Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bulletproof - La Roux
Crying Lightning - Arctic Monkeys
Islands - The XX
It’s kind of strange being a wanderer with nowhere to call home. We’ve been going anywhere the wind takes us, whether it’s to see a show, or a film, or a building, or a museum. And I’m having the time of my life, even if it’s harder to keep up with the outside world, or even with Lucy and Ziggy (love you guys).
Sometimes I feel like we’re a little pod, just me and Gray. I’m next to him when the sun rises, and when it sets, we’re wrapped around each other.
I know our little vacation can’t last forever, but for now, I’m just happy. I know the tabloids want to paint a different picture, like we’ve run away from the world because we have some big secret, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re not running. We’re exploring.
Right now we’re in Prague, and I know it’s not one of the typical big European destinations, but this city is just so beautiful. It’s old, and crumbling in places, but the history is so rich, and the architecture is so divine. It’s almost dark in its gothic inspiration.
A lot of you have asked whether I’ve been writing music with Gray, now that Jim & Jules are officially broken up, and I’m sorry to disappoint you, but my love for music is going to remain on the appreciation side. The truth is that I can’t carry a tune to save myself, which I’m sure irks Gray to no end when I sing (loudly) in the shower.
I can tell you that he’s been working on new music, though, and it might be the best he’s ever written. Of course, I’m biased, but being able to watch these songs transform from little seeds of inspiration to full-blown pieces has been the experience of a lifetime for me. I see the work that goes into this artform, and it makes me love it all even more.
Maybe I’ll write something of my own one day, but for now, I’m happy with just you, me, and the music. Speaking of, let’s dive in, because the muses have not disappointed us this year.
Where do I even start with Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Heads Will Roll released in the summer, and it’s been a part of every single one of our playlists because it’s so catchy. The production value on this album really showcases the evolution of the band, from those gritty indie days to this new, lush sound. Gray tells me the song is sampled from the Mellotron built-in riff "Roxy SFX 2", if you were wondering why those keys sound familiar.
Bulletproof by La Roux has undoubtedly been the song of the summer on this side of the pond, with more of that electronica element we’re starting to see in the indie scene these days. I don’t think it’s hit in North America, yet, but just you wait. This song is going to take you by storm.
This time, baby, I’ll be bulletproof
Arctic Monkeys is back with a dynamic new album, Humbug, which is another evolution by this Sheffield group. I love how every record has an entirely new sound for the band, but still feels distinctly Arctic Monkeys. Crying Lightning is just one of the moody tracks from this album that we’ve been listening to on repeat. The lyrics are poetry in motion.
Said, "You're mistaken if you're thinking that I haven't been called "cold" before"
As you bit into your strawberry lace
And then offered me your attention in the form of a gobstopper
Is all you had left and it was going to waste
Your pastimes, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I love that little game you had called
"Crying Lightning"
And how you like to aggravate the ice-cream man on rainy afternoons
The last song I want to highlight before we have to get ready for a party is Islands by The XX. I’ve been loving watching this band rise up on the charts, and we always hear this track when we’re out and about. The song feels like a conversation between two lovers, which is a quality that always gets me.
I am yours now
So now I don't ever have to leave
I've been found out
So now I'll never explore
It’s so interesting that singers Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim have so much chemistry, considering they both play for the other team, so to speak. Still, even if they aren’t singing at each other, I like to think they’re embodying the true love evident in their music.
I have no idea where I’ll be writing from next, but rest assured, I’ll have a story for you.
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