Buddhism teaches that the simplicity of life is key to spiritual enlightenment, and Nosferatu D2  have a simple, two-person line-up in the form of two brothers from Croydon – Ben and Adam Parker. Their debut album (the title of which is too long for me to write multiple times so we’re gonna call it WGWATCWOHOTBOTN) rightly suggests an uncomprimising nature and an unmistakable punk sound – possibly two things Buddhism would not approve of. Nevertheless, there is a distinct lack of fluff here – it’s raw and frantic and remarkably easy to listen to.

XFm, Drowned In Sound and Art Brut’s Chris Chinchilla like this band, and they’ve played with Los Campesinos!, and the theme seems to be the unrelenting assault on pop culture and the angular, twisted world (Croydon) the Parker boys hail . The leering, sarcastic tones capture the post-punk mindset perfectly and I after listening to songs like the sparse ‘I Killed Burt Bacharach’ and the dark, loaded ‘2 People, 0 Superpowers’ I think Death From Above should be buying the Parkers a drink. Lyrically it’s just brilliant, the stuff riots are made of, the very best kind of conscience music. ‘Springsteen’ is a great example:

“You can burn down my hometown / I don’t care to be quite honest / It’s just a forest of KFC’s, Starbucks and Maccy D’s / A vast array of cash machines.”

The most gut-wrenching thing about WGWATCWOHOTBOTN is the fact that it all sounds so viably angst-y. You can almost feel Ben Parker’s spit through your speakers. The album judders and bounces and drags you along, shouting abuse at you all the while, but it’s such eloquent abuse that you just want to listen to it, take it all in, then meekly ask for more. As Gareth of Los Campesinos! put it: “Well, this fucks up my provisional Albums of the Year list…”

9/10

DeadBeatz brings you this special post on Chiddy Bang’s debut mixtape ‘The Swelly Express’ which was released on October 29th this year. These guys are sky rocketing across the underground blog charts around the world, impressing everyone with their inspired lyrics and hip-hop run-over’s of the like’s of MGMT, Passion Pit and Sufjan Stevens. Thanks to Pretty Much Amazing’s interview with the 1st year college duo, we get an insight of their true potential in the ‘industry’ (who knows, maybe mainstream one day!)

“The Swelly Express” is the true story of two college kids (Chidera Anamege and Xaphoon Jones) from Philly who rocked some parties at Drexel and quickly gained the attention of “the industry”. The music and lyrics were inspired by many boring trips on the Chinatown bus (they have wifi now!) on the way to meet “big wigs” in NYC. After a bunch of nice dinners and some free drinks for these 2 underage kids, Chiddy Bang decided to make a mixtape.

The Opposite of Adults (KIDS) (Ft. MGMT) – Chiddy Bang 100/100

Truth (Ft. Passion Pit) – Chiddy Bang 10/10

All Things Go (Ft. Sufjan Stevens) – Chiddy Bang 9/10

Spread the Beatz!

___________________________________________________________________________________

With Abandon upload their entire EP “Maturation” for FREE DOWNLOAD! The Hardcore quintet, yes I know that is a funny word, from Berlin Germany have brought out a new brutal EP. It really slaps you right in the face so check it out:

MP3:
http://www.maturation.withabandon.de/mp3.zip

Wave:
http://www.maturation.withabandon.de/wave.zip

I was going through my Plurk account when I accidentally hit the link button to my profile page.. it says:

God! never mind the other details I’m already 18!! I remember those days when I used to pretend as 18, ’cause there are social sites which only allow those who are 18 years of age. So then, I was a bit pretentious about it but now, oh, this change was real. I’m on this ‘maturity’ stage and yet, acting otherwise.

For those who have seen privileges for only eighteens, they wouldn’t have to rush and get to that age as they wish, ’cause time will come, time will run and the more you reach for future, the more you’ll want to get to the past and get less excited when the time comes.  I thought about those times when I used to prepare for my debut when I was only 12.. I tried to have a cotillion and plan all about the princess party ides! (influenced by Loves ‘Ko si Babes the movie) Ang bilis talaga ang panahon, parang kahapon lang ganun ako. I tried to cope as the time flows. I noticed things around me except myself, or noticed myself more than anything else.

Being an 18-year old lady must’ve been a duty. It’s not about : you’ve just grown a year older, but more than that, you have things to consider as you do them. By this age, you already know what’s right  from wrong, by so, this’s the perfect time to apply all of the right and avoid all wrong. You have to take care the minors. You now have the right to vote. You’re now an exception in watching ‘porn’ movies. You need not to seek parental guidance as advised on TV. See? there’s no pressure!! unless you’re after the privileges. There might be many of those that I’m allowed to do but still I got limits to settle. And I know that very well.

There was this night, the night that was all about me, myself and I. It was my world they joined for a moment. I thought about it to be waste of time for they’ll be joining mine for once..or more.. but hey anyway! they enjoyed and I loved that feeling. I could be the hardest person to be with but they still bared.. I forgot to say thank you to each and everyone. I even forgot to thank God for all at that moment which I honestly did fail to say.

I may not have say this loud for a moment so I’ll take this chance to say this now and forever.. and ever.

Gomez Family

To my parents; Mama&Papa, all of it wouldn’t be possible if not for all your efforts. Thank you for feeding, sheltering, supporting and loving me and my brothers in anyway. Thank you for giving all of our needs instead of our wants. thank you for not giving up on us :’) Everything I’d do is  all for you and that to make you proud enough to be your daughter.  I wasn’t made perfect but I’m glad to be born with you as my parents. thanks for understanding me all the way, for keeping an eye on me when I’m forgetting. Best of the best to me was given and you’re on top of it. We’ve been from ups and down and I’m glad through the struggles, we survived and stay in tacked. I couldn’t ask for more for I may have much. I may have not made you proud as often as always and I’m sorry for that.

Ma, I may have demands that is truly hard to give ,and for every mistake that I realize, it was you behind whom I thought of being the best teacher of faults. I may have got it from you but then thanks for scolding me to be a better person. I trust the way you raise us all. To Papa, thanks too. I love that song you sang! You’re the best singer I’ve ever known. Anyway, thanks for driving us to school and sorry for making you scold every now and then. I’m honestly guilty of that. Peace!

To my brothers, whom I love of course. I really appreciate the SURPRISE number! you guys are talented!  If you need help, you know I’m lazy but doubt no more! give me a try. Call me, I won’t be there! but I might help. I’ll help you spiritually! )

To my relatives: Tita tess for the greetings, Ate Gaye! I miss you! I’ll vote wisely.. sure! wisely for president Auntie Clare for the flowers and for letting me stay in their townhomes in Manila, if not for you I’d be homeless! To my ever busy cousin Ate Riza! I love the presentation. Thank you for helping me out!

To my friends! thank you all for being there and I hope you enjoyed the party!

To my boyfriend, love the gift! thank you for staying with me. :]

I love you ALL. <3

and all those people.. thank you once again )

* Dewi magazine, June 2005

The debut opening of Roy Petley’s gallery in London caused an uproar in the West End, with people seen queuing down the street to get in. In fact, that wintry October night saw so many people in the gallery that the fire department responded four times to heat alarms going off in the building.

Roy Petley (photo: Titania Veda)

This dream of an art gallery began many years ago by a boy abandoned to a children’s home. Trapped in a dark and dreary world, even the beatings by his guardians could not curb Roy’s irrepressible spirit. “My escape was painting and drawing, the reality was horrible. I quite liked the fistfights but I didn’t like the beatings,” he confides. Becoming the first ever to receive a scholarship at the children’s home at the tender age of sixteen, Roy left for Brighton University but after his first semester he decided to go to Florence in the arms of a beautiful woman. His thirst for the foundations of art, well-drawn, well-coloured and well-painted works naturally drew him to the Italian masters of old; Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. Several years later, after living through his work in Italy, he returned to his homeland, England. There, he exhibited on the Green Park railings, a then melting pot of would be artists.

A chance meeting with the Duchess of Kent was the beginning of a lifelong friendship with the British royal family. The late Queen Mother and the Prince of Wales are collectors of his works, the late Queen Mother being particularly fond of his Norfolk landscapes. A whirlwind romance with an adoring public commenced, with sell-out shows following him wherever he went, from London to Barbados, Dublin to Dallas.

To satisfy his love of beautiful sports cars, three Alfa Romeos, engine red Ferraris and an E-type Jaguar once decorated his backyard. He even appeared on Good Morning Texas, flanked between William Shatner who “was on before me trying to promote a video game for Star Wars”, and a piano-playing-pot-bellied-pig who refused to perform. “It wouldn’t play the piano because it was camera shy”, Roy deduced.

Roy’s rags to riches story caught the eye of both the BBC and Sky Television, resulting in documentaries on his life and his art, and forced a change on his outlook on life. “I used to have people lining up to buy my work – but once the BBC did their documentary on me, they ended up banging on my front door trying to buy a paintings, it became a nightmare!” he exclaimed. Once dubbed the Best Dressed Man in London, this sort of major publicity was not in line with Roy’s solitary nature. In the early nineties, he chose tranquillity over fame and moved to a lonely farmhouse in the south-west of France. “I left England to become an unknown, to have a peaceful life”, he said. He quickly applied his energy to rebuilding his new-found home, which was soon to be featured in House & Garden, Homes & Gardens and Interior magazine.

the last of the sun by Roy Petley (courtesy of Petley Fine Art)

An impressionistic painter, he finds inspiration in his surroundings. In the summers, he is often found by local fishermen knee-deep in water, drawing models draped in flowing white dresses and adorned with wide-brimmed hats that Roy is known for collecting, or painting his neighbour’s children licking ice lollipops in his rose garden.

Self-taught, Roy experiments with all mediums, disclosing how he changes “mediums when I want to change my mind-set”. At his leisure, he moves effortlessly from pastel to oil, watercolour to sanguine. He speaks of each medium with equal passion, stressing on the ability to draw well being essential when working with any medium, particularly watercolour – “There is no changing it…there is only one chance”. He continues on saying, “watercolours are my reference for my oil paintings, an oil painting becomes a fuller version of the watercolour on a canvas.” He describes how Degas used to work with charcoal before drawing in the pastel, but prefers himself to draw with colour immediately. He is also is quick to illustrate that “pastel is a dusty medium and after a short period of working with it, I am always happy to return to my natural medium – oil.”

The subjects of Roy’s works are as varied as his mediums, drawing upon inspiration from anything and everything – portraits, still life, cityscapes and landscapes have all felt the touch of his brush in his paintings. “I usually have an idea of what I want to do before I begin, I see the world through my paintbrush and palette – all that remains to do is to recreate the image that I see in my mind.”

Whether it be landscape or still life, light and shadow are the basis of his works. There is a certain light and youthfulness, a grace and joyfulness that emanates from his paintings. He depicts an untouchable innocence that is reminiscent of childhood and days gone by. Although it may seem an old-fashioned and romantic world, this is Roy’s world as it exists today. Each painting draws you in, engages you with its subtle colours and soft lines.

sunlight in the dark canal by Roy Petley (courtesy of Petley Fine Art)

It is said that once you have had a show in Cork Street, you have made it in the art world. Having exhibited in galleries on the street for over a decade, Roy had reached a point in his life where he wanted to give something back. In his youth, Roy himself had approached gallery after gallery, carrying his portfolio, and had been turned away. In later years, the same galleries would beg him to exhibit with them – he wanted to provide artists with the opportunities he never had, with “a gallery they can trust, where artists feel comfortable”, where the open doors and laid back atmosphere would encourage artists – especially the younger ones. In the autumn of 2003, he did just that. “I started up the gallery because I was really fed up with how artists are treated”, he explained.

Petley Fine Art sets itself apart from other galleries because as Roy proudly states, “this is the first time an artist has owned a major gallery promoting work other than his own”. True to his word, Roy has raised the bar for the whole area by filling his gallery with only the finest paintings and sculptures from an international pantheon of artists. “We have famous artists, infamous artists, and also young artists just starting out in their careers – regardless of where they are in their careers, it is their talent that attracts us to them.”

It is this refreshing concoction of artists that gives the gallery its lively character and explains why artists enjoy exhibiting there. Neil Forster, an artist of Petley Fine Art and an established portrait painter whose sitters include The Prince of Wales, speaks highly of the gallery. “I thought this gallery opening in “the” art street of London and offering art with no over-intellectualizing or posing, is so refreshing that it must in time be one of the most visited galleries in London.”

Roy is also quick to point out that a lot of effort has been made to ensure nothing distracts from the paintings. His long-standing motto being, “the art is foremost, the gallery secondary and all emphasis is on the artists”.

Filled with boundless energy and enthusiasm, Roy floods his gallery with the same vitality he fills his paintings. Now with three galleries spread across Europe, Petley Fine Art seems to be going from strength to strength. As for Roy, does he miss the good old days when he was a struggling painter? “Well,” he laughs, saying, “I have artists ringing up at 4 AM telling me their problems with their wives who are jealous of their models. One artist calls up and says can I come see you now? I think, what’s going on here?”

Petley Fine Art
9 Cork St
London
W1S 3LL
+44 207 494 2021
http://www.petleys.co.uk/

By Cara Sulieman

SUSAN Boyle shrugged off claims that she had a break down during her visit to America earlier this week as she signed autographs for fans outside her home in Blackburn.

The star has been pictured in tears as she was surrounded by fans in New York’s Rockefeller Centre, where she was doing a live performance for NBC’s Today show.

But she said that her trip had been “absolutely brilliant” as she proudly posed with her debut album.

Casually dressed in a cream jumper and sporting a black beret adorned with jewels to keep away the cold, the 48-year-old waved to passers-by on the narrow street where she lives.

Bridget Boyle

Looking happy, she said that she hoped people would like her album.

I Dreamed a Dream is set to be number one in the album charts this weekend, after setting the highest first-day sales of the year with a whopping 130,000 copies flying off shelves.

And it is on track to beat the highest first-week sales of 375,872 for a debut album, which was set by Leona Lewis two years ago.

The CD is dedicated to the singer’s mother – Bridget Boyle who died in 2007 – and each song was chosen by SuBo because it had a special meaning.

Her management strongly denied that the Britain’s Got Talent performer had a breakdown whilst in the States, saying that she was overcome by emotion after receiving a quilt from fans.

A spokesman for Susan said: “She was just overjoyed and extremely touched with the reception she has had from everyone in America.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

From the NYDailyNews.com:

Four new giant balloons — Spiderman, The Pillsbury Doughboy, Ronald McDonald and Sailor Mickey — debut at the 83rd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Although crowds will see them for the first time on Thanksgiving morning (or at the balloon inflation event the night before), it takes months to design and launch a giant balloon.

The process starts with selection. “To get up in the sky you have to be instantly recognizable, everyone has to understand who you are,” says Amy Kule, parade producer. “The Pillsbury Doughboy is a great example. This is his first year in the parade and when we tested the balloons you just knew instinctively he belonged up there.”

Balloons start out at the Macy’s Parade Studio in Hoboken, N.J. where they are meticulously molded out of clay to be 100 percent faithful to their original character design. They are cut and sewn into balloons offsite, then tested a few weeks before the parade. It’s a painstaking process that requires an incredible amount of attention to detail to an enormous balloon.

Kule says that this time of year is both incredibly intense, but also a lot of fun, “I’m filled with anticipation and I don’t get much sleep on the eve of Thanksgiving,” she says. “But by the time I see that first balloon, with three million people watching it, instead of being uptight or nervous, I get a sense of calm.”

Even though Kule is thrilled to see so many new balloons in the parade this year, she has a special place in her heart for a returning favorite. “SpongeBob makes me laugh,” she says. “Balloons want to be round and he’s this big square body. That’s no easy feat.”

Spiderman

This year, Spiderman returns to celebrate both his second appearance in the parade and Marvel’s 70th anniversary. The first Spiderman balloon debuted back in 1987 and was a Thanksgiving regular for about a decade. The new design features far more defined muscles. Says Kule, of his time off, “Spidey’s been working out. We should all look so good in tights.”

The Pillsbury Doughboy

A total newcomer to the parade, The Pillsbury Doughboy promises to be a new favorite. The biggest problem with this balloon? Millions of people will want to poke that belly, but with the Doughboy clocking in a 46.4-feet tall, they won’t be able to reach.

Ronald McDonald

This is the iconic clown’s third parade appearance and this time he’s come back as an athlete. Ronald McDonald dons what may be the world’s largest pair of ice skates for the occasion to glide through Manhattan with ease come Thanksgiving morning.

Sailor Mickey

This will be the fourth Mickey Mouse balloon design in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Mickey was one of the first characters to appear in the parade back in the 1930s. This new Sailor Mickey recalls the classic Steamboat Willie version of the famous mouse, but with modern styling.

At the Shinjin Kouen Yokohama FIRE Concert, Tsunku announced by video that S/mileage will graduate from Hello!Project Egg in the Spring of 2010 after the Hello!Project Egg concert in spring to have their major debut.

Conformation of this is that S/mileage now has an official H!P profile and Tsunku has also confirmed it on his blog. (See below for links)

Congtarulation S/mileage and I hope you do well and you have all your fan supporting. ^^

Tsunku Announcement At His Blog

Natalie.mu which has the pictures of S/mileage from the concert

Official S/mileage Profile on Hello!Project Site

Nikki S. and I had one of our weekly dinners earlier tonight, and it was great! It was a very much needed dinner for me, since I’m getting sick of those rice meals that come in boxes (people who do not have access to healthy food, like me, probably know what I’m talking about. HAHA).

i love Nikki S’ shirt!

Okay besides all the food trippin’ and school stuff..I’m excited for my 18th birthday party with Jeff My sister’s helping me plan it…and we’ll announce it officially this coming weekend. We’re still coming up with a theme, and Jeff and I will work out some stuff tomorrow As of now.. my sister and I are thinking:

MJ-inspired

VS

Lady Gaga-inspired

Well if you really think about it, both have the same concept: sequins, leather, glitter, shoulder pads,etc

What do you think?

Pashion E-Magazine Debut

Pashion has launched its quarterly e-edition this week, meaning the magazine but can be now viewed online.  We are giving you an exclusive FREE TRIAL access if you click here!

Fustany's 1st Lookbook

Fustany launched its Lookbook this week as well.  Register here and enjoy the e-zine which features their fall trends, favorite coats, and their top 10 favorite bloggers, FashionThreads being one! In addition, fill out the questionnaire on page 29 and win 1 out of 3 GIVEAWAYS.

CONGRATS FUSTANY & PASHION!

an eBay seller is selling a signed Paris Convention Debut (with Raven Hair) for $4,999, I was like, Gee, you probably need to add “dinner with Robert Best included in this auction” to get people to buy her.

O grupo Café Colômbia nasceu em 2oo4 com a idéia de três amigos: Felipe Lima, Camila Matos e João Luis na cidade de Fortaleza, Ceará e já possuem um cd de estúdio independente lançado. O grupo lançou seu primeiro projeto através de uma fita Demo em 2oo5 que alcançou modesto agrado da crítica e dos fãs e passou a tocar em festivais locais e regionais. Eles são bastante apreciados por seu rock que às vezes lembra Moptop, às vezes lembra Ecos Falsos e o trio sempre toca sem pretensões.

Aqui para download o debut homonino Café Colômbia     Download

1 – Paciência Não

Hi,

This is the first posting of my new blog, Lost in the Library. I will be writing about anything that inspires me; reviews, opinions, stories, whatever, etc. The name is from an instrumental track by the English band Saint Etienne from their album The Misadventures of Saint Etienne. I like the feel of the phrase, a little bit of alliteration, and getting lost in a big library with a long list of books to look for is one of my favorite activities. I used to do it when I was at UC Santa Barbara, and have taken it up again at Brown University, where I am employed. But this isn’t necessarily a book or literary blog; libraries contain information on just about every topic you can think of. And I hope to write with an equal variety. Nor are libraries just where they hide the books. Any venue of information is a library.

Here is a random list of things that interest me:

Books, turtlenecks, Vespas, the FIFA World Cup, old time pipes, sailing, comedy in all its forms, South Africa, writing, Mods, chess, wax cylinder recordings, clay, the Munich Olympics tragedy, boxing, the look of vineyards, parkour, John F. Kennedy, the Royal Navy, late ’50s/early ’60s ennui, Mad Men, Rene Magritte, dating, Picasso, musicals, movies from the ’60s, Rome (ancient and contemporary), Greece, Ernest Hemingway’s life and times, Mini Coopers, corduroy, film festivals, the Victorians, walking, psychedelia, Terence Malick, 19th century urban America, the France soccer team, Tottenham Hotspur, clay court tennis, Chester A. Arthur, Sarah Vowell, dystopian futures, and art deco.

There is plenty more but all in good time.

“Libraries gave us power.” – ‘A Design For Life’, Manic Street Preachers

Keep an eye out, you damn sexy readers. I can guarantee you won’t want to miss this review.