Music Monthly: October

Won’t lie, this hasn’t been the best month for me in terms of listening to anything particularly different. In part because I’ve been listening to a couple of the albums I mentioned in my last round up. Namely TWIABP – Harmlessness and Shit Present. That doesn’t mean I’ve completely neglected it though. So without further ado:

Foxing – Dealer

Sad music all round this month. This is the second album from this lot, and it’s a superb follow up to The Albatross (which is one of my favourite sad albums of the last few years). Perfect for both sunny autumn days and dark, dank misty autumn nights I highly recommend this album. The whole album just feels like a step up from Albatross and has a generally “bigger” and more mature sound. I’ve still not seen this band and missed them in the summer when they came across with Tigers Jaw because of a family wedding. They’re high on my “must see” list.

Further Listening:
The Medic (Albatross)
Bloodhound (Albatross)
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Monthly Music – June Jams

Monthly Music June

I like music, in fact I’d go as far as saying I love music. As anyone that follows me on twitter or Instagram will know, or anyone that has seen any of my posts about festivals I’ve travelled around the world to get to, I talk about music quite a lot. I spend a fair bit of time recommending music to other people as well. So I’ve decided that I’m going to start doing monthly round-ups of bands/music I’ve been listening to for that month.

Worth noting is that there is almost always an underlying amount of Thrice, The Hotelier, The Smith Street and various Post Rock bands to go alongside this. But I’ll try and keep this on either new discoveries or bands that have really stuck that month.

I listen to a lot of sad jams (read old school emo a la American Football), punk rock, post rock and pop punk but there may well be something here for everyone’s tastes so don’t discount anything. If you’re interested then follow me on Spotify

Somos – Temple of Plenty
At the start of the month I asked a few of my friends for some recommendations and Somos were one of those. I’ve been listening to this album on repeat ever since. Think undertones of American Football but with a slightly more upbeat and poppy vibe. Plenty of singalongs and perfect for summer.

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2014 – In Review

How on earth is it already the end of 2014? It’s been a pretty mixed year. Started a bit low but had some real highlights. Including (but not limited to) taking my friends to Mull for the first time, my sister getting married, Chicago, Groezrock & moving to London (at last). It’s been pretty damn busy to say the least. I’ve made a lot of new friends, and got closer to old ones. I saw my sister walk down the aisle and was her new husband’s groomsmen. I baked a serious amount of cake. Averaging more than once a week.

Below are some visual highlights from a year in the life of a beard.

RBP140801-CATHERINENICK-257

Above image by Rob Booker Photography – www.robbooker.co.uk

Chicago

Sound of Mull 03

And now I’m going to do a few year top 5’s.

My favourite first time bakes:

  1. Oven Baked Cinnamon Donuts (recipe to come)
  2. Triple Chocolate Brownies
  3. Triple Chocolate Brownies

  4. Strawberry Drizzle Cake
  5. Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
  6. Sticky Ginger Loaf w/ Dark Rum Drizzle and Lime Buttercream
  7. Sticky Ginger Loaf

Albums of the year:

  1. The Hotelier – Home, like Noplace is there
  2. Cayetana – Nervous Like Me
  3. PUP – PUP
  4. Modern Baseball – You’re Gonna Miss it All
  5. The Lion & The Wolf – Symptoms</li>

Songs of the year:

  1. The Hotelier – Your Deep Rest
  2. The Menzingers – I Don’t Wanna Be An Arsehole Anymore
  3. Die Antwoord – Happy Go Sucky Fucky
  4. The Smith Street Band – Throw Me In The River
  5. Cayetana – Scott Get the Van, I’m Moving

I’m going to end it there and stop myself from moving on to things you really don’t care about. I could easily go on to list stuff like my top 5 burgers, top 5 wrestling moments and things along those lines. But the majority of you are only here for cake, so even the music was probably a bit far.

Bring on 2015! I’ll be seeing it in on Mull with some friends, what are you doing? And tell me some of your best moments from 2014.