Sorry about the massive silence. Personal life got out of control but now things are starting to look up. This blog will probably only be for updates for a little while until I can get myself together again.
So - the updates:
1) Good news: I have a piece being performed at Pegs Off! Bad news: it's completely sold out. Well done if you managed to get a ticket. I can't wait to see you there! If you didn't get one I'll try and take some photos.
2) Today I also discovered that the NFTS short film I wrote for Jamie Stone has now been used for the video for Amber Run's 2014 single Spark:
3) As the third volume of The Strumpet is sold out online I've put my short comic Pest! online. You can read it on my website and also on my new tumblr.
If you have a tumblr follow me - I'd love to follow you back :)
As you may have realised I'm still stuck in blogging limbo whilst I look after my mother (another two weeks to go) however travel writer Jamie Baywood has graciously offered to write a guest post for you all!
Jamie is a Californian now living in wedded bliss in Scotland. Getting Rooted in New Zealand is her account of the start of her journey to find happiness: fleeing California and her ex-boyfriend for New Zealand, a country with 100,000 fewer men than women...but things never go as planned and it is going to take new weird world filled with curious characters and slapstick situations in unbelievably bizarre jobs before she even gets close to finding what she is looking for.
Jamie has put together a soundtrack for her journey through New Zealand so that you can feel like you are living the adventure with her:
Here are some of Jamie's reasons for choosing the tracks she did:
These songs I listened to a lot in California before New Zealand:
BiitterSweet – The Mating Game
Goldfrapp – Ooh La La
I listened to these songs a lot when I was about twenty-five and single in California. I was young and getting chased by a lot of guys – most I was completely uninterested in.
These songs I listened to while I was in New Zealand:
Santigold – L.E.S. Artistes
There are some lines in this song that really apply to how I felt when I first arrived in New Zealand:
What I’m searching for I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up
What am I here for
I left my home to disappear is all I’m here for myself
Kids of 88 – Just a little Bit
Naked and Famous – Young Blood
Kids of 88 and Naked and Famous were New Zealand bands I discovered during my time in there. I had the chance to go to a concert where they both performed. It was a great night.
I listened to while living in the UK after New Zealand:
Kavinsky - Nightcall
College & Electric Youth - A Real Hero
Metronomy - The Look
I can get obsessed with listening to movie soundtracks. Last year when I first moved to the UK and was living in Scotland I was obsessed with the Drive soundtrack. I listen to Nightcall and A Real Hero over and over. My husband also introduced me to Metronomy in Scotland.
If you are a writer, musician, band, artist or movie maker and are curious about being a Feature Friday or if you know someone who you think would make a good Feature Friday please get in contact!
Hi guys, sorry for the disappearance. Mum fell down a hole and broke her leg in two places so I've been looking after her. I'll probably be barely blogging for another eight weeks however I'll try my best to post when I can.
So anyway...back in April French electro indie rock band Phoenix released their latest album Bankrupt! To accompany Bankrupt! Phoenix allowed other indie and pop types to remix their singles. Some amazing music has come out of these remixes and the best thing is that the majority of the remixes are available for download for free via their soundcloud.
Phoenix have a massive following by those in the know however they're the kind of band whose singles rarely make it into the top 40 (even in France) so it's most likely that you either know everything about them or nothing at all. If you have encountered them it is probably via their single Too Young which appeared in the party scene in Lost in Translation.
Here are my favourite of the Bankrupt! remixes plus a cover:
You can do much worse than start your exploration of the noise pop genre than with the bouncing girlish glee of Sleigh Bells. They very much make this remix their own by replacing Thomas Mars' vocals with that of the instantly recognisable Alexis Krauss, returning him in the chorus to create a duet effect. It is sugary, pounding and menacing all at the same time.
You're in for a real treat with the Trying To Be Cool remixes as they feature four cracking versions, my favourites being Canadian DJ A-Trak's indie trance epic and French DJ Breakbot's super funky disco groove. All of the remixes are available to download apart from the one featuring R. Kelly and all the components are also available to download so that you can mix your own!
My favourite of the Entertainment remixes is by Blood Orange (aka producer Dev Hynes / Lightspeed Champion) featuring vocals by MKS (the three original Sugababes). It is a twinkling, dreamy, forlorn R&B indie mashup with MKS singing a soulful version of the song's chorus against distorted guitar riffs and Thomas Mars' echoing main vocals.
Saving the best till last is alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr's 'remix' of Entertainment. Despite advertising it's a cover not remix. No one from Phoenix appears in this version and the vocals and instrumentals are all reinterpreted by Dinosaur Jr. I find it absolutely beautiful and actually (don't shoot me) better than the original. It is slow burning, tortured, heartfelt, etc etc. It is the perfect kind of cover, the kind where the band has put their own style onto a song without losing what made that original song so magical and worthy of being covered in the first place. It's very different from Phoenix's electro pop take on alternative music but if you approach it with an open mind you should find it just as enjoyable as the original.
Last week I went to see Kick-Ass 2, a little bit because I'd seen the first Kick-Ass but a whole lot more because one of my favourite actors ever, Jim Carrey, was in it. I've been thinking about the many roles he's portrayed over the years for a while now (since catching The Number 23 the other month) and it's roles like Fingerling in The Number 23 that reminded me how he's so much more than just a rubber-faced comedian. I would be amazingly honoured if he ever chose to portray any of my characters. So here is my list of my favourite Jim Carrey roles in chronological order:
Riddler / Edward Nygma - Batman Forever (1995)
I'll be the first to admit that Batman Forever has as many bad moments as it does good. It's horribly camp, completely deviates from any cannon and basically deserved better but once you accept these facts it becomes kind of fun too. Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones steal the show as Riddler and Two-Face and I would love to see (in some magical alternative universe) them reprise their roles with a stronger script (hello Paul Dini I'm channelling you) and a more serious approach to the directing. Being a Riddler fangirl I love that Jim references my second favourite Riddler, the almighty Frank Gorshin, as an inspiration and love him even more for inspiring the vocal delivery of possibly the best Riddler that will ever exist, Wally Wingert's Arkham video game series Riddler.
Chip Douglas - The Cable Guy (1996)
The Cable Guy is classic rubber-face Jim Carrey but look beyond the ballsy, over-the-top 1990s comedy and the character of Chip Douglas is actually very tragic. In the middle of the film he sings Jefferson Airplane's 'Somebody to Love' and it couldn't be more relevant as he literally has never had anyone actually love him for himself. His parents were deadbeats so he was brought up by the TV and with no real concept of social interaction all his adult 'friends' are people he services cable TV for. Whenever he meets someone he considers friend potential he completely latches onto them and when they try to break away he systematically destroys all their other relationships. On the surface Chip may seem the stereotypical funny idiot character but he is also sadly sympathetic and actually quite terrifying, especially if you've been in a relationship with someone like him!
Truman Burbank - The Truman Show (1998)
The Truman Show is a glimpse at the more serious roles Jim Carrey would later take on and is genuinely not just an amazing film but a social commentary which is just as relevant today as it was back in 1998. It is about Truman Burbank who, from the day he was born, was a TV star in a TV show he believes to be reality. Slowly he realises things are not what they seem and he must come to terms with not only the fact that his whole life has been a lie but that there is a whole world out there just waiting for him. This is the kind of role Jim Carrey is perfect for. His ability to fill characters with humanity is amazing: Truman is endearing from the start - you want him to break free and find his freedom - and not only does Jim act with a subtler, gentler humour than in his previous films but with a complete understanding of the complex emotions Truman must be going through.
Joel Barish - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Jim gets all mumbly in this indie sci-fi romance about enduring love (or at least obsession). It is his most love/hate role depending on if you can bare the mumbling and if you mind your Jim Carrey coming with a side order of serious acting. Once again Jim applies a perfect assessment of the human condition into producing an endearing performance for a character who, despite all better judgement, you root for to win the girl despite knowing full well that she has and probably will again bring him as much pain as she does happiness. People often scoff at the idea of Jim Carrey being a serious actor but it's roles like Joel that show just how complex and talented he is as a performer and also how complex and empathetic he is as a person.
Fingerling - The Number 23 (2007)
Oooh look at me being all controversial! But in all honesty Fingerling is amazingly hot and edgy and troubled and perfect for good girls who lust after bad boys to fantasise about. Even though The Number 23 is a little uneven (and Jim's other character, Walter Sparrow, is less charming) the scenes featuring Jim Carrey as Fingerling are wonderful homages to film noir - I could quite easily watch a whole film shot in the style of the Fingerling sections featuring the exploits of Jim Carrey as the hard boiled, broody detective. Jim Carrey as the loveable good guy is so established in our psyche that Fingerling is the kind of role you have to experience to believe. No amount of 'I saw him do serious in Eternal Sunshine' will prepare you for his performance in The Number 23. It's like visiting that alternate universe I mentioned earlier. Even if you find you don't like the film I whole heartedly recommend giving The Number 23 a watch so as to see Jim's delivery for Fingerling as well as his amazing tattoo. Fabrizia is one lucky femme fatale!
Colonel Stars and Stripes - Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
Though since appearing in Kick-Ass 2 Jim's views on violence in movies has changed I don't think he should feel bad about his portrayal of probably the most endearing and kind-hearted character in the whole film. The mafia heavy turned born again Christian and superhero is an inspiration to all the other superheroes in Kick-Ass 2 including Kick-Ass himself. He doesn't believe in guns, he doesn't believe in swearing, he doesn't believe that a woman is asking to be raped just because she chooses to walk home at night alone and he has an amazing love for his job. In a film full of over the top violence he is a beacon of (yes I'm going to say it again) humanity and I think due to this his fate speaks volumes about the futility of violence as a means or an answer. If I got in a sticky spot I'd want Colonel Stars and Stripes saving me!
I hope you enjoyed my list, I hope one day one of my films will be on the list, and finally the big question...what is your favourite Jim Carrey role?
I'm very proud of being a natural blonde (though it comes with so many negative connotations) however ever since playing Dead or Alive 2 I've always wanted to have pink / lilac hair like Ayane.
Naturally then I was so excited to see that Schwarzkopf now offer a Live Color XXL Ultra Brights range in Electric Blue, Shocking Pink, Pillar Box Red, Purple Punk, Raspberry Rebel and Fiery Copper. I've sort of dabbled with hair dyes bought over the Internet before but always been a little wary / unsatisfied with using a brand I'd never heard of before. Seeing that such a trusted brand was now offering semi-permanent unnatural colour dyes and that I am always so envious of people like Popi Atom and the girls who appear on Tokyo Fashion News I thought I'd try again!
Here are my Grimes-esque blonde-pink ombre braid results:
Earmuffs - Claire's
Button hair bands - a gift from a birthday party I went to back in the 90s
Glasses - Vogue (they use UV reactive lenses so double as sunglasses)
Vest - Pull and Bear
To get pink eyelashes I used Boot's No 7 Extreme Length Waterproof mascara in 'brown/black' on my top and bottom lashes then went over the top lashes with Barry M's Shocking Pink Lengthening Mascara. If you are going to use the Barry M mascara over another mascara I recommend applying a lot as it has a tendency not to show up. It applies better to lashes without any other mascara on however I've found coloured mascara doesn't show up on pale skin unless you use dark a base coat. People with darker skin shouldn't find this a problem though!
To carry the pink motif through I used Rimmel's blush in 'Pink Rose', Rimmel's 1000 Kisses lip tint in 'Timeless Tango' and went over the top with Boot's Natural Collection Sheer Natural Lip Colour in 'Sorbet'.
If you could dye your hair any colour which would you choose?
Hi guys. I'm a little sad today (and by 'a little' I mean very) as my friend the cat isn't allowed to come and visit anymore. I should be doing writing or something but I'm too sad so instead I've uploaded my Angelic Rebels playlist to 8tracks. Please enjoy.
Can you remember two weeks ago? I reviewed Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg's Plain Janes graphic novel series and we discovered that along with being a Young Adult author Cecil was also an indie rock performer sooooooo...this week's Friday Feature is Nerdy Girl / Cecil Seaskull an 1990s indie rock singer and her band from Montreal, Canada.
When I first heard Nerdy Girl I had to get the calculator out to work out how old Cecil was when she recorded with them, she has the sweetest most innocent voice. I was amazed that she was in her late twenties! And actually when you listen to the lyrics of Twist Her you realise that these are not sweet songs, they are about confused love, stealing boyfriends, drugs and self-loathing. Combined with her young voice her songs become wonderfully teenage (and I do mean that in a good way) full of hormones and hope and depression and uncertainty. Cecil describes her sound as 'twee' and it does indeed sound unmistakably 1990s indie like a less trippy Mazzy Star, The Cardigans, Dressy Bessy, Go Sailor etc. If I had to recommend an order of listening it would be listen to Cecil's band's album Twist Her before seeking out her solo effort Whoever. Twist Her has definitely aged better than Whoever. It is more accessible, more polished more varied and very easy to listen to. That is not to say that Whoever is not without merit, for instance I very much enjoyed listening to Sweet Girl.
Where will I have heard her before?
You're much more likely to have encountered Cecil in her guise of Cecil Castellucci, a very successful Young Adult author. You can read my review of her Plain Janes series here.
Featured Song: Anne Eliot
Where can I hear more?
Nerdy Girl released some 7" and 10" EPs but the only album that is easy to access these days is their 1997 album Twist Her via iTunes. Cecil Seaskull's 1998 album Whoever is also only available through iTunes.
If you're a poor schmo like me you can't afford to go to Glastonbury however thanks to the fantastic BBC Glastonbury website that doesn't mean you can't watch nearly all the acts (and all the people pretending they LOVE the music when the camera is on them). Here are my personal picks of this year's Glasto sets (I'm saving the BBC Introducing artists for a second post). Just click on a photo to watch that artist's whole set! Everything is provided courtesy of the BBC (so videos may not work for non-UK residents and may only be online for a limited time). Where possible I've include an alternative video link too!
Day One
Arctic Monkeys - if you have a favourite Arctic Monkeys song then they performed it (all my favourites at any rate). A fantastic mix of their rough and ready early work and their refined, menacing more recent songs.
The Vaccines - this was an hour of nonstop bounce and sing-along-able choruses. The Vaccines are a grower, at first they sound a little too rough but the more you listen the more you find yourself singing along to their thumping indie anthems. Total summer music!
Portishead - triphop at its most haunting. Sit back and let the music swell over you. Also I love that they chose waterproof coats over catching hypothermia!
Alt-J - this was my first proper experience to this new indie rock band and I very much enjoyed it. I will definitely be investing some money into them. Their music is thoughtful without being heavy or pretentious. They are both edgy and relaxing. Also I'm very pleased to see so many glasses in one band. Yay for glasses!
Bastille - yet another band I had not had much contact with before this year's Glastonbury and yet another I was happily surprised by (I really need to get out more). Very easy to listen to, very emotive indie pop.
Day Two
Two Door Cinema Club - more flowing, sing-along-able indie pop that is perfect for a summer night.
Noah and the Whale - masters of emotion whether it be songs about falling out of love or the power of hope...many a sad day has been changed or cemented thanks to the power of this indie pop band. I love them!
Calexico - these guys are the musical equivalent of going out for a Tex-Mex. Mariachi band meets indie rock meets Americana. Delicious!
Ed Harcourt - sometimes it just doesn't get better than a guy and a piano / guitar. Melancholy and beautiful. (Guest starring a human beat box XD)
Hurts - these guys always remind me of Herr Flick from 'Allo 'Allo and though their synthpop is just as regimented it also captures human emotion in a masterful way. Not sure on the strippergram though.
Vampire Weekend - no way near as scary as they sound, these guys have matured into an ironically youthful sounding indie band. More summer tunes I think!
Other great acts such as Amanda Palmer*, Kodaline, Swim Deep, Dry the River, MS MR and First Aid Kit also performed but there are no videos of them which deserves a big boo. Boo.
Who were your favourite performers?
* One of Amanda's breasts did make it into The Daily Mail though (it was a dumb article...I thought they were peed off she'd shown it on purpose or something...instead it was calling up a fashion faux pas! Slow news day, huh?)
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race - Fall Out Boy
Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin
You Sexy Thing - Stereophonics
Mannequin's Theme - The Curse OST
That Don't Impress Me Much - Shania Twain
Need You Tonight - Inxs
Badman - Cory Branan
Li'l Red Riding Hood - Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs
Big Bad Wolf - The Sham-Ettes
That's the Trouble with Love - Frank Gorshin
Loverboy - You Me At Six
Just Be Good To Green - Professor Green featuring Lily Allen
VCR - The XX
Perfect Day - Lou Reed
Secondly my full scale sized replica Riddler Trophy arrived yesterday! Here is what it should have looked like (click the photos for hi-res versions - blogger is being bratty about resizing photos):
And here are copious amounts of fanatical photos of what it did look like:
You can plug it into the mains but you can also plug it into your computer because...you're a geek...and if it doesn't come with a USB connection you're not interested ;-)
Also the big question at the moment is will Riddler be in Arkham Origins? Well according to May's cover of Game Informer magazine yes he will...(good luck spotting the clue though).
And now Enchanted Blogging will be returned to its usual service.
This week's (slightly late) Friday Feature is St Lola in the Fields a singer/songwriter due from Nashville, USA. Their album High Atop the Houses and the Towns is a combination of playful pop and absolutely beautiful, slow ballads featuring Cindy's soulful voice over just a piano (and sometimes strings). The pop songs are grown up but quite standard but the slower, graceful, heartfelt songs such as 'Don't Say' which is full of regret and understated emotion are just beautiful and make St Lola in the Fields a must listen.
Where will I have heard them before?
Cindy and Jeremy are both successful solo artists as well as write for other people. Cindy also performs modern Christian popular music under the name Cindy Morgan. Their single Hold Me appeared on TV series Pretty Little Liars and Don't Say appeared on One Tree Hill.
Featured Song: Don't Say
Where can I hear more?
St Lola's first release was an EP called Little Breaks/Little Bends (2008) but good luck trying to get it out side of the USA! Luckily the majority of the songs appear on their 2010 album High Atop the Houses and the Towns. You can listen to some of it here and download an acoustic version of 'He's in Love' here. You can get High Atop the Houses and the Towns from iTunes and Amazon.
This week's Friday Feature is Saint Motel an indie pop band from Los Angeles, USA. If you could distil pure fun into music you would get Saint Motel. For example take single 'Puzzle Pieces'. It is like a salsa party in a song. The piano bounces along which is then matched by the playful pace of the rest of the band and finally A/J Jackson's powerfully seductive crooning of knowing lyrics (I think I might be in love with his voice). By the time he reaches the chorus you WILL be singing, "F-f-f-face of puzzle pieces WOO!" if not dancing around your room. Ditto for the rest of the songs on the album Voyeur be they playful like 'Puzzle Pieces', smooth like 'Benny Goodman' or a pure anthem like '1997' - they were designed to be sung along to. They were designed to be danced to. They were designed to be swept away on a musical cloud of ecstasy to...
Where will I have heard them before?
Saint Motel have toured with bands including Band of Skulls, Nico Vega, Imagine Dragons and Races. They have also started holding an annual Valentines concert called The Zombie Prom.
Featured Song: Puzzle Pieces
Where can I hear more?
You can hear all of Saint Motel's album Voyeur on their soundcloud where you can also download their single 'Benny Goodman' for free.
This week's Friday Feature is Bad Veins an indie pop project by Ben Davis from Ohio, USA.
A few years ago I found this indie pop group called 'Fun.' At some point I was going to Friday Feature them (I was being lazy about it) but before I knew it they were singing with Rhianna, UK number one and basically no longer undiscovered...I'd missed my chance. I'm not letting that happen Bad Veins! These guys are destined for greatness - how they are not madly rich and famous yet I don't know.
First of all don't get scared by their name. They sound like a gangsta rapper or possibly a death metal band but it's just an anagram of Ben Davis. Bad Veins' music is ridiculously catchy - every song on their second album, This Mess We've Made is sing-along-able - an album which very unusually (in my opinion) doesn't have a single dud song on it. The majority of the album is upbeat, dance-around-the-room, indie pop with an electro finish. There is also the more serious song such as haunting, menacing (and honestly amazing) 'If Then' which makes for good contrast. Everything is then rounded off by the slower paced, brassy farewell song, 'Not Like You'. I'd wager, however, anything would sound endearing, passionate, emotive and powerful if Ben applied his lyric and vocal skills to it. If you are a fan of bands like Fun., The Feeling and Hellogoodbye you will LOVE Bad Veins. Honest.
Where will I have heard them before?
Bad Veins won the first ever Target Music Maker Award at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Since then they have toured extensively with acts including Two Door Cinema Club and We Are Scientists.
Featured Song: I Turn Around and If Then
Where can I hear more?
You can listen to all of This Mess We've Made on their soundcloud as well their EP Outliers and first album Bad Veins, where you can also download track Don't Run for free. You can then download the rest via iTunes and amazon etc What is their website?
This morning I read Rosie + the wolf's post about Little Comets and just had to share with you guys their video for their single Violence Out Tonight. The song is about rape and the general abuse of women by men. The video by Fern Berresford is simple yet effective. It makes me so happy that there are men out there who get that it is not right for a woman to not be able to go out at night alone without apparently inviting someone to rape her. It makes me even happier that out of all the songs they could have picked to be their single they chose this one.
For my first Friday Feature back from Japan I really wanted to write about a Japanese musician but the honest truth is I was so busy making wasabi and taking naked public baths that I didn't get to buy any music! Luckily in Hong Kong I did hear some really cool music - not by a hot Hong Kong band (unfortunately) - but the epic songs written by Rebecca Sugar for Adventure Time!
Adventure Time is an American comedy fantasy animation about the RPG-style adventures of Finn the Human and Jake the Dog. One of the storyboard artists is Rebecca Sugar who also writes many of the songs performed in the series, in particular those sung by Marceline the Vampire Queen (and Marshall Lee her gender bender character in Fiona and Cake). She is basically epic. So here are some of Rebecca's demos accompanied by her concept and storyboard art:
Gummedup / Warmedup
I'm Just Your Problem
Tropical Island
Susan Strong
Marceline's Song
Fiona and Cake
Good Little Girl
And because I love the 'Bad Little Boy' episode (the second Fiona and Cake episode) SOOOOO much here is the final version of Good Little Girl:
I love Fiona. She is blonde and curvy but so not a bimbo (kind of like me...a little bit...maybe...). I hope there are many more Fiona and Cake episodes! She has the potential to be a wonderful role model.
Anyway you can watch all of Rebecca's demos here and enjoy more of her magical world here.
