2013 in music

If you're a regular visitor to Sunshine Days, you'll be fully aware that music plays a mahoosive part in my life. Looking back, I've been to some bloomin' brilliant gigs this year (above is a little snapshot with some rubbish quality photos... I'm far too busy actually enjoying the music at gigs to watch it through my phone screen!) from little gigs like The Family Rain who played the Brudenell Social Club to a mammoth expedition down to Suffolk for a weekend of fun and vodka at Latitude. Other highlights included HAIM, an Old Skool Cribs gig a few weeks back and stumbling upon a tiny Pigeon Detectives set in Leeds Trinity and ending up on the front row (even though we don't really like them all that much...). 

While I'm thinking about music of 2013, I thought I'd put together a list of my top tracks of the year. I did this back at the end of 2012 too and its a great way to look back and remember songs from a particular time in your life! Last year I narrowed the list down to five songs, this year I just couldn't whittle it down to any less than ten. Miss Indecisive 2013 right here.

Why'd you only call me when you're high? Arctic Monkeys

My Number Foals

 The Wire HAIM

Lovesick Peace

 Hearts Like Ours The Naked and Famous

Biblical Biffy Clyro

 Trust Me... I'm a Genius The Family Rain

Wasting My Young Years London Grammar

Best of Friends Palma Violets

Youth Daughter

What have been your favourite songs of the year? Hope you've enjoyed some of my top ten too!

Roll on 2014- its already shaping up to be a good one for me music-wise... so far I've got tickets for Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club and *ahem* McBusted (not ruining my indie street cred at all there...).

Also, for once I've not used song lyrics in my post title- yet more proof of how indecisive I am... I couldn't pick one of the 10 songs above as the most worthy of the title! I was discussing with my friends the other day that I really should get an app or something that will make all life decisions for me!

But I'll never look you in the eyes again

Does anybody else ever get that feeling where you really want to do something a bit rebellious just because you're young? I go through occasional phases of thinking that getting a tattoo would be a really good idea but the sensible, grown up part of my brain (there does seem to be a grown up lurking in there somewhere it seems!) thinks I should probably give it a miss since it could affect me getting a teaching job in a few years time if the head teacher likes their staff to look squeaky clean. Plus there's the whole fact that I'm a MASSIVE wimp and am really scared of needles which doesn't really help me when I start thinking of tattoo ideas. Other days, I find myself thinking I should get my nose pierced or dye my hair a fun colour but always manage to convince myself otherwise again on the grounds that it might ruin first impressions in an interview. 

Gahhh, see, this is yet another reason why adult life is no fun! 

In the meantime, to satisfy my youthful, vaguely rebellious streak, I managed to find a less permanent way to be a bit expressive and creative with my general appearance. Hair chalk. I found this in Topshop a while ago and when I saw a girl on the make-up counter colouring a girl's hair in a brilliant shade of pink I just couldn't resist buying some myself. So, every now and then, if I'm beginning to get a bit twitchy and starting to look at tattoo designs or brightly coloured hair on Pinterest, I like to have a bit of a mess around and colour the blondest bits of my dip dye in to give my hair a bit of a rainbow-like boost. It literally is as simple as colouring your hair in and it comes out with no problems in the shower. Perfect for somebody like me who just wouldn't be taken seriously as a 'professional' in my line of work if I had multicoloured hair. 

It may not be permanent or particularly adventurous, but its better than nothing. And that's enough to keep me happy when I'm feeling a bit too grown up for my liking. 

Although, after saying all that, I'm thinking a tattoo on the back of my neck might not be a bad idea if I went along to any future job interviews with my hair down... sadly (or luckily, depending on which way you look at it) my ridiculous needlephobia will probably keep that idea at bay at least for a little while longer!

We found love- Palma Violets

I wanna be your best friend, I don't want you to be my girl

Over half term I treated myself to a much needed few days away from work for a little trip home to see my friends and eat my parents out of house and home. Earlier in the week, the weather had been so lovely and almost spring-like so I'd decided that a trip to the seaside was in order when I met up with two of my oldest friends on Friday for a gossip and a catch up. In true British style, as I was on my way to the station to meet my friends, it snowed. But still we went to the beach. The others even got ice cream and it was difficult to tell whether their lips were turning blue because of the sherbet the ice cream man had doused their Mr. Whippy's with or because they were catching hypothermia. Either was a definite possibility on Crosby beach that day. 

To keep warm on the beach, we had a bit of a frolic around meeting the Antony Gormley statues on the beach. We soon realised they were actually colder than we were, the poor men were a bit under-dressed for the weather. I'd have lent them some clothes to keep off the chill a little but I'd decided to neglect my duffel coat in favour of my new Topshop jacket thinking the temperature was on its way up for good. I definitely couldn't bear to part with my big snuggly scarf  (possibly my new favourite thing). I got this scarf in the dregs of the Accessorize sale last week for just over £6... for someone who despises sales I really don't seem to do too badly!

jacket: Topshop, scarf: Accessorize, dress: Topshop, boots: Topshop

Best of Friends- Palma Violets