On Repeat: 5 New Summer Tracks That Are Just Everything!

1) Solange – Bad Girls

Solange’s EP True has been incredibly well received by critics and genuine music lovers alike, no doubt due in some part to the involvement of uber-producer Blood Orange. I think the release of such a credible, enjoyable, unpretentious album has definitely come as something of a sneak attack to most people; it turns out, she is actually just very good.

I was surprised at the effect this song had on me the first time I heard it. Bad Girls lays down the kind of gorgeous and sad overtone that makes you lose your breath for just long enough to let you tease yourself with those thankfully patchy memories that you don’t usually like to revisit, unless you’re holding a massive glass of red and you’re ready to get your sob on! This is a lament to her own misspent youth; breaking hearts, telling lies, feeling lost, wearing old make-up and getting into trouble with boys. I, for one, felt oddly comforted and I’m sure my 15 year old self would too!

My main memory of Solange up until recently has been as a preggo cameo in the Destiny’s Child video for Soldier! Yeah, she’s come a little way since then but it’s really nice to see she'll be playing the smaller festivals around Britain this summer; she just seems to have her head on straight when it comes to how she’s putting her music out there. She dresses amazingly, her video for Losing You was just perfection and it’s good to see her standing as an interesting artist in her own right; feet firmly planted in nobody else's shadow. 


2) Parquet Courts - Master Of My Craft

Super sunny, a bit funny but still pumped-up and heavy enough to keep you on board; the entire, recently reissued, album Light Up Gold has summer 2013 written all over it. It's indie punk rock with a sense of humour; think early Strokes with a bit of Pavement, covered in cheap beer, cigarette ash and mud dust. I don’t know if my word counts for anything, but I’d say they are definitely one to watch and I am loving the whole album, head to toe, right now.

Keep a look out for the Brooklyn five piece on the festival circuit this year; can you think of anything better than mashing around to this in a field with a cider in hand? Nope, didn’t think so!


3) Ashanti - Never Should Have

OK, this might not be the “cool” choice or whatever but I could not be happier that this is a genuinely good track (if you want to hear people who take themselves seriously talk about music: it’s called NME.com, sorry ‘bout it).

I’ve always had a huge soft spot for Ashanti, ever since the Murder Inc days and not just because she had one of the sweetest voices around. She's always been a really well rounded R&B artist, writer and actor and has never received the acclaim she deserves. As a songwriter, she has produced some of the best selling tracks for some of world's biggest artists; such as Jennifer Lopez's Number one hit, Ain’t It Funny. Oh, and also, she's an LGBT activist working in the Hip Hop genre: ballsy!

I'm loving that her upcoming release Braveheart, the first in five years, looks as if it's going to be well received and seeing her so grown up, so capable, so polished, with a more mature womanly tone makes a refreshing change. It doesn’t always go so well for an R&B princess, 10 years on. 


4) Laura Marling – Master Hunter 

The only word to describe this woman as an artist is impressive; just more and more impressive. It is an increasingly rare occurrence for a musician, especially one whose career begins at such a young age, to continuously give theirself to their art form in a way that ensures each album grows and evolves into a meatier, more personal, more deeply enjoyable listen than the last.

The delivery of the vocals on this track are so expressive and so full of subtext, at times it feels more like you’re listening to a dramatic monologue, but the escalation of the quintessentially Marling guitar secures Master Hunter as the strong female alt anthem for 2013; get your ears around it and feel strong!


5) Kelis – Jerk Ribs

This is just so damn sexy, smooth and easy on the ears whilst still keeping you wanting to move, or more precisely grind. This song actually makes me hungry, which I think is a good thing as apparently Kelis is now writing a cookbook (?!).

Here’s another artist who has never quite been given her dues but it hasn’t ever stopped her from making well put together, often commercially viable music, which always carries her own distinctive edge and style. I’m a little disappointed that she hasn’t run with the same techno-soul-glamazon vibe which exploded all over 2010’s Flesh Tone (that album was just EVERYTHING) but she’s definitely still doing what she does best!


Oh and also, THIS is happening…..obviously…. 

Are You Sure Page 3 Doesn’t Offend You?

I recently had a conversation with my mother which came about after she told me that she disagreed with a post which I had shared via a feminist social media page. She though that the post was overly sensitive and that the feminist’s views which I had appreciated, were just too touchy.

I should just clarify, my mother is the strongest woman I have ever known, largely due to the fact that she mostly has no idea of just how much strength she holds and, like many women from a generation who’s mantra seems to have been “oh just get on with it!”, she quickly forgets the endurance she has shown in moving past a life time of experiences which would leave most of us Millennials shaking in our hi-tops.

Back to the point; I mentioned to her about the NoMorePage3 initiative which I am in unfaltering support of and to whose tireless efforts to try and make a sometimes terrifyingly overwhelming tide of sexism seem a little less scary, I am very grateful. My mother said she didn’t mind Page 3 and that there were bigger problems in the world.

Yes, I am aware that there are quite possibly worse things happening to the women of the world than having to see bare breasts in a national, family newspaper, but do we really need to choose what we should find offensive and which social problems we should speak up about? Is it not reason enough that something which is seen by half of the population as “a cheeky bit of fun”, is conversely perceived by the other half as an archaic, offensive, damaging tribute to a time of rampant sexism and mockery of women?

“In a society where so many women a day are sexually assaulted, perpetuating a belief that women are there for men’s sexual pleasure doesn’t seem sensible to me.”

The No More Page 3 campaign started in the summer of 2012 when founder Lucy Holmes found she was left unable to stop thinking about the fact that the largest female image in The Sun newspaper was that of a young woman showing her breasts for men, even though Jessica Ennis had just won her gold Olympic medal and had become the pride of Britain. She wrote this letter to the editor, Dominic Mohan:

Just to clarify, last year:

• 1.2 million women suffered domestic abuse.
• Over 400,000 women were sexually assaulted. 
• 60,000 women were raped and thousands more were stalked. 

Perhaps my mother’s generation, a generation that saw a world reacting to the second wave of feminism, have understandably learned to pick their battles? To only speak out when utterly necessary? I couldn’t be more grateful that their bravery and the experiences that they endured have paved the way for women like me and women like Lucy Holmes to use their freedom to be honest about the things that offend them and to not have to defend their feminist ideals until they are blue in the face.

In no way do my opinions about mass media misogyny air unopposed but thanks to women like my mother, even if Page 3 wasn’t as damaging as I know it to be, I still have the freedom to say: I want it gone, because I don’t like it, I don’t want to see it and I know it doesn’t contribute to the civilised society that I am trying to be a part of!

I am tired of enduring the increasingly weak and tedious “it’s her choice, women should have choices!” excuse. In a society where images of women are made into icons and objects in a way that penetrates us on all levels, where the ultimate goal is to be attractive and anything else is merely a “good for her moment”, has the choice ever really been hers? Or is it that of the men in suits with briefcases and financial projections who formulate our media diet?

In his surprisingly uninformed recent article for the usually journalistically sound Guardian, Paul Connew argues that the only thing that is truly offensive about Page 3 is that it is outdated. He urges the No More Page 3 campaign to calm its “overreaction” and declares that, in all of his ex-Red Top editing wisdom, that “she'll vanish within a year or so anyway”. In an overly simplistic bait-and-switch suggestion, Connew attempts to guide our outrage towards something which he deems more worthy of our efforts; like something that he might find marginally offensive, such as the idea that his children are able to source hard core pornography on the new smart phones he’s given them.

Last week, it was made vividly clear just how seriously our government takes the offence continuously caused by Page 3, with David Cameron rejecting Green Party MP Caroline Lucas’ appeals for the Sun newspaper to be banned from sale Parliament until the photos of topless women on page three had been ommited. I see this as an entirely reasonable request. In fact, I don’t understand why the issue of such rampant sexism being distributed within the walls of the very house where our country’s laws are defined is even still under debate.

But I still dream of the domino effect that may one day be set in motion by finally getting rid of Page 3. For instance, an 11 year old girl looks at her family’s copy of The Sun newspaper (just one of the 7.5million copies read in Britain each day) and on the third page of the publication she sees a pornographic image of a woman, complete with obligatory mocking blurb, unsubtly hinting to an intelligence beyond the reach of this mere topless woman.

Putting aside the instant confusion inherent in the context of the feature, there is the undeniable notion that this person had been displayed in this way to the entire country, in a context that some might almost see as an elevated state of power. This image of an overtly sexualised woman, held up on a national pedestal as something to aspire to, may change the trajectory of this young girl’s life. She may now reach for this very specific idea of what it means so be a successful female and one day become one of the women who has made the “choice” to spend their fleeting youth in the pursuit of becoming this week’s Page 3 girl.

But what if a future generation of impressionable girls were to turn to the third page of their family’s daily newspaper and see a woman, respected for her intellect, achievements and passion, hailed as successful by the exact same measures which define the successful male. What then: an entire generation of women who aspire to an entirely different idea of what it means to be a woman?

If you can quite honestly say that Page 3 really doesn’t offend you in the slightest, well then that’s just lovely for you. Alternatively, it will only take a moment to sign the No More Page 3 petition and no one will judge you, call you a kill joy, man hater or an angry feminist. If something offends you on any level then, plain and simple, that means that it is offensive, and you have the right to speak up about it! So please, please do.

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/dominic-mohan-take-the-bare-boobs-out-of-the-sun-nomorepage3

Oh and also, you’ve just gotta love being able to shop for new clothes whilst supporting a cause. Cut them up, style them up, whatever, but these t-shirts are a fantastic way to show that every day women are not afraid to show that wide scale objectification in our media is not acceptable.

When, yes I’m that sure, WHEN Page 3 is discredited from being the “saucy national institution” which Dominic Mohan claims it to be and is given the gravity is deserves as an undeniable cause and symptom of a society whose passion for reducing the female form to the level of an object is compromising the safety of half of our population in a very real way, I’d like to see the hard work and bravery of those who have spoken out to be well and truly recognised.

I don’t entirely agree with Caroline Lucas’ statement that the Sun should be in the ‘rubbish bin where it belongs”; granted it will never be my news source of choice but I do feel as if it has a place in our media landscape, I just want to see it be a bit better, for all of us and I’d like it to more fairly represent our national voice, one which speaks for women, just as loudly as it does for men!

11 Signs That You're Having A Quarter-Life Crisis

If like me you're around 25 and you'd like to think you got until you’re about 100 years old before you bite the big one, all blue rinse, blue veins and blue WKD, but you have absolutely no idea how the next 75 years are going to play out, then there’s a good chance you may be suffering from a very real quarter life crisis.

According to the Wikigods: “The quarter-life crisis is a period of life following the major changes of adolescence, usually ranging from the late teens to the early thirties, in which a person begins to feel doubtful about their own lives, brought on by the stress of becoming an adult.” 

In all my thoughtfulness I’ve put together a checklist to help you self-diagnose. You’re welcome!

1) Do you? Feel way too old and way too young at precisely the same time; there’s no middle ground!

In no way do you feel old enough to own property, get married or have babies but you do however actually start to have those bastard creeping thoughts telling you to ask yourself: “Is this outfit too young for me?”

NB, it’s probably not.

2) Do you: hear songs that you assume are pretty much still cool or at least semi-fresh, played ironically as “vintage” or “retro” in Topshop?  Recently I have heard Ashanti, Blu Cantrell, Aaliyah, TLC and loads more, which is awesome, but I feel as if I’m enjoying it in the wrong way, like too genuinely.

 

3) Do you: have no idea what Nicky Minaj is and why her face/voice/clothes/hair does that? Where did she even come from?! Is she actually just a knock-off Lisa Left-Eye? Go home Minaj; you’re drunk!

4) Do you: realise that there are certain things that you will NEVER grow out of? So far, mine are: anything to do with Disney, Haribo, Farley’s rusks, dancing around in my pants, my Sega Megadrive, The Spice Girls and any swing set in any park.

I don’t find it weird to appreciate these things in my mid-20’s, awesome stuff will always be awesome, no matter how old you are, and it’s quite nice that when someone tells you as an adult that you’re too old for something, you now know the right words to make sure they never do it again!

 

5) Do you: start to distrust most of the decisions you have made previously in your life, possibly even up to the ones you made this morning? It's become way too easy to say “ I was a kid back then, WTF did I know?!” Would you change your uni course, past/present boyfriends, your career path, where you live, the decision of getting a fringe cut or keeping that dress which you bought and forced yourself to wear because you lost the receipt but it made you look like sausage shaped disco ball with no breasts….it took me YEARS to throw that out!

6) Do you: stop at random intervals in the day and say: “God, that was 10 years ago!”. This is usually said about High School or Beyonce's Crazy in Love.

7) Do you: start arranging a “catch-ups” or “check-ins” with friends? You're no longer just making an appointment to get wasted? 

8) Do you: start to think you may be falling behind with social media? I got as far as Facebook and then thought I was pretty damn with it when I took up with the Tweets. But now everyone’s all: “You’re not on Pinterest, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat and (I don’t know) Bebo?" No, I’m not 'on' every single new way to tell people who don't care that someone bought me a Coke with my name on it! #crackabook!

9) Do you: realise that the “older ladies” in the films you watched as a kid are actually the same age or younger than you! I just got invited to my 10 year high school reunion, I used to think Romy and Michelle were, like, 40?! I'm getting the inkling that, no, actually I don’t have all of the time in the world to piss about, 30 is no longer a magical and horrendous concept (a cautionary tale for twenty-somethings who get too cocky) it’s real and what’s more, it’s five years away!

10) Do you: romanticise about what you could have been if you had made different choices? I sometimes think, “I could have been a dahhhncer!” When really, if I'm honest, when I twirl around more than once I throw up in my mouth, the only time I go on-point is to reach the biscuit jar and some times, I fall over (I’m talking face-planting here), whilst standing completely still! 

11) Do you: get desperate in your comparisons of yourself to people you think are more successful? “It’s ok: that person I went to school with might be married, CEO of their own PR company with an offshoot fashion label and internet empire….but they're three months older than me…..so I've got time………yea, I've got time.”

 

So you're having a quarter-life crisis, what to do now? 

Stop panicking! I know you are and I get why, but just stop it.

You should be moisturising more. However much you moisturise already, just do it more.

Start trying to save up your money, any money, it'll hopefully help you get better with your finances over time; even if you start doing this in seemingly futile, pointless ways. For example, my BFF gave me a money box with Michael Jackson on it for Christmas as a joke (HILAR) but I've now decided that I'm not allowed to enter my apartment with a £1 coin in my purse, or else, Michael gets it. I may be poor but he's sure getting rich!

  
Most importantly, take stock of the progress you’re making because trust me, even if it feels as if you’re not making any, you are!

Try making a little 20’s list! Make a note of at least one thing a year that you've accomplished and that you’re proud of, even if it would seem tiny to other people but it means something to you. It’ll make you feel better and it might help you see where you're headed so you can make sure there’s something to add next year!

Here is mine:

Age 20: Met my first, real life, not made up, actual, serious boyfriend.

Age 21: Graduated University.

Age 22: Took the plunge and had corrective laser eye surgery.

Age 23: Finally got my driver’s licence.

Age 24: Started a little, registered company and invested in building my own skills.

Age 25: Moved city and hooked a relevant job which could actually turn into an enjoyable career.

I’m sure your list will look very different to mine, but your 20’s are important and we’re all so busy that they can just fly by. So take a while here and there to look over the seeds you’ve been planting and appreciate the work you’re putting in, even if no one else does!

5 of The Best: Festivals For Under £100

 

Firstly let me say, I’m no seasoned festival chaser, having only been to a handful over the last few years, however I can honestly say some of the most vivid and blissful moments of my adult life have taken place at music festivals.

I have found myself pulled from the ground and hoisted into the branches of trees, filled with happy revellers with whom to spend the dewing early morning hours. I have been moved to tears, simultaneously with thousands of other like minded people, as a favourite act debuts a new, soon to be classic, song for the first time. I have eaten THE best burrito that money will ever buy and I have wandered through bass filled fields, drink in hand, toke in the other, and truly taken stock of my humble, 20-something year old existence.

When your commute constitutes a stumble from campsite to Main Stage, your only appointments are with your favourite bands and those new hidden jewels of the line up, it just is infinitely easier to be relaxed, centred and authentically yourself.

But obviously the experience comes at a price and I’m not just talking about the price paid by your personal hygiene (oh, the smell of dry shampoo and baby wipes in the morning; am I right ladies?). Luckily, with Britain’s festival culture still bubbling away nicely every summer, there are enough events out there to give a few cheaper options, without skimping on quality; here’s my little guide.

The Hidden Gem: Beacons Festival - Weekend Ticket £99.50

What? Hailed by NME as “a feast of buzz bands and local heroes”, Beacons looks like a really sweet little enterprise, the boutique festival of the North, but with oodles of actual music credibility.

Who? There’s a pretty solid line-up for a new kid on the block, especially one that’s taking place in a relatively unconventional setting….unless you’re filming Emmerdale. Solange, Savages, Bonobo, Django Django, Bondax and Eats Everything are just a few reasons to be excited.

Where? Funkirk Estate, Skipton, in the Yorkshire Dales, lovely stuff!

When? Friday 16th to Sunday 18th August.

Why? It’s also got that family vibe, which I usually count as a bonus. Not because I’m trying to integrate myself into someone else’s family or play with other peoples’ kids. I just find everything feels a little bit safer and nicer and you can always wait until the wee small hours to get your party rocks off in an adults only way all the same!

The Hipster One: Lovebox - Weekend Ticket £99.00

What? Lovebox takes place right in the middle of East London; surrounded by cool kids, scenesters, hipsters, alternatives and probably some other sub-species of faux artisan douche, chomping at the bit to moan about something that would’ve been better if it were sponsored by Urban Outfitters…god I hate that place….did I mention that? Also, sometimes normal people go along too, I think. Any way, it’s got a lot to live up to is what I’m saying. That’s why you can usually depend on a pretty stellar line-up.

Who? There seems to be a pretty heavy dance focus this year, but in a good way, so it’s cool: Azealia Banks, Disclosure, Julio Bashmore, Monki, SBTRKT AlunaGeorge, Camo & Krooked, Netsky, Goldfrapp, Lil Kim (I know, right?!), Purity Ring, Jurassic 5 along with Hospitality’s finest High Contrast, London Elektricity and Lung.

Where? Victoria Park, London. 

When? Friday 19^th to Sunday 21^st of July.

Why? Because all cool points aside, it’s a really good line-up, the organisers totally know what they’re doing and it’s in the heart of the city; that’s a recipe for some serious fun-times!

The Cool One: Farr Festival - Weekend Ticket £75.00

What? In the three years it’s been running Farr has risen to one of the finest underground festivals you can find. The critics are in love with it and organisers clearly have their fingers firmly on the pulse; giving a pretty interesting platform for new acts.

Who? For me at least this one looks like one of those line-ups that you know just enough about to be excited for going but you’re sure to walk away with a head full of new music to explore when you get back into the real world; and I just love those! The bill is like a well selected pick’n’mix of underground up-and-comers and more established acts: Andrew Weatherall, Bicep, Ben Pearce, South London Ordanance to name just a few.

Where? Newnham, Hertfordshire

When? Friday 19^th to Sunday 21^st of July

Why? It's in a forest! An actual forest surrounded by corn fields just outside of London and even though organisers are keen to keep the event on the small side, apparently it gets better every year; I’m keen! And its only £75?!

The Mellow One: Lounge On The Farm - Weekend Ticket £100

What? The name of the game according to LOTF: laziness. Well as this award winning festival is now in it’s 8^th year, I’m guessing the laziness is intended for you, not for them and I’m cool with that. They advocate good food, the best local booze, a laid back atmosphere, sweet beats, spa treatments and gorgeous countryside views; SOLD!

Who? The line-up is looking pretty eclectic with a nice little comedy aspect to boot; Seasick Steve, Jessie Ware, Soul II Soul, Man Like Me, Tribes, Dub Pistols, Stephen K Amos and lots more to be announced.

Where? Merton Farm, Kent

When? Friday 26^th to Sunday 28^th July

Why? This seems like the “good-guy” of boutique festivals; a family-friendly safe site, a local arts and culture focus, social and environmental responsibility, a competent line-up to suit most tastes and it’s affordable. I’ll definitely try and head down to the farm this summer!

The balls-out debauchery-fest: Berlin Festival - Weekend Ticket 89 Euro 

What? Basically, it’s a full on festival take over of one of the hardest partying cities in the world, bringing the biggest international indie, electro and pop acts to the best clubs and venues Berlin has to offer. Wild! 

Who? Clearly a stomping ground for the big boys, with a German edge; we’ve got Blur, Pet Shop Boys, MIA., Villagers, x Röyksopp, Björk, Ellie Goulding and my new summer favesies Parquet Courts.

Where? Paris………………..yea, no, it’s Berlin, stupid.

When? Friday 6^th to Saturday 7^th September  

Why? You literally don’t need me to say another word, do you? You’ve just bought your ticket, right? Just leave your dignity at home and don’t forget to pack your dancing shoes….you’re welcome.