#breathe — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #breathe, aggregated by home.social.
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Hit That Perfect Beat: The London Records Story – an awesome compilation of pop and indie rock songs of the ’80s and ’90s
I haven’t received a compilation CD to review in quite a while. The digital nature of music distribution today means most of my sampling of what’s new on the music scene – including the release of reissues and anniversary issues of classic albums – is pretty much all done online. So it was nice to receive a copy of the CD compilation Hit That Perfect Beat: The London Records Story – an engaging collection of songs that highlights the remarkable breadth of London Records during the 1980s and 1990s. Finally, a quality CD I can play in my car!
Scanning the tracklisting of this double-disc set and you might be surprised by the sheer diversity of artists who were on the London Records label. From Bananarama to Bronski Beat, All Saints to New Order, every genre of the times – from pop to early EDM – makes an appearance.
A lot of these songs I’ve heard before, of course, most of them actually, and it’s so good to hear them again, seemingly mastered so that I’m hearing subtle nuances that I didn’t pick up when they were first heard. Blancmange’s Living On The Ceiling kicks the proceedings off and the version of that song alone reveals beeps and buzzes I’d not picked up on previously. Bananarama’s Cruel Summer follows – a pop classic if ever there was one. And then everything Jimmy Somerville has touched appears to follow – LGBT-proud anthems by Bronski Beat, absolute grooves by the Communards, and even a Somerville solo single. You might suspect, actually, that Jimmy had shares in the production of this compilation, his vocals appear so regularly.
Then there are the huge hits – like Fine Young Cannibals’ She Drives Me Crazy; Armand van Helden’s You Don’t Know Me (a massive one in the clubs that one was); Shakespears Sister’s You’re History, All Saints’ Never Ever, and Sugarbabes’ Overload.
And if the songs themselves don’t seem like they’ve left a major mark on the pop and indie maps, the artists certainly do. New Order’s Regret kicks off CD two with that guitar riff, and while it wasn’t as big a hit as, say, Bizarre Love Triangle or the band’s legendary Blue Monday, it has all the hallmarks of a New Order classic and it’s a nice surprise to see on here (I had forgotten the band had links to London Records). Then there’s Happy Mondays’ rave favourite Stinkin’ Thinkin’; Echo And The Bunnymen’s dream pop gem Nothing Lasts Forever; Gay Dad’s alt-rock ode To Earth With Love; and Dannii Minogue’s classic club staple I Begin To Wonder. Even without Dead Or Alive’s You Spin Me Round Like A Record – which features on an alternative version of that latter song, it’s still a good, hooky number that sits nicely amid the broad artistry here.
That sheer diversity of London Records artists also meant artists were free to move around, test the solo life, move into other fields. It’s because of the chilled vibe of the label that lead singer of Fine Young Cannibals, Roland Gift, was able to go do runway work for big designer labels; why Siobhan Faye of Bananarama was given the chance to move on from her bubblegum blonde roots and into darker, gothic-romantic territory as half of Shakespears Sister (their name taken from a Smiths song, the apostrophe and letter ‘e’ purposely missing); why the Mike Flower Pops were allowed to absolutely crucify Oasis’ sacred Wonderwall (that’s on here, too).
The London Records Story moves confidently through synth-pop, nu-wave, indie rock, dance, electronica, ska, and other alternative sounds, demonstrating how the label consistently embraced artists who reflected bold and changing musical trends.
Familiar hits sit comfortably alongside deeper cuts, making the collection appealing to both casual listeners and longtime fans.
The sequencing keeps the energy flowing, with polished pop anthems giving way to club classics and guitar-driven tracks that capture the evolving tastes of two transformative decades. The mastering is generally strong, allowing songs from different years to coexist without sounding jarring. More importantly, the compilation illustrates how London Records balanced commercial success with artistic ambition, signing acts that often influenced the direction of popular music, not merely followed it.
As a summary of the 1980s and 1990s, however, it is best viewed through the lens of one label rather than as a complete portrait of either era. What this compilation does well is capture many defining styles and moods but inevitably omitting major movements and artists released elsewhere (not much New Romantic on here, put it that way). Even so, it succeeds as a vivid snapshot of its catalogue and an enjoyable journey through two decades of memorable music.
A great double-disc set that’s still regularly rotating on the car stereo.
‘Hit That Perfect Beat: The London Records Story’ is available on CD and in digital format through London Records (naturally).
The label also presents a beaut podcast which you can subscribe to here.
Curating the Ultimate Luxury Weekend Getaway in the Heart of Sydney
Still loving this track.
Hands in the air for a ‘Romy and Michele’ movie sequel is finally in production
Rate this:
#AllSaints #ANTONINOTATI #bananarama #BREATHE #breatheRedux #bronskiBeat #communards #compilationAlbums #compilationCds #CREAMMAGAZINE #DanniiMinogue #e #echoAndTheBunnymen #happyMondays #hitThatPerfectBeat #indiePop #indieRock #jimmySomerville #londonRecords #marcellaDetroit #MUSIC #musicReviews #newOrder #POPCULTURE #popMusic #popReviews #REVIEWS #shakespearsSister #siobhanFahey -
Some sweet words on World Chocolate Day because good chocolate deserves some attention
Chocolate is a part of everyday life. My everyday life, that’s for sure. In fact, whenever I nick down to the shops to buy a carton of milk and loaf of bread, rarely do I walk away without also having purchased chocolate in some form: a pack of coconut-encrusted cocoa protein balls; a hazelnut and choccy bar, or even a carton of chocolate milk.
I’ve always thought chocolate should have its own day marked on the festive calendar, especially since it is so widely appreciated, has infiltrated so many cultural diets, often creeps into popular culture, and is now deemed fairly good for you. Now indeedy it does – today in fact, July 7.
The first celebration of World Chocolate Day dates back to 2009 (and is not to be confused with International Chocolate Day). Chocolate itself has a far further-back history, having derived from the cacao bean, and enjoyed as far back as ancient Mesoamerican times. During that period, the delicious flesh of the cacao fruit was fermented into an alcoholic beverage. Good to see it in some of our bevvies today, too, like in the new Chocolate in a Bottle blanc de blanc.
But chocolate isn’t just a decadent indulgence. In fact, studies have shown that the good stuff helps prevent liver damage, boosts beneficial cholesterol, offers better brain power, and lowers blood pressure.
I remember my first encounter with Lindt Chocolate – still one of my favourite brands. Not at a sample stand at the supermarket, but seen on the 12” artwork of Scritti Politti’s slice of audio confection, Hypnotize from their album Cupid & Psyche ”85. The extended version’s artwork stood out as gloriously as the band’s syncopated electronica and acoustics do on the song. I’d listen to this record relentlessly and actually be hypnotised by the chocolate bar, wondering if the photographer ate it after photographing it. Actually, in Australia, as in the UK, we spell it ‘hypnotised’ so I’m guessing Scritti’s record management urged the US spelling. I like the ‘Z’. It goes well with the crazy chocolate thing.
Anyway, back in 1985, you couldn’t find Lindt easily in Perth shops, so this was definitely my fantasy outlet. Nowadays, of course, there are hundreds of forms of Lindt that line the aisles of Woolworths and Coles, available for a fraction of the price the luxury brand used to cost. And Aldi have their own favoured range of choccy – the Peanuts & Cornflakes bar from their Choceur range being a favourite.
Now, too, local chocolate brands are offering hundreds of diversions to the norm. Once where you used to only be able to get three types of chocolate – milk, dark or white – chocolate bars today are packed with just about anything you can imagine. Cadbury’s, as one example, comes out with a limited edition bar every other week.
With recent scientific studies showing chocolate is more good for you than bad (some chocolate helps prevent liver damage, boosts beneficial cholesterol, offers better brain power, and lowers blood pressure), there’s no reason not to celebrate the good stuff this week.
All. Without. The. Guilt.
Out 07/07.
Hands in the air for a ‘Romy and Michele’ movie sequel is finally in production
Forget the Prosecco per un momento… try new Chocolate in a Bottle blanc de blanc!
Rate this:
#ANTONINOTATI #BREATHE #breatheAntonino #breatheKylie #chocolate #food #foodAndBeverage #hypnotized #LIFESTYLE #madonna #POPCULTURE #scrittiPolitti #summer #winter #worldChocolateDay -
CLIMBING DOWN
#Hirayama, in #Perfect Days, is not a failed climber.
He is someone who saw the #ladder clearly and stopped obeying it.
That is a very different thing.
The world keeps whispering: more #status, more #usefulness, more #achievement, more #improvement, more #proof that the self is becoming something.
No one has to #whip us anymore. We do it internally and call it ambition.
Hirayama’s freedom is not that he cleans #toilets. That could easily be another prison.
His freedom is that he is not using his life to become impressive.
Water does not need to win.
The useless #tree does not need to justify its #existence.
And “I need do nothing” does not mean sitting around uselessly. It means I do not need to #manufacture a self.
The #body can #clean, #breathe, #walk, make #coffee, light #fires, put #shoes on, feed #dogs, and #love the ones nearby.
But there does not have to be a grand inner project of becoming #Worthy
Simple living is not automatically #holy.
Low status is not #awakening.
A small life can still be full of #grievance, vanity and comparison.
But a life without #comparison ?
That is #freedom.
Maybe the real act is not #climbingdown.
Maybe it is stopping the argument with where I am.
https://youtu.be/pOCCfExW7FQ?si=M7T8VSe8OG1JqKCB
#fasting #acim #acourseinmiracles #newthought #eckharttolle #buddhism #breathwork #connection #healing #pridemonth #Karma #TrueNature #Awakening #Meditation #Mindfulness #Spirituality #intermittentfasting #nonduality #reality #life #quantum
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Looking to feel calm and relaxed? This 3-minute breath practice is for you.
No special equipment is required! Just press play.
Enjoy the powerful calming and centring power of box breathing to relax before bed or release stress.
#ThreeMinuteChill #Yoga #FreeYoga #SelfCare #Pranayama #Breath #BreathPractice #Breathe #Relax #Stress #StressRelief #Calm #Bedtime #Sleep #BedtimeBreathTechnique #FeelCentred #FeelCalm
https://thunderhoneysnowstudio.ca/video/3-minute-chill-box-breathing/
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Looking to feel calm and relaxed? This 3-minute breath practice is for you.
No special equipment is required! Just press play.
Enjoy the powerful calming and centring power of box breathing to relax before bed or release stress.
#ThreeMinuteChill #Yoga #FreeYoga #SelfCare #Pranayama #Breath #BreathPractice #Breathe #Relax #Stress #StressRelief #Calm #Bedtime #Sleep #BedtimeBreathTechnique #FeelCentred #FeelCalm
https://thunderhoneysnowstudio.ca/video/3-minute-chill-box-breathing/
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https://nkvssp.thecomicseries.com/comics/185/
#tbt reminder that ya gotta take breaks
Even short ones#ThrowbackThursday #breathe #puppy #Ralph #worry #moneyworries #webcomics #webcomicchat #comicbookhour #comics #takeabreak #thursdayvibes #ThursdayThought #vibecheck
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During a recent #roadtrip through #BruceCounty #ontario, my goals were simple.
#Drive , #explore and #breathe the air.
After 1035km of road through several counties including #Huron and #Perth, this was at the very end of a nearly 2600 photo #travel log for myself.
#noedit #photography #nature #abandoned #decay #rural #ruraldecay
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3-minute chill Box Breathing
Looking to feel calm and relaxed? This 3-minute breath practice is for you.
No special equipment is required! Just press play.
Enjoy the powerful calming and centring power of box breathing to relax before bed or release stress.
https://thunderhoneysnowstudio.ca/video/3-minute-chill-box-breathing/
#ThreeMinuteChill #Yoga #FreeYoga #SelfCare #Pranayama #Breath #BreathPractice #Breathe #Relax #Stress #StressRelief #Calm #Bedtime #Sleep #BedtimeBreathTechnique #FeelCentred #FeelCalm
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Stop doomscrolling and look at this fern!
#StanleyParable #Fern #Doomscrolling #Plant #Game #Pause #Halt #Stop #Calm #TakeABreak #Peace #Nature #Breathe #Peaceful #Zen #AdventureLine
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Stillness.
One of the doors
Into the temple.
-Mary Oliver#autumm #trees #water #breathe #MaryOliver #LandscapePhotography
#StormKing #AndyGoldsworthy -
Live stream of my week, courtesy of the animator Kiszkiloszki.
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Feeling the warm Italian air…and the dry crunchy soil as it exhales the aroma of olive tree leaves as I walk.
And the tree trunk, that trunk…twisting, gnarled wood…the swirl and story of ages and ages.
I lay my hands on it and breathe in…and then breathe out.#ThickTrunkTuesday #trees #olives #Italy #wondrous #LandscapePhotography #Umbria #sunlight #PayingAttention #breathe