One of my favorite things is stumbling upon new music in unexpected places. I often discover new songs through movies, television shows, or performances. Lately, I have been listening to a variety of songs that I would like to share with you! So, I present to you my top five songs (currently) for the month of May and how I stumbled upon them!
1. SHERlocked - David Arnold and Michael Price
So I think I hopped on the Sherlock bandwagon a tad late, but I believe it's better late than never! As soon as I watched the first episode of the series, I instantly fell in love! BBC's take on a modernized version of Sherlock Holmes is completely brilliant, and I ended up binge watching the whole show! If you haven't watched it already, I highly recommend it. This particular song is featured in the episode "A Scandal in Belgravia," where Sherlock meets the enigmatic Irene Adler. I just love the mysterious air this song gives off, yet it is also slow, thoughtful, and beautiful.2. Sloeberry Jam - Project Trio
I was at a music convention, and this group Sloeberry Jam happened to be performing for students! This was on their set list, and I completely loved the quirkiness of the song. It made me happy, yet nostalgic (does that make sense?). It has this very relaxed feel to it, and it is one of those songs I listen to on repeat. All. The. Time. Project Trio is comprised of a flutist, a cellist, and a bassist. They are a very unlikely group, but their music is like no other! What's even cooler is that the flutist beatboxes into his instrument, and this is one of their many unique qualities. They all met during college at the Cleveland Institute of Music. If there is one lesson I've learned from this song, it's that music can take you anywhere!
3. New World Coming - Benjamin Wallfisch & Disa
I found this song when I happened to be watching the new trailer for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I thought to myself "I have to find this song," and I searched everywhere for it only to find out that it was not even released yet on iTunes! I was so disappointed, and the only way I could listen to it was to watch the trailer a million times. But then a few days later, I was saved! It was finally released! It turns out that this song is a cover, and the originally singer was Cass Elliot. It is a very climatic song, and I always find myself motivated when I listen to it! I'm also looking forward to seeing the movie!
4. Etude in E minor, Op. 25, No.5 "Wrong Note" - Frédéric Chopin
Who doesn't love Chopin? I am a huge anime lover, and this piece was featured in the show Your Lie in April. You are probably thinking "Why would that be on an anime?"! Well, this is not your ordinary anime! This one is all about music! Kousei Arima is a piano prodigy who was classically trained by his mother. However, she was extremely strict, overbearing, and harsh to Kousei because she knew that she would soon die from an unspecified disease. When she passes away, Kousei becomes haunted by her presence, and when he plays piano he can no longer hear the notes he plays. He gives up piano for good until he meets a female violinist named Kaori. This anime is all about his struggle to get back on his feet and play piano again, and I found it extremely inspiring because I am a musician myself. Kousei plays this piece during a piano competition. It is often referred to as the "Wrong Note" etude because there is a lot of dissonance between the notes and chords. I think that this beautifully captures the chaos in Kousei's mind as he desperately tries to play through the piece. This piece opens with dissonance, but then it gives way to this slow, and euphonious part. All in all, I highly recommend that you listen to the piece (and watch the show)!
5. Bíólagið - Amiina
Amiina is an Icelandic band that plays a very minimalistic style of music. This use many different types of instruments as well. Weirdly enough, this song was on the soundtrack to the movie A Brilliant Young Mind, which is about a socially awkward mathematics prodigy named Nathan Ellis. He is chosen to compete for Great Britain in the International Mathematics Olympiad, which brings in countries from around the world. He meets Mei, a girl representing China's team, and he slowly tries to figure out what love truly means to him. It is a great movie, a real hidden gem! This song (don't ask me how to pronounce it!) is played when Nathan and Mei are just walking together, enjoying each other's company. What's cool about this song is that the main instruments in this song are the musical saw and an accordion! What an unlikely duo! Believe it or not, they do work extremely well together. This is the perfect song for this scene because it gives off this weird, ethereal feel that definitely captures how Nathan sees the world differently from everyone else. After this song was on repeat for a while, I totally wanted to buy my own musical saw.
So, there you have it, folks! I hope you all give these songs a listen! Maybe they will become your favorites as well!
