Hellooo I’ve been gone for some time, but ya girl is BACK…and with an exciting update/story!! Stick around for some insight on  some great new tunes…

So basically I have the best bff who bought me a concert ticket to HONNE earlier this month as a birthday gift! She’d only introduced me to HONNE about a month before surprising me with the tickets, and I admittedly kept putting off actually taking the time to look the band up. Well, lemme tell ya…when I finally did I was SHOOK. The opening song on their recent Love Me/ Love Me Not album completely took me by surprise and made me immediately start bopping along with the smooth electro synth and beat. I wasn’t ready for it at all. Just off my initial judgement, I assumed I was going to hear some chill indie rock and wasn’t ready for the election pop and jazz vibes I got from this duo’s sound. I instaneiusky fell in love with this album and these artists! Listened to the album on repeat so I was MORE than ready to see them live in concert when the time came.

The concert was at White Oak Music Hall, a popular venue in Houston, Texas. This was my first time visiting this venue and I was impressed and fell in love with the atmosphere of the hall the moment we stepped inside. It was small (enough) and super intimate— which made for the perfect concert experience! Their opening act was an artist called Haulm, who was the perfect precursor to HONNE, as their music styles perfectly complimented each other. By the time HONNE came on, I had been prepped and ready for the groovy, yet calming sounds that they provide their audience with. Lead singer, (blank blank), sounds EXACTLY as he does on the record and I couldn’t get over it…he was amazing. I caught myself closing my eyes through much of the concert, almost as if I was allowing my mind to create the visuals that went along with the soundtrack they were creating. The entire concert was beautiful and being there with my best friend/ favorite concert buddy made the experience even better.

So, pleaseee don’t make the same mistake I made, and take the time to check this sick duo out because they’re incredible! (We also got to meet them and they were the nicest guys ever…the accents were pretty charming too lol)

lots o’ love,

Lauren

Hi!! Back with some more music tea… but this time it’s actually about fresh, new music on the scene so WOOHOO!

I’m going to just jump right in because I’m so ready to discuss this very interesting and eclectic “up and coming” artist. (Sidenote: I’ve always wondered how they define up and comers…like what accolade must they receive or threshold must they cross to finally be referred to as a “regular” artist who has arrived on the scene, and has made a name for themselves? But anyways…) I am referring to no one other than the talented AURORA. AURORA is a Norwegian indie/folk/pop singer whom I first heard while watching her performance on NPR Tiny Desk Concert’s Youtube channel. Well, that was at least the first time I knowingly recognized and saw she was the person singing. I had previously heard her song “Conqueror” in passing at a department store and loved it, but forgot to  jot down the lyrics to search for the song later. Honestly, I assumed  I was listening to new Ellie Goulding music and tried to find it, but no luck so ya girl gave up…BUT I was shook and super pumped when Iwatched the video and heard the tune, not only because I found the song, but I also loved the other songs she performed and was excited that I’d found a new artist to follow!

Besides the fact that I assumed she was Ellie Goulding, AURORA’s voice is super distinct and unlike any other I have heard. I love that her voice is pretty soft and delicate, (like she’d be the perfect person to sing a lullaby lol) and when she does sing higher, gets louder, or holds her notes longer she tends to have somewhat of a slight yodel..I dig it!

Anyways, she recently released her second studio album titled Infections Of A Different Kind (Step I) and…I just…wow! It’s such a HUGE difference from her first album, All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend, but in a great way, in my opinion. The fact that Infections.. is roughly half the length of her first album isn’t the only significant difference between these two projects. In Infections…, AURORA comes straight out of the gate with a sort of upbeat dance bop called “Queendom”…a huge contrast to the darker, slowed down opening of her previous album, called “Runaway”. The overall tones of these albums are actually pretty similar in terms of content throughout the duration of the records. There are themes of lost love and longing for something more out life which can be heard in both “Forgotten Love” and “Runaway”.  However, AURORA chose to approach these heavy themes in a brighter, more uplifting manner in her latest album and stray away from her usual creeping melodies that made up her debut album. I, for one, audibly shouted “WHAT” when the beat dropped on “Churchyard”. I couldn’t believe it was actually her! Anyways, I loved the entire album and felt like it didn’t overstay it’s welcome, ending at the right time, in a perfect way with the title track. Basically what I’m saying is…I can’t wait to see what’s to come for AURORA because homegirl is really out here making MOVES!!

<3,

Lauren

Greetings everyone!!

First, I’d like to give a shoutout to my roomie Kate for being rad and helping me come up with a new name for this blog– YOU ROCK!! This change has made me even more excited about making this a great space for me to share my thoughts and lil personal anecdotes!

Revisiting my early childhood music memories in my last post got me in the mood to take another trip down memory lane. SO… in this post I wanted to place a spotlight on one of my top 3 favorite albums, Everything Everything’s 2010 album Man Alive. Y’all when I say this album sends me on a rollercoaster through every emotion.. I MEAN IT! From upbeat, funky tunes such as Suffragette Suffragette and MY KZ, UR BF to chill laidback, even ethereal, songs like Two for Nero and (my personal favorite) Weights, this album has everything I could have wanted! Everything Everything (EE) is an English rock band that skews a little more on the indie side of the spectrum and I honestly dig it a lot. I can’t imagine not having discovered them during my freshman year of college. The amount of firsts this group got me through is kind of crazy…first all-nighter, first big college essay, even dreadful business calc assignments. Throughout all of it, I had them right in my ear, and it was pretty great. (shoutout to apple music tbh). As a group, EE has done nothing but surprise me each time they release new music. They do this really interesting thing in their music where they transition in the middle of a song to a completely different time signature, changing the tone of the song in an instant– but it honestly works every single time. I don’t understand how they do it. It’s crazy because the change is so seamless, yet so abrupt and shocking if you are not expecting it.

Man Alive was their first studio album, which came out 8 years ago, and they have managed to recreate that element of surprise in all three of their albums that followed. They have made minor tweaks here and there, but they were all made for the best and have improved the overall quality of their music (i.e. the lead singer changing from his initial quick, shouty way of singing to a more clear, slowed down version so listeners can better hear and understand the lyrics). As they have gained more notoriety since 2010, they have tailored their music to be more radio-friendly (British radio, that is), without sacrificing the integrity of their band or quality of their music. If you like bands such as Foals and Bombay Bicycle Club, you will LOVE them! 🙂

P.S. My brother also made the parallel between Everything Everything and The Mars Volta, so if you appreciated the crazy transitions and sounds of MV, you just might be into EE as well.

Enjoy<3,

Lauren

Hello hi!!!

My name’s Lauren and I’m super pumped to be starting this blog and can’t wait to talk/share all things music with whoever takes the time to read. As a recent graduate, I’ve allowed the stresses of post-grade life (i.e. finding a job, planning my future, adulting) to cloud my head and existence, and keep me from sitting down and really thinking about where my true passion lies. Finding a job in the corporate world has always seemed like the obvious choice, as that was the ultimate goal throughout my college career. However, I started to question whether I wanted to follow those dreams for the potential payout OR if i would truly be happy in that specific field. Well…after much internal conflict, deliberation, and alone time, I was able to finally admit that my passion lies elsewhere–MUSIC. Music has remained a true constant throughout my life for as long as I can remember. From early memories as a little girl listening to my dad’s oldies, to picking up early 2000’s rap bops (does that term work here lol) from my brother, I can say that I can’t remember a time in my life where I didn’t recognize my love for exploring new music and sounds. (shoutout to middle and high school band also!!) My early love for different genres and artists similar to the 1970’s band America (thx dad), and r&b influences like Janet Jackson began to shape my confusing and hard-to-pinpoint taste in music. SO….get ready for the crazy whiplash you’ll experience on this journey through a multitude of different genres!

Along with recognizing my true passion for all things music related, I have decided to pursue a career in the music industry, doing whatever I can to assist in the discovery and development of artists and sound in whatever way I can. I’m interested in pursuing either A&R administrator or coordinator positions, licensing, interning or really any opportunities available because it would honestly be an actual DREAM!

As I’m just starting out, it may take a while for me to find my voice and figure out how I want to approach this blog, but I am HERE for all of the possible lil bumps along the way (and I hope you will be too!) 🙂

I’m going to feature a different song, album and/or artist for each post, and for this first welcome post it will be none other than my fav…Clocks by Coldplay! I know, I know…we’ve all heard this song about hmm..a thousand times maybe? BUT this song holds so much significance for me as it represents nothing but new beginnings and a fresh start. I listened to this song in 2003 (shoutout to NOW cd’s and cd players) while and after I moved from Texas to Germany. I was a small child, in a new country, with new surroundings and people, and this song quickly became a comfort blanket for me, in a way… Definitely one of my earliest memories of realizing what music really meant to me and I will cherish it and this song forever and always…

WOOHOO GET PUMPED FOR MORE MUSIC POSTS ON THE WAY!!!

<3,

Lauren

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton