Listen To The Beauty

Lately I've been revisiting songs that evoke strong memories for me...

Every time I hear the opening notes of Gary Jules cover of Mad World I get chills down my spine and I am instantly transported back not to the moment I first heard it, but to the moment I first listened to it. In my car, coming home from college, on a particularly bright day and a very twisty section of the road. I actually put up the window, turned up the radio and paid attention.

Listen to it here for a little bit of nostalgia.  

Wednesday Wishes

Today's Wish is brought to you by the letter W. 

So I ask you to get your butt out of that chair, Wiggle it about and Work up a sWeat to some Wonderful,  happy music.

Once you have a smile on your face you can sit back doWn and get some Work done.

Try to ignore the stares of your co-Workers though.

Pretty Boy Friday

Ah Chris Cornell... be still my ever beating, living in the 90's heart.... yum

I See You Baby

I spotted this one over at 1000 Awesome Things this morning. It sums me up perfectly right now. 

I spent a fantastic night last Saturday with some friends, sitting in an apartment remembering the dance tunes that shaped our late teens. With YouTube hooked up to a surround sound system and all sorts of bad 90's and 00's music pumping out it was amazing to just close my eyes and forget for a little while. 

Sash, Darude, Kernkraft, Moby, Groove Armada, Fatboy Slim, Puretones... all those memories.

Today I ask you to take ten minutes, put on your headphones and crank out some tunes of your teens. You can thank me later.

Things I Love Thursday

Thesis Tea Time - Since I'm at the write up stage of my thesis I am pretty much chained to my laptop and desk, and good, creative academic writing really can't happen without a full cup of coffee beside me. The only way to keep a constant supply ready is to make my coffee in a travel mug. Otherwise it just gets freezing cold by the time I remember to drink it. Doesn't stop me lusting after some new coffee and tea mugs though. I went trawling over at Etsy earlier and fell in love with this, this and this.

Fork Fancy - On my last day of house sitting this week (I've been minding S&C's house while they were on honeymoon) I decided that a treat of coffee and cake was in order to commemorate the last day in Cashel. Away I went to the local cafe and bakery. Bought my coffee and slice of hazlenut tart and sat down beside the window with Raymy to people watch for a little while, and as I enjoyed my slice of tart I realised that it wouldn't have tasted as good if I ate it with a spoon. Some things just taste better when eaten with a fork... cheesecake, cupcakes, ice cream, pie, all better from a fork. Do you think so too?

Mix It Up - I was watching No Strings Attached one evening this week and I nearly died laughing when Ashton Kutchers character gave Emma a period mix CD as a gift. Featuring songs like 'Sunday bloody Sunday', 'I've got the world on a string', 'bleeding love', 'red, red wine'... you get the gist here. So I started thinking about mix CDs... and how much meaning we put into them when they are being created. Have you ever made a mix tape or CD? Who for? Why?
 
Honourable Mentions - fresh, new raspberry coloured notebooks, apple bonbons, nude nail polish, oversized aprons while working in the kitchen, roast chicken dinners, hot chocolate on a stick, otter pops, friends who pop over for a visit with chocolate and magazines under their arm, this skirt from River Island, coke from a can - not a bottle, Cirque du Soleil souvenirs, daydreams of visiting all of the major American cities, penguin skittles

Classical Beauty

One of my favourite pieces of music is Gabriel's Oboe. I first heard this piece while watching The Mission and quickly became besotted with it. My preference is for it to be played on the flute though. 

It reminds me of a great night with some friends, sitting around a fire pit, cajoling and threatening in order to get one of the girls to bring out her flute and play something. Finally she relented and agreed to play just one song... I requested Gabriel's Oboe, and it was beautiful. Staring into the firelight, hearing nothing but those beautiful notes, not another sound around us, my arms covered with goosebumps that had nothing to do with the cool night air. Perfect.

Is there a piece of music that gives you chills? Something that you instantly fell in love with?

My Very First...

CD that I bought

Mine was Bon Jovi's These Days - at the time I didn't even have a CD player, I just borrowed my brothers getto blaster and thought I was the coolest, toughest 12 year old ever.

Come on - show your age and shame yourself by admitting your teenage pop idols! 

What was the very first CD that you bought?

Pretty Boy Friday

This week here at Magatha May we are in love with Danny O' Reilly from The Coronas. Danny at this stage is famously known as Danny Corona and is just a scruffy ball of yum! Oh and did I mention that he is incredibly talented?  

You can check out some of the videos from The Coronas by clicking on the links below. My favourite is 'Heros Or Ghosts'

Someone Else's Hands

Listen Dear

Grace, Don't Wait

Far From Here

San Diego Song

Elst A Ghra (Listen Dear in gaeilge)

Did I also mention that The Coronas are single handily bring back a love of the Irish language to the younger generations here in Ireland. Many of their songs have gaeilge versions recorded, and the crowds at gigs sing along and know all the lyrics. It's pretty special to hear hundreds and thousands of people sing something in a dying language from the top of their lungs. Makes me even more proud to be Irish.

Things I Love Thursday

High Volume - I am really happy that over-ear headphones are back in vogue again. I am one of those people who complain about ear buds hurting, and falling out, and not great sound quality, and all the other things that people who don't like ear buds give out about. I will admit that they are really handy, incredibly space saving and allow for some sneaky music listening cause I can hide the fact that I'm wearing headphones under my hair, but I still love over-ears way more. The only thing... which ones should I get? I've been lusting after a few pairs lately and I just can't decide. Help - my choices are these, these and these, and maybe these. 

Jar - There is something awfully cute about using jars for more than holding jam and marmalade. This post HERE started off my jar obsession this week, but usually it doesn't take much to have me raving about putting stuff in jars. From baking cakes in jars, to putting cake in jars and cake mix in jars, even eating cake while the room is lit by candles in jars and a mason jar of milk beside you to wash it all down with, jars really do seem to be incredibly useful.

Faking It - Some things just shouldn't be fake - diamonds, sincerity and friends. Some things are ok if they're fake sometimes - tan, butter and nails. Other things benefit a little from being faked. Like a smile - even if you're not feeling it, even if you don't want to, you still should try to turn the corners of your mouth up a little. After a little bit you might even notice that the smile stays there on it's own, and maybe the person beside you might be smiling too. Sometimes it's ok to fake it til you make it - happiness and confidence are two that I often will fudge.

Honourable Mentions - eating peanut butter off the spoon, wildflowers popping up in the lawn, Red Bull shots, this Life calender, smelling cut grass again, eating pineapple chunks straight from the fridge, lime and fig scented candles, raiding my piggy bank to buy some sweets, online chats with much missed friends, matching underwear, sneaky slices of pizza, Zumba Mix at the UL Sports Arena, this skull ring that I picked up in a 30% off sale, this DIY Turban tutorial - am very tempted to try it out but am not too  sure that I could pull it off

Do It Like a Surprise

I'm pretty sure that everyone has already seen this video but I'm gonna post it again because her voice is just amazing.

Here's Jessie J, as part of the Boombox series, giving it socks in a Tube station, much to the delight and surprise of the commuters.

Who You Are - Jessie J

A Quick Question

Hmmm... Mumford and Sons are playing Dolans on the 16th of March.

To go or not to go?

Wednesday Wishes

I wish...

... that someone would play the piano to me.

Pretty Girl Friday

I haven't included a songstress in this list in ages so this week I welcome Nelly Furtado to the mix.

Just Tonight

I know I really shouldn't... but I kinda love this song. 

Sorry.

Your Go-To Carol

What is your go to Christmas song? 

The one that brings back amazing memories and reminds you of everything good?

Mine is, and always will be, Chris de Burgh's 'A Space man Came Travelling'.

Wednesday Wishes

I wish... that Josh Ritter would play in Dolans sometime soon and that I could go.

Two of my favourite songs, and videos, at the moment.
Josh Ritter and The Guggenheim Grotto

Sit back and take a few minutes to enjoy them.

Things I Love Thursday

source

Clint Mansell Instrumentals - A perfect way to calm down a crazy world. My recommendations for this week are this song, this one and this song.

source

Physical Contact - A hug, an actual, physical, arms around you hug, is sometimes all a person needs to feel instantly better. Now I am not a hug type of person but over the last few weeks I have found myself looking to friends for a hug to make problems seem less and me feel better. So today please make sure that you hug at least one other person.

Honourable Mentions - this series of photos taken by a father of his daughter as she grew up, pistachios and the mess they make all over the table, a warm duvet and a bad movie, this stop motion baking video, remembering that I have a full tub of ice cream hidden the freezer and not eating it, Tetleys tea

Emma's Imagination

Today I give you Emma's Imagination, winner of Must Be The Music 2010.

Give a listen and I dare you to not completely fall in love with her.

Love Love Love

Imelda May

Keep your eyes on this one. She's gonna be huge. She's already collaborated with Jeff Beck and performed on the Grammys.

The video above is for 'Mayhem', her first single from her new album by the same name. I highly recommend you jump on the rockabilly bandwagon before it gets even bigger.

Fred - Keep Me Clear

I give you Fred - Keep Me Clear. Enjoy.

http://www.fredtheband.com