Music Monthly: May 2013

I admit, under the current circumstances in my country it is really hard for me to sit down and write something cheery about the great songs that I listened to last month. My lovely hometown of Prague is being flooded. Luckily nobody I know is in immediate danger, and although I live only a couple of streets from the river, it is very very unlikely that the water would reach us. I am safe, but it is still an immensely frustrating and depressing situation. Imagine that somebody you live is being savagely attacked and beaten up, and you can do nothing to stop it. You just have to wait. That's how it feels :( However, I'm trying to "keep calm and carry on" - e.g. write my regular blog post. I owe it to the good songs that are on my list and I owe it to May for being a quite cheerful and lovely month for me. All because after 2 and a half months I was finally fit enough to slowly start going out and actually doing things and being with people and stuff :) Read on for Daft Punk, Charlie Straight and more!

All right, beginning of May, and no. 1 in the UK Official Chart was Daft Punk's new single "Get Lucky". I know about this because on most Sunday nights I listen to Dan and Phil's show on Radio 1 (and watch it), which is on just after the Chart show and they always mention the new no.1 single. So technically I should thank Dan and Phil for introducing me to this song. One week, I don't remember when exactly, "Get Lucky" was riding high in the charts without an official music video. Poor little song. Solution? Ask Dan and Phil and their audience to make one! You can watch the result below :) It's one of those slightly odd, yet immensely warm and fun videos. I simply love the general idea, the interactivity of a radio station that gets their audience creatively involved, even if it's just for a silly little video. So this is how I got properly introduced to Daft Punk and their new album, Random Access Memories (out now) and I love what I hear. If I had any spare money, I would be buying the record and dancing my sorrows away to the electronic disco sound, which pays tribute to the 70's/80's music with some loooovely instrumentation. Yes, you read correctly, most of that is real instruments played by real musicians. Innit great? :D

In other news: What kind of a Take That fan would I be if I didn't mention Mark Owen's new solo project? Eight years since his last solo album, this new baby is mysteriously titled The Art of Doing Nothing and it is out this coming Monday, 10th June. Oooh, how very topical! :) The first single, "Stars" is accompanied by an astronautical music video, which was just by the way shot in Berlin, and it sounds... honest, raw and deep, just as anything that Mark ever does. I am not gonna lie, I miss Take That as a band terribly, but I am so proud of MarkO and so happy for him that he went out there again. Now I will just keep my fingers crossed and hope that the album will get the rightful attention it deserves.

How long has it been since I featured a Czech artist on here? I can't even remember. Although with this band, I bet you wouldn't guess they're Czech. Not by the sound. Because they sound nothing like any of the other Czech bands! Seriously, this is as good as it gets here. If any of our bands can make it outside of our tiny little country, it's Charlie Straight. Not only because of their music which is kind of retro britpop-y, but fresh at the same time, but also because they sing in good english. Honestly, big thumbs up for that! It's a relief for me to hear a Czech singer whose english doesn't make me cringe or embarrassingly apologize that my country produces such people. *Winky face and kudos to Albert; apologies to everyone who is not naturally talented in languages. I am not judging you, I just happen to have ridiculously high standards when it comes to english. Sorry O:-)* Sooo, that's why Charlie Straight are an exciting band to me. And here is their latest single, first to be released in the UK, called "I Sleep Alone", where they've teamed up with another famous Czech musician, Marketa Irglova. Enjoy :)

Do you you know what's funny? When you randomly discover a band or an artist who have been around for years without you realizing, and then in a couple of months they have a new album out. Yay! Apparently, Empire of the Sun are releasing one just now. Why not listen to the new single then? Just a friendly note: do not try too hard to make any sense of what you are about to see. It's Empire of the Sun ;)

The last song in May edition is probably the only one that is not very fresh and up to date. It's the good old Olly Murs (feat. Flo Rida) with "Troublemaker". It has been out since October last year and since then I have been thoroughly enjoying it. However there is a special reason for why it makes an appearance in Music Monthly just now. In the second half of May I have been slightly obsessed with following the current season of Dancing With the Stars (US version of Strictly Come Dancing). Coincidentally, this video of the song features my favourite couple in the competition, who are some of the most talented and inspiring people I've ever seen. It will never cease to amaze me how through the magic of the internet you can be inspired by things and people on the other side of the world. Also, as my poorly body has been getting better and better, towards the end of the month I was actually able to jump up and dance around the flat whenever I heard "Troublemaker" on the radio.

The cheery and lovely month of May is over then. On to June... with mud covering cities and villages across my homeland, contaminated water sources, lots and lots of possessions destroyed beyond repair... Chin up, and on we go fighting!

If you have anything to say about the music or the words, please please please say it in the comments below. Also, if you like it, feel free to share this article on your preferred social network, I would appreciate it :) Until next time, xx.