specific songs bring back certain memories

Songs are amazing memory triggers. They can bring back unwelcome flashbacks of tween phases, or take you back to music festivals and passing out at three in the morning inches away from your tent. I have chosen four of my favourite songs to get nostalgic to. 

1. 'Music When The Lights Go Out' by The Libertines

Last weekend, Nina and I saw Peace perform live at the Shepherds Bush Empire. It was the best night of my life, and not only because of the music - I met so many great people. My friend Alex and a guy I met called Mike spent most of the time that we were queueing singing this song - they had met literally half an hour before and bonded over a love of the Libertines. It was a pretty cool moment, and this song now brings back memories of the whole night. 

2. 'All I Wanna Do' by Splashh

I am the kind of person who discovers new music and then listens to it obsessively over and over again.  This summer I found Splashh through a routine search for new bands, and listened to nothing but this song whilst I repainted my room alone. The windows were flung open and this scuzzy psychedelic song was playing at full volume, and I was wearing nothing but denim shorts and my bra. It was possibly the most summery I have ever felt, and for me,  'All I Wanna Do' is now tainted with the smell of wet paint.

3. 'Corinne' by Metronomy

My friend and her family recently bought a very remote house in Devon - the car journey to it takes five hours, and it is at least a forty minute walk away from the nearest shop. It sits on the side of a huge cliff, with the sea crashing wildly beneath. My friend and I both love Metronomy, and this journey was very dominated by us singing along, very out of tune, to this track. Since Metronomy are from Devon, I felt that this was a very fitting song for our trip.

4. 'Tassleman' by Austin Williams and Ellie Rowsell

I saw both Swim Deep and Wolf Alice play live in London on the Where The Heaven Are We tour in September, and as an encore Austin and Ellie played this song - one that the couple wrote together about a year ago, after a couple of beers. During this song, there are some quite quiet breaks, where only the vocals are heard. I stupidly shouted 'YOU GUYS ARE SO CUTEEEE' at them, and I got a LOT of dirty looks from fans around me. Oops.

-written by avalon x

Mindless Songs

Still from the video for Blood Bank 

In the middle of winter, I am prone to sudden swings of sadness - something about frost on windowpanes and the heavy clouds and the afterglow of Christmas just gets me down. I however, love feeling like this - lying on my bed, gazing at the ceiling for days on end while everything else in the outside world goes on as normal, quietly unaware of my teenage angst. It gives me space to think about everything in life that is usually lost amongst everyday chaos. So I have made a playlist for these days. Days where you have no energy and just want to stare into space and think meaningless thoughts. However, I've also included seven songs to bring some summer to cloud-stained days - to lift your spirits (after you've been down in the dumps). I feel slightly like morrissey writing this post; If you don't appreciate these playlists, I at least know that he would.

Blood Bank by Bon Iver - Beautiful, shivering lyrics and purposely detuned guitar is a surprisingly chilled combination.
Shiver by Lucy Rose - Lucy Rose has the most beautiful sugar sweet voice, but this song has an eerie edge.
Last Call by Elliott Smith  - One of the most haunting songs that I have ever heard. Smith sings quietly yet intensely about suicide - 'I wanted her to tell me that she would never wake me / while I'm lying here waiting for sleep to overtake me' has to be some of my favourite lyrics ever written.
White Leather by Wolf Alice - Wolf Alice are my favourite band at the moment - There are no words to describe my love for this b-side.
Glass in the Park by Alex Turner - I personally think that Alex Turner has turned into a massive prick, but the Submarine OST is one of the most perfect movie soundtracks of all time.
When'd You Find Me by Arrange (Ricky Eat Acid remix) - A friend sent this song to me whilst I was going through a rough time - this sounds so cheesy but this song really did help me overcome it.
Sunset by The XX - Minimalist beats and lazy vocals.

Honey by Swim Deep - With electric riffs and a catchy chorus, I discovered this band last January and fell in love instantly. This song helped me through dark mornings and late night school revision, and succeeded in driving my friends insANE.
Nosedive by Wolf Alice - Ellie Rowsell's lyrics swoop and glide, diving amongst fiery baselines and guitar riffs.
Dancing Anymore by Is Tropical - Bubbly vocals and electro beats make a change for this normally generic indie rock band.
The Suburbs by Arcade Fire - This is a four minute, concentrated blast of carefree summer.
No Waves by FIDLAR  - One of my favourite songs from this Californian stoner/skater band - It's sun drenched and thrashy and the band is the namesake of this blog!
Come Save Me by Jagwar Ma - Funky fifties drum beats and psychedelic vocals. Nina and I once sung this to a man at a record stall in a bid to get a free signed copy of 'Howlin', Jagwar Ma's debut album. Needless to say, it did not work.
All I Wanna Do by Splashh - This song is my favourite summer get away tune - with scuzzy riffs, wavering guitar pedals and I-can't-be-bothered vocals, this transports me to long hazy summer evenings spent on Hampstead Heath in an instant.

-written by avalon x x x