Gok Wan is my hero. He has relieved the hours of boredom that I have been slowly accruing whilst my three month old baby girl is attached to my boob, guzzling for endless minutes each day. My husband thinks I am nuts because all I want to do is get to a Haberdashery and buy some bows, flowers, ribbon – any shit that I can use to garnish my clothing. Husband generously offered to support ‘project embellishment’ by picking up some leaves and sticks to complement the soon-to-buy items that I will attach to my wardrobe. Funny. With a new baby, we are on a serious budget and new clothes are a no-no for a while but there is still a smile on my face (an anomoly for someone who loves clothes but can’t buy any). Why? Because good old Gok has inspired me to funk up my old clothes, which I intend to do with as many accoutrements I can find. The potential for me to end up looking like a Christmas tree is great, so I understand Husband’s mockery. Personally, I like the Christmas tree look thank you very much! There is no such thing as ‘too much’ or ‘overdone’ in my life. Read the rest of this entry »

Richard of Devizes wrote in 1177:

I do not like the city at all. All sorts of men crowd there from every country…each brings its own vices and customs. None lives in it without falling into some sort of crime. Every quater abounds in grave obscenities. The greater the rascal, the greater man he is accounted…Do not associate with the crowd of pimps: do not mingle with the throng in eating houses: avoid dice and gambling, the theatre and the tavern…the number of parasites is infinite. Actors, jesters, smooth-skinned lads, moors flatterers, pretty-boys, effeminates, paederasts, singing and dancing girls, quacks, belly-dancers, sorceresses, extortioners, night-wanderers, magicians, mimes, beggars and buffoons…if you do not want to dwell with evil-livers, do not live in London. (A Thousand Years of Vice in the Capital: London The Wicked City, Fergus Linnane)

What strikes me about this observation is that nothing has changed. People still complain about foreigners and parents are afraid to let their youngsters loose in the lion’s den that is London. Sin and debauchery populate the city and to remain uncorrupted by the great Lion one has to be steadfast in one’s moral convictions: so it is thought. As I, in the year 2010, ponder the considerations of Richard of Devizes, 800+ years after the English chronicler wrote about London, a smurk appears on my face. In my mind, the very things that make the city of London deplorable to so many are what make it the fabulous, charming city that it is – from the haphazard grunge of Camden Town to the grandiose beauty of Westminster and the frenzied energy of central London. All of the aforementioned places have their own uniquely bewitching allure. Read the rest of this entry »

Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice is … very HIM: nothing unexpected. The band’s seventh album is true to love-metal form, with no hidden surprises or slap-in-the-face-drop-dead-awesome tracks. HIM fans will most likely be pleased but not ecstatically running down the street with new heartagram tattoos and Ville Valo face masks.

The 80s undertone present in HIM’s signature love-metal music matures in Screamworks, which presents poignant synth harmonies that contrast with the band’s familiar rock distortion and Valo’s melancholic vocals. Songs including Dying Song; In the Arms of Rain; Love, the Hardest Way and Heartkillers, which will most likely become the album’s most popular song, are reminiscent of the Bowie-inspired New Romantic movement of the early 80s. Screamworks says hello to androgyny, quiffs, eyeliner and lipstick.

HIM’s theme of tragic love persists and liebestod is expressed through Valo’s historical, mythological and religious references. The song master’s lyrics are sufficiently poetic and metaphoric to ensure that a sense of mystery remains. The irony in phrases like “little deaths to a dying song/ Sound a lot like life” (Dying Song) and “The promise of heaven pushed us right back to hell / Turned three sevens into three sixes again” (Disarm Me) entice listeners to explore Valo’s interpretation of life and love, and expression thereof through music.

From the new-agey vibe of The Foreboding Sense of Impending Happiness to the heavier In Venere Veritas and the catchy chorus of Like St. Valentine, the broad spectrum of HIM fans should be satisfied with Screamworks, and perhaps a couple of new fans won over.

The London stint of Lacuna Coil’s Shallow Life European tour satiated the appetite of hungry London fans at Shepherd’s Bush Empire this evening. It is always a pleasure to watch the gorgeous Cristina Scabbia strut her stuff on stage as her record perfect voice penetrates the enveloping air, and the Italian songstress did not disappoint. Of course, Lacuna Coil is more than Cristina and it is the power of the six that sparks the crowd’s excitement. Tonight the band successfully showcases its versatility with a mix of goth-rock ballads and heavier tracks with a metal kick. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, when the little boy in front of me on the bus tantrumed for an entire hour I really tried not to judge. I know well that the poor mom trying to control little Mr Psycho could be me in two years time. But seriously! This kid was completely wild and out of control – he threw his arms and legs around like an overturned insect, he bit his mom and he screeched like a demon being exorcised back to hell. My daughter was sleeping soundly next to Mr Psycho and when he started bashing her pram I envisioned picking the kid up by his hair and throwing him out of the bus window. Lucky for Mr Psycho his mom yanked his arm away and he listened … well, he started bashing her instead of my baby’s pram. Fine by me. Everyone on the bus watched in uncomfortable silence and those with iPods thanked God in heaven and cranked up the volume. After Mr Psycho’s mom eventually managed to strap mini-Satan into his stroller (with the help of my husband) he writhed around like a mental patient in a straight-jacket and his crazed eyes darted around in search of someone who he could direct his fury at. I have heard of the ‘terrible twos’ but have never ever seen behaviour like this. I am scarred for life.

RATM steals the glory! Guardian.co.uk reports that Killing In The Name has won the battle for Christmas top spot on the basis of downloads only. It sold about 500,000 copies last week, approximately 50,000 more than The Climb, X Factor winner Joe McElderry’s earnest ballad. Campaign initiator 35 year old Jon Morter claims that the choice of a relatively obscure Miley Cyrus cover for McElderry’s single helped the Rage campaign: “If he had released Don’t Stop Believing (the Journey song McElderry sang in an X Factor heat) we would have been dead and buried.” Hopefully Morter’s statement against pansy-ass cover songs has taught the ‘powers that be’ a lesson in song choice! Anarchy has triumphed under the ironic banner of a song that says “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me”. The success of Morter’s facebook campaign, which was assisted by twitter, is a testament to the strength of social media: used in this case as a tool to unite a collective in a bid to topple the status quo. In this battle, the internet has emerged as master in command.

The X Factor winner has been announced and Joe McElderry is likely to follow the trend of the last few years by achieving the No 1 single this Christmas. It’s a bummer, especially when McElderry’s song is not even original. The Climb, owned by Sony Music Entertainment, is a country pop song performed by American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. Lameness personified. One of the biggest criticisms of X Factor is the karaoke nature of the show, in which contestants perform renditions of songs by successful pop artists. And a karaoke Christmas single merely confirms this view. That is why, this year, a facebook campaign has been launched by Tracy and Jon Morter, entitled “Rage Against the Machine for Christmas No 1″. Read the rest of this entry »

March couldn’t come soon enough!

If somebody tells me about the “Mozart Effect” one more time I am going to start breaking faces. I realise that my metal music alliances may be enough to freak out the most liberal of thinkers but it would be most appreciated if people did their research.

The Mozart Effect is a theory that is based on a set of research results, which indicate that listening to Mozart’s music may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of certain kinds of mental tasks known as ‘spatial-temporal reasoning‘. Popularised versions of the theory credit the playing of classical music to babies with boosting IQ, improving health, strengthening family ties and even producing the occasional child prodigy. This idea was entrenched in the 1997 book by Don Campbell, The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind, and Unlock the Creative Spirit. Although there have been numerous studies conducted in support of the Mozart Effect, the theory remains controversial and there are many academics and studies that debunk the extent and consistency of the proposed effects of classical music on babies. There are researchers who argue that the Mozart Effect represents only the short-term effects of classical music on mood and arousal. There are also studies concluding that although classical music may have a calming effect babies, it does not in fact improve IQ. This is why researchers continue to test whether the Mozart Effect is real and if any other styles and pieces of music have the same effect. Read the rest of this entry »

Toy company Mattel is gearing for the December launch of its new Barbie Ladies of the 80s collection . The range is aimed primarily at collectors and includes three Barbies: Cindi Lauper, Debbie Harry and Joan Jett. All I can say is: Where were these Barbies when I was growing up? and I need the Cindi!

The 80s Barbies can be pre-ordered at Entertainment Earth ($34.99 each) and Amazon ($69.95 each).