Favourite Albums of 2015: Whispers

Hey guys!

So this is another album that I just fell in love with in 2015, even though it came out in 2014: Whispers by Passenger. This indie pop/folk album is as much love as the previous two albums that I’ve mentioned, and it really doesn’t disappoint in terms of lyrics and melody. Passenger continues to be just amazing in terms of both songwriting and vocals. Mike’s voice is just so uniquely soothing and heartbreaking.

This is the perfect album to listen to when sitting in a coffeeshop trying to contemplate where you’re going to head next in your life, or backpacking in the Europe countryside, trying to find yourself. It’s better to think of this album as one collective set of journeys and stories than to separate individual songs, better to blur them together into one painting, but that’s my suggestion.

However, here’s my usual ranking of the songs, favourite verses included once more, so you can choose which one strikes you more:

11. Start A Fire

My cliff face is crumbling
Silently tumbling
Down to the water below
And if I light a match I’ll be able to catch
The last sun before it goes

10. Riding To New York

Through the fields of Ohio as the sunshine paints them gold.
I run just like a river runs, rapid, quick and cold.

9. Bullets

He’s been collecting since the age of nine
Every shiny bullet that he could find
Built himself a house with the wooden floors
Put the shiny bullets in a chest of drawers

8. Thunder

Hey I go chasing thunder
Go dancing under
Go falling free
Hey I go running in circles
Like baby turtles
Down to the sea
Down to the sea

7. Rolling Stone

Sometimes I feel like I’m falling
Falling fast and falling free
She said my darling you’re not falling
Always looked like you were flying to me

6. Golden Leaves

Now my dear we are two golden leaves
Clinging desperately to winter trees
Got up here like a pair of thieves
While the sirens blare outside

5. Coins in A Fountain

There’s a sad old sea but my love is an island
Wild and free like the hills in the highlands
Hope is a breeze that brings me back to dry land
Where the flowers grow

4. Whispers

Well I spent my money, I lost my friends, I broke my mobile phone,
3 a.m. and I’m drunk as hell, and I’m dancing on my own,
Taxi-cabs ain’t stopping, and I don’t know my way home,
Well it’s hard to find a reason, when all you have is doubts,
Hard to see inside yourself when can’t see your way out,
Hard to find an answer when the question won’t come out …

3. Scare Away The Dark

Well, we wish we were happier, thinner and fitter,
We wish we weren’t losers and liars and quitters
We want something more not just nasty and bitter
We want something real not just hash tags and Twitter

2. 27

27 birthdays, 27 new years
30,000 quid, just so I could have a few beers
Ever dying old hopes, ever growing new fears
Don’t know where I’m going, but I know how I got here

1. Heart’s On Fire

Well I don’t know where and I don’t know when
But I know we’ll be lovers again
I’ll see you some day before the end
I don’t know where and I don’t know when

For me, “27” and “Scare Away The Dark” seem to be echoes of one another, but not necessarily thesis and anti-thesis; they seem to be both angry-happy-sadness at what has passed and how we should be living our lives. Meanwhile “Bullets” and “Riding To New York” are clear narrative-based songs that tell stories of people who seem to have lost everything except something small they cling desperately to that keep them going.

Anywho, if you want to listen to the full album, Passenger nicely has it all up on their Youtube channel. So you can check it out here. Another album you should check out, and that I have yet to get myself acquainted to is “Whispers 2”, which is here. This one came out this year – but apparently I’m a year slow for all most of my albums.

I hope you’re enjoying these new albums so far.

Well, till next time!

cumuloq ❤

Favourite Albums of 2015: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

Hey guys!

Back with another album I absolutely fell in love with in 2015: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. I say this because the album for today is a bit of a cheatsy-doodles. It came out in August 12, 2014. But I only discovered it this year and fell in love with all the songs. Like literally all of them. I had to stop myself from inserting it into every freaking one of my Youtube playlists. I feel it warrants being in this overview of my favourite albums of 2015.

If you’ve never heard of Andrew McMahon, maybe you’ve heard of Jack’s Mannequin or maybe Something Corporate, all punk-rock bands from the 90s and 20s. He was the lead singer for those bands, and this is his wonderful indie pop baby post-punk-rock-band-days. These songs are perfect to listen to while travelling – on a train, on a bus, in a car, on a plane. The lyrics are just filled with images of long car rides, looking out of the window, missing loved ones and wonderful barren scenery.

The first song I heard off this album was “Cecilia and the Satellite” and I listened to every single version of the song over and over again. I then went to check out more of the songs in the album and loved all of them just as much.

Here’s the ranking of the songs in the album, favourite lines and verses included:

10. Canyon Moon

She couldn’t handle another season
Another ocean of fiction blue
Said a prayer to a dashboard Jesus
Death Valley and worn out shoes

9. Driving Through a Dream

Straighter than the flat line freeway
That’s the way your hair falls down
We could watch the trains from the tightrope
Chase the dark

8. Rainy Girl

The sun is coming up for me
Blackbird on a wire sings a song
So blue

7. Halls

When I left town we were heading for the altar
And I told you I’d be back before too long
Cut my hair and I found me a new girlfriend
Thought a broken heart could write a perfect song
And it did and I was right so now you’re gone

6. Black and White Movies

As the summer came and left with the rain
Pushing shadows down the road
In this old beach town when the sun goes down
All the gray turns into gold

5. High Dive

Headlight in the driveway
You stand in the window waiting
The stars are out tonight
One million fires burning

Out there on the high dive
You dance with your headphones on
And I could watch you all night long
Dancing to someone else’s song

4. See Her on The Weekend

And I’m alright, I think we’re good
Yeah, I drink more than the doctors say I should
I’ve been a little hard to reach, but my girl is at the beach
And I’ll see her on the weekend

3. Maps for the Getaway

Following the outline of your face
I can see your breath move in the dark
Through all the autopilot years
The tears of joy, the face of fear
Now that we’re not hiding
Somehow you’re still riding in my car

2. All Our Lives

I thought “If I could tell her something I would tell her this
There’s only two mistakes that I have made
It’s running from the people who could love me best
And trying to fix a world that I can’t change.”

1. Cecilia and the Satellite

Through all the things my eyes have seen
The best by far is you

As mentioned, all the lyrics are just beautiful. I guess that’s a definite criteria for me for a good album, just something with so much meaning in every line. Honestly I feel like every song in this album is almost on par with one another. Whereas Fall Out Boy’s album I could easily divide the songs I could love forever and the songs that I’m not that fond of, this album has every song fighting for attention. Even when ranking them, one particular song, “Hall”, just stood out as something special. I have a feeling that if I listened to this album just a couple more times that song will just crawl up to first and beg for attention.

If you want to listen to the full album, you can listen to it on Youtube here (though I’m not sure for how long, ’cause it’s not an official link).

Honestly, so ridiculously in love with this album and I hope you fall in love with it too if you already haven’t.

Till next time,

cumuloq ❤

Favourite Albums of 2015: American Beauty / American Psycho

Hello guys,

It’s been a real long while since I’ve actually written anything specific for my “Thursday: my soundtrack” category. But since this is December and I am doing a round-up of things here and there, let me just share some of my favourite albums from this year.

I think ever since the extinction of cassette tapes and CDs, I haven’t actually been listening to artists according to their albums anymore, which is a shame cause that’s where I usually find my favourite songs – not from their breakout singles but from one of their other tracks. I have the habit of falling in love with the second last or last song in an album. Don’t ask me why, but I do.

For Fall Out Boy’s new album “American Beauty / American Psycho”, I just had to listen to the entire album – especially since they released the songs one after the other one night on Youtube and the lyrics were just so sharp and the melodies so catchy. Fall Out Boy has definitely solidified their place as such reliably amazing album churners.

So here’s my ranking of their songs off the album:

11. Fourth of July
10. American Beauty / American Psycho
9. Uma Thurman
8. Novocaine
7. Favourite Record
6. Irresistible
5. Centuries
4. Twin Skeleton’s (Hotel in NYC)
3. Immortals
2. Jet Pack Blues
1. The Kids Aren’t Alright

Honestly, I think number 6, “Irresistible”, onwards are just absolutely solid tracks that I would listen to again and again. “The Kids Aren’t Alright” and “Jet Pack Blues” are amazing emotional pop-rock ballads and “Immortals”, “Twin Skeleton’s” and “Centuries” are fist-pumping rock finishers that I’d be happy to dance to at the beginning or the end of a concert. And I won’t discount the rest either, ’cause if there’s anything I’ve learnt from Fall Out Boy albums, the more I listen to them, the more those forgotten tracks slowly crawl up to favourite status and the more the most immediately loved ones fall behind … or should I say out? Get it? Okay, I’ll stop.

You can listen to their entire album on their Youtube page, and remixes of the tracks above too. So check that out.

And till next time!

cumuloq ❤

Ranking the Songs from Taylor Swift’s Album “1989”

Forbes.com

Hey everyone!

I realise I usually never post anything related to music on Thursdays – even though I have an entire day reserved for it. So today I thought I’d go ahead and rank my favourite songs off of Taylor Swift’s Deluxe Album “1989”. So here they are:

16. Wonderland
15. Wildest Dreams
14. Shake It Off
13. Bad Blood
12. New Romantics
11. How You Get the Girl
10. I Know Places
9. Style
8. Welcome to New York
7. I Wish You Would
6. Out of the Woods
5. Blank Space
4. You Are In Love
3. All You Had to Do Was Stay
2. This Love
1. Clean

“Clean” was kind of an instant favourite. I remember only listening to 10 seconds of it on iTunes and immediately loving it. Click here to listen to Ingrid Michaelson performing a cover of it. ❤

“This Love” kind of slowly crawled its way up as a favourite and took me by surprise. It’s just soothing to listen to on the bus ride at 9pm to my hall dorm. “You Are In Love” is more experimental is better in a quiet room where you can really think of the negative spaces in the song (can negative spaces apply to music? I just did ..)

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

Songs to Refresh Your Week

Mid-weeks are rarely fun. All the work you refused to do in the beginning of the week is biting you in the behind (keeping it PG here), people pushing you for deadlines, asking you questions you guiltily have no answers to, and then you still have more days before this week ends.

Here are a few songs that hope to make it all better.

For the Early Mornings

Great Escape – Mike Dignam

A UK singer and songwriter for your ears. If you like this song, I strongly suggest that you make the rest of his songs your anthem for this mid-week. I recommend the song “Young” as well.  Check them out at his Youtube channel.

Talking Dreams – Echosmith

Echosmith, an indie pop band from LA, is currently my go-to music fix. Sydney is unbearably gorgeous and her brothers, Jamie, Noah and Graham, are solid players. They’ve been getting quite a lot of hype recently ’cause of their single “Cool Kids” – but I think “Talking Dreams” and some of their other songs are deserving of more limelight.

For the Late Nights

Raise Your Love – Rhodes

RHODES is another talented musician from the UK. His more popular song is “Breathe” which is amazing beyond belief, but I thought I’d share his performance of “Raise Your Love” under the Mahogany Sessions instead because it really showcases his unique voice.

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

5 Songs I Keep Going Back to Lately

These are the songs that I currently continuously hum or just end up singing. They range from the most random, the most loved and the most embarrassing. So consider this a mini-guide of all the songs I’m probably humming under my breath these days – just ’cause they keep getting stuck in my head.

1. Amnesia – 5 Seconds of Summer

I listened to this like crazy on repeat – all the various covers of this a week or so ago. Now I keep singing it. I even had a dream where I learnt all the guitar chords and woke up pretty disappointed that I didn’t. So, yes, this would probably be the one that is stuck in my head a lot these days.

2. This Will Be the Day – Jeff Williams feat. Casey Lee Williams

I have no idea why, but it seems like there is a trend of me humming this one when I’m going up and down the stairs in my uni’s dorm and only during those times.

3. Belle (Little Town) – Beauty and the Beast

I have this new mug that has Belle stepping into the TARDIS, and when I look at it I always end up singing the reprise version of this song, “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, I want it more than I can tell!” And this eventually ends up with me singing the original one. My favourite verse is when she’s sitting by the fountain and telling the sheep her favourite book, “Oh, isn’t this amazing? It’s my favourite part because, you see, when she meets Prince Charming, but she doesn’t realise it’s him till chapter three!” (I probably got parts of that wrong ’cause I was writing it off the top of my head – yes, singing as well.)

4. Game of Thrones Opening

My boyfriend caught me humming this recently. And yeah, I pretty much just go “dun dun dunna dun dun dunna dun dun dunna dun dun – dun dun dunnan dun dunnanan …”

5. Little Things – One Direction

And I round it off with another embarrassing boy band song that I like to sing alone in my room. This one just comes to me every so often these days. And it usually starts with “You won’t go to bed without a cup of tea” – when I’m making myself a cup of tea or drinking it.

Well, what songs to do you hum lately? Let me know! 🙂

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

5 Songs for A Quiet Night Alone

Since it’s been my (duly deserved) two weeks break this June, I’ve been searching for relaxing alternative music for my quiet nights alone, for blogging, or just scrolling down my dashboard on Tumblr, or for playing Peggle. So, I thought I’d like to share with you some of my finds.

These are five songs that I consider awesome to play on repeat for those nights when you’re up till three in the morning, those nights when you’re left with only you and your thoughts, and when you feel a little like your old teenage self again – questioning where you want to head in life, and wondering whether you’ve done everything right.

Oh, and I’d like to thank Teen Wolf for inspiring me with this playlist, ’cause frankly it was ’cause of looking up Mikky Ekko songs that the first song appeared on my Youtube homepage …

1. Whirlpool by Sea Wolf

2. Tenenbaum by The Paper Kites

3. Feel Real by Deptford Goth

4. Get Me Golden by Terraplane Sun

5. Nothing Like You and I by The Perishers

I’ve actually collected quite a few solid tunes into a playlist that I can listen to on loop at night. It’s like having friends in my headphones while the entire house is asleep. Yup, I’m an absolute night owl when it comes to holidays. My entire sleeping schedule just goes head over heels.

So, this one is for all the night owls. Hoot hoot.

cumuloq ❤

5 Songs for Your Summer Track

June’s the time for summer soundtracks, summer blockbusters and incredible memories. So here are five songs to kick off your summer. And here is my formula for the perfect summer soundtrack:

1. Summer Forever – Megan Nicole

First song I thought of for a summer track. A great pop, sing-a-long in your car kind of anthem. And an easy please for everyone. So for this kind of song the catchier the better, but also the more obscure the better too. It should be a song that brings you and your friends back to this particular summer and that you can instantly figure out the lyrics and sing together in your car at the top of your lungs. Other great picks include Sam Tsui’s “Wherever You Are” and Christina Grimmie’s “Feelin’ Good“.

2. Sundress – Landon Austin

For anyone who is having a summer fling or just wants to feel special, this song is perfect for feeling good about yourself, getting ready before you go out. “Summertime wouldn’t be the same without her”. This time of the year is perfect not only to fall in love but to fall in love with songs about falling in love. If “Sundress” isn’t for you, you could always add TFIOS-trending “All of the Stars” by Ed Sheeran into your mixtape.

3. Infinity – Against the Current

Somewhere in your soundtrack you need a “now or never” kind of song. The kind of song where you just need to feel like a rebellious teenager doing dangerous things – to scream your lungs out. Such as this song. For me, teenage rebellion and summer will always be Yellowcard’s “Ocean Avenue”.

4. Coins in a Fountain – Passenger

And then you need the complete opposite of that, a song for sitting back in the grass or the sand and looking up at the sky, contemplating how far you’ve come and how far you’ve got to go, while Michael Rosenberg’s caramel voice tells you how “love is the last unicorn”.

5. Good Time – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen (Kevin Charm remix)

And another great addition to any summer track, i.e. a remix of one of your favourite summer anthems. For me, I love “Good Time” by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen. Or, if that’s not your cup of tea, how about a 5 Seconds of Summer remix of “She Looks So Perfect”?

So a recap of the formula:

1. An obvious summer, singing-in-your-car anthem
2. A summer fling song
3. An “I’m-a-teenager”/”YOLO” song
4. A slow song for the stars
5. A remix of a solid mainstream song you love

Hope my formula gives you some inspiration towards your own summer mixtape!

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

The Unconventional Christmas Playlist

Over the past few years I’ve accumulated a number of Christmas songs on youtube that aren’t very conventional. They’re either acoustic, not traditional, not from their original artist or just not the ones you expect to hear in your local mall or on the radio. Today I’d like to share with you this playlist. And yes, there are two versions of “All I Want For Christmas” – but that’s only because the two versions I’ve got here are so different they can practically be two different songs. Oh, and that’s Chrissy from Against the Current. She’s just awesome.

1. Christmas Must be Something More – Taylor Swift
2. Next Christmas Eve – Alex Goot
3. On This Winter’s Night – Lady Antebellum
4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Colbie Caillat
5. Shake Up Christmas – Train
6. Christmases When You Were Mine – Taylor Swift
7. December Nights – Drew Tabor
8. White Wine in the Sun – Kate Miller-Heidke
9. All I Want For Christmas is You – Dan Henig Ft. Chris DuPont
10. Santa Baby – Megan Nicole
11. Last Christmas – Ariana Grande
12. Winter Wonderland – Jason Mraz
13. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) – Kina Grannis and Joseph Vincent
14. All I Want For Christmas is You – Against the Current

I hope these tunes make your Christmas more merry! Or, alternatively, I hope that there is a Christmas song that you can relate to. Maybe traditional Christmases aren’t your thing and you need a song that fits the month but not the moment. 🙂

Till next time,

cumuloq ❤

Related articles

• Cold December Nights: A Christmas Playlist (roseleablog.com)
• Ten Pop Christmas Songs For A Unique Playlist (kiss951.cbslocal.com)
• The Most Essential Christmas Songs for Your December Playlist (gonedigging.co.uk)
• The Best Christmas Songs You’ve Never Heard Part III (adoptingjames.wordpress.com)

A Soundtrack of Ages

Somehow it came across my mind that, at this point in time, almost all ages have been sung about. So I decided to go ahead and find what they were (and whether all of them were sung by Taylor Swift). Here’s the soundtrack of songs titled after an age:

1. Thirteen – Big Star
2. Fourteen – Hawk Nelson
3. Fifteen – Taylor Swift
4. Sweet Sixteen – Hilary Duff
5. Seventeen Forever – Metro Station
6. I’m Eighteen – Alice Cooper
7. Not Nineteen Forever – The Courteeners
8. Twentysomething – Jamie Cullum
9. Twenty-One – Corey Smith
10. 22 – Taylor Swift
11. Twenty Three (Acoustic) – Yellowcard

Have I missed your age out? Let me know in the comments!

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

A Playlist for the Apocalypse

Sometimes when I’m planning  a novel I go a bit too far to create an atmosphere for my story. One way I do this is through creating a playlist. One overall theme that I’m familiar with and have tried to create during my writing process is the apocalyptic, conquer the world atmosphere, the one that requires a bad-ass (usually) female protagonist and a dystopian/dark universe around her. These are the go-to songs for me in writing such stories:

1. Radioactive – Imagine Dragons
2. Make Me Wanna Die – The Pretty Reckless
3. Salute Your Solution – The Raconteurs
4. Cold Dark World – Weezer
5. Burning Years – Story Of The Year
6. Prelude 12/21 – AFI
7. We Are Broken – Paramore
8. Royals – LORDE

Of course, I believe there’s more than one way you can capture an apocalypse through sound. The most typical is the gun’s blazing one above – a “children of the new world” sort of way.

Another way to create an apocalyptic soundtrack is via music that is entirely reminiscent of the past, like old country music or old rock e.g. Zombieland or Wall-E. A story that pushes society towards the future but incorporates songs or elements from the past conveys a very powerful message, in my opinion. It encapsulates a loss and desperate need to preserve humanity. After all, humans are natural curators, hoarders of memories, and music is one way to suggest that while we move forward in time we also have to move further back in time as well to understand ourselves.

So, what is your end-of-the-world song? If you realised that the whole world was going up in flames and you knew your last few seconds were nigh, what song do you want to play in the background? Let me know in the comment section.

Till next time,

cumuloq ❤

Photo credits: SethPDA

Playlist for the Broken-Hearted Musical Lover

Sitting in the grand theatre, staring down at the stage where a small spot of a young teenage girl is pouring her heart out in song  – you can’t help but feel chills down your spine and goosebumps up your arm. There is nothing more dramatic and heart-wrenching than a beautiful solo from the stage of Broadway. So for those suffering from a broken heart, unrequited love, or just looking to hear a tragic melody these songs are definitely a quick fix.

‘Cause face it, you die a little like Eponine, Kim or Elphaba when you’re placed in a world where your good is not good enough and all you feel like doing is breaking out in song (and yet you never have the range or tone to achieve it).

1. On My Own – Les Miserables
2. I’m Not That Girl – Wicked
3. Now That I’ve Seen Her – Miss Saigon
4. If I Can’t Love Her – Beauty and the Beast
5. You Must Love Me – Evita
6. Out Here on My Own – Fame
7. The Coolest Girl – A Very Potter Sequel
8. The Way I Do – Starship

Or, alternatively, I guess a movie musical marathon would be just as amazing for an emotional break-up day or PMS day – what have you. Ice-cream and chips included. Or, you can cry due to the fact that your favourite musicals aren’t made into movies yet. Or, you could cry out in the comment section that I haven’t chosen your favourite musical break-up/unrequited love song – at which I would like to apologise ’cause my Broadway vocabulary isn’t as amazing as I wish it could be.

So till next time!

cumuloq ❤

The Formula to the Perfect Mix?

I was scrolling down my tumblr and I came across this post (for main source click on the photo):

And I thought, why not? So here’s me following the formula. Let’s see if it makes for a good rounded mix.

And since this song list needs to be dedicated to a particular person, I thought I’d dedicate this one to my awesome friend in Texas to whom I’ve never understood her music taste, but will gladly attempt to with this mixtape. (Just like I did when I gave her a mixtape when as a farewell and good luck present.) So here it is.

1. Laserlight – Jessie J feat David Guetta
2. Don’t You Worry Child (Cover) – Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider
3. Love the Way You Lie (Part 2) – Rihanna feat Eminem
4. Me and My Girls – Fifth Harmony
5. Since U Been Gone – Pitch Perfect
6. For the Longest Time – Glee
7. Baby (Cover) – Kina Grannis
8. Video Killed the Radio Star – The Buggles
9. White Wine in the Sun (Cover) – Kate Miller-Heidke
10. Three Flights Up (Instrumental) – Yellowcard

I opened all these songs and made them into a playlist on Youtube. It might not make much sense and honestly turned out a bit too eclectic for my liking, but I hope she likes nonetheless.

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

7 Songs Remixed Better

There are tons of mainstream music out there these days that are being remixed or given the permission to get remixed into awesome fresh versions that somehow make you tolerate certain tunes better. Artists that I follow on Youtube like Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez are known to post remixed versions of their songs right after they release the songs off their new album. And I appreciate that creative freedom they’re giving to other artists out there.

So, without much ado, here is a soundtrack of familiar songs transformed into their heavy bass alter egos. And it begins with …

1. Pom Poms by Jonas Brothers – JOMG Trap Remix

… the song that inspired this entire soundtrack. indabamusic recently held a contest for artists to remix “Pom Poms” by the Jonas Brothers with the grand prize being a $1000, autographed gear and to be featured by the band itself. This was not the winner of the contest, but recently, thanks to public exposure as background music of many Youtubers’ videos this remix has been gaining some attention. I instantly heard it on AndreasChoice‘s latest video and knew that it was not one of the originals, but was definitely catchy and an improvement on the original.

2. Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey – Myon & Shane 54 Summer of Love Remix

Once again, I heard this track from a Youtuber, this time it was iHasCupquake. She publicised this song as one of her monthly favourites. After listening to this song too many times while waiting for my movie to start in the cinemas (’cause it is apparently on The Great Gatsby soundtrack), this song has definitely grown weary to my ears. But this new beat definitely puts a fresh perspective to it.

3. Naturally by Selena Gomez & the Scene – Dave Audé Remix

This one’s an oldy but a goody. I remember I used to always listen to this version of Naturally instead of the original ’cause I loved the running hook … I don’t know the exact terminology here (help!). But this is always fun to listen to, on loop, in the background, while I was doing other things – like writing this blog post. I’ve tried other remixes of this song, but this one has definitely sold itself as my favourite one.

4. Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding – Flinch Remix

Goulding’s songs are honestly a remix dream. The part right after the chorus each time is just a match made in heaven with her rifts and the beat together. If you’ve listened to the original or the cover done by Fifth Harmony – well either way – just check this remix out. It doesn’t butcher the song or the melody. It just makes it a lot more badass. Oh, and you should check out more of the remixes on the UNITEDubstep channel. Their choices are pretty solid.

5. Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri – Dash Berlin Bootleg Remix

Who would have thought that a song about a break-up by Christina Perri could make an awesome dance beat? Well, this version of the song definitely proves that it is possible. And I think some props needs to be given to Christina Novelli who actually provides the voice for this version of the song. I kind of prefer it. Christina Perri’s voice is more suited for the slow emotional ballads ’cause of the rustiness to her tone. Novelli’s voice here is smoother and makes for this remix to be more of ear candy.

6. Clarity by Zedd featuring Foxes – Vicetone Remix

And on the same channel, Proximity, I stumble across this gem. I’ve been looking for an awesome Clarity remix for a while now. A lot of them really just cover the entire track with beats and makes it sound like a hammer is killing cats. This one is just beautiful. I love the beats that sound like their from old school Mario video games. This one is a choice example of it. I love the hook to this one (I’m just going to keep calling them hooks till someone corrects me)! Damn, one of the best finds of tonight.

7. Best Song Ever by One Direction – Kat Krazy Remix

I don’t know why I was so adamant to find a good One Direction remix … but here it is! And I really do love it. The chorus has a lot more bite here than in the original. I could dance to this one.

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

Top 10 Best 90’s Cartoon Theme Songs

This blog post is in response to SourceFedNERD‘s Top 10 Best 90’s Cartoon Theme Songs! And while I respect Steve’s own subjective list, I do not agree that those cartoon theme songs make up the songs of the 90’s kid’s generation … nor can I sing any of the songs that he has mentioned off the top of my head (and I will never find those songs stuck in my head). And why does my list matter? ‘Cause I grew up as a 90’s kid. If anything, I’m the most appropriate 90’s kid, ’cause I was born in 1990 (on the dot). Granted, songs that probably were around in 1990-1993 will probably go over my head as a baby or toddler, I still feel like I am part of a generation who is more affiliated with the 90s than Steve was.

So here is my list of the top 10 best 90’s Cartoon Theme Songs. Each song chosen is from an “animated television show” that was first aired in the 90’s. It follows this Wiki List: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animated_television_series_of_the_1990s. And a disclaimer, while I do feel like my list may better sum up the 90’s kid’s list, it is still very subjective to the cartoons I watched and loved – I will definitely and inevitably miss some of your favourites (and that is what comments are for):

Honorable Mentions:

First, here are a few honorable mentions. These are either theme songs that just weren’t part of my favourite TV shows but are still probably very close to someone else’s heart, or songs that I don’t find nearly as catchy as others.

13. Dragon Ball Z (90s)

12. Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1993)

11. Cow and Chicken (1997)

And on to the official top ten!

10. Rocket Power (1999)

9. CatDog (1998)

8. Rugrats (1991)

7. The Pink Panther (1993)

6. Bob the Builder (1998)

5. Pinky and the Brain (1995)

4. Sailor Moon (1992)

3. Digimon (1999)

2. Spongebob Squarepants (1999)

1. Pokemon (1997)

I really have a soft spot for the Japanese Anime theme songs. I think, apart from Spongebob Squarepants, and a few Cartoon Network series, they really have a niche for making super rocking intros that, as a child, I’d sing along to with my brother all the time. Either way, this was fun! Maybe I’ll make a 20’s edition of this list some time. 🙂

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

My Favourite Youtube Covers

Today was a long day spent, but a happy one! I got to go see my two roommates at their convocation and in their graduation gowns. So this soundtrack list is dedicated to my first roommate, with whom I used to watch so many Youtube covers with. Sometimes she sends me links of new covers that just make me smile and I will do the same.

Also consider it a tribute, ’cause I’m sure, thanks to the increasing Youtube copyrights and laws, a lot of covers nowadays will be taken off or discouraged. (Yes, I’m upset that Minecraft Style was taken from CaptainSparklez and that The Fergies aren’t given the freedom to make covers anymore.)

1. Just Give Me A Reason cover – Michael Henry & Justin Robinett
2. The A Team – Ed Sheeran cover – Megan Nicole
3. Game of Thrones Violin cover – JasonYangViolin
4. Faithfully cover – Boyce Avenue
5. You’re the one that I want cover – Angus & Julia Stone
6. I Won’t Give Up cover – Alyssa Bernal
7. Ours cover – Ryan Bradford
8. The Story of Us cover – Jake Coco and Alex G
9. Landslide cover – Alex G
10. Marry Me cover – Alex G ft. AlFord
11. Hold My Hand cover – Megan Nicole
12. Firework cover – Kina Grannis
13. Just A Dream cover – Sam Tsui & Christina Grimmie
14. Speak Now cover – Jake Coco
15. DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love – Christina Grimmie & Alex Goot
16. If I Die Young cover – Sam Tsui
17. Love The Way You Lie cover – Sam Tsui
18. Baby cover – Kina Grannis
19. Breathe cover – Phil Schawel
20. Officially Missing You (cover) – Jayesslee
21. Imagine cover – Sean Murphy
22. Runaway cover – krissysings

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

My Favourite Glee Songs

Since this week my blog has centered a lot on Glee due to Cory’s untimely death, I thought it was apt for me to share my favourite songs from the past four Glee seasons. Honestly, it was tough deciding, ’cause I didn’t think that I had so many that I loved. Usually in a series there would be maybe just that one song that stood out the most for me. But then again, Glee has covered a lot of songs. And while there were episodes that I just did not like any of the songs (*cough* “The Spanish Teacher“), there were those episodes that had too many songs that were great. At first I ended up with a soundtrack list of more than thirty songs. But somehow, after much deliberation, I managed to narrow it down.

1. Somebody To Love – New Directions (S1 E5 “The Rhodes Not Taken“)
2. Keep Holding On – New Directions (S1 E7 “Throwdown“)
3. Poker Face – Rachel Berry and Shelby Corcoran (S1 E20 “Theatricality“)
4. Faithfully – New Directions (S1 E22 “Journey to Regionals“)
5. I Want To Hold Your Hand – Kurt Hummel (S2 E3  “Grilled Cheesus“)
6. Silly Love Songs – Dalton Academy Warblers (S2 E12 “Silly Love Songs“)
7. Landslide – Holly Holliday with Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce (S2 E15 “Sexy“)
8. Get It Right – Rachel Berry with Brittany Pierce, Tina Cohen-Chang and New Directions females (S2 E16 “Original Song“)
9. Somewhere Only We Know – Dalton Academy Warblers (S2 E18 “Born This Way“)
10. My Cup – Brittany Pierce and Artie Abrams (S2 E22 “New York“)
11. For Good – Rachel Berry and Kurt Hummel (S2 E22 “New York“)
12. Fix You – Will Schuester and New Directions (S3 E3 “Asian F“)
13. Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Finn Hudson with New Directions males (S3 E7 “I Kissed a Girl“)
14. We Are Young – New Directions (S3 E8 “Hold on to Sixteen“)
15. Without You – Rachel Berry (S3 E10 “Yes/No“)
16. Smooth Criminal – Sebastian Smythe and Santana Lopez with the Dalton Cellists (S3 E11 “Michael“)
17. Shake It Out – Santana Lopez, Tina Cohen-Chang and Mercedes Jones (S3 E18 “Choke“)
18. Roots Before Branches – Rachel Berry with Finn Hudson (S3 E22 “Goodbye“)
19. 3 – Tina Cohen-Chang, Joe Hart and Sam Evans (S4 E2 “Britney 2.0“)
20. Crazy / (You Drive Me) Crazy – Marley Rose and Jake Puckerman (S4 E2 “Britney 2.0“)
21. Some Nights – New Directions (S4 E7 “Dynamic Duets“)
22. A Thousand Years, Pt 2 – Marley Rose and Jake Puckerman (S4 E12 “Naked“)
23. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself) – Jake Puckerman (S4 E12 “Naked“)
24. Your Song – Ryder Lynn (S4 E18 “Shooting Star“)
25. You Have More Friends Than You Know – Marley Rose, Blaine Anderson, Wade “Unique” Adams and Sam Evans (S4 E19 “Sweet Dreams“)

Stay strong, gleeks. Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

A Mixtape for the Road

Sometimes a long distance travel is made all the better with good tunes. Some of my most calming yet thought-provoking moments involved me sitting at the backseat listening to music and looking out at the scenery pass me by. It always makes me feel like I’m in my own music video. No wonder so many music videos just show someone staring out the window at the open road and trees passing by them.

So here are a few tunes that have stood out to me because I remember them from long drives in the past, whether it was when I was heading up the mountains in Indonesia, or to the pristine and isolated beaches of Queensland, Australia, they have just stood out as songs that make me feel like I’m getting somewhere or just really good tracks for sitting back in the car:

1. The Gift – Angels & Airwaves

2. Hold on When You Get Love and Let Go When you Give It – Stars

3. She Moves In Her Own Way – The Kooks

4. Still Into You – Paramore

5. Run For Your Life – The Fray

6. Open Your Eyes – Snow Patrol

7. Big Jet Plane – Angus and Julia Stone

8. Another Sunny Day – Belle and Sebastian

9. The Summer – Josh Pyke

10. Caught in the Crowd – Kate Miller-Heidke

11. Neopolitan Dreams – Lisa Mitchell

12. The Riddle – Five for Fighting

13. Young Folks – Peter, Bjorn & John

Damn, I need to make this a real mixtape and play it on loop now that I think of it.

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

My Pretty Little Liars Mix

Pretty Little Liars is not only filled with pretty co-stars. It’s filled with pretty music (some pretty creepy too). If anything, I think the pilot for the series was more like a music video than an episode in itself with a whopping number of 16 songs in it, more than probably an episode of Glee. Every moment there was no speech, it was pretty much filled with a song – which both irritated me and had me looking up all the artists of those tunes.

 

So, here is my own compiled list of Pretty Little Liar songs:

1. Hi, Hi, Hi – Shelly Fraley
2. Leave It All Behind – Allie Moss
3. After All – Ben Rector
4. Crazy – Katie Herzig
5. Closer to You – Jaylene Johnson
6. Whispers – Dave Baxter
7. Turn Our Eyes Away – Trent Dabbs & Ruby Amanfu
8. Only You – Matthew Perryman Jones
9. You Know It’s True – Jules Larson
10. Can’t Go Back Now – The Weepies
11. Try – Zach Berkman
12. Safer In The Dark – Adam Agin

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤