mitchell

Wild things run fast - Joni Mitchell

The path through some artists' discography has been a blissful, continuous discovery, with me eager to get to the next album and never getting enough of the previous ones. I got quite a good strike of bands and songwriters that this happened with, but then things started to slow down and I found myself facing giants of the pop-rock music scene of the second half of last century and things have not been running so smoothly, rather... I found myself stumbling with people who were taking so many steps forward (or sidewise) and with people who have been releasing music some decades ago... be it the time lag and the fact that music and tastes have changed with time, be it that I can't connect so well with some kinds of music... anyway I am making a big effort to go on with some discographies and Joni Mitchell is a great example of that. I loved her first albums, but then her music starting getting really heavy for me, it was not a pleasure to go and listen to her albums, rather it was a pain. But I am determined to go on, because you never know, good things might be waiting for you on the way! And this 'Wild things run fast', who takes its name from the track I'm sharing with you, is one of them!! A lighter jazz, more enjoyable, like a perfect soundtrack for a sunset in front of the sea with a cocktail in your hand... it came at the right time!! So, given that it's summer and these kind of moments are not so far away from us, maybe you'll get the chance to play some lounge-fit music too and sip your Mohitos or Tequila Sunrises with more pleasure!!

Lothlòrien - Enya

Lothlòrien - Enya

This morning I woke up at 6.15 to undertake a 4-hour drive to get to work... not the worst thing in the world, but not the best way to start a new week either. I have been feeling lousy all day, and now a little bit of headache is getting onto me. But the trip has been fine, luckily there were some clouds filtering the direct sunlight, so I didn't get too hot and sweaty in the car. Plus, I put on Enya music (as I have been doing often lately... damn stressful, adult people's life!) to soothe my head and to wake up gently. It worked once again, so that's been a good move! In the second half of the trip I moved to my current playlist to get going at full speed, and this was actually the only song I listened to twice, as it is also featured in the playlist. It's peculiar, as while listening to Enya, some Lord of the Rings movie soundtrack songs sung by her popped out and I was dancing at their epicness, so it's funny that she was already composing music inspired to Tolkien's book even before it got (even more) famous with the early 2000s movies. I hope you all, Enya's fans, LOTR's fans, music fans and bloggin fans can appreciate this post, which is number 600 for me and my blog!!

Hold on, we're going home - Lykke Li

Hold on, we're going home - Lykke Li

Lykke Li's had to stop her live performing activities in the last weeks due to physical problems (methinks), but, as many blogs and articles have underlines, she has not been resting at all! After releasing a few weeks ago a featuring with Emile Hayne, she released two new videos in two days! Yesterday the official video for 'Never gonna love again' came out, a nice and fitting dark video (taking bits of Florence + the Machine's video for 'What kind of man' in my opinion), while today her cover of Drake's 'Hold on, we're going home' premiered on Vogue. I reckon I never listened to the original (never listened to Drake at all actually, I don't even know what kind of music he plays), but I have been instantly captured by the beauty of this cover, so I had to post it right away!! Hope you can enjoy it!
A little about me: my future is more and more uncertain, but I kinda got used to that; good news is that I'm going back to Milan tomorrow for the graduation weekend (well, it actually started today and ends on friday, so not properly a weekend), I can't wait to see all my (graduating) friends again and celebrate with them! Cheers!!

Me & Anodyne - Hundred waters

Me & Anodyne - Hundred waters

Hello guys! Quick post today because I have to go to sleep and be up and fit tomorrow morning, gotta start working!! I am near Treviso now, staying in a cute b&b and tomorrow morning I'll go sign the papers, get the stuff and move a few miles north towards the small town where the firm I'll be working in is located! Going to be close to the mountains, hope it's not too cold. The drive here today has not been bad, even though it got dark quite soon. Before I loaded a couple nice people in Milan to share the trip, I was listening to my new playlist and I want to share a song out of it with you tonite. After falling in love with their latest work, I got to listen to Hundred waters' debut album and for the time being I find it quite pleasing, I think that in a few more listens I'm gonna like it as much as 'The moon rang like a bell'!! Goodnite to y'all!

Come find me - Emile Hanyie (feat. Lykke Li & Romy XX)

Come find me - Emile Haynie
(feat. Lykke Li & Romy XX)

Hello people!! Today's been the first day of this week I didn't have to wake up early to carry out some courses around the city, and of course I ended up staying in bed until midday! I know myself all to well by now... but it's ok! Not a long day, but a really enjoyed one! And I wanna share with you some music I've been enjoying lately, just to stay on topic! I found out this song (and this songwriter) thanks to - I don't remember if Lykke Li's or the XX's facebook page - I think Lykke Li's. It turns out Emile Haynie has been composing songs for other people in the past few years and now he has released his first own album, with other singers featuring on the songs and offering their vocals. This is my favourite for the time being, a very introspective song, very Lykke Li's style, I'm sure you'll all gonna enjoy it too!! Have a good night!

Comfort me - Feist

Comfort me - Feist

Weird winter days are these...! Yesterday I took a very pleasant walk through Milan, around the Castello, the park and the beautiful neighbourhood of Brera. I wanted to try out my new camera I got as a graduation gift in the beautiful winter pinky-blue sky that was out there yesterday, and it was worth it. Living these last "university" days in Milan I had to take a walk there, and meeting with my friend M. for it made perfect sense, as we already had a greatly pleasant and even longer walk more than one year ago in the same area of the city. It's kind of saying goodbye to my favourite spots of the city, at least the ones that are still there! And then today, except for a short trip to the supermarket I haven't been out of home (yet), anyway I'm super cold and lazy, with the city immersed in a cloud. Listening to Feist songs is a perfect fit for this moment!

If you wait - London Grammar

If you wait - London Grammar

And to find just one other seems to be the goal of everyone

From the search to the hurt I believed I could take you on

We would drink, we would dance and you would watch me whenever you want

And can you give me everything everything everything

Cos I can’t give you anything

And if you wait, if you wait

I will trust in time that we will meet again

Today one of my dearest friends graduated and I'm so happy for her!

Unrelated to that, I have started a random play of London Grammar's debut album, and while this song was playing I was casually paying attention to the lyrics I quote up here, which struck me quite a lot, I feel them very close to my personal experience. I never paid them enough attention, nonetheless I have been utterly in love with the song and, being it the title-track of the album, I think it's a good post representing what has for sure been one of my top 3 albums in this 2014!