Yes, very clearly I've taken a strong liking to this talented UK singer. Seems like I've been attracted to quite a few singers of United Kingdom decent.
What I wanted though, was a real, live recording of how he sounds live. I posted a snippet of 'Love Goes Down' he sang on a radio show a few days ago. I liked it, but I wanted something you could sink your teeth into. After looking around a bit, I came across this footage taken by YouTuber The Concert King 69. Here he is performing at the Brixton Academy, officially known as the O2 Academy, Brixton located in London. Not to be confused with the O2 Arena which is much larger with a capacity of 23,000 alson in London. Brixton has a maximum attendance of 4,921 taking into account those standing and seated on the upper and lower levels.
Looks like he may have been on the upper level. Anyway, this footage is credited again to The Concert King 69.
There is no better feeling than being able to take my music with me. There is no better feeling than knowing if I have to wait in an auto shop for my moms car to get fixed, instead of watching the same channel for 20 some minutes, I can pull out the Zune and chill. There is no better feeling than knowing that no matter where I am, I can pull my ear-buds and the Zune and zone out....Well, I suppose there are better feelings, but when it comes to my tunage, nothing can compare.
I have wanted one of these since they first debut around 2006 or so. At the time I wasn't too tech savvy so I didn't know what was better, worse or in-between. All I knew was I wanted an mp3 player that sounded nice and looked good. The first glimpse I had of the Zune series was of these 3 models right here, more often I saw the red one. For some reason or another, I don't think the concept of watching videos on a player like these or the iPod had really sunken in just yet. Therefore, when I learned that you could achieve this magnificent feat *smiles*, I wanted one even more. Now as I mentioned earlier, at that point, technology wasn't necissarily my strong point. I wasn't completely out of the loop though. As I said, I knew of the iPod, I was also aware of Sony, Phillips, Sansa and others. When I first entered high-school, just about everybody had an iPod. Sounds goofy I know, but that made me feel like I was behind in a way. However as time went on I could have cared less. What began to matter most is everyone else has something to listen to during lunch, in art class (MY FAVORITE), or when tests where finished and I didn't. Well, eventually in late 07' my mom purchased for me a Phillips GoGear.
It's a cylindrical shape. Small rectangular screen. Mic. It's somewhere in the house and I have to find it. I love that thing. Moving ahead, when I graduated in 08' one of my presents was an iPod nano. There wasn't a place I went that it didn't follow. Its metallic purple with all the core features we've come to know. Next, I purchased a Sony Walkman. Mmhmm, that one right there. First one in my possession with audio and video capabilities. I put it through quite a bit but it plays the same and isn't as scratched up as I thought it would be. I can't leave out that my mom got me two portable CD players too. Two brands that I don't even remember but I still have. I'll have to dig them up one day.
Yea I can say that I've been through a bit of players and headphones/ear-buds. Needless to say I'll be using this one for quite a while. Its sleek, thin, very light weight to my surprise and has a very clear LCD screen. I haven't plugged into the wireless features. I don't have any apps or internet. My main thing is the music. It holds 16 GB which is good enough for me. I know there are those that hold 32, 64, 120 GB and probably higher but I'm not too sure. It has the touch screen feature, very easy navigation, wonderful sound quality and sizable, clear font. I'm not here to make comparisons or put one on top of the other. You make that decision for yourself.
Something about buying an item or items for yourself makes it that much more personal. This is my Zune HD, and I love it.
You may be wondering why I have this notorious logo placed above this post. Reason being that just as Time Magazine reflects whatever important or popular topics are being discussed at that point in time in the form of print, so does music address certain subject matter, veiws and whatever issues going on in the life or lives of people in the structure of sound. In this post, I want to address songs from different time periods that reflect the times and always, the sound. I won't get into extreme detail because I feel the music speaks for itself better than I could ever explain.
I might skip around on my time periods so bare with me a bit.
1970 - Edwin Star: 'War' - With the Vietnam War already waged, beginning in the 1940's, this "anthem" in a way, reflected the views of many regarding an event that lasted almost 20 years.
1983 - Grandmaster Melle Mel: 'White Lines (Don't Do It)' - The name speaks loud and clear, a song encouraging the strength to step away from its influence. White lines being the usage of cocaine among many during this time. That substance was both a profit and downfall for most individuals.
1960's - Not speaking on a single event, but during this time there was an emergence of music that contained melodies that we'll never forget. The progression of rock music was branching out into many different forms like psychedelic rock and blues rock. Performers like The Jackson 5, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes and countless other greats were really further proving themselves.
1971 - In my opinion this year was the rise of one of the most recognizable syndicated music variety shows in history: Soul Train. Primarily suited to a African audience, it became a platform for many other genres and became enjoyed by many ethnicities.
1990's - This saw the growth and expansion of many music genres; pop, country, alternative rock, punk, hip hop, electronic music, Rn'B and so on. Examples include Savage Garden, Nirvana, Mariah Carey, Kenny Chesney, Nine Inch Nails, Marylin Manson, Bel Biv Devoe, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Toni Braxton, Baby Face, Spice Girls, Shakira and so many more.
2000's - Many would consider the early 2000's a somewhat dead period in music. I for one am not one way or the other. I hear what I hear and either it attracts me or it doesn't. On the other hand I think a hoard of talented artists emerged; Adele, Jenniffer Hudson, Estele, Trey Songz etc.
As the times continue to change so will our opinions, outlook, and of course the music. You never know what the next day holds, so keep on jammin.
As I usually do, I was looking around YouTube for a live version (any to be honest) of Plan B's 'Love Goes Down'. I found this right here and I really like it. Those ladies in the background have their harmonies on point. Ben Drew, his name, has a fantastic voice something I stressed when I reviewed "The Defamation Of Strickland Banks". From observing the video he appears to be singing at a BBC radio station.
Nice sound. Again this was a random find, I hope you enjoy it though.
Once again, Dawen has created another solid cover of a good hit. Every instrument is played by him; acoustic guitar, keyboard. It's solely him singing. I gotta say that I love the harmony. He is very in tune, timing is on point and he sounds very comfortable with the set up he has. Nothing feels strained or forced, just very smooth and fluid.
Born in 1983, a 27 year old native of Edinburgh, Scotland, Emma Gillespie has her head on straight for herself, in regards to her career and what she wants to project to others. Although she's been accustomed to the guitar and singing for a while, performing in front of a crowd of thousands can still feel like a daunting task as I'm sure it did as she recently performed live at Wembley Stadium located in London, England. She seemed to come out of the middle of nowhere as she is new to me. Not too long ago she was making her way by busking in Glasgow, Scotland. Not knowing what would come out of it, curiosity took over as she made her way into a local audition spot held by Sky One talent show 'Must Be The Music' and from then on her popularity soared.
From what I've learned, she is no stranger to working an array of jobs. Once teaching circus skills, plastering for a friend, labored on a pearl fishing boat and herded cattle with a motorbike to name a few. During this time she always kept her guitar with her as a means of relaxation and to remind her that music was always apart of her. She first picked up the guitar in her teen years, writing poetry and putting it to music. Backing up a bit when her dad was in the army, her family was always on the move, relocating all over Europe and the UK. Her parents weren't all into music a great deal but she was much to the contrary. As a child she picked up a ragedy keyboard and began playing tunes she heard on the radio. Continuing forward, throughout her various occupations and moving, she continued to write,sing and perform.
“I’m very much self-taught, and there wasn’t much outside influence on what I was writing and playing. It was always just me, on my own, playing what sounded good to me.”
I'm not sure if this is a random performance, a gig or at Wembley
At one point at the end of 04' she was in Adaman's, a barely known set of islands were once in the Indian Ocean. During Boxing Day ( known mainly as a shopping day in most Commonwealth Nations), the major tsunami hit the Neil Islands where she was staying just a little while after she left. Needless to say what may have happened had she stayed. For her, that was a wakeup call, letting her know that music was at the forefront and she did something about it. With the help of a friend, Lachlan, living in Brooklyn, NY, she began performing at underground jam sessions. Later returning to the UK, she focused more intently on her music, playing gigs, still busking and built up a larger fan base. While going over names with her producers, one asked her where her inspiration comes from. She replied her imagination and from there gave birth to her performance name: Emma's Imagination.
Her debut album "Stand Still" consists of songs she'd been writing for the past 10 years of her life. At 10 songs, I'd say that's a solid start. In listening to the samples, its more than obvious that the guitar is her main thing; she plays it on just about all the tracks. None of the songs are overdone whatsoever, they're clean and crisp. I think they are simplified but maintain something to hold onto. If I'm right, all the songs are live recordings, not much artificial stuff clouding it up. Making a comparison I would say she reminds me of singer Jewel. Emma has a folk/pop sound to her music, but really that's up to your interpretation. Songs I've already gravitated towards are 'This Day', 'Focus' and 'Falling Slowly', not to say I dislike the others, just that these catch my attention more so.
Yup, yet another UK artists reviewed. I enjoy it. It's cool hearing new things and I hope you like this one.
What I wanted though, was a real, live recording of how he sounds live. I posted a snippet of 'Love Goes Down' he sang on a radio show a few days ago. I liked it, but I wanted something you could sink your teeth into. After looking around a bit, I came across this footage taken by YouTuber The Concert King 69. Here he is performing at the Brixton Academy, officially known as the O2 Academy, Brixton located in London. Not to be confused with the O2 Arena which is much larger with a capacity of 23,000 alson in London. Brixton has a maximum attendance of 4,921 taking into account those standing and seated on the upper and lower levels.
