Hi so as you may or may not know I'm Irish which means today is a very important day in the lives of us Irish all over the globe! Paddy's Day!
Woohooo!
We had a big party at lunch time yesterday in school to celebrate the occasion. There was dancing, great costumes and prizes. It was a great day. I was a farmers wife:) and a mighty one at that too.
Irish music is a huge part of Irish culture and it's wonderful stuff, good for the soul as they say:) The trad group in the school did a great performance. I'm going to make a Paddy's Day Playlist, so take a peek at the Playlist page and listen to it, especially if you don't really know what Irish Trad sounds like (like who are you, have you been in a whole for that last century!). I'll also put up the songs (though not all Irish I'll admit) to what we danced to yesterday, some we're practically on repeat because we couldn't get enough. Once the Irish start a party it's hard going to stop us!
So my dad had a Community Council float in the local parade and I probably will have this posted before I head to a very important Just Dance Xbox Party at a friends teach (house)!
Happy St. Patrick's Day,
Slán,
Rois
xxx
P.S. here's a video about why we celebrate good ol' St. Pat, if you were curious ;)
So I've decided to do a blog about Florence + The Machine, because she is so special and deserves one all to herself! She's my personal Lady Gaga:) I love her and her music. The passion and effort she puts to her music is incomparable and unique.
She recently said in an interview that each song has a character and those characters have a story, and it's her duty to tell that story. I think that is amazing because if you see any of her live performances you can see this. She performs each one differently.
Her Lungs album is an extraordinary piece of work! I loved the whole album. I really liked her references in her songs to legends like Atlas and the King Minus (Rabbit Heart). I'm a complete nerd for stories and legends, like I love Greek mythology:) Each song is so different on the album but you can hear some sort of signature coming through the whole thing bringing it all together, like her use of harp, her unique voice and particular use of drums. I'm a firm believer that albums should flow, like be one big piece of art. My favorite song on the whole album is My Boy Builds Coffins, because it's the weirdest love song I've ever heard, it's also simple and just a damn good song! the first song I heard from the album was Cosmic Love and I was hooked! I instantly wanted to listen to the whole album. I wasn't disappointed either;) Her lyrics are odd I'll grant yo that, but if you keep listening to them you might eventually get hr message like I did. It's an album of discovery:)
Her newest album Ceremonials was spectacular and a brilliant follow up to lungs. her style matured and it's a much more settled album to listen too. Not only does it have a common music flow but also a common theme running throughout; relations with the devil. This wasn't heard in her first album. I of course love Shake It Out, but my two favourites from the whole album are Never Let Me Go and No Light, No Light. I really like these two cause their messages were the most interesting and again found myself listening to them over and over to find what her message was when I realised it could be interpreted in so many ways. Anyone could listen to it and think something different. My English teacher recently used Shake It Out and Never Let Me Go to help us understand the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff's continuous mourning for Cathy in Wuthering Heights. It was another to interpret the songs. I really like this album and I'm still working through it, I suppose. Still figuring it out.
Over all you can see that I love this women and I do, I just hope I've helped you appreciate her a little more:) She is so talented and I wish for you all to know that. Florence Welch is amazing and is my musical inspiration:)
So in school we host a little music night at the end of March every year, so to show off the wonderful talents of some of the students. Being one of only ten students in 5th year music class, the responsibility of pulling it together lies with us :S We get all those who want to preform their exam pieces as well as a few class pieces people work on. I know the 4th years are working on Shake It Out by Florence + the Machine (Love her sooooooo much! going write a blog 'bout her soon, so keep your peepers open!). Other rumors of what people are doing like the trad group (Irish traditional music players group) and of course the school choir are doing a rendition of I Feel Pretty from the West Side Story sound track, they usually open the show too!
That in mind most of us are taking part. I'm doing a Make You Feel My Love by Adele with my friend, I'm also accompanying another classmate to La Vie en Rose, as well as playing piano and singing in a little class project we've been working on. I'm not going to reveal what song we're doing 'cause it's a secret, but it shall be amazing! I'll blog after the night telling you how it all went!
So that's whats on the list of things to do...do any of your schools or communities but something similar on?
Here are all the songs mentioned above:)
Hope you all have a great weekend, we'll chat before then!
Love,
Rois
xx
I have discovered this rising star only very recently and I have to say, this girl is talented! I love how unique her voice is, and her music is wonderful. She plays piano in all her tracks too! I especially love her cover of Bon Iver's Skinny Love.
But I have to say her own music is fantastic as well. I think a definite listen is her People Help the People, is quiet necessary. You can interpret it to what ever you feel suits you, it's just one of those songs that makes you think and you can personalise to yourself. I like how it's not a love song, really, maybe that's why I'm so drawn to it...? Who knows? :)
Her beautiful voice has that certain quality that it's hard not to listen to it. Her music is so simple! Bit of drums and guitar with piano but it's that voice that you pay attention to. She doesn't need any instruments. That's how I know your a great singer because you don't require loads on instrumental bumph to hide your mediocre voice like our good friend Birdy here :)
So I heard One Directions (cue girly screaming) new single One Thing and I have to confess, this upbeat piece had me going! I like it. Boy bands aren't my thing at all! We don't tend to mix. But these little boys have my heart out on this one:) I really like the acoustic version because you really get to hear the harmonies. And well done to the boys for getting so far. Not winning X-Factor is the best thing that's every happened to them!
But the real question that's bugged me since this weird off the beaten track song came into my life is; Is it a once off? or have I caught some mad virus that will infect me so that every time I so much get a whiff of them I'll be consumed with symptoms like blushing, daydreaming and hysterical pointless screaming (unless your point is to make surrounding people deaf)?
I think this calls for an experiment! I think I will have to listen to every One Direction song until I'm sure I will cause no harm to myself or others, and that I am completely immune to their melodies of promised love that has trapped so many teen girls since they first appeared on X-Factor!
So this song, O' Children by Nick Cave, has stuck with me for quiet awhile. It's odd but I it's so different from my normal stuff. Not that I really have a "normal" genre. It could also be the imagery in the video but Nick's voice is unique.
I don't know what I really feel when I listen to it, it changes all the time, I could be relaxing, I could be pissed off, I could be at peace, or sad or anything. It can be a real feel good song too :)
Whether you need an accompaniment to a socket waterfall and are in dier despeation of a good dance with ben&jerry or even just finished that English essay that's followed your shadow all week, I highly recommend a listen!
So take a gander with your ears :)
All my love,
Rois
xx
P.S. top marks and a special dedication to the person who guesses what movie its from! :) Good Luck!
I'm Roisin and this is my blog for my music addiction! I play piano, guitar and I sing and I listen to music all the time! I'm really excited about this blog, like you couldn't tell from my many exclamation marks! :D
Check out all my pages. I'm going to separate them into categories like, all time fav's, for the craic and newbee's!
Really hope you enjoy this blog! And don't forget to send me links to music you think I shouldn't die with hearing it first! :L
