Spell - Elli de Mon

Spell - Elli de Mon

Tomorrow is the last day of the longest consecutive amount of time I spent here in Veneto (I guess), it's been 12 days and it seems like forever... quite a few things have happened this time around (mostly outside office time), but I can't say I'm sad to get away from here for a while, rather... One week of Thailand is waiting for me after a one-day weekend, which means it's gonna be tough, and then I'll be back here, hopefully with a nicer perspective, i.e. of making my next trip to Bangkok a longer one! I've been hoping for this since March, and I'm actually getting a bit tired of staying here, so let's see how things are going to play out...!

Lens - Alanis Morissette

Lens - Alanis Morissette

You might remember I have been listening to country music in the last few days in my car; after the playlist got to an end, the following one started. And that's 'Critical voices', i.e. my personal selection of the (at least) decent material Alanis Morisette released a couple years ago (wait... was it 2012?! Seriously? So long ago?) as her latest album, bonus tracks and stuff. I've been a big fan since 2008, but I listened to her music since I was little, as my mother's only cassette in the car was Jagged Little Pill. I practically like/love all of her albums until the 2008 Flavors of entanglement, even though the majority of her fan-base started criticising her music in the early 2000s, but her latest album... well, it's just not good. There are very few songs on it I actually genuinely like, but more than half of the material... I wouldn't go out of my way to listen it, let's just put it that way. This is an exception, a beautiful exception, for sure my favourite track of the era. My vietnamese friend T. loves it too since I got her to know it, so maybe you will too!!

Solid love - Joni Mitchell

Solid love - Joni Mitchell

Let's get back to my current playlist for a while... it's getting so hard to post music I'm discovering lately, as I'm listening to so many other things I already knew and getting so much inspiration out of it that I can't complain at all! Today after another boring day at the office, I rushed out to reach the comic book shop in time before closing, and I got there with an impressive 6 minutes lead, I found it was close already... and had been all day long, as it remains closed on Tuesday... good for me!! I'm gonna make it up tomorrow if I find in myself the strength to get back there again!

Mississippi - Mac Powell

Mississippi - Mac Powell

This morning I started driving to work and as soon as Lykke Li stopped playing, this song came out of my iPod (thanks, alphabetical order for always being such a great source of inspiration!), and I immediately entered the "country-music" mood, shifting to the whole country playlist I compiled in 2013 after spending two of the best weeks of my life in Midwest doing a research project. I looked for random country music (playlists) on Spotify and elsewhere, and voilà! I really enjoy listening back to this playlist from time to time, and today was one of these days! This song in particular was the one that gave me the initial boost, so it's the one I'm sharing now with you! And beware: by the time you get to 10 Mississippi, I'm gonna be long gone!

#sundayrevival Tear in your hand - Tori Amos

Tear in your hand (live VH1) - Tori Amos

Here we are, after a totally unexpected weekend (and actually a totally unexpected whole week I dare say)! I got to know a couple of people around here, which was quite unexpected, and then I spent two beautiful, sunny, summery, hot, blue-skied days at the lake (yesterday) and at the pool (today). Of course there was no lack of a few moments of thinking about my life, what I'm doing with it, what I'm not happy about, what I could change, what I want to change and so on... but it wouldn't be me if I didn't get a couple of those each week! I have been feeling for a while that some big changes are on the way and this 2015 already proved to be a kind of a turning-page year for me. Let's hope it will keep on running on this road! But, as every sunday, I have to keep an eye on the past, look back at songs I loved and still love and that still hold a great meaning for me. I found this live performance of one of my favourite Tori songs (out of my favourite Tori album) casually on YouTube and it reminded me why I love her so much and why I love this song so much. I hope you can enjoy it too, and that it can teach you a powerful lecture as it did with me.

"You don't know the power that you have with a tear in your hand..."

"I tell you there're pieces of me you've never seen.

Maybe she's just pieces of me you've never seen..."

Call it what you want - Foster the People

Call it what you want - Foester the People

Ok today I've been listening to Foster the People in my car and I thought I could check whether I had already posted one song of theirs I felt a link to, and yes, I already did, as I thought. But one moment later (now) I realised that I never posted one of my favourite FTP songs since I started listening to them! Let me check again as I can't believe it... it's true! I haven't posted it! So I'm gonna instantly put remedy to that! Or maybe not... there's one other song I haven't posted that is more pressing now, so I'll leave this as a draft for a short while!
...
And here I am again! Just some 24 hours later! And what good 24 hours! I spent almost half of them sleeping and a good part of the other half relaxing on a beautiful lake north of here, sunbathing and enjoying the (likely) last weekend of summer and then briefly visiting Belluno, the second-to-last province town in Veneto that I hadn't visited yet! What a good day!

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!

A commotion - Feist

A commotion - Feist

I am already stopping my posting out of my current playlists after just one day, but I really need to! I've been listening to quite a lot off "old music" lately, and Feist is a part of it still, as she's what's currently playing in my car. This morning while I was driving to work I got this song and I had to replay it twice, as screaming "A COMMOTION" in my car felt too good, with the roof open, driving through the vineyard-filled hills around here (the land of Prosecco!), surrounded by a beautiful landscape and with a hot late-summer sun shining on me... perfect moment that I wanted to share with you. Follow by a pretty quiet (but eventful) day at the office, with the uncertainty raging stronger and stronger in my life! Who knows what's gonna happen...!

Backyard - Of Monsters and Men

Backyard - Of Monsters and Men

Lately I've been posting little or no songs out of the music I'm currently listening to (aka my playlists), so I guess the time has come to put remedy to that! I'm gonna do that with Of Monsters and Men, whose new album I really like now, after it took a while for me to really get it under my skin. This, I believe, is one of the bonus tracks, or extra materials of the album, but it stands perfectly fine together with the rest of the music! After a (so far) boring week at work and prospects of a less boring life here in Veneto, I'll leave you and devote to my Japanese language studies! Oyasuminasai! - おあすみなさい！

Polaroid - Imagine Dragons

Polaroid - Imagine Dragons

At first I liked this song on S+M, but it didn't stand out among the other great ones in the album. Then I've gotten very much obsessed by this song one day a couple weeks ago, but I sensed that Imagine Dragons were about to release it as the next single out of their new album and I have been waiting for an official video of it to go with my post.

But I have been waiting SO LONG!

And well... here I am posting this song a looong time (I think I drafted it a few months ago) after the idea of posting it came to my mind! I thought the Dragons would use this as a single, but they didn't (yet), so I guess it's just time to post it and get it done with! I listened to their new album again while driving here on Monday morning and... well, too bad for them that Florence released an album this year too, otherwise they would've been likely candidates for my personal album of the year 2015!!

Mountain at my gates - Foals

Mountain at my gates - Foals

I'm so glad I haven't posted this song yet, as I can do it now! And today's the right day! I'm so in love with this one, even if I haven't listened to it too much so far. I can't wait for Foals' new album, as the material they released in advance is pretty good! And this one in particular, I'm in love with it and I get all turned up every time it starts playing! The video is very cool too, I suggest you should go watch it (and interact with it, most importantly)!! This song gives me a good charge, and it's just what I need on a gloomy and rainy monday that represented my going back to work after two weeks of summer vacation! I hope it can be of help to you too!

#sundayrevival Oops!... I did it again - Britney Spears

Oops!... I did it again - Britney Spears

Ok, in my defense I want to say that I didn't start this blog to post Britney Spears (and the kind) music. I haven't (almost never) done it so far. But sometimes it makes sense, and when you enjoy things and they don't harm anyone and they make sense, why not do them? At the end of our road trip, when we were crossing the last part of Switzerland before coming back to Italy, we ended up listening to Britney quite a bit (and then we moved to the opening songs of the cartoons they showed on TV when we were little!), especially to this one, which has never been among my favourites of hers (ok, now, I probably have 5 songs of hers and this is the one I like the least, let's put it like this), but I don't dislike it and in some circumstances, as I said already, it makes sense. I hope it can make sense to you today. Actually it's my last day off work, so going back tomorrow after 2 weeks it's gonna be hard! Maybe I need more trash pop music, maybe I need more Britney...!

Together again - Janet Jackson

Together again - Janet Jackson

Here I am, back from my road trip! We came back yesterday and after a walk through my hometown I had dinner and then went out again. Before reaching home we visited Bellinzona, one of the bigger towns in the Italian part of Switzerland, a place I've never dreamed of visiting but I was very glad we did, as it is a very nice place, with a historic city center and it has three castles just above downtown where you can climb up to and have an amazing view of the valley below! All in all I'm very glad and happy about the whole trip, now I have to put myself back into the framework of going to work next week. Good luck to me for that (and to all the other people who share my fate)! About this song, it just happen to play as I was driving back home after leaving my trip mates at the station and I thought it was a good one to share with you, so (with a little delay) here it is!

The reason - Hoobastank

Hoobastank - The reason

Our road trip through Switzerland is going on, and after the beautiful Luzern, Zurich and Bern we have come to Basel, a city I have been willing to come to visit for the longest time! After a first, superficial look, the city center is maybe not as pretty as in the other cities we've visited, but my impression is not negative! Of course we have been driving miles and miles and music has been a good companion. I've been playing extensively out of my 2000s music playlists and today I am posting another song we've listened to (and of course sung to) in the car!

Shadow of the day - Linkin Park

Shadow of the day - Linkin Park

Here I am, lost in the heart of Europe! I am on a mountain in Liechtenstein (yeah, I know, many of those of you reading from outside Europe won't even know what that is!), at the end of a small town just above Vaduz, at the foot of skiing tracks and taller mountains! But hey, it's a road-trip! I am travelling through Switzerland with a couple of friends and this is out first stop, which is not in Switzerland (but almost and kind of). The landscapes are beautiful, the weather cold and cloudy/rainish, the time we're having great and the music... quite cool! We've been mostly playing one of my playlists with 00s music, but before that a little OneRepublic and Linkin Park. Given that I have never posted any song of the latter, it seems like a good moment to begin, and I'm doing it with one of my favourite songs of theirs! Have a good night you all!

#sundayrevival Imitation of life - R.E.M.

Imitation of life - R.E.M.

Yesterday was Ferragosto, one of my least favourite days in the whole year: it's the day when everything is closed in the cities, everybody is out and about, so places are crowded and expensive, and I (as all of my fellow Italians) am torn between staying at home doing nothing or going somewhere crowded and paying a lot of money for it. Well... this year it looks like I found a great solution to the problem: gather a good amount of people and have them over for a lunch-to-after-dinner event! And it's been awesome! My life is just so hectic lately that I get very very little time to spend with the people I really care about, so every time I get the chance to do it, I can't help rejoicing! Yesterday has been a great day, one of my best Ferragostos for sure! And back to the music: it feels weird posting something that is not London Grammar music today as I've been listening intensively to their debut album (and only one, so far). But I've been listening to other music too, and quite a lot of it, both yesterday with people around and today while I was cleaning up. And this album, R.E.M.'s 'Reveal', was noticed among the others in my collection by one of the friends I had over. We didn't get to play it yesterday, but after talking about it, I had it on my mind and I decided to play it today. And well... 'Imitation of life' is probably my favourite R.E.M. song, so it really does feel right to post it now!
After another hectic day cleaning-up and putting everything in order today, tomorrow I'll be on the road again, but I hope I'll get a little time to share my next adventures with you in the next few days! Even if summer is over (here at least), have a great new week!!

Let me down easy - Sheppard

Let me down easy - Sheppard

Last night I went to bed quite late, as I finished watching the 11th (and last) season of 'Shameless' (UK Version), and when I came on the blog at past 2 AM I searched for a couple of songs that had made my day and realised I had already posted them, I decided to call it a day and to come back today. And here I am! I have absolutely no idea why I woke up with this song on my mind this morning, and I actually thought I already posted this one too, but I haven't and so I'm doing it now! I wish you all a great day and a great end of summer (here unfortunately I fear the best weather is over...)!

Make up your mind - Florence + the Machine

"Make up your mind before I make it up for you!"

Make up your mind -
Florence + the Machine

Recently one of my best friends told me (for the nth time) that I should let things go and not try to have everything under control. Maybe it's true. But I don't really feel like I need control over things or people... I just need control over me, my life, what I do, what I will do, my plans, my transfers, my actions... thinking about the fact that my life is in fact embedded in the world and linked to many other people's, and especially depending on other people's decisions and moves (especially under the professional point of view), maybe she's not so wrong. What the hell, why can't people just make up their mind? Why can't I make up my own mind?

"Although the axe is heavy, it just sits in my hands

While you're changing like the current, not a shore on land"

Novocaine - Goodbye Lies

Novocaine - Goodbye Lies

I am a bit surprised by that, but I just noticed that this is the tenth post in a row featuring a different artist/band, I don't think that happens often due to my habit of listening to whole albums when I approach new music...! Anyway, good for the blog, good for you so that you get different music and good for me, as it means I'm inspired by different artists in this moment! This band... I got to know it thanks to Brian Lowe, who is a part of it, but don't ask me how I got to know him as I don't remember! Anyway he posted on Fb a link to download for free the first EP a while ago, and I did it immediately. It took me a while to get to listen it then, and even longer to get into the music, but in the end I did and, as many others in this period of my life, sometimes it really feels like this song is speaking to me! Or at least, it really does speak to the 15-year-old that I am nowadays!

"I say that it’ll pass, I say I'll be ok

I don't know why I say these things, I don’t know why I feel this way

I know I need some comfort And something for the pain

Everyone keeps asking and I just tell them all the same"

Lift me up - Moby

Life me up - Moby

I didn't even realise yesterday was Sunday and it would have been appropriate to post a sundayrevival, but it's ok as I didn't have anything I was particularly eager to put on here. I did today. So what is that, a mondayrevival? A late sundayrevival? A regular post? I don't know myself, but this is one of the songs that I loved the most when I was a teenager, that I loved the most at the time my music clock started ticking in 2007 so... well, it is a pity, but it doesn't feel right to post it as anything else but a regular post. So it is and so it should be. My life is particularly messy at the time, I'm confused about what I want, I would like to settle, I would need to settle... I don't know, I think things are starting to spin out of control and I need to take them back before it's too late. Anyway, I needed a cheer-up, and that's the reason why since I saw this song posted on Facebook by one of my friends, I started playing it in loop today. Life me up!
(Giving that I'm moving back to Vodafone as a mobile services provider and that this song in Italy got big about 10 years ago [seems like a lifetime ago] because of a Vodafone spot, it makes it all even more sense!)

Trespassing - Adam Lambert

I know, I know I am one album behind (I've listened to 'Ghost town' when it came out, not to the new album in its entirety as I still had to approach 'Trespassing'), but I'm getting there! I started listening to Adam's second album recently and the first impression is not bad at all! I'm sure all the Glamberts out there will appreciate this post, so be waiting for more to come in the near future!!

Baby I don't care - Joni Mitchell

Baby I don't care - Joni Mitchell

Wow, so many songs to post and so little time to post them! Last night I cam out quite early (compared to the usual) but I didn't get to write on the blog anyway... now I'm on a 2-week off work holiday and well... I don't know if I'm gonna have much more time to write here, as I already have a few things to do and maybe I'll organize a trip too! Anyway, one (or two) thing(s) at a time. Let' begin with the news that I have finished compiling my current playlist, the eleventh of 2015. And then let's go on and post a song from my previous one!! As you might have noticed, I'm in love with 'Wild things run fast' and so expect a few more songs out of it! This is one of the first favourites, because you're so squared but, baby, I don't care!!

Shade - Elli de Mon

Shade - Elli de Mon

One more song by the talented onegirlband from Veneto, I've really been taken away by her debut album, now I wish I could see her play live again! I'm sure you're gonna have a hard time keeping yor body still listening to this song, which reminds me a lot of PJ Harvey! I'll use this post also to celebrate the last day of work (tomorrow) before the "forced" two-week holidays, that are happening in the worst time of year (of course), let's hope that the weather will keep good and hot at least!! Have a good night!

Strong - Robbie Williams

Strong - Robbie Williams

On my mind today there was a line of a song I couldn't recall, it went like "... and my life's a mess!" and it really made sense to me, now in particular. After a quick research on the ever helpful Google, I found the song I was thinking about, and well... it makes even more sense that I thought it would. It is a "very tumultuous time of my life" (as Alanis Morissette would tell me if I were in her 'Unsent' song), I feel like I'm living the teenage that I've never lived before, and... I'm not living it in a safe time and place, rather in a moment when all the rest is so uncertain and unstable, and I'm desperately looking for something to hook myself to while the mightiest part of the storm subsides... I can't say I've found it yet, but what I can say is that I'm getting used to floating on the roaring sea!

"You think that I'm strong. You're wrong. You're wrong."

Slow life - Of monsters and men

Slow life - Of monsters and men

By now, thanks to 'Human', I have obtained the key to open the lock of 'Beneath and skin' and have been able to greatly enjoy it and fall in love with it! The process has not stopped of course and I am accessing the heart of other songs on the album (and they are reaching mine), and this is one of the three or four that this process of discovery took place about and has been the most successful! Given that I'm not really sure I understand what's going on with my life now and what I'm supposed to do with it, I'm trying to throw myself into what I know will help me understand it and comfort me in the process, i.e. the reason why I started writing this blog: music!

#sundayrevival Teenage dream - Katy Perry

Teenage dream - Katy Perry

This is not at all a song I would expect to find in a sundayrevival post on my blog, but here it is and here I am, and it actually makes sense for these crazy last few days I have flown/stumbled/walked through! The meaning behind this post is that lately (and in these past couple of days in particular) I've been reaaally feeling like a teenager, like being 15 again, or, better, like being 15 for the first time...! Spending all the time chatting on the phone to the point that my parents were fooling me for that, doing stupid and crazy thing, gliding over the ground one moment and falling head over heels the next one... well, I think that sooner or later there comes a time of our lives when we have to feel that way! Now it's my time, so this is for all the people around me who are making me feel like I'm living a teenage dream, be it a bittersweet one (as all teenage dreams in the end)!!

Crazy - Alanis Morissette

Crazy - Alanis Morissette

Hello my dear followers, I'm deeply sorry for disappearing in the last few days, but my life has been kind of on a roller-coaster, even if now it's back on the usual (sad) tracks.  Came back from Thailand once again, but something beautiful happened before coming back, some sparkle in the sentimental point of view, but after a couple of days flying today I fell back down on earth, back to my usual place. It's so tiring for me now, such a tiring life: not having a home, going back and forth to Veneto and to Thailand, jet lag, early wake up calls, uncertainty about the future... it felt like I could finally find some peace of mind, something to help me relieve the stress... instead it turned up as another source of stress, another mess to deal with. Well, that's the price to pay. And that's what relationships are, aren't they? They say we're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy, but what do they say we need to do to find some happiness without paying the price for it?

Long & lost - Florence + the Machine

"Oh the queen of peace always does her best to please, is it any use? Somebody's gotta lose..."

Queen of peace / Long & lost - Florence + the Machine

I meant to post 'Long & lost' a few days ago, as I was falling deeply in love with it, but for one reason or another I had other songs to give precedence to. And it couldn't have been better!! Dear Flo just released her first video since the album came out, she posted a couple of teasers about 'Queen of peace' (which is the other song I'm utterly in love with nowadays), and well... to my (and I guess anyone else's) surprise, she just released a double video for QoP and L&L and.... oh my goodness, it's probably one her best videos to date, if not the best! Notwithstanding how much I am in love with her music, I've not been a huge fan of most of her videos to date, but this one is just amazing... you just have to watch it. It's beautiful. And amazing. I'm still trying to close my mouth as I'm still totally in awe. Do watch it, and you won't regret it! (If you're interested, there might even be some naked Flo body on top, just so...)!!!

"Without your love I'll be so long & lost, are you missing me?"

"It's been so long between the words we spoke..."

#sundayrevival Millennium - Robbie Williams

Millennium - Robbie Williams

Well, I suppose I'm scheduled to write a sundayrevival post now... I've been keeping the right song for weeks waiting to be on a Thai spot on the sea and I thought that this weekend the time would come, but it did not, so I'll have to keep keeping it! I'll need to think about something else... but first I have to recover after one of the best F1 races of the last few years, so much fun and entertaining, finally after a collection of boredom in the past few months...! Well, the sport needed a boost, and after a relaxing day spent wandering through a couple of malls close by and on the poolside, I needed one too. And maybe you also could use one! That's why I'm sharing one of my favourite Robbie songs with you (I haven't been posting anything of his since 2013!! 2013!!! That's a long time!). I don't know why, but when I chose him, this is the first song of his that came to my mind, and given that it  has always been among my favourites of his, it makes a perfect sundayrevival post! Also, don't forget to follow the blog's July playlist on Spotify!!

Someone said goodbye - Enya

Someone said goodbye - Enya

Yes yes, it's kind of an Enya period, I'm listening to her more than I usually have done, and that means more blog posts of hers! But it doesn't seem you guys are unhappy about it, rather...! This is a 10-year old song I included in my current playlist, and I hope you're gonna enjoy it as much as I enjoyed my trip to Ayutthaya today: many temples and ruins, golden and stone buddhas, elephant-riding, feet-eating fish, floating markets, food, heat, people, fun, burning sun... did I mention the heat? Well, yeah, we had it all!! I'm starting to get more and more used to Thailand!

Underneath the streetlight - Joni Mitchell

Underneath the streetlight - Joni Mitchell

This hard week of work has come to an end, but the journey is far from over yet: tomorrow another early-morning rise-up for a trip to Ayutthaya with my colleagues, and then three more weeks of visit next week... let's hope that at least on Sunday I'll be able to get some rest!! You all have a good night underneath the streetlights!

Mr. Zebra - Tori Amos

Mr. Zebra - Tori Amos

I was about to bring to the end the short cycle of the wild animals songs with the dear Joni Mitchell and the title song out of the 'Wild things run fast' album, but I just realized that I already posted this song a few days ago… this is just to let you know how poor is my understanding of what is happening around me and of what I'm doing these days… Anyway, I couldn't just bring to a close the (already) short cycle in advance, so I came up with this well-worthy substitute! Now that you know what wild things do (well, you knew that already!), I can share with you one of my favourite live videos of Tori Amos on YouTube. Mr. Zebra is a very short song, kind of like an Interlude, but it's so great that we fans love it very very much! I love this performance in particular, I think that it is the perfect example of just what a great performer Tori is! Thanks, Tori, for coming in and saving me!

Wolves without teeth - Of Monsters and Men

Wolves without teeth -
Of Monsters and Men

While creating my current playlist I have noticed that the (wild) animals theme was pretty recurring, so I thought that it would have been nice to recreate it on the blog too! In the end, you have to take your chances when they come! But today, given that it's not so late already, I wanna tell you a bit about Bangkok, some facts in random order: be careful when you go get a Thai massage, as I did for the first time today and I had muscles moved that I didn't even know were in my body, quite tough an experience but hopefully rewarding in terms of wellbeing!; Japanese manga in Thailand cost very little in Thai (about 1.5/2€ on average), about double of that in Japanese and more than 5/6 times so in English, learn the languages or pay the price!; today I got scolded by the ladies we are working with because I made the air conditioning not cold enough (there were 25°C in the room, and outside it wasn't even that hot); you can eat countless varieties of (food in general, in particular) curry and rank them clearly in order of preference!

Broad-shouldered beasts - Mumford & Sons

Broad-shouldered beasts - Mumford & Sons

It's time for some M&S tonite! Broad-shouldered beasts on your way, and I hope some good sleep is on mine...! Bangkok is awesomely energetic, but it takes away all my (few, due to fatiguing plane travels and a consistent jet lag) energies! Can't wait to be here for a bit longer! In the meanwhile, let's enjoy the music!

#sundayrevival Happy and bleeding - PJ Harvey

Happy and bleeding - PJ Harvey

I am in Thailand once again, I'm happy! My sore throat came back stronger than ever today, after the flight and the in-&-out of malls and subways with super freezing A/C, I'm bleeding! I am excited to be in Bangkok (happy) but the traffic jam and the chaos sometimes are just too much (bleeding). I can't wait to come back here to stay (happy) but it seems like this moments never comes (bleeding). I'm, looking forward to going somewhere to the sea over the (next) weekend, I'm happy, but the idea of travelling more kills me somehow, I'm bleeding. I wouldn't want to come back so soon (bleeding) but I would love to see all my friends and enjoy the Italian summer at grandma's in the countryside (happy). People make you happy (h), but they also make you sad, angry, disappointed, longing... (b).
Life is not white or black. Life is white AND black. And you can't be happy without bleeding (even if you can bleed without being happy). ((So life can be black? Or is white? Anyway, whatever...!)

Porno - Arcade Fire

Porno - Arcade Fire

I had already started writing my post for another song, then I saw on my Fb wall that AF's Reflktor-soundtracked movie is about to be released in theatres and that they released a video out of it for Porno, and given that I hadn't posted the song yet and that Reflektor was one of my (if not the) favourite albums released in 2013, it seems like the timing for posting it is perfect!! Even more so thinking about the fact that I have been mentioning Montréal quite often lately and that a weird willingness to go back there in Canada after quite a few years already is getting stronger these days...! Who knows...?! Travelling is so easy these days! It just takes a song to start the journey already...

Which witch (demo) - Florence + the Machine

Which witch (demo) -
Florence + the Machine

Today two main things happened: first I finished reading Neon Genesis Evangelion (the manga). I had been reading it in parallel with the watching of the anime... well, it must be some 4 years ago or so, and given that now is the time it is set in, and most importantly given that now the manga has been finished (while when I was reading it there were still a couple of volumes due for release), it seemed like a good time to re-read it and take it to completion. And I'm glad I did that, it's a real work of art, very deep and philosophical, wondering about the meaning of life and the fate of humanity, with a dark and sad tone but very realistic and... I liked how it ended!
The second thing is that I bonded definitely with another song by the 'Queen of peace' (or shall I say 'Witch'? Which of the two?), that is this beautiful demo. I remember reading an article/interview where she was saying that while talking with her producer, she was very proud of this one epic song, which she had taken the vocals more than a hundred times for, etc. and then he said that he wanted to keep it simple on this album, keep her to the bare essential. And so this pearl (its demo actually) ended up (unrightfully imho) being a part of the deluxe edition, a bonus track...! Well... the song is very Florence + the Machine, very Florence Welch actually and I'm sure that all the hardcore fans can't not love it, even if (and even more because it has been left) in its rawer form.
A must listen!

Walk away - Elli de Mon

I introduced you to Elli on the blog last week, after I really enjoyed her opening act at a festival in Padua and after I bought her debut album on iTunes (the first time in I-don't-know-how-many-years) that I bought something on Apple's platform! I don't know what else to add about her, apart from again suggesting you give a try to her music (if you haven't already) to enjoy this very good mix of blues, rock, folk, punk and more!
Unfortunately I couldn't find any video with the song on YouTube, but if you click on the link below the picture hereunder, you'll be redirected to a page where you can stream it for free! It's just 2 minutes of your time, not such a big investment, is it?

Walk away - Elli de Mon 

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!!

#sundayrevival Smells like teen spirit - Tori Amos

Smells like teen spirit - Tori Amos

I mentioned Tori yesterday, as after listening to her I got to Dido, but this is a fresher listen, as it happened yesterday itself. Some random playing of all Tori songs (I have, which is more than 200 tunes and counting) brought me to listen to this gem, the "most viewed Tori Amos video on YouTube", a cover not loved by many not-hardcore-fans maybe because, as usual, the red-head completely overturned the original and made it a song of her own, a completely new song. Making comparisons is useless, and the very fact that an artist covers a song of someone else means that they respect their music. What doesn't happen very often is that the original songwriter himself embraces a cover in the way Kurt Cobain did, dancing at it with Courtney Love and playing it as an intro to Nirvana gigs. Well, that should be a good enough reason not to throw Tori's teen spirit on the side...! Hope you can enjoy it too!

My lover's gone - Dido

My lover's gone - Dido

I know I know, it's late, I'm late and it's sunday already, and the ironic thing is that I planned to post Dido for this week's sundayrevival, but tonite I changed my mind as I stumbled on another pearl to share with you! So here we are, saturday is gone by and maybe the fate of this post wanted it to actually be posted on sunday! Anyway, I fell victim to the alphabetical order once again... while driving here I decided to play a Tori Amos playlist in the car and when it ended, the radio moved to the next playlist, i.e. 'TuttoDido' (that would be AllDido in English). That's why and how I ended up listening to Dido these past few days, and when a singer is your favourite in your teenage years, you're never gonna forget her, nor the lyrics of her songs, nor the feelings they create in you each and every time...! My relationship with this song has been moving like a pendulum: at first it was the one I liked the least on Dido's debut album (which I adore), then I fell in love with it and it moved almost to my favs of the album, then it fell out of grace again and now... it is here, taking its rightful place on the blog! These swings took years to complete, but all in all the affection I feel for the song didn't change much over this period of time, especially as the images created by the song are pretty powerful! Try it yourselves!

Human - Of Monsters and Men

Human - Of Monsters and Men

Today I maybe hopefully had the first breakthrough with OMAM's new album, 'Beneath the skin' (the title coming from this song's lyrics), and I had it with this song actually. After the end of this (short) working week (2-day working weeks should be the rule, not the exception!) I got back to my B&B and took a walk around, as the sun was up high in the sky and there are a few green areas around here. Eating an ice-cream and then reading manga, while walking I was listening to the album and it feels like it started to get into me after a few listens...! Apart from 'Empire', I hadn't really felt a particularly strong connection with any of the songs, but now it feels like they're starting to pierce through! And usually the album I take a while to like, are the ones that I end up loving the most... let's see what's gonna happen with this one!

From eden - Hozier

From eden - Hozier

Hello my dear people, I am back to you at the end of a very tough day for me, with the alarm clock set at 6.30, a 3-hour drive and a full day at work after a night out (with my aunt and a friend of hers) at Hozier's concert in Milan!! But I'm glad I planned this as I did, the concert has been quite enjoyable, if not memorable, and of course I couldn't do without sharing a song by him today, one of the few I haven't shared with you already. The peculiar thing is that 'From eden' has been probably the one I enjoyed the least live: it was at the beginning of the concert, right after my favourite 'Angel of small death...' and it's neither an up-beat rock song nor a romantic ballad... yet I found it playing in my mind right after the gig, so I think that in some way it did leave an impression on me! Anyway, if you get a chance, go see Hozier, it's well worth it!

Ditmas - Mumford & Sons

Ditmas - Mumford & Sons

Ok, I have been strolling away from my playlists and my posts haven't collected much support lately, so let's get back on track! This is one of the few songs I liked quite soon out of M&S third album, not an unforgettable one (and not very dissimilar to the standard M&S song actually), but still pleasant to listen to. Can't write anymore as the heat is getting on me and my brain isn't working straight, so I'll be back tomorrow (or, more likely, the day after, as tomorrow it's time for another concert!!!)

Leave this town - Elli de Mon

Leave this town - Elli de Mon

While waiting for the main act (i.e. Carmen Consoli) at the festival in Padova last week, I really enjoyed the opening act, this onegirlband from Vicenza, Elli de Mon! She plays a strange mix of blues, rock, folk and something else I can't define, but all in all she reminded me a lot of PJ Harvey and also somehow of KT Tunstall. After listening to her two records on Spotify now, I can tell she reminds me A LOT of PJ Harvey and also a little bit of Patti Smith in a couple songs of her new album. Well, it's been a very pleasant discovery! Since I didn't get the chance to buy her music at the festival, I'm about to buy her first album on iTunes methinks!

#sundayrevival Fascination - Alphabeat

Fascination - Alphabeat

I have been listening to a lot of Carmen Consoli today, but I don't want to bore you with a sequence of mono-singer posts, so I'm coming up with a good #sundayrevival-summeredition song from my summer playlist (named 'Eté', the French speakers out there will understand...!) because today (and yesterday too) the temperature has been challenging (and I love, finally HOT!) and also humidity has taken its toll on us! So, this song I'm posting is from the summer of 2008, I hold it particularly dear as, besides being one of the hits of that summer, is the one that was playing in the car just before I took my driving license! It already was a favourite of mine and after that, it got a place in my heart forever! WE LIVE ON FASCINATION!! Happy summer to y'all!!

Oceani deserti - Carmen Consoli

Oceani deserti - Carmen Consoli

Sorry if I disregarded my blog for a few dozens of hours, but I did forgo most of my daily activities too in these past couple of days! Yesterday has been the usually "checking-out" day, so baggage and stuff in hand as usual (they called me "tortoise" because it's like as if I live carrying around my house!), went to work and then to the main office of my firm to hand over some papers and then ran through to Padova to attend Carmen's concert as part of a festival next to the football stadium of the city! I got there at about 7.30 and the opening act (very enjoyable, maybe you'll see her here soon) didn't start until 9, meaning the real concert kicked-off around 10 and ended around midnight; then just the time to find a couple of Blablacar travel partners and on our way to home (via Milan). All in all, got home at around 3 in the morning (which, I know, I'm also staying up to today too), left my stuff and went to (read and) sleep. And today eating lunch at grandparents' and then moving out to the other grandparents' in the countryside... well, it's been a full couple of days! And now home alone, I have just been watching some telefilms and reading some manga, and then went on to colouring if the rest was not enough, without realizing that I had to take care of my blog and of my Japanese studies too... so here I am! The concert last night has been pretty good, lots of niche songs I wasn't really ready for, but I enjoyed it anyway, Carmen is a great songwriter and performer, very inspiring! She played almost all of my favs out of the latest album, this one being one of them. The song is about a woman complaining because her man is not satisfied with just being with her, he goes on "like a pioneer looking for new frontiers of infidelity", she loves him but realises this is too much for her, she wonders why he doesn't feel the natural pulse of being just with her, what he wants and who he is... and finally says goodbye and goes. Very deep and inspiring lyrics (as usual), with a beautiful touch of irony!

Tompkins square park - Mumford & Sons

Tompkins square park - Mumford & Sons

A couple days ago Mumford & Sons played one of the most prestigious venues in Italy, the Arena di Verona, and I was not there even if it would have been great to! I imagine the concert has been great, with such an astounding venue and such a great band. Ok, I know I gave mixed ratings to their new songs featured on their just-released album, and I stand by my opinion. Nonetheless, even if they lost some of their peculiarity and musical strength, their composition keep being energetic and moving, if sometimes a little repetitive (not that I bother so much, when the underlying idea is good). This is the opening song of their new album 'Wilder mind' and one of the first songs that struck me, so hoping to get the chance to see them live soon, I share it with you!

Mother - Florence + the Machine

Mother - Florence + the Machine

In one way or another, we are all affected by the relationship we have with our mothers, oftentimes even more than we realise. I find myself quoting my own mother more often than not and I recently realised how many ways of saying and opinions I took from her.

"Mother, make me, Make me a big tall tree so I can shed my leaves and let it blow through me.

Mother, make me, Make me a big grey cloud so I can rain on you things I can't say out loud."

Mothers shape us, their influence on our character and our development is in many cases the strongest one for better or for worse, be it with their presence or absence (both physical and psychological).

"Mother, make me, Make me a bird of prey so I can rise above this, let it fall away.

Mother, make me, Make me a song so sweet, heaven trembles, fallen at our feet."

All in all mothers (and their parent-partner, whenever there is one) are the ones who make us big tall trees, big grey clouds, birds of prey and songs so sweet... and our link with them doesn't cease to be easily (even if sometimes we wish it would)! Mothers are the refuge, the pillar, the unwanted attention, the teacher, the educator, the lover, the carriers. They are big, blue and beautiful.

Sintonia imperfetta - Carmen Consoli

Sintonia imperfetta - Carmen Consolicarme

Don't hate me for that, but I would feel bad not sharing a few more songs from Carmen's new album, which I really really like! If everything goes right, I will go see her play live on friday night near Padua while driving back home, I just have to make sure I'll be able to get my hands on a ticket, but I don't think the event is sold out! I'm really thrilled at the idea, as she's one of the few Italian singers I really wish to see live, and this would be a great chance! This song I'm sharing with you, whose title could be translated in English as 'Imperfect harmony', is about a relationship of a married woman with her husband, with her singing how he just lays on the sofa, sleeping in front of football matches and she has to take care of his mother, the dog, cooking and stuff. She recalls how she was charmed by him when they first met, but she's regretting her decision, complaining with her younger self, who should've realized immediately what kind of men she was getting engaged with, the one she know is planning of leaving.