EAGULLS - MOULTING MUSIC VIDEO

We've been talking a lot about Eagulls lately and the leeds-based punks have easily become one of our new favourite bands. So we were pretty excited when Noisy premiered the video for Moulting from their new self-titled E.P earlier today. This video reminds us of a mix between 60s psychadelia and 90s grunge but it's basically just trippy VHS-styled footage of the band playing live, which would be pretty similar to watching them while you were on acid (not that we've tried it, yet). As for the song, lead singer George said "The lyrics in this 'number' are reflecting my feelings of how I felt I had nothing left. Everything I'd done so far in life just seemed to be worthless. I wrote most of the song in my freezing cold bedroom which is the size of a single bed. I would wake up wet from the damp all night and my feet would be covered in mould off the walls and I'd had enough. It felt like I was dropping to bits like a cat loses its hair or a snake sheds its skin."

☆☆☆☆

PSYCHADELIC CUPCAKES

Mother Nature has finally decided to sort herself out today and give us the weather we fucking deserve! The beautiful rays can only be made sweeter with 60s psychedelic rock and baking. Get your summer groove on to these radical jams and follow the receipe below to make 12 psychedelic cupakes.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup Self-Rising Flour
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup Butter
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon of Vanilla
Yellow, Red and Blue Food Coloring

Mixing Bowl
Measuring Cups
3 Small Bowls
Assorted colours cupcake cups
Muffin Pan
Spoons
Whisk

DIRECTIONS

Start by pre-heating your oven to a medium heat.

In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to beat sugar into butter until creamy, fluffy and light in colour. Use your wanking hand for this one guys, unless you're fortunate enough to have an electric whisk, Add vanilla.
Do this while listening to Dandelion Seeds by July.

Fold sifted flour into the mixture and slowly stir in, add the eggs and continue to stir.
Do this while listening to Mind Flowers by Ultimate Spinach

Divide mixture evenly into each of the smaller bowls. Add one food colouring to each bowl of mixture, juding the colour drop by drop. Stir well until colours are evenly mixed. If you're colour blind then you're fucked and you probably shouldn't be following this recipe.
Do this while listening to Mellow Yellow by Donovan

Line muffin pan with cupcake cups. Starting with blue, spoon batter evenly into each of the muffin cups, spreadng slightly. Continue layering with red and then yellow. You can put the colours in any order you want.

Do this while listening to Lather by Jefferson Airplane.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Listen to these songs while you wait:

Reverbs - Lie in the shade of the sun

The Velvet Underground - I'm not a young man anymore

The rolling stones - She's a rainbow

Once cooked, chow down

Words and photos by Natalie Archer
Original Recipe by MAGGIETHESPY at sparklepeople

IS MICHELLE WILLIAMS THE MOST UNDERRATED PERFORMER OF OUR TIME?

This poor girl is constantly bombarded with criticisms on everything from her horse teeth to cheap looking weaves to her raspy unsexy smokers voice (which I think is unbelievably sexy). Truth is you’re all just green with envy wishing you were her.

Tenitra Michelle Williams was not only gifted with an amazing vocal range and versatility, she also possesses the charisma and stance of a pop star. Yes, she’ll always be overshadowed by Beyonce’s space-invading-wind-machine-propelled presence (and probably baby Blue Ivy in the future when she launches her solo career at age 7, Willow Smith watch your back) and Kelly Rowland’s ‘humbleness’, but Michelle stood there with them like a soldier when Bey and Kel (and fourth member Matthew Knowles) needed her the most. Queue emotional breakdown.

She joined the best-girl-group-to ever-have-been-put-together; Destiny’s Child in the year 2000 after Queen Sasha Fierce fired the other two who never really sang much anyway. Michelle’s vocal role within the band was mainly to provide backup for Bey Bey, occasionally being allowed to sing on some of the groups songs Middle 8s (which we all know are the most iconic, see: Survivor, Bootylicious, etc, etc) So here are a few reasons why ya’ll need to stop hating and cracking jokes about this incredible woman who has touched the hearts of so many fans across the universe...etc etc.


05. CHICAGO: THE MUSICAL


I bet you didn’t know? Well yeah, our girl starred in Chicago: The Musical both in London and New York playing the role of Roxie Hart. Other famously talented celebrities to have played this role on the west end stage in the past are Ashlee Simpson, Christie Brinkley, Brooke Shields, and Melanie Griffith. Whilst we don’t think this little Velma-from-Scooby-doo bob suits her elongated face at all, we believe this role gave her something to do after DC went on their second hiatus. This is always a good and commendable thing in our books.


04. SOLO CAREER  


Favourite. Versatility to the maximum. Girl be singing about booties and sexy daddies one minute and then bam! She rolls out the gospel albums for us, two albums to be more precise: ‘Heart to Yours’ (2002, charted at #57) and ‘Do You Know’ (2004, charted #120, succe$$), which in their defence are stunning in craftsmanship, production, and lyrical content.

Here is our favourite of her god worshipping little numbers, be aware this could get quite emotional. The limo scenes, the beach, the hood, god help us! Just watch this cinematographic accomplishment and weep. If you can’t be arsed at least forward it to minute 3:08 and experience the raw vocals that must’ve had Mariah Carey having some sort of fit while she was at the gym with her heels on.
It also must be mentioned she did release a third studio album called ‘Unexpected’ where she tried to break the mainstream pop music scene. All jokes aside, listen to that it has a few good party tunes. Just saying!

03. PRICELESS INTERVIEWS/TV APPEARANCES


"REAAAALLLLLYYYYYYYY?!"



02. AWKWARD DANCING


She has the curves, the booty, the natural ability, and the talent to perform any role convincingly. Just watch any of Destiny’s Child’s performances that involve any sort of choreography and watch how Michelle completely steals the spotlight and makes it her own. In this particular instance the girls performed ‘Cater 4 U’ at the BET Awards. Kelly got bruised face Nelly, Beyonce got actor Terrence Howard, but Michelle got um, Magic Johnson...Just have a little read through this videos comments section, so much love. Also watch the video from 3.10 to witness the sexiest thing you’ll ever see.

Or if you prefer. She was a part of UK reality show 'Strictly Come Dancing'. Google that.


01. THE FALL: WHERE YOU AT MICHELLE?


Who hasn’t sat at home on a boring weekend night you tubing celebrities falling on their ass? Personally I think I’ve probably watched this little clip over a hundred times. It’s not just Michelles elegant stumble that gets the giggles going, it’s Kelly’s and Beyonce’s extreme professionalism that truly makes this one of the greatest YouTube videos of history (after the sneezing baby panda obviously).
So there you have it. Sit down, relax, and don't laugh at her (or do) and appreciate talent while we wait for the the Destiny's Child reunion that never will be.

Words by Walter Adrian

THE FLAMBOYANT GARDENING

I am renowned for being intensively inactive like most students, instead of choosing to spend most of my free days eating Tesco meal deals in parks around my flat, looking for weird english words in the dictionary to add to my vocab, or teaching myself how to play the piano (this consists of me playing ‘Someone Like You’ over and over again because it’s the only song I know, but it makes me feel like Beethoven so don’t judge). I can vaguely cook (pasta and rice mainly), I do pretty lack-lustre mopping, and only do my washing when the dirty laundry bin is overflowing. I am no Stepford house-hubby.

However today I was presented with an invaluable opportunity to prove the nay-Sayers and non-believers wrong. I mowed my parents’ garden. Fuelled by financial gain (yes, I got money for it. Yes, I am a 21 year old man, leave me alone I gotta pay the bills) but mostly the need to prove my manhood, I set out to trim the dry grass in my parents little squared patch of nature and rake it afterwards. It took me about half an hour, 30 minutes in which dressed as a really camp tennis player I blasted these ridiculous gay corkers and pretended to be in a Paula Abdul video. Sorry manhood, maybe next time. No shame in the game. So I present to you The Flamboyant Gardening Playlist which amazingly can also be played whilst undertaking in any other mundane house activities (see: dish washing). 

ROGUE VOGUE 'WHEN I LOOK AT YOU'

AZEALIA BANKS & P MONEY 'NATHAN'

J.LO & JA RULE 'I'M REAL (MURDER INC REMIX)' (Check out the amazing scene-chic gurlfran/fashion icon as an image)

SAM SPARRO 'I WISH I NEVER MET YOU (AZARI & III REMIX)'


METRONOMY 'THE BAY' (THE 2 BEARS REMIX)'


Words by Walter Adrian
Picture by Olga Teynor (Walter's Instamazing 87 year old grandma)

NEW MUSIC

June is nearly over so it's around the time we look at some of the music that's popped up this month

Haim

If TLC were white and sounded like a mashup of 80s, folk and RnB then they'd be Haim.

Sisters Danielle Haim (vocals, lead guitar), Alana Haim (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion), Este Haim (vocals, bass) and their drummer Dash Hutton make up the genre confused LA band and they're pretty fucking cute.

They're influences include Fleetwood Mac, Aaliyah and En Vogue and this is clearly visible in their "folk&B" 3 track EP Forever, featuring 'Better Off', 'Go Slow' and 'Forever'. Sweet harmonies, punchy beats and chill vibes exude from every song.  The EP is officially dropping on 2nd July. However, the internet is a beautiful dustbin of freebies so you listen to it now on their SoundCloud 

☆☆☆☆

Wild Nothing

The new Wild Nothing 7" released on one of our favourite labels Captured Tracks gives you a pint-sized taste of what to expect from his upcoming album Nocturne. It features 'Shadow' on the A side, a dreamy pop rock song. Jack Tatum's voice on the track is just like a cuddle. Comforting and soft, making us feel all warm and tingly inside. On the B side is an exclusive track not featured on the album called 'Feel You Now'. 

Jack Tatum is the one and only super shoegaze musician behind Wild Nothing and he pushed his way onto the scene with his debut album Gemini. Now the hype is building for Nocturne and if Shadow's anything to go by it should be pretty fucking sweet.

What really gets me excited in my knickers is the fact that Shadow is a limited edition EP with only 500 clear blue vinyl copies.
Get yours here because we're definitely getting ours.

☆☆☆☆☆

Lana Del Rey

A$AP Rocky is president. Are we dreaming? Unfortunately yes. It's cool though because he does play the black JFK in Lana Del Ray's new 7 minute video for 'National Anthem' direced by Anthony Mandler. The Super-8 cinematography and the 60s aesthetic of the video is the complete opposite to the the music it accompanies, which is clearly influenced by hip hop. Somehow it all works though. The song's alright too.

☆☆☆

Eagulls

This band is fucking cool. We saw them at The Great Escape in Brighton and it was love at first note. Following a load of limited cassettes, splits and 7" releases DIY Punks Eagulls are finally putting out an EP on July 16th on transparent green vinyl. It features 5 tracks, Coffin’, ‘Moulting’, ‘No If’s, No Buts’, ‘Cripple (Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis)’ and ‘Still Born’. They give off the same vibes that bands like Dinosaur Jnr, Blur and Sonic Youth do, if they lived on a diet of whisky and fists.

'Coffin' has already been put up on their soundcloud, listen for a snippet of what to expect from the EP

☆☆☆☆☆

Cheatahs

Nothing beats discovering a good band for the first time and this month I finally stumbled across Cheatahs. It was once a solo side project from Male Bonding guitarist Nathan Hewitt until he got his 3 friends on board, former Weird Dreams band members James Wignall and Craig Bowers and Conan Roberts (Mazes). The four-piece sound like 90s lo fi grunge that could be the soundtrack to shows like Freaks and Geeks. They are based in East London and signed to label of the moment Marshal Teller Records who have just released their debut 12" EP on the 25th of June which is limited to only 300 coloured vinyl, fuck! Coared features 4 tracks. If you're into beautiful meloncholy vocals and fuzzy production that sounds like a old cassett you just discovered in the attitc then you'd definitely be into the slacker-pop vibes that Cheatahs put out. Just listen to nostalgic summer jam 'Froshed' featured on a 4-way 7-inch split with Dignan Porch, Colours and Not Cool as well as on their EP:

   

☆☆☆☆

Words by Natalie Archer

DIY pioneers SEXBEAT have coupled up with Nudie Jeans Co in bringing us the appropriately named RADFEST.

Shit's gonna kick off on the 19th August 2012 at Hackney Downs Studio and by shit we mean 15 live acts will be playing on 3 different stages, a market will be set up including a Poster Roast poster exhibition and a Kristina Records pop up store aswell as clothes and food stalls.

Unlike Glasto, Reading or Bestival you don't have to worry about the inevitable crappy weather, wellies or tents. It's all inside.

The acts already confirmed are: Veronica Falls, Ceremony, Eaqualls, Jacuzzi Boys, Virals, DIIV, Fidlar, Holograms, Maria Veronica, Minerva and Fear of Men.

SEXBEAT have also been cutie pies and made 2 mixtapes of the confirmed acts so far to get us in the mood.




Follow the link and get tickets if you like good music and having fun. It's only 15 quid. WEGOTTICKETS

MY DINNER

THE ULTIMATE STEAK SANDWICH

 

We put Jamie Oliver’s 30-minute steak sandwich, stuffed mushrooms and new potato recipe to the test. The grilled mushrooms filled with cheese and marinated in chilli, parsley and garlic were divine. The fluffy potatoes fried with garlic and rosemary, bursting with flavour. However, attempting to eat the entirety of this meal was like a challenge set for Adam Richman (the guy from Man vs. Food). The meat sweats took over and alas, I was defeated. It was however the best steak sandwich I have ever tasted and will definitely be making it again. Perfection in half an hour.

Here’s a link to watch Jamie make this mouth-watering meal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isxKwvIcudU

- Photo and words by Vanessa Smart