It's been a very long time since I've written a blog. Almost two months actually. But it's been a busy couple of months with lots of traveling and a lot going on. First I was home, and when I'm home I tend to not spend as much time online. That also means I spend less time paying attention to new music, so I'm a bit behind and was having trouble figuring out what music to share. The music is always what I think of first when I'm deciding to write a blog, then I figure out the story part, which means I didn't even have the first element to writing a new blog post. But now I do, even though it's only kind of new.
As for the story part, even though I was only home for a couple of weeks in mid-May, I got up to quite a lot and wasn't sure what to write about. That was followed by a lot more traveling once I got back to Europe, which gave me even more possible things to write about, thus making my decision on what to write about even more difficult.
I still haven't made up my mind about what story to tell, actually, so instead you just get a rundown of the highlights. You can ask me personally via email/facebook/skype/whatsapp/etc for more details if you want them. Or maybe I'll write about some of them later, if I feel like it. But here's a rough idea, in chronological order, of how my last two months went:
6. Supposed to go to England for work, instead go for vacation (this is also a story. Not a long one, but no point in recounting it now). See friends in London, eat too much food, still want to move there.
7. Spend a week in Ireland with two dear friends (and the parents of one of these friends). Weather is perfect every day, barely a cloud in the sky. Irish are very friendly, they love to talk. Guinness is very good. See many green things, lots of rocks and old buildings, and climb on some of them
There was also some work mixed in there, too, but that's nothing exciting. And a concert from St. Vincent and The National, which was amazing.
And now I'm back in Germany. Only one more trip planned out of Germany (to Barcelona this weekend, along with Dannan, who was in Ireland with me and who will be coming to my village on Wednesday, as well as Zanele, one of my closest friends from South Africa) before I leave on August 4 to head back to Asia. Other than that, I'm in Germany until I go. So as you can see, it's been an eventful couple of months. I could write for days. But I don't feel like it, so we're on to the music instead.
Like I said before, when I'm traveling a lot (and particularly when I'm home), I don't keep up with music as much as normal. So I don't actually have any new artists to share with you, but I do have some new music from not quite so new artists.
Considering how pretty much every single one of my favorite artists is putting out new music this year, I'm very excited about 2014. And even though most of them have already put out the music I've been excited about, there's always a new release announced which makes me giddy all over again. This time it's Alt-J. I've written about Alt-J before, and I still maintain that they're one of the best bands I've heard in years. They're ridiculously good, musical perfectionists. And they'll be releasing their second album, This Is All Yours, in September. They released their first single off the album, Hunger of the Pine, last week, and it does not disappoint at all. Their debut album, An Awesome Wave, was the obvious choice to top my list of best music in 2012, so my hopes are once again high.
I was a bit surprised by the whole Miley Cyrus vocal loop in there, but it works. I had read about it before listening to the single and was surprised that they had any connection to her whatsoever, but I like it. And I never would have even known it's Miley Cyrus if I hadn't read about it.
But anyway, musically they've still got it. The attention to detail is as close as ever, the vocals are spot on, and I like the depth that the horns add. Based on this song, I am very excited about the new album. If only they would add Asia to their tour dates. Or my house. That would be good too.
But the new Alt-J song was just an added bonus for today. I actually wanted to write about Wildcat! Wildcat! Once again, not a new band, per se. I saw them opening for Lord Huron about a year and a half ago and really liked them, but they've only released one eponymous EP back in 2013. All of the songs are pretty good, but nothing amazing. At least, nothing to make me as excited as their name would have me assume I would be, what with the dangerous animals, repetition and exclamation points. But, good music nonetheless. Case in point, Mr. Quiche.
I'm not gonna lie, part of the reason that I chose that song instead of any of the others from the EP is because it's called Mr. Quiche. And I love quiche. Who doesn't? It is also very good, though. Especially once it builds fully towards the end.
So why share 2 year old music from a band that I wasn't overly enthusiastic about? Two reasons: because I really liked them live and have been waiting for them to do more which will excite me more, and because they just released the first single from their upcoming full length album and it does excite me much more. They'll be releasing the album, No Moon At All, in August, and the first single, Hero, is exactly what I've been waiting for from them.
So now you have 2 albums to go and pre-order (as I will be doing as soon as I get off work), and you may or may not have reason to email me for stories. I promise I will not go two more months before writing another blog. Now that I'm back in Germany for most of the next 6 weeks, I should be able to get back to my 1-2 post a week frequency.
As for the story part, even though I was only home for a couple of weeks in mid-May, I got up to quite a lot and wasn't sure what to write about. That was followed by a lot more traveling once I got back to Europe, which gave me even more possible things to write about, thus making my decision on what to write about even more difficult.
I still haven't made up my mind about what story to tell, actually, so instead you just get a rundown of the highlights. You can ask me personally via email/facebook/skype/whatsapp/etc for more details if you want them. Or maybe I'll write about some of them later, if I feel like it. But here's a rough idea, in chronological order, of how my last two months went:
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| She did it! |
1. Go home, fly to Montana for my sister's college graduation. Very proud, etc. Saw a bit of nature, did a lot of packing. Met my sister's boyfriend. I wasn't as mean as I probably should have been. My sister will tell you I like him, but all I said is "he's ok." When it comes to being my sister's boyfriend, though, I am very hard to please.
2. Spend 3 days driving from Missoula to Orange County so my sister could have her car, with stops in Portland, Eugene, the Redwoods, and In n Out.
3. Stay home for a week. 30th birthday, Chinese food, family, friends, visitors, shopping, musical, alcohol, extortion (victim of, not perpetrator of), Ethiopian food, concert.
4. Return to Europe at the start of a 4 day weekend, and stuck with an unchangeable ticket from LA to Munich. Go to Madrid. See more friends, drink more drinks, eat churros, kiss a cougar, get sexually molested (not by the cougar).
5. Go to Dubai for work. Kind of boring as I'm staying in a horrible location, plus the Ramadan sales haven't started yet. Not so exciting, but happy I can eat Nando's. Spend 3 day weekend in Egypt. Amazing. One of the best countries I've been to. Need to go back. If you go (GO!) I can give you a great tour guide. Luckily, I do not get robbed, maimed, kidnapped or killed. It is very safe.
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| There are so many pyramids in Egypt |
6. Supposed to go to England for work, instead go for vacation (this is also a story. Not a long one, but no point in recounting it now). See friends in London, eat too much food, still want to move there.
7. Spend a week in Ireland with two dear friends (and the parents of one of these friends). Weather is perfect every day, barely a cloud in the sky. Irish are very friendly, they love to talk. Guinness is very good. See many green things, lots of rocks and old buildings, and climb on some of them
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| Kells Priory, my favorite stop in Ireland |
There was also some work mixed in there, too, but that's nothing exciting. And a concert from St. Vincent and The National, which was amazing.
And now I'm back in Germany. Only one more trip planned out of Germany (to Barcelona this weekend, along with Dannan, who was in Ireland with me and who will be coming to my village on Wednesday, as well as Zanele, one of my closest friends from South Africa) before I leave on August 4 to head back to Asia. Other than that, I'm in Germany until I go. So as you can see, it's been an eventful couple of months. I could write for days. But I don't feel like it, so we're on to the music instead.
Like I said before, when I'm traveling a lot (and particularly when I'm home), I don't keep up with music as much as normal. So I don't actually have any new artists to share with you, but I do have some new music from not quite so new artists.
Considering how pretty much every single one of my favorite artists is putting out new music this year, I'm very excited about 2014. And even though most of them have already put out the music I've been excited about, there's always a new release announced which makes me giddy all over again. This time it's Alt-J. I've written about Alt-J before, and I still maintain that they're one of the best bands I've heard in years. They're ridiculously good, musical perfectionists. And they'll be releasing their second album, This Is All Yours, in September. They released their first single off the album, Hunger of the Pine, last week, and it does not disappoint at all. Their debut album, An Awesome Wave, was the obvious choice to top my list of best music in 2012, so my hopes are once again high.
I was a bit surprised by the whole Miley Cyrus vocal loop in there, but it works. I had read about it before listening to the single and was surprised that they had any connection to her whatsoever, but I like it. And I never would have even known it's Miley Cyrus if I hadn't read about it.
But anyway, musically they've still got it. The attention to detail is as close as ever, the vocals are spot on, and I like the depth that the horns add. Based on this song, I am very excited about the new album. If only they would add Asia to their tour dates. Or my house. That would be good too.
But the new Alt-J song was just an added bonus for today. I actually wanted to write about Wildcat! Wildcat! Once again, not a new band, per se. I saw them opening for Lord Huron about a year and a half ago and really liked them, but they've only released one eponymous EP back in 2013. All of the songs are pretty good, but nothing amazing. At least, nothing to make me as excited as their name would have me assume I would be, what with the dangerous animals, repetition and exclamation points. But, good music nonetheless. Case in point, Mr. Quiche.
I'm not gonna lie, part of the reason that I chose that song instead of any of the others from the EP is because it's called Mr. Quiche. And I love quiche. Who doesn't? It is also very good, though. Especially once it builds fully towards the end.
So why share 2 year old music from a band that I wasn't overly enthusiastic about? Two reasons: because I really liked them live and have been waiting for them to do more which will excite me more, and because they just released the first single from their upcoming full length album and it does excite me much more. They'll be releasing the album, No Moon At All, in August, and the first single, Hero, is exactly what I've been waiting for from them.
So now you have 2 albums to go and pre-order (as I will be doing as soon as I get off work), and you may or may not have reason to email me for stories. I promise I will not go two more months before writing another blog. Now that I'm back in Germany for most of the next 6 weeks, I should be able to get back to my 1-2 post a week frequency.
