Four Things: Songs for my Baby Sister's Birthday

This week is my youngest sister, Rosie's birthday, so I wanted to write a blog post dedicated to her. I like to think of these music posts like little mini compilation tapes (there's a modern reference for the kids...) that I can create for special people and to remind me of special times. I think with youngest children in particular it is always hard to get past seeing them as being a little kid all their life, but my little sis is now an amazing woman, with a home and a husband of her own. In some ways she's probably more grown up than I am! I always call her a Tiny Tiger because she is so determined and feisty, she's someone who always achieves what she sets her mind to and never lets anything beat her. Here are four songs that always remind me of her:

1. The Cat Empire, "Hello": In her gap year before going to university, Rosie went to Australia for the best part of a year, and I think this is where she heard of The Cat Empire, who are an Australian band. Years later we managed to get tickets to go and see them for her birthday and it was such a great night. This is real party music, super sunny and upbeat, ideal for parties, barbecues and festivals. I always think of Rosie whenever I hear them, and particularly the "Hello, hello, hello" refrain of this song.

2. Ben Folds Five, "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces": Ben Folds Five are a family favourite in our family, and Rosie really loves them. I could have picked almost any BF5 song for her, but picked this one since we often tease her about her "anger issues" - which is probably what makes her so angry...

3. Barenaked Ladies, "If I Had $1,000,000": Barenaked Ladies are another favourite of my little sister, and a band who aren't as popular in the UK as I think they were in the USA. I'm not sure how Rosie got into them but they are a band I always associate with her, and this is one of their catchiest songs.

4. Jeeves and Wooster Soundtrack, "The Blue Room": When we were young, our Dad had the Jeeves and Wooster Soundtrack on a tape and we used to listen to it all the time in the car. It is hilarious, and now hard to get on CD (but available to download). We knew all the songs and bits of dialogue in between them, and invented elaborate stories to go along with the instrumentals from the series. But the reason I particularly wanted to add this song isn't just because of its childhood associations. It is also because this is one of the two songs that Rosie sang at our wedding ceremony. She is a trained choral singer who has sung professionally and her voice is a remarkable instrument. Dan and I are not religious (though Rosie and her husband Paul are very involved in their church) so we chose to have a registry office wedding. Because of this the music we used couldn't be religious. I really wanted Rosie to sing at our wedding, but the civil ceremony meant that her usual church music repertoire was out. I asked her to come up with something secular but appropriate and this was one of the songs she sang. It was a magical part of our wedding day that she performed, and a brilliant gift that only she could give us.

Happy birthday little Raad, I love you!

Four Things: Songs That Remind Me Of My Sweetheart

This week's Four Things is another musical one - I didn't particularly conceive it as a music feature but hey, when the mood takes you you might as well go with it! These are four songs that remind me of my darling husband Dan. We are just coming up for our second wedding anniversary, and will have been together five years altogether this August. When I put it like that it doesn't sound long enough to have done everything that has happened - move house, get married, have a baby - but time is a funny old thing...  I am trying out a new experiment here to add playlists to my blog, hopefully this will allow you to actually hear the songs I'm talking about, and maybe even discover a new favourite of your own! Please leave a comment if this doesn't work for you, its all new to me!

1. P.P. Arnold, "The First Cut Is The Deepest": One of our first dates was when Dan took me to see P.P. Arnold at the Jazz Cafe in London. He is a big mod fan and P.P.'s association with the Small Faces makes her a mod legend. This was a great night, and PP Arnold always reminds me of the early, exciting days of our relationship.

2. Fleetwood Mac, "Need our Love So Bad": Our first dance at our wedding. I think Dan had had this picked out in his head for ages, he was always very sure that he wanted this song for our first dance. My Dad is also a huge fan of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac so this song reminds me of lots of people I love and lots of happy times. I posted a while ago about the frames we got so that we could display the 7" single of this song on the wall.

3. McAlmont and Butler, "Yes": A real nineties classic here. This song isn't related to a particular occasion, it is just one of Dan's favourite songs, which makes him happy every time it comes on the radio. I can't hear the introduction to "Yes" without also hearing Dan saying "I LOVE this song!" and picturing his smiling face.

4. Flight of the Conchords "If You're Into It": Flight of the Conchords also played an integral part in our early relationship. It was one of the series' that we both loved and I can remember watching this video on YouTube while talking on the phone to Dan (he lived in Somerset, I lived in Hertfordshire at the time so we spent a lot of time on the phone). You can get the full experience by watching the video here. Dan had been in a mission to get tickets whenever FOTC played in London, and he always seemed to be hearing rumours on the internet about it. We did finally get to see them two weeks before our wedding and they were fantastic and so so funny, it was an amazing night (AND we saw Jonathan Ross and his family sitting not far from us, eeek!)

There are lots of others I could add that remind me of Dan - I have told him I might let him do a guest post and pick his own favourites some time. What songs remind you of your sweetheart?

Four Things: Albums for Summer Afternoons

The weather has been so beautiful here in the UK recently, it has felt like summer. It is wonderful spending so much time outdoors, one of my favourite things is to hang out with baby Joe in our garden, watching him play and explore. When the weather is hot, there are a few albums I always like to listen to, ideally while lying in the long grass, looking up through tree branches at a clear blue sky. These are four of my favourites:

1. Crosby Still and Nash "Crosby, Stills and Nash": One of my Dad's favourites that he has passed on to me. On a hot sunny afternoon I like to imagine that I am living in Laurel Canyon in the early 70s...

2. Jose Gonzalez "Veneer": I listened to this album a lot when it cane out, then forgot about it and have recently been rediscovering it. So chilled out and beautiful, perfect for quiet contemplation.

3. Scott Matthews "Passing Stranger": I first heard this on a hot afternoon in the garden following a big house party the night before. It soothed my hung over head that sunny day and it still does now. Shades of Jeff Buckley about this, but that's ever a bad thing...

4. Rodrigo y Gabriela "Rodrigo y Gabriela": On the family holidays of my childhood my Dad would always play the Gypsy Kings tape, and I think of flamenco guitar as as an instant sound of sunshine and holidays. Rodrigo y Gabriela are amazing guitarists who I would love to see live. In the meantime, this album is perfect garden afternoon and BBQ soundtrack material.

I hope you like my sunny afternoon picks. What are your favourite albums to listen to on a hot day?