merging with music

I got marble bed sheets and a blue ukulele and it's made me want to blog again. There's probably a problematic correlation there about materialism and aesthetic, but we wont look into that now. 

I probably had the best summer this year. The summer of all summers, a summer of happiness, busyness and laziness in complete and equal measure. A summer of just exactly what I needed, what I deserved. 

This summer however, I fell out with blogging.  

Something had to give. It didn't happen quickly, I tried to hold on to the routine of it all but my heart just wasn't in the words I was writing. I didn't care anymore about writing down the little things publicly because they were my experiences and mine to appreciate. I stopped writing reviews of material things; not because I stopped buying things, but because it bored me to talk about them. My blog was becoming conventional and I hated it. 

It was also becoming a bit more of a public diary, the monday posts were getting more and more personal and I shared some stuff in some dark times I probably shouldn't have. I enjoyed writing them, but they became a bit of a chore every monday night and then I used to worry about who would be reading them and what people would take from them. Could somebody sum up my whole personality from my blog? That's terrifying. 

I haven't stopped writing about the little things, it just doesn't have to be shouted into the void anymore, instead it can be shouted into pages and pages using biro ink, ink that no one else will read apart from me. It gives me the same amount of catharsis I've found. 

This is getting hella deep when it really doesn't have to be because; the main reason why I stopped blogging and the coolest reason ever is that I'm a musician now and I'm working on so many things that take up so much time that I have no time to blog weekly anymore, let alone monthly. I started a Youtube channel that I enjoy making videos for I only have 22 followers, but it's kind of like a music portfolio y'know? And I'm currently putting my heart and soul and all of my money into making an EP! It was on my new years res list and I can't believe I'm finally getting to do it. It's being released on all the things in early January btw and I'm so. fricken. pumped. about. it. 

So what happens now?

Do I just continue with my musical career and leave this blog, one of my main and enjoyable hobbies to die in a dusty corner of the internet?

Nah man, I love it too much. 

Here's the plan:

This blog is turning over a new leaf, to match its owners new career path. 

Basically I want a space to write about music and all the musical things I'm doing. My playlists on here have always been my favourite to write and probably my followers favourite to read i could be wrong there you might hate it all. And I was overwhelmed with the feedback on my last musical post. I just love talking about music, ask any of my friends and they'll tell you that I don't shut up, it controls my life, every aspect of my day, my mood, my creativity. It just makes sense to make this the main premise of this blog. I love talking descriptively about an artists way of making a sound that can get stuck in someones head for weeks. Most of my friends are in the music industry and we love having long debates and chats about albums and eras. 

Also this space will be a hub for all things marblmoon: soundcloud posts, youtube links, gig info and eventually a shop where you can purchase my EP and maybe some merch? possibly? we'll see how easy that one is?

I just think it makes a whole lotta sense, I'm moving in a new direction so shouldn't my blog? 

Shouldn't it make sense to merge the two to make each of them stronger?

Not a lot of musicians do this and I'm hoping it might make my brand stand out more please notice me. But above all else is my happiness and enjoyment around this lil dusty corner. I'm going to stop caring about numbers I don't expect everyone to enjoy this new music focused venture and a schedule and just write when I feel the need. 

I haven't really thought about content too much yet, but just expect some more playlists and album reviews coming at ya soon. Monday's have stopped and this bitch probably wont air her dirty laundry on here anymore. But there might be a few essay sized rants and even some book or makeup reviews sometimes, who knows, I'm sure we'll settle back into the swing of it soon. 

As Janis Joplin once said:

'rock on out' 

bye fn, thanks for listening to my ted talk xo 

   

Teeny Tiny Film Reviews | Six

It's that time again. I've watched and gathered a lot of films recently and the list in my bullet journal is bulging. I'm really pleased because I told myself at the start of the year I'd like to consume more films and I've done just that. These are a right ol' mixture, some classics that passed me by during my childhood and some recents that I actually paid good money to see in the cinema. I think I'm going to do this in two parts again because this list is hella' long. So grab a blanket cocoon and a big ol' mug of peppermint tea and let the credits roll:

Ladybird_________________________________________________________________________

"People go by the names their parents give them, but they don't believe in God."

- warming, intimate & introspective of Gerwig's life

☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽ - 9 moons 

Wet Hot American Summer ________________________________________________________ 

"You taste like a burger. I don't like you anymore"

- side splittingly self aware, so stupid but so clever

☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽ - 9 moons

True Romance ____________________________________________________________________

"You just said you love me, now if I say I love you and just throw caution to the wind and let the chips fall where they may and you're lying to me I'm gonna fuckin' die."

- Typical Tarantino level of violence wrapped around a heart wrenching love story

☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽ - 8 moons 

The Royal Tenenbaums ___________________________________________________________

 "I think we're just gonna to have to be secretly in love with each other and leave it at that, Richie"

- dream cast, dream setting 

☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽ - 8 moons 

The Last Jedi_____________________________________________________________________

"let the past die. Kill it, if you have to. That's the only way to become what you are meant to be"

- jarringly sassy (Mark Hamille), takes away from the plot 

☽☽☽☽ - 4 moons 

The Greatest Showman_____________________________________________________________

"No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else"

- Lack of chills, style over substance; even regarding music

☽☽ - 2 moons 

Black Panther_____________________________________________________________________

" I will not abandon someone to die, when I have the means to save his life"

- Empowering, unapologetic & fiercely beautiful  

☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽ - 8 moons 

Call Me by Your Name_____________________________________________________________

"Look, you had a beautiful friendship. Maybe more than a friendship. And I envy you"

- Hazy, gorgeous and dreamily sad 

☽☽☽☽☽☽ - 6 moons 

Coco_____________________________________________________________________________

"Remember me, though I have to travel far, remember me, each time you hear a sad guitar, know that I'm with you, the only way that I can be, until you're in my arms again, remember me"

- vibrant, dazzling & thoughtful

☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽☽ - 10 moons 

Stay tuned for number seven coming sooner than you think. 

Have you watched any of these films?

        

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! I've had a pretty challenging week as weeks go. Lots of personal stuff going on and change left right and centre, I do think these events are causing me to get more used to change though and that should be a good thing. Change aside, I have been able to still be productive and keep my head above water.  Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Museums_________________________________________________________________________

Emily and I had the weekend off together and that never happens, so we decided to make it special and actually leave the house. We decided to go to the local museum in our town with two other friends and we had the best day. We took everything in and dressed up and took so many photos, my favourite part of the museum is the observatory, there's an artificial sky with stars and rain noises and it's so relaxing. It was nice to leave the house on a day off, although it wasn't too faraway, it's sometimes nice to check out the local places. I also now know many things about the Roman Empire and the Gladiators, interesting guys they were, a lot of blood and violence tho'. My new aim is to play a gig in that observatory, the acoustics are a dream. 

Doughnut Peaches_________________________________________________________________

Nothing like the signs of summer than a six pack of doughnut peaches for sale in Lidl. I can eat a whole pack of these things in a day, what can I say? They're delicious and juicy and much nicer than a normal peach in my opinion, I don't know why, maybe it's cause they're flatter and more practical to eat. I don't know man.. peaches, that's all. 

Lungs on Vinyl____________________________________________________________________

After a whole week of listening to Florence back to back in preparation for her new album, I found out that Lungs might be my favourite album of all time. I remember when I was 15 and it came out and it changed my life and how I think about music and making music as whole. This album gives me so much inspiration and is probably the main inspo for the EP I'm making hype, hype,hype. I just love her and I forgot how good her early sound was. So there was only one thing to do, purchase it on vinyl and soak up all the harp sounds and dark, echoing lyrics. Also the artwork inside is a dream, this definitely had to happen, my vinyl collection feels a little bit more complete now. 

How was your Monday?

          

Treasure Hunt | May

Well here we are, another month, another treasure hunt. Although May was my Birthday month, I did try and refrain from treating myself, I have things to save up for. Although a few things did slip into my hands when I was out and about, what can you do? Here are the things I've collected in May:

Lidl Hortus Citris Gin _____________________________________________________________

Just Lidl gin in general man. I'm an adult and I can have gin in my favourites okay? I've been enjoying a nice lil' gin and lemonade or two or three sitting on my balcony on a Friday Monday night. I never used to like gin, but then I realised that the problem wasn't the gin, it was the tonic, tonic is hell in a glass, it is bitter and twisted and tastes like unhappy step mothers. Lemonade on the other hand, is fruity and fizzy and tastes like sunshine. Although my favourite flavour from the Hortus range is the rhubarb and ginger one; I do really like the taste of this citrus one and it goes so well with the sunshine juice, on a sunshiny day, on our sunshiny balcony. 

Binky the Cactus __________________________________________________________________

Working in a garden centre is dangerous okay. Plants get reduced for no reason no reason and then they end up being rescued, by me, plant mum. This is the newest member of our plant family and I called him Binky because his label said Binku-something and I thought it suited him. I like how nobbly he is and he came in a big ol' pot. He sits happily on my desk now, next to Clause, do I have a problem?

Salt of the Earth Natural Deodorant | Lavender & Vanilla _______________________________

I've been using Dr Organic deodorant for a while now. But it's pretty hard to get hold of and hella' expensive for how much you get. So when I was in my local health shop and saw this brand, I decided to give it a go, there were so many flavours to try and I settled for lavender and vanilla because I found it to be the most unusual. I really like this deodorant, it's a strange way of applying it; just a spray bottle to the armpits feels weird. But it allows you to kind of use as a perfume as well and spray it anywhere you bloody like, I've also used it as an air freshener. The best thing about this product however is how long it lasts. Literally I'll go to work and lift heavy things all day in the sun and I'll still smell fab and it's obviously vegan and aluminium free! I'll definitely be trying more flavours, I already have my eye on the melon and cucumber one next.. fresh. 

shop

Bleach London | Swamp Spritz_______________________________________________________

My hair's been doing a weird thing recently. I think it's finally realised that there's a lot less of it now. It might be to do with the heat styling every day, or the haircut I receive from Emily once a month, but it's gone very straight on top. Still as curly and wavy underneath, but the top layer of my hair has become dead straight and so difficult to style. It's very strange because I have always been a naturally curly gal. Charlotte told me to get into sea salt spray so I visited Superdrug and found this lil' bottle. I actually picked it up because it was the cheapest and I liked the bottle, but I've recently found that a lot of people are calling it the best sea salt spray they've used. You only need a tiny bit and I've learned that  spraying a little on your hand and scrunching it into the hair gives a much more subtle result because this stuff is crazy. It gives sooo much volume to the hair and also, curls the hair with a little help from some heat styling. I love the texture it gives to my hair and it's very easy to brush out at the end of the day. It doesn't make it frizzy, it just keeps the curls in and that's exactly what I wanted. Honestly though, you only need a tiny bit, the first time I used this I looked like Magenta from The Rocky Horror Show unless that's a look you're going for than if so.. go wild. 

shop

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser _________________________________________

I finally joined the bandwagon. I had this weird vision about being in my own house and having some Liz Earle on the side of the sink in my lovely clean bathroom and now I can live this vision everyday and that's cool, am I an adult? Does owning some Liz Earle make me an adult? It's soooo good though, worth all the hype. It takes off all your makeup with just one application and it smells heavenly, leaving your skin so soft. The only problem I'm having with it is that it's opening my pores a hell of a lot and making them really visible, which is rather annoying when I'm trying to wear less makeup during summer. To be honest I don't know if it's beaten the Milky Jelly Cleanser but it's still a fab product and such a close second. 

shop

Re-Usable Cotton Pads _____________________________________________________________

I've been trying to be mindful about my effect on the environment for around 3 years now and I think I've got most of it cracked. But one of the things remaining was my use of cotton pads, I didn't think there was any alternative seems as I needed them for my cleanser. But then I watched this video and Lena mentioned buying some re-usable cotton pads from a wonderful seller on Ebay. I checked out the seller and decided to buy a pack of ten. Now I know I probably could have made these myself, but I like to support small businesses and such. These are so cute and such an amazing idea, I don't know why I didn't think about getting some sooner, they're so soft and much more hygienic than disposable cotton pads or a flannel because you use them once and then put them in the wash. These have honestly changed my life and I'd urge you all to ditch those disposable cotton pads and save the environment one sewn-kitsch-cute-patterned flannel patch at a time. 

shop

Honorable Mentions _______________________________________________________________

-Lush spa session -I was lucky enough to receive the best gift from my best friends and amazing      flatmates; a Lush spa session called The Sound Bath and I am so excited! I can                                      go to any Lush with a spa in the country at anytime and receive this amazing                                        treatment and I'm sure I'll write all about it once I know what the hell it is, the                                       booklet doesn't give a lot away! 

- HUJI - The app that everyone and their mother is going on about and flooding your insta feed, but it's so good and has given me a theme, it also fits really well with the real film photos I                        upload to Instagram, so I'm not complaining, who doesn't love a lens flare?  

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What treasures did you find in May?

             

Songs | MAY18

Where have the months gone? How is it June already?! I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up with this series, I listened to some amazing songs in MAR18 & APR18 but alas; I must have run out of time to write about them. If you are curious and want to know what I was listening to during these months, my spotify account will have those playlists ready for you to download anytime, jus' sayin' 

Let's get on with it shall we and completely forget the fact I've missed 2 months of writing about amazing new music. Let's press play on the present:

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I went to see Isle of Dogs this April and the whole film stole my heart. The soundtrack in particular stood out for me and this one song that kept being used. Fast forward to a few weeks afterwards and the sweet lil' song comes up on my Discovery playlist -can spotify read minds?- I haven't stopped listening to it all month and it's the perfect song to listen to on an adventure. Grab a rucksack with some snacks and go and walk in a wood, light a fire and contemplate the universe. 

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May has definitely been the month of up and coming pop females. I've been following Orla Gartland for a long time now and I'm so happy her new single and new music hype is getting all the recognition it deserves. This is an absolute bop and after listening to it only once, I found myself humming it all day. Also can we talk about her aesthetic? I'm so hyped for music videos and all the exciting things in the future of her music. She inspires me to work harder and focus on the end goal, she reached it, why can't I? I Go Crazy is the perfect 'omg it's that time already I must jump out of bed and make a getting ready montage' there's something very vintage about her sound, I could see someone recreating the Risky Business scene to this song, might be me jus' sayin'. 

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Now it's time for the big one. My mum is back! Florence has graced this world once more and I'm over the moon. So over the moon I've recently bought tickets to see her in Glasgow in November and -I'm gonna have to stop I may hyperventilate- Hunger is what I call a heartfelt banger. It's really interesting how it came to light because she said it was a personal poem that she wasn't going to share, but something told her she had to. The lyrics are so raw and so profound and speak so many truths and the production of this song is just magical and how she performs it is even more so. Florence is one of.. probably the main musical influences I have and I always bare in mind her structure when I write songs. I am so stoked to see her, to be in the same building as her even, I know the vibes will be perfect and she will give me endless inspiration. This song is a let-your-hair-down-twirling-in-your-living-room kind of vibe and that's what exactly me and my flat mates did when we first heard this song and every other day after that! I'm so glad my mum has returned, is it creepy I call her my mum? I don't care. Sorry mum.

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Another pop banger coming your way in 3..2..1. Tove Styrke popped up on my Discovery and I was immediately drawn into her country-style pop, more so by the lyrics than anything else. I listened to the whole album and as soon as Say my Name came on I knew this would be my favourite. I love the simplicity of the lyrics and the cheekiness she injects into the song. This is a perfect song to wash the dishes to, hear me out; it's upbeat and has the catchiest chorus, perfect for singing loudly whilst scrubbing dem' coffee stains. 

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Now this is a weird one. I actually discovered this song on a very intense episode of Riverdale (yes I still watch Riverdale, it calms me okay?)  But this episode was hella' dramatic and this song worked perfectly. It builds so well and I just love the production of it. Obviously this will be perfect to listen to walking down a road at night, no people, no cars. Create your own music video, but don't get creeped out by the end, I was jump scared first time I listened to it, nearly dropped my tea everywhere bloody hell. 

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Oh look another woman killing it in the UK music industry and giving me daily inspo. Maisie Peter's vocals are the sweetest, most angelic thing I have ever heard, but paired with this slightly poignant, honest song, we definitely see a different side to her. I love Worst of You and the idea that not all relationships are perfect, I hope she learned her lesson though, after hearing those lyrics I just want to give her a big hug. But we all know, we write the best bangers when we're sad and things are shit so.. The production of this song is very similar to what I'm aiming for and that makes me hella' excited. Maybe one day my music could be paired alongside Maisie's on a spotify playlist, holy shit that would make my day. This song is best listened to with a glass of gin and some gal' pals to hug and dance around with. My usual Saturday nights will be accompanied by this song from now on. 

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Heard this song in the bath. Cried like a lil' baby. That's all. Nah Isaac Gracie's music is the embodiment of poignancy and 'alone time' This song is beautiful and his Jeff Buckley-like wails are both haunting and calming at the same time. I love the unusual chord sequence in this song and there's something about the 2nd half of the verses that just effect me, idk man, my chest tightens because it's just perfect. The lyrics sink deep into your skin and don't leave you. The whole album is an absolute treasure honestly but this is definitely my favourite song. It's not overly produced and it builds so beautifully. Listen to it in the bath with billions of candles, tears and your own thoughts. 

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I know, I know. I still need to do a full album review I know. But to be honest my whole opinion of this album has been so up and down. I wasn't a fan at first, but now, after a 1am walk down the road, just me and some traffic lights; I get what they were trying to do. This song I think is my favourite, just because of the clever lyrics 'dancing in ma underpants, i'm gonna run for government, i'm gonna join a covers band an all' I mean, you couldn't get more AM than that really. I like how Alex hasn't lost his northern tones, but they've definitely developed as a band and changed their sound, but that's only fair, it's what musicians do, it just took a lot of getting used to. You could say I need a One Point Perspective ? I'll get out now. 

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God I love talking about music, why didn't I write for mar/apr ??? 

What have you been listening to this May? 

           

May | Mother of Swords

You like my book? It was a present from my fellow witch and best friend. I'm finding learning about magick so fascinating, it's such a big topic and this book is definitely helping me get my head around it, although I don't fully believe in everything it says but that's the power of hermenuetics I guess. Let's crack on with May:

(definitions are taken from The Wild Unknown Tarot Guidebook by Kim Krans)

Sharp, Perceptive 

↑

 You'll often find the Mother of swords putting her sharp perceptions to use as a therapist, doctor or teacher. She's extremely experienced and knowledgeable in her field. Some think of her as all-seeing. This card can sometimes represent a woman going through a difficult time. She may be recently widowed or divorced, and usually without children. During this time, there's potential for her criticism to soar. 

May_____________________________________________________________________________

I was a bit confused with the possible link between the card for this month and the situations that occurred. But after some more research I think I've found the it.. or maybe I'm just trying to find a tenuous link to something that doesn't make sense, I don't know. But I do believe that the universe allowed me to test my perception this month. The Mother/Queen of swords is all about situations where you have to be forceful and honest and this month I decided to take a  look into my career path and think seriously about the kind of musician I want to be. This month made me realise that the path I need to be on will take a lot of stubbornness and  a lot of honesty with myself, so I guess that's where the card came in. The rest of the month was pretty magical, I got to spend time with a lot of people that are special to me and of course, I celebrated my Birthday in true Taurus fashion; I took a whole week to dance and celebrate me ageing. 

Everything feels great right now and compared to last year, I feel so grounded and so ready to focus on the things that I truly love in the world and channel all of my energy and magick into that. 

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How was your May?