Wednesday, July 13, 2011

love for Little Dragon




I have Nick Grimshaw to thank once again for introducing my ears to some more good music! Having his music show to accompany me on my drives home from work 10:30-11:30 definitely makes the journey more fun, even enjoyable! Closing my ears off to everything else and listening to endless new music is becoming my haven...

There seems to be lots of good music coming out of Sweden, but this band "Little Dragon" from Gothenburg have totally grabbed me! They have a new album coming out this July, but have two others previous to this. I am currently in the middle of listening to their 2009 album Machine Dreams.

Consisting of Swedish-Japanese singer, Yukimi Nagano (vocals, percussion) and her close high-school friends Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Källgren Wallin (bass), and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards) the electronic music band are also featured on Gorillaz Plastic Beach album, track "Empire Ants".

When doing my research about Little Dragon, I came across this track Runabout filmed in Hong Kong! I recognized so many places I just had to put it on here.
Enjoy!



Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Eivissa







A little trip to the Balearic island of Ibiza opened my eyes to a pretty, quaint and at times a peaceful place! Eivissa may not always be the most welcoming to a hen group of 15 girls from the UK, but this did not deter my overall opinion of the charming island.
One restaurant that I feel really must get a mention, is La Brasa. This beautiful garden restaurant accommodated us in an enchanting secret garden atmosphere, surrounded by fairy lights, candles, tiled tables and large leafy greenery. The food that was on offer was lovely too, I had 1/2 lobster with salad, others chose the mouth watering leg of lamb, steaks, seafood Paella and cuttlefish. Washed down with a local bubbly Cava, the restaurant was something quite special that I think all of us will remember fondly.
Ibiza does offer the nightlife, bars, cocktails and clubbing environment that many people do visit it for, but it also hosts a beautiful old town, clear sea waters, breathtaking views, long sandy beaches, historic cathedrals, cute apartments and some gorgeous shops - particularly leather goods.
I would definitely suggest a walk up to the old walled town known as Dalt Vila, where you get some amazing views of the island and harbor once you have reached the very top. We stopped off for a espresso and chocolate pudding to give us some energy along the way. Walking during the heat of the day was not the wisest decision we made!
Another suggestion I would make during your time here is taking a trip off Ibiza island and going on the ferry to Formentera. Our return ferry cost us just 19Euros and took just over an hour. Once here we hired bicycles and explored the 12 mile long peaceful and idyllic island. Please be aware, nude sunbathing is welcome here so be prepared! Beautiful crystal blue sea water, flat sandy dirt tracks to cycle round, hardly any cars on the roads, most people traveling by quad bikes, mopeds or bicycles. During our afternoon there we did not hear a mutter of English being spoken... bliss!
At night Ibiza really does come into it's own, not only the bars and nightclubs, but also the shops and market stalls that are open till gone past 11pm. Local jewelers, lovely leather handbags and goods, artists and other novelty pieces are all readily available. I picked up a silver ring with an onyx stone and a painting by a local Ibizan artist. Always nice to collect little keepsakes of the places you visit I think.
Club wise, I think our favourite night was spent at DC10, which took place on the Monday afternoon, right through till 2am... there is definitely something special about dancing and partying under the sunshine.