stuck in my head

New Zealand is not a country usually associated with music; in fact, it is much more often associated with sheep. For a country that has more wool-producing creatures than musical ones, however, this almost-Aussie country has been making quite the name for itself in the music industry. It all began with the prodigy pop sensation Lorde, who I spoke about in an earlier blog post. Several New Zealander musicians have been following in her footsteps, including brother-sister duo Broods. I have only recently discovered them, and have already fallen in love.

To introduce yourself, try these lovely tracks:

Mother and Father

Bridges

For this talented duo, I predict great things. 

stuck in my head

"Swingin' Party", a cover by Lorde, was originally sung (and written) by The Replacements in 1985. It's a wonderful song either way- just listen to the lyrics.

My Weekend Playlist

Including songs from all sorts of artists and genres, here's the music that will be the movie soundtrack for my somewhat mellow, mostly-stay-at-home weekend.

"Laughing With", by Regina Spektor

"Ribs", by Lorde

"5 Years Time", by Noah and the Whale

"California Gold Rush", by Sara Jackson-Holman

"Exceed my Expectations", by Emma Wallace

"Danger", by Katherine Farnham

"2.99 Cent Blues", by Regina Spektor

"Patchwork Girlfriend", by Punch Brothers

"The District Sleeps Alone Tonight", by Birdy

"Paper Aeroplane", by Angus and Julia Stone 

A Few Good Things

1. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, is a fantastic book-turned-movie narrated by Death itself at the dawn of WWII. There are so many perfect quotes from the novel, I simply couldn't pick just one to share.

"I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right."

"If only she could be so oblivious again, to feel such love without knowing it, mistaking it for laughter."

And, finally:

"Humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die.”
While I was not certain how it would translate into film, the director- Brian Percival- does a splendid job. There are a plethora of direct quotes, and it is a stunning piece of art and literature in film.

And a few songs:

2. "People Help the People", by Birdy.

3. "Glory and Gore", by Lorde.

Oh, Lorde

When I started listening to Lorde's music, I suddenly had a problem: how to pronounce her name. I couldn't very well tell someone that, "Oh, I love that one artist's music- Lordy? Lord-eh? L-O-R-D-E? However you pronounce it? She sings 'Royals'?" And so- as every problem requires- I Googled it. As I did so, I found interviews of this artist, and, naturally, watched. By doing so, I found not only that Lorde is pronounced "lord", but also she seems like an actually cool, down to earth person. And (to top it all off), I am incredibly jealous of her hair.

And so, do give Lorde a listen- a few of my favorites of her songs are as follows:

"400 Lux"
"The Love Club"
"Buzzcut Season"

And, of course, the ever-played, a-bit-too-mainstream, "Royals".