My Uni Life in Film, TV and Music

Time for a change of pace. I don't often write anything about myself personally on this blog, and prefer to keep things strictly about the films or TV shows I'm talking about at that time.

That said, at the present moment I want to write something different, for today at least. This is because my life is moving from one phase to the next, and I wanted to put into words some reflections on the phase I'm currently leaving behind.

Over the weekend, I graduated from uni, officially ending life as an undergrad. Degree in hand, the working world is the next challenge to face, with coursework and lectures a thing of the past.

Before writing this post, I asked myself one question - what media to I associate with my time at uni? Which film, show or album clicks in my brain and transports me to those long days in the library or late nights on campus. Essentially, I wanted to reminisce in a way that encapsulates the past three years through media.

So, to tie this back in with the theme of my blog (film and pop culture), let's talk about some defining pieces that meant something from during my time at uni.

My 2013 Spotify Playlist

2013 has been a great year for music - there have been some really great tunes put together this year. I'm currently looking back over the year and writing my Top 5 Albums of 2013 post, and in the process I decided to put together a quick Spotify playlist of some of the songs I feel have made up my soundtrack to the year.

It's a pretty eclectic list, with everything from Queens of the Stone Age, Jagwar Ma and Noah and the Whale to Kanye West, The Strokes and Daft Punk.

You can read up on my Top 5 Albums of 2013 by clicking here; alternatively, you can head on over to my the playlist by follow this link: 2013 Spotify Playlist. Enjoy!

My Top 20 Songs of the Last 20 Years

In order to celebrate 20 years of the Hottest 100, Australian radio station triple j is currently running a feature on the Hottest 100 Songs of the Last 20 Years. In essence, anyone around the world is given the opportunity to vote for their favourite 20 songs since January 1st 1993 (they can be anything and everything, from the Lion King soundtrack to Eminem) and then from there, a list of the Top 100 is compiled.

"So what!" I hear you cry? Well so this, that's what. I figured that I wanted to get people's thoughts on their personal favourite songs and how they would vote in the poll. I was curious to see what my readers thought and so, here is your chance to get thinking and let me know in the comments section below!

 In order to get everyone started, here's the top 20 songs that I personally picked (and voted for)...

My Top Albums of 2012

5) - Jack White - Blunderbuss

Jack White's first solo outing post-White Stripes simultaneously took him back to his roots of being a straight-up, rock n' roll/country artist as well as succeeding in being an album that traversed many different sounds without alienating any of his fans. 

From the gentle tinkling opening to 'Missing Pieces', to the hip-swaying and catchy groove of 'Freedom At 21'  ("Cut the bottoms off my feet, make me walk on salt, take me down to the police, charge me with assault"), White struck out on his own with confidence and vigour.

His over-arching story was one of unquenchable heartbreak however, a theme that made for some truly brilliant ballads like 'Love Interruption', 'Hypocritical Kiss' and 'Take Me With You When You Go'.

4) - The Rubens - The Rubens

A brilliant début record from one of Melbourne's newest indie rock outfits, The Rubens' burst onto the scene in 2012. With some serious rotation on triple J, the Rubens' won me over seriously fast with assured and soulful tracks such as 'Never Be The Same', 'My Gun' and 'I'll Surely Die'. 

Always fantastic to see great promise bursting forth (especially when said promise is so brilliantly laden with catchy and unshakeable melodies), The Rubens' have no doubt got their eyes set squarely on the target of becoming one Australia's biggest indie rock bands alongside The Temper Trap and Tame Impala. 

3) The Vaccines - Come of Age

Another round of the Vaccines doing what the Vaccines do best; solid, catchy, fun, brash and unashamedly simplistic indie pop songs that knock the socks off of anyone listening along. Try listening to 'Teenage Icon' without a the energy and fun causing your feet to tap and head to bob, I dare you. 

However, like I mentioned in my review earlier in the year, the frantic minute-and-a-half ode's to Danish models are absent on record No. 2, instead a host of mid-tempo ballads that introduce some darker and gloomier sounds to the pallet; 'Ghost Town' and 'Weirdo' best show off this slightly new direction for the English quartet. 

2) Richard Hawley - Standing At The Sky's Edge

Richard Hawley's seventh studio album was my first taster of any of his work and I must admit, Standing At The Sky's Edge made a great first impression.

The reverb-laden guitar and vocals on brilliantly psychedelic tracks such as 'She Brings The Sun' and 'Down In The Woods' set this record apart from a lot else that I listened to this year; they stretch on and on, recalling images of a sun-drenched summer's day. In fact, the 50 minute run time is amazingly split across a mere 9 songs, only one track dipping below the 4-minute mark. 

Hawley's latest record also has its quieter moments, 'Seek It' and 'Don't Stare At The Sun' dropping the tempo down to the pace of a gentle swaying hammock.

1) The Maccabees - Given To The Wild

Some albums come along and not only take you by surprise, but fully knock you for six. Given To The Wild is one of these albums.

The Maccabees changed tac entirely here, their third record swapping the trademark sound of indie guitar plucking and jitteryness found on 2007's Colour It In and 2009's Wall of Arms for a new-found sense of serene and calm.

'Feel To Follow' stands out as a particularly strong track, as do the pulsating and shifting 'Go' and 'Unknow'.

From the opening instrumental that feeds into the soaring 'Child' to the closing track 'Grew Up At Midnight', this record is quality from wall to wall and fails to have any one track that stands out as a misstep. Simply, it effortlessly flows from each track to the next, the soaring highs and choir-like vocals punctuated by hushed pauses and deathly stills, some beautifully restrained moments of calm.

For me then, The Maccabees third record is my musical highlight of the year. For more on my year in music, make sure you check out my Ultimate 2012 Spotify Playlist. Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought in the comments section below!

Honourable Mentions

Bloc Party - Four, Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon, The xx - Coexist, Grimes - Visions, Maximo Park - The National Health, Passion Pit - Gossamer, Tame Impala - Lonerism, Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg, Howler - America Give Up, Lana Del Rey - Born To Die, Lucy Rose - Like I Used To

My 2012 Spotify Playlist

Lists are great. Straight forward, to the point, no messing. Pretty simple this one, just a straight up list of songs that make up my Ultimate 2012 playlist. Any song that I feel made up my soundtrack to 2012 has been added for your listening pleasure. It's a pretty eclectic list, everything from Bloc Party to Mumford and Sons, Jack White, Passion Pit and The xx. You can find the link to the Spotify Playlist by clicking on this link: Ultimate 2012 Playlist 

Make sure to leave me a comment below on what you think! Thanks everyone.

Tracklisting

1. Feel to Follow - The Maccabees
2. Angels - The xx
3. Fiction - The xx
4. Never Be The Same - The Rubens
5. Oblivion - Grimes
6. Truth - Bloc Party
7. Teenage Icon - The Vaccines
8. First Of My Kind - Miles Kane
9. Summertime Sadness - Lana Del Rey
10. Lost - Frank Ocean
11. Freedom at 21 - Jack White
12. I'm Shakin - Jack White
13. Hips and Lips - Maximo Park
14. Elephant - Tame Impala
15. Flaws - Hunting Grounds
16. Down in The Woods - Richard Hawley
17. Burgh Island - Ben Howard
18. Unknow - The Maccabees
19. Panic Station - Muse
20. I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons
21. Holland Road - Mumford and Sons
22. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
23. Varuo - Sigur Ros
24. I'll Be Alright - Passion Pit
25. Miss Atomic Bomb - The Killers
26. Day Four - Bloc Party
27. Knee Length Socks - Urthboy
28. San Pedro - Mogwai
29. Moth Wings - Pond
30. Told You Once - Howler
31. Next Year - Two Door Cinema Club
32. Sleep Alone - Two Door Cinema Club
33. No Hope - The Vaccines
34. R U Mine? - Arctic Monkeys
35. Two Fingers - Jake Bugg
36. Trembling Hands - The Temper Trap
37. This Fire - Birds of Tokyo
38. Six Months In A Cast - The Trouble With Templeton 
39. Drums - Oh Mercy
40. Hush - Calexico
41. Not Giving In - Rudimental 
42. Come On, Be a No-One - The Cribs
43. Default - Django Django
44. Wrath of God - Crystal Castles
45. Someone Purer - Mystery Jets
46. Longevity - Yeasayer
47. Gasoline - Alpine
48. Jamaica - Van She
49. Wild Things - San Cisco
50. All I Know - Matrix & Futurebound  

The Vaccines - Come of Age

In what feels like hardly any time at all, The Vaccines are back with a new album, their highly anticipated sophomore record "Come of Age". 

The group clearly want to spell it out to the world; they mean business. Whilst album No. 1 was a slightly sarcastic nod by asking "well, what did you expect?", Come of Age is all about announcing their arrival as something serious.

Gone are the minute and a half long ode's to Danish models, the tongue-in-cheek references to "seamen". In their place are mid-tempo ballads with crisp, cleaner vocals (I Always Knew, Aftershave Ocean) and moodier, darker sounds that lurch and sway (Weirdo, Ghost Town) replacing the frantic bursts of energy that we saw on the first album.

Lead single "No Hope" kicks things off in true-Vaccines style; the line "When your young and bored and 24 and don't know who you are no more there's no hope" mirroring similar themes of growing up and reaching adulthood found on their first album. But whereas What Did You Expect was more sentimental and misty-eyed, Come of Age leaves this behind, instead, striving to live up to its title.

That's not to say this second record is completely devoid of those hip-shaking guitar riffs and pop-fuelled choruses; one my personal stand-out tracks "Bad Mood" is brilliant in its simplicity, whilst the third track "Teenage Icon" might just be my favourite track of the bands: it's almost frustratingly catchy and never lets up for the entire three minutes.

On Come of Age then, The Vaccines have managed to record an album that lives up to its name; It successfully manages to cover new ground whilst also retaining that distinctive sound popular with fans. But then again, what did we expect?

The Vaccines - Come of Age: 7.5/10

So what does everybody think? Like the new album or not? Leave me a comment below and check back again soon! In the meantime, check out the Vaccines performing "Teenage Icon" at Reading Festival last week.

My Top 5 Albums of 2011

2011 was a stellar year for music. Big names returning and new ones emerging, 2011 saw some brilliant records released by some incredible talents. Here is my pick of the best.