STYLE ICONS | MRS PEPPERPOT

K: Check it! So stoked to announce that super talented Features Writer Beulah Devaney will be sharing some of her style icons here on TC and they're the very crème de la crème of unconventional. First up is Mrs Pepperpot...

Mrs Pepperpot; a tiny old lady who shrinks to the size of a pepperpot at inopportune moments, owner of voluminous skirts, a neat bun and a lanky husband. In retrospect this was enough to ensnare me as a loyal worshipper from a young age but it wasn't until this summer that I realised how much my wardrobe owes to Mrs P.

Created by Norwegian author Alf Proysen, the Norwegian translation of Mrs Pepperpot is The Teaspoon Lady. Awesome books that have the word "teaspoon" in the title is a different post (that I am more than capable of going over the word limit for) and the fact that I have accidentally become a cruet collector suggests this obsession should hardly have been a surprise.

My stylistic allegiance to The Teaspoon Lady started with the gingham circle skirts I started frantically buying as soon as the June heat wave kicked in. I was convinced that if I could find the right skirt (buttoned down the front and guaranteed to balloon whenever I sat down) the rest of my summer wardrobe would fall into place. And it did. Basically everything I've worn this summer is oversized and designed to suggest I've shrunk a few inches.

Calf-length skirts, billowing blouses, oversized jumpers, fly away hair ties. The colours I've found myself picking out come straight from the old Puffin versions of Proysen's stories - cherry red, cream, navy blue, maroon and the odd splash of candy pink. The heat has seen my occasionally regret this allegiance to excess material but the overall effect has left me walking and feeling lighter.

After a summer of summers topping 30 degrees, a trip to sizzling Madrid and multiple bike rides my Mrs Pepperpot gear is now covered in red stripe, brown sauce, barbecue ash and sunscreen but she's proved to be an unlikely and highly effective inspiration.

Beulah Devaney - tweeting @TheNotoriousBMD 

MUSIC | TUESDAY

MUSIC | MONDAY

FILM BFF | ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE

When I recently went through the British Film Festival line-up there were a few that made me do a happy dance. This is the first...

It's far from a secret that I adore Jim Jarmusch but it just stepped up a gear as it looks like he's possibly made my idea of a perfect film. His latest pic 'Only Lovers Left Alive' (even has a rad name) is set between the crazily contrasting but equally fascinating Tangier and Detroit and follows the romance between a musician called Adam and his beloved Eve who are, of course, a pair of century old vampires.

                                                                      

Adam's played by the brilliant Tom Hiddleston and then there's the incredibly amazingly amazing and fabulous women that's Tilda Swinton playing eve. Then there's the intriguing Mia Wasikowska as Eve's sis Ava and the total legend that is John Hurt. The soundtrack's going to be brilliant, there are so many literary and music references to enjoy and then there's Jarmusch's deadpan humour.

Existential vampire movies are totally my bag; I count Romero's 'Martin', Scott's 'The Hunger' and Ferrara's 'The Addiction' as personal faves. Also, who can forget the more mainstream but equally creepy 'Interview With a Vampire'. Don't worry, this is no twilight, this is Jarmusch after all. It's getting dark out there so what could be better than catching Jarmusch's take on vampires - with a stellar cast thrown in to boot! This film's going to be cooler than January.

                  

FILM | KELLY + VICTOR

Nice work Kieran Evans...

FASHION | ALEXANDRA GROOVER SS14

Alexandra Groover makes a votive offering to the Fashion Gods - S/S 2014

It was Friday 13th on a dark September evening. The city streets were drowning with torrential downpours but the undeterred the crowds kept arriving to see a fresh Fashion Week show at Hoxton Square Bar - everybody felt something unusual was about to happen.

A crowd of bodies with hungry eyes engulfed the performers in the theatrical presentation of Groover’s work in a show created in collaboration with choreographer Christopher Matthews. Inside the circle the piece that played out was a live interpretation of the theme of Groover’s SS14 collection REBIRTH. A further addition to an already extended trilogy of films it follows BIRTH, LIFE, DEATH, AFTERLIFE, and RESURRECTION accompanied by a live atmospheric soundscape from musicians Christos Fanaras and Mark Wagner.

It may be a Spring/Summer collection but Groover’s style is never going to be the floral prints and pastels that flourish in fashion’s sunnier season. Her concept of Spring is embodied in the ethereal nymph draped in virginal white. She was then bedecked with large ceremonial jewellery in malleable copper; a clean, modern version of ancient cuffs and a large collar in the shape of unfurling petals. The metal’s warm tone in soft brushed finishes and burnished edges kept the pieces feminine yet bold. Further silver jewellery from collaborator Jane Groover of crescent moons and simple shapes married well with the rest of the plain black collection. 

Don’t let the theatrical presentation overshadow how easy this collection is to wear and how well thought out the pieces were. Produced in East London from organic fabrics and English suppliers the garments enshrouding the rest of the other-worldly tribe were simple and easy to layer. The cape was a bold statement piece but in soft sporty fleece and gathered black dresses provided interesting and flattering shapes with room to maneuvre. Even in the case of the puritanical black bonnets taking them out of the moody back of bar setting and onto the streets of a wet and windy English spring of inverted umbrellas doesn't seem too incomprehensible (just don’t expect to see Goody Wintour just yet). 

From her background with Alexandra McQueen & Zandra Rhodes - both renowned for their dramatic, flamboyant styles - Groover has not sacrificed good design over styling but, like these household names, has shown her creativity and personality in a collection of simple yet interesting staples, hopefully resulting in gaining more ground in the wardrobes of the future.

Words, photography and original illustrations by Jade Mellor

Check out Jade's amazing jewellery and vote for her in this Stylist competition.

                                 

MUSIC | A/W 13 NEW RELEASES

A new season usually means there's a shit load of new releases to review. Here's some interesting stuff...

Darkside sees Nicolas Jaar and Tim Hecker join forces. Enough said.

Islet will release, 'Released By The Movement' on 7 October via Shape Records. Expect echoing vocals and scuzzy post-punk guitar with a good helping of personality.




Crowd pleasers Haim seem to have been everybody’s every second word this summer. I’m almost sold and reckon this is going to be a fun and likable album that perhaps could have done with an earlier summer release. I personally found 'The Wire' a bit empty (controversial) but 'Falling' is a decent track and prompted some good remixes. Anyhow, it’s going to be big.

Axel Wilner, under The Field makes some really fresh minimal ambience. His latest release 'Cupid's Head' (30 Sep, Kompact) is going to be THE dark winter nights soundtrack if it's anything like 'Then It's White'.

Ok, so this one was actually released back on the 10^th but it’s a corker so had to be on the list. Released on Young Turks, FKA Twigs, a young and illusive artist is doing fine stuff for British RnB. Soooo good!

 

Danny Brown’s a bit of a character isn’t he heh. With friends such as Rustie, Schoolboy Q, Kitty, Ab-Soul, Purity Ring, Charli XCX, Mr. MFN Exquire, and Oh No his latest due out on the 30^th can’t fail to be interesting. Scuzzy in your face rap from this relentlessly surprising chap.

Experimental Producer Daniel Lopatin, under the guise Oneohtrix Point Never, has been delivering some cracking albums. From ambient synth drones to some A1 sampling, this next offering (due Oct 1 on Warp) is looking like it’s going to be a twitchy analog heavy wonder.

Kanye West and Pharrel Williams have produced tracks on Pusha T’s forthcoming album, released under Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint on Oct. 8. Pretty foolproof plan right there. 

Tim Hecker’s latest Virgins (due for release on  October 14 on Kranky /Paper Bag) was created in three cities - Seattle, Montreal and Reykjavik – and I’ve been listening to it none stop for 24 hours now. Basically it’s music crack and I'm more than happy to be your dealer.

'Bring the Noize’ showed some promise that M.I.A was back on the form that caught our attention back when she released ‘Bad Girl’s’ and was sadly lost with her 2010 album. No wallflower this one, this album will be interesting but there's a bit of a wait until Nov 5 to find out if that’s a good thing.

DJ Rashad is pretty prominent on the Chicago scene and judging by this latest track, 'Don't Give a Fuck', it’s for good reasons. October 22 sees his new LP Double Cup released on Hyperdub and, as per, we’re going to hear Rashad play to the techno beats of his own drum and base. (sorry)

Theo Verney's brand of gritty guitar music is pretty good. Having just finished touring with Parquet Courts (who?) Theo is set release an limited edition (300)'Heavy Sun' EP on October via Hate Hate Hate. 


Also, Chvrches and Justin Timberlake's new offerings are obviously going to be decent. Mazzy Star releases first stuff for 15 years and Arcade of Fire is going to get talked about - A LOT!

Right, that'll do for now. Go listen.
BTW - I will probs update this as I go along.

VIDEOS | UPDATE

Just a quick check-in at start few days covering London Fashion Week. Will report back soon but in the meantime here are yesterday's new videos from Blood Orange(Dev Hynes)and Kwes. 



Directed by Adam Bainbridge aka Kindness in Guyana this track also features Caroline Polachek from Chairlift. Check out Dev's moves.




Love this dude.

MUSIC | DARK NIGHTS

MUSIC | THE ORWELLS

POEM | TRISTRAN TZARA

A poem by one of my favourite poets for another of my favourite poets.


Tristran Tzara was a Romanian/French avante garde poet, essayist, performance artist, journalist and filmmaker and a central figure in the Dadaist movement, working on the infamous Littérature magazine. Tzara was greatly influenced by Guillaume Apollinaire (buried in the stunning Père Lachaise cemetery, Paris)Futurism, Cubism, Dadaism, and Surrealism movements. 

Appolliniare 
The Farewell (Alcools: L’Adieu)
I’ve gathered this sprig of heather
Autumn is dead you will remember
On earth we’ll see no more of each other
Fragrance of time sprig of heather
Remember I wait for you forever

Tzara
Vegetable Swallow
two smiles meet towards
the child-wheel of my zeal
the bloody baggage of creatures
made flesh in physical legends-lives

the nimble stags storms cloud over
rain falls under the scissors of
the dark hairdresser-furiously
swimming under the clashing arpeggios

in the machine's sap grass
grows around with sharp eyes
here the share of our caresses
dead and departed with the waves

gives itself up to the judgment of time
parted by the meridian of hairs
non strikes in our hands
the spices of human pleasures 

KEITH HARING | Musée d’Art Moderne

It's taken me ages to post this. Back in August I caught the Keith Haring retrospective at Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris. The retrospective was vast, with over 250 paintings, and focussed on the political aspects behind Haring's iconic work. So pleased that I didn't miss this well curated exposition on a fascinating 
American artist and his iconic work. It was a right treat!

MUSIC | ALMOST THERE

NICE THINGS

“God damn it, there are nice things in the world - and I mean nice things. We’re all such morons to get so sidetracked.”

—	J.D. Salinger

Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different - C.S Lewis 

                

The less you know, the sounder you sleep - Russian Proverb 

               

I’m like that. Either I forget right away or I never forget ― Samuel Beckett, “Waiting for Godot” 

                

'You wouldn't worry so much about what others think if you realised how seldom they do' - Eleanor Roosevelt

             

There are some people who could hear you speak a thousand words and still not understand you. And there are others who will understand without you even speaking a word - Yasmin Mogahed

               

Feelings are just visitors, let them come and go - Mooji

                

Some people are old at 18 and some are young at 90. Time is a concept that humans created - Yoko Ono

                       

MUSIC | EERO JOHANNES