Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

I wish I'd made this.

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Part 2

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON, TWO from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Dean Fleischer-Camp

The future of live visuals - Beyonce

Undoubtably, this is one of the best big-time live performances of the year.

If this is the future of live visuals then I'm excited. What a a visual feast!

Azealia Banks - 212

Azealia Banks is a 20-year-old lyricist from Harlem, NYC. She's one of those hybrids around at the moment that is kind of electronic + rap + RnB. And I love it.

Some people have (incorrectly) described her as the next Nikki Minaj... this opinion really gets up my nose. A bit like when rubbish columnists label every kooky girl singer is the next Bjork or Kate Bush?! I get offended by such a lack of imagination. All because Banks a black girl with dirty lyrics doesn't mean she's following Nikki Minaj.

Anyway rant over. I love this track.

I'm gutted they've taken this video off you tube. It would have been in my "top 5 music videos" blog post I'm planning on doing.

In the meantime here's the track... (NSFW)


Azealia Banks- 212 by abeano

The significance of convergence...

Anthologies >> Leed's based writers, artists, filmmakers, photographers, promoters and musicians working, not just with, but for each other creating a unique community of talented folk with a shared vision.

And might I add... with impressive outcomes.

Take a look at this lovely video and click here to see more.

Victory Rolls are in...

... and my hair is the right length. This girl makes it look so easy!! Check out this video >>

MAX FACTOR - Colour Elixir Lipstick

Winter is setting in and my Eczema is starting to play up. If like me you've got dry skin you're also probably sick of the fact that winter is a big NO NO for lippy. No matter how much I try to keep using Vaseline or Carmex or whatever on my lips they get flaky round the edges. *YUCK* And to be honest I'm sick of all those sticky moisturisers on my lips especially when the wind blows hair over your mouth.
So good people I have endevoured to give this Max Factor lippy a go. In their own words "The Elixir formula contains a 60% blend of skin emollients, conditioners and antioxidants including vitamin E, for a visible transformation in the look and feel of your lips." They also say you'll notice the difference in 7 days (but I can't find that quote now... I'm sure it's plastered all over the Boots counter)

I've gone for the shade English Rose which shouldn't look too glamorous for everyday use. I'll let you know how it goes in 7 days.

Making sense of Classical Music

For someone who grew up playing the piano I'm not exactly that clued up on Classical Music. I know what Baroque music sounds like, I can usually spot a Rachmaninov piece a mile off, I get it that Beethoven used some pretty interesting chord progressions but honestly I'm just winging it.

I enjoy going to small classical recitals but I nearly always go on my own and usually find myself sat next to a man briefing his wife in on the finer details of the next part of the programme. I know it sounds like I'm stereotyping but from my experience that generally rings true and I sit there worrying that not enough young people have a clue how to understand this stuff.

To my delight I've discovered that James Rhodes isn't all that conventional. He stands and talks to the audience about the composer, gives background about the era in which the piece was written, and generally provides the audience with an interesting story upon which they can get more emotionally involved in the music. I found it ten times easier to concentrate and actually sat there thinking 'I'm starting to get it'.

So much of the time I see people breaking convention to hide a weakness but that just isn't the case with James. He's a solid pianist but has even more to offer with his passion and expression too. Watching James is like being taken on a journey. He's expressive in the way he plays and I found myself so easily carried away that I may have ended up breathing too loudly.

I think it's really important that classical music becomes more accessible so I'm all praise for James Rhodes. And it's not just about accessibility, its about doing something slightly different and giving a performance that is more interesting as a whole. I don't think just anyone could do this. James really has something special about his performance, but I desperately wish that any other influential classical people out there take a leaf out of James' book and think about what a difference his approach makes.

Thanks James. It was a real treat.

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An insight >> Piano Man Trailer
A biog >> Here
James on >> Twitter