My first ever record

Hello my dolls,

Now I've already told you how I got into music now I would like to share with you how I got into vinyl.

I was a fan of anything vintage and/or retro quite a bit before I started buying records. I was brought up going around antique stores and salvage places. So when my grandad gave me a original 1964 original dansette major deluxe 21 (details of what can be found here) I was over the moon but for about three years it was kept up in the loft as we had nothing to spin. But all that changed one sunny may bank holiday when I went to my local antiques center. It only happened by chance when my mum took me into a record shop for fun. I was flicking through the records when my eyes stumbled across the grease sound track.

Yes. My first ever record was the grease soundtrack.

Don't judge me, it is one of the greatest soundtracks of all time.

Not only was it my first ever vinyl record it was my first album I brought with my own money also. Now I'm a huge fan of grease. I know all the words to the songs and the dialog. I know the all the dances and the stage ques. Let's just say if I was in the front row of the stage production and sandy broke her leg whilst on stage I would be quite able to take her place. So when I saw it at my local record store I had to get it. It cost me the whopping sum of £4 and and newly acquired addiction of buying vinyl. This addiction led me on to buying AM in HMV a week or so later and then plenty more along the course of the year and for the foreseeable future.

Both the sleeve and the actual records are in near perfect condition.

The inside of the sleeve contains a collage of stills from the film. And the inner sleeves (not pictured have a year book theme.

It's a double LP as well! Double the lp, double the grease.

Obviously the back of the sleeve has a track list.

Peace and love,

Connie x

My Record Player

Hello my Dolls,

Now I would like to share with you something very special with you,

My record player.

Mine is a original, un-restored 1963 Danstte Major Deluxe 21 in red. For something that is 52 years old, its surviving pretty well. It currently has no scuffs or damage to the body, only some yellowing to the white parts due to it being in the sun and the 78RMP needle did break off (whoops @ my part to play in that). but apart from this, its near perfect. Sounding wise, as you could imagine it dose sound somewhat grainy/fuzzy/crackly and all that fun stuff what comes with a old turntable but I feel like this adds to the reason why I love it as to me music is appose to sound raw, you're appose to hear the imperfections and make it apart of the listening experience. This was given to me for free, from my granddad who had no more use of it but I have seen these modals for around about £200-£350+ depending on the quality of the exact model.

As it is a 'stacker' Its going to pretty big with the dimensions being 38cmx45cmx24cm.

This is the underside of the over. The flower was from the bouquet of flowers what was in my Nannys casket so every time I go to play something I can remember her. Then i have my ticket from when I saw Jake Bugg. then I have my little drawing of John Lennon and a Arctic Monkeys sticker.

Where the magic happens ;)

Obviously it has four speeds.

The two knobs on the front control the tune and the volume.

Peace and Love

Connie x

How I got into my music

Hello my dolls,

Happy eurovsion night!
I've been meaning to write the next three posts for a while no but to much 'revision' has kept me from them but I've finally got round to them!

I didn't choose the music life,

The music life chose me.

Jks

The first band I got into was arctic monkeys. The first time I herd them was at a family friends 50th where they had played I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor and When The Sun Goes Down. I instantly fell in love with those two songs I had them constantly on repeat for the next couple of months but I didn't think you listen to any more songs by them, to be perfectly honest I don't even take notice to who sung them.

Then I listened to Do I Wanna Know but I didn't connect that they were sung by the same band. Then I saw Alex turners Brit accepting speech for album of the year 2014 (that rock and roll) then it clicked in my mind that it was the band I was vaguely listening to.

I was instantly amazed by Alex Turner his way with words (and his face). So I listened to AM to see what all the hype was about.Lets just say the hype was worth it. I listened to most more of their stuff, mostly Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not and saw them on tumblr and that was basically it. I was infatuated with them.

Then I saw some more bands on tumblr (like Vampire Weekend) and herd more on the radio (like Green Day). Then I saw one girl on tumblr blogging about the Beatles a lot so I listened to them more then it was a downwards spiral with YouTube suggestions and accidentally walking into records stores and walking out with an addiction to buying vinyl,more to come on that later.Dads buying vinyl of bands I've never herd of (i.e led Zeppelin) Xfm and NME playing new bands, and just friends telling me about their music taste.

Peace and love

Connie x

I wish, I wish

Hello my dolls,

As a writing task in school to practice for our up coming exam was to write a short piece on this title(i wish i wish) . What some of you don't know is I consider myself a flower-child; a young person rejecting conventional society and advocating love peace and simple idealistic values. This what I based my peace on. Peace and love.

All we are saying is give peace a chance. Once famously sung John Lennon. That's my wish, peace, like so many others, is giving peace a chance. A chance to thrive under love and kindness. A chance to blossom with kindness and the feeling of togetherness.

I feel that no reason is need to justify my wish. I feel there is no reason for peace apart form the thing I'm trying to find a reason for. Why should we have to justify our love for one and other? Why should we have to give excuses for peace? We shouldn't. Instead we should be asking the question who is not asking for peace? Who is not wanting harmony within our world?

How are we going to find this tranquility I hear you and so many others cry? I cannot tell you that unfortunately. Some might say just stop dropping bombs. That is a solution, yes. But when have the government listened to us?

In my opinion peace starts from the inside. We can start this breakaway from what we've expected as normal. How is dropping bombs considered socially normal?

To start your own revolution you can start ignoring the negativity, block it out by building a metaphorical wall to protect your mind. Don't complain for a whole twenty four hours and see how it can improve your life in the long run. Smile at a strangers and wear daises in your hair. Dance like no one is watching and lip sync to your favorite song. Fall asleep on the grass and compliment at least one person a day. As soon as you start being more positive you will see others around you follow suit. How can you preach peace in the outside world when it is a battle ground in your mind? A never ending fight with your own negative fights?

We have the power to make this whole peace thing work.
It's sad to say the government can't step up to the plate and advocate peace.
So It's up to us.
Why Don't we start now instead of waiting?

Peace and love
Connie x

My first review!

Hello my dolls,

And happy Sunday!

I won a twitter competition the other day hosted by @TheSoundGallery on twitter for a carbon fiber cleaner to remove static and dust from vinyl records. 

I've never seen an issue with static, until now that is. I've always assumed the crackling in my records is caused by how old my turntable is, given it is original to 1963 there is going to be some but it has drastically improved since I have cleaned my records using this brush.

In my opinion new records seem to collect more dust and static than older ones. For example my original pressing of 'The Song Remains The Same' by Led Zeppelin has no dust nor static on it where as my copy of 'What Ever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not' by Arctic Monkeys seems to collect tones of dust. Below are the before and after photos on What Ever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not; 

This is before I used my carbon fiber brush on my record, considering this was only brought in November, its pretty dusty

This is after I had used my Carbon fiber bush, My crappy i-phone photography skills don't really do it any justice but all the dust has gone, and the crackling has reduced big time.

With a few quick sweeps over your records (I personally done it starting from the wind out groves then brushing outwards) will be back to top playing condition! The inly thing i would be careful of is to not catch the ends of the brush on your record as this may end up scratching them .

This can be purchased from Here

Peace and love,

Connie x

Exams, Exams, Exams!

Hello my dolls, (for the third time today!)

I have my first (theory) exam tomorrow,Oh god!
For those of you who aren't from the uk teenagers aged 15-16 across Britain are taking their GCSE's in the coming month.

What makes this exam particularly worst is that I've never had a actual lesson on preparation for working life (or P.W.L for short or if you're feeling rather adventurous Probably the Worst Lesson) and all what is coming to mind is Dolly Parton working 9 till 5.

But in times like this I think to myself 'what would David Bowie do'
Then I realize he'd probably do a line of coke.

I know I can only do my best and my best will be good enough.

Peace and love,

Connie x

My music taste (As of 7/5/2015)

Hello my dolls again,
Like I said in my previous post I'm a bit of a fan when I comes to music but my music taste is constantly changing (or evolving, how ever you like to look at it). So this post will probably be updated every month but as this Stands this is all the bands/artists I'm listening to at the moment;

• The Beatles
• Arctic Monkeys
• The Who
• The Jam
• The Kinks
• The Doors
• Guns n' Roses
• Jake Bugg
• Pink Floyd
• Led Zeppelin
• Miles Kane
• Sex Pistols
• Oasis
• Blur
• Queen
• The Pretty Reckless
• Royal Blood
• David Bowie
• Green Day
• Jimi Hendrix
• Musical Soundtracks (Grease, Rocky Horror ect) 

I think that's about it. Like I said if I remember or discover any more I will update this list. I didn't mean for any of my music taste to happen, maybe I'll write about how it happend soon*hint hint*.
I know this is quite a odd list of completely different styles and genres, but what can I say I give into peer pressure when it comes to listening to music
My final point in this post is I urge anyone and everyone to listen to at least one of these bands/artists.   I feel like music can make your quality of life improve and your overall personally change, for the better. Music can make anything seem more real wether that be a emotion or life it's self. 

Peace and love

Connie x