Music Monday – Volume Eighty Four

1) Rationale – Something for Nothing

Soulful R&B track featuring fluttering synthesisers, jittering guitars, broken samples and funky bass lines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q79owpLDjo

2) Beachbaby – Sleeperhead

Energetic guitar-driven indie track from four-pieced band Beachbaby. It’s a moody but powerful track, integrating other genres such as shoegazing, Pop and post-punk.

3) Field Music – Disappointed

Low-key indie rock track from Sunderland band Field Music.

4) Walk The Moon – Avalanche

Energetic, catchy Pop-py track from US pop-rock band Walk The Moon. Indie-guitar riffs, synthpop synths and a driving beat makes it particularly reminiscent of the ’80’s and it works beautifully.

5) Travis Mills – Don’t Need Much

Dirty house track featuring little more than club beats, a funky bass lines and Mills’ rap. Incessantly catchy.

6) Craig David & Big Nastie – When The BassLine Drops

Craig David returns to his roots with this huge Garage track, aided by grime artist Big Nastie. It’s reminiscent of his 1999 début ‘Re-Rewind’ and is a welcome return for David after six years away from the music industry.

7) Selena Gomez – Hands to Myself

Saucy, steamy and sultry dance-pop track, reportedly inspired by Prince’s signature sound. Gomez whispers over minimalistic instrumentation comprised of little more than bouncy percussion, hand clips and tribal-pop elements.

8) Reba McEntire – Just Like Them Horses

Sweet piano-led Country ballad by American country music singer Reba McEntire from her twenty seventh album ‘Love Somebody’.

9) Nate Reuss – Take It Back

Gentle waltz-like ballad by Fun. frontman Nate Reuss. Dreamy, reserved with a delicate sprinkle of Reuss’ quirky, idiosyncratic vocals.

10) Walk off The Earth – Hold On (The Break)

Uplifting, inspiring and catchy Pop track from Canadian rock band Walk off the Earth. Ascending bass lines, clinking percussion and gorgeous layered harmonies result in an epic arena anthem.

January Mixtape

After adapting Music Monday to make it strictly about current and new music, we realised that there was no way to draw focus to older music on this blog. So we have decided to publish a mixtape (or Spotify Playlist) of 20 songs on the first day of every month.

This makes January’s rather late but with no further ado, here’s the Music Box’s January Mixtape:

Music Monday – Volume Nineteen

1)      The Jacksons – 2300 Jackson Street

A little-known single released by The Jacksons in 1989 when Michael had left the band. This album was pretty underrated in my opinion. It’s a shame it didn’t fare better in the charts. This is a gorgeous song that Michael contributed vocals to and it’s so soulful & smooth.

2)      Samantha Ronson – Built this way

Yes, I watched Mean Girls & this played pretty much all the way through so I kinda found myself liking it!

3)      Fat Larry’s Band – Zoom

So summery. Love this.

4)      Fleetwood Mac – Sara

God, I love Fleetwood Mac! Stevie Nicks’ voice is divine and this is an amazing song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHJb87nNsGY

5)      Fleetwood Mac – Family Man

Catchy as hell, this is an awesome song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeIwuyCGhQc

6)      Robbie Williams – Monsoon

A shamefully honest song that could be written and performed by no-one else other than Mr Robbie Williams. Such a powerful, awesome song.

7)      Robbie Williams – Feel

Hauntingly beautiful – that piano introduction and the lyrics are just beautiful. “Come and hold my hand, I wanna contact the living” – what a line. One of the best lyrics ever written.

8)      The Vamps – Somebody to you

The more I hear by The Vamps, the more I love them. Love this song.

9)      Queen & David Bowie – Under Pressure

I watched the 1998 movie ‘Stepmom’ with Julia Roberts the other day and this song was played in the opening segment. One of my favourite Queen tracks, with that irresistible bass line (years before it was nicked by Vanilla Ice) and a fantastic duet between two amazing singers – Freddie Mercury & David Bowie.

10)   Thomas Newman – Any other name

‘American Beauty’ is one of my favourite films of all time and part of what makes it so appealing for me is Thomas Newman’s hauntingly beautiful score. ‘Any other name’ is a piece of music commonly played in media and it’s just stunning. One of my favourite pieces of music ever produced.

Music Monday – Volume Five

1)      Yazoo/The 1975 – Only you

Came across The 1975’s live cover from Dermot O’Leary’s Radio 2 breakfast show the other day. It’s a beautiful simplistic cover which made me look at the original in an entirely new light. Since then, I have been listening to both over and over again. Vince Clarke – the writer and musician on the original track is a genius and Alison Moyet’s voice is amazing.

2)      The Vamps – Last night

This is just so catchy and irresistible. Really love this

3)      Gary Barlow – Since I saw you last

One of my favourites when I first listened to the album but I placed it on the back burner for a little while whilst I enjoyed other other songs. Since the release of the video, however, I have fell head over heels back in love with this. It’s so powerful, so emotive and so catchy.

4)      John Mayer 3×5

A catchy, well-written little track towards the end of John’s debut album ‘Room for squares’. I love listening to this on a calm, warm day when I am walking on the way to somewhere. The lyrics are fantastic.

5)      Jakwob – Somebody new

Keep hearing this on Radio 1 and I think it’s awesome.

6)      Meanie C – Be The One

A track off Mel’s debut album ‘Northern Star’, this is so simple but so beautiful. I find it very summery and have been listening to it on repeat recently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpIhKPytkjg

7)      Kylie Minogue – Fine

The closing track to Kylie’s current album ‘Kiss me once’, this is so fresh and so current yet also loyal to Kylie’s iconic sound. Can’t get enough of this right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkd6i05uUfs

8)      Paloma Faith – Only love can hurt like this

This is an awesome track penned by Diane Warren (who’s written with and for Celine Dion, Aerosmith, Sugababes, Beyonce, Gary Barlow and others). I love it’s retro/motown feel and Paloma sounds incredible on it.

9)      The 1975 – Robbers

Yep The 1975 are in yet another one of my playlists. This song is just so beautiful and emotive. Really looking forward to seeing the video once it’s done.

10)   One Direction – Strong

A friend told me to listen to this and I haven’t looked back since. Say what you want about One Direction but they have some great hits and songs to their name and this is one of them. Really love the power of the chorus, especially the melody. Discovering new favourite songs through friends is the best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZmcSUjdq0U