LoveSounds - Chiara Noriko

A new Digi-Native I must introduce to the LoveSounds family has got to be Chiara Noriko with any and every track she has ever laid down her soulful, vibeful vocal tresses on. I've been following this wonder on Soundcloud for a while now but kept missing out on her latest releases, with that said I should introduce you - or I should let her introduce you all to her newest treasure... Feeling The Vibe. 

'Feeling The Vibe' Cover Art

Taken From @chiara_noriko IG Account

Chiara, pronounced 'Kiara' posts spontaneous bursts of sounds to soundcloud and I believe her when she says it preserves the moment, it keeps the music and the emotion right in the configuration of her thoughts. You can feel it, and for a moment her moment becomes yours. It's great.

Some of the beats for Chiara's sounds are samples looped from Hip Hop legend J Dilla, such as 'Feels So Right' and J Dilla Beat (Chiara Remix). She's also played about with Musiq Soulchild and Ciara adding her own soulful vibe to some of the essential R&B sounds of all time. 

In my opinion, Chiara's residence in Berlin adds to her whimsical, dreamlike melodies. Working in the underground gives her music a very rustic persona that coincides the imagery she dictates in her lyrics, synths and bass. It's great to see she's worked with London's @SkyeChaiUK in the past and hope she continues to grow and bring her blissful music to the UK.

Keep up with Chiara @chiara_noriko

The Breakfast Club Avec Joe & The Juice

Right now I'm stuck indoors with a cold when this time last week I was preparing my stomach for total annihilation at The Breakfast Club in Soho. After a lengthy walk from Regent Street to D'arlaby Street passing mouth-wateringly worthy fooderies like Leon - I've already planned what I'm having for lunch tomorrow  - and Joe & The Juice, I was more than ready for war at the English Cafe. Once we arrived I wasn't shocked to see a small queue forming as it's only a small quirky yellow building with a very - we're not hipster at all- kind of vibe, so obviously it was packed out. Finally we got some seats after maybe a 10-15min wait but the real test of patience and strength of will came with the long awaited arrival of our food. My cousin and I couldn't work out why everyone seemed to be tucking in but us! Two girls sat beside us ate their full English in complete silence, must've been tasty, we saw more and more breakfast type meals pass us back and forth then we were presented with the almightys! 

 The Greek Gods of all meals made that early afternoon! Everyone made way for the Big Bad Burrito and the Buttermilk Chicken Burger mmmmmmmmmm and those skin-on-chips omg flashbacks. Basically, we were the only fatties in the building oh well that's what we came for! Temi had the Big Bad Burrito with pulled pork. I had the buttermilk chicken which was sandwiched between two healthy buns, guacamole coeslaw and peppers. Temi ordered a fresh apple juice while I had the Virgin Apple Mojito (she obviously wasn't taking this new experience as seriously as I was)  

The fun didn't stop there guys we lazily sauntered back on to oxford street and chilled out on the John Lewis RoofTop Garden! So cute! It's got chairs made from grass and a marquee where all sorts of talks are going on (the posh lot were on about vintage wine) I couldn't help but order a juice from the Joe & The Juice bar! I got The Sports Juice with Pineapple, Passionfruit and Apple very fresh indeed. 

So I've been a London Fatty what've you been upto recently? Leave a comment guys! 

Draft Day-Getting Ready For Race Day

Hey Homies! Its been a while since my last run and even longer since my last post so ive decided to collab with the two things I love to do. Race day was May 31st! (I'm still shocked that I actually did it) but with the summer sun playing hide and seek and my endorphines running low theres some other factors that motivates me to get up and move! (I am not reffering to Little Mix here please retain your excitement) If you're being like me and procrastinating, neglecting your weekly or daily run then there are a few things you need to do to get yourself back in the zone. Here's my very own 'In The Zone' checklist to help you lace up and get running! 

Número Uno! Create a cracking playlist, I honestly can't run without an amazing playlist to keep me going, here's my current faves

My Love- Route 94 ft Jess Glynne

 

You & I -Crystal Fighters 

Higher (Free) -All About She 

Best of Me - Mya ft Jay Z

Waves (Robin Schulz Remix) - Mr Probz

Nobody to Love - Sigma 

Just Friends (cover) - Chiara 

Worst Behaviour - Drake

Trophies - Drake 

Draft Day - Drake

Loyal - Chris Brown

Show Me ft Chris Brown - Kid Ink

Iggy Azalea ft Charli XCX - Fancy

Creep - Goldlink 

Let Me Love You (Sllash Remix) - Mario

Number 2 Fitspo! So if you're trying you're hardest to get motivated I assume you've already downloaded some great apps including Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Bloglovin'? Right!? If you're going to procrastinate at least use your scrolling time effectively, hey every little helps! 

Thirdly, get some new gear, I love buying new stuff and giving them a test run, sports bras, tops, new trainers and I'm so looking forward to buying one of those Nike Fuel Bands 

Finally, nothing is more demotivating than the feeling of no progression, download this great app My Runkeeper and map your progress. Running can get quite lonely if you haven't got a running buddy but you feel that push when she calls out your stats mid run, I was so proud of myself every time I made a new personal best, and I wanted to get out sooner and beat it again. 

When I first started running it was to train for the 5k Race For Life, but since then I've grown to love it,  I stumbled across some great blogs and Instagrams and felt so inspired watching others train worldwide, imagine flying to Amsterdam to run a marathon, or training on a beach in Barcelona? Sounds like a plan! 

Do you have any tips you use to stay motivated? Share them in the comments, you never know who you could inspire. 

Nineteen

After a birthday people often ask if you feel any different than you did a few hours before, being a younger age and honestly some things never change-I type this handicap-idly with a fistful of gummy bears. I've learnt a lot about myself since my 19th birthday, whether that's because I'm in a different environment, no longer a full time student but now a full time worker I don't know but I have noticed some changes. Turning 19 was unexpected and without cliché which I have appreciated. I didn't have many expectations and some people think this is good, so there's no disappointment but I've taken everything in stride and embraced emotions as they've come. I've learnt that I can't control everything around me, whether you like it or not life goes on and you have to move with it or get left behind. Some things never change though, being around older guys have taught me that no matter what age, boys who are not yet men are still very dumb, idiotic and insensitive. I taught myself how to distinguish between terms for example calling 16 year old males 'boys' and 24 year old males who are still 'boys' 'guys' instead. Aswell as learning a bit more about the rival species, I've uncovered information about the league of aspirational women and the trail of imbecile little girls who let the side down to garnish attention from the opposite sex. It may seem as though I've discovered information about everyone except myself but this is the joy of being 19; well getting it right first time that is. 19 is an age rarely mentioned or warned against. Being 19 is all about subtlety, if you're an extrovert this is your year to sit back and observe, find out exactly how to read people and spot the bullshit a mile off. Trust me after a while it becomes so easy to do. Learn from older people, study their achievements and their mistakes and heed that warning. 19 is a purgatory state between youth and adult. I still believe it should be made illegal to address an 18 year old as an adult, here in London at least. At 18 you have no where near the mental capacity needed to be and adult and do it properly. 18 is the year of ill informed, uneducated decisions and 19 comes along to clean up that mess. So many people end up starting University aged 19 and not 18 because of those ill advised decisions but they usually end up with a lot more to show of their year of growth, maturity and progression. At 19 you're young enough to fool older generations into underestimating our talents, wit, intelligence and skill. Working hard at 19 shows people you want to be taken seriously, especially if you have the facial features of a 16 year old teenager. No ones going to call you a teenager and no one will respect you like an adult until you show them your edge, and this comes naturally once you've mastered being 19. 19 is a good year, just don't mess it up.  

Seven At Brixton

Ever been to Brixton at 7? These days it's bang on trend, the skater boys are emerging from the infamous skate park round the back of the Brixton O2 academy and flexing in front of the once archaic library. It's always good vibrations at the Ritzy, and the market has it's own currency! And with that I move on to my next question, have you ever been to Seven At Brixton? If so you know it's a small bar at the back of Coldharbour lane inside the actual market! Don't worry it doesn't smell of fish and meat, instead you have a wave of mintyness waft pass as you upgrade to upstairs seating, because this place can get pretty packed; and please mind your head! After securing our seating, we made our way to the bar whilst bumping and with little to no grinding to music by hip hop legends Nas and Jay Z. We watched the bartender make our order, 5 Ginger Beer Basil Mojito's all at one time and he laughed at our bemusement, because honestly, mixology never gets old and these guys are great. We waited a short time to be served and have our drinks made however, I do advise you, this is Brixton, don't be shy otherwise you'll never make it to the front. The Mojito was super sweet, I loved it the ginger beer infused with basil was amazing, then I stirred the bottom where the sugar resided and wow I found heaven for the remainder of that cocktail, and for a fiver that was a good deal. We wanted to try the Buffalo Passion and both of the speciality cocktails just for the fun takeaway box and glass skull bottle, but as Seven closes at 11 we knew we'd never make it through that queue. So now along with the great vibes and lively buzz I have a reason to go back! I also have a question for the guys at Seven At Brixton, is there real actual buffalo in these cocktails!? 

Guys follow their Instagram account for mouth watering temptation at @sevenatbrixton 

Race For Life - Meesh's Racer Angels

Hello Beautiful People!

Happy Easter and blessings all round! 

A week to date was the famous London Marathon, the worlds runners, skippers and fancy dress joggers joined forces to say no to life threatening illnesses and raced for life. Watching the beautiful array of colours of peoples vests and numbers was mesmerising, how could you not want to be apart of something so vibrant, a show of brilliance, bravery, courage and pride?

For the last 2 weeks i've endured an endless barrage of Snapchats of my best friends sweaty face and laughed at her whilst she struggles to train for a 5k run for Breast Cancer supporting her mama and family. So before I could talk my indecisive self out of the idea, I whatsapped my best friend and said I want to do it too! SIGN ME UP GIRLFRIEND! The sheer excitement and thrill I got when I said yes was immense, I wanted to say yes over and over again, tell everybody and their mothers that I, Regina has said YES to A 5K RUN!

Go Team! 

FOR BREAST CANCER! If you know me then you know running is my weakness, my kryptonite, my Harry Styles-Zayn Malik. I have spent the majority of my spare time researching a variety of ways to say the same thing "Will I die if I run 5K?" Think of courage the cowardly dog and multiply that image by 10 and there you have me torturing myself on a treadmill. However, with some friendly advice from my novice runner friends and family, and obviously the everpresent helping hand of Google search engine I've garnered some tips on how to journey from Couch to 5k around Clapham Common.

London Marathon 2014

Everyone has a story or knows of someone who does when it comes to the nightmare that is 'The Big C' but we don't have to whisper in fear anymore because times are changing and we are fighting back!... So help me, my friends and family say it... Cancer, we're comin' to get ya! Do something bold, say yes to something new and frightning, then plough through it and show it whose boss! I cant wait to rip open my starter pack and get fundraising and I'm counting down the days until I can wear my number with pride panting around the common. If you see me give us a wave! 

If you've got a story you should share it too and others can learn from you or help you get through! Drop a comment, and share this all over the world and back again and visit our Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/meeshs-racer-angels and donate anything you can to support us and millions of others in the UK. If this is too much to ask then I give you full permission to laugh at my expense on the 31st of May when I'll be sweating, crying and cussing under my breath. Thank you all for your support Big Love and Happy Easter! x

LoveSounds - Talk To Frank

Posted on Frank Ocean's Tumblr 

It seems like the new trend in music is for artists to literally starve their fans of audio pleasure by committing social suicide-deleting various social media platforms and remaining under the radar for as long as possible. Back in the day and I mean way back, fans didn't have the same instant access that we demand from our beloved superstars. So when Frank Ocean decided to delete his Instagram and Twitter account, it seemed like he was done sharing and shit was really about to hit the fan. But if you're real cool and underground you'll have a Tumblr account, a land where teenage angst is highly prevalent and almost polluting, a place where artists are bred and nurtured; where the real cool hunting takes place. Artists are biting back and some may even say they're biting the bullet by opting out of the

fast lane of marketing and mass exposure, Beyonce did it, Drake is becoming infamously known for doing it and little Frank Ocean is being very prudent in the midst of the Hollywood melodrama. The moment you think you've forgotten about them they drop something mega! Beyonce's self titled visual album featured Frankie on 'SuperPower' and her no promo album is a prime example of what I'm talking about, if you'd of paid close attention you would have seen the signs and felt the heat of the hot album coming your way. Beyonce's Tumblr account was littered with visuals and photographs she took on tour and whilst spending time with family, some of these moments were even sampled in the visuals for songs like 'Blue'. Also who could forget that O2 advert where we first heard the snippet of 'Bow Down Bitches!' from 'Flawless'!? Since Tumblr is for the world of kids who really care about art, artists like Frank Ocean on Tumblr aren't harassed in the same way they would be on say Twitter or Facebook. Tumblr is like an open diary of writings, visuals and montages that when viewed together or separately all make sense to the individual. Ocean is known to share the reveries of his mind and soul in his music and on his Tumblr, it was here that the artist felt most comfortable talking about his sexuality in the simplest of formats, well the language that our generation, the generation he's appealing to understand and speak, a digital text box.

Frank's Letter To Fans 

I scoured through his Tumblr the way I would any other micro-bloggers account because I felt like he was one of us, his blog isn't over done and is just so authentic, I just hoped my wifi wouldn't fail me and refresh the page as his account became my number one go-to source in the run up to his debut album 'Channel Orange', fans could consume the musings and inspiration for some of the tracks by scrolling through his posts, this is how I understood the vibe of the album and knew he made it for me and other like minded young people. Frank Ocean is taking the same approach to music we saw Drake doing through the final quarter of last year, he boasted about how everyone wanted a feature from him since he established his exclusivity on another 'featured' track, Versace Versace'. We were all beaming with pride when we heard Frankie's beautiful voice infiltrate the chorus 'Oceans' for Jay Z's MCHG album, he was just the right man for the job, he surely is shutting down rumours that urban artists don't want to feature him because of his sexuality, you don't get any better

Click here to join the broodingly deep fun over at Frank's Tumblr

than Jay Z my friends. Every track he touched before Channel Orange - The OF Tape Vol. 2, and after on Tyler The Creator's album Wolf and Earl Sweatshirt's comeback album Doris sounds iridescent and dreamy. Frank Ocean smoothed out the rough edges of tracks with his liquid gold lyrics and vocals, his best friends know him best and allow his whole persona and vibe to take over any track he features on for them. With all this analysis I'm excited about the material he has shared with us so far, he answered a fan on Tumblr asking when we should expect some new music and he said we should wait for summer to come back, now we're all doting on summer for another important event! Hearing Frank on 'SuperPower' and 'Sunday' and not forgetting about those golden treasures he performed live in Munich has really got me in the mood for some Frankie Oceeeaaaaan!!