Missing you more than ever..

Fanfarlo Friday

Yay, another Friday has come a graced us with its presence. Indie Friday is here. I have chosen one of my favourite Indie bands for today and a band you all need to know. Fanfarlo are an Indie pop band based in London. They fuse elements of folk, indie rock and post-punk using eclectic instrumentation including trumpet, violin and clarinet.

I have really enjoyed their music for the last 3 years or so, and I am very excited to say that I will be seeing them perform in Amsterdam in May with my ever so sweet boyfriend.

Harold T Wilkins

The walls are coming Down

Their music calms my mind and warms my soul. Trademark chiming 80s guitars and glimmering cascades of harmonies are always there, just making me like them even more. perfect for everyday listening and reminiscing about good times...

XXX

 

Indie Friday

People who know me, will know I am a massive Indie fan. I consider myself having pretty eclectic taste in music but indie is definitely top on my list. I have decided to start an Indie Friday post which I will try do every Friday of all my favourite indie songs and bands.

As an Indie lover, the most important aspect of this indie music culture is discovering bands that nobody else knows or likes…yet.

Indie music, and its surrounding culture, can introduce you to beautiful noise, give you a social life, touch your emotions, and take you to a very happy place. Yes...Indie music is kinda like magic in some ways.... 
So, first things first…

Meet “Of Monsters and Men” are a six piece indie/folk/ band from Iceland. Pretty much obsessed with the band at the moment. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

Little Talks

King and Lionheart

P.S I’m seeing Two Door Cinema Club tonight, I can’t contain my excitement. Photo’s to follow…

xxx

Destroy the ordinary, join the revolution † † †

† † † 

Goodbye, Arrivedece, Doei, Au revoir

"Between now and you is a few hundred days, thousands of tears, and a great deal of dreaming. When those few hundred days have passed, when those thousands of tears have been shed, and when I have dreamt a great deal of dreams, I will be with you again, and it will be pure magic."

This passage is a typical example of what people involved in long distance relationships have to go through each and every single day without their loved ones by their side. The passage is beautiful, and profound, and it really speaks of sorrow and yearning… of enduring love.

There are those individuals who “happily” choose to endure the pain, because they know in their hearts that it’s really worth it. There are a lot of reasons why there are so many long distance relationships in the world. Most common reason I think is work and commitments. One partner has to go away to work and the other’s left behind. Another issue is, GEOGRAPHY. You meet someone who lives far far away and is geographically disagreeable but you feel something special for him, and you just can’t let it pass.


I think regardless of the reason, the hard earned fact still remains. Long distance relationships are ridiculously painful and to say the least, they suck, especially if you’re both in love with each other, and it’s a serious commitment (not just some superficial fling). I’m referring to real, deep, profound kind of love. When the absence of your loved one, is really killing you, tearing at your heart strings. I guess you just hang on to a hope that someday, you’ll be together again.

I for one am dating a guy who lives many months of the year abroad, he left last night. My heart hurts. Every beat, a constant, aching reminder of the last time I saw him. It’s a feeling I can’t quiet explain and the cherry on top- my best friend is moving to London in a week. I don’t particularly feel like going through this pain but at the end of the day, I have no choice. Whether it is a lover, or a friend, goodbyes are never easy. There is no giant warning saying “I will be tugging at your heartstrings...”

This heartache hopefully will fade, and become great excitement till the next time we meet again…

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” Helen Keller

For You

If I talk real slowly, if I try real hard

To make my point dear, that you have my heart

Here I go, I'll tell you what you already know

Here I go, I'll tell you what you already know

If you love me with all of your heart

If you love me

I'll make you a star in my universe

You'll never have to go to work

You'll spend every day

Shining your light my way

If I talk real slowly, if I hold your hand

If you look real closely my love

You might understand

Here I go, I'll tell you what you already know

Here I go, I'll tell you what you already know

If you love me with all that you are

If you love me

I'll make you a star in my universe

You'll never have to go to work

You'll spend every day

Shining your light my way

For You- Angus and Julia Stone 

The Name Blunder

That very awkward moment when you call your boyfriend by an ex’s name. For some reason, I couldn’t find any dating tips on this matter, which blows my mind because I am pretty sure the slip is bound to happen once in your life. I’m going to take a humorous look at what to do, or not do, when you accidentally call the love of your life by your ex’s name.

The scenario:

You’re head-over-heels in love with “Michael” and the last few months have felt like a dream. You have so much in common and you’re starting to feel certain that he’s “the one” for you.

Michael comes to fetch you on a lovely Saturday evening to have a fun night out.

You are driving in the car with him and you say to him “John, where would you like to eat dinner tonight?”

Deafening silence. Creek creek!!!!!!!!!!!

Your head spins as the reality of what just happened hits you. You don’t move your body in the hope that he didn’t just hear what you said…. Your stomach sinks.

Grasping for a thread of hope, you start to rationalize: “His favourite Killers song is playing, so maybe he was preoccupied…he’s concentrating on the road so he probably has no idea what I just said.”

But can you be sure? What should you do?

* Fact 1: You just called the new love of your life by someone else’s name and he     knows exactly which name...
* Fact 2: There’s a 98% chance that she or he heard what you just said.
* Fact 3: Things are going get really uncomfortable really quickly.
* Fact 4: You need a plan and PRONTO.

The Name Clanger

No matter how in love you are and happy you are, you’re not immune to calling your partner by the name of a past lover. The name drop is most likely to take place when you least expect it (well I don’t think anyone anticipates something like this), and there doesn’t have to be some over analysed reason for this slip of the tongue. (It doesn’t mean you subconsciously want you’re ex back!)

Mere repetition in saying someone else’s name for so long accounts for most of the name clangers that occur.

But by saying old habits die hard probably won’t comfort the person on the receiving end of the name slip. There’s no way around it: being called “Jim” (when there is no similarity in either of the names) is probably going to put a damper on your plans for a blissful evening out. You don’t want relationship problems taking over because of a little mistake.

I have no idea how you save yourself from this awkward turtle moment. So my solution is doing something that will completely divert ones thoughts away from what just happened —you must cover up your mistake. Yes, my little gremlin, I am suggesting you take the cowardly way out.

The Commotion Technique

In our opening example, the woman who called her new boyfriend (Michael) by her ex’s name (Jim) had several good options available to her. Remember, Michael was driving when he was called Jim—being out of Michael’s visual field gave his girlfriend a big advantage. She needed to think quickly.

Here is what she could have done:

a) Quickly scream and point. Since the goal is to distract and disorient the victim of the name clanger (in order to save face), “Oh my God! That beggar has one leg! It gave me a fright baby”

Convincing follow-up is very important: You would then need to act sad and emo for a few moments, convincing him that this really disturbed you.

b) Otherwise, always follow with the faint technique. While you have to be pretty shameless for this one, it is effective in covering up the name slip. It would be ideal if your partner was looking directly at you.

After the last syllable leaves your mouth, act as though you’re light-headed and put you head between your legs. The effectiveness of this method rests on making your partner feel concerned and worried about you.

Your partner will make attempts to find out if you’re okay and will try to comfort you. Remain “unresponsive” for about a minute and stare pale faced at your partner. After some time has passed, repeat the following: “What just happened? What’s going on? Where are we?”

Conclusion- Some really awesome methods to help you avoid the upsetting balls up of a common relationship dilemma. I realise that you may be the type of person who feels uncomfortable with the idea of using deceptive cover-up methods that may upset your partner.

If you’re someone who prefers a relationship built on integrity rather than tacky cover-up tactics, it’s imperative to remember that while being called by an ex’s name is horrible, it’s a common faux pax that occurs because of sheer repetition. If your partner has dated a guy named “Barry” for six years before you came into her life, her brain is very used to saying “B-a-r-r-y.” Try not to make a big deal out of it.

What Michael’s girlfriend could have done: Give Michael a heart-felt apology, assure him that she doesn’t have her ex-boyfriend on her mind, and tell him how important he is to her.

Either way, you fucked up. Get over it!!!

xxx

Just walk away

The back has been considered an area of sensuality and vulnerability

xxx

Daughter

Elena Tonra (above), the enchanting voice behind emerging London-based experimental folk duo Daughter.

I have listened to her everyday for multiple times over the last month and a half and the sad fact that I am only just sharing her with you all now will say horrible things about me because music this good should definitely always be shared.

She is an astounding, if not complex songwriter who speaks about love and hope and finding and losing both and that much more in the most real, honest and beautiful way and while the musical backdrop upon which she turns her poetry (Yes Poetry) into song are some of the most simple you will hear, her stories remain ever so compelling... Her words are effortless and simple yet they are so profound and it lies in the way and in the cadence that she conveys them. I could go on and on about her exquisite song writing because I feel it cannot be overstated (her songs are that good, trust me) but something has to be said about Elena Tonra's voice- ethereal, peaceful, powerful, haunting, true, passionate, intense, lingering and all in all IRRESISTIBLE - much like her music in all honesty.

This is one of my favourite songs by her- "Youth" (click)

Shadows settle on the place, that you left.
Our minds are troubled by the emptiness.
Destroy the middle, it's a waste of time.
From the perfect start to the finish line.

And if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones.
'Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs.
Setting fire to our insides for fun
Collecting names of the lovers that went wrong
The lovers that went wrong.

We are the reckless,
We are the wild youth
Chasing visions of our futures
One day we'll reveal the truth
That one will die before he gets there.

And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky ones.
'Cause most of our feelings, they are dead and they are gone.
We're setting fire to our insides for fun.
Collecting pictures from the flood that wrecked our home,
It was a flood that wrecked this...

... and you caused it...
... and you caused it...
... and you caused it...

Well I've lost it all, I'm just a silouhette,
A lifeless face that you'll soon forget,
My eyes ae damp from the words you left,
Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest.
Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest.

And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one,
'Cause most of us are bitter over someone.
Setting fire to our insides for fun,
To distract our hearts from ever missing them.
But I'm forever missing him.

And you caused it,
And you caused it,
And you caused it

I still get goosebumps... It's strangely bright sorrow holds a dark reverence for unrequited love- Beautiful still. Take a listen.

xxxx

heart.

"You know what's the most terrifying thing about admitting
that you're in love? You're just naked. You put yourself
in harm's way and you lay down all your defenses. No clothes,
no weapons. Nowhere to hide, completely vulnerable. The only
thing that makes it tolerable is to believe the other person
loves you back and you can trust him not to hurt you"