Just A Note

The Soundtrack To My 2012.

2012-01-18T06:11:00.000-08:00

So last week the BBC published their sound of 2012, a catalogue of who they predict will be big in music this year. I was pleasantly surprised by the original 15 strong list, a few of the artist I had heard of before such as Friends, Niki and the Dove, and Dry the River. I was inspired by the list to create my own forecast of suggestion for the Tea and Symphony readers, I spend an increasing amount of time listening to new music so I love it when blogs and magazines print their predictions of new music talent. I have heard an abundance of great music over the last 6 months or so and I have complied a list of bands that I will be listening to more this year, not all the bands are new so to peak but they are all relatively untouched by the mainstream media. Let me know what you think of the list and I am of course always eager to hear what our readers recommend.

TV Girl
If I was to recommend only one band to listen to this year it would be the 3 piece San Diego chill wave ensemble TV Girl. This band first caught the attention of listeners when their digital only released song “If You Want It” became a download hit. Their style is poppy beats mixed with cut up samples and their catchy hooks and hazy funk sound will have you captivated from the very first listen. I instantly fell in love with this band after hearing their short but sweet single “Baby You Where There” and their Benny and The Jetts EP soundtracked the majority of my lazy park lounging summer days. You can hear their EP and other singles on their Bandcamp page and If they have caught your interest then you will be happy to know that they are releasing a full length album at the start of this year.

Similar to - Cults, Summer Camp

Oberhofer
This is the solo project of Tacoma born singer Brad Oberhofer, who I heard through the similar artist page on Last FM of another band I love Opus Orange. His music is low-fi noise pop with a similar sound to Surfer Blood, MGMT and The Smith Westerns. His popular hit “Away Frm U” has fast become a fond favourite of mine and its catchy jangaly sound has secured it as one of my favourite songs of 2011. Although lyrically the song brings into light the pain of heartbreak I challenge you not to whistle along to its happy go lucky tune. Like TV Girl his music has fast become popular though blog mp3 downloads and listener approval, no album or tour has yet to been announced but he is working in a second EP which is set be released this Summer. His first EP titled “o0Oo0O0o” ( Open to pronunciation but I’m going with “Oh”) is available to download now.

Similar to - Pepper Rabbit, Dom

Wise Blood
Wise blood not to be confused with the mid 80s noise rock band of the same name is singer and samplist Christopher Luafman. His sound is a mixed up concoction of witch house and ambient electro hip hop, his melodic hazy loops and samples create a funky pop record that is both soulful and heartening. His latest EP + is available for download via his Bandcamp page and I highly recommend listening to “Nosfeutu” and my personal favourite Wise Blood track “B.I.G E.G.O”

Similar to - Blue Hawaii, Blithe Field

Young Man
Colin Caulfield lead singer of Young Man was bought to media attention by Deerhunters very own lead singer Bradford Cox who stumbled upon Colins cover of Deerhunters own song “Rainwater Cassette Exchange” on Youtube. His sound has been compared to the minimalist shoegaze music of Deerhunter and the dreamy folk echo of Animal Collective and Beach House. His first EP “Boy” was released back in 2010 on French Kiss Records and his follow up LP “Ideas of Distance” was released late September last year. His harmonic spine-chilling sound will draw you back to the hot and rainy days of Summer 2011 but his chilled out tone and folky edge will keep the cold away of the early 2012 winter months. I recommend heading over to his Youtube channel to check his excellent covers of Bon Iver, The Beatles and Animal Collective.

Similar to - Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Panda Bear

Bad Sports
These Texan garage rock five piece first caught my attention early last summer when I stumbled upon one of their mp3s on The Hype Machine. I am massive fan of the Detroit garage punk rock sound of the 1960s and its counter parts that followed but last year I found that there was a distinctive lack of good garage rock bands making waves on the music scene. Bands seemed to have discarded the rough and edgy sound of the scratchy punk era and had taken on a more surf punk reverberation. Although I have a big love for surf punk and understand that this genre is a progressive element of the original punk rock scene it seemed to be an overplayed genre that was becoming consistent and boring. Bad Sports mix the together of the early sound The Ramones with upbeat catchy guitar rifts and the fast tempo and rawness of the garage punk sound that I had been looking for. Their first album “Kings of The Weekend” is available now to buy..

Similar to - Two Wounded Birds, The Ramones, Bass Drum Of Death, Harlem

Young Prisms
Young Prisms are psychedelic beach-pop band hailing from San Francisco, who states Charlton Heston and the California coast as their music style influences This band have been around a couple of years now and where hyped as the sound of 2010 but their first album “Friends For Now” was only released in January last year. They have been on my listen to list for a long while now and it was only a couple of months ago that I finally got round to streaming their album. They have dark shoegaze undertone to their music with a yawning guitar rock beat but it is their drony tempo that categorise this band under the genre of the mid 80s shoegaze sound. Their début album “Friends For Now” has received mixed reviews from the press, the album melts into one long delicate wall of noise which by some have been criticized as sounding lazy but it is their resonant deep sound that I like and I hope that this year they get the full recognition they deserve.

Similar to Echo Lake, No Joy, Eternal Summers

Caveman
If you search for Caveman online you won’t find a lot of information on this band apart for the fact there is a free jazz and world band of the same name but this band are a New York five piece who’s synthy low fi tempo has been hyped by social networking sites and blogs. They embodied a floaty folk indie melody and lead singer Matthew Iwanusa creates a relaxed chill out vibe similar to that of the previously mentioned Young Man. Coco Beware is a superb debut album for a band that was and I guess still is relatively unknown but if you like your music leisurely and affecting then their light and slow breeze sound will entice you.

Similar to - Grizzly Bear, The Shins

Gauntlet Hair
I honestly cant remember how I came across this band I think it was possibly though the similar artist section on Spotify or Last FM but either way am glad I stumbled across them, they have a similar low-fi shoe gaze style to Caveman but with a mix of upper tempo rhythm and blues combination. One on-line blog described this band as a lush hypnotic dreamscape and I can understand this statement as lead singer Andy R voice is mechanical and howling. Again this band have been around for a couple years now but their first self titled album was only released late last year and it is only now that they are starting to gain more significant attention from the media press.

Similar to - Panda Bear , Dominate Legs, Lower Dens

Howler
The story behind this band according to rumours is that they where signed to Rough Trade Records after their demo was played just once to the labels A&R team who then without a second hesitation immediately singed up this band. Born and bred in Minneapolis, Minnesota lead singer Jordan Gatesmith only first picked up a guitar five years ago but you can hear on their début EP “This Ones Different” that he has quickly learned and mastered the instrument. Sourcing his influences as 60s garage rock and 80s punk he highly praises fellow Rough Trade artist The Strokes and The Libertines among his favourite bands and you can hear their influential impact in Howlers quirky rockabilly garage rock infused EP “This Ones Different” that translates a indie pop narrative on love and heartbreak . Their début LP “America Give Up” is set to be released in January of 2012 and you can catch them next month as they embark on a UK tour and a headline spot at The Lexington or better yet like me see them perform live for free at Rough Trade at the end of this month.

Similar to - Girls, Mazes

Alabahm Shakes
Originally called the Shakes, this band have been described as soul revival which to me is more then a statement but a true fact. Lead singer Brittney Howard voice is a wail of vintage soulful blues that reminds me of Nannie Sharpe of Penny and the Quarters mixed with a hint of Etta James. They have just signed to Rough Trade Records in the UK and already have two sell out shows at the Boston Arms in London. With hype from former White Stripes singer Jack White and Arctic Monkeys front man Alex Turner this band have a strong support team behind them. If you only listen to one song by this band please let it be their 60s garage blues heart wrenching song “I found You”
.
Similar to - Penny and The Quarters, Otis reading,

2012 by Jacinta Fox on Grooveshark

Other bands to check out - Jacuzzi Boys, DOM, Being There, Opus Orange, La Femme, The Dodos, Dirty Beaches, King Krule, Moon Duo, Rich Aucoin, Peaking Lights, Times New Viking, Future Birds, Bass Drum of Death, Patterns.

Tea, Cake, Pina Colada?

2012-01-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New everyone, I hope you all have a fun and festive time over the last few weeks. Unfortunately Christmas is only once a year and now that it has been and gone it is time to get back to normal day to day activities, that means no more mince pies for lunch or lazing on the sofa watching a John Candy film marathon (maybe that was just me). I always find January to be a dull and boring month, you’ve spent all your money on Christmas, there are no holidays to look forward to and its still really cold outside. January is the month to avoid overspending but it doesn’t mean you have to become a social recluse. One the greatest things in life are the simple pleasures (and the cheap ones too) and for me this includes my favourite activity of all afternoon tea. Anybody who knows me will know that this is like a weekly hobbies for me and I enjoy nothing more then drinking a pot of Earl Grey, eating a slice of carrot cake and having a good old catch up with my two best friends Zenobie and Ajeet.

So if you are stuck for things to do or places to go this month then here are my top 5 favourite spots for tea and cake.

1. Drink, Shop, Do

Where: 9 Caleadoian Road, Kings Cross.

Why:Originally a pop up shop in Turman Brewery in East London Drink Shop Do is the brain child of two old school friends Kristie and Coralie. Drink , Shop, Do first opened back in 2009 and is a hub for all things tea, cake and craft related. It combines everything I could ever want under one roof and is the only place in London that I know where you can drink Pina Colada, dance to David Bowie and eat Pic-a-mix all at the same time. I could possibly spend everyday there and is without a doubt my favourite place in London. The “drink” part is the café and bar which during the day resemble your grandmothers living room with vintage crockery, comfy arm chairs, crochet dollies and the inviting smell of homemade cake while at night the tearoom offers up retro cocktails to sip along with your cucumber sandwiches while you dance along to retro indie hits.The “shop” is found at the front entrance and sells everything you would need to kit out your house in the kitsch vintage style of the 1960s, most items are handmade and include teapots, badges, jewellery, books, sweets and even oven gloves. The “do” is my favourite part and each week a variety of quirky craft events and game nights take place. My recommended do’s are Build Your Own Hover Craft Night, Scrabble Sunday and Indie Bingo. I highly advise to check out Dot-to-Dot Disco night coming up on the 20th of this month, I mean would could be more fun then joining dots to 70s and 80s disco music.

2.The Secret Tea Room

Where: The Horse and Coach Pub on Greek Street Soho.

Why:Not really a secret anymore this quaint little tea room can be found above the Coach and Horse pub on Greek Street. This is where the secret part comes in as in order to find it you have to go through the middle of the bar towards the pub kitchen and then up a spiral stair case. This can be quite intimidating at first especially if its your first visit but just ask the bar staff. When you finally reach the first floor the tearoom is located to your left and immediately you feel like you have stepped into a time warp. The room is decked out with fabulous 40s décor preserved like a time capsule (minus the plasma tv) The room itself is quite small and walking around upstairs feels like you are intruding in on someone’s home but the atmosphere is a homely one with lace curtains, granny chic floral crockery and fresh flowers on every table, they even have 1940s jazz playing from an old turn table in the corner. Although the prices don’t match the era this place wont break the budget., aafternoon tea here which includes a full pot of tea and a selection of sandwiches or cakes coat around £13 for two. A real bargain and an experience.

3.Yumchaa

Where: Camden, Soho and Goodge Street.

Why:What makes Yumchaa unique from other cafes and teahouses is that all their teas are made from pure loose tea leaves. According to the experts who work at Yumchaa tea leaves need room to swell, expand, and unfurl. Without the hindrance of the teabag and the addition of boiling hot water the leaves are allowed to fully breath and the result produce a more intense flavour. I first heard about Yumchaa from Zenobie a few years ago, I think we have spent a good part of our 12 year friendship trying out all of London’s teashops and this is by far one of the best. It’s a great place to take a book and come and relax and with a extensive variety of tea available to try you could spend a whole afternoon in there. Yumchaa has grown in popularity over the years since it started out as a small stall in Camden Lock, a regular place for students and fanatical tea lovers it can now be found in 3 location in London. A pot of tea here is around £4 and there is a again a wide selection of cakes and sandwich available from as cheap as £2.

4. Le Pain Quotidien
Where: Numerous London locations
Why:I first heard about Le Pain Quotiden or The Daily Bread in French from Ajeet, one of their many bakery’s is located directly next to the hair salon where he buys his hair products from (I mean this literally the smell of hairspray is intense and you can watch people having their hair cut next to you) Similar to Pual’s this is a Belgium founded now international world known chain restaurant. There are a wide range of lunches, dinners and deserts dishes to pick from but what makes this place a favourite of mine is the gigantic scones they make. PQ is renowned for its rustic fresh from the oven baked goods and bread and their man mountain scones are one of the best I have ever tasted. I challenge anyone who goes here to try and finish one.

5.Laduree

Where : Covent Garden (Flagship) Harrods, Burlington Arcade and Bank.

Why:Ladurée is famous for its sweet treats and indulgent cakes but its most famous export is their ever so careful crafted macaroon. Theses little delights are like miniature pieces of heaven and it is fair to say that Laduree make the best macaroons in the world. I first indulge in the Laurdee dining experience last Spring when they opened their first flagship restaurant in Covent Garden and being the tea and cake fiend that I took the afternoon off and headed down with my fellow macaroon lover Zenobie.When you first step into Ladurée it is pretty spectacular, almost museum like, you are greeted by a tall glass counter adorning ever flavour macaroon you could think of. The mirrored walls embellish that Parisian chic atmosphere and you feel like you in Paris France. Upstairs the dining area is just as breath taking, a terrace to your left with great views of the market and to your right a lavish sitting area decorated with plush velvet sofas and fine china, a restaurant good enough for Marie Antoinette to eat in.Laurdaree is little more on the expensive side compared to the other places I have mentioned but its quality not quantity here and their macaroons are perfection. A pot of tea and a selection of macaroons cost about £10-15 per person.

Post also found here

Happy New Year!!

2011-12-31T02:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody. See you in 2012. :)

Christmas Baking 2 - Mince Pies

2011-12-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

You cant celebrate Christmas without indulging in a few mince pies. There is even a Christmas superstition that states the more mince pies you eat at Christmas the happier you will be next year . I think that means I am going to really jolly happy then,

Mince Pies

Ingredients
225g plain flour
50g sugar
140g butter
2 small egg
280g mincemeat.

The make a simple short crust pastry dough mix together using your fingertips the flour and butter to form a crumbly breadcrumb mix.

Add the sugar and 1egg and mix together with a fork and then using your hands knead the mix into a dough .

If the dough doesn’t form easily or is too dry then add 1-2 teaspoons or water or if it is too wet then add flour until you get the tight consistency.

Let it sit in fridge for an hour to set.

Dust down your surface and a rolling pin with plain flour and roll out the dough to abut 2-3mm.

Using a round dough pattern cutter, cut out the bases and lids for your mince pies. Alternatively use a star shaped cutter for the lids for a more Christmassy feel.

Now to add your mincemeat, I used store bought mincemeat which should be available from all supermarkets,. Its quicker and easier to buy your own pre made mincemeat but if you have the time and want to make your own then there are plenty of recopies available online.

Place your bases in a light greased bun (patty ) tin and scoop in about 1-2 teaspoons of mincemeat, place your lid on top and using a beaten egg glaze over the top.

Put in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Place on an iron rack to cool and finish with a dusting of icing.

Happy New Year. See you in 2012!!

Christmas Baking - Gingerbread Men

2011-12-26T05:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!! I seem to have neglected my little blog for a while now but I have been busy busy seeing friends, working on my other blog Tea and Symphony and preparing and baking for Christmas. I have spent the last 2 weeks in my kitchen baking like a crazy person so there has been little time for anything else and not much to blog about. The last two days have been spent lazing about, drinking, eating watching bad tv and making a Christmas cake for the Fox family Christmas dinner. This week will probably be the same and I think that applies to everybody I mean what else is there to do at Christmas expect indulge and be lazy.

To make up for my lack of posting her are two Christmassy recipes for gingerbread men and mince pies and yes even though Christmas day has been and gone we are still in the festive period so its ok to snack on festive food.

Gingerbread Men

Ingredients
350g plain flour
175g brown sugar
100g butter
1 small egg
4/5 tablespoons of golden syrup
2 teaspoons of ginger
1 teaspoon or bicarbonate of soda.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4

To make the pastry first mix togther your dry ingredinets in a large bowl.

Add the butter and mix the indgredients togther using your finger tips. The mixture should resemble breadcrumbs.

Next add your wet indgredints, the gilden syrup and 1 egg.

Beat the mixture with a fork and the using your hands knead together to form a dough.

Place in the fridge to set for about an hour

Dust your work surface with plain flour and roll out your dough using a rolling pin again dust this with flour to avoid it stick into the dough. Roll it out till it is about 1 cm thick

Using a gingerbread man shaped cutter, cut out your shapes. I found that dough was siuffient enough to make around 15 gingerbread men.

Place on a non stick tray and put in the oven on the top shelf for about 15 mintures

Take out of the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack, once cool decorate with a confectionary of your choice

These make great last minute gift idea, stocking filler or even edible Christmas tree decorations.

Independent Label Market

2011-12-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday my friend Zenobie and I ventured down to Old Spitalfields market in East London for the Independent Record Labels Market. This one off event is being held to help raise support for the record labels who fell victim to the PIAS/Sony warehouse fire in Enfield that occurred during the London riots this summer.

Around 165 independent record labels where effected by the fire including the legendry Rough Trade Records, Fat Cat, Banquet and Dominos. Entire back catalogues where destroyed in the blaze and the attack has seen major repercussions within the music industry, significantly to trade for the smaller labels associated with the PIAS group who’s main income and finical security relies solely on distribution and sales of albums and singles. Unlike some of the bigger independent label such as Dominos or Fat Cat who income not only comes from record sales but from gig tickets and merchandise, smaller labels will struggle to stay afloat as they do not have the finical capital to represses more records. It is not only the record labels that have suffered though but the artists and record stores too, as release dates for albums and singles have been postponed and records stores have been left with little or no stock to sell.

Events like this are a great way to bring music fans, artist and record labels together and it is chance for the smaller labels to help raise their profile. The fair even saw some celebrity stall sellers including Roots Manuva, Pete and the Pirates and Mercury Prize winner Speech Debelle.

I managed to come away with some excellent finds including a Vincent Vincent and the Villains On My Own 7-inch single, a Sebastian Tellier promo CD for the Narco soundtrack and a White Stripes re-released Lafayette Blues/Sugar Never Tasted So Good 7-inch. Truthfully I could have spent a large quantity of money there, many people don’t know this about me but I have an fanatical love of vinyl and although I could never live without my iPod there is something quite special about a vinyl record.

I have my favourite and trusted haunts for buying vinyl, usually charity shops, carboot sales, record fairs or stealing from various family members. I have built up a small collection over the years, not near enough to fill an entire room yet but a small shelf in my bedroom, but my love for vinyl is a passionate one and I anticipate that the shelf in time will grow into my own record room.

A selection of my favourite LP's, you may notice the small stickers in the corner and that because every time I buy a new one I number it. (don't ask why)

Some of my records are in a bit of worse for ware kind of state but some of them are originals (and still play well) including a copy of London Calling by The Clash and Going Underground by The Jam.

The rough and scratchy sound of vinyl is something that is incomparable and unique, the raw sound of the moment of when song was recorded is capture in the groove of the record. Technology unlike the digital re-mastering of CD’s has untainted that moment and like a photograph has immortalised that recording. Some music was made for vinyl and digital re-mastering takes the sound and soul out of the record but it is not just the rough fragile sound that I love about Vinyl but owning the physical record is important to me. I love detail that goes into album cover, the artwork, the pictures, the thanks you’s and the in-jokes in the liner notes are all a quality that do not come with an MP3.

While most people see Vinyl as a dwindling and non significant format for listening to music vinyl has shown that it does have an important place within music. Vinyl sales have seen a increase in popularity on par with CD’s in recent years thus proving that vinyl not only bridges the generational gap with its buyers but in terms of technological enhancements is a long withstanding format which has already seen cassettes tapes come and go and maybe in time CD’s too.

Thanks to events like this and shops like Rough Trade, Sister Ray and yes even HMV still sells Vinyl its place in the music industry will be an eternal and memorable one and that surely does deserve a certain level of respect.

Jacinta's Christmas Playlist

2011-12-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

It is a Christmas tradition for me every year to compile a new Christmas playlist, put on my favourite Christmas jumper and decorate our Christmas tree. I always worry about when the right time is to start listening to Christmas music I am one of those annoying people that gets really excited about Christmas early on in the year and I usually start planning my festive activities in early November.

But the thing about Christmas is that it is only once a year and it is my favourite time of year and what I love about is that it is full of old time traditions. In keeping with the tradition of the 12 days of Christmas here is my choice of 12 Christmassy songs to get you in the festive mood. The list is a mix of genres, from surf rock to folk to mowtown to rap. Thanks to my grandfather I grew up listening to a lot of Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby records, this man probably owns every vinyl record that they ever made so in dedication to him I had to include one of their songs on the list. The rest of the playlist is a mix of some old favourites, stuff that I have heard through friends and songs I have come across randomly by chance over the years. Enjoy!

1. Andy Williams - The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2. The Beach Boys - Merry Christmas, Baby

3. Eels - Christmas Is Going To The Dogs

4. Galaxie 500 - Listen, The Snow Is Falling

5. The White Stripes - Candy Cane Children

6. She and Him - Have Your Self A Merry Little Christmas

7. Slow Club - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

8. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

9. The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride

10. The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)

11. The Kinks - Father Christmas

12. Bright Eyes - Blue Christmas

Jacinta's Christmas Playlist by Jacinta Fox on Grooveshark

You can find this playlist and more (a whole 11 hours of festive goodness) on my Spotify here.

This post can also be found on Tea and Symphony

Just a Note

2011-12-05T05:56:00.000-08:00

I want to quickly just mention a new blog that I am doing with my two friends Zenobie and Ajeet, similar to this blog we will be posting on all things craft, baking, film, music and London related. The new blog will sort of be a sister site to this one as my posts on here will be similar if not the same as the one I am posting on the new blog. I don’t want to give up this blog but I don’t have enough time or post worthy material for both. Anyway please check it out and follow us.

http://www.teaandsymphony.com/

Thank you.

J

Bandstand Busking with Forest Fire and Lulu and The Lampshades.

2011-12-05T05:47:00.000-08:00

One my favourite things about living in London is the diverse amount of fun and free things to do here, it is almost impossible to be bored here and to quote Samuel Johnson “when a man is tired of London he is tired of life”. London has an exceptional arts and culture scene and there is always a free art show, exhibit or gig happening everyday for free for people to enjoy.

One of my favourite free things to do in London is to attend Bandstand Busking, for those of you unfamiliar with Bandstand Busking it is a project that was set up in 2008 in which bands play free gigs in bandstands around London's parks and gardens. These gigs have seen some great artist play in the past including Black Lips, Fanfarlo, Slow Cluband The Guillemots to name but a few. The gigs are held mainly during the summer and winter months starting around May and ending in early December. Announcements for gigs are via their website, twitter and Facebook page. This is something I became interested in last year and I have tried to attended as many Bandstand Busking gigs as possible, it is a fantastic scheme that brings people and music together for free and is great way for people to discover new bands.

Last Sunday was the last Bandstand Busking gig of this year and it certainly ended on a high with two great bands each playing a 30 minute acoustic set. First up was Forest Fire an indie alternative rock band from New York lead by front man Mark Thresher. Their sound can be describe as low-fi folk with bluesy raw guitar overtones, this band are a new addition to my playlist and their folky garage rock sound has certainly intrigued my interest. Playing both old, new and never before heard material the bands set was a played down acoustic affair compared to their more heavier sounding album performance but still with magnetic effect enhanced by Marks raspy vocal tones and grinding guitar rifts. This is defiantly a band to look out for next year, their debut album Survival was named by Rough Trade as one of their Top Ten records of 2009 and their follow up album Staring at the X which was released last month Fat Cat records and has already received positive reviews from the press including a high star rating from Pitchfork and Drowned in Sound.

Forest Fire warming up

Forest Fires performing

Up next was pop folk London based four piece Lulu and The Lampshades, notable to mention as one of Bandstands Busking most watched bands having already performed this summer at Northampton Square and returning now as the headline act at Arnold Circus. This band are notorious for their unique and inventive choice of instruments playing everything from cups, bowls, yogurt pots, and typewriters. This band have a happy go lucky twee sound which can be interpreted as upbeat power pop with a playful tone that reminisces your favourite kids cartoon. Sitting crossed legged on the floor surrounded by their array of interesting home made instruments Lulu and the Lampshade played a exclusive and whimsical set with again some old and new songs that warmed up the chilling haze of the cold December afternoon. Like Forest Fire, Lulu and The Lampshades are new on my musical radar but I am as sucker for anything folksy or jangly so I will be playing close attention to this band. If you are a fan of bands like Peggy Sue, Emmy the Great or Slow Club then this is a band for you to check out. Their EP Cold Water is available now to buy from Moshi Moshi records.

Lulu and The Lampshades

For more information and gigs updates from Bandstand Busking please check out their website and Facebook

The Tea And Coffee Festival

2011-11-23T02:54:00.000-08:00

Last weekend saw the return of the Tea and Coffee Festival to the Southbank’s centre square, previously held back in May, this year the festival returns once again for the festive season to celebrate all things tea and coffee. In my opinion there is only one choice between the two popular beverages, you are either a tea lover like myself or a coffee fanatic, but this festival alters to all caffeine and non caffeine drinkers as the festival host a schedule of activates and demonstrations for all.

With exhibitors such as The East Indian Company and Bean About Town, the stalls where stocked with array of all kinds of aromatic blend coffee and flavoursome tea from around the world, as well as a plenty of cakes, biscuits, sandwiches and hot savoury dishes for those feeling peckish. As well as delicious food and drink to sample there was a multitude of exhibits, demonstrations and talks for festival goers to enjoy for free, including a baking demonstration with Caroline Hope, an Ethiopian coffee ceremony and a talk on the art of afternoon tea.

One of the highlights of the weekend for me though was getting to taste one of Café On macaroons who where recently voted by Time Out Magazine as one of the best macaroon bakers in London. Theses French almond and sugar based cookies are a chic popular fancy in Paris but thanks to French delicatessens such as Paul’s, Pierre Herme and Laduree these delicate mini migraines are fast becoming popular in the UK. Macaroons are known to come in a variety of flavours and these sweet treats are open to experimental flavour concoctions. Café On in particulate has introduced a variety of new mixes to their menu, with such flours as Charcoal and Jasmine Tea, Asian Honeydew Melon and Margarita Cocktail. It was a hard choice to make but sticking with what I know best I opted for one of their Earl Grey favoured macaroon. Light, crunchy and full of flavour I defiantly agree with their placement as one London’s best Macaroon and at only £1.90 a pop it was hard to resist buying up all the samples.

This festival proved to be popular with the public and was packed out the entire weekend I am certain it will return once again next year. A great event to tantalise your taste buds this festival was defiantly my cup of tea.

My Favourite Albums of 2011

2011-11-20T14:19:00.000-08:00

So I think everybody does these kind of list towards the end of the year and I always enjoy reading other people thoughts and opinion of what they have been enjoying over the course of the past year. It is also a great way to recommend people to new music, books or film so I hope my list inspire my readers to get listening.

I found compiling this list a hard and painstaking task since I love music so much and this year in particular has seen a mammoth amount of great albums released, even now I am no so sure if I picked the right ones (or forgotten some!). Although my top 10 is in no particular order the album that sits on number one was without a doubt my favourite album of 2011. I happened to discover Beirut in the most odd and extraordinary way a couple of years ago when a random stranger inboxed me with a Youtube link to Beirut’s “Elephant Gun” and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros “Home” I immediately fell in love wit both bands and odd as a statement as it is I cant imagine not ever listen to theses bands now. By some random act of kindness they have both become two of my all time favourite bands. I tried to email back the kind stranger but he deleted his profile and all forms of contact. To this day I am forever obliged to this person and think that his gesture was a charming and sweet idea….so get emailing.

My Top 10:

1.Beirut - Rip Tide
2.Cults - Cults
3.Metronomy - The English Rivera
4.The Horrors - Skying
5.Big Deal - Lights Out
6.Pete and the Pirates - One Thousand Pictures
7.The Rapture - In The Grace Of Your Love
8.Foster The People - Torches

9.I Break Horses. - Hearts
10.The Black Keys - Brother

Other albums I loved:

The Raveonettes - Raven In The Grave, The Strange Boys - Live Music, The Kills - Blood Pressure, Noah and The Whale - Last Night On Earth, Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Fleet Foxs - Helplessness Blues, . Ducktails - Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics. Real Estate - Days, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical, Artic Monkeys - Suck It And See, Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Cloud Nothings - Cloud Nothings, Florence and The Machine - Ceremonials, The Drums - Portamento, French Films - Imaginary Future, Feist - Metals, Radiohead - The King Of Limbs, Love Inks - E.S.P, Rich Aucoin - We’re All Dying To Live.

Albums to look forward to in 2012:
Passion Pit
Maccabees
The Stone Roses
TV Girl
The Cribs
Paul McCartney
Mystery Jets
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

Skating in a winter wonderland.

2011-11-17T05:12:00.000-08:00

The last time I went Ice-skating was about 8 years ago for my friends birthday, it was not a pleasant experience to say the least and it still makes me cringe to this day. I had never been ice skate before and had no idea what to do but I was willing to give it a go and see if I could be the next Jayne Torvill. Needless to say I spent the first 15 minutes on the ice clinging to my friends hand for dear life and then the next hour clingy onto the side while a stream of rowdy teenagers hurtled passed me as I tried to control my fear of loosing a finger if I fell. After that day I came to the conclusion that it was not the activity for me and vowed never to go again.

Well that vow was broken last week as me and Zenobie, filled with festive merriment, headed down to the Natural History Museums newly opened ice rink. The ice rink here has been a long-established fixture for the past few years and is always the first one to open for the Christmas season. Unfortunately just like last time my fear of falling over and accidental finger loss still remained and although I think I did a lot better then last time I was still pretty rubbish (although not the worst one there) Set against the fairytale esc backdrop of the Natural Museum and Victorian market next door the twinkly lights in the trees created a subtle festive atmosphere. I would go again but next time It will have to with someone who promised never to let go of my hand.

I erased the traumatic memories of the last few hours with a gingerbread latte and a mince pie.

If trying to balance yourself on ice is not your thing then area whole host of festive activates going on this winter and one that I have been looking forward to since last year is taken place right now in Covent Garden. Cute animals are defiantly more my thing and this year every Saturday on the plaza Santa’s reindeer have taken time out of their busy Christmas schedule for some reindeer petting and feeding. Again if reindeer petting is not your thing, although you must have a heart of stone for it not to be, there are an array of festive treats to feast your eyes on around the area including a digital nativity display, enamours Christmas baubles decorations, an even bigger Christmas tree and a hand made craft market taking place within the plaza.

I have assortment of fun festive actives planned for the next couple of months which I will blog about and since I am making all my presents this year I don’t have to worry about the stresses of Christmas shopping. I look forward to many a mince pies and mulled wine this year.

Jamming - Spiced Apple Jam

2011-11-15T05:17:00.000-08:00

So finally winter has set in winter coats, gingerbread lattes and building snowmen are just some of the things I enjoy about this time of year but it also means that Christmas is coming. I know I shouldn't mention the dreaded C word so early but this year I am doubly excited as me and my friends have planed to make this Christmas a homemade one so everything we make we be handcrafted.

After much deliberation about what to make them and after watching Kristie Home Made Britain I though I would give a hand at making jam. So far my baking skills are restricted to pastries, cakes and biscuits but I try to make something every week and I pushing myself to get a bit more technical in the kitchen,. Jam if made right is not complicated to make at all and is simple ideal gift for anyone.

Ingredients

1kg Cooking Apples

1kg Jam Sugar

450ml Water

5 Teaspoons Cinnamon

Glass Jam Jars

1 Large Cooking Pot.

Before you begin make your jam you must sanitise your jam jars in order to prevent bacteria growing and to preserve the longevity of your jam. There are many ways to sanitise your jars but I found the most effective and easy way is to leave them to soak in boiling water for 5 minutes and then to place them in the oven on a low heat (gas mark 3 is fine) for 10 minutes and then to turn the heat off and leave the jars in the oven until you jam is ready to be stored.

To make the Jam it self peel, core and finely chop your cooking apples and place in a large cooking pot filled with cold water. Place the pot on a low to medium heat and add to the pot your jam sugar and cinnamon. Leave to let the apples soften only stirring occasionally to stop the apple from sticking to the sides and to stop the jam from over boiling and burning. If your jam stars to bubble then lower the heat or take off the stove for a few minutes. Place it back on once it is cooler and allow to set for about 15-20 minutes.

Once the mixture starts to thicken and resembles a gelatine like substance it is time to test whether your jam has reached its setting point. To test the jams setting point place a teaspoon in the fridge for 5 minutes and once cold spoon a little of the jam liquid and place back in the fridge for another 5 minutes. You will know you jam is ready of the liquid has turned into a gel like substance. It should wrinkle when you push it with your finger and should slide slowly off the spoon like jelly.

If your jam has passed the spoon test then it is ready for preserving, while the mixture is still hot take out your jars from the oven and pour your jam into the jars and fill to the top. Screw on your jam jar lids tightly so that no air can get in or out. If your lid makes a popping sound when you press down then the lid then your seal is damaged and cant be used.

Finally place your jam in the fridge to allow fully set. It should be ready to eat within a few hours but it is best to leave it until the next day to ensure the it is the right consistency.

Here are the fruits of my labour. Picture credit to Queen Of Carrot Flowers

"Oh nothing's perfect; I'm hoping I'll do"

2011-11-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

It has been over two years since the last Macacbees album Wall Of Arms was released but last month it was announced by the band that their third studio album “Given to the Wild” would be released January next year. This news was shortly followed by the announcement of a short UK tour around the country’s smaller intimate venues. I have been a massive fan of the Maccabees ever since the band first released “Colour it in” back in 2007, I unfortunately missed out several times seeing them live so when it was announced that tickets for their new tour would be going on sale in record stores only I made sure I was up early to head down to Sister Ray to purchase two tickets.

Taking to the stage at Village Underground in East London, the band opened with two new songs "Pelican” and "Feel to Follow”. While the new songs seemed to engage the audience it only until the furious guitar picking sound of the opening cord of Lego was played that the cowed fully immersed into a chaotic frenzy of hand swaying and pogoing. The set list was a mix of the first two albums including crowd pleasers “Love You Better” and “Precious Time” which the crowd gleefully sand along to in unison, A lack of their more slower paced songs such as Bag Of Bones (a favourite of mine) and hit song Toothpaste Kisses where sadly left off the set list but it was none the less a great performance and the band played with a fuelless energy and intensity. Finishing as they started with another new song "Grew Up At Midnight" , the new album sounds as though the Maccabees have taken on a darker post rock sound compared to the last two records, I eagerly wait to hear it the new album in full early next year and again I will be first inline for ticket to their next London show.

Keeping it Peel

2011-10-25T03:40:00.001-07:00

'I just want to hear something I haven’t heard before' - John Peel

A short post for today and a dedication to one of my all-time heroes John Peel who today seven years ago passed away. For those of you that are unfamiliar with John Peel he was notable most famous for the now legendry Peel sessions, Radio One and his aptitude for playing music at the wrong speed. He was a pioneer of new music and his radio broadcast where an assorted mix of genres from reggae to indie, hip-hop to soul and much more beyond . One of John Peels greatest talents was his ability to spot talent, his radio show establish the careers of many now famous bands and musicians including T Rex, The White Stripes, The Fall and The Smiths.
His open mindedness and eclectic taste is what make him my hero, I remember as a teenager staying up late to listen to his radio one show, he has introduced me to so many bands and is one the reasons why I love music so much and why I try to listen to as much new music as possible.
　
Here he is appearing with Rod Stewart and The Faces on an episode of Top Of The Pops playing the mandolin.

"I have to think these things up"

2011-10-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

I had my first visit to Chiswick boot fair at the start of the month, accompanied by my car boot expert and fellow bargain enthuses Zenobie, and Ajeet we spend a very hot a sunny Sunday trawling trough the endless rows of bric a brac. Held every first Sunday of the month it one of London’s most popular and biggest boot fairs ( I even spotted Jarvis Cocker browsing for a deal). Held in the grounds of the local school the stalls seem to go on forever, a huge mix of vintage crockery, vinyl, fur coats and bizarre nic nacs. Overwhelmed with the array of quirky items for sale I only came out with one excellent find a fully working rotary dial phones form the 1970s.

On Thursday night I went a Grey Gardens party and film showing at The book club in Old street East London. I highly recommend this comical and entertaining documentary as a must see and if if like me you are a fan of crazy cat ladies that who keep racoons in their attic and sing show tunes then this is a definite must. For those who have not seen the movie the film is a portrayal of the squandered lives of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale "Big Edie" and her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale "Little Edie”, Aunt and cousin of the former first lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Recluses to society, the two women live in a broken down and dilapidated old country mansion called Grey Gardens. The film is notorious for Little Edie’s style, catchphrases and the eccentric style of living of these two women.

The night itself was a fitting tribute to the movies, hosted by the underground film night Amy Grimehouse, the night offered a group sing-along of “Two For Tea” cocktails, cats and free sweets. Some dedicated fans of he film even turned up in their, what Little Edie would describe as “the best costume for the day” Although now a cult classic amongst audiences the film is a endearing and honest look into the real life of theses two women who’s story tells the hardship and loss they have both experienced.

Hampton Court Gardens

2011-09-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

I guess I was too quick to say summer was drawing to a close as it now seems to be back again with vengeance, it is not just hot its really really hot with temperatures topping 28 degrees. I have been taken full advantage of this beautiful weather with long strolls in the park and alfresco lunches with friends

Last Thursday me Zenobie and Ajeet took a delightful trip to the gardens of Hampton Court Place, although it wasn’t as warm as it has been this week the weather was perfect enough for a picnic and horse and cart ride around the palace grounds. There is no better way to see the gardens in their entirety then being pulled around by two enormous shire horses.

The formal gardens cover 60 aches of land including and include array of shrubbery and wildlife, tickets to get into the to gardens are around £5 which is reasonable for such am astonish piece or horticulture.

On Sunday me and some old school friends headed down to the V&A for the London designs festival British-ish exhibition, which this year included work by an old school friend Joanna Mires. The exhibit celebrates the best work of graduates from the University of The Arts and includes an range of different pieces such as fashion, graphic art, sculpture and ceramics. Joanna’s piece, titled “Sweet Honesty”, is the look at nostalgia and ownership thought the objects or trinkets we own. All the objects are second hand and where all owned and used by someone else. The fireplace was bought second hand for £20 from a house in Wimbledon and the recast Avon bottles are all car boot sale and eBay finds.

The exhibit is unfortunately now over but I am sure we will we see more of her remarkable work in the future.

Precious Time

2011-09-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Will blog soon, haircut, work portfolios, art shows, picnics, job interviews and car boot sales have been keeping me busy as a bee.

In the meantime here is a video for one of my favourite bands The Maccabees who are playing next month at the Village Underground. I got up at 6am to get to Sister Ray in Soho to get my hands on those tickets. Fan dedication!

Oatmeal and raisin cookies

2011-09-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

A fairly quite weekend last week, my uncle came over to visit the family from Ireland on Saturday. On Sunday after watching a matron run of The Great British Bake Off I decided I had to bake something, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to make so had a rummage in our kitchen and decided to make something with whatever we had in the cupboards. The result was oatmeal and raisin cookies:

Ingredients

1 medium egg
90g butter
120g self raising flour
120g brown sugar
60g porridge oats
160g raisins
1 tps honey

Pre heat the oven to Gas mark 4

Beat together the sugar and butter until smooth, add one egg until the sugar has dissolved. Gradually shift the flour into the mixture and stir until the mixture is smooth, Add in the raisins and porridge oats and one tablespoon of honey to fuse, mix tighter to form your cookie dough is firm but manageable .

Using a large spoon heap a small amount of the dough onto a greased baking tray making sure to leave gaps in-between each spoonful.

Place on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for about 20 minutes. Once they have turn golden brown in the oven allow to cool and then place on a plate or wire rack to harden.

This mixture should make about 10 cookies.

"Home is wherever i'm with you"

2011-09-04T07:42:00.001-07:00

Hello September! A whole new month has begun and a whole new season too. I have been ignoring my blog again in favour of sleep and trying enjoying the last few flickers of summers sunlight . A couple of weeks ago one of my nearest and dearest friends returned from a two month internship in Australia. I had been counting down the days till his return and waited in frustrated anticipation till I could see him again. My friend is a huge movie buff and so me, our friend Zenobie and him decide to catch up over a lovely lunch before headed to Chiswick to see the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra perform at Symphony In The Park, which this year coincided with the celebration of Abbey Roads 80th birthday. The performance featured iconic movie scores performed and recorded in the notorious Abbey road studios, included music from Star Wars, Lord Of The Rings and Indiana Jones.

This week has been equally fun and exciting, last Tuesday I went to see one of my favourite bands Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros play at Shepherds’ Bush Empire. For those unfamiliar with this band they are American indie folk ensemble fronted by lead singer Alex Ebert, their first and only album “Up From Below” was released back in 2009. Altough fairly unknown on this side of the water their popularity is steadily rising and their song “Home” has achieved phenomenal success across the world. This was the second time this year that I have seen this band live, the first time was back in March where they played a 5 day residence at the old Vic tunnels. Their live performance are phenomenally incredible ,and univocally unique with each show. Their gigs are eccentric and euphoric, they fully embrace the crowd they are performing to, so much so they even play in the middle of them. Their songs expel euphoria and encourage a full on crowd alluring hand clapping sing along and I fully encourage readers of this blog to go see them live.
　 Can you spot Alex?

Extra added bonus for the night we were sitting next to altiem britpop hero Jarvis Cocker, unfortutnlay he didnt join in the singalong to Home at the end. Cant please everybody.

Brighton

2011-08-19T01:57:00.001-07:00

I think it is safe to say that summer is coming to a dreary close, although the weather is too bad there have been more rainy days then sunny lately but this is London and nothing is normal when it comes to the weather. For me the offal end of summer come sin September, schools starts again the days get shorter and the winter chill starts to set in. so in anticipation of this I thought it would be good to squeeze in one last fun summer day with a day trip to Brighton.

I had been checking the forecast all week hoping for sunny intervals and my wishing and hoping worked as it didn’t’t rain once. We headed down quite early so we could fit in a full day of activities . We managed to fit in all the clichéd Brighton beach leisurely pursuits starting with a walk around North Laines where we popped into Snoopers Paradise for a bit of Vintage Shopping, fish and chips by the pier, Brighton rock, a walk along the beach, a visit to the arcade and funfair and then a spot of tea and cake before we headed back home.

Silly me managed to book train tickets for the day Pride was on so when we go there it was packed full of people (mainly people that had been drinking since 9 am) so my plan for a quite relaxing day by the sea was slightly quashed none the less we still had a lovely day.

I think summer 2011 has been one of the best summer I have had in a long time.

Shoes...again

2011-08-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

So last Thursday I finally ventured out to the South Molton Bertie store to spend my gift card, I had spent the last few weeks pondering and debating with myself which shoes to go for so was eager to shop. I was at first tempted by Baffin in burgundy, I love the stitch detail and high shine finish, these shoes are cute and preppy and a real wardrobe staple that would go with anything.

Although I was very tempted by these shoes I ended going with another timeless classic, and shoe favourite of mine the brogue. I opted for Glee a brushed suede brogue in back. These shoes will be a excellent addition to my winter wardrobe, a cross between the stylish brogue and desert boot, theses shoes where the perfect choice.

The A/W 11 collection is now starting to hit the stores and from my time working with the Dune Group I can guarantee there are some stylish shoes in this collection to watch out for.

I start back at Dune next week but I few lovely things lined up before the hard work starts again. I’m seeing Slow Cub perform at The Notting Hill Arts Club and then on Saturday I'm off to Brighton.

Flapjacks

2011-08-09T02:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I last baked anything but my bff needed major cheering up so like the good friend I am I cooked her up some sweet treats. Flapjacks are a very simple to make and the only problem i had with the recipe was the mess I created on the floor with the porridge oats.

Ingredients:
200g - Butter
200g - Brown Sugar
200g - Honey
400g - Porridge oats

Pre heat the oven to gas mark 4

In pot mix together the butter, sugar and honey, then place on the hob on a low heat occasional stirring the mixture until the butter and sugar has dissolved.

Take off the heat and slowly add the porridge oats stirring the mixture so that the oats are fully covered.

Place in a greased baking tin ( you will need one this to be about 2cm thick) and flatted the mix with a butter knife.

Place in the oven for about 25 minutes or until brown on top. Finally take out of the oven and lave for 15 minutes to cool. Once the flapjacks have cooled down score with a knife into small squares and leave to fully cool and harden .

Ta-da

Goodbye July, Hello August

2011-08-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

So the sun finally decided to make an appearance after what seemed to be weeks and weeks of rain, the timing couldn’t haven been more perfect though as one of my favourite free London events is back for the summer to take over bandstands in and around London. I have mentioned before in a previous post about this free London based project in which bands perform live acoustic sets in London’s unused bandstands and pavilions.

Last Sunday me and my friend Zenoibe headed down to Southampton Square near Angle to check out this unmissable performance. The line included 3 great bands, lo-fi twee pop Veronica Falls, folk lovelies Sea of Bees (who did a surprise cover of Single Ladies) and a fantastic lady who I saw at The Southbank Festival, Peggy Sue. It was the delightful day for an outdoor gig and the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon, all three bands gave an outstanding performance to a paced out park. I look forward to finding out who will be playing the next busk.

Last night the gigage frivolity continued as me and my gentlemen friend went to see Crystal Stilts, I had previously never heard of this band until a few weeks ago but after some Spotify research I was able to catch up on the bands back catalogue. This band have performed a number London gigs over the past few years but last night they performed a sell out show in Soho’s Madame Jojos. The band could be described as post punk shoe gaze with a psychedelic twist, I personal thought they sounded like The Jesus and Mary Chain with a 60s surfer vibe. There sound is moody but melodic, they have a very absorbing sound that is dark but charming that will captivate your attention. Their new album In love with Oblivion was released this April and is a must listen to record for this year, it has received rave reviews from music publications The NME and Pitchfork and are a cult band in the making

The highlight of the evening for me was seeing BB 6 music DJ and personal hero of Steve Lamacq at the gig, if this band gets his seal of approval then they are a band worth checking out.

Shake The Shackles by Crystal Stilts

A litte bit of this and a little bit of that.

2011-08-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

Hello blog world, its been a few weeks since I have posted anything but I have had a busy couple of weeks, so busy that I had to check my camera to remember where it was that I went.

First off my very poor excuse for not posting is I have been super busy with my internship, followers of this blog will know that I have been interning with the Dune Group at their press office for the past month and a lot of my focus and energy has been taken up by this. Last Friday was my last day, the time just seem to fly by but I had a great time working there so good in fat that I agreed to go back in a few weeks to help out again. The lovely ladies there where kind enough to give me a Bertie gift card as a thank you. I think I have spent the entire time I was there thinking about what shoes I was going to buy once the A/W 11 collection hit the stores so it was the perfect thank you gift. I will post hopefully next week what I bought once I find the time to make my purchase. Somewhere in-between shoes and sleeping lots I did managed a few days (and nights out) and I have done a little round up of the last few weeks.

I went to see the Mystery jets play at The Hippodrome in Kingston, this was the first time I had seen this band and the first time I had been to this venue, some notable indie bands have played here in the past including The Young Knives, Vampire Weekend and Foals. The venue is home to the indie club night New Slang and despite the building being large in size the gigs there are a pretty intimate affair. The band where on top form and played a great mixture of tracks from all three albums including a electric performance of The Count and Sinden After Dark and a whimsical version of Peter, Bjorn and John's hit song Young Folks. The highlight of the gig for me was a high energy performance of Hideaway and the howling closing track Flakes. Despite the mini mosh pit that seemed to dominate the whole of the gig it was an incredible performance and the crowds reaction only shows that this band are energetic and passionate when they play.

The following Sunday was a little more sedate as me and my friend Kim took a stroll down the river bank in Little Venice. A mere walk from Warrick Avenue station, Little Venice is a tranquil and picturesque hidden gem of North London. This is a fantastic place to spend a lazy summer day or afternoon stroll. There are a dozen or so cafes located along the canal so you can stop for a bite to eat and take in the scenery. I highly recommend having your lunch on one of the canal boat cafes as it adds to the ambience of the location.

The following day my lady of leisure antics continued as I took my camera to explore Cannizaro Park located a short 30 minute walk from my house in Wimbledon. In keeping with my tea obsession the first place I headed was to find the tea pot fountain. The park has many hidden charms like the fountain including, an aviary, a rose garden, an Italian garden, a water garden, a shrunken garden and a Azalea Dell. Unlike some of the more central Royal parks in London Cannizaro Park is not over crowed with tourist and is a serene and enchanting place. Perfect for a picnic he he.

Part two of my July will be posted sometime this week, I also have a tasty flapjack recipe that I want to share. Tomorrow night I am seeing the Crystal stilts at Madam Jojo’s so will be sure to include a little review of that. Hope everybody is enjoying the summer as much as I am.

PostCarden

2011-07-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

This summer one of the craft projects I had planed was to create my own mini garden on my balcony , I live in a flat so the only green space I have is my balcony and a few house plants. due to some crazy summer goings on my time has become preoccupied with other things leaving only the weekend for my other life pursuits.
On a recent episode of The Apprentice I discovered this great little idea for your own indoor mini pop up garden. The idea combines a greeting card and gift in one, The box contains everything you need to grow your own cress garden indoors with out al the mess and digging. It comes in verity of deigns including a cottage, allotment, city and botanical. You can find them in crafts shops across London and in Liberty’s Of London, better yet you can buy them online at Another Studio . This is a fantastic idea for a gift and perfect fro those who are green fingered but don’t have the amenities to grow your own Garden. I think I might buy a few and grow my own cress city, which is always handy for sandwiches.

The Wallace Collection

2011-07-10T02:13:00.001-07:00

Today’s post is sponsored by this song:

I have been working so hard this week at my placement that I have been going to bed at 8.30 so I have not really been up to much last weekend was so busy and hectic that this weekend I am dedicating it to a bit of me time. On Saturday I went to the see the Wallace Collection located just on Manchester Square, a mere short walk from Bond street station. I discovered this place during my lunch break and although I had heard of the Wallace Collection before I never realised how close it was to where I work.

The Wallace Collection consist of a range of paintings, furniture, decorative ceramics, armour and fine art from the 15th to 19th Century, it boast a beautiful collection of 18th century French paintings and furniture who intricate detail was captivating. Its free admission and is, what I think, one of London’s little hidden gems. It is arguably one of the finest and most interesting historic art and antique collection’s I have seen, amass with fine detail and eloquent finery. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera but I am planning a another visit there soon.

Tomorrow my tea obsession sees me visit Cannizaro Park in Wimbledon most famous for its landscape and teapot fountain, I am going to spend a few house mooching around taking pictures then if the weather is nice a few hours in the sun with a good book.

"I'd give my whole life to see it"

2011-07-04T04:54:00.000-07:00

I don’t think the word tired begins to cover how I feel today, I have spent the past 3 days at gigs standing and only getting a few hours sleep in-between. First gig of the weekend was The Flaming Lips at Alexandra Palace with support coming from Dinosaur Jr and Deerhoof. Anybody tat has been to a Flaming Lips gig will know that are notorious for their spectacular and extravagant live shows which feature, pyrotechnics, lasers, confetti canons, band members dressed up as animals and a giant inflatable space ball they Wayne uses to crowd surf. They are defiantly are a band that wont disappoint live they know how to entertain a crowd, performing their ninth studio album in its entirety they lived up to their hype as a band to see before you die. My show highlight was a confetti and balloon filled rendition of “Do you Realizes”

Next stop was The Hop Farm Festival in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. This year the headliners for Saturday was Smiths front man, all time legend and hero of mine Morrissey. He performed a fantastic set of both his own solo material and Smiths classics such as “Everyday Is like Sunday” and “There Is Light That Never Goes Out“. Other bands that I was lucky enough to see where Iggy and The Stooges (another great gig) Lou Reed who performed my favourite Velvet Underground Song “Sunday Morning”, Magazine, The Bluetones, Frankie and The Heartstrings and another hero of mine Graham Coxon. This was one of the friendliest festivals I have been too, probably due to fact that the crowd was a lot older and where their to support some great musical legends.

Finally on Sunday I headed back to London for the Wireless festival, this was the one day that I had been looking forward to the most as one of my all time favourite bands Pulp where headlining the main stage. I am a huge Pulp fan and grew up listening to Brit Pop, I was lucky enough to grow up in a family that appreciated good music and since hearing my first Brit pop song (which happened to be Sleepers Sale Of The Century) it has become my favourite era/genre of music. I have been waiting nearly 10 years to see this band live by the time I was old enough to really attend gigs they had broken up so seeing them perform was a wish fulfilment. They performed a fantastic set included all the hits and ended the show with a memorable rendition of “Common People” as confetti covered the crowd. Other bands that I saw play included summer Camp, YUCK, The Horrors, Metronomy, The Hives, Cut Copy and Foals

videos from Youtube

I am now going to spend the rest of the afternoon sleeping and sitting, the weekend is over and it back to work tomorrow.

Shoes

2011-06-29T10:38:00.001-07:00

Exciting news, I finally got a “job” and by that I mean I have been hired as the new intern at The Dune Group. I have been unemployed now for nearly two months since quitting my job in May, I didn’t really start applying for internships until around the start of June so it has all come about pretty fast. For those of you they are unfamiliar with The Dune Group they are a footwear company who’s brands include Dune, Bertie, Chelsea Cobbler and Pied a Terre. I applied for the placement on Monday and went for an interview on Tuesday, when it comes to applying for jobs I can make myself sound great on paper but in person come across as awkward and quite, but the interview went well and they hired me on the spot. I start Thursday and I am extremely excited and possible a little nervous too its been over a year since i last interned. I will try to keep up to date with what I get up to and try to give an insight to what is like being a PR intern.

Since the post is shoe related I wanted to recommend another great shoe brand, Kate Kanizer. When it comes to shoes I don’t tend to go for the glitzy high heels, I love men’s shoes I would pick a pair of Brogues over pair of Jimmy Choo’s any day. Kate Kanizer does a great selection of brogues and loafers some very similar to Russell and Bromley but for a third of the price. I have already bought a pair of plain black tassel loafers to wear this summer but I have my eye of this patent pair too.

I will be away for the weekend, I am off to Kent on Saturday for The Hop Farm Festival and then back to London on the Sunday for The Wireless Festival, I am going to be so tired come Monday morning.

The Soundtrack To My Summer

2011-06-26T02:28:00.000-07:00

A very short post today, summer has finally decided to make an appearance and I don’t intend to waste it. There will be no post next weekend as I am seeing one my all time favourite bands Pulp perform at The Wireless Festival, I cant even begin to put into words how excited I am about this and I know its going to be a memorable gig. I have a post lined up for next week Wednesday but I will leave you with my current favourite summer song.

Holland Park

2011-06-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

Picnics are my favourite thing to do in summer, lazing in the sun, eating strawberries, silly conversation with friends or sitting under a tree reading a good book is my idea of the perfect summer activity. It has rained non stop for the past week and a half and I was beginning to think the sun would never make an appearance, but the weather looked a little more positive on Thursday with a promise of sunny intervals and so a fabulous picnic in Holland Park was organised.
It was my first time exploring Holland Park its main attraction for me where the Peacocks, what other park in London has such fancy birds. The park is a great place to while away an afternoon, with lots to see and do around the area including a Japanese garden, a giant chess set, orangey and pigs! It is certainly a unique place to visit.
I managed to get a few snaps but being a typical British summer the rain came down and we packed away our lunch and headed to Pauls for tea and macaroons. The weather seems to be picking up so more park activities will be planned.

Lets Rave On

2011-06-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

Another busy week for me and it looks like it may be a some what busy next week again but I will hopefully have something more interesting to blog then. I have to admit today’s post is sponsored by a mild hangover so I am going to try and keep today’s post short just because I am so tired I cant think of anything to write.

This week has mainly been centred around job hunting and internships, something i find very dull and boring. Sine I quit my job last month I have been trying to get back into PR, I have interned for a number of fashion PR companies over the past 3 years or so but I had to give it up due to lack of funds and not being able to afford to work for free. I had three interviews lined up for this week, two of which have now been moved to next week, so I have been mostly concentrating on trying to amaze and impress in these interviews.

I of course took some time out for fun and its been a bit of a crazy and loud week, effectively I should be deaf since I have been to 4 gigs this week and I have had a lot of late nights. At the start of the week I saw the Raveonettes at the 02 Islington academy. I have been wanting to see this band for years and live they are amazing as they are recorded. for those who haven’t heard of The Raveonettes they are a Danish garage rock band , they fall under the genre of shoe gaze and have a similar sound to My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain. On Wednesday I went to see a band called Mazes play in a tiny pub in Dalston, this band is relatively unknown but have been picked my music publications as an up and coming band to see. Mazes have a lo-fi surfer rock feel and gave a immense energetic live performance, a great band to look out for in 2011. After some much needed recovery time on Thursday and Friday I spent the whole of Saturday at gigs, first up was Bandstand Busking at the Meltdown festival curated this year by Ray Davis of the Kinks. This was a free event and for those of you that have not heard of Bandstand Busking it is a project set up back in 2008 in which bands would play free gigs in bandstands around London This event has seen some great artist play in the past including Black Lips, Fanfarlo, Slow Club and Emmy The Great to name but a few. Yesterday festival played host to five equally fantastic bands She Keeps Bee, Peggy Sue, Woodpigeon, Sam De La Haye and the headline act Guillemots. In the afternoon I went to see the legendry punk garage band The Sonics play The Royal Festival hall, introduced by Ray Davis and supported by Wire this gig and circumstances surrounding it probably surpass the whole week and it was probably a day I will never forget. I am now completely exhausted and trying to gear myself up for another somewhat busy few days.

I will leave you with a video from The Raveonettes performing one of my favourite songs from Monday nights gig.

My Weekend

2011-06-12T02:43:00.000-07:00

This week has been a quite a busy one, I have been doing lots of organising and planning for the next few weeks and I have lots days out and craft project planned but they are saved for another post. Apart from that I have been trying to organise some intern positions for the summer, I recently quit my job so I could get back into interning and persue my interests in fashion PR so farI have managed to secure two interviews for next week. In-between trying to sort out my job life I have also managed to squeeze in a few shopping trips, a afternoon in Primrose Hill and lots of Spotifying, I also managed to build a new chest of draws for my room which I bought six months ago!! better late then never.
So this week.....

I bought trousers.
People that read this blog and know me in real life know that I never ever wear trousers or jeans, to me they are uncomfortable, rigid and never fit the right way. I own about 10 pairs of jeans from boot cut to skinny (people who know me also know I own a lot of clothes) but apart from a pair of black jeggings I haven’t worn jeans in years. In saying this I have ventured back into the world of trousers, this summer has seen the return of the peg leg trouser, a trend I quite unsure of at first but after numerous shopping trip uming and arring I bought my first pair of tailored peg leg trousers from Primerk, Primark are great if you want to try a new look out spending loads of money and the pair I bought are perfectly tailored and a excellent fit. Two looks that I found work well with this style is an oversized stripy top tucked in or a white vest top and oversized cardigan.

I bought macaroons
In my last post I gave a brief review of the new Ladurée in Covent Garden, famous for their Macaroons it wasn’t the most pleasant dining experiences but I wasn’t going to let that get between be and a good cake. Time Out recently did a feature on the best places in London to buy Macaroons and of course Ladurée came out top but they also mentioned another patisserie in London called Lanka who have rightly established a name for themes sleeves for their “French pastries with Japanese sensibilities” but also their great value for money macaroons. Located in Primrose Hill Lanka is run by Japanese chef Masayuki Hara, who I got to meet and was very polite to all his costumers. Individual macaroons are priced at 90p a whole 60p cheaper then Ladurée, I found them to be a bit flaky and quite small in size but for that price I cant complain and they where very yummy.

I listened to music
I think i am going to keep this section brief mainly because I have already waffled on too much and I don’t want people to get bored.. Two great albums that I cant stop listening to and have had on constant repeat for the last two weeks, the debut self titled album for Cults and Teen Dreams by Beach House both lo-fi indie dreamy pop. The new yet to be released single by The Rapture “ How Deep Is Your Love” I am seeing this band in September and after hearing this song I extremely impenitent for a new album. Its out next week but the 12’’single is only limited to 600 copies worldwide.

DFA White Out Sessions - How Deep Is Your Love? by The Rapture from DFA Records on Vimeo.

Macaroons

2011-06-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Ladurée is famous for its sweet treats and indulgent cakes but its most famous export is their ever so careful crafted macaroon. Theses little delights are like miniature pieces of heaven and it is fair to say that Laduree make the best macaroons in the world. So in finding out that a new Laduree had just opened up Covent Garden(and being the cake and tea fiend that I am) my heart was a beat of a flutter with excitement and I headed down there this afternoon accompanied my favourite tea drinking companion.

The building itself is located round the back of the market and is a little walk from Covent Garden station, easy to locate if you know where your going but hard to find when there is a swarm of tourist in front of you. When you first step into Ladurée it is pretty spectacular, you are greeted by a tall glass counter adorning ever flavour macaroon you could think of, the mirrored walls embellish that Parisian chic atmosphere and you feel slightly like a kid in a sweet shop. Upstairs the dining area is just as breath taking, a terrace to your left with great views of the market and to your right a plush sitting area decorated with plush velvet sofas and mahogany tables, a restaurant good enough for Marie Antoinette.

Despite the luxurious atmosphere it was when we sat down to eat that we realised that fancy furniture and expensive prices will not get you good service. We found the staff a little slow and inattentive, on arriving we had to seat ourselves as there was no matradee and after waiting to be served for a good 15-20 minutes had to get up ask the waiter for a menu. When our macaroons finally arrived half of the order was wrong and was served on a single plate rather then our own individual saucers. For a new restaurant trying to establish its name for itself in a place like Covent Garden Laurdree loose marks for its bad and incompetent service, while the atmosphere was nice and the food lovely the constant mistakes overshadowed this and we left rather disappointed.

Revenge was had in the stealing of a spoon but I suggest that if you want the full Ladurée experience then head down to Knightsbridge where Harrods have their own Ladurée in the food court or better yet book a flight to Paris an experience the real thing as this is an delicacy that should be experienced the right way.

Afternoon Tea

2011-05-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

It was another busy but leisurely weekend spent doing two of my favourite things, lazing about in the park and indulging in some afternoon tea. On Saturday I headed down to one of my favourite green spaces in London, Kensington Gardens. I specifically went out with the intention of exploring Kensington’s Sunken Garden and to have a general lounge about but ended up walking up and down The Serpentine and The Long Water doing a complete full circle of the park. My day was cut short by my uncomfortable shoes but I did mange to get a few pictures of the Italian garden located near the Lancaster Gate entrance.

On Sunday me and my favourite lady friend headed over to The Secret Tea Room in Soho for an afternoon of tea, cake and jazz records. The tea room ,true to its name, is located above the Coach and Horse pub on Greek Street, in order to get to the tea room you have to go through the middle of the bar towards the pub kitchen and then up the spiral stair case.

When you finally reach the first floor the tearoom is located to your left and immediately you feel like you have stepped back in the time. The room is decked out with fabulous 40s décor preserved like a time capsule (minus the plasma tv) even the waitress adorned the famous style of 40s pinup.. The room itself is quite small and walking around upstairs feels like you are intruding in on someone’s home but the atmosphere is a homely one with lace curtains, granny chic floral crockery and fresh flowers on every table, they even had 1930s/40s jazz playing from an old turn table in the corner.

The tea and cake menus offer an extensive list of choice with a huge selection of teas and baked goods to pick from. We both decided to go for a pot of our favourite Early Grey, which was topped up free of charge through out the afternoon. Zenobie opted for the egg and cress sandwiches (with the crust cut off) while I went for the traditional English scones served with jam and cream. There was the choice of the full afternoon tea service, including a range of sandwiches, scones, and a cupcake and at £15 person, half the price for afternoon tea at any posh London hotel, it was hard to resists. This place is great value for money with are final bill coming to just under £13 for two, a bargain for such a wonderful and yummy afternoon. I will defiantly return here again and may indulge their champagne afternoon tea.

The Humble Pie - Rhubarb Pie

2011-05-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

One of new years resolutions this year was to take up baking as a hobby, so far I have only made the effort to bake on special occasion but I took time out of my busy Sunday to bake a rhubarb pie (I should be preparing for a job interview tomorrow but I tend to usually ignore the important stuff in life in favour of fun). Pies are relatively easy to make once you have mastered the art of short crust pastry , you can pretty much experiment with your own pie fillings.

Ingredients:

225g Plain flour
50g Butter
25g Sugar
2 tbsp Water
8 sticks of rhubarb (simmered with 4-6tbsp of sugar to sweeten)
1 egg for glazing

Pre heat oven to gas mark 5

The Pastry:

To make the dough first sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Cut the butter into small chunks so its easy to mix and add to the bowl. Using your hands knead the ingredients together to make what should resemble bread crumbs. Add one table spoon of water and continue gently kneading the mix until it turns into a firm dough. Add a another table spoon of water until finally you get a soft and smooth dough,. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes, this add firmness to its consistency making it easier to roll.

The Filling:

For the filling you need to carefully chop your rhubarb into 1inch chunks and place in a saucepan filled with about 2 cup full’s of water. Sift a few spoonfuls of sugar over the rhubarb, I added about 5-6 spoonful but depending on how sweet you want your filling you can add more or less. Heat the water until boiling point and then leave to simmer for about 10 minutes until the rhubarb starts to get soft, depending on the thickness of the rhubarb times may vary.

While the rhubarb is simmering, take your pastry and gently roll it out until it is about ½ cm thick and the length of your pie dish. Take the pasty and place it in your pie dish trimming off any excess pastry, you can use the left over pastry to make the top. Using a fork prong the bottom of the pastry to allow air in making sure the pie cooks right through. Place in the middle of the oven for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Once the rhubarb is cooked, it should be soft but not breakable to touch., take your pie crust out of the oven and add the filling. To make the pie top I rolled out the rest of the pastry and cut into thick slices placing them across in a crisscross pattern. Glaze the strips of pastry and the edge of the pie with a an egg yolk

Finally place the pie back in the oven until the top is cooked.

The Result:

Side note 1: Unless you intend to make enemy pie then you need to cut the leaves of rhubarb as they are poisonous to humans but make great insecticide.

Side note 2: If I had my own pie shop I would call it The Humble 3.14

Opus Orange

2011-05-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

Listening to music is one of my favourite past times, music to me holds within itself emotions, ideas and life’s memories. Certain songs can capture and reflect significant moments in time and remind you of the good times and bad. Before I discovered my love for fashion and clothes my main interests was listening to music and discovering new bands. My dream job was to either to own my own record store or to become a music journalist, but as real life and adulthood seem to get in the way these ideas gradually faded, my love for music still remains and I still enjoy noting better then going to gigs and trawling Spotify.

When I as younger I use to have an obsession with listening to new music, anytime I would hear something new that I liked I would quickly write the name of the band, song title or lyrics down on the nearest piece of paper, it soon got to a point where I would find random bits of paper around my house with scribbled down names of bands that I had heard weeks ago. I get a real excitement finding new music, but what really fuelled my passion for music was discovering band that once I heard I would not stop listening to them for months, bands that I have found that fall in to this category are Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Best Coast, Passion Pit and most recently a band that weirdly I cant remember how I discovered called Opus Orange.

Opus Orange are a Chicago based band lead by singer Paul Bessenbacher, although currently unsigned to any record label their first EP self titled Opus Orange recorded back 2010 is currently available to buy from their website and Bandcamp page. Their music might seem familiar to some having featured on the Apple Iphone advert, if you like the sound of laid back indie pop similar to The Postal Service/The Drums/The Shins then listen to this band.

Museums

2011-05-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

A busy day on Saturday spent gallivanting around South Kensington museum district. I have selected a few of my favourite photos that I took, scrutiny whittled down from the hundreds that I did take. I seem to have a liking for pictures of birds, the seaside, boats and flowers so sorry if the pictures I post on this blog seem only to follow along those themes
If you want to see more pictures then please see my flickr page. Flickr