18/52

Well over a year ago I went with a few friends to see Wild Palms at the Ruby Lounge in Manchester. This gig had come out of the fact that a good friend of mine's sister was involved with the guitarist - a good enough reason as any. Also, three members of the band had slept in my now-ex boyfriend and I's bed a few months prior while we'd been away and well, we felt somewhat entitled to see them for free.

While I enjoyed the gig, I don't think at the time, I realised how much a year later I would enjoy their debut album Until Spring. Touted as a 'Band to Watch in 2011' by the Sunday Times, they have enjoyed a good amount of success,although they are very mush so deserving of more.

'Delight in Temptation' is their first major release from Until Spring. Before it was even tipped as a single it was pretty clear that this was a standout track on the album. Catchy guitar riffs mesh well with a good layered beat, making this one of my must have tracks on any Summer '11 playlist.

18/52

Wild Palms - Delight in Temptation 

Going Underground?

As a Londoner through and through (SW14 represent!) I have spent a good deal of my life on public transport. As much as I always complain about trains breaking down and various signal failures, I still feel incredibly blessed to live in a city like London that has such a wide variety of transport to choose from. When I was at school it was all about Southwest train services in and out of Clapham Junction during the week, and trips around and about southwest London on the 33, 337, and occasional N10 buses on the weekends. 

Today it is all about the underground.

I haven't spent this much time on the tubular since... well this time last year, but with an increased amount of time on the tube each day you begin to look at travel in a different way. In particular I've begun to look at the iconic underground map more closely. I think in recent years the map's artistic beauty, with its coloured straight lines, has taken over it's practical use as a guide of London, which it was never intended to be.

The people at London Tubemap have in light of this, taken it upon themselves to redraw the underground map as we know it. 

The new map is a much more fluid approach to London's over and underground geography. And while is doesn't paint the travel zones that the traditional map does, I think it would make for a much better tool for London's tourists who often use the traditional map as a 'accurate' representation of the city. 

Two perspectives: 

What do you think? Should Transport for London consider a change to a new map with a more accurate representation of London's geography? Or should they keep the traditional map alive?

16/52 and 17/52

I've found that I'm a bit of a broken record, repeating apologies every week for having forgotten to post the previous week. I should probably stop playing Angry Birds and Cut the Rope on my commute and actually put some pen to paper or fingertips to touchscreen and write something. 

I thought that being a student you were always busy having to write essays and read articles. Work life is twice as busy and working from 10 till 18:30 everyday leaves very little time for anything else, this includes cooking real food, cleaning, and having a social life during the week. I've also officially said goodbye to napping in the middle of the week. 

Anyway, I digress. 

At work, when I'm not actually staring at spreadsheets and mobile app-related sites, I do get to spend free moments looking for music. For the last 16 weeks I've been able to compile these tracks onto Spotify, however tracks 16 and 17 are pretty special and can only (for the time being) be found on Youtube.

Both tracks are by a new band I've discovered called Young the Giant. Recently they've been getting good press as a 'one to watch' and I have been. Their eponymous album is a great summer listener and I suggest 'Every Little Thing' and '12 Fingers' as great tracks. However for the Mixtape I have chosen a Two Door Cinema Club remix of their single 'My Body'. Mixing the best of both bands, this is a really good blend of what each band does well.

16/52

Young the Giant - My Body (Two Door Cinema Club Remix) 

While I don't follow the hype that surrounds the voice that is Adele, I do think that 'Rolling in the Deep' is a tune and a half. I also think that this Young the Giant cover is something super special and one of the better covers of this song I have heard.

17/52

Young the Giant - Rolling in the Deep