This is not a review

Ugh, look at this blog.... So abandoned. And the weird thing is...I´m doing absolutely nothing with my life (br€ak from uni + find a job here [country and town] is not easy) which means I have all the time in the world to write something here. True that an eventless life can result in a shortness of ideas and, well, events that would give me ideas for blog posts but still...what an awful blogger this guy is. I could at least throw music videos at you of all the new stuff I find or good old music loves but not even that... Or bore you with sports posts. Or crappy movie reviews. "Poems" (yes, there´s some somewhere buried in here...). Or love life confes...oh wait...those aren´t real...

Moving on.

This is not a review.
Neither of 2012 or the concert I went see a month ago and of which I always write a review a couple of days after it happened. The thing is...the concert was a revival of the mythic(!) Queen concert at Wembley by a tribute band. I mean, it´s not Freddie, Brian, Roger or John, but still singing Queen out loud on a room with 5000+ more people doing the same is something I dream of since I was a kid wondering my uncle record collection and picking up Queen albums and having them as one of my biggest influences in the music taste I have nowadays. Which is flawless. Obviously. So, as you can imagine sing all those songs from that concert out loud with all those Queen fans around is something hard to put in words-of-a-review.

And, as I´m writing this at the first hours of the Christmas Eve, I wish you Merry Christmas! (or not if you don´t celebrate...)
As for me it´s always a time I look forward to. Hoping to have another good one with the people I like the most. Then may the English football make that (usually boring) last week of the year less-boring. Although Arsenal match was postponed... Boo!

I leave you with a Christmas song included on a special [Christmas] show from BBC Radio 2 that unfortunately didn´t have a session this year (or as I find just now it had but with different people) but I don´t mind listen to last year one once again.

It´s Nerina Pallot, Lisa Hannigan e Fyfe Dangerfield singing "I Believe In Father Chritmas". Enjoy!

It´s Music to Your Ears

No, YOU´RE welcome, hipsters.



da da da da dadadada da da da da dadadadadaaaaa

Also, female drummer alert!!!!
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I have another one but apparently Youtube is telling me that due to what most likely is the awesomeness of the video it can not be embedded. Boo! Or maybe I broke it because of all the Replay button pressing...

Here´s the link though >> awesomeness

Apparently those kids are 17 years old. While I struggled at maths in high school they are just being cool and awesome. Sigh.

Take my money!!

...music!

+ The Reminder also by Miss Leslie Feist to complete my collection of her albums.

And some things to look forward to:

In the Kingdom of Classics?

Can´t really tell what pretentious/hipster feeling had me attracted to this movie for a long time. For some reason since it premiered in the cinemas on the shopping where I used to go for lunch between classes that sepia-toned poster caught my attention.
Unfortunately my cinema-budget was over by that time and, like every other time, I had no one to convince me I really should go watch it or to go watch it with someone...much like Suzy I may be a very troubled child...
Finally it was uploaded on the corner of the Internet where I watch movies.

Another thing was the cast...Bruce Willis, Ed Norton, Bill [F*cking] Murray. And they aren´t even the main characters. Speaking of which...man, this kids are talented nowadays!
I believe one of the reasons this movie clicks with many people (that IMDB rating is looking good) is, besides all the good direction/filmography/photography, the story happening in a simple time - 1965. I think everyone who happened to live in an era pre-Internet can easily get the appeal - and nostalgia - of such times. And if to that you add a first love romance I believe you get a winning formula. More if you do it in a quirky, different, funny way.
Of course you will have some moments during the movie where we will wonder that such thing will never happen in real life. But, unless you were 13 around the 1960s, bury those thoughts and enjoy. You will ever know what Scouts and troubled children did back then... There weren´t any forums or pages full of memes and lolcats to spend your free time like nowadays.

Concluding, since I´m rubbish at reviewing movies, consider this post as a recommendation. You won´t regret. Or you will call me a hipster...but then I ask...what kind of bird are you?

BONUS:



This video might also have helped in building expectations for this movie. At 2:30 Lisa Hannigan does a lovely cover of the song in the trailer. And I´ve listened to it countless times because the story Lisa Hannigan tells during those two and a half minutes is hilarious!

Late night wondering

Ugh, look at this blog...so abandoned *sad emoticon*

I blame Tumblr. Mostly because I´ve got one . Press Reblog on a image you like is way easier than get out of bed when you´re trying to fall asleep to write the awesome (or just weird) ideas that came up to your head.

Anyway blog, I haven´t forgotten you and here´s an update. One of the weird ones.


Was wondering through Wikipedia´s entry for Iceland...it´s just like a short fairy tale. Look:

- Volcanically and geologically active. Plenty of glaciers and lava fields. And fjords.

- 14th most developed country.

- Despite its extreme latitude it´s not as cold as some countries in a similar latitude.

- The only native land mammal when humans arrived there was the Arctic Fox. They look like this .

- Their biggest city - and capital - Reykjavík has as many people as my hometown...and I´m a small town boy.

- Portugal is the 10th country with more foreign people living in Iceland. We are everywhere. And in good number.

- Highest number of bookstores per capita in the world.

- 10% of the population will publish a book. This is 10% of...319,575 people.

- Music from Iceland: Björk, Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men...and Emilíana Torrini (whoa, she isn´t Italian?! I was wrong all this time!)

- For its size, football (women) and handball (both) are quite good.

- Rather than using family names, Icelanders use patronymics and matronymics. e.g. Elísabet Jóndottir ("Elisabet, Jon´s daughter") / Ólafur Katrínarson (Ólafur, Katrín´s son")

Review - Bon Iver - Coliseu do Porto

In the music business, specifically in the touring part of it, there´s often an interesting [read intriguing] fact that is artists known and acclaimed in a country do not include that country in their tour dates. Not that Justin Vernon topped the charts here but even that is not enough (hint: she´s pregnant now).

Bon Iver is one of those cases. His tours always seemed to miss this little European corner but once he noticed us we thought it would be nice to sold out the venues with a few weeks in advance.

I didn´t resist and had to take a look to what kind of setlists he was doing. I liked what I saw. Also didn´t resist and took a look to the latest one in Lisbon the day before...a few changes. I thought I wouldn´t be surprised though. But with Bon Iver you never know...

And I was. Not in the beginning. Despite having started with "Woods" in Lisbon, Justin went back to the "Perth" and "Minnesota, WI" beginning, just like his second album opens. And if he spent a lot of time thinking what sequence of songs would be perfect for that album he can consider that time very well spent. We continued on that album with the wonderful single "Towers" followed by "Michicant". Here´s one thing if you have a band...if you double the element of an already cool thing you will end up having the double of fun. And that´s what happens with Bon Iver. Having a double percussion with two sets of drums sure has its impact! And what a brilliant impact that is. It owns the room. And the same goes for the double violins and double wind instruments even if at a first thought such instruments wouldn´t take over such a concert. Conclusion? Two guitars is just too mainstream...

Sings of surprises appeared. "Beach Baby", not often played was a treat. A few moments later the sequence that caught my eyes on the indiscretion through setlists that I did the day before: "Holocene", "Blood Bank", "Skinny Love", "Re: Stacks", "Creature Fear". Words should never fail to a reviewer but I can only think of the Perfect Justin (or someone for him) wrote on a photo of the concert posted on Facebook.

I´ve read that the day before in Lisbon there were some people in the audience showing their love in a very audible way during moments where they should - and also, more importantly, let the others - enjoy the show. I´m glad I read that after the Porto concert either way I would be fearing way too much on how and when someone would eventually ruin a nice moment. What can I say is that I´m still impressed for the respect showed. Sure there was a couple whistles and love you(s) but immediately followed by many intimidating ssshhh. Just like in tennis when a player is waiting for silence to serve.

"Lisbon, OH" (not played in Lisbon...don´t be mad mates...after all it´s the city in Ohio, not yours!) and "Beth/Rest" beautifully lead the way the Encore. It´s amazing to see the how a 9-members band delivers such brilliance. And here´s my kudos to them. Bon Iver is those 9 talented guys playing with a creator called Justin Vernon. And what a great band Bon Iver is!

Coming back to surprises...Björk and an illness might have been the reason why I didn´t went to a festival she was headlining and later on had to cancel her performance but karma was nice to me. "Who Is It?" not often played was right there being amazingly transformed (it even got the beatbox...and not by some machine!). I was sold. Now there was just "The Wolves (Act I and II)" to sing along until screaming the last words of the song. Literally.

_______________________________

P.S. If you don´t like perv people may you know leave this blog thinking you read a really good *cof* review.

Still here? Ok...

To the two girls behind me: First, sorry for being tall. [eh, not really]. Second, where´s that English accent from? Third, pretty sure angels look like the one with the white [angelic] dress.

To the lonely girl beside me: Hey, this is lonely boy. I´ve noticed you had a lot of fun. As much as I did. Singing and dancing. Well, in my case, some weird movements that I call dance but it´s probably just awkward stuff. Or an hipster dance no one ever saw before and I´m doing it before it´s cool. Moving on...since I´m a fool I didn´t talk to you, even if it was just "hello, meet you in another awesome concert?" but I´m hopeless at this. You were beautiful. Oh, in case there was more cases (weirdos like me) like this...we were about 10 meters away from stage [~10th row]. See you next time, hopefully!

P.S.1 Sam Amidon did the opening for Bon Iver. Jumping from guitar, to violin and banjo I´m sure even himself can´t quite describe his style. But it´s a cool (original) one. One of his guitar solos almost stole the night from the headliner. Almost. And what´s interesting is that the same thing I said above applies here; If you have something cool and you had a little something to it you can end up with the double of fun. I think that´s what the crowd thought when a couple of Bon Iver band members - trumpet and violin - came to play with Sam. Justin Vernon mentioned later Sam has quite an unique style and personality and you can easily see that while he´s performing.

Holidays mode: On

Here´s the cool things every cool kid is listening while enjoying the cool weather.







Cool Cool Cool*




*Community rocks.

It´s Music To Your Ears

Because reading articles on Esquire magazine telling what new bands you should be listening to is way more fun than studying...

And I feel like you need Summer songs...



Found tonight. Good sound. And doesn´t the girl on the video have the prettiest smile? I say yes.

One of the nice ways to find out new stuff is subscribe to youtube channels of US radios like KCRW. Here´s why...



Oh, how many times I´ve listened to this one already...


Lots of new sounds to help me going through the studying part of the uni semester. Now the Euro 2012 won´t help much though...Força Portugal!!

Late night stories

4:35am right now. About an hour ago I was just relaxing and watching a NBA game between the Thunder and the Spurs (you will get the irony of this in a few moments...) after a day of classes under a 35ºC temperature and some beautiful blue skies followed by one of the most pleasant nights of the year so far and then BAM!!...one of the most unexpected, and quite scary, I must say, thunderstorms (got the irony?) I´ve ever witness happened!! One of the lightnings stroke really close judging by the quick and super intense thunder that followed it...
I´m used to the weather forecast to be wrong but how come between a 35ºC day and a 33ºC (tomorrow) appears such thunderstorm? Is this Portugal´s new way to get out of the financial crisis...being a tropical country? How about a warning before that happens? Would save some scary unexpected moments....geez!

About the NBA game...Oklahoma City Thunder won...

It´s Music To Your Ears

Easily one of my favourite tracks of 2012




_______________________________________

On the last post there was a new single of someone I already know since her first album release, so here´s another one:



Tip: a nice way to get into her music is her performance on Live from Abbey Road...can´t get tired of that.
The new album is just coming out and by the preview I´ve listened too it is promising!

Old & New

Me and my sleep deprived mind found a new band and we declare this band fantastic (first things first) and most likely the most sexy one. A duo. The guy is: Johnny Depp. Well, not really but if you click play you´ll see my point. The girl...oozes a ridiculous amount of sexiness... Especially on this performance on Later with Jools Holland

The way she moves.....my sleep deprived mind can´t take this...

________________________________________

On yet more musical shenanigans, and knowing I said I shouldn´t post so many video but don´t giving a damn about that (oh, such a badass), do you remember this girl?

Lisa Mitchell, the girl of "Neopolitan Dreams" is about to release an EP and this is the first single.

I quite fancy her too.

So, there you go.

New sounds I just found and an old, yet very young, Aussie girl that I know for a long time, with new music.

Time to get some sleep.

And by some I mean 5 poor hours.

Maybe the sleep depriveness will make me found more new awesome music tomorrow.

EDIT: This is the kind of things that can happen when you have a sleep deprived mind...



My beloved office chair broke...with a bang. All fixed now ´cause ya know...I´m one of those guys that fixes everything and has a talent to fix all the broke things in a house [/not]

To appreciate, listen and watch

As a fan of photography I use to wonder the corners of the Internet where good photos can be seen, DeviantArt (DA) being one of the listed. Since I started going around DA and looking to the categories I was most interested in - nature, portraits, architecture/urbanism - I end up having a list of photographers I enjoyed more. Many of them decided to create Facebook fanpages so it would be easier to follow their work, now that Facebook has a nice photography layout, and it was there that I found a nice video that I´ve watched countless times already:

You can follow the work of the girl on the video here DeviantArt page and Facebook page . Her facial expressions are fantastic and so is her photography. And she´s kinda pretty...but you knew I would end up on that part of the DA portraits.

But even cooler on that video...

The song used is fantastic! The Joy Formidable - Whirring.

So, I´ve covered the appreciate (photography) part of this post and the listen part.

To the watch part we go.

Do you ever think on going discover the beautiful country that Iceland is...alone? That thought crossed my mind already...but this girl had that thought...and did it:

Fifteen minutes of your life more then well spent!

Have a good week.

It´s Music To Your Ears

Here it is the fantastic band I [kinda] mentioned on the last post and that I found on an episode of The Late Late Show.



Enjoy, because you will press replay and sing along on the third play of the song. Guarantee!

It´s Music To Your Ears

The first mind scratch of this post was a special edition with a compilation of videos (around 8 or 9...yup, I even made a list so I would not forget any of them) of new music I found for the last few weeks. Then I thought it would be a lot of videos in one post and some of them could not get the proper attention they should get, so I thought in embed 2 or 3 of them at a time.
But like the many of videos and new music I´ve found weren´t already enough, while watching an episode of the [awesome] Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson I found myself watching a superb performance of the band that played on the studio that night. They made me go back with the one video per post routine because it would be more appropriate since that band deserved full attention. And it will also mean that I have new music to post in this little corner of the blog.

Although, that band will not be the one posted this week (whaa? why?!). Meanwhile some Icelandic guys appeared.
While going around blogs and randomly pressing the next blog button so I could enlarge my list of cool blogs to read and while I was already about to give up, annoyed by those blogs who have the music starting and you don´t seem to find a button to turn it off (if they exist...), I came across a silent one...as all blogs should be. And the girl of that blog had a similar section to this It´s Music To Your Ears on her blog and I decided to click play on the video...which actually was just the YT playing bar without any image.

And look what I have found



Of Monsters and Men!

Absolutely fantastic.

Album coming soon...to my house!

Review - Feist - Coliseu do Porto

If you take some time to read the reviews of Feist latest album - Metals - you will notice that in basically all of them she is known as the girl of the song "1234". Not in a redundant way but since it was part of a big campaign of a tech company which symbol is a piece of fruit, it was the song that made more people listen to her music. But when that same girl with such a trademark song doesn´t need to include it on her setlists and still make a perfect setlist you know you are in for a memorable night.

After a not-so-captivating opening by Fionn Reagan (which despite that has great songs and a beautiful voice) Feist got on stage a little after 10pm. Starts with a song of the album she is presenting on this tour, and if you excuse my easy input, Metals is a very solid album. Proof of that is how on the very first song Leslie Feist made us all scream "A COMMOTION" and the crowd knew we were in for a special show.

The following moment comes with an intriguing intro that revealed a brand new version of a single of the album "The Reminder". "My Moon My Man" sounding like you never heard it in any former performance. So, at the second song one of my favourite details of the show was revealed: brand new clothes for old songs. All of them sounding different of what you were used on the album and on many live videos on Youtube. To add to "My Moon..." the other oldies that were played included the hauntingly beautiful "So Sorry", "Mushaboom" (with special dance taught by Feist!) "Feel It All", and the classic "Limit To Your Love". Yes, that one that James Blake has a nice rendition of...borrowed from Feist. Other oldies were played on the...3 encores, but we will get there later.

Meanwhile Feist was presenting the wonderful songs of the new album. There were plenty of them from the singles "How Come You Never Go There" (that even with no brass live section sounds great) to the second single "The Bad In Each Other". But an album is not only made of singles and the crowd knows it because they seemed to know all the gems played. Including "Caught A Long Wind" that also with no string (violins) section on this tour, sounds flawless.

After we conclude that in the packed room there was people from every corner of the world (Feist talented drummer comes from New Zealand) "The Circle Married The Line" was played. A song about the ocean from someone who lives in a landlock as Feist told us.

On stage, helping Leslie on this tour, there´s a trio of girls called "Mountain Man", that had her own moment before the first encore showing why they were chosen for the back vocals...perfect harmony between the three [beautiful] ladies. To add to the already mentioned drummer there is also a man-who-plays-everything and a pianist that when you think he is very good on the piano and keys he comes to surprise you, not on the piano, but on drums with a killer(!) version of When I Was a Young Girl . She rocked so much that a little wood table she had near her didn´t resist and broke letting Feist throw the missing pieces as a rocker would do.

I said I would come back to the old songs because the encores were composed by them. And that way Feist nailed probably the better accomplished set of encores I´ve seen. "Secret Heart" - a fan favourite - showed once again Leslie skills on her beloved guitars to the delight of the fans. Despite the non-inclusion of "Inside & Out" on the official setlist the song made an appearance...with the public singing it on their own with a little help from Feist along the way.

To finish the night, "Intuition" and the astonishingly beautiful "Let It Die". Never such a sad song ended a concert so well.

One to remember.

Setlist:

Note: "The Water" was not played. Replaced by "Secret Heart"...which I was dying to listen live.

Not all Mondays are bad

This Monday I will use one of this magic tickets

Hint: It´s a girl!

I LOVE this club!

Manchester City vs Sporting (3-2) Highlights and Goals - Europa League

I almost died on this very last play of the match



My H(e)art skipped a bit...

A bunch of littles...

...can make a BIG difference

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

KONY

THE WORST

2012

It´s Music To Your Ears

Give this guy and his album a chance and you will feel better.

With the above sentence I just used two song titles of his album (named "Making Mirrors") that I´m listening for the very first time right now. Amazing range of genres on the 4/5 songs I´ve listened to until now.

And all started because of a Lisa Hanningan cover that appeared on my sub box of Youtube. I recognized the song, went search for it and I remember that I´ve listened to it before. Was at my grandma´s house with one of my younger sisters and while listening the song we were like...what is this?...sounds...meh...but somehow instead of changing channel (probably for Disney Channel...) we continued to listen to it...and end up loving it. But forgetting to search for it later...

Here it is.

And awesome timing to find it. Weirdly relating to it at the moment. Brilliant song.

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In other news...second semester is on! This one is looking like I will actually have to apply myself...will see. Last time I said that I end up doing less than on the year before...still nailed the semester though. Probably to be unemployed in half an year or putting more money, that I don´t have, in continuing to accumulate knowledge, on a masters degree. Will see. One day at a time.

P.S. Found a nice blog that kinda inspired me to write on mine on a more often basis. I will probably fail at that but if you happen to see here [even more] meaningless posts it´s because I´m trying to keep this super updated and stuff.

Enjoy the music!

Red Face (adj): flushed with embarrassment or anger

Beware...hipsters and indie will be key words on the following post. But don´t worry...this is a blog you probably *cof most certainly cof* nobody heard of, so...away from all the mainstream scene. For now...

If you like to laugh to the expenses of the internet and if you had the luck (or not) of finding something more than cats on that same internet you may have come across a thing called memes.

Of a gazillion memes (check Urban Dictionary for definition...everything there is legit!) existing nowadays some are made to the expenses of hipster stuff. And I loved them. Not so much now...they are too mainstream... Anyway, despite not being an hipster (or...am I?) and laughing at those memes I must say that I enjoy the hipster side of life. Some girls don´t look that bad in vintage clothes and hipster glasses while listening to some music you probably never heard of. And all of that pictures with deep captions [font: Helvetica!] and some Photoshop vintage effect are quite good. And/or fish eye lens. I know...I go to DeviantArt... *hipster alert*

Hipsters particularly like indie music...I think. Ask an hipster... I find the term indie a bit interesting. To me it always meant a band that is independent from the huge [mean!!!] labels. But somehow now is a music genre. Because "alternative" was too mainstream already. One of the biggest fears of hipsters, as you might have noticed already, is something that they found by themselves and love to death to become mainstream. Which I find a bit silly when it comes to music. And one funny thing is hearing hipsters complain nobody likes that cool music they listen to but when suddenly people start to pay attention to them, or [GOD FORBIDS!], that same music is played on a radio or some public place those indie musicians are some sell out bastards! How dare they??! Being famous and having more than 100 albums sold?! Ugh! And those following albums?! All sounding like crap?! That first album and those non-released songs are far cooler than this mainstream stuff!!

I would want the artists I love to be the most successful possible. I´m not saying that the feeling of being part of a small group of people that know a certain artist doesn´t feel special...it does (oh, such an hypocrite this blog writer!), and I´ll give an example of that (yes, we are getting to the main point of all of this thing...it will be worth it) but it would be cool if other people also start to listen and to support that artist. In fact, what´s the point of sharing (even hipsters) our brand new music discoveries if not to introduce and make people listen to our brand new find?

At last it takes me to the point of this post. While wondering on a hipster Youtube channel I found my latest addiction.

I´m not gonna elaborate how much I [platonically] love her. It´s one of those unhealthy addictions.

One last one:

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. No hipster.

If You Like...Daniel Radcliffe

If you like Daniel Radcliffe here´s a nice interview of him as only Craig Ferguson knows how to do them.

Save the Interwebz!!!!

Hey you devoted readers of my blog *cof*

Hope everyone had a great beginning of 2012. The last year you will live. Ever. World ends in December. True story.

Or not. Some guys just got tired of making calendars and they stopped in 2012. So, some people, logically, thought the world is coming to an end. Humans...

Meanwhile...if you want to enjoy Internet on this very last year of your existence you have to be aware of this bill USA is trying to pass. I will let a video explain the foolishness:

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

What is SOPA?

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA, H.R. 3261) is on the surface a bill that attempts to curb online piracy. Sadly, the proposed way it goes about doing this would devastate the online economy and the overall freedom of the web. It would particularly affect sites with heavy user generated content. Sites like Youtube, Reddit, Twitter, and others may cease to exist in their current form if this bill is passed.

What is PIPA?

The Protect IP Act (PIPA, S. 968) is SOPA's twin in the Senate. Under current DMCA law, if a user uploads a copyrighted movie to sites like Youtube, the site isn't held accountable so long as they provide a way to report user infringement. The user who uploaded the movie is held accountable for their actions, not the site. PIPA would change that - it would place the blame on the site itself, and would also provide a way for copyright holders to seize the site's domain in extreme circumstances.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation laid out four excellent points as to why the bills are not only dangerous, but are also not effective for what they are trying to accomplish:

The blacklist bills are expensive. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that PIPA alone would cost the taxpayers at least $47 million over 5 years, and could cost the private sector many times more. Those costs would be carried mostly by the tech industry, hampering growth and innovation.

The blacklist bills silence legitimate speech. Rightsholders, ISPs, or the government could shut down sites with accusations of infringement, and without real due process.

The blacklist bills are bad for the architecture of the Internet. But don't take our word for it: see the open letters that dozens of the Internet's concerned creators have submitted to Congress about the impact the bills would have on the security of the web.

The blacklist bills won't stop online piracy. The tools these bills would grant rightsholders are like chainsaws in an operating room: they do a lot of damage, and they aren't very effective in the first place. The filtering methods might dissuade casual users, but they would be trivial for dedicated and technically savvy users to circumvent.

If you tomorrow come across websites that aren´t working they are protesting against this bill. Wikipedia is one of them. So hurry up on doing your homework and then protest against this bill!

Thanks!