To say that Local Natives are this year's Fleet Foxes isn't wrong, but not that right either. Local Natives are softer, brighter and lighter than their widely critiqued sort-of-counterparts. Gorilla Manor is a delicious debut that should be listened and loved for its own merits and there are 12 of them here; from the beautiful single 'Airplanes' to the epic journey of 'Stranger Things'. For fans of harmonic vocals, delicate guitars and gorgeous layers (and I bet there'll be a lot of you).
You know about FAJ right? That's Fanny and Jessy as they are also known, and this duo have one of the coolest young labels coming straight out of London. They debuted their first range last year entitled 'I Hope You Die Soon' and they're also responsible for the infamous tee of the same name (and it's sibling, 'Suck It You Fuck') which I actually often find gets quite a warm reaction despite it's sentiment. This month they're showing their hotly anticipated sophomore collection for AW 2010 which no doubt will be full of their trademark wicked humor and edge. Definitely ones to watch.
Honestly, who isn’t? The sixth and final season of Lost, one of the best series ever created, just started and we are sure spending more time talking, reading and thinking about it than watching it. Well, from what we read some mysteries won’t be answered (the real meaning of the numbers, anyone?), but if there's something we've learned from accompanying Locke’s island friends (and enemies) is that the travel is always more enjoyable than the actual place it’s taking you to. Well, not if the smoke monster is trying to kill you.
The latest station on the Drunky Town train line is in Sydney, Australia at a little club in the Spanish Quarter (actually it's just two Spanish shops next to each other on the same street or something like that in the CBD) called GoodGod, which plays host to soirée of the moment, Slow Blow. Word has it that in January, Karen O crashed Sydney's current cool kids party, but to be honest by that time everyone was too busy dancing and cutting loose in D-Town to care. And that's the true mark of a good time - when you find yourself twirling about without a care in the world. Or it could just mean you're trashed. Heh.
You know those films where there are all these supposedly 'intertwined' stories and lives? Quite a cliché concept for both books and movies I suppose, but rarely does it really resonate in either medium. David Mitchell though (not the Peep Show one) manages to spin tales into tightly woven rugs that are quite fantastical yet believable, moving without being overly sentimental, eclectic and incredibly entertaining. He also writes straight narratives too, with just as much panache and verve. I just (re)read Number9Dream though any and all of David Mitchell's books are highly recommended...and he's got a newie coming out this year. EXCITEMENT.
Friday // November 06, 2009 at 05:04 // filed under Music
Le Corps Mince de Francoise
The first time I paid attention to this trio was when I heard they were slated to play the Jean Charles de Castelbajac's catwalk - Monsieur always knows where it's at.
Le Corps Mince de Francoise on the Castelbajac catwalk
The super gimmicky track titles of their first couple of tracks they released ('Cool and Bored', 'Ray-Ban Glasses') made me shy away from Le Corps Mince de
Françoise initially; as well as how long it takes me to type in their name... but in the case of 'Something Golden', I can take it.
Having worked on their album with the likes of Switch, evident in the rolling beat of 'Something Golden', I find that there's also something much closer to Telepathé about the Finnish trio in this particular track, rather than their previous comparisons to Yelle, CSS and Chicks on Speed. Super cute, super accessible, and makes you feel infinitely cool to be listening to it, it's a hot hipster track with pop appeal.
Le Corps Mince de Françoise - Something Golden
The single is unleashed on December 7th with remixes from Renaissance Man, Heartbreak and Oleo via Kitsuné, but check Lenny Picko's remix; which werks the robots underwater angle to make a sexy androids
kinda atmosphere for the track. Pick it up below and slink away to the dirty squat bass synths.
Wednesday // September 23, 2009 at 12:34 // filed under Fashion
The Look Book
backstage photographs taken by the super fabulous Morgan O'Donovan
Yes yes, so last Friday, GHOST played host to Jean Charles de Castelbajac in launching his diffusion line, JCDC, this season entitled 'Punkahontas and the Ducks'. We told you about this when we broke the news that JCDC were holding a model casting for the new line.
Off the official schedule for London Fashion Week, the JCDC show was one of the super hot tickets. Doors were open at 9, and there was an epic queue outside at least half an hour before. Ja'Maie had tipped me off that the guest list was seriously oversubscribed, with only a 500 capacity venue and like, billions of people on the list. Moral of the story: get there EARLY.
Luckily for me, Designer Drugs were in town and had gotten there before I rolled up. I jumped in the queue with them, yelled above the throng of people (pretending they were too cool to throng) something about the list, my name and Designer Drugs at the door, to which the bouncers and PR all gave me total WTF face until it clicked that I wasn't shouting about law evading substances.
The catwalk that wound around the venue and the seating that lined it, resulted in a less than 500 capacity (I swear), cause so many people weren't able to come in - a lot of pissed off kids were left outside. But at the afterparty though, I did spot Yvan the Facehunter, Susie Style Bubble for Dazed and more interestingly, super sports fan and huuuge patron of the arts and fashionJames Goldstein. Admittedly, I had no idea who he was. I simply noticed him rocking a black snakeskin cowboy hat and silver jeans. Michael Designer Drugs mentioned that he had read an article about him on the plane and told me that I should ask him if he likes basketball. So our conversation went like this:
Do you follow basketball?
Jim: Yeah, I do! Do you?
No, but I follow you following basketball. Can I have a photograph with you?
Jim: Sure!
Shameless (me that is)
photo by Liz
AAAnyhoo, the show was great, massive kudos to Anthony Stephinson who put the whole shindig on. The Regulators played a fitting soundtrack too. I'm really not a Peaches Geldoff fan much, but she closed the show, and had the honour of accompanying Monsieur in his final walk through.
JCDC launch London Fashion Week
The super Morgan O'Donovan was snapping shots backstage, so here's some of the awesome pics he kindly sent over:
Monsieur and his models
Peachy Peachy Poo tryna give us some couture poseur
Friday // August 21, 2009 at 11:32 // filed under Fashion
Monsieur
This upcoming London Fashion Week, the iconic Jean Charles de Castelbajac is launching the diffusion line for his eponymous label that is being officially dubbed JC/DC!
So word up hotties, all you fun boys and girls (aged 16 - 25) who think they can WERK it enough to model in a
special catwalk presentation that's going on during London Fashion
Week on Friday 18th September, send a face shot and a full
length body shot ASAP to be considered (including your body
statistics):
rsvpcasting@jc-de-castelbajac.com
... there will be a live casting during the week of September 7th, where the successful candidates will be outfitted...
Hit them up! Smile with your eyes! Find the light!
You never know who'll be on the panel, so kids, put your fierce face on.
Monday // March 23, 2009 at 16:15 // filed under Fashion
Man Like Me for Jean Charles de Castelbajac, Spring//Summer 09
I know this is soooo totally like, beyooond last season, but when I heard Man Like Me were doing the live soundtrack to Jean Charles de Castelbajac's S/S 09 collection, I hit Jonny up to sniper a shot of the band with JCDC. When I asked him about it prior to the show in Paris, he said of course, but, "Who's JCDC?" THE DESIGNER silly!
If you're about in London, don't forget to drop by the newest Jean Charles de Castelbajac store on Conduit St to shop pieces from the current collection, to check out the ravey technicolour custom made counter, light sabres and the walls drawn all over by JC's own hand. There's also always the Paris store, but as the man himself says, 'Paris Talks, London Rocks' (innit).
