Cymru am Byth

Hello, I have biology revision to do so this is a very rushed post which will not showcase my true talent*. (*note: sarcasm).

I thought, because Saturday was St. David's Day, I'd write a post specifically about Wales.

I’m not a patriotic person in the slightest, I find patriotism quite silly to be honest – I just don’t understand it. I’m Welsh and I speak Welsh too, which is in fact quite rare here, and besides a few good actors and a few brilliant bands, there really isn’t that much to Wales.

5. Catatonia

Catatonia, lead by Cerys Matthews, found fame in the mid 90s, and although they only had a couple of hits many people remember them. I don't own any of their albums and I only know a few of their songs, but Road Rage is a tune and Mulder and Scully was constantly on repeat when I liked a particular person. Their songs are catchy and I like their image, but if you want to listen to them I'd only recommend their released singles.

4. Marina and The Diamonds

Marina is one of my favourite female artists, her music and image is totally unique and I'm always proud to know she's from Wales. I see her as a sort of feminist icon, and the concept of her album Electra Heart was brilliantly thought out and very clever. She has songs for every occasion, and my personal favourites are Primadonna, Oh No!, Bubblegum Bitch, Girls and Teen Idle. 

3. Craig Roberts

Craig Roberts is a beautiful young actor from South Wales, mostly recognised for his role as Oliver Tate in the movie Submarine. I've been a fan of his since before that, loving him in Being Human and even the CBBC show Young Dracula. In 2013 he starred in the Manic Street Preachers music video for Show Me The Wonder; which was a glorious Welsh moment.

2. Christian Bale

This A-list actor was born in Wales, but now resides in America. Bale is associated with his weird roles, including Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and the creepy anorexic in The Machinist. Funnily enough, he also has a connection to the Manics; they used a sample of his voice on the track Peeled Apples.

1. Manic Street Preachers

If you've ever spoken to me or even just follow me on Twitter, it was probably obvious that number one would be the Manic Street Preachers. To me, not only are they the best Welsh band, they're the best band of all time - bouncing onto the music scene in the 90s with their Clash-esque punk songs, they slowly mellowed out  following the disappearance of Richey, their lyricist. They're intelligent, good looking, funny and talented - all in all, they're just bloody brilliant. If you fancy getting into them, I recommend the songs Faster, Judge Y'rself, Sculpture of Man, Sullen Welsh Heart, Stay Beautiful... or just their entire discography.