Songs of the Week [30]

Hey there - I wanted to take a break this week to sort some things out (concerning the blog and some personal stuff as well), but I couldn't let you live without some new music.

Therefore, I added another six new songs to my Songs of 2016 playlist (Spotify // Apple Music) and I hope you enjoy the new Songs of the Week even though they are coming your way a day late and uncommented.

It's time to enjoy the music now, so here you go:

I hope you enjoyed all the brand new Songs of the Week and if you do or if you don't why not let me know? What was your favourite new song that came out last Friday? Just leave a comment below, I love hearing from you.

Love Julia xx

Red Earth & Pouring Rain - Bear's Den [album review]

British folk/indie duo Bear's Den (Twitter // Facebook // Website) had an album playback "party" on Facebook last Tuesday and I was there to type along my thoughts for you - here they are:

I am currently sitting here with a cherry ice pop in my hand waiting for Bear's Den's Facebook stream to start. I really loved their debut album Islands, hence I am really looking forward to hearing the new stuff.

As you might remember I had their first single Auld Wives of the new record on my Songs of the Week a while ago as it's a brilliant song and I really hope the album will live up to that great sound... I am so excited to hear this album track to track now and to let you be part of it - here is my track to track commentary.

It's time for the first song now - Red Earth & Pouring Rain. It took exactly two seconds for me to know that I will love this album. The beginning of the title track is just amazing! And the rest of it sounds great as well, I'm so glad.

"Can't you hear it in the silence?"

And that's the first song over already, it's kind of cute how Andrew and Kevin look a little bit scared and anxious about how the reaction is going to be.

Songs of the Week [29]

Hi there - I think I'm slowly running out of introductions to these weekly posts...

...but I will never run out of music!

I have been going through all new and some recent releases over the weekend and on the list today are the six tracks I enjoyed most.

I added them all to my Songs of 2016 playlist (Spotify // Apple Music) which is getting really long now we're already halfway through the year - and these are the new additions of the week:

The first track is called Unstoppable and is the brand new one by indie pop act The Score. They have created an infectious and powerful pop anthem, that predicts exciting times when more music of them will be coming our way. You should check them out, especially if you enjoy the pop tracks by Fall Out Boy or Imagine Dragons.

If you followed my music posts throughout the year then you might remember HONNE and the track they did with Izzy Bizu called Someone That Loves You. I really liked that and it's just the same with their newest single Good Together. It's a calm, chilled out but also sweeping song. Their album Warm On A Cold Night will be out this Friday and I am certainly looking forward to listening to it on the weekend.

Cool My Rush is the dancey debut single of Kiara Nelson, a Finnish-Swedish-American singer from Helsinki. It's fun and catchy and a great song for the summer. She is currently working on new music that will be released later this year

Numbers is next on the list and it is by Nashville singer-songwriter Andrew de Torres better known as Kaptan. The song is emotional and just beautiful without being to sad, I really enjoy that.

The next one is not a new song - it's a new version of a song I already enjoyed but not quite enough to put it on the list before. But with the acoustic version Jonas Blue and JP Cooper have turned Perfect Strangers into a song that's totally worth being featured on my Songs of the Week. It's great for your summer playlist, so add it!

And I want to end this week on a pop high - BB Diamond's Praying. It's a bit 90's girl band with the background choir and everything, but in this case this isn't a bad thing. It is an enjoyable, happy, upbeat track that will make you happy.

Happy Music Monday everyone!

I hope you enjoyed all the brand new Songs of the Week and if you do or if you don't why not let me know? What was your favourite new song that came out last Friday? Just leave a comment below, I love hearing from you.

Me Before You [film review]

This film is the lovestory of the summer and at the same time one of the best book adaptions I have seen recently.
Me Before You is based on the book by Jojo Moyes, who also wrote the screenplay for the film and I have the feeling that this is the reason why it's so close to the book.

For those who haven't read the book, here's what Me Before You is about (it's the blurb of the book):

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

The film is great to watch whether or not you read the book - it's so close to the book and made with so much love for the book, that the one's who have read it won't be disappointed and it's such a great, funny and touching story, that you don't need that little bit more backstory that reading the book gives you.

Songs of the Week [28]

I'm back from my holiday in Malta (it was beautiful, I will tell you on Thursday), but I am not feeling very well and had so much to do since we came back, so you will have to cope with a short post today again.

But the music is still great. Olly Murs is back with new music, more precisely a single called You Don't Know Love and I am very pleased by the sound, I hope it's going to be one of the songs of this summer.

Also, Biffy Clyro's album Ellipsis was realesed last Friday (listen, it's amazing) and to celebrate I have put another song of them on list - Howl.

The other songs are Run (Beautiful Things) by American indie band AWOLNATION, who you might remember from their great song Sail, Fountain Of Youth by Local Natives, Haux's new song The War, which is really beautiful and The Storm In Everything by the Danish band NovemberDecember, who you should really check out.

And now - just hit play on the list below, have a great day and enjoy the music.

There you go, another six new tracks added to the Songs of 2016 list. I hope you enjoy them and if you do or if you don't, why not let me know? What was your favourite new song that came out last Friday? Just leave a comment below, I love hearing from you.

If you are in need of even more music, feel free to listen to the whole Songs of 2016 (Spotify // Apple Music) playlist or my Currently Listening list (Spotify // Apple Music). 

The Fifth Estate [film review]

Three years after it has been released this film is still relevant. The Fifth Estate is one of these films you should have seen at least once.

It sadly flopped when it comes to the takings-to-budet ratio in 2013, which might be due to the heavy topic and the fact that it isn't an easy watch, but it is still worth watching.

The Fifth Estate tells the rise and fall of Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his underground watchdog organisation WikiLeaks. IIt flashes back from the biggest data leak in history in 2010 to the creation of the network and tells the story of the white-haired genius Assange getting in a conflict with governments and intelligence agencies, co-workers and friends and also himself.

The film focuses on the relationship between Julian Assange and WikiLeaks spokesperson Daniel Berg (Daniel Brühl), which is reflecting the tension between investigative journalism, the hunt for the truth, integrity and moral that WikiLeaks was facing with its revelations.

The film is a biopic that couldn't be more thrilling and upsetting than it is. Or maybe it could - I was a bit disappointed that the film makers obviously tried not to provoke to much and was very careful with allegations against Assange as well as the media and governments involved. There could have been more.

Songs of the Week [27]

It's Music Monday again - let's celebrate with some brand new tracks that were released last Friday (or in one case some weeks ago).

I am currently on holiday in Malta, which is why I won't be able to give you all the background information on the songs  as usual. Maybe I will add it, when I am back home, but for now I hope you can still enjoy this week's playlist.

It is a wild mix of musical genres - there's rock, alternative, a bit of R&B and synth pop. And there's a proper dance track for your summer party. So, I think there is something on there for everyone this week.

Make sure to check out Louis Berry and Mabel, they are brilliant and brand new artists, don't miss out.

And now, just hit play on the list below and have an amazing day.

Best wishes from hot and sunny Malta!
Julia x

P.S.: If you are in need of even more music, feel free to listen to the whole Songs of 2016 (Spotify // Apple Music) playlist or my Currently Listening list (Spotify // Apple Music).

And if you want to follow our travels through Malta, add me on Snapchat, my name on there is juliasophied :)