Songs Of Now...

As some of you may have noted I am planning on filling your audio waves with my song choices of the week. Like an Ipod on shuffle, this selection is fairly random.


1) Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons

After popping along to Milk on Tuesday, I have flashbacks of the night with this song. I'm sure I don't have to explain to you why Mumford & Sons are on here but you can be enlightened on why I love them.
I think its the entire pace of the song - and the fact that since Mumford & Sons smashed the limelight, they've brought folk back into the foreground. Perhaps making it a bit cooler to announce that you were into folk. If a band can sing acapella as brilliantly as these fella's then they deserve the multiple recognition they get.


2) Price Tag - Jessie J

Usually... overly poppy songs put me off. I refused to listen to Alphabeat because they were unnaturally happy (well this is until I was in a crowd of people at Weston Super Mare with them playing live at me I felt like I ought to try and enjoy it).
But with Jessie J - almost like the same Katy Perry effect - I find myself singing along with her tunes. This song in particular has cropped up to me this week after a certain comment was made in reference to "if its not about the money" - can I have your album for free?
I also like the fact that she writes her own songs and before stepping onto the stage wrote for people like Justin Timberlake, Xtina and Alicia Keys  - Much more impressive and talented than some of the run of the mill generic pop artists out there.


3) I'll be in the Sky - B.O.B

Again like Jessie J - when I see American rapper/singer hop over the pond and start raping our British airwaves I tend to switch off. Yeah I'll sing along to them if I'm a night out but all the Kanye Wests out there aren't exactly my thing..
However B.O.B has tapped into something which I quite like... I really loved Airplanes featuring Haley Williams and now this one has crept in too. Watching the video I am wondering... can he actually play the piano... I hope so!
I think I'm going to have to blame the NerveRadio playlist for this one - I've obviously been brainwashed into liking this one. 


4) A Little Respect - Erasure

The eighties were such a marmite era. So many classic yet some very questionable fashion choices. I've chosen Erasure after having a bit of an eighties evening during the week, yes there was Aha and Rick Astley thrown about. A Little Respect is super happy and a classic sing along track. It was put on a 'happy' album given to me before leaving home for Bournemouth, so maybe my love for this is helped by good'old memories.




5) Lets Go Surfing - The Drums

According to NME one of the best Indie tracks to include in your playlist (I feel that maybe Indie is the wrong word to use - seeing as now whenever I generalise my music taste to 'indie' I get a sigh and a look of typical music choice!) This may sound like a stupid thing to point out as my favourite part of the song but I like the whistling - there I said it. It seems like if I was the running sort of person that it would be a great track to have queued up to play. Having said that, as someone who walks into uni everyday I think it will definitely be playlisted as 'a song to listen to on a sunny day and pretend I'm in a musical montage like a movie of my life' <perhaps a shorter title maybe more appropriate.

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If you like Dancing Banana's and Banjo's then you should definitely watch this video!

Songs Of Now...

I've decided that I want to write a mini feature on songs I am particularly enjoying right now. 

They might not be new (though usually will be) and they may seem to be a bit of a random selection (perhaps enjoy them at different times to appreciate their awesomeness!) but this is what I have in my favourites at time of publishing.

1) Oxygen by Hadouken

I've chosen this song, and happen to have it playing right now as inspiration because I went on a little downloading spree earlier. Seeing as this weekend has had more focus on the hours of the night than the pre-noon time, I chose a fantastic song to keep you raving to. Its full of energy and when I saw them in Poole back in... October? You couldn't possibly keep still - you physically had no choice!

2) Jump Into The Fog by The Wombats

I adore this song. Perhaps it is because I just love typical indie rock bands, but I think its awesome when you can fit lyrics such as "I've made some bad decisions, I'll admit that freely It's just that life tastes sweeter when it's wrapped in debauchery". The witty ones amongst you may have noticed I tweeted these line earlier. Songs like these are proven to be great when I find myself singing along to them in the middle of Dylans Bar without realising this is perhaps not the right social occasion to be belting out these tunes. 

3) Hello by Martin Solveig & Dragonette

This little number has been selected because its ridiculously feel good. It reminds me of summer, and with the video being one of Wimbledon it is the perfect help to sooth my craving for sunshine and general summer merriness! 

4) Someone Like You by Adele

This song defines beauty. Its wonderfully sung by the a-mezzingly talented Adele, who just captured everyones focus and completely stole the limelight at this years Brit awards. I find Adele's lyrics, especially in this song, are ones I can relate to. Singing about an ex, its sentiments charms me into believing that we are all together in how we react to losing someone important at that time of your life, even if only for a short time. I find its a great song to either have some alone time with or just to appreciate for the skill of Adele's vocal chords!

(I'm surprised I could ever put an artist who I used to have to listen to back to back for 2 years of my waiting life!)

5) Lover by Daniel & The Lion

Now part of me thought another post relating to Daniel & The Lion would perhaps be a bit too soon. However I have specific cause for choosing this song. Last week Daniel released many FREE (if caps didn't emphasize this enough) tracks of a special Valentines theme, and this perhaps coinciding with D&TL's biggest fan Claire Edwards getting engaged creates the perfect excuse to listening into this tune. Have a little listen in and you'll see why I need no more explanation.

I will bring you more songs to browse through next week :)

Any Tips?

Is it fair to give tips? Should we be made to feel that if decide not to tip we may risk a poorer quality of service? Charlotte Gay peers into the world of tipping.


I used to be a waitress – chances are I’ll be one once again this summer. It’s not the best paid job but one benefit to this part time work is the tips. Extra money just for me doing my job? Thank you very much.

Unlike other jobs, waiting and bar work are standard areas of service where workers can be paid extra money for their services. I would like to say that this is for particularly outstanding work, that the employee had gone out of their usual way to be of help to someone. Yet this doesn’t seem to be the case.

But it’s not just when you’re feeling like eating somewhere a bit classier than heading to the local chippy. Tips jars are becoming common place. You’ve all seen them, and they seem to crop up in the most bizarre places now. For example, it is very often seen as customary to give tips to taxi drivers… does this mean I now have to stash back even more of my alcohol fund on nights out to give to my taxi driver for already expensive taxis?

“I thought I’d already paid you!”

Maybe it is just what I’ve grown up believing but it seems wrong giving money to someone just for the sake of feeling socially awkward if I don’t pay. When looking at why we tip, they usual reasons are obvious but there some people have even handed over extra cash to improve their service. Does this mean people pay before they're even attended? The mind boggles…

The etiquette of tipping (or to give a gratuity) is fairly vague here in the UK. It’s generally not seen as needed as say a pub, but at bars and restaurants a figure around 10% is the norm. These charges aren’t expected as it varies from place to place. In London and many different European countries a service charge is actually attached to the bill. For instance countries such as Brazil attach a suggested ‘service charge’ for customers to pay… so now we've been charged for dinner and you’re recommending how much we give you? You can refuse to pay this. But let’s be honest who wants those kinds of moments on your conscience? Surely we shouldn't be made to feel guilty like this?

Saying all this, I do not mean to offend. So if I am on holiday and it is the done thing to give tips to the staff who has served you – I’m not going to defy their culture (although the staff that just carry you bags... really? You want to be rewarded for that?)

In Japan is seen as weird and even offensive to give someone a tip, and some states in America, such as California, have even out right banned it! Tipping is illegal in California – who’da thunk it?

Under ‘basic issues of fairness’, 2009 saw the law round up the loop holes where employers were paying their staff partially in the gratuities they received. This was all agreed to be wrong but another reason why people tip is because waiting is seen as an poorly paid profession… This reason I find interesting because as a waitress I can confirm the pay… well let’s just say I won’t be retiring on It any time soon. So for someone to outwardly recognise this is quite unusual for them then to feel the need to be the person who fills this gap.

I just think that the logic behind it is wrong. If someone was above the standards the customer thinks they have paid for then great – quids in. But you are paying someone who stood around talking to theirfriends, texting on their phone and generally unconcerned of your evening – is that right to reward them?






For more of an insight into the world of waitressing why not read some waitressing stories

JK Unlimited

It would seem that although I already follow Mr Kent's Unlimited Blog, I am making particular reference to it as my bag has made an appearance!

Why not have a gander anyways.


Click here for Unlimited.

Five of the best places to 'Pop The Question'

I wouldn't call myself an expert on places to propose, but these few places would be pretty hard to say no to...

Look at St Michael's Mount! It look like Disneyland!

Click here at countryfile.com for the original article.