#blogbirthday All we are - OneRepublic

All we are - OneRepublic

I don't know why I fixed in my mind the 20th of October as the blog's birthday, when I actually posted the first entry on the 19th of October, but well... does it really matter?
So, I'm here to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the blog!!! It turned 3... well, yesterday actually! It's incredible that I've managed to stick to it for so long given everything that's happened in these past three years and especially given that I didn't expect to stick with it for so long in the first place! This third year has been the hardest one so far, I'd say. I've been having plentiful of free time in my hands and that brought me to waste it on TV series and travelling (well, that time wasn't wasted at all!) and other things, so that I haven't paid enough attention to 'A song or two per day', which has actually become 'A couple songs per week', or something like that! Lately, since I started my PhD and moved to Hong Kong, things have been hectic once again and it's been even harder to find the time and energy to come and post here, but still, I'm trying my best!
So, as I keep saying, this blog has been the longest commitment of my life (it has been actually), so let's make somethings special for its third birthday, hoping that I will be able to finding my balance and carrying on with all parts of my life, this included! To celebrate the blog's birthday I want, as usual, to share something special with you. This year I've chosen my favourite OneRepublic song, given that they have just released their new album and after this and 'Native', I really got the feeling they're not gonna go and make anymore great music as they did on their first two album, as they have started a more commercial path (understandably, but I must say that doesn't make me happy at all). Moreover, just a couple of months ago I left everything I had at home to embark on a new adventure and, knowing that most of it will be there again when I come back, of course being far away doesn't allow me to enjoy my past relationships as much as I could when I was back home. That doesn't diminish them, rather... they just evolve. So "Time could tear you apart, but it won't break anything that we are... We won't say our goodbyes, you know its better that way, we won't break, we won't die, it's just a moment of change! All we are, all we are, is everything that's right..."

Life for rent - Dido

Life for rent - Dido

Today I got to hear Dido songs around twice, so I take it as a sign I should be posting a song of hers on this special day! She's been this hugely influential singer for me in my teenage years, she's been my favourite for a long time and most of her (older) songs still hold an incredible affective value for me. I got to listen to a sh*tload of music in the last years and many artists entered my heart, yet Dido still does and will retain her special place in it. Today is also my birthday, a day that didn't start well, I was in a bad mood for no reason in particular, but it's been improving by the minute and hopefully it will continue to! After all, 26 years later "I haven't really ever found a place that I call home, I never stick around quite long enough to make it..."

Talula - Tori Amos

Talula - Tori Amos

Today is the 22nd of January, not a particularly special day for many of us, but a very particular day for one of what I believe is one of the best albums of the 1990s, i.e. Tori Amos's 'Boys for Pele' who turns 20 today! I personally wouldn't say it's my favourite album of hers, but I think it's the most powerful one, the one that goes deepest and darkest, the one I immediately go back to when I'm feeling down and depressed. Don't mistake me, many of the songs are enjoyable even when you're not feeling that bad and it still is a great album, but personally I have been able to feel it most strongly during the darkest times of my life. Talula has always been one of my favourite songs off it and is one of those you can enjoy even if you're feeling happy, as I am now!

#blogbirthday This is the life - Amy MacDonald

This is the life - Amy MacDonald

I am ashamed. I am deeply ashamed, but I have to live with it, it's a consequence of the life I'm leaving and one of the things that bothers me the most about it. I'm taking about how I forget things: I forget to put my slippers in the baggage, I forget my computer charger, I lose keys, I forget things, I lose control over stuff... and I hate it, as I didn't use to be like that. But I am paying the price for being too stressed out, and this includes missing important things, including the second birthday of the blog. My blog. My creature. The (probably) longest commitment of my life. Two years are a lot, and even I failed to post as often as the name of the blog itself suggests, especially in the past few months, I have given it all for 'A song or two per day', and what I got back is not at all disappointing! I am mostly doing it for myself, as I love sharing the music I like, and finding such great feedback was totally unexpected! I have tried a few complementary paths to share the music I love and I know that most of them were not really successful, but by trial and error I am doing my best to reach the widest audience possible and most importantly to engage other people in talking about great music and in giving each other inspiration and advice. So, here I am, late but not too late, thanks LinkedIn and the people on there for reminding me that I had a job anniversary, and I hope to be back in a little less than 12 months to celebrate the next birthday!
I am celebrating the 24 months of life of my blog with one of my favourite songs ever, which just got played in my car quite randomly, right after another Amy MacDonald song whose lyrics meant a lot for me now, but for such an important occasion I really want to share with you something that is dear to my heart, so here it is, from my heart to yours, 'This is the life' and I really wish for all of you that you know where you're gonna sleep tonight! (I know, but I don't know where I'm gonna sleep next week and the one after, so I guess that most of you are in a better place than me now)!!

Hold back the river - James Bay

Hold back the river - James Bay

Spotify Spotify Spotify!! Today's post is pretty much Spoti-related! I'm preparing a Spoti-related surprise for the blog, so stay tuned, just let me put the final touches in the next few days and I'll let you know!! But it's not just that: when I installed Spotify on the work laptop, I used it widely in the first few days and while listening to the ads in between the songs (thanks to them, actually) I got to know this pretty nice song by an emerging singer, James Bay. I'm really enjoying it, so I hope you can enjoy it too, and know it if you don't know it already!! Besides... well yeah, it's also my birthday today, but that's the least important news of the day! Cheers!

Send his love to me - PJ Harvey

Send his love to me - PJ Harvey

Thanks to Tom Breihan for reminding us that today is a very special day in terms of music anniversaries, i.e. one of PJ Harvey's most acclaimed and loved albums (my personal favourite!) turns 20 years old! To bring you my love is... well, as the very good article by Tom (read it here on Stereogum) points out, the album is unique in its genre, I couldn't think of anything to compare it with neither could I easily find adjectives to describe it. Well, I'll try. The first one that comes to my mind is 'intense', as the feelings it generates are... well, intense! The music is also intense, both when it is fast-paced, more "rocky" and when it is more subtle, "floated and sighed" to quote the article. This song, 'Send his love to me', which is probably my favourite (another point I share with Tom) together with the title track, is the perfect example of this, I can't do without dancing every time it plays when I'm alone in the house. Well, another word that could be used is 'alone', let me explain: personally I mostly enjoy listening to this album when I'm alone, both because none of the people close to me seem to like PJ and because... it's very personal to me, it's music that looks inside, that aims within. The third thing that I associate with TBYML, and it might not make any sense but that's how it is, is 'yoga', as this is the album I always, always listen to when I'm practicing yoga with the Wii Fit. Don't ask me why, but I seem to find my own balance better when I listen to it.
Well, I could go on forever praising this album; unfortunately I haven't been doing a very good job so far, as I haven't converted anyone to 'PJism' yet, but I'm not losing hope!! Anyway, happy birthday to one of the best and most underrated albums of the 90s decade!!

#blogbirthday Underneath - Alanis Morissette

Underneath - Alanis Morissette

So here we are, the time has finally come to say HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY to A song (or two) per day! That's right, it's been one year since I started this blog and, I swear it's not made on purpose, this is the post number 365! That meaning that I have written 1 exact year worth of posts, so the target for next year is to improve that, in order to be faithful to the blog title! To celebrate this special event I chose a very special song that also marks my musical evolution: last year I started posting with Dolores O'Riordan, that together with her band (The Cranberries) has marked the beginning of what I defined as the first adult phase of my relationship with music, marked by a return to the music of my childhood, the 1990s, and by the diffusion of technology, that let me be exposed to loads of new and old music. Alanis Morissette has been the second step in 2008: my mother loved her debut album and had the musicassette in the car for years, so I already knew her most famous songs, but it has not been until Underneath that I started falling in love with her, second performer I utterly fell for after the Cranberries. And then, also thanks to they guys on the Italian forum of Alanis, I got more and more inspiration on new music I completely fell in love with too (Tori Amos, PJ Harvey...). Now I am approaching many many "new" artists every year and I lost that kind of one-artist per year approach, so I'm carrying the old guys and girls in a special corner of my musical heart!
Enough with the words, I can just say I am very happy for reaching this goal and thanks again for reading, I won't get tired to tell you that! Enjoy Alanis!

#sundayrevival You might need somebody - Shola Ama

You might need somebody - Shola Ama

I am stupid, you know me and know that by now... I wanted to post before midnight so that I could really celebrate the blog's birthday well, but of course I noticed the time just as midnight struck... whatever, I'll keep this post as Sunday 19's post (it's a sundayrevival, it couldn't be otherwise)! This is one of the songs I have loved since I was little, one (of many) that I only rediscovered some years later, when I really started listening to music! I'm sure you are all gonna love it, so stay tuned for the birthday post, which is going to come before the end of the day, I PROMISE!

Halfway to hell - Sheppard

Halfway to hell - Sheppard

Wow, I really got confused with timing and everything, not surprising as I always post around midnight so I never get to really really post a song every day... anyway, this whole mess because there is an important moment that I really want to celebrate well, and that's the birthday of this blog! Yes, I started on October 20th last year, it seems incredible but I have been posting for almost a year now! I have never been able to keep a daily schedule for anything like that before, so I am really proud and happy, as it means I am doing something I really like and care about; plus I've had the chance to interact with so many great people during this posting time, you are growing bigger and bigger and I couldn't ask for a better audience! I really hope there will be many moments like this but first we still have to celebrate the first one, so let's not run too fast!
Thanks to my confusion I thought I only had today's post before the anniversary, but I figured I have two more, so there's going to be time for a great sundayrevival before celebrating the blog's birthday! What I have been wanting to post for a few days though is this brand new song, out of Sheppard's debut album (you will for sure know Geronimo...!), which I am liking quite a lot! It makes sense to get close to such an important date and to sing "it's a long way back when you're halfway to hell", as this blog really helped me walk an important part of this way back! Stay tuned for to....day's sundayrevival and for the blog's birthday tomorrow!!!

#sundayrevival One - Alanis Morissette

One - Alanis Morissette

Welcome to June! It's time for another #sundayrevival post (also as last sunday I skipped it). My headache has been dragging its way to the one-week anniversary, with ups and downs. My wisdom tooth also started aching (again), I wonder if the two phenomena are linked... Anyway, I'm here to celebrate something happier than my illnesses! Today is Alanis's 40th birthday, so happy birthday Alanis! To celebrate this new goal reached and the new website she released a couple of days ago about vegan way of life and mommy advice and stuff like that (say goodbye to her career as a musician: bye byee!), I'm picking one of her older tunes that I really do love. Worst case scenario about the future, we still have some great stuff from the past to lean on! Happy birthday!

Hunter - Dido

Hunter - Dido

Hey guys!! Premise: it should be illegal to set an alarm clock on your birthday. Apart from that, I must say my day has been good until now and the plans for its continuation sound at least as good! So, I am now faced with the dilemma of choosing a song for this special day. First I must say it doesn't feel real that it's mid-April already! Come on, time flies so fast sometimes and passes by so slow some other times...! Everything is weirdly messed up! The only certainty is that I'm getting older and older and this 24 is something it'll take a while for me to get used to...! It makes sense to pick a good one, a very good one so. Change of plans. I'll keep for tomorrow the song I wanted to post today and I'll give you one of my all-time favourites, one of the songs I've been in love with for a long long time.

Just take your chances and find your place in the world: this is the message I got from it, and I will do my best to follow the advice!

I want to be a hunter again

I want to see the world alone again

To take a chance on life again

So let me go

Let me leave

Let me go

...