Affordable Fashion Fix

MY CELEBRITY DRESS

(WEBSITE)

So the concept is pretty much stolen from the American website www.girlmeetsdress.com (who have FINALLY decided to ship internationally!) and basically allows the consumer (typically WAG wannabe's) to wear the designer dress they see 'Cheryl Cole' wearing in Heat and OK magazines without having to empty their bank account! I guess you could see these websites as fancy dress hire - literally! You can chose via designer or celebrity and a dress that would cost you £700 could cost you £40 for three days! 

Personally, I would not buy into this idea (although I think it is an amazing concept and is obviously a hit with many people but...) I like to own everything I wear! I couldn't imagine going to a party and explaining that I had hired my dress for the weekend. Also the idea of someone else wearing it before you puts me off... its not exactly the vintage-esq worn look you get with these brand new designer pieces and I can't imagine the wear and tear of new items being so easy to fix therefore I doubt I could justify even thinking of renting any items. As a money savvy kind of girl I have to think about the fact that despite only paying a fraction of the cost price of a particular dress, it would probably be better to save up and invest in a timeless classic designer dress than pay £40-60 here and there on dresses you can wear for a weekend.  

On the Radar....

THE PRETTY RECKLESS

(from being the cute little kid in the Grinch; to the gorgeous Jennie Humphrey from Gossip Girl; to a Bad-Ass Rock'n'Roller... Go! Taylor Momsen. Go!)

If you have read any of my previous blogs my girl crush on Taylor Momsen has prevailed for over 2 years! She is beautiful, talented and edgy; surely that makes for the perfect front woman of a band? After releasing their 2009 demo (which was VERY raw but amazing) The Pretty Reckless managed to secure a record deal. Although some would say that, that would be fairly inevitable given Momsen's celebrity status. However, I believe Momsen would have got her big break based on her talent and stage presence. I know most people find female fronted bands highly pretentious and often consider the performances contrived, I have to disagree. I am all for females in every way! There is nothing that men can do that women can't (lets get that right!)

Before I run off on a feminist tangent lets get back to the point...the band and the music. When you listen to Momsen's vocals on what will be her debut album (released in August 2010) it is very clear that her style is very similar to Courtney Love's- America's Sweetheart LP (one of my favourite album's! I even got it pre-release!)  I am not the first to liken her to Hole's front woman but if I were Momsen I'd take it as a compliment. When one of my songs were compared to Love's solo releases I was ecstatic, she is after all one of the most influential female alternative rock musicians!  

The first single from the album is 'Makes Me Want To Die' although it wouldn't have been my first pick (I think I would have chosen 'He Loves You' from the 2009 demo) it has the right elements to become number one in the Kerrang charts. I know my 15 year old self would've loved this song more than anything in the world... and even at the ripe age of 21 I quite like it. Momsen's low, gritty vocals have been missing from the rock scene since good ol' Brody Dale left the music business. 

One thing that does annoy me about the first single however is that the build up near the end  really does imitate Courtney Love's opening to the song 'Almost Golden'.... but because I love both songs I am willing to overlook this little factor! Unless I am just being harsh? Judge for yourself!

Unknown British Reggae Artist....

CORALEENA ELLIS

...we know this talent has not been recognised or properly discovered as she doesn't have an official website yet she has an album.

So what is Coraleena Ellis' music like?

Well I would have to say that is is most definitely reggae with an easy to listen to r'n'b voice over. Ellis' vocals are crisp and exciting. I think the fact that she is one of the small handful of female reggae artists is what makes her a lot more interesting than your average beneath-the-radar-of-a-major-label artist. There is an authenticity to the style she has chosen despite the fact that she was born in the U.K and developed her musical talents after emigrating to New Jersey in the U.S.A

Why do you think she hasn't got the recognition she deserves?

Well as you can tell from the below recording her album is of a similar quality to a demo and despite showing a lot of potential there is certainly room for improvement. What is evident from Coraleena's material is that she has RAW talent and is targeting a genre that is under-represented in the British music scene which is why I have chosen to feature her on my blog. I think its is important to add a little flavour to popular music and unfortunately it doesn't happen as regularly as I believe it should. For example I remember about five years ago there was a huge surge of Indian and Asian influence in British Music but it faded as quickly as it started. This can also be seen with reggae in regards to atists such as UB40 (a British, reggae influenced band from Birmingham) who emerged in the late 70's and gained great success... and then dissappeared? so maybe it is time for a re-emergence of reggae in British music?

Hit Me With Some R to the T...

.... that's reality T.V my darlings!

TAKING THE STAGE

Season Two

Well as you have gathered from the posts I have written about reality T.V thus far... I like a show with a lot of drama and Taking The Stage on MTV does not disappoint! Its provides the perfect balance between talented up and coming performers and their complicated love lives! How do MTV manage to do it every single time! They clearly have a radar for drama queens. So as you can tell by the title of this post there has already been a series of this show that was aired earlier on this year in the UK. So I will use this post to try and make a highly complicated plot easy to digest! and will do an episode review soon! At least it'll give you time to give the show a go! 

   

THE MAIN PLAYERS:

Tyler: An amazing hip-hop dancer, who is charismatic and a quick hit with the ladies. He is the embodiment of a player and is attracted to talent rather than looks. Jasmine: The best ballerina at CPS (the school that the show is filmed in) and Tyler's official girlfriend who enjoys drama (and I am not talking about the subject) Mia: One of the best singers the school has to offer and a diverted love interest for Tyler. Aaron: The devoted puppy dog and instrumentalist who follows Mia around with a heavy unrequited love.

THE PLOT

The series is set in a performing arts school in Cincinnati and follows talented individuals from Cincinnati Public School which was the school that Nick Lachey (the director of this series who is better known as Jessica Simpson's ex-husband) attended. The series starts at the start of term  and introduces us to the new kid in School: Tyler.

After the first few episodes we see how Tyler falls for Jasmine due to her amazing dancing abilities and despite having strict parents Jasmine proceeds to date Tyler. Meanwhile it is evident that there is a great sexual tension between 'friends' Aaron and Mia which causes a great frustration for viewers as it seems that Mia is actually ignoring Aaron's clear signals of wanting more than friendship. 

A love triangle is formed when Tyler falls in love with Mia's voice and begins to pursue her. A kiss is exchanged and all hell is let loose by Jasmine causing Tyler to distance himself from both women but finally he chooses his relationship with Jasmine over Mia. However, this triangle does push Aaron to write a beautiful love song for Mia to declare his feelings explicitly.

There is much more drama but it is very difficult to put it all into a small summary. All you need to know is that by the end of the series: Tyler is single and is not on speaking terms with Jasmine (who is moving away anyway because she has finished High School) but he has remained friends with Mia (who is also a senior). Mia and Aaron decide to give their relationship a go and Mia's music career seems to be going full steam ahead despite a minor set back from a major record label.

The new season has a whole new cast except CPS's golden boy: Tyler is the only original cast member still featured as a main character in Season 2 as he is still a student!

D - I - S - C - O - !!!

MEET HORSE MEAT DISCO.

When you look at this picture what type of music do you expect these men to be creating?

Well I don't know if I am being stereotypical but on first impressions alone I would think they are in some sort of rock'n'roll or metal band. Maybe the beards give me that impression? But one thing I would never think - not in a month of Sunday's- is that these four men produce disco music! But they do! 

So they have been on a mission to bring the genre of disco back on the radar since mid 2009 and they just released their new mix-tape so I thought it was worth giving you a heads up! Especially since they are starting a massive European tour! If you want to catch them in the UK - they will be playing at T in the Park in July they also have a few dates in London! I don't know if it's just me but disco music just has a way of making you move your feet and when the weather is as good as it has been today this is the kind of music you need on your ipod when you take a walk outside! (Wow I sound like a cheesy American DJ! but this is truely how I feel!)

Horse Meat Disco use classic disco structure with simple and catchy lyrics so that by the end of each song you can mime the words whilst dancing like your dad did in his hayday. Here is there mixtape so you can get your groove on too!

Horse Meat Disco - Volume 2 - Mini Promo Mix by warmhq

ENJOY

It Hurts To Be This Fashionable...

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

BIG LIPS PUMPS

As the Marks and Spencer's adverts would say: This is not just a stiletto. This is a perfectly structured, impeccably designed Christian Louboutin stiletto.

Obviously this is not the kind of heel you want to wear if 1) you do not appreciate the talent of Mr Louboutin (because a pair of these bad boys will knock you back £625 and that does not include delivery!) or 2) the idea of a 5 inch spindly heel makes you feel queasy (because this heel is actually 6 inches with a concealed one inch platform!)

The Big Lips Pump is not for a beginner and I am sure there is much pain involved when wearing this glamorous red calf-hair shoe! But I believe that it would be worth it! As a student the idea of £625 on a pair of stiletto's seems inconceivable but if you are one of those people that likes to buy a timeless investment piece... I cannot imagine a time when these shoes will not ooze glamour and sex appeal - so maybe its worth buying into the world renowned Louboutin brand? I am sure it will make your wardrobe feel a little hotter if not your credit card!  

Slightly Behind The Times But Worth a Mention...

BUTTERFLY BOUCHER

(yes that is her REAL name!)

I feel that Butterfly Boucher needs to be mentioned on my blog because despite releasing two albums she hasn't got the following she deserves -especially in the U.K! The Australian who currently resides in the U.S.A has released a series of delectable songs that are simple in their content and easy to listen to. With a name like Butterfly I think you should at least give her a chance.

Here are my reviews and suggestions from Butterfly Bouchers back catalogue of music....

My favourite song by far would have to be A Bitter Song. a simple voice, simple lyrics and a simple tune. This is what makes this song so heartbreaking and beautiful, it is easy to sense Butterfly's genuine emotion and that is a powerful thing for a person who doesn't have an overtly distinct voice. Personally, I prefer songs with a simple lyric and melody that allows you to focus on the meaning of the words rather than songs that bombard you with a variety of 'noises', hence why this is the one I love the most. Although I appreciate songs that have many layers I would always pick a simple well performed one instead... but that is just me.  fin

I Can't Make Me is a classic pop song that seems like the perfect aid to heal any summer break-up scars. This song has a very french twist to it (maybe something to do with the scratchy guitar) although Butterfly's voice does not reflect this opinion... I must say that she sounds quite similar to Natalie Imbruglia in this recording... but anyway back to the french twist... just imagine Vannessa Paradis (Johnny Depp's Lady Love) singing this. It would be perfect... or how about imagining yourself singing it in the mirror on a hot day. It's just one of those songs that you can sing really loud when nobody is around! And that is my kind of song!

Butterfly Boucher's latest album is entitled Scary Fragile and rightly so as the song of the same name and album really show the depth of Butterfly's emotions in regard to love and life. Again this is another simple song with a basic riff supporting the body of the single... the riff is one of those that will stick in your head. So listen to this song with caution! I bet if you listen to it enough times you will hum it without realising.