Bad woman - Lykke Li

Countdown to 2019: -2

Bad woman - Lykke Li

In what might well (have) be(en) my favourite album of 2018 (if it weren't for Florence, that is), Lykke Li changed gears again, towards a genre that's not really my cup of tea, but that I ended up greatly enjoying. This end-of-summer I had the "pleasure" of going through a tough breakup at a tough time of year, while busy with an exam I spent the whole summer preparing, getting cut off by the person I needed the most... it hasn't been easy, but surprisingly I breezed through things much more lightly that I throught I would. As I told many people, I was ok in a moment when I should've been running naked and screaming in the streets pulling my hair. I've had my fair share of "bad womanhood", as my special one did, and as we all do at times, I guess. No one's perfect and relationships are hard work, and it takes two to tango. And tango takes a lot of effort, energy and dedication. It happens that the dance stops working, but when the dancers stop respecting each other, things are really not ok, even when they need each other more than they know, as Lykke suggests. And then, to close the year beautifully, she gifted us with this beautiful acoustic version. Sounds like an appropriate end of an intense and heartfelt 2018.

Fake plastic trees (acoustic) - Radiohead

Fake plastic trees (acoustic) - Radiohead

In these hours Radiohead have announced that they will embark on a world tour in the next few months, doing so in support of their forthcoming 9th album. I am lagging "just a little bit" behind, as I'm only going through with the CD2 of their second album, 'The bends'. Radiohead 2.2, while in real life they're almost at 9.1... well, I'll get there (sooner or later). I am glad I devoted a little more time the 'The bends' by listening to the extra material, even if I didn't go crazy for the album. I didn't go crazy for the extras either, but there are a few things here and there that made this effort worth it. This beautiful acoustic version of 'Fake plastic trees' is one of them.

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!

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!

Ain't nobody - KT Tunstall

Ain't nobody - KT Tunstall

I don't know if you guys ever post(ed) about music, so I don't know if it happened to you to feel what I have just been feeling now... it's not so unlikely methinks. Anyway, I was just about to open the page of my blog to write this post and a song started hammering on my mind out of nowhere... "ain't nobody... lalala...". I realised I just recently got to listen to a cover of the original version of 'Ain't nobody' (which I don't even know if I have ever listened to, but I presumed so because I already knew the song), and after a quick search on Wikipedia I found out where: KT Tunstall's 'Drastic Fantastic' DVD included in the deluxe edition of the album I recently bought on Amazon (and already posted about here). I couldn't not post it, especially because I'm falling more and more in love with it and because it is a great piece of music interpreted by a great (set of) musician(s). Don't miss out!!

Westbound - Lizzy Grant (a.k.a. May Jailer, a.k.a. Lana del Rey)

Today didn't start in the best way possible: the water plastic bottle I had in my consultant rucksack was faulty and poured a good amount of its content around. Result: flooded bag, including all the stuff that was inside (from pc to charger, from food to CDs and wires). I don't know how, but it seems like everything is working fine! Plus, I later realized I (of course) also flooded my shirt, pants and underpants with the water that was coming out from the rucksack. All of this in the small 2 minutes walk form the car to the office. Nice, ain't it? Thanks goodness I could hang all my stuff around to dry as the best housewives would, and I brought my rucksack back in the car to dry up (which worked perfectly, just to let you know how hot it is around here these days)! Anyway it looks like stuff about my future is moving up (again), now we'll have to see how long it takes for stuff to happen...! Anyway for now I'm not westbound as Lana in her song, yet I'm going to go so far away that east and west are kinda blurred, plus it isn't out the question that I'm just taking the long way west!

(To listen to the song click here or on the picture caption)

Westbound - Lizzy Grant

Love will set you free - Kodaline

Love will set you free - Kodaline

Summer has come and I'm so happy about it that it makes me forget all the other things that are not really working so well in my life! Let's just enjoy it and hope for the best to come. Because you can't not believe that when you're busy getting on with your life, lonely but not alone, still one day love will set you free!

Invisible empire - KT Tunstall

Invisible empire - KT Tunstall

Hello my dear people! I'm sorry for not posting yesterday but I was fully dead in bed with the worst fever I can remember having... it's quite fucked up, as I have been sick since practically the end of last year and I keep getting these bad temperatures and I'm not really sure where they're coming from, I just know it's pretty annoying, not feeling well and all. Today I'm feeling a bit better, but I've still got a massive headache and stomachache and well... I don't know when was the last time I skipped a meal because of a fever (this time I skipped two)!! I just hope I'll get better soon, gotta see the specialist doctor in a few days, hoping to get things sorted out.
In the meantime I'm sharing with you one beautiful and soothing piece of music out of KT's latest album, 'Invisible empire // Crescent moon', I hope you enjoy it!

Princes familiar - Alanis Morissette

Princes familiar - Alanis Morissette

I'm a bit too late to be posting a sundayrevival, and I am sorry I didn't post anything yesterday, but life in Bangkok is pretty intense and it's very hard to find the time to sit down and dedicate 10 minutes to my dear blog!! But here I am now! Yesterday I have taken a walk to Chatuchak market, which I thought was closer to my hotel that it actually was, this meaning that I kinda melted under the (morning!) sun. Well, I got there and took a "short" walk through the market, very big and I think I've only seen a part of it! Then I came back to the hotel, plunged in the (boiling hot) swimming pool for some physical activity and then went to the river with a couple of colleagues to take a trip through the channels on a traditional long boat, an amazing experience to see how people live there, it's another world! And today back to work, it feels like I've been devoting half of my time to sightseeing and the other half to working and travelling, so that I never have enough time to devote to sleep!! Well, I think it's not so unusual for a first visit to such an intense city as Bkk is!! Tonite, just before going to eat a super Japanese dinner, I took a shower and was listening to the most-listened-to songs in my library, among which is this and I felt like posting it, so that you can enjoy it too!!

Birds of a feather - Lizzy Grant (a.k.a. Lana del Rey)

I meant to post this song a few days ago, but I couldn't find it on YouTube, so I decided to revert to Soundcloud, because I like it so much that I can't do without posting it and sharing it with you all! My time in Thailand is going on quite well, I'm enjoying it quite a lot and I can't wait to get the chance to stay here for a bit longer! In the meanwhile let's just enjoy May Jailer/Lana del Rey/Lizzy Grant! Click on the image title to listen to the song on Soundcloud!

Birds of a feather - Lizzy Grant

Pride - Lizzy Grant (a.k.a. Lana del Rey)

Pride - Lizzy Grant

Back to work after almost a week, not easy but it could've been worse! Thanks goodness this is gonna be a short week, and then I'm gonna leave for a two-weeks visit to the firm where the project I'm working on will be implemented! Guess I will have to tell you something about my future soon, even though I don't know much about it myself! What I know is that in a couple of days I'm gonna be homeless again and I have no idea where I will be staying after I come back from those two weeks. Yay... Anyway, I'll leave you with Lana, hoping you can have a great evening and, hopefully, a more certain future than I do!

Goodbye kiss - Lana del Rey

Goodbye kiss - Lana del Rey

You might remember that a few days ago, on Valentine's day, I posted the original version of this song by Kasabian. While I was looking for the official video of it (which I didn't find), I found out that Lana had recorded a cover of it in 2012. Curious about it, I went on to listen to it and have immediately been captured by its magic. The voice and style of Lana fit perfectly the lyrics and melody of the song, up to the point that one might think that it's a song of her own, should they not know the original version! I thus wanted to share this pearl with you to start the weekend in the best way possible!

It will come back - Hozier

It will come back - Hozier

I was just scrolling down my last dozen posts and I realised I didn't post quite as much Hozier as I thought I did and as I wanted to! His eponymous debut album is for sure the one I've been listening to lately that I love the most, it's been my favourite listen since the last weeks of last year and I'm still enjoying it a lot, so it's definitely time to share with you one more song, especially as I've been listening to my playlist with some songs of his first and then to the whole album while I was getting my baggage ready and cleaning my room! Yes, I'm about to leave again soon...! I'll let you know more in the next few days, tomorrow I'll move back to Milan for starters. But let's not rush time and enjoy Hozier for now!

PS: I am amazed by how awesome and similar to the recorded version these live sessions are, just.... wow!

#sundayrevival Halo - Florence + the Machine

Halo - Florence + the Machine

It's (3 hours and a half past) sunday, so it's (still) time for a sundayrevival post! Given that all the music I've been listening to in the last few days is either not old enough for this or from singers I have already posted about recently, it seemed to me that the only source of inspiration that I could get from is the USB key I have in my car, with a few dozen of some of my all-time favourite songs. What have I been listening to recently? The only song that comes to my mind is this beautiful, beautiful cover. Premise: I loved Halo as a song (goodness bless Ryan Tedder) since it got out. After I discovered this cover during my utmost-love-for-Florence period a few years ago, at first I was kind of disoriented, but after a couple of listens I totally fell in love with it and now I can't even get to listen to the "original" version... just to say that in my opinion this is one of the most amazing and magic things I have ever listened to! If you feel disoriented too, listen to it again. And then once again. And then you'll never be able to stop...

Take me to church - Hozier

Take me to church - Hozier

Guess who forgot to post yesterday? Yes, that's me (again)! Well... I'm not even really justified by the fact that I'm away from home, as yesterday was a really lazy day, we didn't do any excursion or visit. At one point I wanted to go to the beach in the early afternoon but the sky got full of clouds and a few drops fell, thus totally discouraging me and putting me to sleep...
Today has been much better, we have been to Trsteno to visit the arboretum where some other Game of Thrones scenes were shot. The place is very nice by itself and we were also able to identify a few spots where they shot some scenes! The whole experience was beautified with a very nice bath in the sea just below the arboretum. It's a pity that the Croatian coast is so rocky, as I like sand much better, but it was nice anyway.
Tomorrow is already time to go back home, but not before a brief introduction of today's song: I just learned about the existence of Hozier and this song, like 10 minutes ago. Elisa (a popular Italian singer) suggested it on her Facebook page, I watched the video and... well, it's here already! Like the song, love the video, really worth a view (or two)! His first, eponymous album will be released in September.

Tessellate (live on KEXP) - Alt-J

Tessellate (live on KEXP) - Alt-J

Here we are, ready to leave again and I didn't even realise it! Tomorrow I'm leaving for another trip, a last-minute one but I'm confident it's gonna be a pretty nice one! I'm gonna go visit an undergrad friend in Amsterdam, the only city in my "to-view in Europe" list that I'm still missing (actually there are a couple of new entries, but let's not get too picky...!) and that I'm gonna see very soon! It's quite of an achievement for me, I've been waiting for it for years! And I can't wait to meet my friend too, we haven't been seeing each other for almost two years now, it's gonna be good! The problem is that I'm realising just now I have to leave soon, so today I'll have to prepare something for the next few days. But I have to actually find something for today too... and I'm picking something I really enjoyed yesterday while I was tidying up my room, a live performance from KEXP embellished by the live introduction (Ripe & Ruin).

Day to day (acoustic) - The Ting Tings

Day to day (acoustic) -
The Ting Tings

Here we are again! The heat wave is still striving to reach us while my headache keeps bothering me from time to time. It's been a good last few days, would've been great if it wasn't for these two factors that still are not going as they should. But the world is not perfect, is it? We just have to enjoy what we have day by day. The Ting Tings say that too!