Music Monthly: January 2013

Music Monthly is a blog series that I started bilingually at my previous blog, last year. It kind of fell apart in the second half of the year, but still, if you feel like checking those posts out, you will find them here. I am reposting January and February of this year on Dance the Drizzle, because I want to start afresh and have all of 2013 together at one place.

To explain what Music Monthly is about: more or less regular posts somehow summarizing my musical experience of the previous month. As I was looking back at 2011, I realized that what you go through in life often reflects in the songs that keep you company. And through these songs that are with you in your good times and in bad, you build a relationship to a new interpret or a new style of music that you haven’t listened to before. So this will be a monthly insight into what songs have caught my attention and why, which ones got stuck in my head, etc. :) What’s in it for you? A collection of songs, both old and new, that you might or might not know. And if you take the trouble and dare to look under the surface, you might find out something about me. If you want to, that is ;)

Kind of revisiting the Cheryl Cole wave I had at the end of 2012, yet again, I start the new year with a song full of energy and dance. It’s called Call My Name and I give you one of the live performances, which pay less attention to detailed shots of the gorgeous leading lady’s curvaceous body, and more attention to the super cool dance routine. The moves have such a nice retro vibe :)

P.S. Cheryl is a damn good dancer. she does all that on heels, ladies and gentlemen.

Next up: Turn Around by dance music duo Phats & Small. Apparently, the song has been a big hit in 1999. I don’t understand how I could have missed such a great tune and only discover it now. The bass line is groovy and addictive. Not to mention that I “got to turn around.”

A song I’m throwing in just for good measure, because it’s interesting. Rudimental feat. John Newman.

Ok: Bruno Mars. Even though I dislike the majority of his singles (usually for stupid lyrics or uninventive melody, or both), it happens every now and then that I catch a video of his live performance: and it’s so brilliantly good that it makes me respect him as an artist. This song I kind of liked even before I saw it. Heard a bit of it on the radio, and it sounded different to the old Bruno stuff we’ve been hearing. And then I saw him perform it with his band. I like the band, like the moves, like the song, like the everything!!!

Saving the best till the very end, I will always remember January 2013 as the month when I went to see my first film in 3D, and the film was rememberable (among other things) for its music. Yes, I’m talking about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey! Howard Shore fulfilled the expectations and delivered yet another gripping film score. You, my dear friends, will have the pleasure of hearing 2 songs that appear in the film. Yes, this is a 2-in-1 package :) First, a snippet of the dwarven ballad, Misty Mountains, that is so brilliantly performed by the very talented cast :) If you’ve read your Hobbit, you will recognize the words as one the songs Tolkien included in the text.

Second, based on the same theme, the original song written for the credits: The Song of the Lonely Mountain, performed by a kiwi recording artist Neil Finn & band. The lyrics are loosely based on the verse written by Tolkien and they explore the theme of the dwarves’ journey to reclaim their lost homeland and treasure. Not much to relate to at first glance,… However, I believe that at one point or another, most of us have had to fight for something that has been taken away from us: be it our freedom, our innocence, or identity … I don’t know about you, but every now and then I have to stand up and fight for who I am, fight for my own Lonely Mountain. And this song is like an ancient battle cry that helps me win. ok, I’m getting a little bit medieval now. Listen to the song instead:

This will all make slightly more sense if you get to read it reagularly every month. Usually it's about 5 tracks and more or less words in between. I'll be posting February soon and then you can look forward to March edition which is just around the corner. See you soon!