The Lion Mutters: July 2015

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. So have at it...

· Song: Rumours

Artist: Adam Lambert ft Tove Lo

Description:

So I went into Musica on Monday on my day off before I had this stunning photo shoot with my friend Chelsea, because I was contemplating getting the new Adam Lambert album.

I would have had this album if it had not been for the fact that they were out of stock. Like seriously??

Anyway, this song featuring Tove Lo (Too-va- Loo) - who I absolutely am I fan of – and is this collaboration seriously eargasm worthy.

Good collaborations in my opinion is when the two artists push each other and try to up their game because they want to create great music. They either try to push each other vocally or artistically. You can tell when a collaboration comes out of a place of true artistry because it manages to stand out.

For me, this song is abso-fucking-lutely a superb collaboration. The interesting thing for me about Adam Lambert following his latest album is that he has pulled back the power in his voice and used it sparingly. He does a phenomenal job balancing that on this song.

He and Tove-Lo push each other and they are both murdering this track vocally. I just love the message of it to. Their voices work so well together.

This is a collaboration I didn’t know that I needed:

I would embed the link but it didn't give me that option so you are going to have to click on this link below if you want it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj8LAkemY-w&spfreload=10

· Song: Papercut

Artist: Zedd ft Troye Sivan

Description:

The critics have not exactly been kind to Zedd about his recently album “True Colours” saying that he has lost a bit of his spark in favour of cashing in on collaborations with mainstream artists.

I have been a Zedd fan since his “Clarity” with Foxes days and he makes EDM music that I like. I don’t exactly mind what he has been doing with his sound. There has been a few misses (like that song with Selena Gomez) but he is still young.

I like the songs that he has released though, specifically the song with Job Bellion “Beautiful Now” is quite great. But anyhow, moving on...

Papercut ft. Youtuber and Spud star Troye Sivan I think is great because it’s just very chilled song. It’s not song that makes me picture running in the rain, or woods and just wanting to not feel smothered and held back by life so you run and you keep going.

Maybe I am just feeling very existential and ethereal but I like the song. I might not always want to listen to it, but I will need to have it on my playlists somewhere at the least.

If the video doesn't play: Watch it here.

· Song: Gold

Artist: Years and Years

Description:

Coming from their debut album, this just solidified m y love for years and years. This song is so damn amazing, I just want you to hear it ASAP without my extensive rambling.

· Song: Hurricane

Artist: Misterwives

Album: Our Own House

Description:

If you have been paying attention to previous blog posts, you would have noticed that I have included quite a bit of this band.

This is mainly because I can’t get enough of them. I download a song or two and then think I have filled my need to hear their music but then I will go on a Youtube binge because there is just something about their music that I need to hear.

The lead singer, Mandy Lee, (thanks Google) 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 can’t explain it.

Also btw, in case you didn’t know because neither did I, the band actually did the song which is used in the MTV TV show Finding Carter (which is not half bad- the show that is). Their music is pretty awesome though.

“We dance to our own beat, won’t sing to your melody.”

· Song: Something Better

Artist: Audien ft Lady Antebellum

Props to Lady Antebellum for taking a risk.

This song is different and I like it.

This is the country group who had us all singing along to “Need You Now” , “Just a Kiss” and “Hello World”, and for them to dip into a genre they had never before just to sing a song is really awesome.

Well done to them for dipping into the EDM world...

· Song: Grand Piano

Artist: Nicki Minaj

EP:

Description:

Lots of people underestimate Nicki Minaj for many reasons.

They try to pigeon her and what music she does but that does not work for her because she goes with whatever the hell she wants.

Nicki can rap, that is given, but that is not the only thing she does because she loves singing and she does so in her own pop music. When she wants to throw down with the boys then she goes in hard with those rap verses on commercial hip hop songs but she also can go gentle and girly when she wants.

A song that really throws what you expect of Nicki out the window is Grand Piano.

She pours her heart into a full ballad, only singing no rapping.

On Youtube the comments section was full of people saying “why can’t she do more music like this” but that is because this is not all of who she is. It is a bit of who she is as an artist.

This song is jut perfection and should be enjoyed for what it is, which is good music.

Additional Mention: The Crying Game ft. Jessie Ware

I had a whole blog post that was inspired by this song.

I won’t add to much other than it’s damn superb.

I love the non-traditional structure of the song which is something you don’t realise until you actually Google the song lyrics. Most songs have this (not all but most) –

Verse 1

Pre-Chorus

Chorus

Verse 2

Bridge

Pre-Chorus

Chorus

While The Crying Games just changes it up and I love it for it:

Verse 1

Bridge

Pre-Chorus

Chorus

Post- Chorus

Verse 2

Bridge 2

Pre-Chorus

Chorus

Post- Chorus

Nicki and Jessie Ware just absolutely slay this song.

Jessie Ware is just so talented, and she needs to blow up even more.

· Song: Radio

Artist: Santigold

Album: Paper Towns Soundtrack

Description:

This comes off of the Paper Towns Soundtrack, the latest John Green novel to be turned into a movie.

I doubt I will have to sell the Santigold on this song, but as someone who doesn’t see themselves as a fan of her music I really enjoy this song. It’s just so funky and it’s just Santigold doing what she does best.

Just groovy music hey...

· Song: Crystal Castles

Artist: Deicide

Description:

I have never heard of Crystal Castles before, and I came across this song when I was on a web and found a music blog that suggested this song.

This is for those into their dark edm/trance vibe music.

I really just feel this song more than I hear it. It works. Don’t try to question why but just let the song wash over you and you will be happier for it.

· Song: Heavydirtysoul

Artist: Twenty One Pilots

Description:

This song found me...

I was at SA Menswear Week and as the gorgeous models started strutting their stuff down the runway, I just saw this whole package of what the designer was trying to create because of this song. This song won me over and it made me enjoy the show that much more.

But lets be honest, watching hot guys parade in front of you is not really unappealing either way.

“Gangsters don’t cry therefore therefore I’m

Mr Misty-Eye, therefore I’m.

Can you save, can you save my,

Can you save my heavy dirty soul?

Can you save, can you save my,

Can you save my heavy dirty soul?

For me, for me, (uh)

Can you save my heavy dirty soul?”

· Song: California Dreaming

Artist: Sia

Description:

I think it takes a certain artists to take those big notes that she is singing and make them sound so natural and effortless. You don’t even realise how much power and control she is exercising until you take a moment to think about it.

Sia does this, especially with California Dreaming, because I mean you hear her belting the notes but she is never shouting. You just feel the notes wash over you.

I think this is just another great song within the Sia Discography. Well technically her film feature soundtrack discography, along side "Fully Dressed Without a Smile" as this comes from the San Andreas film.

The song lyrics felt familiar so after a quick Googling I found out that she is actually covering a MammasAndPappas song. The song really works though. It is great, and you don’t even think of it as a cover because of how she changed it up.

· Song: Beneath With Me

Artist: Deadmaus & Kaskade ft Skylar Grey

Description:

If you love electronic dance music then of course you will love this.

It’s moody, emotional and the dark which can be a welcome change from the edm songs which focus on the bmp (beats per minute).

· Song: Blue Flame

Artist: David Guetta &Martin Garrix

Description:

On the reverse side, if you love your EDM with a high BMP then this song is definitely it for you.

Dance, just dance. That is all.

Let your hips groove and your feet move because that is all this song wants you to do.

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: Who Are You, really?

Artist: Mikky Ekko

I discovered this song because of a friend Chirizaan.

I missed when everyone was raging about the song and it was being used in all the TV shows and etc but my goodness is this quite the awesome song.

If Mikky Ekko’s names sounds familiar it is because he is that guy who did “Stay” with Rihanna. This song came out way before that but my word is it just so lovely.

· Song: Thinking About You

Artist: Frank Ocean

Of course nearly everyone has heard this song because it was one of the songs that was very big when Frank Ocean debuted on the scene and manage to become the first out hip-hop/rnb artist with his album “Channel Orange” when he revealed he was bisexual.

Additional Mention: Beatenberg Cover

Local group Beatenberg do a pretty damn awesome cover of this song. You should give it a listen below.

Apologies for the audio quality.

· Song: Don’t Look Back

Artist: Miguel

Description:

This song I discovered while listening to a TV Show.

It’s pretty cool. It’s a song about being a vampire, but that is just a simplistic answer. As weird as that description sounds, it’s a banger of a song.

It even has a epilogue.

Additional Mention: Coffee

This is the latest song from Miguel and it’s great.

While I do think Miguel’s recent comments about him believing that he is better than Frank Ocean overstepped the line, and stank of arrogance (what happened to competing with yourself dude?), you can’t deny that he makes good RnB music.

Whether you think he is better than Frank Ocean or not, that is yours business, but otherwise just enjoy the song.