SUPER SONG SUNDAY // READING TOP 5 PLAYLIST

I saw so many great acts in Reading festival it was hard to do a top 5 but alas here it is. If you enjoy listening to these 5 acts as much as I enjoyed watching them last month then I'm sure you're having a great time :)

#1 Biffy Clyro

I was expecting Biffy Clyro to be great, I mean why else would they be headlining one of the biggest festivals in the world but they were so much more than great. I have been a fan for a while and after missing out on tickets to see them in Cardiff earlier this year I was looking forward to seeing them live even more. From the moment they came on stage to the very last chord they were incredible. From Different People to Biblical, Bubbles to a beautiful acoustic version of Machines and a resounding version of The Captain which ended in a crescendo of a flaming guitar. It was fitting that the Scottish rockers finished their headlining set with the song that sky rocketed them to the top of British rock 'n' roll - Mountains. As Simon and the band headed offstage with arms around each other all of us headed back to our tents speechless while trying to get our heads around what we just witnessed.

#2 Green Day

I discovered that Green Day were headlining after I had purchased my tickets and I was so happy when I found out that the American punk rockers were to grace the stage at Reading and I'd be there to witness it. After the release of American Idiot almost 10 years ago I have been massive fans of Billie Joe Armstrong and the band so It was a big understatement to say that I was excited to see them live a few weeks ago. Kicking off with 99 Revolutions before pulling a fan onstage to sing the final chorus of Know Your Enemy, the band went on to play the whole 1994 Dookie album as well as performing crowd pleasers such as Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me Up When September Ends and Welcome to Paradise. American Idiot and the marathon Jesus of Suburbia made up the encore before BJ Armstrong was left on the stage holding an acoustic guitar leaving the crowds to go back to their tents with the sound of Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) ringing in their ears.

#3 The Strypes

I had been looking forward to watching this young Irish band for months - since I heard them back on Jools Holland's show back around Easter time and they most certainly did not disappoint. I just don't understand how they can be so cool - that is an accomplishment in itself -  and their performance was one of my personal highlights of the weekend. Playing both rhythm and blues covers as well as their own stuff from their new album Snapshot which is released on the 9th of September (tomorrow). Blue Collar Jane, What A Shame and You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover are some of my favourite tracks off the their debut album. Expect great things from these Irish guys in the next few months/years.

#4 Imagine Dragons

I was admittedly quite late jumping on the Imagine Dragons train but thank God I did. I was mostly looking forward to hearing Radioactive live and even though it was amazing live, the whole set was great - miles better than what I expected. Cha-Ching (Till We Grow Older), Amsterdam and Tiptoe all of which are off the band's debut album Night Visions all got the overflowing tent singing and jumping in unison. A great set with incredible atmosphere.

#5 Nine Inch Nails

I had been thinking about listening to some of the legendary rock/metal band material before heading to Reading because I had heard that there stuff was great and that their new album was superb but because of certain things I didn't quite get around to hearing some of their music. However, this did not stop me from loving their performance on Sunday night as we stood waiting for Biffy to come onstage. Even though their stuff is quite heavy I found listening to them incredibly relaxing and despite some of the things the band's front man, Trent Razor, stated in the press I've become a fan of their stuff and I look forward to discovering more of their music in the next few months.

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // JOHNNY CASH Folsom Prison Blues

Last night I was searching for a DVD to watch and I found a film that has been in the house for years but I had yet to watch. It was the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line. I have no idea why it took me so long to watch it but waaaaaw, it was worth the wait. What an epic film and what about that Joaquin Pheonix - he was incredible! Such an amazing actor who had an uncanny resemblance to Cash. I don't think I need to comment on how amazing the soundtrack was because after all it was about a musical legend's life. I have always loved Cash's music but having watched the Oscar winning film it gives you more insight in to what he went through before he made it big and even while he was quickly becoming one of the world's most celebrated rock 'n' roll artists.

Post-film watching I turned on Cash's immensely popular album Live at Folsom Prison (it even outsold the Beatles!) and what a treat. Every song is spectacular but what makes it stand out more than any other album is that you can hear the prisoners shouting from the back of the room and Cash's funny replies. You can imagine all these prisoners who were doing time for crimes such as murder, just forgetting about their lives for a moment by immersing themselves in Cash's majestic, grim and often funny lyrics. It just shows the power of music and the power of Johnny Cash - to go against the grain of the electrification of music by sticking to his own roots, his acoustic guitar and by playing the music so many, including thousands of prisoners, related to. One of the greatest and most influential artists of all time.

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // Janis Joplin

This week's Super Song Sunday artist is the S O U L machine that is Janis Joplin. The woman was and still is incredibly awesome. The other night I listened to one of her many Greatest Hits albums and every song is just  I N C R E D I B L E!! Her voice is unrivalled and the rock 'n' roll soul music she created is unbelievable. Yes, she was a bit mental but she had one of the most awesomely psychedelic cars I have ever seen.

Cool, right?!

Anywho, she is one of my top three favourite artists of all time and I hope you enjoy her music as much as I do :)

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // Eric Burdon & Boom Boom

We were treated to an awesome surprise Tuesday evening in Bruce Springsteen's Cardiff gig - The Animals' Eric Burdon joined the E Street Band on stage to perform his hit We've Gotta Get Out of This Place. When the rock legend came out on stage about halfway through the concert the crowd of over 20,000 people erupted with joy. When the chorus began the roof was shaking as people shouted "we gotta get out of this place if it's the last thing we ever do..." back to the performers on stage. Awesome! I was unsure whether to include the original 1960's version of the song in today's Super Song Sunday but as I'm still reeling from Tuesday's incredible gig I though I'd link that very performance. I hope you enjoy listening to it because I sure loved living it! Oh, and how awesome is Burdon's t-shirt & scarf combo!



And just for good measure I have included the song that followed this surprising collaboration - Boom Boom. "C'mon and shake it up babeyyyy"!!!

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Aloha everyone. It's Sunday again (I have no idea how the weeks seem to fly by) and it's time for a Super Song Sunday. Whilst looking back through my Super Song Sunday (& Super Sunday Song) archive I was quite surprised to see that I'd only done two Springsteen posts and one of them wasn't even solely on the man himself (here & here). But don't worry, I've made up by writing many a post about The Boss in other areas of this blog (here). What better time to feature Springsteen but two days before I see him for the second time on his Wrecking Ball Tour in Cardiff. When I saw him in Wembley Stadium back in June it was one of the best experiences of my life and you can read more about that concert here.

With preparations under way for Tuesday's gig (sign making, time scheduling etc.) I decided I'd post one of my favourite Springsteen tunes of the moment for SSS. I say 'of the moment' because as all Springsteen fans know, there are just too many songs in The Boss' catalogue to have one continues favourite song, although Thunder Road might be an exception because that is, in my opinion, the Best song Ever written. So, at the moment Backstreets tops my own personal Springsteen chart. After looking through Springsteen's set lists from his 2013 tour it seems that this song is rarely played when the E Street Band are not playing the whole of the Born to Run album which baffles me.

Whilst I'm on the subject of set lists, this morning I was googling to see what songs Bruce and the E Street Band performed in Belfast over the weekend and I discovered an awesome blog called Burgers And Bruce. The blog discusses exactly what it says on the tin - Bruce Springsteen and Burgers. It is written by a E Street lovin', burger eating fanatic called Hannah and if you're new to Springsteen she has written a very insightful beginners guide on how to properly go and watch Bruce and the E Street band live which you should check out.

So, without further ado, I give you Backstreets. 

This week I've chosen songs for those awesome long summer days we've been having recently. There's a good mix of hip-hop, pop, rock, punk, reggae and rhythm & blues in their so something for everyone. I've linked all the songs down below so have a listen to them and enjoy the summer sun :)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // This is Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's Summertime Blues which I can only describe as one of the best sounds to have ever been heard through my ears. 

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // The Strypes

This band came on my radar after their performance on Jools Holland's Later show a few weeks back and wow they have just gone on to bigger and better things. The Strypes are a teenage band from Ireland. The rhythm & blues band are made up of boys who range from the age of 15-17!! That's just mental in its self. Since they performed on the John Peel stage in Glasto over the weekend they are being played numerous times on radio and some of their set was replayed on Radio 6 Music this morning. They are just pure bluesy rock n roll - a younger version of Saturday night's legendary headliners, The Rolling Stones, many have said over the last few days. The band has such excitement surrounding them at the moment and I am so looking forward to seeing what they do as they continue to rock the music world. I also discovered last night while looking for the Strypes' upcoming tour dates, that they will be playing Reading fest this summer. Woooohooo! I will definitely be going to watch them in August.

Listen & enjoy :)

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // Biffy Clyro

It is very rare for me to find a band today that I actually truly love but Biffy Clyro is one of them. The Scottish rockers have been around the British & international rock scene for a while now (first album released in 1999) and rightly so. Their 2009 album, Only Revolutions, is when I really got into them as hit singles such as Bubbles, Mountains & Many of Horror, became know to myself along with millions of other people worldwide. I also fell slightly more in admiration of their heavy rock sound after hearing their cover of Weezer's Buddy Hollie - it is truly awesome ( please youtube it!!). Myself and my friend Nicola absolutely love Biffy and we are so excited to see them in Reading festival this summer - it is going to be epic as they're headlining on one of the nights! Simon Neil along with the rest of the band seem like top men and genuine, which is a quality that is rare in today's charts.  Also, the fact that Biffy's front man, Neil, named Springsteen's Streets of Philadelphia as one of his most influential songs growing up just adds to the whole band's appeal!

Enjoy :)

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // U2

This version of U2's iconic song I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For is taken from their film documentary Rattle & Hum. I love a good gospel choir and then when you throw U2 in the same mix then it is just pure awesomeness. In September when I was on my way to Royal Holloway to start my first term at uni I watched this film on the journey from Wales to Egham. I saw U2 in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium back in 2009 and they are one, if not the, best band I have ever seen live. This version might even be better than any other I've ever heard. I know and understand that a lot of people dislike U2 because of Bono's preaching but if you just ignore that and only listen to the music then there is nothing not to like. Also, can I just say, how flippin' awesome the woman that's singing in this clip is - maaaaan!

Super Song Sunday // She & Him

I looove the TV programme New Girl soooooo much and have been a fan of Zooey Deschanel's even before her New Girl days. A couple of years ago I came across a band and I instantly loved their sound - She & Him. A little while afterwords I realised that 'She' was actually Deschanel herself. The band's sound is unique for today's charts but you could imagine the music being played on a warm day in the 1950s. This unique sound is what makes the band sound so original today in a world filled with manufactured pop. Don't get me wrong, She & Him is sugar coated pop at its finest, but it's a different kind of sugary pop to todays - it is timeless sugary pop.

Enjoy :)       The duo have also just released their new album - She & Him - Volume 3. Go and buy it people. Go on, treat yourself :)

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // Beastie Boys

This week I have chosen a song by the legends that are the Beastie Boys. They have to be one of my all time favourite bands. Whenever I make a mixtape (or is it now a mixCD) for the car I always mix rock with some hip hop but with the Beastie Boys you get both in one which is awesome. Their individual hip hop sound might derive from the fact that the band began its life as a hardrock punk band in New York and eventually the band transitioned their sound to more of a hip hop style. Very rarely do you find a hip hop song with electric guitars, rock drums and its ability to make you want to headbang and rap simultaneously. I could have picked so many of their songs for this week's Super Song Sunday, such as Brass Monkey, Fight For Your Right, No Sleep 'till Brooklyn, the list goes on and on. However, I've chosen the awesome song that is Sabotage. There is no specific reason really, except for the fact that it is totally awesome. Having watched a few of the History of Rap clips on Youtube (if you haven't seen them then what the hell are you waiting for - goooo!), where Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake sing/rap/dance the history of hip hop, I've remembered just how awesome all the old hip hop tracks are! Oh, and seeing Will Smith's awesome performance on Graham Norton also kind of backed up this opinion of mine!

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // AC/DC

AC/DC's Back In Black is this week's Super Song Sunday. I've not always enjoyed AC/DC - when you're 4/5 years old and this screaming music is engulfing the house you kind of just want to turn it off! As I've gotten older however, I love them. It might be the fact that I had no choice but to love them as they were constantly being played in the house on top volume or that I genuinely just started to appreciate them! Either way they are actually awesome.  During this time of relentless revision and now that I'm so close to my last exam this type of music really wakes you up when you're almost falling asleep at your desk! Although it does distract you for a while as you rock out on your air guitar for most of the song!

Enjoy :)

SUPER SONG SUNDAY

One morning this week I turned the BBC Breakfast on and Seasick Steve was on there having an interview and performing. I love this man. He's music is just fuss free and bluesy rock 'n' roll. He uses hubcaps to create guitar, loves tractors and is a cool one man band. Totally awesome man.

Enjoy :)

SUPER SUNDAY SONG

This week I've chosen Self - Stay Home. This track just reminds me of the 00's and summer for some reason! Oh, and of course - Shrek! I really like the American 90's/00's rock music - bands like Blink 182, Sum 41 & Bowling For Soup.

Enjoy :)

SUPER SUNDAY SONG

This week I've chosen a song from one of the most awesomest people in the world - Beyonce Knowles. I have literally just finished watching her new documentary - wow! She's just such a strong person.

  I don't think I need to explain why I chose B. She is just awesome.

SUPER SONG SUNDAY

Today I have chosen a song from a band that I recently discovered while I was roaming around different blogs on the web. The band is called Bleached & their sound remind me of Blondie or/and a 90's female rock band. I like it, I like it a lot! It's refreshing to see women performing this sort of music in a female world dominated by pop & short shorts. I've chosen the song 'Searching through the past'. I also really love the video!

(Photos)

(a late) SUPER SONG SUNDAY

This week T-Rex has made it on to my Super Song Sunday with the song 'Children of the Revolution'. My favorite lyrics of all time are in this song - "I drive a Rolls Royce 'cause it's good for my voice'.

Enjoy :)

Super Song Sunday

This week I've chosen some B.B. King and Jools Holland for my Super Song Sunday. While we were at Camden Market on Friday (post to come) we went in to a record shop and some rhythm and blues was playing and it's just something about the sound of the piano with the blues guitar and sax which I think is just frickin' awesome!

I'll be seeing Jools Holland for the third time this summer at Carfest South :)

Enjoy :)

(a late) SUPER SONG SUNDAY

Today I have chosen a singer that I discovered while watching a new Walk Off The Earth video on youtube. Her name is Selah Sue and she's a Belgian singer/songwriter. She's pretty awesome.

Have a listen

(Walk off The Earth ft. Selah Sue)

SUPER SONG SUNDAY

This blog is a record of what I do, my interests and my hobbies. Therefore in this Super Sound Sunday series on the blog I want it to be a true representation of my musical taste. I have absolutely no clue what is number one, in the top 10 or even in the top 40 if I'm completely honest. It's not that I go out of my way to not know, I genuinely don't have a very big interest in today's pop music. Of course I do like some of today's music and I have seen many of them live in the past (Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs etc). In general however, I do prefer older music. Rock, rap ... anything :) So, I wanted to just post my favourite music on this blog and not post  what other people are dancing to. As Weezer's Pork & Beans goes - "I'ma do the things that I wanna do I ain't got a thing to prove to you". This week's song has been a hard decision. Would it be Weezer with Pork & Beans or Limp Bizkit with Rollin'. I've had two more rocky songs on the blog the past two weeks, so I have chosen to go with the latter.

I was only 6 when this song came out (2000) but I remember listening to it over and over again as my brother and friends would play it on a loop. It's a song that I know all the words to and I love it!

Just keep rollin' baby.