Introducing....

Max & The Wild Things

To be honest I don't know much about this band other than the fact that they are from Tennessee, they only featured on my radar when I was sent a request to review their self-titled album 'Max and the Wild Things' which is available to download for free by the way!  

To be totally honest, I did have pre-conceived notions as to what sounds might fill my ear. I was expecting some sort of old school 60's rock - maybe its the connotation of Wild Things that made me think that? All that filled my mind was Chip Taylor's rock classic - 'Wild Thing' and the amazing Jimi Hendrix cover we all know and love ... however, a contemporary spin on country music was not what I was expecting -but much to my delight that was what I got! 

The self titled album consists of 12 wonderfully constructed tracks that lead you on what can only be described as a musical journey throughout various pivotal era's in music. We have songs like "Enough" that capture the essence of the  1960's i.e. The Beatles Mania - with its catchy riffs and sing-a-long lyrics we also have tracks like "You Got Your" which is led by a powerful riff that highly resembles the 1970's track "The Joker" by The Steve Miller Band. This album is a mixed bag which is why I am sure it'd probably have at least one track that appeals to you, the only way to find out is to listen for yourself! 

As I listened to the entirety of this album and tried to pigeon hole Max and the Wild Things I realised, as each track went by that this was near impossible. It seems that Max and the Wild Things are just that "wild" in their approach to music, it is evident that they are knowledgeable in regards to the history of music but rather than replicating the great era's that have passed they have given their own unique contemporary Tennessee slant on classic genre's. 

The only genuine pigeon holing I can do (because we all like to classify every artist as much as we pretend we don't!) is that Max and the Wild Things bare a great resemblance to another band hailing from good ol' Tennessee, one that has left quite the impression on a British audience - The Kings of Leon. This feeling became prominent when I heard the track entitled "Without a Sound" - it had that Americana slur that could be considered Aidan Traylor's signature at the end of each lyric and reminded me of something that could pass for an early KOL track which is obviously praise indeed! 

To the listeners: Don't let the first track on this album fool you, like it did me. Max and The Wild Things are not one trick (1960's rock'n'roll wannabe) ponies. You do have to listen to the album with an open mind and I am sure you will find a track that suits you. 

Harald Glööckler: Prince of Fashion?

Yes, this is a real PETA awareness advertisement featuring the self proclaimed  'Prince of Fashion.' Now if I told you that there was a TV show about this man you would want to watch it wouldn't you? - just for the laughs? Well it just so happens that LIVING TV has been following the life of Harald Glööckler who often refers to himself as 'The Real Bruno' because he was the apparent inspiration behind the character of Bruno as played by  Sacha Baron Cohen. I watched the pilot episode and found him to be an odd creature (as expected) but a very frustrating one at that. 

He was very aware of the cameras and made it his mission to show the great British public that he was a household name in his native, Germany. I found his ego definitely superseded his creativity and talent. Although Harald does appear to be quite successful, I found the clothing he showcased tacky, unrefined and cheap looking -a bit like the man himself. The theatrics of his 'performance' for this 'reality' show were actually, at times, painful to watch. I am glad that the producers of the show decided to keep his out-takes in the main body of the episode, as it gave the audience a better picture of his real personality (his intolerance of others and his overwhelming egocentricism.)  

I WILL NOT BE WATCHING THIS SHOW AGAIN. 

I'll be baking&shaking to the amazing....

BEN L'ONCLE SOUL

...and to put it nicely (if we are talking in terms of bakery goods) I would die for a slice of his pie! There is nothing like a talented man to get your bake on too! Feminists may shoot me now!  

He is a French soul singer who has certainly got a funky side and I am in love with his voice! And as you all know I am a sucker for cover versions and every single one that he has covered has been absolutely AMAZING! he is soooo talented it sometimes make me squeal a little! Well don't just take my word for it... have a little listen: 

     

MY NEW LOVE

New Psychedelic Artist: MALACHAI

Malachai is from good ol' Bristol and despite being around for about a year or so... he hasn't really made it to the big time and to be honest I could kind of understand after hearing 'Snowflake' a while ago. I really didn't like it at all, I found the video pretentious and the music annoying but I gave Malachai another go and my views have changed! Mostly because of this amazing song called Rainbows featuring Katy Wainwright. The video is pretty cool if you give it a while but I love the song and the harmonies are oh so pretty! When 'Rainbows'  begins to play it feels as though you could be listening to Portishead and I don't know about you, but I LOVE Portishead so that was an immediately good sign and to be honest the song didn't really disappoint me. So enjoy!

When Insomnia Strikes...

.... out come the memories and music of the past.

For those of you that know me, you will know that my relationship with KatieJane Garside has been a rocky one. Her music helped me through some of the worst times in my life but also highlighted some of my best. I have never shared her music on any of my blogs because I have been worried about people listening to the lyrics and thinking I was mental but the time has come...

I have always said that if I ever participated in a programme like 'Come Dine With Me' she would be my ideal guest. She is crazy, interesting and very talented. However, when I had the opportunity of interviewing her,  I couldn't bring myself to say yes. I felt as though she might know too much about me given that her music became the soundtrack to some of my life- obviously she wouldn't have done, but I am quite illogical- I now greatly regret the decision not to interview her.

This song has much meaning for me. The lyrics, beautiful and simple and in the right mindset, the message, relate-able. The footage and music feature on the 'Live at the ICA' album - one of the greatest live albums I have heard... but that's just me.

However the point of this post was not to bore you with my old school music tastes but to introduce you to what is helping me through the first bout of insomnia I have experienced in about a year and a bit. Whilst searching for melancholic old times music... I came across this collaboration and instantly fell in love.... 

    

FILL THE CELEBRITY CHARITY BOX OR..

Tomorrow is World Aids Day and as I explained a few posts ago many of our favourite online celebrities will face their digital deaths to raise money for, and to raise awareness of, HIV/AIDS. As well as this online campaign, a new concept to raise money for the 'Keep A Child Alive' is also being launched by Alicia Keys. The concept involves scanning the bar code t-shirt a celebrity is wearing so that you can buy their online life back and in turn you raise money for people with HIV/AIDS in Africa and India most artists have vowed that they will not return to the digital world until they have raised $1million.

Isabella Blow - Fashion Icon.

So everyone who knows fashion, knows Isabella Blow. But it only occurred to me yesterday that all I could remember about Blow was that she was super cool, slightly odd and was loved by Sophie Dahl and introduced Alexander McQueen to the world.... but I knew that she had done so much more! I just couldn't remember what. How embarrassing, right? I did the unthinkable today by using Wikipedia to find out exactly what she had done. And what an interesting life this woman had...

She studied at Columbia University and then left to become an assistant and friend to Anna Wintour (Editor of Vogue.) While working in New York, she befriended Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. She returned to London and became fashion director of Tatler and the Sunday Times Style magazine. In 1989 she met Philip Treacy who designed her wedding head dress and this sparked the start of a beautiful relationship that sealed her signature style. Blow had an eye for fashion which is why she discovered and purchased Alexander McQueen's entire graduate collection! She launched Sophie Dahl into the modeling world with a single comment. She became the muse of many people which resulted in her modelling and film roles.

But as most of the great and talented people of this world she committed suicide. I still have a cut out from the newspaper from 2007 on my pin-board which broke the news of her death and those that would be most affected by it. Slightly morbid, but then again this is me. 


The time has now come for a biopic to be made of Blow's life and I for one can't wait to see it. At the moment there are no certainties and we haven't been given a date, a title or a cast but there is certainly a film in the works! I'll keep you posted!