Skip to main content

Month: March 2013

Are you a fashion snob?

Written by Grainne Morrison on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Tacky. The word alone is judgemental. In a world of elegant shapes and complimentary colour palettes, those who take it too far are all too often dismissed with pitying dismay by the supposedly more in-the-know dressers. How do I know this? Behind my smile I can be harsher than an overworked Anna Wintour, and that’s on a good day.  Although a fan of all things fabulous, my resistance to flamboyant dressing is not so high as to allow me to overlook monstrosities such as Cher’s ensemble for the 1986 Oscars. The claws come out, believe me.  Why, you may ask, do I feel this right to deign what others wear as ‘tacky’ or OTT, am I merely a fashion snob? I’ve always preferred the more tasteful approach to dressing, colours that work together and materials generally considered as normal. Wearing a dress made of stuffed toys has never appealed to me (strange, I know). Whilst I’m quite confident in my attitude towards dressing, what if I’ve actually mistaken boring for good taste?

 

picture: zimbio.com

The mantra ‘less is more’ is readily accepted as one to adhere to where dressing is concerned, and while it generally wins in the fashion stakes this may be because it’s also the safest option. Much as I’d like to say otherwise, perhaps the more elegantly attired are in fact the more cowardly. Fashion is all about experimenting after all. Fashionistas like Alexa Chung and Olivia Palermo are always immaculately presented and thus a hit with the masses, yet there’s something to be said for the stars that create debate and split opinions with their outrageous outfits.  So while I will never credit any sort of fashion taste towards the likes of Katie Price (and you can hold me to that), perhaps stars such as Nicki Minaj deserve some praise for their daring looks. Even if it almost physically pains me to say so. Don’t get me wrong, if you choose to wear an outfit consisting of neon green and pink tartan tights, with a blue and orange pleated skirt, a top made entirely of multi-coloured pompoms and what appears to be TWO hairstyles in one (yes Nicki, we’re looking at you), one is justified in being slightly aghast. And if not aghast, at least mentally scarred.  Yet I’ve come to realise that, although I would never try anything like it myself, it may just be that my life would be lacking without the beautifully crazy wardrobes of GaGa, Minaj et al. I’ll continue to covet the tasteful choices of the fashion elite, whilst not-so-secretly revelling in the bold and brash ensembles of those braver than myself. I mean, I’m just looking.

Tacky-chic or tacky-freak?

Written by Halee Wells on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Hands up if you have one of these items laying forgotten at the bottom of your makeup bag: bright colour eye shadows, a tangerine bronzer, various lip liners and some crusty false lashes.

I know I have all of them, but I think it’s about time we put to use these items we just can’t let go of.

Bright blue blunder

Luckily this season is all about the colour pop. So don’t fret, your childhood Miss Sporty shadows can come out to play this spring. Smudge the shadow across the lids and blend with a brush for a subtle flash of colour, or wet your brush and draw a line with the shadow under the lower lashes, very on trend for 2013. Add two coats of mascara and you are good to go.

Satsuma Shimmer

How many of you were going for bronzed goddess and created something a little more Sainsbury’s bag? We’ve all been there, but you really can make an orange bronze work. Instead of brushing the product onto your cheeks, try contouring instead. Pull a ridiculous looking fish face and you’re half way there. This expression will create hollows in your cheeks, so dabble some bronzer into those and blend upwards towards your ears. Then add highlighter onto the top of your cheekbones, again blending up to your ears. Stars like Kim Kardashian are famous for using this makeup trick, which will instantly give your face structured cheekbones and a subtle glow.

picture: sosueme.ie

Tips for lips

I have recently rediscovered my love for lip liner. It will make your lipstick appear more pigmented and even stay on for longer. If like me, you want to channel Angelina Jolie, then this makeup item is essential. Grab a lip liner of a similar colour to the lipstick you want to apply, and lightly trace around the outside of your lips. Once you are happy with the shape, trace a further line around this, following the natural shape of your lips. Your pout will instantly look fuller, then fill in your lips with a few swipes of lipstick and blend the colours with your finger.

picture: allwomenstalk.com

So there you have it, leave your velour tracksuit at home girls, tacky just got classy!

Review: ‘Del Lado Del Verano’ at the iViva! Film Festival 2013

Written by Dylan Wiggan on . Posted in Film.

Del lado del verano (The Summer Side) is a comedy set in Spain’s Canary Islands and follows the trials and tribulations of an eccentric and dysfunctional family after the death of their patriarch.

This ensemble piece covers a wide basis of typical ‘family’ issues such as feuds, love, betrayal, friendship and burgeoning sexuality. But by expertly throwing all these familiar tropes together director Antonia San Juan, for the most part, keeps the narrative from being boring. Also with neat mix of lively and nuanced performances the conventional characters are given a greater ‘pop’.

Unfortunately this ‘comedy’ is criminally short on real laughs. The actors are clearly giving it their best but the material they are working with is more often than not just not strong enough. Not helping though is the over performance of some actors that resulted in some inappropriate laughter at the screening this reviewer attended. This may just be an example of some filmic aspects being ‘lost in translation’ but it definitely has a negative effect on the film.

Despite clichéd set ups most of the stories are resolved (or perhaps more aptly left unresolved) in surprising ways. Without delving too deep into ‘spoiler’ territory familiar tales of: teen pregnancy, infidelity and drug use will not lead you down the same path films have taken you before- and will leave you where you never expected.

The problem though with this surprising character development is that this treatment is not afforded to everyone. Some people’s stories are finished unsatisfactorily or left unresolved as if forgotten about. This all culminates in an emotional third act that is does not feel genuine or earned from the plot.

Overall this is a comedy that lacks the big laughs and whilst the narratives arcs and performances will keep you from being bored it is an experience that will ultimately leave you unsatisfied.

Attack of the Tack

Written by Joanna Dryden on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Tacky, trashy, kitsch, gaudy: call it whatever you want but there is not one of us who doesn’t have some kind of opinion on it. We have an ambivalent relationship with this phenomenon and over the past decade it is without a doubt a trend which has become firmly cemented within the fashion world. Gone are the times when we were clucking at such figures as Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie’s trailer trash/car crash style during their ‘The Simple Life’ phase, instead the majority of us are now, most likely unknowingly, embracing and normalising trash. 

With our fascination with bling abundant, shows like ‘Big Fat Gypsy Weddings’ reveal our hidden desire to embrace our inner trash-chic and we only need to look at trends over the past year to see how we no longer even regard many typically ‘trashy’ trends as such. Studded batty riders (you know, the ones where butt cheeks protrude), rainbow ombre hair, Jeffrey Campbell shoes, crazy phone cases/embellishment, and the revival of nail art- the list goes on. But what is it about tacky fashion that we just can’t get enough of? Take Jeffrey Campbell’s Litas for example.

motelrocks.com

These dramatic 5-inch platforms quickly became the ‘it shoe’ and it is exactly their theatre and outrageousness that we adore. To truly embrace fashion is to treat it like a game of dress up and this is what these trends allow us to do. Celebrities such as Rihanna aren’t labelled as tacky, instead they’re heralded the epitome of fashion and even given the opportunity to create their own fashion label.

cherchezlagamine.com

The joy of fashion is that we can interpret it however we wish, whether this is the timeless chic of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany’s or P’Trique’s gaudy drag queen flair. With stars like P’Trique and Nicki Minaj becoming regulars on the front row at fashion week shows, it is time to rethink our view on tack. These characters may look a bit outlandish, but they are kooky and having fun with fashion. As the late highly-esteemed fashion editor and columnist Diana Vreeland once said, ‘never fear being vulgar, just boring’. Classy may be the safe, ’normal’ option, but trashy is fun, it’s classy’s naughty, tequila-shotting, blinged to the max, wild-child younger sister. We all have a bit of trash inside of us, so stop repressing it and embellish your life with diamanté and leopard print and lace those feet into a pair of Litas, because trash is here to stay and it’s the new normal.

Live: My Bloody Valentine

Written by Ol Urwin on . Posted in Music.

10th March 2013

Apollo

8/10

Seeing paramedics at a gig is an oft-worrying sight, respirators and other medical apparatus are not items you’d assume in a live setting, but at a My Bloody Valentine show the cataclysmic volume ensures it’s pretty much a given. From the moment the band launches into ‘I Only Said’, the audience is witness to a total sensory overload. Swirling melodies make the heart swoon; columns of distortion raze everything before them and jackhammer drums lock the crowd into an incessant clockwork groove. For four unassuming people to make music both frightening and gorgeous, and deliver it without compromise is a delight to witness.

The band pulls from an arsenal spanning two decades, but their attack is so ferocious that the oldest material sits comfortably alongside the revered Loveless and choice cuts from new record m b v. Tracks like ‘Come in Alone’ and ‘Soon’ are the pillows above the bed of nails of ‘Thorn’ and ‘Only Shallow’, but one thing is clear, volume is very much the order of the day. The venue is almost levelled by ‘You Made Me Realise’; when the band launch into the ‘Holocaust Section’, it’s met with an almost knowing cheer from parts of the audience. If you think that name is tactless, it’s not without reason. A single chord builds into a cyclical, apocalyptic sheet of distortion, the volume steadily rising to almost unbearable but oddly captivating levels for a ten minute duration. It’s here the paramedics’ presence is truly noticeable, and a rush of people moving from the front proves MBV’s unfettered noise is not for the faint of heart.

The set isn’t wholly perfect. At times, Bilinda Butcher’s vocals sound like off-key caterwauling rather than sweetly serene lullabies, and it takes the band three attempts before they fully pull off ‘Feed Me with Your Kiss’. That said, these complaints are nothing when compared to the set of monolithic, utterly invincible noise the crowd has just experienced.

Review: ‘Las Buenas Hierbas’ at the iViva! Film Festival 2013

Written by Lucy Gooder on . Posted in Film.

In Las Buenas Hierbas, or The Good Herbs, this gentle yet intense Mexican film by Novaro, we follow the life of young bohemian single mother, Dalia, dealing her herbalist mother’s deterioration from Alzheimer’s. Despite the grim sounding premise and the presentation of mental deterioration, which quite frankly terrified me about becoming old, the peacefulness of the surrounding story makes Las Buenas Hierbas far more enjoyable than it sounds.

With performances that are touching and understated, particularly Ophelia Medina and Úrsula Pruneda as mother and daughter, the entire female cast won best actress at the Rome Film Festival. The characters appear to meander in and out of the film, often with their relationships never fully articulated, creating the sense of a real life outside the framework of the movie, where their lives are continued off screen. Subtle humour also punctuates the story, largely provided by Dalia’s young son, Cosmo, through his innocent childish antics such as his interactions with the plants that mean so much to the adults around him.

Despite the realism of the cinematography and direction, at times surreal elements add to the complexity of the picture. In the opening scenes Dalia is seen running through the rain to a payphone into which she says ‘I didn’t think you’d answer, because you’re dead’. Similarly, a recurring motif of a young girl in a princess dress ties in to the narrative in the final stages of the film, however for the large part is an unexplained and intriguing piece of almost gothic imagery. This is made all the more unusual by the realism of the cinematography, making the film stand out from others that have explored these familiar themes.

A beautiful yet simple soundtrack by Judith de León and Santiago Chávez with its gently strung guitar chords, adds a comforting background to a film that music often pervades, but is never fully acknowledged. Dalia works at an alternative radio station and the supporting characters are often shown spontaneously creating music together, one on a guitar and the other joining in drumming on whatever implement she has around her. These scenes add to the sense that the audience is dipping into a way of life rather than simply a stand-alone drama.

Las Buenas Hierbas deals with tough themes with sympathy and understanding, never judging its characters. Therefore by shying away from melodrama the film becomes more affecting, and creates a longer lasting impression.

Review: ‘De Jueves A Domingo’ at the iViva! Film Festival 2013

Written by Parizad Mangi on . Posted in Film.

Dominga Sotomayor Castillo makes a directorial debut in this Chilean production, which translates into From Thursday to Sunday, one of the many films in this year’s iViva! Festival line-up.

The film follows a family on their road trip across Chile’s landscape, centering around the adolescent protagonist Lucia. The journey allows her, and the audience, a peek into the cracks of her parents’ marriage that become more visible as this outing progresses. It becomes apparent that this may be the family’s last adventure together as a unit when it is hinted that the couple have decided to go their separate ways, a detail that is initially lost on the little girl. The situation is not helped by the wife’s irritation at the husband picking up a pair of hitchhikers and the husband’s contempt towards an old acquaintance of his wife who seems slightly too close for comfort. Gradually, a playful and innocent Lucia diminishes into a wistful girl, as she uncovers more of the doomed adult world.

The film’s charm resides in the subtle string of moments depicting the realities of a road trip that we have all experienced at some point. Slumping around in the back seat, playing games, pit stops and seedy motels are all pleasantly reminiscent and familiar. A languid pace accompanies this fruitless trip, and unless you are a patient viewer, you may not necessarily appreciate the lengthy and lethargic shots. Unfortunately, another drawback of the film is its lack of plot. The venture is solely driven by the characters and their emotions. Though it seems Sotomayor is making an earnest attempt at juxtaposing a child’s blissful ignorance to an adult’s despondent awareness of life, the film is rendered dull in anticipation of some drastic turn of events. Alas, it’s not a lull before the storm, it remains a lull throughout.

Credit must be given where it’s due, and it’s the unique disposition of Lucia decoding her parents marital dispute conveyed through bitter glances and muted arguments. It becomes one of the film’s engaging elements. Another asset are the endearing performances, especially by the lead, a promising and talented Santi Ahumada. The radiant cinematography by Alvarez is a delight. Fortunately, the film does offer a blithe and mostly spontaneous soundtrack consisting of the car radio and sing-a-longs of Spanish classics by the cast that momentarily lift the plunging mood.

5 songs in the field of: Tarantino

Written by Alex Fenton on . Posted in Music.

Little Green Bag – George Baker Selection

The concept of being genuinely cool is hard to come by, but the opening credits of Reservoir Dogs, coupled with ‘Little Green Bag’ must surely come close. A smooth bass line forms the foundation of a slick choice of song from Tarantino. Six men in suits never looked so suave.

Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) – Nancy Sinatra

Overdub the introduction of Kill Bill with Nancy Sinatra and you know Tarantino means business. Fine vocals, timely guitar and a subtle melancholy are well suited to the tale of vengeance. ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’, reads the opening of Kill Bill – How fitting.

Rabbia e Tarentella – Ennio Morricone

A reference to Tarantino’s musical taste could not be complete without paying homage to Ennio Morricone. Tarantino frequently exploits Morricone’s talent as a composer and Inglorious Basterds is no different. Well experienced from his spaghetti westerns, Morricone creates a befitting track for the Basterds.

Stuck in the Middle with You – Stealers Wheel

Imagine being tortured. Then imagine your ear being cut off with a razor. Then imagine your torturer sadistically dancing to the radio. An ugly torture scene should by no means detract from the quality of ‘Stuck in the Middle with You’, but now whenever I hear it I can’t help but think of the blood-spattered warehouse scene.

Chuck Berry – You Never Can Tell

Chuck Berry undoubtedly put much of the swing into rock n roll and Pulp Fiction’s timeless scene between Thurman and Travolta revitalised the track. With a rolling piano fuelling the classic, Travolta reminded the world he could still dance. ‘C’est La Vie’.

60 seconds with…novelist Daryl Johnson

Written by Lauren Arthur on . Posted in Lifestyle.

 

Do you have a full time job as well as being a writer?

I used to, I worked in the city but I haven’t been working for the last year because I got made redundant. When I originally wrote the book, it was during a period in which I wasn’t working.

 

What did you used to do in the city? Was it writing related?

It had nothing to do with writing whatsoever funnily enough!

 

Have you always written?

No, I fiddled around a bit here and there. I enjoyed writing at school, but didn’t really do much after leaving. I started writing again just before the millennium because I wasn’t very happy in my work and was trying to find some other outlet. So I just started writing, thoroughly enjoyed it and subsequently gave up work to have a go at it full time.

 

So, you had no literary training at all?

No.

 

Did you go to University?

I didn’t go to University, no. I was supposed to go to Oxford where my brothers went, but I got involved in a band and got a girlfriend and took my eye off the ball when it came to education. I decided that I didn’t want to go.

 

Your novel has been described as ‘dark and disturbing’, what made you write about such a taboo subject?

The type of art that I like, whether music, books or other forms, tends to be on the darker side of things – that’s what I find interesting. To be honest, I think it’s easier to write stuff which has got a darker side to it. I wanted to put someone into a situation which would turn their life upside down, turn their politics, their philosophy, and the whole way they looked at the world. I started thinking about this and I found out that the number of people who are actually victims of rape is way higher than anybody thinks or knows. It’s very rarely reported because of the stigma and all sorts of things go with it.

 

Would you say the book is aimed at a certain group of people? Were you trying to get through to anybody in particular?

Erm, not really. I think a lot of people may read what reviewers say and think ‘I don’t want to read that, why would I want to read that?’ To me it’s not so much about rape, it’s about what happens to someone who is caught up in a traumatic event and how they deal with it.

 

Did you ever suffer from writer’s block?

No not really, the bit I find most difficult is the starting bit: starting at the beginning of the day or starting a new chapter, getting the engine moving.

 

Any future plans?

I’ve just started writing another book now, which I’m at the very early stages of. It’s going to be a bit less bleak, less dark, but it will still have elements of that to it. It’s going to be about lies and deceit.

 

Lastly, clichéd question, but do you have any advice for students who are aspiring writers?

Read lots, read widely. Try to understand the things you are interested in and why this might be, then write. Lots. Keep trying and then look at your work with some distance or get someone else to read it and critique. The more you do, the more likely you are to find the style that you want to write in and find a voice of your own, one that’s not copied.

Going one better: restaurants

Written by Marcus Kelly on . Posted in Food & Drink, Freshers' Guide.

This generation of students has become known as the ‘foodie generation’. The desire to eat out is engrained in our minds and we’re surrounded by options to explore. Manchester has got plenty of chains, I’m talking Nando’s, Wagamamas, Café Rouge, Ask and Pizza Express (to name a few) yet finding tastier eateries to replace these household names seems just a little bit too much effort and we’re put off by the generally incorrect assumption that they’re more expensive. Don’t get me wrong, these chains aren’t bad, but you can find better on a similar budget.

Avoid Nando’s. Nando’s is probably the biggest player in the game right now due to a growing love of chicken, whilst perhaps the horse-meat fiasco has seemingly reduced our passion for beef. But what has Nando’s got that other places don’t?  Vegetarians aside, the majority of its customers seem to tear into the half chicken and the two measly sides. The £10 for that meal can comfortably cover a meal in one of the upper-end restaurants in Manchester. For an alternative meal out, I’d suggest The Oast House in Spinningfields. Despite being part of the illustrious group who own the likes of Australasia (a graduation dinner favourite) and The Alchemist, the prices are anything but extortionate. Your £10 half chicken doesn’t seem such good value when faced with their trademark (yeah, they actually TM’d the name) £9.95 Hanging Kebab, dripping in sweet chilli and ginger sauce whilst dangling over a plentiful portion of chips to lap up those overflowing juices. The al fresco grilling hut for cooking all their meat proves it’s worth more than that famous portuguese peri-peri palace.

Next up, Wagamama’s. I’m a sucker for Wagamama’s, the ambience, the waiters and the food are always great, but the prices stop me from residing there day in day out. With Manchester’s collection of generic asian buffets, Wagamama’s is a trustworthy place to dive into but £9.40 for a Chicken Katsu Curry or £9.30 for their Miso Chicken Ramen does not compare to the increasingly popular sushi and noodle bar Umami (snuck in between the Aquatics centre and Footage), whose £5.95 2 course lunch menu has been attracting those in the know since it opened. The menu’s constantly changing, one week you’ll be biting into prawn tempura followed by chicken katsu curry (no different to Wagamama’s) and the following week you’ll be savouring their gyoza before digging into some spicy pork and prawn noodles. Whilst the waiting staff may not be the most cooperative, the bustling vibe and good, cheap food, you’ll soon forget why your student loan was decreasing on Wagamama’s fruit juices before you’ve even ordered your food.

Another chain that has grown over recent years is Pizza Express. Teaming up with Orange Wednesday has done it no harm. Yet their £9 pizzas are easily surpassed when faced with those of Gusto’s in Didsbury. The vast leather booths, and dark lighting already make it more attractive than the Ikea-esque decor of Pizza Express; moreover, their pizzas are a level above. From pizzas such as the Peking (our favourite chinese pancakes made into a pizza) to a more classic Diavola, Gusto’s offers you a chance to escape the monotonous world of the Americans or the La Reines and really see what a £10 pizza should taste like.

Thailand: a cultural paradise

Written by Thomas Oriel on . Posted in Lifestyle.

When students talk about their dream destinations, Thailand is always high on the list. So what is it that is so attractive about South-East Asia? I had the chance to find out for myself in the summer of 2011.

When I arrived at the Suvarnabhumi Airport, I realised just how far away from home I was. There were people travelling in cars with no doors, eating ‘street’ food and elephants walking down major highways. After getting used to the initial cultural differences though, Thailand began to feel like a home from home.

It was impossible not to warm to the kindness and generosity displayed by the Thai people. Most people you pass in the street will say “Hello” and smile, which is more than can be said for the UK. This community feel teamed with the history, culture, food, nightlife, climate and scenery culminate together perfectly to create a cultural paradise.

The cosmopolitan capital, Bangkok is a must-see. The shopping opportunities are particularly good for all you spend thrifts out there. If traditional, eclectic markets happen to be your thing, why not try the nearby Khlong Lat Mayom floating market one weekend? The novelty of its riverside location and wide variety of products from clothing and household accessories to boat-cooked cuisine makes it well worth a visit. If you fancy trying something a little more upmarket, there are plenty of multi-storey shopping malls to choose from, such as the legendary MBK, which is a beehive of activity with its eight floors and 2000 stores.

The nights you are more likely not to remember at The Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan are not to be missed out on. Beginning at dusk when the moon makes its appearance over the beach of Haad Rin, there are 10-30,000 people at the party every month. The music is varied to suit a number of different tastes with dance, drum and bass, trance and more commercial styles on offer. So, if this trip is on your to-do list, then I certainly recommend doing it sooner rather than later.

Great British Menu Drinking Game

Written by Emily Clark on . Posted in News.

Following the success of our Great British Bake Off Drinking Game, we thought we’d introduce the Great British Menu Drinking Game, the format of which is no less formulaic. Enjoy!

1 finger

The chefs antagonise each other

Every time ‘Comic Relief’ or ‘Red Nose Day’ is mentioned

The name of a dish includes a play on words

A clip of a chef shouting a food order in his/ her own restaurant

The word ‘quirky’ is used to describe the food

 

2 fingers

If the chef fails to inject any humour into the dish

The chef cooks something that resembles a red nose

When judging, instead of open criticism, the judge sceptically asks the chef a pointed question

 

3 fingers

A chef makes a mistake and the narrator implies they’re going to be ‘late to the pass’

A dish is awarded 4 or less

Every time a dish is based on a classic joke e.g. Why did the chicken cross the road?

Liquid nitrogen is used to cook something

 

Down your drink!

A chef is late to ‘the pass’

A dish is awarded a 10

I’m sorry but…Meryl Streep isn’t that great anymore

Written by Andriana Hambi on . Posted in Film.

Dubbed by many as the ‘greatest actress of all time’, the career of Meryl Streep has been varied and critically successful. But personally, I just don’t see it. I would admit this with great hesitation, as many people will militantly support the validity of her career as I would support Sandra Bullock’s. I think it’s fair to say she has done nothing of worth in the last 10 years, merely a string of ‘comedies’ and impersonations.

Perhaps she peaked too early with an undeniably good film, Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) but her later works such as Doubt (2008) and Julie and Julia (2009) are more than disappointing for the ‘best actress of our time’. It can easily be said that her performance with Alec Baldwin in It’s Complicated (2008) scarred me for life as it sexualised Alec Baldwin in a way that made me feel physically sick.

I would by no means say I hate Meryl Streep or that she’s a horrifically bad actress, because she isn’t. But these days, loving Meryl Streep is something of an expectation and a given of every film-lover. It feels as though she made a few good films in the ’80s and decided she can’t be bothered anymore so she’ll just do whatever while she waits for her lifetime achievement awards to start rolling in. There are plenty of female actors out there who are much more deserving of her title.

5 songs in the field of: Russia

Written by James Birtles on . Posted in Music.

t.A.T.u – All the Things She Said

t.A.T.u. are more known for their ‘lesbianism’ than their music and the surrounding controversies with this song’s video and the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest, in which they placed third. With a name that is a short form of “This girl loves that girl” what more can you expect?!

Korobeiniki 

What is this Korobeiniki I hear you cry? Well, it’s a Russian folk song, better known as the theme from Tetris. Whether the Red Army Choir of the 8-bit version does it for you, there’s no doubting it’s a Russian classic.

Dschinghis Khan – Moskau

Well, this is the first of the 80s German disco bands in the list. The song was an underground success. Fifteen seconds of this song was shown on State-run TV leading to immediate dismissal of the network director. However, some countries even used this as their coverage theme for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Prokofiev – Dance of the Knights

To those who aren’t experts in classical music, Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights is the current theme tune for The Apprentice. Russia has created some wonderful compositions; Shostakovich’s Leningrad symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and The Nutcracker and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf so why this one? Because it is underappreciated compared to those listed.

Boney M – Rasputin

And finally we come to the other 80s German disco band. Boney M’s classic; Rasputin. What else is better than mixing Russian Tsarist history and disco? The answer: nothing. But a word of caution to those studying Russian, Boney M is not a reliable source for using in those Russian history essays, unfortunately.

Album: Hurts – Exile

Written by Fin Murphy on . Posted in Music.

Major Label/RCA

Did anyone manage to avoid Hurts a few years ago? Possessing the aura of Wham! with graphic design degrees, they were a flashy assault on the charts before slotting into a prolonged cycle of touring. Now, they’re back and ready to take on a pop scene very different to their entrance; one now more open to the likes of The xx and Bastille, as opposed to sugar-rush synthpop. However, every indication is that this record is a lot darker than their debut, the triumphant Happiness, from album cover to lyrical content.

This change is marked by title track and opener, ‘Exile’. Vocalist Theo Hutchcraft gives a performance much less like the male Annie Lennox he affected previously. Here, he is somewhat comparable to the likes of Matt Bellamy from Muse, balancing his range alongside a downbeat mood. It’s an odd change but fitting to the grimmer instrumentation; however, will it go down so well with a fanbase used to a more bombastic sound?

It’d be incorrect to say that there’s been an entire departure from their original sound; ‘Only You’ and ‘Miracle’ possess all the expected glamour and are shaped to be hits, but possess new ideas. For instance, guitars play a significant part on Exile, notably on ‘Miracle’ and ‘Somebody To Die For’, suggesting either a desire to grow or the realisation of the confines of two men and a keyboard. Indeed, there seems to be a wider palate of influences at work here. This ranges from the crisp, R&B-tinged ‘Sandman’ to the restrained pianos and choral backing of ‘Help’ to the sleazy rock of ‘The Cupid.’ However, there seems to be an insincerity to this cherry-picking, as if swiping genre conventions in order to broaden appeal.

Lyrically, Hurts had a lot to improve on from “it feels better than love.” Now, it’s all “when I open my eyes, you disappear,” as heard on ‘The Road.’ This has been a well-publicised track, notable in the Mancunian duo’s minds of the Ballard and McCarthy influence. That quibble aside, there is a heavy atmosphere created by Adam Anderson’s keyboard work, adding tension to Hutchcraft’s tense vocals, a welcome departure from the hit-ready formula.

Overall, Hurts have suggested for the first time in their career that there’s more to them than suits and gel; knowledge of balancing nuances and hooks, brevity of influences, a bravery in risking alienating their fans. However, ‘Exile’ sounds like a work of disunity, never managing to marry the odd-ends into a work of coherence, dragged down by an attempted glumness. Orchestra strings to six strings, triumph to despair, theatre stage to kitchen sink.

From the vault: The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death

Written by Chris Wosu on . Posted in Music.

Originally released: 25th March 1997

Bad Boy Records

The legendary status of Christopher Wallace is undoubtedly cemented in the Hip-Hop hall of fame, with almost every rapper you can think of taking inspiration from the Brooklyn-born icon. His real-life tale of rags to riches, recently documented on the big screen, is one to truly admire.

Biggie’s rap career, although relatively short-lived, was laced with controversy following THAT infamous feud with Tupac which inevitably led to the loss of two Hip-Hop greats. However prior to this, his critically acclaimed debut album, Ready To Die, which boasted classics such as ‘Juicy’ and ‘One More Chance’ reached No.13 in the Billboard Charts. And with the scene still in its ‘Golden Era’ he threw on those famous Versace shades, stepped into the studio and recorded one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time.

Life After Death, the final studio album recorded by Biggie Smalls, is a classic rap record that truly captures the environment it was created in. Each song and carefully constructed skit help to piece together the puzzle of the man some claim is the greatest rapper to ever do it. His innate ability to glorify extravagance whilst capturing the intensity of his struggle, elevated his position within the Hip-Hop hierarchy. And with an over-excited Puff Daddy in the background ready to throw in ad-libs at random, he couldn’t lose.

The two-disc album begins on a sombre tone, as the Brooklyn rapper was tragically murdered two weeks before the album was originally set for release. However the mood is soon lifted as the recognisable deep tones of Biggie are heard gracing classics such as ‘Hypnotize’ and ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’. Interestingly, weaved between the clever word-play and tales of the hood, there are subtle references aimed at big names such as Nas. The Notorious B.I.G. was not one to shy away from conflict and this is a strong theme portrayed throughout the album.

Debatably, Life After Death indicated a change in the style of Gangsta Rap as its more upbeat sound gained commercial success. However, regardless of the radio-friendly production, none of Biggie’s unmistakable gritty style was compromised.

The ability to apply the true essence of Hip Hop to every scenario is what earned B.I.G. a position above many of his peers and undoubtedly a place amongst rap royalty.

From the vault: The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed

Written by James Birtles on . Posted in Music.

Originally released: 5th December 1969

London/Decca

1969 was a year that would change our history and culture. Man had finally set foot on the moon, an X-rated film had won the Best Picture Oscar and the Woodstock festival was born. But it was in December 1969 that The Rolling Stones stated the hippie movement was over on Let It Bleed and they didn’t realise how true those words would become at a little-known place called Altamont.

The album’s opening track, ‘Gimme Shelter’, has become a Vietnam War classic along with The Stones’ ‘Sympathy for the Devil’. The song details of the horrors of the world and along with former Raenette Merry Clayton and her breaking voice just add to the depth of the song.

The apocalyptic era Jagger sings about became even more realistic one day after Let It Bleed’s release, the infamous Altamont festival. The Hell’s Angels ran security for the festival, which ended with one homicide, three accidental deaths and the band forced to evacuate the stage as a riot ensued.

The album also contained a country version of ‘Honky Tonk Women’ now called ‘Country Honk’ and, as stated by Keith Richards, this is the original version of the song. The album closes with The Rolling Stones classic ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ with them teaming up with the London Bach Orchestra. The song covers the three main topics of the 60s: drugs, politics and love. The lyrics start with optimism but resign to the disillusion these topics have caused.

Let It Bleed also became iconic for its cover of figurines of the band on top of a cake featuring a tyre, clock face and a pizza was created, in part, by then-unknown cookery writer, Delia Smith. The album cover was even chosen by The Royal Mail as a stamp set of iconic album covers in 2010.

The album benefits from one of the best music partnerships in the history of music in Jagger and Richards. Let It Bleed is arguably one of The Rolling Stones’ best albums and that’s quite a feat with a career having lasted over fifty years.

Interview: Stiff Little Fingers

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

“I realised even at 12 I was never going to be George Best, you’d know if you’ve ever seen me kick a football.” Stiff Little Fingers front man Jake Burns recalls the day he decided to form a band. “The main reason I wanted to pick up the guitar was seeing Rory Gallagher on the TV, I was just walking out the room after the football results, but when he came on next it completely stopped me in my tracks.”

Starting out as a school band called Highway Star (after the Deep Purple song); the band had a pretty sudden change in direction, ditching the classic rock vibe for the aggressive allure of punk. “Henry, our guitarist, was the first big convert in the band, I was listening to Dr. Feelgood at the time and it’s not that big of a leap from Dr. Feelgood to the Sex Pistols. I think punk was exactly the kick in the backside the music business needed, but I didn’t know where it was going to go after that initial bang. When I heard people like Elvis Costello and The Clash, I thought these guys are writing about real things and aren’t just going for the shock factor, it came as a hug pointer as to what you could write about as a band.”

The Belfast Punks are perhaps most famous for their political stances, commenting on the Troubles in Northern Ireland. “At the time all we were ever trying to do was reflect what was going on, and we were very careful to not try and take sides. It was no fun to live in, even though people assume the riots might have been kind of dangerous but still exciting – but it wasn’t, if anything it was just incredibly boring, no bands would come and play and your movement was restricted with a load of stupid curfews. That’s what ‘Alternative Ulster’ was written about – “Nothin’ for us in Belfast”

However the change in style was not a smooth transition: “Our bass player Gordon quit, we were lucky that a mutual friend who put is in touch with Ali McMordie, who had been listening to Iggy and the Stooges, MC5 and all that, which we were frankly catching up on – and he had a proper amplifier.”

Heading out into Belfast as a punk band was not a well trodden route, in actual fact it was a route the band didn’t even know existed. “If you take into account the situation, you didn’t go out every night and check out new bands. We were convinced we were the only band that were doing that sought of thing – and the other bands thought exactly the same. We kind of became the others’ audience, going to see each other and slagging each other off – but we all became really good friends in the end. When The Clash came over to play the insurance companies pulled the gig, they’d have Lindisfarne play but not The Clash. We were just surprised that there was so many people milling about outside who had even heard of The Clash.”

The band split in 1983 after releasing Now Then, which had received critical acclaim but didn’t go down well with SLF faithful. “We’d done a lot in that time we’d been together, you do a lot between 18 and 23, unfortunately we had grown apart, and instead of talking we would argue and fight. Looking back on it if someone had said don’t see each other for six months and re-assess we might have weathered the storm. There was no interest in our loud pop songs once the New Romantics came in – that was the final nail really”.

As one of the original iconic Punk bands of the 70s, Jake feels the genre has lost its way nowadays. “Once the entertainment industry realised  out there was to be money made out of punk then the whole thing became subsumed; a few of us fought to be independent even within major labels and were successful for a while. It’s really sad that what started out as a really broad church, with the likes of The Ramones, Blondie and Elvis Costello all considered punk in one way or another, and you could do it however you wanted, now if you don’t have the regulation studded leather jacket and all your songs aren’t about fighting, drinking and screwing then you’re not allowed to be in a punk band – it’s limiting and it’s pointless”.

Jake is the only original member from the mk.1 line up, but SLF are very much still alive. “We hope to have the album out in the autumn, it’s the second run at the thing, I pretty much had it written when I was 50, but then after my birthday bender I listened to the nine songs I had again and thought they were just terrible. It sounded like the sought of thing I couldn’t have written when I was 22, which might sounds good, but it was too obvious and clichéd for me, almost SLF by numbers. Now it’s taken another fice years to pool these songs, and I’m a lot happier with them, we’ve played a lot of them live and it’s given us a great perspective of them in terms of seeing which parts work and which parts don’t. We’re aiming to follow off from the last album, Guitar and Drums because we weren’t going to use anything that we didn’t play or couldn’t do live – horns sound great in the studio but live you think how the hell are we going to do that.”

Stiff Little Fingers play The Ritz on March 14th

Top 5: Moments of terror

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Nosferatu (1922)

Nosferatu emerges from his coffin on board a gothic ship. His eerie rising immediately shows his imposing figure and his ability to conquer death. The cold, fixated eyes and piercing fangs reduce the sailor to a quivering wreck. This is a moment which shows how haunting images alone can be.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Rosemary’s Baby touches upon themes of Satanism, rape and gender which culminate to deliver true terror. Rosemary confronts her infant’s sacrificed body in a satanic apartment. The camera restricts our view and leaves us horrified as Rosemary shrieks, ‘What have you done to his eyes, you maniacs!’

The Exorcist (1973)

Father Karras arrives in a subway station, a beggar mutters, ‘Father, could you help an old altar boy?’ Karras ignores the man but is eerily reminded later on. Karras meets the possessed Regan who croaks, ‘Can you help an old altar boy, Father?’ The line is simple yet haunting.

Don’t Look Now (1973)

The drowning of a young daughter leaves its mark on the rest of the film. The horror lies in a father’s inability to save his daughter as he wades helplessly through icy water only to drag a lifeless body to the surface, his screams and visibly weakened body are truly horrifying.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

After escaping the torture house, Sally flees and hitches a ride. As Leatherface wields his chainsaw in frustration the camera focuses on Sally’s demonic, blood stained face. Despite her escape, her wide eyes and shrieking suggest that she has merely escaped the horror’s location; the experience shall haunt her forever.

Album: Atoms for Peace – Amok

Written by Dan Stables on . Posted in Music.

XL Recordings

Back in 2009, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke recruited a few celebrity chums, among them Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea and longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, to play his 2006 solo album The Eraser in its entirety at a Los Angeles show. Three-and-a-half years and a Radiohead album later, and Yorke’s side project – now mercifully christened Atoms for Peace having originally been presented to fans simply as ‘??????’ – is manifest in recorded form for the first time in Amok.

Lead single ‘Default’, driven by stuttering synth hooks and cut-up percussion, is otherwise a conventional rock song in its structure, presided over by Yorke’s familiar high croon; in these respects it represents the whole album nicely. Much has been made by Yorke of his new band’s attempts to blur the sonic boundaries between man and machine, and certainly the production here achieves just that; percussive sounds are hard to pin down, and warm, organic guitars jostle for prominence with robotic synths.

While effective, the occasional vocal blips and prominent juxtaposition of ‘playing’ with ‘programming’ can feel slightly forced, so that when an apparently disembodied Yorke sighs, on ‘Ingenue’, “If I’m not there now physically, I’m always before you”, it serves both as a summary of the album’s mood and a reminder of what we’re supposed to be hearing. The material here is similar to Yorke’s solo work, and any expectations that a line-up which includes high profile alumni of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and R.E.M would lead to a more creatively collaborative effort are quickly debunked. The band’s name is shared with a track on Yorke’s solo album, and one of the songs here – ‘Judge, Jury and Executioner’ – is also the subtitle of a song on Radiohead’s 2003 album Hail to the Thief.

Opener ‘Before Your Very Eyes…’ could be Radiohead, until after its first chorus when it spills over with fuzzy synths. It’s fitting that Atoms for Peace have presented themselves as so firmly rooted in Yorke’s musical past, as here it is he who pulls the strings – along with, you suspect, Godrich, who has been Radiohead’s producer for nigh on twenty years and has been described as their sixth member. While it may not breech much in the way of new territory, Amok’s genre-blending continues something they started together in 2000 with Kid A, and is proof – as though it were needed – that Yorke’s light shines as brightly as ever.