Songs of the Year 2011 - An Eclectic Bunch.

The last two days of every year always heralds two very unique, different posts on my blog - whichever one it may be at the time. And this year is no different. For this is the annual Song of the Year blog post.

Let me first begin by wishing you all a very Happy Christmas, and I hope that the New Year brings about plenty of new and exciting opportunities for you all. I know the former is fairly belated, but it's just been madness for the last six weeks to even try and write...

But hey, we'll have none of that... We've had some of the best records in years released in 2011 - from mainstream pop, to underground dub-step, all the way round to some great movie soundtracks and a great hip-hop track or two. Anyone who knows me knows my music collection is as diverse as a large bag of Revels, and every record I'll be talking about has been overplayed to death on ye olde iPod.

2011 is arguably the year that defines plenty of artists career up to now - Rihanna, Adele, KatyPerry and Cee Lo Green just to name a few. We Found Love, from Rihanna and Calvin Harris in September, was one of the biggest hits of the year - combining big pumping beats with lyrics that went down an absolute storm on every dance floor around the globe. Adele's Someone Like You in late January became one of the fastest-selling downloads of all-time - stripped down vocals and melodic piano meant this ballad became one that helped depict plenty of memories. 

Katy Perry has had plenty of hits too - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) and Firework made up elements of the Top 20 bestselling hits of the year, mixing classic pop tones with a cracking beat, and two genius videos to match too. And Cee Lo... Well well well. Fuck You!, despite being released in August 2010, continued to sell, and is still found in the Top 50 singles on the iTunes Chart as we speak. He also gave us I Want You and Bright Lights Bigger City - by far and away some of the best music around this year.

But what about the other big hits? The likes of Moves Like Jagger from Maroon 5 and Christina, or Super Bass from Nicki Minaj? Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People was massive on both sides of the Atlantic, likewise Grenade and Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars. Jessie J has launched big-time Stateside with the brilliant Domino, and we also can't overlook Gaga, and the might of Born This Way, Judas, and Marry The Night.

But what about those songs that haven't had such big commerical success? The likes of Drake's Headlines - arguably one of the best hip-hop records of the last decade, has to be in there - with its catchy beats and repetitive rhythms, it was a sure-fire winner. Kanye and Jay-Z released one of the biggest and best albums of the year, and the lead single Otis was massive - a masterclass in how to feature a track without upstaging it.

Jumping on the dance floor hasn't been easier than this year, either. Avicii's piece of genius that is Levels has been a late bloomer this year, gaining more and more airtime on radio stations and becoming a proper floorfiller. Katy B has been a massive, massive hit here in the UK this year, and her album On A Mission has been a big success. But her track Katy On A Mission was heard everywhere this summer. And who can forget the might of the song that is Party Rock Anthem, from LMFAO? Need I say more....

There have been some great tracks that have remained very under the radar too - Glen Campbell's final recording gave us A Better Place - two minutes of pure joy in a song. There was also Let England Shake, from PJ Harvey, and her Mercury Prize-winning album - bringing folk and rock together into a wonderful hybrid of happiness. Or what about Elbow's The Birds, featuring one of the most beautiful instrumentals I've ever heard? We also can't overlook Mary J. Blige's autobiographical song Need Someone - a soft, unbelievably beautiful ballad that makes you feel every single syllable of every word.

Jamie Woon's Lady Luck was a song that got stuck in your head for weeks, let alone days, and was everything that was expected from him this time last year. Likewise James Blake, with The Wilhelm Scream being by far and away one of my favourite records of the year. Aloe Blacc also fired his way up there with I Need A Dollar - a song felt by every student up and down the country as student fees went up and up and up.

And you can't overlook a good country record, either - Zac Brown Band's amazingly-paced Whiskey's Gone has you dancing for every second of the 2:47 it's on. Or, for further comedic value and a video to match, Toby Keith's moment of genius with Red Solo Cup is an absolute must - despite its rather ghastly cover on Glee. And if you drop the tempo even further, insert some synthesised beats and put it in a film, and you'll end up with Trent Reznor and Atticus Rose's collaboration with Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the cover of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song featured in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Now that's how to re-record a classic.

The sad passing of Amy Winehouse in July led to a posthumous album released in early December, which spawned the rather beautiful Our Day Will Come, alongside a rather spine-chilling version of A Song For You. And, I know I shall be ridiculed beyond belief for this, but One Direction's Gotta Be You is one of the best pieced-together pop records of the year by a living mile. Genius use of an orchestra, too. And sticking on the teen pop vibe, a wonderful record from the US was Love You Like A Love Song, from Selena Gomez & The Scene. That's Mrs Bieber, to you and me...

One of the biggest records of the year came from relatively unknown American Lana Del Rey, and the incredible Video Games - a really quite beautiful track. Now the shock value that came with her 'story' at the start has been diluted a wee bit, but that doesn't take away from the fact this is a massive, massive record. A really 'underground' record was 'Rome', from Danger Mouse and Daniele Lucci - an album recorded in homage to Italian film soundtracks. This gave us Season's Trees, featuring Norah Jones, and you just lose yourself in the song. Metronomy released 'An English Riviera' - an album that combines the wonderful folk sounds we have grown accustom to, with some electronic vibes that give them such a unique sound. The Look was the best song off the album - and is a piece of genius. There was also the UK's first major talent show winner, Will Young, and his remarkable new album, which gave us Come On - a high-tempo, happy, fun record. Very different to our Lana...

And we most certainly can't go through a review of big songs without considering some of the biggest albums released this year - Coldplay brought us Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, Hurts Like Heaven, and M.M.I.X., all from their number-one album 'Mylo Xyloto'. Now this was met by Beyonce's acclaimed '4' album, which arrived with Countdown, I Care, Party and Run The World (Girls). And that was eventually trumped at the end of this year with 'Christmas', from Michael Buble - Jingle Bells, Blue Christmas and  Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) are sure-fire favourites to become Christmas classics in years to come.

But like us all, I have my favourites... This year, it's a Top 5. And there's no order, cos they're all bloody brilliant in their own special, and very unique way.

Florence + the Machine returned this year with a great album - 'Ceremonials' - and the second single released was Shake It Out. Fast, story-based, wonderful lyrics and that voice that made us all fall in love with her first time around just got bigger. Great record.

Big dance hit of the year, as many music critics have agreed, was that from Joe Goddard and Valentina, with Gabriel. A big house vibe, with secluded vocals and a wonderful rising repetition, and this record gained a lot of love. Coldplay did something very similar with repetition, and Charlie Brown was invented. A great intro, topped with a wonderful ending that took it right back to the roots of the song. Great idea.

A name you're not likely to know - Michael Kiwanuka. But you wait till this time next year, and everyone will be all over him. This guy is talented, and the EP he released earlier in the year gave us a piece of music that gives me goosebumps every time - I Need You By My Side. A very, very special young talent, and a wonderful record.

But my song of the year? It's another revisit... Katy Perry's The One That Got Away. Melodic, beautiful, unreserved and there's some great elements that makes a perfect pop song - key change, strings, cracking video, and the ability to speed it up for remixes, and strip it down for concerts. It was, and is, a masterpiece.

So that's it for another year. Some massive music this year, and there'll be plenty more next year. Will try and give you a sneak peak into the music world of 2012 at some stage over the next week - keep your eyes peeled...

I've pieced together a playlist of all the above tracks on Spotify, if that takes your fancy...

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

All Good Things Come To An... Unfinished Conclusion.

You may be wondering what the sod this is all about. To be frank, I am too. But you'll notice the date on this post, and the date on the last one, too.

Around this time last year, I fell out of love with writing - I just really could not be bottomed to sit down, pop me glasses on, sniff some coffee and start tapping at my keyboard. I wasn't inspired to write anything, and I certainly wasn't going to inspire myself from the three seconds I got a day to think about myself.

This year, it's not much different. The calendar is chocka, and there's not a lot of time to even breathe, let alone sit and think. There's a lot going on in my life currently, and there will be in 2012 too. And that's quite a scary prospect.

Two months today, my fate will be sealed with the traditional 'Your time is up; please put down your pens', and the final closing of an exam paper. Then I should hopefully be on my merry way to university come September. Or so that's the plan. Deja vu, anyone?

I also have a temporary Christmas job at Waterstone's, like I have for the previous three years, and I'm back with some of my favourite people in the world - James, Phil, Laura, Richard, Liz; the list goes on. And it's great, but horrifically tiring.

Not to mention the worst timing known to man of my biggest project to date at my other job, but that's neither here nor there - cos that's just a barrel of laughs and it allows me to be creative, and exciting, and different to what I normally am. I couldn't ask for more.

But all this fannying around doesn't really allow for a lot of time to sit and write. I write for five public blogs, three private blogs, and I also have to keep my online portfolio updated. I also write all the public documents and website content at Parc Computers - my proper job, and try and come up with ideas for other bits and bobs I have going too. It's a killer.

It's made me open my eyes and realise I don't have a lot of time left for myself anymore. I haven't finished a book in seven months. So I need to 'streamline', in a way. So here's the plan.

Come January, I'll be losing a few blogs, and concentrating bloody hard on making the others even better than I have tried to before. I have a vague idea of the plans, but it's like wading through mud in my brain at the minute, so God knows what'll happen.

I'm sure that was as interesting as a shit on a stick, but I needed a place to vent and get that off my chest and onto some form of electronic device.

I mean, this is General Musings of an Idiot, after all...

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Inspiration Invitations: Grace Dent

Having sunk a glass or two of the rather lovely dark variety of wine, this could be a very strange piece. I apologise in advance, but equally, this could be the best blog you've ever read. So keep your eyes peeled.

This is the third instalment of my series, known as 'Inspiration Invitiations'. As explained before, this is a set of posts that depict and display the people who inspire me, and it's me inviting you to be inspired by them too. Simple.

Today, it's the turn of the lovely Grace Dent. Now there's not a lot to say, to be quite honest with you, other than the fact she is the reason I want to be a journalist.

There's hundreds and thousands of journalists around the globe, all reporting on different things. But nobody can get away with the tone and the language Grace uses, and still make it funny, interesting, and make you looking forward to the next article.

Her TV OD series for the Guardian has me in stiches every week - because she says what she thinks, and what we all think. It's a remarkable gift to have, and she most certainly has it.

I have wanted to be a journalist since the age of 11, and at about 14 I found her works for the first time. And that's the reason I decided that was my life ambition, and that's what I want to do for a career. She made that decision for me by becoming my role model.

I want to be able to write what I want, when I want to, with the same tone she does. I want to be able to speak my mind, and have that accepted by the vast majority of my readers. I want to be as successful as she is, and become the most wonderful person she is.

I met her at Twight Night at the turn of the month, and was so unbelievably starstruck by her that I couldn't even say two words to her. The fact she was sat in a chair with Caitlin Moran made it all the better, and I had to ask isobel to keep me sane.

If it weren't for Grace, her wonderful writing, and her brilliant personality, I wouldn't want to be a journalist. I'd be a travel agent, or an assistant in Asda, or a cotton weaver in the 1860's. But it is thanks to her that my life has a plan and an ultimate goal, and I'm very very proud to say she has influenced that.

If you get a chance, go find her writing - you won't be disappointed. Likewise with her most recent book, 'How To Leave Twitter' - one of the best pieces of writing released this year.

Thankyou Grace - from the very very bottom of my heart. You have helped make my dreams become a reality.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Inspiration Invitations: Lewis Wiltshire

I'm slacking already, and for that I apologise profusely. But today brings about the second in my 'Inspiration Invitations' series.

To explain the concept of Inspiration Invitations is a pretty easy thing to do. These posts are the people that have inspired me, and therefore I'm inviting you to let them inspire you too. Hence the name.

And the penny drops....

There's one man that I feel is very deserved of a post with the Inspiration Invitations tag. He's been a big influence for me, yet hardly any of you will know who he is. But I bet you've used his website.

Lewis Wiltshire is the former Editor of the BBC Sport website, and is now the Digital Olympics Editor, alongside Social Media Editor, both still for BBC Sport. I've had the privilege of meeting Lewis, and getting to know him via social networks. And if I do say so, he's bloody brilliant.

As you all know, I wish to become a sports journalist, and my dream from about the age of 12 is to worth for the BBC Sport online team. Therefore, the person I needed to learn from, and to aspire to, was Lewis. A quick Google, a few clicks, and I was following him on Twitter. And that's where this story sort of begins and ends.

I won't bore you with Tweets and conversations, but Lewis has been a massive help. He's advised and helped, and in a way, become a role model for me to aspire to. But most of all, he's inspired me.

There was a point around Christmas last year that I has 'writer's block,' and I did consider giving up on my dream, and just looking for another. I've always enjoyed teaching, so I could do that. And I like advertising and marketing, too, so there's another avenue to explore. But it was one solitary email from Lewis that got everything back on track, and since then I've been more focused and determined than ever.

I hate rejection - it's the worst feeling in the world by a living mile. Nobody likes being told they're not good enough, or that what they've spent so long working towards isn't going to happen. And that's why I can't be beaten on this one. Lewis has been someone to look up to, not only in a professional capacity, but in a personal one too.

I have a few dreams in life. I'd like to open a patisserie in a suburb in the States. I'd like to visit China, and go to Beijing. I'd quite like to own a gastropub, and pick the menu. I'd like my kids to grow up and be whoever they want to be. I'd like to work for the BBC, and I'd love to work in TV Centre.

With the Sport department moving to the new MediaCity:UK complex in Salford, and TV Centre slated to close completely in 2017, that dream is seemingly just that - a dream. I would, one day, love to work for Lewis, in whatever role he currently has at that point in time. There's just something exciting and current about his thoughts, ideas, and his team - and it would be (literally) a dream come true to be part of that. Cue cheesy music, awkward glances, and a 'Happily Ever After' sign on the screen.

In all seriousness, Lewis has made me realise a dream, and made me crave it even more. If you're at all interested in writing, journalism, or sport-based media, you have to get in touch with him. I promise you, you won't regret it at all.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Inspiration Invitations: Poppy Dinsey

In the lead-up to Christmas, I always start some form of 'blog sets', as I call them - posts with a shared meaning. This year, or certainly to start off with, I want to write about the people who inspire me, and who have made me do something, achieve something, or aspire to something. It's called 'Inspiration Invitations' - cos I want them to inspire you, too.

Back at the start of 2010, I discovered a blog that I had been told about via the means of Twitter, and immediately followed it. It was so different to anything I'd seen before - new, interesting, a genius idea, a great back story, and a woman wonderfully outspoken, but with dignity, integrity, and with that bit of grit you really want to see from every blogger.

That was Poppy Dinsey, and the blog was What I Wore Today.

If you're an avid reader of GMOAI, you'll know I have a bit of an obsession with What I Wore Today, and I tell you all every so often quite how brilliant it is. This may be a tiny blog in a tiny part of the internet, but if I can just make one person have a look and enjoy it, then even better.

Poppy is a massive inspiration for me. The blog was originally a post a day from Poppy's wardrobe - a New Years' Resolution in order to wear more clothes accumulated over the years stashed in her wardrobe. The blog grew and grew, becoming more and more functional, with more and more people getting interested and having a look each and every day, and earlier this year, it became a social network for fashion lovers everywhere. A photo is uploaded, tagged with the items you are wearing, and starred by people if they like it. You can then be directed straight to the top, or pair of jeans, or shoes, or whatever, and buy it straight from the site. She even has a bloody iPhone app, for God's sake.

It wasn't what her blog became though - it was how she did it. She didn't let it all go to her head - she was still very true to herself, and the blog grew around her, rather than her growing around the blog. Obviously, there was an element of that, but you know what I mean.... No big-hitting ego, no monstrous claims, no selling-out to the big boys of the online world. It's still the same old Poppy that we know and love - the sweary, interesting, no qualms, brilliant Poppy.

So why has she inspired me?! For exactly that. Her vision for her blog has made it such a monumental hit, and that's what is so interesting about it all. There's no doubting who Poppy is, because she's the same across everything. It's really been quite brilliant watching the blog grow, seeing her gain the fame the blog deserves, and I'm really excited about where the future takes it all too.

If it weren't for Poppy, I'd certainly never have started My Food Revolution, and posted 365 different meals on a blog. And then the domino effect begins - other blogs wouldn't be where they are, I wouldn't have gained the work experience I got, I wouldn't have met the people I did and I wouldn't have been anywhere near the person and blogger I am now. So in some ways I have Poppy to thank for everything my blogs have led me to so far.

This coming Thursday, I'll finally meet Poppy at the 140 Characters exhibition, hopefully have a photo taken and be able to tag it and upload it to WIWT. Knowing me, mind you, and the way I get so bloody starstruck, I'll just cower in a corner and wave politely.

She will have gained better, more acclaimed praise elsewhere - through her numerous newspaper and magazine interviews, the comments people leave all over the net, and also through her Twitter feed. I dunno if she'll ever find this, but I hope eventually it appears on her Google Alerts and she'll smile that she actually helped change someone's life.

Poppy really has inspired me, What I Wore Today has inspired my blogs, and I hope that both will now inspire you. I really do.

To follow Poppy on Twitter, click here, or to find out what all the fuss about, click here to go to What I Wore Today.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

F1 Set To Confirm New Jersey GP For 2013

As many of you know, I write for several different places across the internet, notably about sport. There's Stretty News, Sport Witness, Back Page Football, 19 Times and That's A Fact, and the others - here, and there's a few fairly private blogs too. And if you ever find them on the world wide web, I promise to buy you a pint. Trust me, you won't find them.

Most of what I write is in some way sport-related, and unfortunately for you sport fans, this post will be no different. Yes yes, I know, I haven't written a GMOAI Sports Thoughts post for a good few weeks, concentrating on Apple, blogging, and of course, pie. As you do.

But there was a story that caught my eye this morning that I had to write about. And bearing in mind Tuesday is GMOAI day, it will end up on here. So I sincerely apologise, but hope you choose to continue reading. If not, thanks for your time and hopefulyl see you next week. Maybe.

This morning, plans were announced for a New Jersey Formula One race, to begin in 2013. This may not sound particularly interesting, but think about it - a road race round one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with the Manhattan skyline as a back drop. A four mile circuit along the Hudson River that will change how many people perceive F1.

And the fact the US GP makes a return to the calendar next year at the newly-built circuit in Austin, Texas, means we may be seeing millions more fans tuning in to such a wonderful sport.

Now there has been no confirmation whether or not Texas and New Jersey willalternate as hosts of the US GP, or whether they will both be added to the calendar as separate races, taking us back to the 1980's with the US GP and the US West GP.

Counter in the fact that in 2014, we'll also see the new circuit at Sochi in Russia added to the calendar, and we have the potential of 23 races on the calendar in 2014. Clearly, that's far too many, and some will either be placed on rotation or scarpped altogether, but there's plenty of interest in F1 again. Qatar, Estonia and Croatia are all in talks to hold a GP, as are South Africa, and there's even talk of Argentina getting involved.

F1 is growing again, and it's brilliant to see. Let's just hope the fans are put first and not the money. As usual.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Home Comforts, Baked Delights

For the last five days, I've spent time comforting Isobel in Roehampton, telling her it'll all be okay and home is still here. So on Tuesday night, we baked steak pie. But this wasn't any old steak pie.

This was Adam's steak pie - the fourth generation of whom the recipe has been passed down to. Mum's mum's mum did this originally, and it's so unbelievably simple.

Make a very basic shortcrust pastry - something similar to the one you can find on the BBC Food website. Let it 'rest' and firm up in the fridge, then roll it out to your tin size - keep it about half a centimetre thick and its happy days. Fill your pie tin with some chunky steak in a tin - the stuff from M&S is the best. And use two tins - then you'll get a decent filling.

Top the pie with your pastry, roughly chop off the excess, then crimp it. Then cut off all the waste, roll out the pastry again, and then cut some leaf-like shapes - one for every person eating. Or as many as you wanna decorate it wit - helps with portion size. Brush with some milk, pop a few steam holes in it, and bake till golden. And that's that.

And it was lovely - creamy, thick mash, and peas, with gravy. A good stomach lining for the bottles we found this morning....

It did get me thinking though - everyone has a meal that they crave when they go home. Mine is a proper Chinese. I know a lot of people who crave roast dinners, or cakes, or specific puddings - Angel Delight is always a favourite. It really is quite a special thing.

But so is food - how many memories do you have that are attached to your favourite meals? A marraige proposal? The first smile for a while? Finding out some wonderful news? It's an incredible force.

So... What are yours? Let me know - email me, Tweet me, or even comment on this post. Would love to know what you think!

 

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com