Tag: music

Love the music

~ Sue ~ 1 Comment

I was watching a video of Dizzee Rascal recently, when he was preforming his song, ‘Bonkers’ in HMV in Glasgow. It seemed fun, and the crowd were bouncing around having a great time. I then looked down at the comments, not always the best thing to do on TikTok, especially if you don’t want your day ruined. There were a few comments saying things like ‘horrible Ned music’. Now in Scotland, a Ned is like a Chav, it’s a way to dismiss an entire section of society, and consider them as scum.

Which is horrible.

The people leaving these comments were self confessed Metalheads. And if they were picked up on their negative comments, the answer would be akin to ‘but they pick on me’. It seems to be just continuing the petty societal warfare that used to occur between different groups at High School. It’s this constant need to beat others down, to make themselves appear superior. Something that I have personally never understood.

Music has always been something that has helped mark key memories in my life, be it good or bad. What I love about music is that it can affect your mood, even encourage you forward when you are ready to give up. I try to listen to most types of music, or at least give it a listen. Some are maybe not exactly to my taste, but I would never dream of criticising someone who does like it. You never know what song will help you when you need it most.

For example, take Ren. He is a Welsh musician who utilises rap, and guitar to create his music. A lot of people I know would dismiss him and his music, without giving a listen. It is to their detriment. Ren writes a lot about mental health and being chronically ill. In one of his songs (Hi Ren) where he speaks about the constant between lightness and darkness not being a battle but a pendulum swinging back and forth. And it resonated with me. Nobody had ever put it in that way for me before. If you have really bad days, at some point things will switch the other way and be more positive. It’s a good, if sometimes difficult, way to think.

That is what is so great about music, for me, is that that you are able to see different perspectives, find different things that match your moods. I just can’t understand why people would invalidate complete genres of music, just because of the people who do listen to it.

Things I like: Neale Mathieson-Welcome To The Solar System

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Firstly, I seem to have lost the ability to create anything legible, so this post is over a month late. There has been about 4 drafts, which made no sense what-so-ever. This is the problem when you have problems with your brain and your body, with both causing me issues. Anyway, enough with the excuses, let’s get down to business.

Neale Mathieson has started 2023 with the release of his new album Welcome To The Solar System. Neale is a self-published singer-songwriter based in Dunfermline, Fife, and also performs in the band, Segadeth, who do heavy metal video game songs. Which is as great as it sounds. The album, itself, is a great listen, with metal and punk influences, mixed with the sometimes humorous lyrics.

As a fan of music with a ska beat, thanks to my Dad, I loved Going Nowhere. A ska beat, a bit of a synth sound, and lyrics going through how the line between work and play seems to be getting thinner. A problem that came to the forefront as many of us were forced to work from home, and social lives became non-existent. Adulting is another highlight for me, with a heavier, more raw sound, talking about the crap-ness of being a functioning adult. Something that I can definitely resonate with. Of Mice and Madmen, is another highlight. This song is slower, more guitar-driven, showing Neale’s range when creating music. The different sounds that make this album one, creates an experience which surprises the listener.

Things I like :The Bucky Bombs-Bombs Away

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

In 2023, I want to start using this blog for a bit more than my constant whining. And, I am going to do that by sharing things that I like. The kind of stuff that makes a person smile or laugh, and forget the mundanity of life, even for just 15 minutes or an hour. These things are what gives us that mental push to carry on with our day. So today, it is Monday, and I couldn’t think of any better way to kick things off, that to talk about something music related.

That music related thing, is Fife band, The Bucky Bombs’ brand new, self-released album, Bombs Away.

The band consist of trio Jim Russell, Alan Yule, and Kyle Duffy, who play their own brand of ‘Fife Melodic Hardcore’. What is that? Well think of the musicality of The Ramones, with a twist of NoFx’s self-awareness, a lot of Buckfast, and references to the Kingdom known as Fife. The music is fun, catchy, and will really put a bounce in your step.

I remember, to my youth, where I would sing along to Rancid, rattling out place names for locations I had no idea about. It always gives me a wee thrill to hear musicians writing songs about places that I actually know, never mind sharing jokes about them. Songs about wanting to leave Cowdenbeath, taking ones love to Kelty beach, and an ode to the Garden City of Rosyth.

Technically the album is superb. The great thing about technology, is that with the right hands, independent albums can be lifted to the same quality as major label releases. And this is where I think this album excels. Between Kyle’s great drumming, Jim’s thumping bass, and Alan’s blinding guitar, everything is worked together masterfully. Everything is smooth, all the instruments have equal footing, and the vocals blend seamlessly, which is where I often find indie recordings can fall down.

Become pals with The Bucky Bombs and find out about upcoming shows here.


Music To Smile To

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Music is the soundtrack to our lives. It may not make life any easier, but the right song can help lift your mood. The right song can take you back to the right time or place, remind you of a specific person, or help you sing your way through a bad day.

To make me smile, music needs to have a good beat. I have never been a fan of slow ballads, as I find them a little boring. I prefer something that I can tap my feet to, have a dance, or sing along to. The good thing, is that is there are so many different types of music. Something for every taste. The world would be boring if everybody liked the same thing.

So, what songs make me smile?

1) The Stereophonics- The Bartender And The Thief

2) The Ramones- I Wanna Be Sedated

3) Hanson- Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’

4) Skerryvore- Simple Life

5) Iron Maiden- Two Minutes To Midnight

6) BlackPink- Playing With Fire

7) The Bouncing Souls- Lean on Sheena

8) Reel Big Fish- Sell Out

10) Artmesia- Bits and Pieces

Ran Out Of Qs

~ Sue ~ 1 Comment

In the UK, there has always been an abundance of magazine publications, all suited around whatever hobby or interest you could have. Model trains, cross stitching, running, photography, almost anything had a magazine. My big interest was always music. And, in the days before you had music recommendations at a click of a button on Spotify, you had music magazines, and the odd radio show.

From, when I started earning my own money, I always bought music magazines. It started off with Smash Hits, moved on to Kerrang, Rocksound, NME and Q. There then became more niche magazines, Big Cheese covered punkier stuff, then Metal Hammer got heavy metal. Magazines would often give away free tapes, then CDs, so you got a taste for the bands you were reading about. I always liked different music, so I would buy different magazines, to try and absorb as much information as possible. If you wanted to find out about music out with the Top 40, you had to work for it. Which is why magazines were so important to me when I was younger.

Unfortunately, more and more of the publications that I used to buy, are closing. With Q Magazine being the latest victim. After 34 years of publication, the magazine has published it’s final issue. And it is hard to imagine, in these days, where music seems instant, that a major way I discovered music seems to be dying away. There was a time, when pondering a career path when I was at school, that I thought about journalism, in particular, music journalism. I had never been the most accomplished writer, but I loved the idea about showing appreciation for something I loved. To shed light on bands and albums I loved. It sounded pretty magical.

These days, if you like a certain genre, or listen to certain bands, the music streaming service you listen to, will recommend new music. It’s seamless, and almost effortless to find something new. I liked reading about a band’s exploits, about their history, and understanding about the band members. I also loved reading reviews on gigs, especially if I was discovering a new band. It’s not the same anymore. Even pop music, there is no music on TV anymore. When I was younger there was Top Of The Pops, CD:UK, even Popworld. Shows that created a buzz, and added a bit of personality to the most generic bands.

I know things move on, but it makes me sad.

Not Everyone’s Pal

~ Sue ~ 1 Comment

Anxiety has a habit of convincing a person, that everyone hates them. Or I get that anyway. That I could be the nicest person in the world, and everyone will still hate me. Over the years, it’s a feeling that has become so overwhelming that I try to make the opposite happen.

I feel like I have to be liked by everyone. I try to be friendly and helpful. I try to be the kind of person I like. Sometimes it’s like I become a Labrador, who is up in everyone’s business because they crave a pat on the head. But sometimes, I can be the nicest person in the world and someone still won’t like me.

I haven’t done anything wrong, but this other person doesn’t see eye to eye with me. And I take it really personal. Why don’t they like me? What did I do wrong? And my mind jumps to the worst conclusion, that everyone really hates me, they just don’t tell me that. It makes me become hyper aware of every little thing I do, as if I am trying to find the annoying bits.

If logic played a part in mental health, it would tell me that what I was feeling was silly. That not every person in the world is going to become friends, and that is okay. Doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong. It’s just the way life is sometimes.

Unfortunately, logic rarely has any space in my anxious wee brain.

Under The Weather

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

This is one of these days where I wish I had stayed in bed. I am still suffering with the end of a cold, which gives me a god awful cough, that makes me sound like a 20-a-day smoker. I’m not. I just get a bad cough when every get ‘blocked up’ with the cold. Every time, without fail. But because I do a lot of coughing, my temperature goes up, which is natural. But having an iffy temperature, whilst working in a building which is like a sauna half the time, is not a great experience. Just have to plod on, though.

Because I get so run down when I am feeling like this, I think it is important to do wee things to help make you feel better. Things that give comfort as well as relax you. So, I thought I’d give a wee list of what makes me feel better.

  • Curling up in bed. When you don’t feel so great, it is a good idea to try and find a place where the temperature is constant. Cuddling up in my duvet after a draining day, never fails to help me relax.
  • A good boxset. I am not the best at watching box-sets. I tend to watch a bit, forget to go back and watch more, and then have to start again because I forget what happens. I am currently watching Grey’s Anatomy on Amazon Prime, but it is supposed to be leaving. Something that is very easy to watch, which is what I find Grey’s Anatomy. Though it does make me cry. A lot.
  • Loud Music. Music has had a relaxing effect on me for as long as I can remember. I usually listen to different music depending on my mood. But I have been exhausted and sore the last week or so, there has been too options. Punky stuff, where they are a bit ‘f*$k the world’, as I usually feel done with everything. Or it can be something with a good beat, something that i can play loud in my headphones to drown out everything else. That is usually some metal music, like Cannibal Corpse.

I also usually gorge myself on crisps and such, but I that is something I am trying to stop. I want to get healthier. Hopefully eating better food, will help my immunity and mean less colds and coughs. Hopefully.

Heavy

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

There isn’t very much to say today. In the last half hour or so I learnt the news that Chester Bennington, from Linkin Park, killed himself. I rarely get super upset over famous people dying, but this seems to hit home really hard.

Linkin Park were a bit like Blink 182, where they opened a door to other music. I have memories of having my personal CD player in my school bag with Hybrid Theory in it. Complaining that it jumped when I tried to walk anywhere. I bought every album by Linkin Park. Throughout their 7 studio albums, the band became chameleons, doing the music that made them happy. A big part of the music I now listen to, and the kind of person I am comes from Linkin Park. Chester was a hero to millions around the world, but that doesn’t stop mental health problems.

If you feel alone, or just a bit lost, please speak to someone. I write this blog as a way to get my issues out of my head, but I have also relied on others. I find it hard speaking to friends, so services came into mind. There is always someone willing to listen, you are not alone.

Service that helped me was the Samaritans.

UK & Ireland: The Samaritans call free on 116 123

(If anyone reading this has services which helped them in their country, please comment below and I’ll add to this post.)

Distraction

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

After a crappy few days, there is nothing better than focusing yourself on a task to help calm any bad feeling you may have. It is one of those things that seems impossible to do at times. I guess the important thing is not to force yourself to do something, especially if it is something that you may enjoy. Because forcing yourself on something you actually like, may take the joy away. It is supposed to be a respite for you, not simply another thing to give you anxiety.

I know, with myself, when I have a ‘bad turn’, I usually have to ride it out. I always try to do something, but if I am not in the right frame of mind, then nothing will help. I can easily sit and stare at the same page of a book for an hour, or zone out and miss 2/3 episodes of a TV show. These things that are normally relaxing for me, don’t seem to have the desired effect. There was a time, when I was younger, I actually thought my ‘zoning out’ was simply another thing that made me broken. Because for a long time, that is what I thought of myself. An unfuctioning, broken person. It has taken years of work to realise that I needed to give myself a bit of a break. Being harsh on yourself for having shit mental health, just makes your mental health worse. It is a vicious circle.

When I realised this, I started giving myself a time scale. For example, still staring at the same book page after 15 minutes, close the book and give it a rest. It became a rule that I followed, something I had to train myself to do. Because, if I didn’t, I would do nothing, and then feel bad because I had done nothing. I think that is the hardest thing about trying to self-manage your mental health. You should be strict enough with yourself that you push yourself forward, but you don’t want to be too strict and send yourself backwards. It is hard, and something it has taken me many years to try and get better at. But, I am getting there slowly.

What can be a distraction? Well, anything really. Here is a wee list of things that I use to help me feel a bit better.

Go for a walk- This could be anywhere. Luckily we have a lot of coastal walks around where I live, and I find the smell of the sea air quite relaxing. No matter where it is, a walk is something that gives you the good feeling of exercise. You may go to the park, walk to the shops, walk to a friends or even just walk round the block. I love walking, as it always has the ability of helping me de-stress.

Listen to music- Music can be great. It is a good way to block the world out, which is good if that is what is giving you anxiety. I have a variety of music tastes, and one day I’ll be listening to Pantera, the next Steps, and then some Faithless. Because different things can trigger my anxiety, different music can ease it. Unfortunately, I have a habit of leaving my iPod (with my full music collection) at home, but that is where iTunes, Spotify or Amazon Music come in handy. Every few weeks I make a new playlist. I pick a range of songs, from all different genres. It means, I can have the playlist saved to my phone, have music that is for my mood (whatever that may be), and it doesn’t take up all my phone’s memory.

Watch a TV show- This is hit and miss with me. I don’t have a lot of patience to sit and watch a TV show a lot of the time. But when I am in the mood, I can sit for several hours with the same program. The main services I use are Netflix and Crunchyroll. Again, I have a variety of shows that I am working through. So I can put on The Big Bang Theory when I need background noise, Pretty Little Liars when I want to sit and focus on something longer than 25 minutes or Naruto because I LOVE NARUTO. This again, is because my mood is never the same 2 days in a row, so I like variety.

Watch Youtube- I am addicted to youtube. It is the app I go on to when I am getting ready for bed. I love the variety. I love the variety of content that I can find on there. Watching some daily vlogs do inspire me sometimes, by seeing how motivated other people are, it kind of motivates me. I also like retro gaming, tech stuff (mostly mobiles and computers) and anime (Naruto) commentaries. The good thing is with youtube, especially on the most frequent app updates, you can click one video, and it will automatically set a playlist with similar videos, that it plays automatically. It never fails to cheer me up.

Draw something- I used to be better at this, than what I am now. Nothing I do, ever, compares to how drawing and painting makes me feel. Because of the lack of practice I do, the quality is kind of crappy, but that doesn’t even really matter to me. Whether the cat I drew, looks like a cat, doesn’t matter. I have bought myself these colouring books (the colouring for grown-ups, ones), and as much as I do enjoy them, they aren’t the same as doodling my own wee pattern, and colouring that in. My sketchbook is a mess, but it is mine, and sometimes I can look back and see progress in myself, in how I feel. Which is nice.

As I have said before though, you can do almost anything to distract yourself if you are struggling with mental health. But, do remember not to force yourself to do anything, give it a go, but if you can’t focus, stop. These things are usually so good at being distractions, because you enjoy doing them.

__________

Mental health is hard. If you are really struggling, you can visit your GP for help. I have found both Breathing Space  and Samaritans to be very helpful. You are never alone as what you feel, and there are so many people out there to help. 

Playlister

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

This sound really sad, but I like making music playlists. It is on a similar track of thought which states that organising things can actually relax a person. I have always made playlists, because I like to listen to a mixture of music. The love started from making mixtapes as a kid, taping songs off the radio or from albums I had at home. There was quite a bit of joy involved, when a person who you gave your mixtape too, liked it, and would maybe get into new bands.

Last month I made a playlist on Spotify, so that I could listen to a variety of songs I liked when I was making my way anywhere. If I am out and about, I usually listen to music on my mobile phone, purely because it’s portability. But, I never just want to listen to just one band or one genre. So, by making a playlist of different songs I like, I can listen to a wee variety, and not lose all the memory on my phone.

Because I have listened to the playlist a lot, I thought I’d make a new one for April. It might be something that I’ll try every month. The songs, that I selected this month are below.

Rancid- Timebomb

Good Charlotte- I Just Wanna Live

Emma Blackery- Nothing Without You

Tessa Violet- Not Over You

CKY- Escape From Hellview

Jimmy Eat World- The Middle

Waterparks- Stupid For You

Linkin Park- Breaking The Habit

Iron Maiden- 2 Minutes To Midnight

Mötley Crew- Kickstart My Heart

Skid Row- Wasted Time

The Stone Roses- She Bangs The Drums

The Strokes- Last Night

The Libertines- Can’t Stand Me Now

The Proclaimers- Sunshine On Leith

Skids- Into The Valley

The Clash- I Fought The Law

Stiff Little Fingers- Alternative Ulster

Dead Kennedys- Holiday In Cambodia

Minor Threat- Straight Edge

MC5- Kick Out The Jams

Fugazi- Bad Mouth

T.S.O.L- Code Blue

X-Ray Spex- Oh Bondage! Up Yours!

Linkin Park (feat Stormzy and Pusha T)- Good Goodbye

Alice Deejay- Better Off Alone

Darude- Sandstorm

Paolo Nutini- Caledonia

Anti-Flag-  Die For Your Govenment

The Bouncing Souls- Lean On Sheena

Propaganghi- Failed States

Lagwagon- The Cog In The Machine

Belle & Sebastian- Expectations

Lady Sovereign- Pretty Vacant

The Casualties- Tomorrow Belongs To Us

The Unseen- Paint It Black

Time Again- The Stories Are True

Choking Victim- 500 channels

Sonic Boom Six- Monkey See, Monkey Do

The Pietasters- Out All Night

If you want to listen to this playlist, please visit here. This is until i actually figure out how to post a playlist on here.