This girl has a direct line to my heart strings. Everything she writes is so beautiful and I believe she is my soul mate. I don't say that lightly either. Lissie has this way of getting deep into my soul. I first heard her beautiful voice in 2011 with "When I'm Alone", but, it wasn't until I listened to "Everywhere I Go" that I truly fell in love with her. But, it's her latest album, Back To Forever, that has me begging for more. She radiates beauty inside and out, while also being a f***ing rock star. Did I mention she can cover any song flawlessly?
She makes me happy when I am down, and cures any sour mood. Right now she is currently curing my winter blues. What are you listening to at the moment?
I will be completely honest, I know nothing about Royal Blood except for that they are touring with Foo Fighters this summer, and their debut album knocked my socks off. If you weren't listening to them before, you should be now. These two dudes are killing it.
You would expect this list to be chalked full of Christmas music, but, in the winter there is a certain mode I get into that gets me listening to very deep, haunting, moody music. This is the kind of stuff I listen to while walking to and from work, watching the big snowflakes fall around me while the snow glistens from the sun or moon. December is so beautiful and although I do love Christmas music, it's not where my heart lies during the holiday season.
Yes, it's true. I have once again changed my blog layout. After what seems like months and months of trying to find a layout that truly speaks to me, I finally find comfort in Maira Gall. It's simple, pretty and straight to the point and I feel incredibly inspired to write more. I'm so happy to finally be posting again this week and I do hope you are all still following along!
Is there a specific type of music you tend to listen to during the winter months?
It seems really weird for me to talk about Foo Fighters for my Music Monday. Mostly because if you know me, or have read my blog for awhile, it's basic information about me that they are my favourite band. It's like, "Hey, I'm Amber. I'm 26 and I am a Foo Fighters fan." And that's all you really need to know. There's bands of course, I love so much music from all kinds of genres, but, Foo Fighters are it for me. They're on a completely other level than anything else. They're the pinnacle of music for me.
It all started with my big sister Dawn. All my musical influences stem from her, but she was quite obsessed with Nirvana (who wasn't) and I remember Kurt dying and Dawn hiding in her bedroom for a few days. And then I remember seeing the drummer in pig tails with a package of Mentos on Much Music. Big Me and I'll Stick Around were the first two songs I heard from Foo Fighters and it's been love at first listen ever since. Keep in mind, I was 6 in 1994. Twenty years later, they are still my favourite band, and still kicking ass. It wasn't until There Is Nothing Left To Lose until I became obsessed with them, but, they have been a very big part of my life since I was 6.
This is why the Sonic Highways project has been really important and close to my heart. If you don't know, 2014 marks the Foo's 20th anniversary, so in celebration they went around the United States and recorded a song in each of the greatest recording studios in different cities. A documentary on HBO follows their journey as well as ventures into the history of music within each city. It truly is one of the best shows or documentaries about music I've ever watched and I am so proud of Dave Grohl right now. With Foo Fighters and every other crazy project he has accomplished these past twenty years. I. Just. Can't. Even.
I should probably stop there, because I will keep going on about Dave Grohl for days and I'm starting to sound like a giant squealing fan girl (I am). I'm not even writing this post well because I'm so emotional about this band. So, I'll leave you with a very short list of my favourite Foo Fighters songs (yes, this was really hard for me) and I definitely recommend checking out Sonic Highways on HBO if you like anything to do with music. And the new album is out today, hurray! Another great rock doc that Dave did is Sound City, it takes a look back into the history of one of the best recording studies to date, Sound City. So many great records were made there.
This is a no brainer. Everybody loves the Lumineers, unless of course, you don't have a folky bone in your body, or you've been living under a rock. They make me believe in music again, in a world that has become one giant pop music money making machine. They have soul and it bleeds right through their songs. I can't get enough of them!
One of the first things I noticed about Josie is that she loves music, which comes to her naturally being our child, but it was definitely assured to me when I started playing the Lumineers for her. They are quite obviously her favourite band, aside from the Beatles. Her favourite song is Big Parade. Another reason they are a great love of mine is that their song Dead Sea, is very close to my heart. It's one of the songs that always reminds me of Jesse and will one day be our wedding song.
I've been praying for them to come tour Canada for a long time now and I cannot wait to see them live. Wesley's voice is phenomenal. And can we please talk about how fuggin' cute Neyla is?! I could just pinch her cheeks and steal her wardrobe!
Halloween, much like most people, is my favourite time of year. And although I've never thrown a Halloween party myself, I always imagine my playlist for that evening would go a little something like this. It's got all the cheesy classics (Monster Mash, Time Wasp), some soundtrack songs (Red Right Hand), some songs that have always creeped me right out (Gloomy Sunday), and a few songs I just generally think fits the Halloween theme.
What songs creep you out? Is there any songs you would have added to this playlist?
I love Pink as much as the next person. She's fit, she's fierce and her music is fun. But, I've always been a big fan of Dallas Green and will forever be in love with his soft voice and Canadian charm. I was immediately obsessed with Alexisonfire and followed them until their (devastating) break up in 2012. I was so angry with Dallas after that, I had to put City & Colour on the back burner for a bit. It's hard when your favourite band splits, and at times you can be irrational... right?
Anyway, Dallas had announced that he and Alecia Moore would be doing a song together awhile ago, but then surprised his fans a few weeks ago by announcing that not only had he and Pink wrote a song, they recorded an entire album called Rose Ave. It was released last Tuesday and I've been listening to it non stop all week. It's hauntingly beautiful ballads make my heart two sizes too big, reminding me of listening to the older country and folk songs my dad sang to us since we were kids, with a little modern twist.
If you haven't given Rose Ave a listen yet, I suggest you do. Even if you aren't a fan of Dallas Green or Pink, because it doesn't really sound like either of them. Well, it is similar to City & Colour, but, it's definitely something different for Alecia and showcases her voice in a very different light. And ending the album with a Sade cover? So much swooooooon.
Hey dolls, hope everyone had a great weekend! Our Thanksgiving is today (in Canada), so we basically stuffed ourselves to the gills yesterday and had a weekend full of family and fun. I thought this holiday would be a great time to start a new series about being thankful for music. It's the second most important thing to me besides my family and I don't talk about it enough on here. So, each week I hope to "lightly" talk about a band and why I love them.
For starter's I'd like to talk about Arkells, and if you haven't heard of them hopefully introduce you to them. They're this great band from Hamilton, Ontario that signed with my favourite record label, Dine Alone Records, in 2006. They have since released 3 albums and won a few Junos for their work, including Group of the Year. Their first album, Jackson Square, is in my top 10 favourite albums for sure - every song makes me want to get up and dance, shake and sing. Their new stuff is a lot more poppy than their bluesy rock debut, but each album brings something new to the table that almost anyone can enjoy. I've seen these guys live 5 times and have had the pleasure of meeting them. Of course, they're the nicest, most humblest band and were quite surprised to hear we had seen them a handful of times. I cannot stress how great they are live though, you can't help but feel a giant, overwhelming fuzzy feeling when they're live in front of you. I'm gonna go ahead and say they are even better live than their records sound (and their records sound pretty effin' good). If you ever get the chance to hear their Motown covers, do it. Don't even think about it, just do it.
I sound like a giddy little girl with really broken sentences but I just get so excited about local music. I'm so proud to say I'm from the same province as them. Here are a few of my favourite Arkells songs, I hope you discover them and share with your friends, because they truly deserve the success.
Today is officially the first day of Autumn! Bring out the pumpkin lattes and apple pies. And, of course, good music (But, that's for all year round, right?) This playlist is really random but my music mood as of late is very much like this. Eclectic, moody and fun. What have you been listening to lately? xo
As previously stated many, many times, I am a self proclaimed music aficionado. So, it's kind of odd that it's not a topic that comes up a whole lot on Banjo & Scout. Sure, there's my monthly playlists and a concert adventure here and there, but, it kind of stuns me how I avoid talking about music. It's in my veins, it is the very essence of me. As I sit and write this, I'm basking in all the glory that is Brand New - a band that has not only been a favourite of mine for over a decade, but has helped me through tough times and good times. There's so many musicians, and albums that have changed who I am as a person and to know these artists that I love, is to know me. I feel like it's due time to start discussing these people on my blog and I do hope that you guys take interest! I would love to know what you listen to as well! So, right here and now, I take a vow to start talking more about my first love, music.
To get me started, I thought it would be a nice treat to share my Last.fm. Of course, it's much like sharing my monthly playlists, except that Last.fm tracks what I listen to from day to day. When I work on my blog, when Josie and I are kickin' it at home, when I'm biking, taking a bath, etc. My monthly playlists are curated by my mood from one day. No, Last.fm is 100% more personal. Don't you agree? Here is what I've been listening to this month:
But I really think it's important that I share my overall plays, because I feel like I listen to certain bands like it's my flippin' job:
I honestly feel like you don't truly know a person until you know what music they like. I find it really interesting to see what people listen to on a constant basis. Please add me to Last.fm if you have it! I'd love to see what musicians consume you, and also what your guilty pleasures are. Also, comment below and let me know what things you'd like to know about me, musically. Whether it's concerts I've attended, records I own, favourite songs, favourite albums - the conversation is endless. It's something I could talk about for days on end. xo
Last Tuesday, I went on a little road trip with Jesse, Carrie and our friend Derek. We drove to Toronto to see Kings Of Leon! It was extra exciting because it was the second time Jesse and I have seen them this year, and the first time Carrie and I had been to a concert together. We have been wanting to see Kings Of Leon since we lived together almost 6 years ago.
I've been to Toronto a hundred times. I can backseat drive myself there with my eyes closed. Yet somehow, it's easily one of my favourite road trips. It's like my home away from home.
Kings Of Leon are one of those bands that could play any venue and still look and sound amazing. This time they were at Molson Amphitheatre, which I had only been to once previously to see Incubus and they made it feel like the best venue ever. Sound and visual quality was pure perfection.
This time, however, it wasn't as jaw dropping because we had "bad seats" and I realized how crazy over priced everything is there. I'm talking $8.50 for a bottle of water, $6 for a slice of pizza. And while I don't usually mind because I don't eat at concerts, we didn't stop for dinner as we had planned due to the painstaking long wait to pay for parking. It's either coins or a Visa which none of us happened to have on us. Apparently, it's too inconvenient to have bills on you. Luckily for us, a kind gentleman, who had seen Kings Of Leon upwards of 30 times, paid for our parking with his Visa. Canadians, eh?
Kongos and Young the Giant opened the show and I must say, I am quite impressed with Kongos! I had never heard them before, so my expectations weren't high at all, but damn they can put on a great show. Young The Giant was fun too. Finally, after what seemed like decades of waiting, Carrie and I were finally seeing Kings Of Leon together. And it was amazing. Exceeds all my expectations of what any band should be like live. Dare I say that they may even have topped my list of favourite bands I've seen live, which is a tough achievement (Foo Fighters are number one, obviously).
Carrie and I had come up with sort of a dream set list of all the songs we hoped they'd play, so it was fun in between songs to guess what they'd play next. I was anticipating that our #songforthecity would have been Talihina Sky but we ended up with Soft, which if you're a KOL fan, you know how amazing that was. The rest of the set list was a dream come true, and Jesse and I got to hear some songs we didn't get to when we saw them back in February. Overall, it was amazing. I can't wait to see them again and again! For anyone who is interested, here is the setlist:
It was made public yesterday by Kings Of Leon that they had a bus accident. A pedestrian jumped out in front of them and the bus had to stop abruptly, leaving Nathan with a couple of broken ribs, and forcing the Followills to cancel the following show. As rude as I feel for saying this, thank goodness our show wasn't cancelled. After missing Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden, I needed this concert. This year has been seriously lacking in the live music department, and seeing my favourite bands is kind of like breathing air to me. Plus, it had been a trip 6 years in the making, it had to come to fruition. It had to. I do send a thousand hugs and well wishes to the Followills and hope that Nathan makes a speedy recovery! xo
All photos of Kings Of Leon are courtesy of the lovely and very talented Riley Taylor for AUX TV, misc photos via my Instagram.
As I've mentioned before, we are hosting a Luau Party at the end of the month. In fact, it's this Saturday! I'm so excited! Carrie and I have accumulated and created so many neat decorations and ideas, I can't wait. I was extra excited to come up with a Hawaiian inspired playlist. And okay, so there are some songs on here that aren't very Hawaiian (Bob Marley, Ramones), but I was going for more of a fun having, drinking on the beach vibe. The best part about it? I discovered that Josie is absolutely in love with the Beach Boys.
(Who isn't?)
I hope my guests enjoy the mood I set with this playlist, what do you think? Are there any songs or artists you would add to this playlist? Let me know in the comments below and I'll add them for the Luau! xo
Hey, so remember when I changed my entire layout for my blogaversary? Well... I didn't like it. In fact, I started to hate it after a few days. I started out with a black and yellow template and ended up working it towards all these autumn/winter earthy tones. Which, don't get me wrong, are my favourite colours, but, I really kept thinking about black and mustard yellow again. So, instead of trying to redo my entire layout - yet again - I asked Chrissy from the Dainty Fawn to help me out! Isn't she wonderful, look how lovely my blog looks now! I'm so excited!
I also realize I haven't done a playlist in awhile and decided to hop aboard the Grooveshark train and start making my playlists there. This one is my Spring playlist - It's quite eclectic... it's actually all the songs I've been listening to on my bike rides that make me feel happy and energetic. Enjoy!
This playlist is all over the place, but that's kind of how I am in the winter. A lot of my music is sporadic because my mood changes so much. This list is pretty Grammy related and that could be why it's so weird.
Anyway, if you haven't noticed, there's been a little blog makeover here! I just needed a little change so I tweaked it a bit aesthetically. There will be a few more changes/announcements within the next couple of days regarding advertising, guest posting, etc.
Today is the first day in weeks it's been absolutely beautiful outside. I can't wait for my afternoon walk! Happy Thursday everybody!
Hey remember that time Nine Inch Nails and Queens Of The Stone Age played a full set at the Grammys?
Me neither.
Fortunately for me, this was probably the only major let down from last night's Grammys ceremony, which is saying something because I usually finish watching with a big hole in my heart, filled with disappointment due to lack of respect towards the rock community. This year was pretty good considering. I loved performances by Pink, Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons, Blake Shelton with Willie, Merle and Kris and of course, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. By far though, the best thing to happen last night was Daft Punk. Not only was their performance with Pharrell and Stevie Wonder phenomenal, but they took home two well deserved gramophones. Here are a few of my favourite moments in gifs (all via tumblr):
But of course, anything Dave Grohl did was my favourite moment ever.
What was your favourite moment from this years Grammys? Anything you wish didn't happen?
This woodsy wedding is what (my) dreams are made of. (Also, did you know Modcloth carries all kinds of wedding styles, including bridesmaids and bridal gowns in plus sizes? Wink!)
These fool's gold coloured moccasins are so gorgeous and versatile. I wish Josie had them, but what I wish more is that they made them in adult sizes. Am I right?
Is this the real life, or is this just fantaaasy? Queens Of The Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails, Lindsay Buckingham and Dave Grohl are set to perform the finale at the Grammys this weekend. And let's not forget its the 50th year of The Beatles so you best believe they'll be doing something fantastic for Paul and Ringo. I AM SO EXCITED. THIS IS SO EXCITING. I CAN'T CONTROL MY FEELINGS.
