The Lion Tunes #5

Welcome to another edition of The Lion’s Tunes.

At the suggestion of a close friend, I decided to put my love of music to good use.

She pointed out to me that since I love music and listen to so much of it, I should share what songs I’m currently jamming to at the moment.

If you follow me on twitter then you’d know I usually tweet about what music has got me all caught up and catching feelings.

I’m by no means a music expert and I won’t pretend to be. Most of what will be written here is information I’ve learned on the net and just my personal opinions on the songs. 

I was told that because all of you bitches are lazy, I should just embed the stuff. Sure it does make my workload a little complicated, but I do it all for you.

The things we do for the ones we love. -sigh-

So have at it...

·         Song: Never Sleep Alone

Artist: Kasade

Description:

I came across this banger of a song from my twitter pal (@Hey_rynhardt). I really have nothing to else but to let the song speak for itself. It’s a mother*cking great song.

I can guarantee you that you will be murdering it on repeat. 

·         Song: Nightmare

Artist: Miley Cyrus

Description:

This song was actually leaked off Miley's forthcoming new release, and my my is it a mother banger of a tune. I heard it once and became as obsessed as I do. I am always critical and skeptical when it comes to Miley but my criticism of her celebrity persona aside, this woman sure knows how to make damn good music.

·         Song: Repetiton

Artist:  Purity Ring

Description:

I discovered this song after only hearing the first 10 seconds on it on someone’s Instagram account. They posted a clip of the first 10 seconds at a live performance they were at. I asked the guy what the song was, he told me and I obviously went to Youtube to hear the full song. I was so glad that he gave me the name of this song because it is a masterpiece. I feel that this song speaks to my soul and I get it on an emotional level.

Sometimes stuff gets to me and all I do is put the song and block everything out.

This is definitely my one of my favourite songs at the moment.

·         Song:  Our Own House

Artist: Misterwives

Album: Our Own House

Description:

I have featured this group before and the last time I had mentioned that they fit into what I call “Sassy Jazzy Rock” and if their newly released album revealed anything it is that my description of them was utterly perfect.  (Theo for the win!!). 

As usual, I’m listening to the song right now as I am typing, and it’s just such a damn funky song. The trumpets, the groovy guitar and everything just makes me fall more in love with the song the longer it plays. The lead singer (I really should Google her name) has an amazing set of pipes to her and she is quite a petite girl btw. Her tone of voice just works so well.

I am basically ready to learn every single word to the song...actually I’m half way there:

“We built our own house (own house) with our hands over our hearts,

And we swore on that day, that it’ll never fall apart.

We built our own house (own house) with our hands over our hearts,

And we swore on that day, that it’ll never fall apart.

We’ll never fall apart

We’ll never fall apart

With our hands over our heart

We’ll never fall apart”

Additional Mention: “Not Your Way”

As much as they love doing their love songs, they equally love telling someone to move on their way. “Not Your Way” tells the story of a woman telling a guy that his way isn’t law and that she will do things her way. She did not grow up to be anyone’s trophy wife, and this song is all about the woman empowerment but in a way that will even have the guys singing along. It’s fun, spunky and sassy- basically everything I love about this band.

·         Song: Gooey

Artist: Glass Animals

Description:

This song is “Gooey”, and I love it.

When the first few seconds of the song starts you will understand what I mean and then, after that, the beat drops and it’s just a senses overload. I know nothing about the group Glass Animals. I watched the music video for the other day and I was left utterly stumped, it is one of those metaphorical music videos that speak to deeper message of the music videos. Which you never really listen to one the first few times, you only start paying attention to lyrics after about the 5^th time you’ve heard it (or that is what happened in my case). Still it is a damn banging tune and just makes me want to imagine I’m in a dark room slowly swaying my body to the music. Yes, I said sway.

Additional Mention: “Cocoa Hooves”

 I didn’t like this song. I thought that the potential was there but the song didn’t really do much. As what often happens with me is that I sometimes judge songs too quickly, and not all songs make a home in your heart immediately. This one grew on me and while I never seek it on my playlist, when it does come on it just makes me stop and I don’t skip it. You feel the hairs on your arm raise because it just gets you. You just have to listen. There is something quirky and off about the song but it is arbitrary in a way that you feel like you understand. It makes sense in the way that it doesn’t make any sense. I honestly think that that is exactly how to describe the band.

·         Song: Confess To Me

Artist:  Disclosure ft Jessie Ware

Album:  Settle

I really like Disclosure. The family EDM duo from Britain makes great music and more people really need to hear it. It’s just superb. I had already discovered “Latch” featuring Sam Smith and that was a song I fell in Iove with.  “Confess To Me” features the talented vocals of another brit singer I like Jess Ware, and what a tune it is. It builds, takes you a journey where you anticipate it to be a fun and mellow tune but when the rest of the beat comes in it just gets me grooving.

“Confess to me, make me feel it.

Confide in me, don’t resent it.

Cause I can’t stop you from nothing.

I fulfil your desires for you.”

Additional Mention:  “F For You”

Another song from their album, “F For You” was a favourite of mine before RnB songstress Mary J Blige added her vocals to the updated version. The original which I love utilises the vocals of the group and I really liked it. Another version with the vocals of Ms Blige came out of her friendship with another close friend of the group, Sam Smith. Ms Blige came on to the song and added some modern day Rhythm and Blues – I must say that it didn’t hurt the song either. Either way, “F For You” is a great song and “I’d play the fool for” Disclosure anytime when their producing such great tunes.

·         Song: 2 Shy

Artist: Shura

Description:

So I have been hearing more about Shura as there seems to be a growing buzz around her. She is one of the artists poised to make it big either this year or next year but it seems like it is only a matter of time.

There is something very old school about this song. It has that 80s Paula Abdul pop to it but the slow stuff. I didn’t like the song the first time I heard it, and now I’m currently listening to it for the second time and somehow I like it more the second time around. I think because I was expecting something different the first time, but now I get it.

I love the message of the song too. So all in all, give it a listen and find out if you like her vibe.

·         Song: Surrender

Artist: John Lock ft Jaden Michaels

Description:

This song is the “Truth Bomb EDM”.

It is just so good. Listening to it at full blast right now and dancing along makes me realise why I love this song. There is something so honest and emotional about this song. I really love it. I am struggling to formulate how much I love it right now. *Goosebumps*

“Surrender your heart,

Surrender your mind,

Surrender it all to love (to love)

Surrender it all to love.”

I came across this gem once I read that this guy John Lock was actually the dude who was playing drums in Glee for all that time but never spoke once. I always wondered why they never included him in the plot but then I realised that the show pretty much became a mess during season two already.

·         Song: Delilah

Artist: Florence and the Machine

Description:

If you are a Florence fan then of course you will like this.

For those who aren’t so sold on Florence there is nothing I can do for you. Everything I’ve been hearing from her latest album has been darker. Flo has challenged herself in a very different way because she does have the power behind her voice but she doesn’t always show it off which is clearly intentional because she doesn’t want to distract you from her verbrato tone but still keep you engaged and boy does she. Flo of course uses it when she has to but it feels like she consciously pulled back to make you not notice it as much.

This song is pretty cool. You can either listen to it in the background or if you want to shake it off and go crazy.

·         Song: Like I’m Gonna Lose you

Artist:  Meghan Trainor ft John Legend

Description:

This is a collaboration that you never knew you wanted.

It’s moody, emotional and you can slow dance to it. Of course it is a song about loving someone like you are going to lose them because it’s Meghan Trainor and John Legend – did you really expect them to sing about something else?

That aside, the song is great. Sure if you don’t have a significant other it can be pretty sucky but that aside, it is a song that you will appreciate having heard.

It is a wonderful song, just something you want to put your hands up it the air for and slowly move from side to side.

The “Oud maar nog nie Koud nie”:

There might not always be this section within future posts but I thought I would add it in this one nonetheless. 

These songs aren’t new (and may or may not exactly be well known) but yet are still banging. The section title is in Afrikaans which in English means “The old but not yet cold”.

·         Song: Heartbreaker

Artist: MSTRKRFT ft John Legend

I like John Legend. So does my mother.

However, we like him for different reasons. My mom loves him because he tugs on the emotional heartstrings and makes her feel stuff in her lady bits I assume (shudder). I like him for the fact that he has a really cool vibe but also he isn’t afraid to step out of his genre. There have been other dance tracks where he has volunteered his vocals and the fact that he does this is really awesome. I think more artists should do this as it not only challenges them but also encourages them to give their voices something to sing that they haven’t necessarily changed to suit them. Props to MSTRKRFT (pronounced: Mastercraft) for delivering a banger.

I discovered this song during the Season 5 finale of So You Think You Can Dance when a couple danced a cool Sonya Tayeh dance number, (I know it was the winner Jeanine and the adorable Evan Kasperzak who did the dance because I had a crush on Evan). That aside, I fell in love with the song and it has been a track I still love years later.

·         Song: Secrets

Artist: Mary Lambert ft B.O.B

I had heard this song before but forgot about it.

Someone reminded me of it when the revealed something personal of themselves to me. It was a shock to me because it was something that you hear about never associate with a person until they tell you. I respect that person so much for telling me something like that because the person never knew how I’d take it.

Stuff has happened with me and this person, that has left me sad but I will remain optimistic and hope that things work out the way they are meant to. Que Sera Sera, what will be will be.

This song should be given a listen to because it’s a song that just helps you say “Fuck it, I am ME and I love who I AM”. We need more songs like this in the world that celebrate who we are as individuals and no one person is ever identical. This song is really great so please give it a listen when you can.

·         Song: Endorphins

Artist: Sub focus ft Alex Clare

Description:

His song fits right into that Drum and Bass genre; it’s a banging tune with banging vocals. If I was a runner, this would be great music to use for jogging or running as it has that steady thud that just keeps you going.

I discovered this song on the radio, it never really took off in South Africa but it caught a hold of me and I have just kept it in rotation on my playlists ever since. Other than good running music, this song is also wonderful to feel as you dance in your room with the door closed and shut off the world with nothing but the music to be your guide.

·         Song: Little Bit

Artist: Drake ft Lykke Li

Description:

This song is originally Lykke Li’s tune but Drake redid it. This was a song that was originally on his mixtape and so not many people know about it, which is my opinion is a shame because it’s a really great song.

A friend sent me some music and that was how I came across this song, and I’m glad I did. With Drake’s current direction of his music, this song makes me miss the days of his first album. He manages to sing and rap on the song doing something that he is very good at, and in my opinion does too little of.

I think Drake will forever have a chip on his shoulder about which genre he fits in. It’s a battle between the purists that say he isn’t a true MC because he sings and people who will say he isn’t a singer because he raps.  Personally, I just hope he ignores them and finds a balance between both that suits him. He has tried with a few songs that aim for that balance but he hasn’t managed to find it since he debuted in my opinion.

That aside, this will forever be a favourite of mine.

Additional Mention: Hold On (We’re Going Home) by Lykke Li

Lykke Li found a way pay back Drake, with intentional or not, by doing a cover of his song “Hold On (We’re Going Home)” and she does a really good job in my opinion. I like how she changed it up, made it hers much in the same way that he took her song and made it his own version.  Who knows, maybe they will actually managed to collaborate with each other and create a stellar song that excels in vocals and rap lyrics.

Extra:

Songs on the radio that I’m currently obsessed with –

1.      Ty dollar Sign ft Charli XCX – Drop That Kitty

2.      Zedd ft Jon Bellion – Beautiful Now

3.      Alyxx Dione ft Jason Derulo - Chingaling

4.      Tori Kelly – Nobody Love

All tracks should be available on iTunes.

If you have any suggestions don’t be scared to let me know in the comments below.

Theo. Over and Out.

BONUS:

There is this guy on Youtube called Leroy Sanchez. He is pretty damn gifted vocally, and he is not bad to look at either. Here is one of his covers I really like:



Thanks to @DarronDiesel for suggesting I check him out:

PS- I came across this saying that I just felt was so perfect; it went something to the effect of, “The right song will find you at the right time”.  I really hope that the right song found you this week.