YouTube Music has since become one of the fastest growing music subscriptions out there after passing an impressive score of 50 million subscribers – paying and otherwise – over the past month. This has resulted in 1.8 million subscribers joining the roster of YouTube music since October 2020.
Now, whether it’s the resurgence of staying inside from lockdown, or whether it’s the tarnished reputation the likes of other streaming services are getting, everyone else better watch out. I’m looking at you Elk over there at Spotify.
Let me know your thoughts on this one: is it the sign of the times? Are we started to enjoy music videos again? Is YouTubeMusic the new MTV?
An epic album watermarked and etched forever in the cornerstones of my music fanciful tastes when I was merely a boy.
After scooping this album in its CD form simply for the love of its delightfully intriguing album cover, I had no idea I would even play it once – never mind fall in love with its whole entirety.
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Created in the summer of 2011 – when phones were not eclipsed to the surface of our skin, and there was certainly less pressure in society for kids – Twin Atlantic‘s glossy supremacy of Free was the game changer for me and I instantly loved the band, the euphoria and the music.
With the Scottish angst chard, the vital chords struck home and it is, to this day, my favourite album of all time. Whether that be the nostalgic memories tainting my thoughts and values on the quality of the music, but it is a perfect album throughout.
Apart from knowing every minor fragment of the songs, all lyrical moments and drum parts, the album just has absolute monstrous bangers included.
Time For You Stand Up, Make a Beast of Myself, Eight Days just to name a few that can rip your arms right out of their sockets. The momentum of the album is waded brilliantly too with moments of beauty – Crash Land and Wonder Sleeps Here. Not to mention Serious Underground Dance Vibes which may very well have been my morning alarm for years, come to think of it.
The utter obsession of course worked, and made me unequivocally purchase the next album in 2015, Great Divide, which happened to be just as compelling, just as cut-throat and beautiful all in the same breath.
The invention and soon-to-be discovery of Spotify from myself, led me into a rabbit hole of everything Scottish rock, and of course, I had to listen to the predecessor of Free, which was Vivarium in 2009.
Old-school Twin Atlantic (when long hair was cool)
A buoyant and boyish album all about making music for fun, classics like Lightspeed and You’re Turning into John Wayne, certainly catapulted their fanatics and ultimately led them on to create Free a mere two years later.
Although the recent album works of GLA (2016) and POWER (2020) have certainly not had the same impact (possibly down to life getting in the way, and with these albums not being released in my adolescent years, too, for that matter) their catalogue is still highly commendable and certainly paves a way on how to achieve commercial success in Scottish rock.
For me, it really was the stepping stones (or one of them at least) that made me rethink my music taste, my musical journey, habits and hobbies in life and most importantly, made me tune in less to those fanciful chart radio stations and tune into to some actual stations. Thanks boys.
Drawn from their 2019 debut EP, Strawberry Skies, it emphasises our love of summer, traditional holidays in the sun, and taking life one relaxing day at a time.
The Australian 4-piece brings fantastic contemporary indie flavours and blends of timeless rock that stays fresh in the sunlight. “Something Good” is the epitome of their work so far, as it demonstrates their knack of rock calling and have become one of the best emerging talents in the Aussie country.
Plenty to bring too, with their recent flurry of excitement, Easy Love – which is another timeless indie summer classic.
You could very well argue how oversaturated we are already with summer indie tunes. But, there’s definitely a reason as to why there’s so many compilations abound.
As a day to encourage young musicians and young learners from every community and every city to perform outside, World Music Day has returned today on the 21st June. Celebrated with over 120 countries worldwide, it’s a fantastic sight to see as musicians across the globe pick up their instruments, sharpen their vocals and simply play, perform and just enjoy themselves simply for the love of music.
Despite the pandemic restricting a lot of events to showcase our love of music outside, there’s been plenty of community collaboration and live performances done solely online. Emphatic music works have been going on since the early hours of this morning and despite us being confined to our time zones witnessing live music first-hand, we are undoubtedly drawn together with our love for music.
So, despite the often rare fanatic exploration of World Music annually, take some time out today – no matter how long you have left of the Monday – … and enjoy some music that is culturally, and artistically, inspiring.
Morning, folks. I’m in the midst of celebration today. Today marks the 200th blog post on Man v Music.
Thanks to all who has had a look at one, commented on one or just brushed past one from their busy, scheduled lives. I appreciate all of you!
So in celebration, why not have a look into the best flavourings I delved into in the world of music across the month of March?
1. Stand Atlantic’s punk-pop: “bios suck dude.”
We start off with the majority of Stand Atlantic‘s music. I’ve recently ventured into this guilt trip a couple weeks back – and I can’t get enough of them. Originally harking from the prospects of the lands of bubblegum teenage-rock, they have acid hooks, addictive lyricism and chaotically edgy anthems that have been on repeat since I found them out from their recent release in 2020, Pink Elephant. Outlandish punk-pop brings unbridled joy. You can certainly get an idea what type of music they create from such an album name, too … Worth a visit.
2. thepressreleases‘ New York Romantic: Playlist Power
Next up – is the loveable, feel-good vibes of a playlist we all want to have. Adopted from the playlist pioneer on the Internet, thepressrelease,New York Romanticis the sweet, sultry aftertas
te of real-life romantics. With a collection nothing to hide, it features tropes from lo-fi with Samm Henshaw’s Broke, catchy playful pop of Put it to Bed from JHart and a palette that doesn’t fit to simply one genre, Aloe Blacc with this fitting single of Brooklyn in the Summer, that doubles my angst to visit New York ten-fold.
3. Soundscapes: The Backdrop for Gaming
Going for a bit of lazy one with this one – but again, it’s been on repeat ever since I’ve ventured into gaming whenever I’ve had an hour spare or two during the evening. Raised as a Spotify original, Soundscapes For Gaming depicts those atmospheric beats that make you saunter away with the music. Lush overtones and peaceful moments with Hammock’s Clarity, The Album Leaf’s See in You, Helios’ It Was Warmer Then and Sad Heart of Mine by Caspian. Whether you’re an avid gamer or merely an escapist with the music, this playlist is perfect for both.
Highly recommend amongst those lot.
4. X&Y: Coldplay Classics
After hearing the horrific news of Sarah Everard’s tragic murder here in the UK, and the events followed with many women hosting vigils and sharing their experiences to raise awareness against violence on women, it has made me feel rather sombre where we are and how our history has not progressed at all with women suffering. In fact, nothing has changed a dime since the first suffragette – which is a rather delicate thought to reflect.
This recent news has most certainly passed onto what I’ve been listening in the month of March and this example is no different. Although hailed as one of Coldplay’s album that lost the band’s progressive songwriting, X&Y is an album I am an avid fan of. Perhaps because it relates to a sombre part of my childhood, the album features moments of magic with What If, Talk and Speed of Sound. Instant classics, they certainly bring me back to the early 2000’s when I was just a boy. Worth a listen again, even if it’s a trip down memory lane for you.
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So there you are – a bit insight into what I’ve been listening so far in the month of March.
Have a gander and let me know what you think!
If you fancy a dabble at something different or unheard of, why not have a gander at some of my own playlists? Purely collaborative, and so I won’t be offended if you chop or change them to your style.
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