Ellie Goulding is like a cake. From a distance you spy the ridiculous packaging, all blown-up and outrageous. Made out to be more than it actually is. Marketed as the 'Critics Choice' of cakes. Then you get a little closer, and it doesn't even look particularly appetizing. They've taken quite an ordinary victoria sponge and pumped gallons of squirty cream in there just to fill it out; to give it another layer which it doesn't even need. But you're forced to buy one because it's all the rage. Everyone you know is chomping on this cake at the moment, and you don't want to be left out. You pay for it at the checkout, pretending you're the toast of irony, when really you're just the bastard that bought the same victoria sponge as everyone else.
As you cut yourself a slice, you know it won't be as good as last year's 'Critics Choice' cake: this one's no ginger nut cake. That one may have been a bit of a fruit-loop, fed with so much brandy that even Mrs Scroggin's wouldn't know what had hit her, but at least it was truly deserving of the title. Tangy and rich, it certainly left you wanting more.
You slowly move the helping to your mouth, bite down and digest. It's stodgy, and a bit sickly, but the actual sponge isn't too bad. In fact, it's pretty good. But all this extra cream and jam...? You wipe it off, scoffing only the light, pleasant sponge.
When you see past the hyperbole in the media about Ellie Goulding, you come to realise she's not half bad. Nice enough pop melodies that include hints of pop, electro and folk. It's not groundbreaking stuff, but what she's meant to do she does well. But the marketing circus surrounding the release of her debut is a farce. I understand the reason behind a 'Critics Choice' record, but the artist has yet to prove anything worthy of such a high accolade. Under The Sheets is a good song, but if it wasn't for the Brits award would anyone be taking any notice of Goulding's bed-linen dramas? Of course, that's not to say that the recognition is not warranted, just that it's been dressed up as more than it is.
It's the equivalent of being force-fed that victoria sponge. Just a little too hard to swallow.
Friday 26 February 2010
In stitches
North Staffordshire University Hospital's annual charity show opened at Stoke's The Rep Theatre on Wednesday. Click the link below to find out more.
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/art_and_design/journalism/staffslive/wordpress/2010/02/23/university-hospital-create-a-song-and-dance-at-rep-theatre/
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/art_and_design/journalism/staffslive/wordpress/2010/02/23/university-hospital-create-a-song-and-dance-at-rep-theatre/
Monday 22 February 2010
*Newsflash!*
Artist Andy Scott to produce two sculptures for Uttoxeter
One of the UK’s leading public artists has been commissioned to design and build two major sculptures in Uttoxeter.
Andy Scott, and his project manager Caroline Scott (no relation), had been friends for over 20 years when they replied to a call for artists to submit ideas for the Uttoxeter Regeneration project.
Around £95,000 has been secured for the completion of two sculptures to be displayed on the roundabouts at either end of Town Meadows Way.
The sculptures, which will be based on a particular theme that represents the town, have been commissioned to create a ‘point of arrival’ into the town.
Forty people applied from across the country, but Andy Scott was quickly identified as the stand-out candidate.
Paul Challacombe, Community Arts Officer for East Staffordshire, told StaffsLive: “We wanted to have a piece of art that is recognisable to people driving past, but it is the quality of the work that is most important.
“The history of work Andy has done is fantastic and his enthusiasm is really good. This project started in the summer last year, but it’s still early doors.”
But before he starts on his work Andy decided to give the residents of Uttoxeter the chance to influence the design.
A stand was set up in Uttoxeter’s market place displaying examples of Andy’s previous public art work, with questionnaires for locals to share their views.
Caroline Scott, Project Manager of ‘Andy Scott Public Art, said : “We’ve been trying to glean nuggets of information from the locals about Uttoxeter, so there is more to it than the information we could have simply found online.
“This is a process and it is developmental. People read things in very interesting ways.
“We want to create an atmosphere where the piece does not come from out of nowhere. The people who have engaged with us will feel connected to the sculpture.”
Andy and Caroline are planning to get schoolchildren and youth groups involved.
Artists will be doing workshops to help young people in the area relate to the sculptures, and Andy is planning to take a local youth group to his studio in Scotland so they can witness first hand the process of the sculpture being made.
Displays of Andy’s work are now showing at the Uttoxeter CSC, Library, Town Hall and Heritage Centre, and those who wish to express their views can download a questionnaire here: http://www.eaststaffsbc.gov.uk/
*Produced with Leanne Kirtley
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/art_and_design/journalism/staffslive/wordpress/2010/02/22/artist-andy-scott-to-produce-two-sculptures-for-uttoxeter/
One of the UK’s leading public artists has been commissioned to design and build two major sculptures in Uttoxeter.
Andy Scott, and his project manager Caroline Scott (no relation), had been friends for over 20 years when they replied to a call for artists to submit ideas for the Uttoxeter Regeneration project.
Around £95,000 has been secured for the completion of two sculptures to be displayed on the roundabouts at either end of Town Meadows Way.
The sculptures, which will be based on a particular theme that represents the town, have been commissioned to create a ‘point of arrival’ into the town.
Forty people applied from across the country, but Andy Scott was quickly identified as the stand-out candidate.
Paul Challacombe, Community Arts Officer for East Staffordshire, told StaffsLive: “We wanted to have a piece of art that is recognisable to people driving past, but it is the quality of the work that is most important.
“The history of work Andy has done is fantastic and his enthusiasm is really good. This project started in the summer last year, but it’s still early doors.”
But before he starts on his work Andy decided to give the residents of Uttoxeter the chance to influence the design.
A stand was set up in Uttoxeter’s market place displaying examples of Andy’s previous public art work, with questionnaires for locals to share their views.
Caroline Scott, Project Manager of ‘Andy Scott Public Art, said : “We’ve been trying to glean nuggets of information from the locals about Uttoxeter, so there is more to it than the information we could have simply found online.
“This is a process and it is developmental. People read things in very interesting ways.
“We want to create an atmosphere where the piece does not come from out of nowhere. The people who have engaged with us will feel connected to the sculpture.”
Andy and Caroline are planning to get schoolchildren and youth groups involved.
Artists will be doing workshops to help young people in the area relate to the sculptures, and Andy is planning to take a local youth group to his studio in Scotland so they can witness first hand the process of the sculpture being made.
Displays of Andy’s work are now showing at the Uttoxeter CSC, Library, Town Hall and Heritage Centre, and those who wish to express their views can download a questionnaire here: http://www.eaststaffsbc.gov.uk/
*Produced with Leanne Kirtley
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/art_and_design/journalism/staffslive/wordpress/2010/02/22/artist-andy-scott-to-produce-two-sculptures-for-uttoxeter/
Saturday 20 February 2010
The £56 million question
I could write a blog entry with some semblance of a thoughtful and articulate pondering, but instead I'm simply going to throw together several self-indulgent meanderings about, well... nice thingz.
Inspired by the couple who won £56 million last weekend, and tottering around Stoke-on-Trent asking its inhabitants the same question (getting "smashed" featured quite a lot), I considered what three items I would have to immediately go out and buy if I won that amount of cash.
1. Acne leopard print desert boots
Grrrr, I'm an animal. They've been out for a while, and goodness knows why I don't picture myself looking like Bette Lynch on speed, but these Acne desert boots have some kind of strange hold over me.
2. Rodarte crewneck
Now, I realise I could probably create something akin to this just by getting a battered-up old jumper and skewering it with a fork, and for a price of just under £1,800 (gulp!), I'd probably be wiser to. Again, in my ridiculous mind, I imagine I would look like a spindle-spider, adorned in my own cobwebs...
3. Quinny by Henrik Vibskov mad print rain poncho
I'D LOOK LIKE SOME SORT OF DEMI-GOD.
And I'd still have £55,997,803 to play with!
Tuesday 16 February 2010
The First Inquest
Talk about uncomfortable.
There I was - all high and mighty - envisaging myself as a journalist of the highest order, taking on the world with my ideas of justice and sound moral code. Today was the day of 'The First Inquest', that pivotal event when my shorthand practice and sharp news writing skills would culminate in a bedazzling 200-word article of beauty.
My shorthand fell to pieces. I didn't know what information to take down. I could hardly translate what I had back. I couldn't find an 'angle' for the piece. It was a mess.
But, most significantly, it felt wrong. An inquest is a public hearing to determine the cause of an unusual death, where journalists have every right of being there. So why did this 'right' feel so, so wrong? Marilyn, the subject of this particular inquest, suffered from depression and paranoid schizophrenia, had undergone electric shock treatment, a total of 3 failed marriages under her belt, an alcoholic, and victim of domestic violence.
I understand that a journalist should have the privilege of sitting in court, yet I can't help believing that this freedom should not extend to inquests. Ascertaining the cause of a death is not the same as passing judgment on a crime or incident, and following today I feel quite strongly that, unless it is on a matter of public concern, an inquest should be a private affair between those that are directly involved.
There I was - all high and mighty - envisaging myself as a journalist of the highest order, taking on the world with my ideas of justice and sound moral code. Today was the day of 'The First Inquest', that pivotal event when my shorthand practice and sharp news writing skills would culminate in a bedazzling 200-word article of beauty.
My shorthand fell to pieces. I didn't know what information to take down. I could hardly translate what I had back. I couldn't find an 'angle' for the piece. It was a mess.
But, most significantly, it felt wrong. An inquest is a public hearing to determine the cause of an unusual death, where journalists have every right of being there. So why did this 'right' feel so, so wrong? Marilyn, the subject of this particular inquest, suffered from depression and paranoid schizophrenia, had undergone electric shock treatment, a total of 3 failed marriages under her belt, an alcoholic, and victim of domestic violence.
I understand that a journalist should have the privilege of sitting in court, yet I can't help believing that this freedom should not extend to inquests. Ascertaining the cause of a death is not the same as passing judgment on a crime or incident, and following today I feel quite strongly that, unless it is on a matter of public concern, an inquest should be a private affair between those that are directly involved.
Monday 15 February 2010
Some sons do ave em!
Me: I'm going to an inquest tomorrow.
Dad: What happened?
Me: Some woman fell down the stairs.
Mum: OMG! Is she OK?!
Me & Dad: .....
Now I know where I get it from.
Dad: What happened?
Me: Some woman fell down the stairs.
Mum: OMG! Is she OK?!
Me & Dad: .....
Now I know where I get it from.
Sunday 7 February 2010
Sunday, Sunday
Sunday's are so often a day of reflection for the week that's been and gone, and preparation for the week that is to come. This would explain why I often have such difficulty in understanding whether Sunday should be the first or the last day of the week on the calendar. I also wonder that if we dressed Sunday up as another day - maybe Tuesday? Or perhaps Friday? - then the usual descriptions we associate with the day would pop like bubbles. It would no longer be "grey", or "boring", or "pyjama-day" (although apparantly that's now any day of the week), but all manner of other 'doing' and 'describing' words (for the more educated among you, verbs and adjectives).
There's a lot to be excited about in 2010. Why, there's a lot to be excited about this month. In fact, even this week. Or this day. Actually, why not just click on the links below and start getting excited right about... now.
Goldfrapp - Rocket
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF8-eIL5WZM
If I told you that the first thought that popped into my head upon hearing this was The Pointer Sisters' 'Jump', I'd worry about how many would click on that there link. So ignore what I just said. I can only diagnose this track as a serious case of the 80s, full of euphoric synth jabs, and like all great songs grows into this deliriously giddy chorus. It's more in vein with what they produced back in 2005 with their Supernature album, but there's something about 'Rocket' that is less 'try-hard'. Supernature, as much as I love it, came across as Alison and Will saying "we can do commercial just as well as ANYONE", following the success they had with 'Strict Machine'. And whilst 'Rocket' suggests the band's forthcoming LP will be more in-line with that album's sound, rather than the pastoral elegance of Seventh Tree, this time around it seems somewhat less... contrived? Nonetheless, I'm happy to witness the return of Goldfrapp.
A Single Man, directed by Tom Ford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aypyJtHzC70
The fact that Tom Ford has directed this shouldn't be an indication of quality, but - let's face it - it's an indication of quality. I've not read the book, so the film will be brand new to me, and with a promising cast led by Colin Firth, it's bound to be pretty good isn't it? A Single Man opens with Firth's character mourning the loss of his male lover in a car accident. So... not really Avatar then? Looking set to be a whole load of melancholy, wrapped up in Ford's stunning cinematic flair, A Single Man is due to be released this Friday in the UK; just in time for Valentine's day. Althogether now, "ahhhhhhhh!"
Williams British Handmade
http://www.williams-handmade.com/
Why wax lyrical about something when you might as well just see what all the fuss is about for yourselves? Has the phrase 'thinking outside the box' ever been more appropriate? Ho ho, how many more clichés can I fit in...! Regardless, the designer Sarah Williams has inventively managed to weld together a streamlined look that is completely contemporary, with a design that harks back to those vintage values that we're all so fond of nowadays. I suddenly want to bully my farcical notion of a suitcase with its silly wheels. What does it think it is, A CAR?!
There's a lot to be excited about in 2010. Why, there's a lot to be excited about this month. In fact, even this week. Or this day. Actually, why not just click on the links below and start getting excited right about... now.
Goldfrapp - Rocket
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF8-eIL5WZM
If I told you that the first thought that popped into my head upon hearing this was The Pointer Sisters' 'Jump', I'd worry about how many would click on that there link. So ignore what I just said. I can only diagnose this track as a serious case of the 80s, full of euphoric synth jabs, and like all great songs grows into this deliriously giddy chorus. It's more in vein with what they produced back in 2005 with their Supernature album, but there's something about 'Rocket' that is less 'try-hard'. Supernature, as much as I love it, came across as Alison and Will saying "we can do commercial just as well as ANYONE", following the success they had with 'Strict Machine'. And whilst 'Rocket' suggests the band's forthcoming LP will be more in-line with that album's sound, rather than the pastoral elegance of Seventh Tree, this time around it seems somewhat less... contrived? Nonetheless, I'm happy to witness the return of Goldfrapp.
A Single Man, directed by Tom Ford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aypyJtHzC70
The fact that Tom Ford has directed this shouldn't be an indication of quality, but - let's face it - it's an indication of quality. I've not read the book, so the film will be brand new to me, and with a promising cast led by Colin Firth, it's bound to be pretty good isn't it? A Single Man opens with Firth's character mourning the loss of his male lover in a car accident. So... not really Avatar then? Looking set to be a whole load of melancholy, wrapped up in Ford's stunning cinematic flair, A Single Man is due to be released this Friday in the UK; just in time for Valentine's day. Althogether now, "ahhhhhhhh!"
Williams British Handmade
http://www.williams-handmade.com/
Why wax lyrical about something when you might as well just see what all the fuss is about for yourselves? Has the phrase 'thinking outside the box' ever been more appropriate? Ho ho, how many more clichés can I fit in...! Regardless, the designer Sarah Williams has inventively managed to weld together a streamlined look that is completely contemporary, with a design that harks back to those vintage values that we're all so fond of nowadays. I suddenly want to bully my farcical notion of a suitcase with its silly wheels. What does it think it is, A CAR?!
Saturday 6 February 2010
Bossy boots
Have you heard the saying that when getting dressed in the morning, you should start at the bottom and work your way up? Sounds exactly the same advice that's given about careers, doesn't it? Well, seeing as I'm tentatively testing the first rung of my 'career' ladder - a word I hate, but let's save that for another blog - it seems appropriate to spend some quality T.I.M.E on footwear.
http://www.irregularchoice.com/
I feel that shoes are often something of an after-thought for many people. They buy something black, that will go with everything... and then that's it.
But it's high time we all paid a little more heed to the shoe. Yep, the boot and the brogue need to get their boss back on, as what you throw on those little pinkies should dictate the rest of your life... oh wait, I mean outfit.
Irregular Choice is an example of a company that never put their feet up. Constantly creating some of the most inventive designs around, some of the stuff is a bit too unconventional even for me, but a great deal of what they have to offer is uniquely brilliant. Plus, each set of shoes has its own ridiculous nickname. So, without further ado, may I introduce you to Fabbydo and Justin-Bobby, amongst others...
http://www.irregularchoice.com/
Thursday 4 February 2010
Jokes!
Q: What luxurious beverage would you buy Alison from Starbucks?
A: A gold-frappé.
BA-DOOM-BOOM-BISH!
Right to be wrong?
I'm not a cynic. No, really! I'm not. But there's something about February 14th that just does not sit right with me. I can barely stand to look at it, let alone allow it to sit in my lap. Some see candy and flowers and birds. I tend to see so much sugar I wanna be sick, profits that, er... roll like puddings and roadkill (RIP Pidgey).
The idea of romance is vastly overrated, particularly in this day and age. Romance is just not the same, and pledging my allegiance to Valentine's day would be like sleeping with Tiger Woods: just doing something because apparantly everyone else is. Let's take a look at modern love shall we? In the past week we have had the breakdown of John Terry's marriage due to his indiscretions with a teammate's ex-girlfriend; a 19-year-old girl in New Zealand who has sold her virginity for £20,000 to pay for university tuition fees; and the Pope denouncing equal rights for gay members of the public. Not that I'm condoning the Black-Eyed Peas, but come on: where is the love?
And it's reasons like this that make real love today so important. We don't need it to be sold to us. I'm a single man, but if I was lucky enough to find someone that little bit more sparklier than the average chap, I wouldn't want it shoved down my throat in the shape of some over-priced, over-iced cookie. Love is not a business, and thus businesses need to mind their own business.
The solution? Aside from embracing spinster-hood in all its vodka-fuelled glory, I would suggest a trip to Liverpool's A Foundation on the night of the 13th or 14th. Presenting an alternative view of love, it promises to get your heart racing in other ways, through a mixture of live art performances and installation pieces. Titled 'Wrong Love', DazedDigital have interviewed Travis Street, the Texan artist who's put together this true labour of love http://www.dazeddigital.com/ArtsAndCulture/article/6449/1/Wrong_Love
The idea of romance is vastly overrated, particularly in this day and age. Romance is just not the same, and pledging my allegiance to Valentine's day would be like sleeping with Tiger Woods: just doing something because apparantly everyone else is. Let's take a look at modern love shall we? In the past week we have had the breakdown of John Terry's marriage due to his indiscretions with a teammate's ex-girlfriend; a 19-year-old girl in New Zealand who has sold her virginity for £20,000 to pay for university tuition fees; and the Pope denouncing equal rights for gay members of the public. Not that I'm condoning the Black-Eyed Peas, but come on: where is the love?
And it's reasons like this that make real love today so important. We don't need it to be sold to us. I'm a single man, but if I was lucky enough to find someone that little bit more sparklier than the average chap, I wouldn't want it shoved down my throat in the shape of some over-priced, over-iced cookie. Love is not a business, and thus businesses need to mind their own business.
The solution? Aside from embracing spinster-hood in all its vodka-fuelled glory, I would suggest a trip to Liverpool's A Foundation on the night of the 13th or 14th. Presenting an alternative view of love, it promises to get your heart racing in other ways, through a mixture of live art performances and installation pieces. Titled 'Wrong Love', DazedDigital have interviewed Travis Street, the Texan artist who's put together this true labour of love http://www.dazeddigital.com/ArtsAndCulture/article/6449/1/Wrong_Love
Wednesday 3 February 2010
I want a bite of the apple
I've fallen prey to it.
For years I've managed to resist. Of course, I've enjoyed mild flirtations, but now they have me in their grubby little paws. Having always dismissed them as a case of style over substance, an overblown 'craze' that would surely die down eventually, I now find myself in the embarassing situation of being swept up in the latest hurricane of hyperbole - and I want a piece of that windy hype.
It must have been Apple's latest gizmo, the iPad. Now, I'm not that tapped. However, the fuss about its new sprog has forced me to check-up on the first born. And I'm broody. Put simply, GIMME THAT MACBABY!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
