Tag: vice magazine

Massive blog recluse/”radio presenter”

crystaltipps1 Comment

…and that’s what my business cards will eventually read. I am a blog recluse in the sense that I hardly ever blog but I will shortly be resuming my normal end-of-the-month service 🙂

edit: the title is hugely misleading and makes little to no grammatical sense but whatever, I always write them first. Technically I’m an anti-recluse. Rant over.

I haven’t reviewed anything in a little while (although I have The Drums coming up in a few weeks, gah!) so here are some links to my reviews for a gig which I went to recently in my uni town…

Sam Brookes w/ George O’Brien & Anna Costello 

Purple Radio review

The Fly review 

How to be better than Fearne Cotton with a cherry on top* –  myths about student radio plus my first three late night playlists

...I really don't take myself very seriously...promise...

*it’s fairly easy tbh

So, you may well ask, what have I been doing with myself? I’m a recent convert to student radio since coming to uni, having previously thought of it in fairly pejorative terms. Some myths to clear up on that one…

Myth number 1 – you don’t have to say anything relevant because hardly anyone is listening, and if they are then they won’t be relying on you as a major news outlet.

Mythbusting – yes and no. It’s true that audience figures probably won’t be anything higher than the number of hot dinners you’ve had this week divided by the number of drunk Dominos orders you wish you hadn’t. That said, there is still a sense of responsibility to the listener, so aimlessly rambling on about your week probably isn’t going to get you that Sony award. Conversely, sounding like a self-important LBC compere is just as pointless. So I’m straddling somewhere in the middle, and trying to convey how  passionate I actually am about music.

Myth number 2 – you have to play commercial music all of the time. 

Mythbusting – if you’re in a daytime slot then perhaps it may be the case that you are asked to play a specific amount of tracks from A/B/C lists, but that means that there is still some room to manoeuvre. I applied for, and was given, a late night slot which fits my night owl personality as well as allowing me to play whatever I want, e.g.: an eclectic mix of 70s, 80s and 90s gems, new indie music and electronic bits and bobs.

Myth number 3 – student radio isn’t professional standard.

Mythbusting – Obviously the training provided by student stations won’t be the same depth as commercial training or accredited certificates, however it is often hugely relevant and high quality. Learning about how to use a mixing desk and operate programmes, even if they’re inferior/different to those which you may find in a work environment, is always going to provide you with transferable knowledge anyway… As for the standard of output, that depends on the presenter and their own knowledge and commitment I suppose. No pressure for a self-titled teen freelance music journalist then…

Now for my first three playlists…

Week one’s Spotify playlist 

Norgaard - The Vaccines 
My Everything - The Thirst 
Video Games - Lana Del Rey 
Come As You Are - Little Roy 
7th Date - Spectrals 
Punching In a Dream - The Naked and Famous 
Avenging Angels - Space 
So Far So Long - BB Brunes 
Ain't Nobody - Clare Maguire 
Lipgloss - Pulp 
Either / Or - Elliott Smith 
Don't Rush - Tegan and Sara
Lullaby - The Cure
 

Week two’s Spotify playlist 

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me - U2	

Wake Up	- O. Chapman	

Follaton Wood	- Ben Howard	

Dna - The Kills	

Hotel California - The Cat Empire	

Hounds Of Love	- Kate Bush	

Bad Feeling - Veronica Falls	

You Do Something To Me	- The Kinks	

Duck Egg Blue	- The Kabeedies	

Somewhere In My Heart	- Aztec Camera	

Shady Lane - Pavement	

Once Around the Block - Badly Drawn Boy
 

Week three ‘s Spotify playlist 

Cavern	- Liquid Liquid	

Road to Recovery - Midnight Juggernauts	

Breathe Me In - Sam Brookes	

Heart Cooks Brain - Modest Mouse	

Sentinal Bloom	- SCUM 

Phantom Limb - The Shins	

Forget You All the Time	- Cloud Nothings	

Get Lost - Tom Waits	

You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates

Bottle Up and Explode! - Elliott Smith	

So Light Is Her Footfall - AIR	

69 Fanny Street - The Peth	

This Is the Day	- The The
 
Recommendations are welcome for my show, which is on purpleradio.co.uk on Thursdays from 11pm to midnight 🙂 
 

Vice mag gets geeky *guffaw*

That looks like it says gruffalo doesn’t it? Anyhow… it’s been a while since I tuned into Vice’s vids, but here’s something which caught my eye, probably because I’m a huge anime nerd at heart…

A Dragon Con Odyssey – now on Motherboard 

Do you know what Dragon Con is? Nor me. But Vice do. Cosplayers are usually more likely to fit into a “Don’t” page in the mag, but on their shiny Motherboard video site you can find out about the intriguing traditions and heartwarming stories behind the ridiculous masks, silly wigs and awe-inspiring accessories courtesy of Vice’s comics editor Nick Gazin, who visited Atlanta’s annual comic convention. As with all Vice documentaries, there are the usual suspects (strange paedos and socially inept obsessives do feature) which are offset by oddities such as a goth band with an obvious Depeche Mode influence and a run in with Carrie Fisher which is more than a little Borat-esque. A must watch for nerds and jocks alike, which can be seen here. 

HJ

x

This month I’ve been…
Watching: Top Boy (as was half of the free world I’m sure)
Reading: The Sealed Letter – Emma Donoghue 
Eating: too much, all of the time 

May hiatus

crystaltippsLeave a comment

Dear my faithfuls…I’d give you all my last Rolo if I could. But I can’t due to the laws of physics and such.

This month has been seriously busy for me due to AS Levels. Such a cop-out, but as I’m seriously dedicated to high quality content I feel that rather than a coherent blog I’ll just roll out links to 5 cool things I’m enjoying right now and apologise profusely. Please follow me on twitter (@hannahjdavies) and I’ll spew more nonsense there.

1.MIA ROSE is a chanteuse and a bit of a flanteuse when she sings sitting on her bed but…

She’s really beautiful (think Glee’s Rachel meets Norah Jones meets Penelope Cruz) and although she’s been around a few years, (and endured more than a few suspcions over her seemingly huge Youtube following) this songstress never fails to make me smile. File her covers and Gibson-playing between Colbie Caillat and Sheryl Crow, even though she has been managed by Tommy Mottolla (Mariah’s ex).

And she wears quite a few hats. Something which kinda adds to her girl-next-door vibe.

2. Harry Hill’s paintings

They’re almost as hilarious than his TV show, and Harry Hill’s paintings provoke more of a smile than a Burp – as seen in this week’s Observer. I especially like Parker-Bowles Windsor (below) the love child of Camilla and Charles who is a decidedly ominous creamy spacehopper with more of a resembelence to Robin Williams in Flubber. I digress – a symbol, perhaps, of our strange relationship with the couple and (pathetically) undying love for Princess Diana.

3. Money

Not in note-form, although you can make any cheques payable to me. Nope, I’m talking about the 2-part adaptation of Martin Amis’ novel with Vincent Kartheiser (Mad Men) and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz) which recently graced our screens on BBC2. Reeeaaaalllly good (a little subjective as I’m a Martin Amis fan) but this was a really fun bit of 80s which should sit alongside the Rayban revival, John Hughes films being shown late at night and Vice Magazine’s Bret Easton Ellis interview this month.

Here’s a useless picture of Vince just to illustrate how symmetrical his face is. I think he might use Carmex, too. The guy who over-straightens his hair on Junior Apprentice could also take a few tips from Karthy’s bouncy straight locks which are statically mussed up a little on top as to appear nonchalant, but calmed with serum. I can smell Frederic Fekkai through my computer.

4. Twitterings

After over a year leaving tiny nuggets of mundanity and picking up quickly aggregated news and cynical musings and (possibly made-up) gossip from the twitterati, I don’t want to leave. It’s too fun, especially when real-life augments itself into Twitter via pictures, mentions and locations (becoming a mayor of Oxford St McDonalds on FourSquare is my next goal).

I even recorded a voiceover for reviews site The 405 (server isn’t working so here is the link: http://thefourohfive.com) after chatting on Twitter, and the manager of Cha Cha sent me this video after finding me on there:

Admittedly its too inoffensive, slick and overpolished for my liking, and lacks personality, but it is a cute video and i really do respond to everything which is emailed to me.

5. Festival essentials

Summer’s almost here, and I really want a Hunter festival survival pack (available from Office) – tons of good stuff packed into a one litre flask with Hunter logo in the classic mossy green colour, which is actually just known as Green. I. Need. This.

Urban Outfitters ‘Contrast Trim Satchel’ is probably too shallow to fit that massive bottle into, but I like it anyways due to its Americana feel and oversized clasp. I’m no Mariella Tandy but yum.

If money were no object I’d probably be stuffing everything into one of these stunning pouches courtesy of Felder Felder at Browns, which perfectly marry my ambition to be part of some outlaw motorcycling club in Arkansas with my (pipe) dream of designing a haute couture collection based on dirt and leather and saloon doors. Enough space or keys, plasters and a bit of cash although unfortunately £190. If Matalan are reading this, please make a copy for £4.

Yours