Kevin Yost – Insight
January 28, 2009
My on-going job search has pretty much been accompanied by Last fm for the last week or so, leading me to discover deep house DJ, Kevin Yost and his track Insight.
It’s from his Hypnotic Progressions album and with over a hundred releases since 1996, I’m surprised I haven’t come across his really rather good breed of chill-out tracks before. Especially seeing as the majority of his tracks feature a heavy dose of saxophone, flute and xylophone that instantly get you hooked – I’ve clearly been missing out.
For a man with so many releases and a following to give Obama a run for his money (ok, so not quite), it’s not very easy to find out much information on Mr Yost. However, known for his jazz/house fusion, he’s very well known on the US progressive house circuit and counts having his first release at the tender age of 13 as one of many achievements.
Irritatingly, Insight doesn’t appear to be one of those releases. There’s no record of it on YouTube, nor is it available to buy on vinyl. So for now, I’m afraid Natural High comes in at second best until you stop thinking about it, buy Hypnotic Progressions and see what you too have been missing out on.
Daniel Merriweather says Change – listen up UK economy
January 21, 2009
Not only am I looking for work but I’ve just heard on the radio that I’m one in two million doing so.
I’ve spent the last four hours or so scouring the internet looking for both freelance and permanent posts. So far, with very little reward. So naturally, on a fruitless task, I got distracted and decided to write a post about the latest track that I just can get enough of. Incidentally, it’s entitled Change by Daniel Merriweather. Change features rap artist Wale who’s also guested on an unreleased remix of Lily Allen’s Smile (thanks to everybody’s friend, Mr Mark Ronson). With Change due to be released 2nd February, here’s hoping that the London job market takes a leaf out of Merriweather’s book and pays heed to this track.
What’s more, after a series of hits with Mr collaboration Ronson, including Stop Me, it’s about time we heard something from Merriweather himself. Not to be confused with Nathaniel Merriweather and his rather interesting 2001 album Lovage, Daniel Merriweather’s debut album Love & War is anticipated for release this coming April. If his projects with Ronson and debut single Change are anything to go by, it is indeed going to be very, very good…
Meme: Seven things you didn’t (want to) know about me.
January 17, 2009
I hadn’t heard the term meme until earlier this evening when a friend tagged me into one. So, after discovering that a meme is essentially a digital chain letter, be it a photoshopped image or a link that becomes viral, it seemed rude not to help it on it’s way.
The task involved in this particular meme is to think of seven little known facts about yourself and post them for all to see. It’s taken a while, but I’ve finally scraped together seven points my friends, family and fellow bloggers may never have known (or chose to have known) about me otherwise.
1. I own 22 vintage dresses (not including the ones for sale). I’m surprised, I thought it was a lot more. I think I can safely say the number will continue to grow and with intentions to open a vintage boutique in the future, what more justification does a girl need?!
2. I’ve tried internet dating. And it’s not for me. Less said about that the better…
3. I’ve technically had plastic surgery. When I was thirteen, I had a squint corrected in my left eye. Pretty brave for a thirteen year old I think. And, best of all (or at least at the time), I remember being told so from the hottest guy in my year. The second part to this operation was to have my other eye lid lifted and corrected but I never had it done. Those that know me might or might not have noticed this. It gets worse if I’m tired so it’s always easy to spot if I’ve had a late night!
4. I own a Kandinsky painting. Well, sort of – it’s tattooed horizontally across my back and has been there for eleven years.
5. I narrowly escaped losing a finger. I’m a big fan of horses (and used to have one) but not when they attempt to eat your finger. To see the sights of Bruges a couple of years ago, we hired a horse and carriage. After stopping half way to give the horse a break, I spotted another very lovely looking horse which promptly began to eat my little finger. It’s a long story but the short of it is that after three trips to hospital and plastic surgery consultation, it lives to tell the tale, complete with scar. Bizarrely, I still love horses just as much.
6. I don’t really watch TV. Music is my drug. I’d choose listening to music every time over the TV but am rarely caught singing, especially on karaoke.
7. Born in a barn. Ok so not quite, but when my sister and I were little, we had our own lambs and fed them with returnable glass irn-bru bottles fashioned into milk bottles. My sister also had chickens and went on to bring home all sorts of injured animals including a seagull named Kehar (after Watership Down). He live in a trailer until his broken wing recovered with a bit of help from my dad. Or at least that’s what he told us, but I think my dad may have helped nature take its course and didn’t want to scare the kids.
When you get going, there’s quite a few things that come to mind and I could easily add a few extra points that would serve to make me all the more…unique? However, at the risk of death by boredom, I’ll pass the seven step challenge onto my friend Andy and eZine Zani’s Editor Matteo.
Clare: 1. Finger eating horse: 0.
Update: To keep the ball rolling, baton bouncing and incidentally – blog posting, I’ve roped in a few of my new lovely fellow bloggers. So, its over to Melissa and Olivia for some juice on what you (and probably I) never knew about them. Time to get sharing a gulity secret or two!
To brogue or not to brogue?
January 16, 2009
Amongst the platform, shoe-boot and plimsoll, the brogue is making a come back.
I’ve always been a fan of the classic men’s Bugsy Malone brogue (as pictured to your left) and in fact, do own a pair of dolly shoes in a similar guise. Note to self…do rake them out of the seven billion other pairs of unworn shoes. But the bog standard brogue?
It’s been a fear of mine throughout growing up; i always thought the brogue was the sign of a boring person. Shallow? Me? Of course not.
Now, cool cats and hip east enders have adopted the humble brogue as a replacement to their winkle picking vintage chelsea boots and plimsolls. And, soaring rapidly in the style stakes, their becoming more and more available in everything from classic tan to snake skin and metallics. We’re even seeing the return of a rather ghastly trend, the Loafer, thanks to Alexa Chung and Topshop.
I do however have a confession to make, after spending the best of my teens boycotting the brogue, i might have happened to have er, bought a pair. Cue exhibit A.
Exhibit A
So, my question is; To brogue or not to brogue? What do you think? You the fashion jury, can have your say here by hitting the voting buttons below. Is it a trend that unless you’re sixteen and achingly cool you should step carefully away from or is is it something any age can work? Yet to pair it with the countless (often unworn) possibilities of my vintage wardrobe, i can already see the versatility and longevity of my new tan, (oh yeah, classic) brogues. But before slipping them on and into potential fashion victimitis, i’d like to hear your views.
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- Exhibit A
Ok, so the plot is guaranteed to be horrific (and i don’t mean scary) but anyone who knows me will testify to how much of an over enthusiastic horror fan i am. So, it’s that time of year again (well almost) and Valentines day is almost upon us. Spurn the chocolates, slushy cards and head to the movies to watch My Bloody Valentine in 3D. I will be.
It’s in cinemas from tomorrow and is a remake from the original 1981 version. Set in a little US town named none other than Harmony, it’s a classic revenge tale starring an almost fairly decent cast. Enter Sin City’s lesser known eye candy Jaime King and horror aficionado Kerr Smith who earned his horror stripes in Final Destination. Fans of TV series Lost will be interested to know that Zack Grobler had a hand in producing this remake. And, following a slasher trend, it’s the second horror to be released in 3D with Scar 3D previously released in November 2008 (as opposed to this January 09 as i mentioned earlier).
You can watch the trailer on the website which itself is trying very hard to be 3D. Seems like web 2.0′s not quite there yet. It’d also appear the web designers who created it have failed to consider that it makes navigating the site a royal pain in the ar*e.
However, regardless of a really rather crap trailer, missing plot and low budget cast, i have every confidence My Bloody Valentine will have bums on seats purely for the 3D factor. As a horror devotee, i for one will be celebrating early and treating myself to a bloodbath of a Valentines day this coming weekend. Slushy stuff can wait ’till next year.
Escape the cold with Deadmau5 & Jaded
January 10, 2009
Over the last couple of days I’ve been starting to think about my 2009 trip to Ibiza. It’s not a holiday I want to get into doing every year (if nothing for other than the fact I simply couldn’t afford to) but this year, my flights are already booked to see in the big 30.
So, me being me, I was trawling Juno for some new dance tracks, none other than eight months in advance to my trip. In a round about way this led me to Jaded by Deadmau5. I discovered Deadmau5 in the summer – or should I say June, seeing as it was a case of ‘what summer?’ in 2008.
Originally from the chilly climbs of Canada, this hasn’t detracted Deadmau5′s Joel Zimmerman turning Jaded into a lovely little sun drenched hit. You can literally feel the sunshine. And, in minus three degree London, I think it’s a warming, (incidentally, chill-out) track everyone will be thankful for. Download it now, close your eyes (stand next to a heater) and you can pretty much feel the sunshine.
If you’re not quite ready to come back to ice cold reality, try checking out Deadmau5′s collaborations. From tracks with San Francisco’s Kaskade like Brazil (2nd edit) to the amazing Armed Contact with Pryda as mentioned in an earlier post, it seems Deadmau5 know their they’re onto something really rather special.
Little Comets – One Night In October
January 9, 2009
I’m not usually a huge fan of indie music simply because it seems there’s just one band after another releasing pretty much the same track. However, I’m quite taken by Newcastle’s latest export – Little Comets.
Formerly known as Free Runner, Little Comet’s debut single One Night In October has all the ingredients required to make it tipped for the top. Catchy chorus? Check. Infectious guitar riff? Check. Four barely over the age of consent, geek chic ‘musicians’ in anoraks – check. Bizarre whoops and screams in the intro? Well something’s got to make them a little bit different.
Pre-order One Night In October from their website – it’s going to be massive (as are they) and expect to see Little Comets at all of the upcoming festivals this summer.
Summer. Remember that?
Giles Deacon note cards at Smythson – now available
January 4, 2009
Just a really quick note to follow up on my post about Giles Deacon’s note cards for Smythson. They’re now available to pre-order via Smythson’s website and with only 300 available (and a snip at £37), if you’re a Deacon fan, best get in there quick!
Dead trendy. Fashion victims bid farewell to wet look leggings
January 4, 2009
Peel them off as er, quickly as you can and say goodbye to wet look leggings. After little more than four months, the explosive trend of PVC, shiny, glossy, or wet look leggings bites the dust. Thank god for that. Ok, so only the black ones. But hey, it’s a start.
Truly the sign of a fashion victim, shiny leggings literally exploded onto the high street and pretty much everyone (regardless of shape or size) appeared to be wearing them 24/7.
Being female, there was of course all of two seconds where I considered coating my legs in said oil slick. However, as someone who trend predicts for US fashion houses I continue to become extremely fickle where fashion’s concerned. Albeit not usually a welcome trait, I’m thankful being fashion fickle has saved me from committing the fashion faux pas of pouring myself into high shine lycra. And the less said about me in high-shine lycra, the better.
Kate Moss in high-shine lycra – yes. I’m sure a few of you will probably pause on that thought for longer than the trend itself lasts. Sadly, not all of us are graced with a figure like Kate Moss, yet it would appear that shiny black leggings have become the new skinny jeans and anyone and everyone seems to have adopted them as a uniform.
However, there would appear to be a bit of light at the end of the fashion tunnel. Judging by sale rails at Topshop, littered with black PVC leggings, it seems we can all wave goodbye to a trend that really isn’t good for your conscience.
But wait a minute, it may be RIP to PVC but high streets are filling the vast gaps in new season collections with the latest cling film incarnations – wet look skins. We might be turning our back on black but apparently, we’re not quite ready to ditch the entire wet look trend just yet. With everything from alligator to snake print metallics and 80s colours (set to make your legs look like quality street), it looks wet look will indeed be sticking, like glue, to the legs of many a fashion victim far into 2009.
