SOTW: Nobody's Empire ~ Belle and Sebastian

Hello!

Sorry to not post on Sunday, but on Monday. Mondo '77 got me a bit through last week, but I still can't say it was the easiest of weeks. Maybe I'm under a curse, or experiencing bad karma for something I've done in the past. I'll improve, and hopefully such a stream of bad news and happenings won't bring me down again.
But I digress.


Song of the Week - Nobody's Empire by Belle and Sebastian

Love its understated positivity.

A classic C G Am F chord pattern, played on a soft, clean electric guitar, reflective lyrics, effective, clear use of reverb especially on the vox.
In the intro- is that castanets, or an extremely short, fast rim shot, or clave beat we hear? It sounds fantastic, it's the subtleties...

I hate for my first two SOTW posts to be so linked, seeing as the Belle and Sebastian bassist was who put together the band Looper. But this is another positive song that maybe someone out there needs.

I was lucky enough to see Belle and Sebastian at End of the Road festival two years ago, even though I had only heard a couple of songs before and more wanted to see them out of interest. It was a really good gig though, and the crowd really enjoyed it. I listened to some more of their stuff (Again, BBC R6 is handy here for finding the best songs).

Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish predominantly Indie Pop band. Their latest album (Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance), which features this song, was released in January, so is out now! Give it a listen.

Here's 'Nobody's Empire' on YouTube...

On Spotify here.
And on Soundcloud here.


Have a great week!

-Ella

SOTW: Mondo '77 ~ Looper

Hello!


A current goal for myself is to increase the frequency which I post on here- but without feeling like I have to do lengthy posts, as I'm a perfectionist and can't post something until I'm completely content with it. The longer the post, the less likely I am to be happy to post it.

As a solution, I've decided that every Sunday I'll write a brief 'Song of the Week' post (whether it be a current chart hit, an old favourite or a rediscovery), write a quick summary of its history and just say why it's relevant or what I like about it.
Because come on, there's always a 'song of the week' for all of us.

Naturally, it may be extremely linked to the week's mood, or current events, but either way, it should be a fun thing to write weekly.  I also have some drafted blog posts I hope to finish up and post up here soon. But I digress...

I hope you like this first regular 'segment' of my blog. Let's hope I can keep it up!


Song of the Week : Mondo '77 by Looper (ft. Francis MacDonald).


Heard this on BBC Radio 6 (best station!) on Monday, shazam'd it, added it to my playlist and only just re-listened now, and I tell you- I'm in love.

It's motivational, has a driving piano line, and the brass hook at the end just fits perfectly. The constant 8-bit bassy ostinato is just brilliant- anyone who knows me would know that anything with a chiptune or 80s feel is something I'll most likely love.

This will definitely be the song to get me through the final week before the Easter holidays.



Looper themselves are Scottish and their music is predominantly Indie Rock and Electronic. The band itself was formed by Belle and Sebastian's ex-bassist, Stuart David.

Mondo '77 is their most widely recognised song, used in commercials in America for Xerox and Partnership for a Drug-Free America. It was also used in the soundtracks for Vanilla Sky and The Edukators.


Listen to it here (yes, slightly weird video.):

You can also find it here, on Spotify and Soundcloud.



Roll on next Sunday for another Song of the Week...

-Ella