Sunday 12 April 2009

It's Blitz!


Karen O is the stylish singer of the American band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  Onto their third album, It's Blitz! which infuses their individual style mixed with a 90s dance vibe, strong guitars and Karen O's sweet then slicing voice and lyrics.  It's a hit.  Their new single from this album, Zero is brilliant, it is at it's best turned up loud and on the radio.  This band are fresh air.  Watching them on Jools Holland live show was satisfying and with their female singer owning the stage and enjoying every moment of it, it's hard not to want to be in the band.  

An interview with Karen O in The Sunday Times Magazine reveals that she's half South Korean and half Polish, her mother was a fashion consultant and has always been baffled by her daughters unconventional style and she loves like there's no tomorrow.  Unconventional style it may be but wonderful style it definitely is!   Pictured above in the middle of her two bandmates and below, she oozes charisma, her great blunt pudding bowl haircut sets it all off.    

Leather, coloured tights, clashing prints, unusual tshirts, customising finds and red lipstick is a must for the Karen O look.  The best thing about real style icons in the public eye is you can take the inspiration you want from them then throw in a good dollop of yourself to come into your own style.

The eyes have it



So fake eyelashes are officially in again?  This doesn't surprise me, batting your eyelashes is still the best way to lure a man in it seems.  Since Cheryl Cole leaped on to our screens in The X Factor last year and became a National Phenomenon, Saint and all round Princess her groomed look including perfectly placed fake eyelashes captivated a nation delving deeper into economic depression.  As sales shot through the roof for fake eyelashes, Girls Aloud (or the puppeteers behind them most likely) have developed their own range. How you "design" eyelashes I'm not sure, they don't seem to be outlandish, kitch or colourful fake eyelashes - they are merely for batting and looking impossibly beautiful.  Or they are for Cheryl.  Girls Aloud got through 145 sets of fake eyelashes on their Tangled Up Tour, so these ones will no doubt come in handy for their heavy eyes.

Groomed to within an inch of their lives, is the order of the day for Girls Aloud, high maintenance and without a hair out of place.  This is also true of another star of the moment.  Step forward Lady Gaga.  It may be hard to tell what she really looks like under her stage props, make up and eyelashes.  But isn't that what pop stars should be about?  Stylish and fun and over done, there's something fearless that I love about her.




Swingin 60s or bad taste?

The Boat That Rocked is the newest film from the British Director Richard Curtis.  Curtis has a good CV, he makes films for middle class folk and he makes them well.  His newest offering has a lot of good music in it - loosely based on Radio Caroline, the 1960s pirate radio phenomenon that went on to become the god awful Radio 1 we know today, it follows the story of Radio Rock and a band of DJs who are at odds with a strict Government who will not allow a liberal radio station on Britannia airwaves.


Afloat in the North sea in 1966, Radio Rock is set on a boat with very few rules, lots of sex and lots of laughs.  Rhys Ifans is a highlight as the egotistic Gavin.  With stars like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy (and his stylish black rimmed glasses he wears so well) it was a must for me to check out.  This film deserves a watch but there is a poor storyline where a great one should be, it's far too long and I felt myself cringe more than once whilst watching it.  However there are great laugh out loud moments too, if you go leave your serious head at home and take it for what it is - light, fluffy and daft, a great Easter watch.

 

 

 

Friday 10 April 2009

If it's cool I'll play it

Your life is not complete without a digital radio.  If you haven't got one get one.  I love the look of this Roberts RDGO one in Pastel Cream.  The sound is clear without any of those crackles or fighting with the frequency.  BBC Radio 6 Music is the best radio channel around. Playing a mixture of old and new, weird and wonderful, it will broaden your music horizons and there is NO other way to start the day.  

As Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it must be important to have a great environment as you eat your coco pops.  Shaun Keaveny's Breakfast show is a great listen, he seems to play a lot of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Libertines and Manic Street Preachers.  This is a show not to be snubbed at.  George Lamb takes the reign for the transition morning past noon show.  Although a year ago he was fresh sounding and fun listening, he is a bit boring now.  I think presenting Big Brother spin offs has damaged him.

My favourite listen is on Sunday with The Huey Show.  Huey from the Fun Lovin Criminals steps in  with the motto "if it's cool, I'll play it" and with his laid back summer tunes you really feel transported to South America.  No British cynicism here, leave your economic worries behind.  From Nancy Sinatra to Otis Redding to Prince then AC/DC there are no rules from 2pm until 3.30pm so get rid of your hangover with this gem of a show, a large glass of pineapple juice and imagine you are on a beach in Rio de Janeiro.