don't eat too much candy, now.

never seen you in the light of day.

so, as most of you probably know I popped over to cambridge on monday night to see Mystery Jets.

the first support slot was a band who were called Youth. or maybe it was 'the youth'? I was trying to find them on myspace or youtube earlier today, because although their set was v. short I liked what I heard, but 'YOUTH' is a frustrating word to search for. let me explain why. 1) it is a word in its own right. 2) if you try 'the youth' that is also the title of an MGMT song, so therefore meaning you find that. 3) EVEN if you resort to trying 'youth band' or 'the youth band' YOU END UP WITH LOADS OF VIDEOS OF YOUTH BANDS PLAYING THINGS LIKE BEATLES MEDLEYS AND THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN THEME MUSIC RAUCOUSLY AND WITH LOTS OF BRASS.

I already HAVE to do that in my school concert band, which I am obliged to be a part of since the music department partially pay my school fees... *shiver*

so, yeah. the enigmatic 'youth' were good. I'll tell you more if I ever discover their music again.

Youth

Then played Tribes. They were also good, and less mysterious; their myspace is pretty easy to find.

I like this: WHENEVER by TRIBES

I don't know if that will work. Apparently that is a link to the song on myspace. Who knows.

Their lead singer had a certain sex appeal too.

Tribes

And THEN it was the main event. Mystery Jets rocked onto stage. Blaine looked as much a rock star as anyone despite his crutches, and Will... kind of like a businessman. Maybe that was just me?

It was a really awesome show. The one downside was that, although we had been standing right in the middle very close to the front for the support bands, as soon as the Mystery Jets themselves started everything went a little pear-shaped. I'm as up for a bit of jumping about as the next person, but... we kind of had this feeling that a few people were there not for the gig so much as for just a 'fun night out', since it was only £12.50 for a ticket. So it got very mental in the centre of the crowd, very quickly. And it just wasn't fun. I think it was exacerbated by the fact that it was a small venue; I saw Muse last month but since it was Wembley, even though it was packed out, it wasn't the frantic crush that we experienced on monday night. I got stepped on by some bitch in stilletos (stilletos? At a gig? Why? I bet [and hope] she lost them) and elbowed in the face by a fat sweaty man who just shouldn't have been there at all. Gah.

So we only stuck it out in the centre for a few songs, then retreated a little way to the side. And the atmosphere changed, utterly, within about a metres walk. On the little fringey outskirts of the main crowd were, clearly, the true fans, those who were having a little dance and singing all the lyrics but didn't want to lose their lives. Also, from here you could actually see the band, whereas from my previous position my view was, more often than not, of someone's armpit, rather than of the stage.

Blaine. Aaah, blaine. How do I love thee, let me count the ways, etc.

So the set was nearly all from the new album, which we were expecting, and since the new album is awesome, this was fine. They didn't play anything from their first album, 'making dens', though, which was a trifle strange - though they threw in some old favourites from '21' like '2 doors down,' 'hideaway', 'hand me down' et al. Hurrah.

see what I mean with the businessman thing? Yes?

Kai Fish. He HAD to be famous with that name, surely.

So a fun time. One of my favourite moments was when they played the song 'After Dark', which is a Count & Sinden track featuring the old MJs, with Will singing. It's a dancey one, pretty different from their own stuff - they said at the beginning of the track that they don't play it very often, with Blaine adding "I don't know why." Neither do I - It worked so well live. And just as I thought it couldn't get any cooler, I heard the opening chords to 'Hideaway' and they merged into it, with lots of sirens and pizzazz. Man it was cool!

AND we saw Kai on the train back to London that night. It was in a way a highlight of the night, and in a way a massively annoying occurrence... What happened was this. We had been sitting on the train for about 45 minutes discussing - amongst other things such as long words and fudge - the gig. Then we came into Finsbury Park. Not our stop. No big deal. THEN we noticed through the window a man who had just got off the train wearing a cool, and strangely familiar shirt. (see the second to last picture for details). Someone said 'shit.. is that Kai?' We all agreed that yes it most certainly was and started to bang furiously on the train window. He turned round and gave us a friendly smile and returned our childish waves as the train drew away from the platform. He had been in our carriage.. listening to our entire conversation plus our occasional outbursts of humming/whistling his band's songs. Frustrating in a way. I'm sure had we spotted him in the carriage we would have had some super chats about life and music and the universe and we would be best friends by now. Oh Kai, if only you knew what could have been.

Toodle pip, and to finish, here's the Count & Sinden ft. Mystery Jetzzz song I mentioned somewhere above in my long and rambling stream of consciousness. It's a really fun song and video, do give it a watch.

x

There's a limit to your care.

Proper ear porn, seriously -

Listen with the best headphones you own, then you'll get what I mean. Seriously. That's important. In fact, even if they're rubbish headphones... PLUG 'EM IN.

Thanks to the Bubble Boy for recommending this one.

The video's blissfully simple, too.

An astute description by a youtube commenter is 'liquid dubstep,'

and another wrote: 'please do NOT try to make "dirtier than your sister's whatever" dubstep of this! It's perfect."

I concur.

x

ps. Mystery Jets tomorrow night!! I'll let y'all know how that is, I'm mega excited. Yay yay.

tell me that things will turn out right

I don't think I ever got round to exalting the praises of Blaine and the lads back in August when I first bought this album. It's darn good, and, according to guitarist/vocalist Will Rees, "it's got a lot of cock in it." Interesting.

Anyway, it's packed with tunes.

I posted 'flash a hungry smile' back here when they first released it on their website as a free download back in May, and now I've got the album I can safely say that the rest of it certainly managed to live up to that song (which I had pretty much on repeat for about a month).

They've recently released the video for 'Show me the Light', one of my favourite songs from the album. It's one of those songs which, for some reason I can't put my finger on, just makes me feel really happy when I listen to it. The video is nice too; simple, and really nicely shot. And the slightly muted colour of it is nice. I like a lot.

this comes out as a single on the 1st of November.

I'm going to see them live next monday in Cambridge, which I am rather excited for - I've seen them once before but that was at a festival, so it's a slightly different vibe really. Their support is a band called Tribes, who I have heard of but don't really know much about, so I'm going to look into them a little more before I go... But yes! I'll post about it with pictures and whatnot in about a week's time. What fun.

x

If you got the money

Thoroughly impractical, relatively ridiculous...

But I want them so....

Here's a tune I have pretty much had permanently stuck in my head this week:

It's an epic modern rethink of a Billy Joel classic...

Listen to it!! And the video is amazing too.

I do love King Charles.

Such a dude.

Anyone else a fan?

Here's another one of his, Love Lust.

HOW EPIC IS HIS HAIR IN THIS VIDEO?

I KNOW, RIGHT.

YEAH.

x

ps. Regarding the 'no blogs at my school' battle, I have now managed to bully the IT department to let me get onto my blog at school. Woop de doo. But this does mean that I can't go on any of YOUR blogs unless I am at home... Which sucks, massively. SO, if I don't reply to your comments immediately, rest safe in the knowledge that I do love you, and will reply as soon as I get home and have the chance!! That's a promise lads. Muchos loveos.

look up, look up

Fenech-Soler.

When I looked up the vid for this song I wasn't expecting it to be quite like this... But I think it works!

First heard about these chappies through the Bubble Boy, actually, who recommended their remix of Marina & The Diamonds' Hollywood - which, by the way, is EPIC, check it out!! Just wait for the drop, man.. yeah... sick..yeh.

(But do, and if you're lazy/short of time, skip to about 1:36 to hear it.. but you may as well hear the build up too raaiiighhttt?)

Anyhoo,

they seem like fine young lads, having a fun time in the music bizniz, and producing some bangin' choons. Go Fenech-Soler. Woop.

x

Crumble Time

We made SUCH a good crumble last weekend.

I cannot EXPLAIN to you how good this crumble was.

Blackberry and apple; and we went off a-foraging for blackberries ourselves, which is always fun.

mmm-mmmmmmmm.

Like seriously, I think we are culinary geniuses. Not to brag or anything.

And we had some sweet Nina on the ipod speakers.

A very nice afternoon, all in all.

All the King's Men

"Girls from Roedean,

Girls from Shipley,

Girls from Hounslow,

Girls from Whitby."

Does that lyric make anyone else think that this song is like an alternative version of 'The Girls' by Calvin Harris?

haha.

I likey these a lot, they're by Katrin Braga:

x

Back with a brand new rap

OK I lied, I have no new rap for you.

Shame... Maybe I'll write one.

Probably not since I'm (a) shit at writing any form of song, trust me I've tried and (b) lazy.

Weelllll, I just got home from school for the first tim

e in 4 weeks, which is nice, but it is also tipping it down with rain. And since I returned to an empty house my cat is jumping all over me craving attention. And it's very cold. But hey let's stay positive ! It's nice to be back in my own room.

Yesterday I finally got my grubby little hands on the new Arcade Fire album.

It's pretty magic...

This is probably my favourite track.

It's not your standard arcade fire song, it's quite different, but it's brilliant.

Isn't it wonderful. I don't even really know why it's so epic.. But maybe that is why.

Also,

please please pretty please follow this link if you've never seen it before, although I'm sure since you're all uber hip, happening people you will have done.

http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/

pleeassseee click it ...

I even put it in LARGE for you in case you're a wee bit malcoordinated and can't click a link without assistance. Aren't I thoughtful?

It's more arcade fire loveliness, and generally the type of thing that gives you shivers it's so brilliant. Such a good idea.

This is a relatively recent purchase of mine...

Obviously when topshop started doing makeup I had to try it... and this shade of lipstick is really fun. And it tastes good too - bonus!

And I want a new pair of shoes.. hrrrmmm.... Having been stuck at school for a month I am suffering a bit of shopping withdrawal syndrome. Which is a bit sad. Stop judging me...!

OH, by the by, I thought I'd update you on one rather major decision that has I've taken over the last month since I've been back at school. Basically, I've always been thinking of applying for Oxford Uni (or Cambridge.. But probably Oxford... for those who might not know you can only apply for one. Which is annoying!) for next year. I want to do English Lit possibly with French too. But recently I've been starting to doubt whether I'd really enjoy it, with all the pressure etc.. And also I've been starting to think that I don't really feel ready to apply now - even though I've got the grades (blah blah blah), I don't think that I've read widely enough, so I don't think I'd have enough to say in the interview to make a decent case for myself. So I've decided that I'm going to take a year out - something which I hadn't really considered before - earn some money, do a little bit of travelling, maybe live in France for a bit etc etc. And then apply for University (Be it Oxbridge or not) next Autumn.

Anyone fancy giving me a bit of a lowdown on gap years... or anything like that? I think I've made the right decision - I'm pretty young in my year anyway and this would give me a bit of time to, y'know, gain some 'life experience' I suppose. Hmmm. And the thought of living in Paris and working at a publishing company (which my French teacher has suggested as an option) sounds mighty appealing... how sophisticated!

A bientot

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