The Beauty of A-capella Music: *1 MONTH ANNIVERSARY*

Its been a month since i began this journey of blogging and let me tell you, i love it. Its kept me on my toes when it comes to discovering and appreciating new and different kinds of music. My new found love for Indie Folk Music has completely blown me away and changed my perception of anything that has the word 'folk' in its title. I used to think that folk music was for "old people" and didn't i look silly when it actually hit me that it actually isnt and its what i should be listening to.

Now to the topic of today: A capella music. This kinda of music involves the use of no instruments just what God gave you, your mouth. With people gaining skills like beatboxing and the amazing advancements in technology, A capella Music has been made interesting compared to before. Back when i was in high school and college, i had the privilege of singing A capella a couple of times and i loved every second of it. It was like singing a stripped down version of the originals and i could put all the emotion i wanted into it.

When i was thinking about this kind of music, a group came to mind. PENTATONIX!!!

Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola and Avi Kaplan

Started out as a trio with childhood friends: Mitch, Scott and Kirstin, they slowly expanded into a quintet adding "the bass" (Avi) and "the beats"(Kevin) to an already magical sets of pipes. They mostly do covers of popular songs but havent shied away from doing original music Love Again & Run to you. Purely vocals with added technical effects to give a fuller and warmer sound, this group complements each other and individually brings something to the table that makes them well them.

Deriving from the musical term the pentatonic scale, Scott suggested their group name which represents exactly what they bring to the group. Their passion for the music they do covers of shows from their energetic yet heart-wrenching performances that has left me wanting more and more. Their videos just show how much dedication that they have. Combined with their vocals, woooh!!! :) No trust me, this guys can sing. If you dont believe me, here are some examples (and actually my top faves): 

#1.  La La Latch- Pentatonix (Sam Smith/Disclosure/Naughty Boy Mashup)

 #2. Can't hold us- Pentatonix (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Cover)

#3. Evolution of Beyonce
 For all those Beyonce fans, this is a must listen to :)

#4.  Pusher Love Girl- Pentatonix (Justin Timberlake Cover)

#5.  Save the World/ Dont you Worry Child- Pentatonix (Swedish House Mafia Cover)

For more of their music, definitely head on over to their Youtube channel: PTXofficial and experience ear-gasmic music.  :)

Happy Listening.

From a Fan.
Esther xx.

ALBUM REVIEW: Inside Out by Joanna Weston

As part of my efforts to expand my musical tastes, i decided to agree to music submissions from anyone who have listened to an album or artist that they think is worth a listen. One of my followers on twitter sent me a link to an album by this amazing artist named Joanna Weston and can i tell you my afternoons have never been more relaxing. Here's why:

#1. Why i love "Inside Out"?

Her soaring soprano voice soothes your heart and pleads to your ears to pay attention to what she's saying because it sure does relate to what you are going through. The clarity and purity of her voice takes you to a place where you need to go to. The importance laid on her voice by having light instrumentation is a refreshing break from what im used to listening to. I love the fact that there are rarely any harmonies and if they are they are very faint and also the use of the violin and double bass which adds onto this 'lying on the clouds' type of feeling.

#2. Song-writing skills? Yaay or Naay?
Totally YAAAY!!! Her lyrics are profoundly relatable to anyone and technically follow the "rules" of songwriting. So really, its a win-win situation for a casual listener and a music "rules" fanatic.

#3. Would i change a thing?
No way. I love it.

#4. What are my favourite songs?
Desire, Dont stop and I know are definitely on the top of my list. I have listened to this songs over and over again (even the album) and my family has definitely picked up on my obsession.

#5. Would i recommend it to a stranger/friend? 
Yes, Yes, Yes. If you love Indie folk music or just looking for something to lighten up your mood, this is the album for you. I have already suggested it to some of my friends and im sure they will love it.. awaiting their feedback though.


Thats it for my review. I will definitely be listening to a lot more Indie folk and Joanna.

Here's a bit more about Joanna and her journey: 

Artist Bio:

Joanna Weston released her debut studio album on 5 April 2014. Moving from Guildford in the UK, she has been based in The Netherlands working with some incredible musicians, fine tuning each of the songs that appear on this beautiful album. Now released, she is so excited that it’s finally out in the world for all to hear because the end result of all their hard work is truly fantastic!

Joanna and her band took the stage on 5 April 2014 in Utrecht to celebrate the release of ‘Inside Out’, where they performed all tracks, which appear on the album as well as songs from her two previous EPs. ‘Inside Out’ includes audience favorites from her live gigs ‘I Know’, ‘Say So’, and ‘What Are We Fighting For’ plus some new songs that have never been heard before. 

The Album contains 11 tracks, which are all written by Joanna and performed with her band, made up of musicians from Utrecht, and was recorded, mixed and mastered at Studio Frank Rijk (Utrecht) by Frank van der Meulen.

Born in London, her two previously released EPs ‘What Do I Do?’ (2010) and ‘Pieces Of The Puzzle’ (2011) have both been well received and appreciated by music lovers.

Joanna is a storyteller who conveys her experiences with great flair. Her music is upbeat and ‘real life’. It is a fine combination of folk-pop that you would want to hear time again. Hypnotic vocals with her beautifully crafted music showcase her skill and versatility as a songwriter and performer. Joanna’s performances are always uplifting, you must see her live!

Many radio stations around the world, including BBC Introducing, Eagle Radio, Kane FM, the Tom Robinson's BBC6 Music 'Fresh On The Net' show regularly support her music. She was also recently invited by Dutch radio stations including Radio1.nl to play live and promote her new debut album. 

Whether a prestigious venue, festival or intimate house concert, Joanna loves to perform. She has played shows in the UK, Turkey, Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands and is excited to take her album on tour so look out for forthcoming tour dates very soon.

Find out more about her:

http://www.joannaweston.com

http://www.facebook.com/joannaweston

https://soundcloud.com/joanna-weston/sets/pre-release-debut-album-inside-out/s-qWgu5

http://www.joannaweston.bandcamp.com

Happy listening. 

From a Fan
Esther xx

ALBUM REVIEW: Ed Sheeran's "X" album.

Released a couple of months ago (3 months precisely), X is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. His extraordinary guitar skills and soaring tenor voice has captured the hearts of many including mine. I remember obsessing over his first time album when it came out and without fail playing it over and over again. It was that good to me.

Why i love the "X" album? 
I absolutely love this new album because like the previous one, it lays emphasis on the message of the songs rather than the underlying instrumentation. He tells a story in each song that you can relate to. He literally spells out situations in life that i have found myself in. As a musician, its important to write songs that your fans can relate to. I also love the simple instrumentation, with the guitar and his voice being the most important. And oh, he raps (in The Man and Take it back) and kind of sing-talks in some of the verses and songs which i absolutely love and think its trendy. Not forgetting that this album is more of a personal album as it doesn't have that many collaborations. He is the main man. He is the only man.

Song-writing skills, Yay or nay?
YAAAAY!! Honest, witty, clever-rhyming, true and image-provoking, his lyrics connect and make you feel as if you are having a conversation with him(a rather poetic conversation).

Is it better than the last one? 
Oh yes. He has really grown as a musician, guitarist and song-writer. Production-wise, its much simpler than the previous album giving a laid-back feel to the whole album. The instrumentation just flesh out the song and fill it out.

Would i change a thing? 
No way. The album is perfect the way it is.

What are my favourite songs?
Well, all the songs are fantastic and equally my favorite but at gun-point i would say: Take it back, Nina, Thinking out loud(such a wedding song) and Even my dad does sometimes.

Would i recommend it to a friend/Stranger? 
Definitely. For those times you just want to lay on the grass on a sunny afternoon with headphones on or in your room on a rainy evening with the radio on, the album will keep you company. For those times you want to do some laundry or cook dinner, Ed will keep you moving and thinking. This album is a combination of danceable tunes and love songs, perfect for whatever season.

So if you havent listened to his not-so-new album, you should. 

Happy Listening!!

Esther xx

Image courtesy of google.

Image courtesy of google.

MTV Video Music Award's 2014 Review : The Good, the Bad and the Just Plain disappointing!

From Miley's twerkscapade last year and Kanye West's "moment-of-truth" during Swift's acceptance speech a few years back, the VMA's is probably one of the most anticipated shows in my books for its memorable moments. I got around to watching last night and i was pleasantly surprised. With Queen B and Iggy leading with eight nominations and Eminem right behind them with seven, the 31st MTV VMA'S visuals was just out of this world and lets not even talk about the spiraling stage. I mean, MTV really out did themselves this time.

For those who haven't watched it yet, SPOILER ALERT!!!I am definitely going to dissect(for lack of a better word really) some of the highlights of the show.

The Most deserved wins

17 minutes of amazing visuals, leg-twisting dance moves, flawless vocals (see what i did there) and heart-wrenching dedications proved that Queen B deserved the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award. 

Other deservees (totally sure there's no word like that but still going to use it :p) are best female Video to Katy Perry for her 'Dark Horse' video, best hip-hop video to Drake for his 'Hold On, we're going home' video, best video with a social message to Queen B for Pretty Hurts, best collaboration to B and Jay-Z for Drunk in love and lastly best choreography in a music video to Sia for 'Chandelier'. They all deserved every inch of that moon man.

 The tie

Best male video to Ed Sheeran for Sing, artist to watch out for to Fifth harmony for miss movin' on  and best pop video to Arianne Grande for Problem are not-so-deserving but deserving at the same time. Confusing? Yes, a little. All the music videos in both categories did have a good chance of winning but there can be only one winner. To be honest, the competition was stiff and i was just glad that one of each got to take home a moon man.

The someone-else-deserved-that-moon-man win

Let me just start by saying that Lorde's Royals is no where near the category of rock. You could say a hybrid of rock, but its more pop than rock. Dont get me wrong there, i love Lorde but they were definitely other musicians in that category who deserved it. Another one is best video of the year. Wrecking ball, come on! If anything Happy by Pharrell should have won that category hands down. Im sure millions of music video lovers agree with me.

The best live performance

Queen B, hands down. But a very strong second was Sam Smith with his oh-so-heavenly-heart-breaking performance of Stay with Me.  It was his first american debut on a live show and he moved me to tears. 

The most-embarrassed-performer

And this award goes to none other than , Nicki Minaj. I could not help but feel embarrassed for her when she came out to rap during her performance with Jessie J and Arianne clutching her dress for dear life. Gosh, Was it a set-up or a true wardrobe malfunction? Only those who were involved would know. 

The best announcers

It goes without saying that Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels should probably be the next hosts for any kind of award show from now onwards. They are funny, funny and funny and that's all you need to keep the audience going, right? Lets start a petition guys (seriously!)

Humanitarian Award 

None other than Miley Cyrus deserves this award. Despite her bad girl ways, Miley has proven to have a kind heart with her plight on behalf of the millions of young homeless teenagers not falling on deaf ears, or if may say empty pockets. I salute you Miley for your brave efforts! 

Thats it for my views (dissection-LOL!). 

From a Fan.

Happy Reading.

Esther xx