10 music albums you should be listening to right now

HAXEL PRINCESS - CHERRY GLAZERR

Cherry Glazerr's debut album, released via Burger Records, was love at first listen - youthful, playful, honest. This LA trio combines the best of indie rock with a pastel-hued teenage nostalgic vibe. Frontwoman Clementine Creevy, a cute blondie with a guitar and a pretty voice, introduces us to the girly yet punk groove with a garage approach, resulting into a blend of noise pop, lo-fi and West Coast at its catchiest sound. Essential tracks: Trick or Treat Dancefloor (my favourite) and Grilled Cheese (a quirky, sexy ballad about, you guessed it, grilled cheese).

2 - MAC DEMARCO

It was really hard for me to decide between this album and the refreshing Salad Days because this one is just as good... But let's talk about 2. If you're a huge fan of Tame Impala, you're gonna marvel at this album. Montreal-based Mac DeMarco injects his mellow, nostalgic, evocative melodies with charismatic irony and melancholic honesty, singing in a sleepy, dreamy voice paired with the ethereal guitar magic, resulting in the ultimate suburban Summer soundtrack. Think escape, breakup, mild psychadelia, freedom. The instrumental itself is bliss, not to mention the lyrics. Acoustic porn with a trippy tone, or vice-versa. If you still don't know who this Canadian gap-toothed daydreamer is, you're missing out. Essential tracks: Annie, Ode to Viceroy, Dreamin', Freaking Out the Neighborhood.

RESTLESS IDYLLS - TROPIC OF CANCER

Nocturnal, dark, atmospheric. A bit like a goth on mescaline. Party time on the graveyard. A vampy basement club in Berlin. Alienation. Lucid dreams. A horror film about sleepwalkers. I love Tropic of Cancer because I can always count on this signature sound reminiscent of an ethereal, underground version of a haunting Heaven. Melodic tales of despair and devotion created by Camella Lobo flow adrift in her underworld. Essential tracks: Court of Devotion definitely drowns you in its achromatic penumbra.

PSYCHO TROPICAL BERLIN - LA FEMME

And now, something made in Biarritz, France. This album is one of the coolest ever! Incredibly groovy and eclectic, it features 1960s influences with a hint of surf rock, soft electro punk, charming feminine vocals, neo-psychadelic allure, synth-and-bass pop glamour, a very kitsch rock and roll vibe, bouncy rhythms, coldwave references, fierce yé-yé fragrance, taxi backseat sex... It's like a modern take on Nouvelle Vague (the films, not the band) with an urban/exotic twist. I dig it. And so would Serge Gainsbourg. Essential tracks: Saisis La Corde, Le Blues De Françoise, Sur La Planche.

ANNABEL DREAM READER - THE WYTCHES

A visceral, maniac collection of heartbreak songs and violent riffing . Garage punk meets psychadelic rock and the comparison with Jack White is inevitable but that's okay. I've come across this British band (Brighton boys!) on Tumblr. The lyrics tell anguish stories and angsty anthems, through dramatic vocals and stormy guitars. Essential tracks: I'm addicted to Part Time Model and can't get the surf-psych magnetism of Weights and Ties out of my head.

BUY THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE - THE BLACK RYDER

Here's an Australian duo worth listening to. Is it experimental? Is it dream pop? Is it psychadelic rock? Alternative neo-post-punk? Shoegazing, perhaps? Well, it's a little bit of everything mentioned above and that's why I like this album so much. If Mazzy Star, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Tamaryn worked together on a musical project, this album would be something inspired in such masterpiece. Stardust-voiced layers, melodic textures, veiled chords embellished by lysergic waves of sonic atmosphere, enriched by opiated themes. It sounds like love, sex and death. Aimee Nash & Scott Von Ryper, good on you! Essential tracks: Burn and Fade, The Greatest Fall, Sweet Come Down.

TOMB FOR TWO - Lebanon Hanover

Lebanon Hanover manage to deliver timeless tunes that will echoe forever. Bass porn, 1980s influenced beats, that distinctive darkwave statement sound... A melodic to die for - literally. The post-punk spirit emerges from the underground scene with a solid bass line, doom and gloom laments, synths at its finest, a deep voice that will take over the goth dancefloor... In a nutshell: A melodic elegy that strongly appeals to my emotions. Essential tracks: Gallowdance will haunt your dreams.

REIGN OF TERROR - SLEIGH BELLS

Yeah, I know that Treats was THE album but you have to agree when I claim that Reign Of Terror deserves some credit. I honestly love both but my tribute is focusing on this one. Derek Miller's electrifying rock riffs, badass lyrics, kickass attitude, loud noise, agressive yet romantic teen spirit with a broken heart - the formula hasn't changed. It's basically what happens when a cheerleader falls in love with a serial killer. You know, emotional extremes.This Brooklyn double trouble duo hasn't let me down yet. Powerfully raw. Well done! By the way, have you seen Alexis Krauss on stage? She's fucking fierce. Essential tracks: Comeback Kid, Demons and of course, Road To Hell.

DVA - EMIKA

Born in Bristol and based in Berlin, Ema Jolly aka Emika is an electronic composer and singer, sculpting and shaping dupsteb, bass, synthpop, trip-hop, techno and electronica into her own underground symphony. Bass lines and heavy synth intertwine with magnetic, hypnotic vocals, revealing a certain darkness in the lyrical content, hinting at a gloomy kind of electro that sure works wonders for me. Essential tracks: Sleep With My Enemies - loop mode on.

ADRIAN THAWS - TRICKY

I've always been into Tricky, king of trip-hop. He sticks to his comfort zone, once again, and bless him for that! I would describe his latest album as a seductive, smokey, lukewarm experience, featuring amazing collaborations and a sense of hedonism, while leaving room to different genres to take place - rap, hip-hop, dance, elements of house, you name it. Still, his signature style prevails.
Essential tracks: I suggest you listen to Keep Me In Your Shake for a sexual overture, and Nicotine Love is hands down the grooviest!

Top 10: Music Albums That Shaped My Life

Music Albums that changed my life by nancywilde on Polyvore

1. Spice Girls | Spice - I was just a kid in the 90's but this girlsband rocked my world! Geri was my favourite - redhead, curvy, naughty, and I've heard she grabbed Prince Charles's bottom once, and, for some strange reason, that fact fascinated me. I remember gathering with my girl neighbours and playback to their songs - Wannabe was our anthem. It was such a catchy hit, you all have to admit! I still know the lyrics, and I still enjoy this pop music that created the Spice phenomena in the UK! Girl Power!

Nos anos 90 eu não passava de uma miudinha mas esta girlsband foi o momento alto da minha infância! A Geri era a minha favorita - ruiva, provocadora e sexy, ainda por cima corria o boato de que tinha apalpado o Príncipe Carlos e por algum motivo estúpido, isso fascinava-me. Lembro-me de me reunir com as vizinhas lá do bairro para encenações e playback ao som de Wannabe, o nosso hino Girl Power! Têm de admitir que foi um hit viciante. Ainda hoje sei as letras e gosto destas musiquinhas que criaram o fenómeno Spice vindo das terras de Sua Majestade.

2. The Offspring | Americana - So, I guess I started to feel a bit more rebel at a certain pre-teen age and, that Summertime, me and my cousins purchased this audiotape and used to listen to it all day long. I love it when I'm in a bar and Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) starts playing! It brings me such good memories. And I never forget how good it was to wait for the hidden bonus track.

Acho que esta foi a altura em que me comecei a rebelar. Naquele Verão, uma Nancy pré-adolescente foi com os primos comprar a cassette e levar a ouvir no walkman, interminavelmente. Adoro quando estou num bar e passam Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)! Traz-me boas memórias. E nunca me hei-de esquecer a histeria que foi descobrir o bonus track "escondido"!

3. Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill - Today I don't really give a damn about Alanis anymore but she was one big idol of mine when I was in highschool. I think I identified with her because I used to have very long, brown hair, which I used to wave just to be more similar to her. Alanis was, along with Gwen Stefani (I was simultaneously into No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom) the girl I looked up to. Anyway, she's such a great singer, composer and songwriter, and this album was really her greatest masterpiece. You Oughta Know will be forever playing in my head.

 

Hoje em dia não ligo à Alanis mas na altura ela foi um ídolo de referência quando eu andava no 7º ano. Identificava-me com ela porque também tinha cabelo castanho muito comprido, que até ondulava para me parecer com ela. A Alanis era, juntamente com a Gwen Stefani (naquele ano, também ouvia muito o Tragic Kingdom dos No Doubt) a entidade feminina que mais me inspirava, e que eu mais idolatrizava. Ela é uma cantora e compositora excepcional e este álbum foi mesmo o seu melhor. You Oughta Know ficou gravado na minha cabeça.

4. Sex Pistols | Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols - This is when I discover the old school 70's punk rock! Along with The Clash, The Sex Pistols were THE BAND when I was around 13 years old. I obsessed over Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen and that was a troubled period of my life. Today I look back and, even though I still love Sex Pistols and the British punk scene, I can't believe my goal at that time was to spend time sitting in dirty alleys, drinking with real street punks. My mother didn't let me make a mohawk... and I should thank her.

Eis a minha fase de descoberta do punk dos anos 70! Bandas old school povoavam o meu imaginário e, a par dos The Clash, os Sex Pistols eram A BANDA quando eu tinha 13 anos. Andava obcecada pela história do Sid com a Nancy e esse período da minha vida foi algo conturbado. Hoje olho para trás e, ainda que continue a adorar Sex Pistols e todo o panorama punk Britânico, não acredito que o meu objectivo de vida naquela altura era sentar-me no chão a beber cerveja com verdadeiros punks de rua. A minha mãe nunca me deixou fazer uma crista... e devia agradecer-lhe por isso.

5. Nirvana | Nirvana - I shall never forget this black album. Heart-Shaped Box still echoes in my memory, in my mind and in my soul - I love it! I was 14 and crazy about Kurt Cobain, his music, his life and even his suicide. I used to isolate in my bedroom, listening to Lithium, totally identifying with those dark lyrics, which wasn't a very good sign. I used to listen to a lot of grunge stuff by that time - Hole and Soundgarden were my favourite.

 

Nunca esquecerei este album. Heart-Shaped Box ainda ecoa na minha memória, na minha mente e na minha alma - Adoro! Eu tinha 14 anos e era louca pelo Kurt Cobain, pela sua música, pela sua vida e até pelo mito à volta da sua morte. Eu costumava isolar-me no quarto, a ouvir Lithium, identificando-me por completo com as letras deprimentes, coisa que não era bom sinal. Eu ouvia bastante grunge na altura - principalmente Hole e Soundgarden.


6. The Prodigy | The Fat of the Land - So, after girly pop, pop rock, punk rock and grunge, there was an electronic twist to spice things up. How very teenager of me. I had a crush on Keith Flint and could never get enough of Smack My Bitch Up. I was introduced to The Prodigy through a friend of mine, who was very into techno and electro stuff, and it was love at first listen. I was also into psytrance at that time, believe it or not. Trippy!

 

Portanto, depois do girly pop, pop rock, punk rock e grunge, veio uma onda electrónica para variar. Típico de adolescente. Eu era doida pelo Keith Flint e nunca me fartava de Smack My Bitch Up. Tinha sido uma amiga minha a introduzir-me nesse género de música e foi amor à primeira música. Acreditem ou não, até psytrance eu ouvia na altura...

7. The Velvet Underground | The Velvet Underground & Nico - Here's what it happens: my music taste evolves! I started to get interested in the proto-punk, 60's/70's rock scene and discovered this virtuous project. Pale Blue Eyes was always my favourite... I also LOVE Venus in Furs. Well, who doesn't?!

Chega o momento crucial: o meu gosto musical evolui! Começo a interessar-me por bandas proto-punk das décadas de 60 e 70 e descobri este projecto virtuoso. A minha favorita sempre foi a Pale Blue Eyes ... Também ADORO Venus in Furs. Mas quem é que não adora?!

 

8. Joy Division | Unknown Pleasures - At 17, depressed, broken-hearted and frustrated, I started to listen to Joy Division, one of the best bands I've ever listened to. Ian Curtis was a genius and his songwriting sounded like he was reading my mind. So, so flawlessly good.

Aos 17, deprimida, de coração partido e frustrada, deu-me para começar a ouvir Joy Division, uma das melhores bandas que ouvi até hoje. Ian Curtis foi um génio e as letras escritas por ele soavam como se ele me estivesse a ler a mente. Tão, mas tão impecavelmente bom.

9. Amy Winehouse | Back to Black - I wasn't into Amy when I listened to Rehab the first time but when I downloaded Back to Black, I felt like someone was feeling exactly like me, and couldn't stop listening to it. Her powerful voice, the melancholic lyrics... She sang about everything that was happening in my life: wasting ourselves crying over someone, alcohol abuse, lonely nights and tormented souls. Everytime I was crying due to heartbreaking, I listened to her, as a comfort. Her tragic death was no surprise but I couldn't help feeling sad for someone who could've go further as a music artist. Such a waste. She will certainly be missed.

Quando ouvi a Rehab pela primeira vez não fiquei logo viciada, mas quando saquei o álbum Back to Black, senti que alguém se sentia exactamente como eu, e não consegui parar de ouvir. A voz poderosa, as letras melancólicas... Ela cantava sobre tudo o que estava a acontecer na minha vida: desperdiçar tempo a chorar por alguém, excessos etílicos, noites solitárias e almas atormentadas. Sempre que me dava para chorar por desgosto amoroso, ouvia a Amy como conforto ou consolo. A sua morte trágica não me surpreendeu mas não evito sentir-me triste por alguém que podia ter sido muito mais na sua carreira artística. Que desperdício. Com certeza que a sua falta será sentida.


10. Serge Gainsbourg | Histoire de Melody Nelson - This iconic album is a masterpiece! Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birking gave birth to a passionate connection that inspired him to create avantgarde, brilliant melodies. Each track of this album is a love tale, sultry and secretive. I think it's a great album to make love to, or just to listen to while having a glass of wine and relaxing after a stressful day.

 

Este álbum tem tanto de icónico como de apaixonante! Serge Gainsbourg e Jane Birkin criaram uma das relações mais inspiradoras da História da música, fazendo-o criar melodias gloriosas, de um brilhantismo avantgarde. Este álbum é uma história de amor, contos nocturnos repletos de secretismo e sensualidade e paixão.  É um grande álbum, perfeito para os dias em que chegamos de um dia de trabalho stressante e só queremos relaxar com quem mais nos faz relaxar.

Top 10: Beautiful Blogs

1. The Tragic Sense

 Jessica Celebre is such an exquisite beauty! I have a crush on her and on her blog, seriously. The mermaid hair, the beautiful figure... not to mention her talent. Her ethereal, slightly grainy photography is really unique - it's like the dark side of David Hamilton but shot by a lovely, flawlessly whimsical girl. If you like simple unpretensious blogging with film photography and adorable outfits, follow her ASAP.

2. Katie-Louise Ford

This blog was love at first click. Katie-Louise Ford is the lady with the perfect bobbed hair. I mean it. What you can expect from this blog: visually rich photographs, wanderlust wonders and vintage frocks to die for! I simultaneously envy and admire her - her beauty and travelling in equal measure. I also love the way she describes everything, and the fact that she is a very gifted seamstress... You should definitely visit her blog!

3. Bright Young Twins

Extremely retro-stylish brunette Aimee and blonde Harriett have always been an inspiration for me. These two young ladies live in East London and share a passion for antique clothing. The two friends collect clothes from the Victorian period to the 70's and whenever I want to dress like a 30's bohemian showgirl or an Edwardian aristocratic bride, I look up to these beauties. I love them both! I find Aimee so sultry and charming, and Harriett has the perfect platinum blonde hair I've ever spotted on a blogger!

4. Scathingly Brilliant

A pastels OD, eye-candy recipes, DIY galore and a rather kawaii blog design are only a few things to mention. This entire project is Wonderland!
Her name is Kate Gabrielle, she's from New Jersey and she's also a full time illustrator! She's the girl behind Flapper Doodle, creating illustrations of 1920's flappers - as the one in my blog header - and other adorable stuff with her art printed on it. She's one of a kind, a precious Etsy phenomena! I'm in love with her concept of personal style, I would describe it as Vintage Lolita meets Tavi Gevinson on Sugar High. Daisy fresh mint, saccharine-fueled lace, sweet shades of blue, romantic juvenile hues of ultra-cute whimsy... She's so pretty!

5. Lost in the Haze
I introduce you to Jo, a porcelain-skinned blondie from New Zealand. This is a fashion blog with beautiful photographs and everything related to beauty, lifestyle, travel, some 60's inspired style and fashion, pretty collars and hemlines, nature, florals and everything else you might consider dreamy or appealing. Just follow her, you won't regret it, trust me! And you will finally understand my fascination.

6. Pandora
From Paris with love and an obsession for fin de siècle showgirls, Belle Époque and the glam 70's, here is beautiful ginger-haired Louise Ebel, straight from a style that mixes The Ziegfeld Follies flapperhood with discosound diva mystique. Miss Pandora is indeed very artsy, bohemian and charming, combining the essence of the bygone eras with avantgarde trends, glamourously inspiring and romantic.

7. Wayward Daughter
This is a Scottish lass living in Edinburgh and perpetually in love with Peter Pan collars, baking, wee lace dresses and books. Apparently, her boyfriend takes most of the photographs and both of them do a great job together, building such a lovely blog like this! This pretty dark-haired girl also runs a label of clothing, which makes her and her blog even more adorable. It's also a great lifestyle journal, with nice spots and places to go and visit.

8. Hannah and Landon
For all of those who still don't know of Hannah, her and husband, Landon Metz, have a beautiful blog, apparently so. Their blog is full of pictures, lace, vintage stuff, and small glimpses into the Metz's daily lifestyle. Now Hannah Metz and her friend Elvia want to start their own lingerie line, aiming for a bigger step. This next level is totally understandable, since Hannah's got an exquisite taste. Please take a look around her blog - if it's not your cup of tea, at least you can delight yourself with her roaring hair.

9. Nora Alexa
Nora is a young lady who loves the 60's and 70's, interiors, cats, dresses, photography and rounded sunglasses. She's more sophisticated than the average Woodstock '69 bombshell though. This Northern European blonde beauty is striking when it comes to style. She's the nordic version of a more misterious Brigitte Bardot, oozes class and refined taste. She doesn't talk that much about her bipolar disorder but doesn't make a secret of it either. This blog is a must-click for any late 60's lover or fashion enthusiast.

10. The Cherry Blossom Girl

Last but not least, I had to mention this famous blog. I follow Alix for a long, long time and to be honest, I miss her old days, when she wasn't so mainstream but she is still beautiful, classy and of course, admirably chic. I believe she has always been an influence, an inspiration, to many girls around the world. It's interesting to watch her gradual style evolution. And there are so many wonderfully pretty snapshots of her lovely travelling and of her adorable sense of style... I guess I'm one of her "forever followers" then.

It was very hard for me to pick 10 favourite blogs, when I actually follow nearly 300 - and I love all of them! However, you can have an idea of what sort of blogs and bloggers I'm fond of, and what do I tend to follow.