LIFESTYLE

Tuesday, 4 September 2012

Another Brilliant Crooner

Mayer Hawthorne

Just two years ago, Michigan native Mayer Hawthorne came out of nowhere with his debut album, A Strange Arrangement, a blue-eyed soul rendering that called upon the expressive spirit of the 1960s and paid homage to Motown’s golden era. That recording, and a subsequent covers EP, revealed Hawthorne’s infatuation with the musical past, blending the feel-good efficiency of yesteryear with a modern sound. It also provided another glimpse into the retro feel made popular by artists like Hawthorne, Raphael Saadiq and Cee-Lo. But unlike Saadiq and Cee-Lo, who are both black, Hawthorne is a white guy making greasy soul music. By societal norms, that doesn’t happen very often. Maybe that punctuates Hawthorne’s novelty as a viable performer. Or maybe he’s just that natural.

The world’s least likely pop star, Soul crooner Mayer Hawthorne, is back with fresh vid for his ode to his fave alcohol, ‘Henny & Gingerale.’ Fairly stock video, of the badass party in my faux backgarden variety, but it works well enough.

After receiving critical acclaim for his album, How Do You Do, in October, Mayer Hawthorne is back with the latest video single off the aforementioned project. On Henny & Gingerale, Hawthorne himself provides the laid back, synth based production which doesn’t veer away from his perpetual retro style. Lyrically, the Los Angeles based singer voices a repetitive but catchy hook that could very well still be in your head hours after the first listen. In the video, Hawthorne is at a party where everyone is drinking no shortage of…well…do I even have to say it? For more music to drink to be sure to check out Hawthorne’s latest album, How Do You Do, available for purchase now.

Monday, 3 September 2012

We always love Folk&Country

The Civil War

After being released last year in their native United States, duo Civil Wars' debut album, Barton Hollow, has now been released in the UK for their fans to get their hands on. The album has already won two Grammy awards and a support slot with Adele who has lavished praise on them, calling them the best live act she has ever seen. Not bad for a band whose popularity has snowballed since one of their songs featured on medical dram, Grey's Anatomy.

Barton Hollow kicks off with '20 years' which has some luscious acoustic guitar playing which is followed by the lovely singing voice of Joy Williams. One particular element of this album is how simplistic the instrumentation is. The album is never over layered with guitars, drums and what not. This allows Williams and John Paul White's singing to flourish without sounding impeded. The singing of the duo becomes the centrepiece for this album.

And this is reflected perfectly in 'To Whom It May Concern' as the duo's voices sing in harmony showing a particular warmth and delicacy complimented by the accompanying string arrangements and acoustic guitar.

One of the highlights on this album comes in the shape of the album's title track, Barton Hollow (Watch it below!!) which is a total foot stomper of a song and reminiscent of Elbow's 'Grounds For Divorce.' Civil Wars' combined vocals constantly go from soaring right back down to a gravel like darkness. After hearing such stripped back acoustic arrangement in the prior tracks it is the most vigorous song on the album.

'Poison and Wine,' one of the album's single's, sees Williams and White's at their best, lyrically it tells the story of emotionally drained lovers. A standout song on the album for the singing's felling of fragility. White's almost quivering like vocal on this helps draw the emotion out in the song as if bringing a character to life.

Upon listening to Civil Wars, you are reminded of the work by Robert Plant and Allison Straus. But Williams and John Paul White manage to create a sound that is easily recognised due to the style of their own voices and the way they intertwine with one another. They help tell the stories in the songs and the sparse music is the perfect background to bring them to life. One of the best albums in the past few years that can delve into human emotion and create a reaction in the listener.

Outdoor Activities

Have you ever been thinking of

doing some outdoor sports?

Well, here are 3 amazing suggestion for you!

Skydiving

Skydiver is a person who jumps from a plane and performs various gymnastic maneuvers before pulling the parachute cord. It is a type of parachuting done for recreational purposes, and also called sport parachuting. It is not as dangerous as one might expect and there are less than one fatality per 150,000 thousand jumps. These are rarely due to equipment failure but are often caused by badly executed radical moves too close to the ground. Surprisingly skydivers do not normally feel a fall sensation. Once they reach terminal velocity anything between 120 and 200 mph they no longer are accelerating so don't feel as though they are falling.

GLIDING

The hang glider is actually a triangle-shaped airfoil, a modified parachute (known as a flexible wing) made of nylon or Dacron fabric. The triangular shape is maintained by rigid aluminum tubes and cables and is designed to allow air to flow over the surface to make the wing rise. Newer, high-performance hang-glider designs use a rigid wing with stiff aluminum struts inside the fabric to give it shape, eliminating the need for supporting cables. It started as gliding down hills on low performance kites, but now pilots can stay airborne for hours, reach altitudes of several thousand feet and reach speeds of over one hundred kilometers per hour. To glide in this way the pilot must find rising air masses. The most common source of lift is thermals where the warm air, heated by warm landmass, raises upward.

Climbing

Mountain climbing is perceived as an extreme sport for some, while for others it is simply an exhilarating pastime that offers the ultimate challenge of strength, endurance, and sacrifice. Rock climbing is also a growing sport and is popular with all age groups. It involves climbing up or across man-made rock walls or natural rock formations with the goal of reaching the top, known as the summit.

Sunday, 2 September 2012

I Love Soul

RAPHAEL SAADIQ

Ray Ray is still *that* guy.

How many years has he been in the game and he still manages to keep it fresh!

This track follows Radio and Good Man as the third single off his '60s-infused album, Stone Rollin’ which was released earlier this year.

For the latest single "Movin' Down the Line," Mr. Saadiq leaves his retro mode at home and offers up some on tour footage as well as some private impressions from the crooner.

"Movin' Down the Line", an ode to a love unrequited, features mellow horns, jangling guitar, heavy bass lines, and a swelling string and piano conclusion. Music writer Lloyd Bradley writes that the song exemplifies the album's combination of traditional style and contemporary detail, stating "It has every bit of digital snap needed to succeed among today’s sounds; but Saadiq’s masterful use of a big brass section lurking w-a-a-ay into the background picks the tune up and puts it down in a completely different era. The song turns out both laidback and urgent at the same time, and is utterly irrepressible for it".

"Moving Down the Line" is definitely my favorite track on the record. The arrangement put me in the mind of lush, floor walking Marvin Gaye song.

The visuals are nicely cut together are compliment the song very well indeed.

Watch it below!!!

Healthy Diet

Nutrient Food

According to National Health Survey in Australia in 2007-2008, the results reveal that 61% of the Australian population are overweight or obese. About 40% of males and 30% of females were overweight and over 24% of males and females were considered obese. Therefore, it is necessary for most Australian to have a healthy diet lifestyle as it would helped reduce those percentage.

The following are some suggestion for a better healthy eating lifestyle:

Vegetable

Kale, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Artichokes, String Beans, Asparagus, Spinach, Cabbage, Lettuce, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Corn, Eggplant, Mushrooms, Peppers, Tomatoes, and Onions

Beans and Legume

Chick Peas, Red kidney Beans, Lentils, and Adzuki Beans

Fruits

Blueberries, Strawberries, Kiwis, Apples, Oranges, Grapes, Pears, Pineapple, and Bananas

Raw Nuts and Seeds

Filberts, Almonds, Sunflower seeds, Sesame seeds, Walnuts, Cashews, Pecans and Flax seed

Bread and Cereals

Whole-grain breads, Pitas, Tortillas, Whole-grain pasta, Brown rice, Hot and cold unsweetened whole-grain breakfast cereals

Meats

Beef and pork that has been trimmed of its fat, Extra-lean ground beef, Fish and shellfish that's been baked, broiled, steamed or grilled

Drinks

Water, Low-fat and fat-free milk, diet soda, Fat-free and low-fat yogurt, Skim and 1% milk

Here are several benefits from these food:

Vegetable: Vitamin A (beta-carotene), carbohydrate, fibre, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, folate and potassium.

Bread and Cereal: Carbohydrate, iron, thiamin, energy, protein, fat, fibre, magnesium, zinc, riboflavin, niacin equivalents, folate and sodium.

Fruit: Vitamins, especially vitamin C, carbohydrate, fibre, and folate.

Milk, and Yoghurt: Calcium, protein, energy, fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, magnesium, zinc, riboflavin, vitamin B12, sodium and potassium.

Meat, Fish, Nuts and Legumes: Protein, iron, zinc, fat, cholesterol, niacin equivalents and vitamin B12.

Saturday, 1 September 2012

Music For Life : Benjamin John Howard

BEN HOWARD

All rise for Ben Howard...

A charming, twenty something surfer come folk musician tipped by The Independent to be among ‘This Year’s Hottest Acts’, along with prized names such as The Joy Formidable, Crystal Fighters and Ghostpoet. After sold out dates in the UK and Europe, Howard was immediately signed to Island Records and is set to release his debut album ‘Every Kingdom’ this coming October.

Being described as ‘Britain’s answer to Bon Iver’ on several occasions is an extremely fair and complementing statement, especially when you hear the unforgettable lingers of Howard’s delicate tones in ‘The Wolves’ via haunting howls and soulful faint drones. Similarities also scream out to James Vincent McMorrow, David Gray and at times a tinge of Anthony Hegarty. Religious references and sincere orchestral strings add a sentimental emotive value cutting against the folk guitar patterns and soft militarily drum beat as Howard bellows “We lost faith, in the arms of love.”

The song reveals a relentless war between love and its consequences - Howard as acting General whilst his Lieutenants reinforce his orders through empowering vocals as they march on into battle. Ben Howard is a colossal talent and it’s certain his music will win the heart of every individual that listens to it.

The Wolves, originally released last June will reach a larger audience this month as it highlights Howard at his best. The strum of the acoustic guitar along with the layered string section fit with the atmospheric vocals casually but with precision. The structure is not straight-forward as he gets more aggressive as it goes on, by-passing the verse-chorus-verse technique as the common arrangements come-and-go without sequence. The complexity isn't just in the structure, the way he uses his voice is skilful as he reaches high and low pitches effortlessly but it helps guide the mood of the song.