MUSIC!!!

Hello, Irina's readers! 

Yi Ming here. Irina's fast asleep now, so I'm captain of this ship (or at least until she wakes up and changes the password). Don't worry, I'm not here to make you suffer through another interminable ramble about love - well, not on this occasion, at least. I'm here to share with you mankind's greatest invention, which is - ready for it? - 

!!!  M U S I C  !!!

Sorry to have underwhelmed. The thing is, Irina and I were discussing the idea of sharing our favourite songs with you guys for quite awhile now and I thought hey! What better a time to do so when I've got an essay and two tutorials begging for me to procrastinate doing! I thought it'd be a good exercise as well - at the very least, we can look back at this list a few years now and reminisce on how bad our taste was and how we tried so hard to be hip. Wait, hip, am I using it right? That's the in-word, no?

So behold! My top 10 tracks as of now. By no measure is this list exhaustive and there are so many more tracks I would love to share with you guys. Alas, a number limit is a number limit and you can't have a top 10 list consisting of 50 songs. That's just deceitful. But honestly, it was hard whittling it down to just 10 - it almost felt like I was giving away my own children as I cut song after song from the overweight list.

A lot of these song hold personal meaning towards me. They're arranged in an order that I felt would make the most sense. I hope that you like them as well.

1. Hannah Hunt - Vampire Weekend

It's really hard for me to think of all the reasons why I love this song. I've really liked the whole vibe Vampire Weekend gives off - an unconventional yet somehow lovely blend of earthy tribal beats mixed in with clean prep-school charm. I feel like this song could mean so many things, if you pay close enough attention to the lyrics. Is it someone mourning for love being lost, or for love being found in a hopeless situation? Whatever it is, the final chorus always has chills running through my spine. 

Irina moment: Irina sees no value in this song, no matter how hard I try. Thank God I love her so damn much. 

2. Cornerstone - Arctic Monkeys

Arctic. Monkeys. Need I say more? Anyone who knows me and my taste in music will already understand that they are my favourite band of all time and that I've been following since I was 14. And by God, have they come far. It was really tough narrowing it down to just one song, but this has to be it. This was the song that got me fully hooked onto them and the song that always reminds me how amazing a songwriter Alex Turner is. If you're reading this, thanks KT, for showing me this song and igniting a flame within me that hasn't dimmed even up till this day. 

Irina moment: There's not really one to this song but... there are other AM songs that we do share a connection with. Obviously, I've left hints.

3. Maps (Acoustic) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

I'm a sucker for love songs and... this is THE love song. It's just the sweetness of her voice and the gentle plucking of the guitar strings that just makes it seem so... otherworldly. There's no way mere human beings could have composed something so beautiful. This is the ode to love that makes all other odes to love seem unromantic in comparison. It is the boyfriend that makes all others look like complete slobs. Anyway, yeah. The inner sentimental piece-o-shit in me loves this track. 

Irina moments: I put this song in the third acoustic mixtape I made for her and I think up till this day, she still thinks it's the best one (meaning my last 6 have been kinda useless hahahahah...sigh). Yeah, but this song always brings me back to the days when we were just first starting to fall in love with each other. 

4. Days - The Drums

This song has gotten me through a lot of things - heartbreaks mostly. "And the days go by, and I've never needed you" - this line is a pretty good wake-up call, isn't it? Although I listen to it a lot of less nowadays, it never fails to cheer me up and lift my spirits. This song casts feelings of doubt to the side and promises upcoming days full of hope and happiness. If you're going through a tough time - a break-up or a love-that-could-have-been, listen to this. Guaranteed fix-'er-upper.

Irina moment: There's not so much a specific "memory" as there as is a specific "feeling" I get whenever I hear this song. I always picture the same scene each time I hear this song, which is driving down the CTE late at night, with her by my side. And it's heaven.

5. Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers

This song is a weird song for me. My first memories of it come from when I was just a wee lad, probably only just smart enough such that whatever I said could be considered barely intelligible. This song just makes me feel happy. It relaxes me and makes me feel as if I'm hurtling across the desert in a convertible. On that note, great track to play while driving. Just don't...fiddle with your phone / iPod while driving. Don't ah.

Irina moment: On the airplane, I played for her this song. She didn't say much about it, but she just put her head on my shoulder and fell asleep. I'd like to think that it was because she found it soothing and reassuring. Not because it was boring.

6. You Only Live Once - The Strokes

Strokes fans will probably turn their noses up at this one but, hey, I like it. I always feel kinda like a badass when I hear it and it makes me smile inwardly. Also, this is the song that got me in to The Strokes in the first place, so cheers to that. Just one of those songs you play when you want to have a good time. 

Irina moment: I don't think I've ever played this song for her, but I'm sure when I do, something special would happen. 

7. Late Night - Foals

This - this is the song. I've watched Foals twice now, once at the first ever Laneway festival in 2011 and the second time last year on the eve of my birthday. No band can channel the same energy as they can. Also, Yannis was the first ever person I saw smash a guitar while live on-stage. This song - which must be watched together with the music video - evokes so much feels within me. It might not be everyone's cup of tea (the video is quite explicit as well) but the introspective mood of the song always has me reflecting by the end of it. 

Irina moment: It was waaaay back when we were first starting to discover each other. We were studying together in the Esplanade library and sitting on the couch together, chilling and watching funny vines off youtube. Then, I showed her this song. She didn't really like it, but the entire time she was holding my hand (a novelty at the time). I didn't mind that, not one bit.

8. Home By Now - Bombay Bicycle Club

This song means so much to me because, essentially, it's Irina's song. I remember that early-on, when we first started dating, I took Irina to watch a Bombay Bicycle Club gig. I didn't really pay much attention to this song, but Irina did. So, one day, on a plane flight to Bangkok, I heard her playing this song on her iPhone and I was immediately hooked. Now, this song never fails to remind me of her. Since we live pretty far from each other, I always drive to her place to pick her up before we go out. This song reminds me of those precious car rides, with the girl I love awaiting me at the end.

Irina moment: Where do I begin?

9. Electric Feel - MGMT

This was the song that got me listening to music in the first place. I remember discovering it waaaay back in Secondary school together with my bff Lennard and thinking like we were the coolest shits on Earth (we really weren't, though). Whenever I listen to this song, I feel as if I'm taking a walk down memory lane and I'm greeting an old friend. Definitely worth listening to and hey, at your next party you could always try giving this an experimental spin. It might be a nice break from all that "Titanium". 

Irina moment: She likes the remixed version of the song, which I admit is good as well. I remember the first time she played that mix for me in the car and, as with all remixes, there was that spark that went on in my head when the gentle beats morphed into something familiar. It was at that point of time that I knew that yeah, she was a keeper. And also that her music taste is pretty on-point.

10. Night Time - The XX

A pseudo-Indie list wouldn't be complete without a song by the XX, would it? Come on- you knew it was coming. It was an eventuality. Well, whatever. This song is one of the most amazing songs I've heard. Just listen to it in a quiet place like in your room in the middle of the night. Put on your earphones, close your eyes and listen. You're welcome.

Irina moment: The first song I ever played for her on our very first ever date, as we were driving in the basement of Great World City (don't ask). This was the song that I thought would up my cred with her, and she replied with another XX song: Do You Mind? I think that was the point in time I knew that I was in for a tough time and that this girl was as head strong as she was charming. It's been a tough time, no doubt, but it's also been the best time.

Yeah, well there you have it. To those Indie kids that I've offended with my not-quite bleeding edge taste, I'm sorry. I genuinely find Lady Gaga to be one heckuva singer, to be honest. I think music taste doesn't really define a person - everyone should be entitled to enjoy something that they like and not be afraid to hide it. If you listen to Youth Lagoon, good for you. If you listen to Youth Lagoon and enjoy the occasional Blank Space sing along, even more power to you. Whatever you guys like, I'm happy for you. Long live music. 

Yi Ming

P.S I'll force Irina to do her own list soon. I think it'll be very interesting to show you guys how our music tastes differ and how, over time, we've influenced each other's preferences as well.

P.P.S do leave a comment about which songs you like and for any other audiophiles out there, please share your favourite songs! I'm all about that peer to peer sharing.