Hello Tartan!

Harriet Stevenson evaluates this vastly popular fashion trend.

Tartan is absolutely EVERYWHERE: scarves, shirts, leggings, skirts, trousers, dresses, coats, bags and even shoes. Where will this fashion trend end?

Not that I’m complaining; I love tartan, it’s such a fun and versatile pattern – you can mix it in with any outfit and it works. It’s also good for all ages: I recently went to London and on the tube almost everyone who had a scarf had one that was tartan – myself included. An old man with a farmer-style cap – he had a tartan scarf like mine, but it worked, as tartan is a pattern that’s been around for generations.

I think you can overdo the tartan though, just like people can overdo leather and denim. I saw a guy the other day with a denim shirt, denim jacket and jeans (all the same shade of denim); to be honest he might as well have been wearing a denim onesie. But who am I to judge?! I sometimes, by accident, find myself wearing triple denim too (why did I ever think a denim backpack was a good idea?)

However, all that’s by the by as tartan can be worn for both formal occasions and casual. It also lends itself to any style, whether it is grungy or preppy; this means that tartan stays unique – something that is very important in a fashion trend. The minute a design gets overworked, it loses its value.

That’s why I would say for the most part you can’t really go wrong with tartan, there are so many different variations of the pattern: small checks, large checks, monochrome or traditional. The world really is your oyster when it comes to tartan! The only thing I wouldn’t suggest is multiple tartan in one outfit - you can overdo a good thing!

Popular New York fashion blogger Lua P stated “There’s never enough plaid in my wardrobe.” If I’m honest I really can’t help but to agree as it just adds that extra pop to an outfit.

So I welcome the arrival of tartan and am excited to buy more tartan items and have fun styling them, though I promise to stay well clear of triple tartan! That’s a mistake I’m sure would not go down well.

Fashion Blogger: ‘Lua P’ – Luanna Perez: http://www.le-happy.com

Stuck on how to style tartan? Some suggestions here: http://www.pinterest.com/kafir/style-tartan/

Introducing: Standing Tall

All you need to know about Norwich lads Standing Tall, brought to you by East Anglia's music rep Lucy Neill.

Alt-rock foursome Standing Tall have been making a name for themselves this past year, with the release of their new EP 'Still Breathing'. Hailing from Norwich, the band is made up of vocalist and guitarist Blake Marchesi, bassist Tom Bircham, guitarist Holen Wong (sorry, former guitarist - Holen unfortunately left the band in early October, but I wanted to include him anyway) and drummer Dan Bowley.
Since their formation in November 2010, Standing Tall recorded their debut EP 'Life.Obsession.Violence.Emotion' which was released in May 2012 (available for free here - http://goo.gl/6YfC3), and were back in the studio in early 2013 with their new material, released in the form of a five-track EP entitled 'Still Breathing' in July 2013, for which they also released a music video for, and had support from other homegrown heroes Fenrir and Searching Alaska for their EP release gig. With influences such as Deftones, Foo Fighters and Alexisonfire, this band's unique sound is hitting the local music scene and has been receiving brilliant feedback. I had a catch-up with the guys just before their EP release back in July, here are some of the things we talked about:

How is 'Still Breathing' different from your debut EP, and how have you guys as a band changed since then?
It’s a lot better than the first release. Musically we have matured a lot since the writing the first EP. We also lost a member Josh a couple of months after recording the EP as a live unit. It has changed us a lot, but for the better, now everyone is on an instrument we seem a lot more in tune with each other playing shows.

What about your experiences in the studio when recording 'Still Breathing' back in January?
Oh the experience was so good, we recorded the EP with Dan Lancaster who has worked with some of our favourite bands and he was just brilliant, a little strange but brilliant. Dan is a cracking musician as well and as a singer he is so bloody good so for Blake to be able to work with him and get some tips was even better.  We recorded our first EP at a friend’s studio just as he was starting up so this was a bit of a step up for us and there was no beating around the bush with Dan if you played something and it wasn’t good enough it went in the bin and you did it again and the EP sounds better for it.

Describe your new E.P in 5 words!
Punchy, dynamic, catchy, melodic and sexual.

Like what you’re reading?
Check the guys out at https://www.facebook.com/StandingTallUK

Homegrown Heroes: Albums and EPs

Once again, Lucy Neill brings us the latest from the hottest new acts in East Anglia and talks about album and EP releases from these promising, young bands.

Polar Collective

Polar Collective
Polar Collective are a four-piece from Ipswich, Suffolk, with an unusual mix of sounds, including acoustic pop, hip-hop and indie. The band are made up of vocalist Jacob Cardy, guitarist Adam Dodd, saxophonist Ally Newbigging and drummer Gryphon Ford, who formed the band when in college back in November 2011. They've played all over the country and have even supporting Killamonjumbo, who have supported Ed Sheeran on numerous occasions. They released their debut EP, 'Snakes and Ladders' in September 2012 and have built up a strong fanbase since. They've also released a music video for their song 'All This Hype' and have several acoustic covers on YouTube, including Bastille and Taylor Swift, and the band are currently working on some new material. They're lovely guys with a joyful sound, guaranteed to make you want to jump around.

Fenrir
Next up are Fenrir, an alt-rock quintet from Haverhill in Suffolk, consisting of vocalist Ben Slater, guitarists Mike Cockayne and Krishan Alwis, bassist Rich Wallis and drummer Ben Brennan. Forming in late 2011, they released their EP 'Live Like Royalty' in September last year and then made a music video for their single 'Confessions' in March 2013. They toured with fellow MTA Artist Management band Searching Alaska from March through April earlier this year too. The band are currently working on their new song 'Ruins' and hope to release it soon.

The Aurora
6-piece band The Aurora are taking East-Anglia by storm. Hailing from Suffolk, the progressive rock/electronica band were formed in late 2011 with Eliott McCall on vocals and guitar, Oscar Charlton and Joe Mamo on guitars, Michael Whittle on bass, Benji Sadler on synth and electronics and Toby Houghton on drums. In December 2012, they released their EP 'Origami Tsunami' which received great feedback from their fans. They have played at the O2 Islington Academy on multiple occasions, and recently supported punk giants Wheatus when they played at the Ipswich Railway Venue. They play, in their words, "huge melodic riffs with tasty breakdowns and cheeky hook-lines with a big electro/dance input". They smashed Ipswich on the 6th and 7th of July earlier this year at Ipstock and Ipswich Music Day - I think it's safe to say these local champions are going to go far in the music industry indeed.

Maglia Rosa Group
Norfolk-based quartet Maglia Rosa Group are made up of Daisy Lawrence on vocals, guitar, organ and flute, Sam Lawrence on guitar, synth and vocals, Matt on bass and Owen on drums. They have a unique indie-pop sound, and during my interview with them, Matt said "when I first joined the band, it was straight-forward pop, but Daisy's sort of dramatic vocal delivery and the music went like that too, so like pop but a bit more dramatised dark as well." Forming back in April 2011, they released their debut EP 'Nighthawks' in December 2012, managing to sell out their release gig, and have a music video for the track 'Nighthawks' from the EP.

Phoenix Calling
Last but not least comes Phoenix Calling, a five-piece rock band from Cambridge, consisting of Steven Chapman, Dominic Greenwood, Martyn Hilliam, Benedict Greenwood and Jason Howard. Formed in July 2012, these lads are currently writing and recording their debut EP 'Waves', and have already released a music video for their single 'Bring the Roof Down', already planning another music video for their yet-to-be-released single 'Everybody Knows'. The band have shared the stage with the likes of The First, We Are Fiction, Tu Amore, Fights & Fires and more, and have also headlined the main stage at Willow Festival 2013 and played the BBC Introducing Stage at Cambridge Rock Festival.

Be In Style: Appreciate Moustaches This Movember

Growing Moustaches is our business. Business is good! Join the Movember movement this year or read about it below  with Holly Hume.

Not November—Movember. Every year when the sky clouds over and we begin the challenge of protecting ourselves from the annual downpours which accompany British autumn, men all around the world are undertaking a challenge of their own.
The charity is run by a board of directors who use the proceeds from Movember to fund programmes which further men’s health such as; Awareness and Education, Living with and beyond cancer, and research.
Their effort last year raised an incredible £92.0 million GBP and there are now 1.1 million  registered “Mo’s” worldwide. There were also 2.7 million conversations generated by Movember, not surprising given the publicity its gained since it took off in  Australia 2003.
So, take Movember to the streets this autumn by reading the rules below.

THE RULES:
1) Once registered at Movember.com each Bro must begin Movember with a clean shaven face.
2) For the entire month of Movember each “Mo Bro” must grow and
groom a moustache.
3) There is to be no joining of the Mo to your sideburns. That’s considered a beard.
4) There is to be no joining of the handlebars to your chin. This is to be considered a goatee.
5) Each “Mo Bro” must conduct himself like a true gentlemen.

The rule list ends with a small caption, “IF YOU DON’T LIKE OUR MOUSTACHES, WE DON’T LIKE YOUR LAWS”.

Movember has morphed into a worldwide phenomenon in just ten years. The website boasts a “Mo Community” which includes a Hall of Fame and the “Moscars”. From a small charity targeting men, its moved on to encompass “Mo Sistas” too. The Mo Sistas can assist with the charity work by promoting Movember and helping the Mo’s along the way.

The Mo Sistas are vital to the growth of Movember; supporting their men in the daunting task of the facial hair face off, offering winks and smiles to many a man who is unsure of his Mo.
The charity, additionally to their rules, have a set of values by which they run the organisation, some of which are below.
 
Fun: We create fun.

Accountable: We are accountable and transparent. We strive to exceed best practice cost-to-fundraising ratios.

Remarkable Experiences: At every touch point; phone, email, events, online and in person we endeavour to create a remarkable experience

Change Agent: We stand for constructive change. We challenge the norm in all our activities and as a result we drive significant outcomes from the
conversations we create and funds we raise.

Innovative: Born from an entrepreneurial spirit, we
apply innovation across the organisation, improve efficiency.

So dig out the precision razor and wax in preparation for the biggest month this year. Ladies too.

Celebrity Style Steals

Love your favourite celebrities? Love their styles? Here’s where you can duplicate their outfits at a more relatable price. By Madeleine Lynch.

Cara Delevingne, British fashion model, occasional actress and current face of Burberry, has recently transformed into a big celebrity; you’re seeing her everywhere. She’s even been called the “star face” of this Autumn/Winter season by British Vogue. 

Cara was seen wearing this outfit in London on August 20th. Now her Vivienne Westwood pants, Giuseppe Zanotti shoes and Yliana Yepez bag are probably just out of the price range for this article, so we’ve found some similar dupes to replicate her individual style. You can find most of these things right here in Colchester or see the links to the websites of each item.

Item no. 1 is Cara’s cardigan, it was hard to find something exactly like this so we’ve gone with a simple black blazer instead. You can find this in H&M for £29.99. 

Item no. 2 is just a simple grey vest, this obviously isn’t hard to duplicate and you can find one of these anywhere, but we’ve found one anyway from H&M for only £5.99. 

Next is item no. 3, Cara’s gorgeous Vivienne Westwood tartan trousers, it was hard to replicate these exactly, so instead we’ve gone with some red tartan leggings from Topshop for £25. 

Item no. 4 is the shoes. Now I’m sure any pair of black boots would go well with this outfit but I’ve chosen to keep it simple with a pair of platform sneakers from again, H&M for £14.99. 

Lastly is the accessories. Cara’s kept this simple with only a beanie and some aviators. These are pretty easy to find anywhere at the moment but we’ve gone for the black ribbed beanie from New Look for only £4.99 and a pair of very similar aviators from warehouse for £10.

Recipe: Cinnamon Nutella cake!

This all-in-one cake is perfect for all Nutella lovers everywhere and is really simple and relatively quick to make (if you don’t include the cooking time!). However, no cake is perfect and there is always room for improvement, hence the 3 ½ stars out of 5!

The cake itself was a bit dense (which may be due to a little too long in the oven) but this didn’t stop us devouring more than two slices each! Next time I would check the cake after 40 minutes so as to ensure it had the perfect cooking time and isn’t left in that 5 minutes too long because in the end, every oven is different. The actual making of the cake was extremely straight forward, putting everything into the bowl at once saves a lot of time (as well as a lot on washing up!) so this added to the solid 3 ½ star rating we gave overall.

If you aren’t keen on cinnamon you could always substitute it for a teaspoon of vanilla extract/essence for the flavouring as this will no doubt be a great combo!

Ingredients
175g softened butter or hard marg softened (more economical)
175g golden caster sugar
3 eggs
200g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
2tsp ground cinnamon
4tbsp milk
4 rounded (or heaped for true lovers) of Nutella/own brand hazelnut spread
50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Method
1. Set the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Butter/line a tin – I used a loose bottomed cake time about 10cm high or instead you could use a loaf shaped tin
2. Put all ingredients into a bowl (NOT the Nutella or chopped hazelnuts) and whisk until light and fluffy
3. Tip ¾ of the mixture into the tin and even out. Then spoon the Nutella on. I spread it out but it sank to the bottom whilst cooking – better to add it in small blobs.
4. Add the rest of the mixture to cover the Nutella. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and put in the oven for about 1 hour (Good idea to check before the hour is up to make sure it isn’t burning!!) or until risen, brown and firm to touch.

What could be simpler? All that is left to do is pour a cup of tea or a glass of milk and it’s good to go!
Note: The Nutella can sink to the bottom whilst cooking but don’t worry, it still tastes good! Just make sure it’s added in small lumps so as not to be too heavy on the mixture.

Music Review: Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!

A review of Panic! At The Disco’s newest album by Emily Beard 

The fourth album from America’s alternative rock band Panic! At The Disco was released on the 8th October and it was worth the wait.

It seemed impossible to me that anything could beat their 2005 debut album ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out’ but Brendon Urie, Dallon Weekes and Spencer Smith are musical geniuses and although it is very hard to compare all 4 of their albums, this one certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Whilst some of their other material has brilliant, deep lyrics this album stays true to the bands Las Vegas roots. It has a heavier dance feel than we’ve previously seen and extensive use of synthesisers.  Think less emotional and more Vegas dance party- a theatrical, entertaining and care free listen.

Track Listing:
1. This Is Gospel
2. Miss Jackson (featuring Lolo)
3. Vegas Lights
4. Girl That You Love
5. Nicotine
6. Girls/Girls/Boys
7. Casual Affair
8. Far Too Young To Die
9. Collar Full
10. The End of All Things

Having already released Miss Jackson and This Is Gospel, their sound has definitely evolved.  The latter being the opening track and one that is worthy of being belted out in the shower. Yes, I am guilty of doing this. These first two songs set very high standards for the rest of the album and although none of the others quite match these, I am certainly not disappointed.

With songs like Vegas Lights and Girls/Girls/Boys having an electronic, futuristic feel they are slightly over repetitive and less memorable than some others. They don’t prove Panic! At The Disco’s incredible song writing skills quite like their first album did. However, every time the band starts to falter they manage to pick themselves back up, this time in the form of the song Nicotine, an addictive injection of excitement which once again displays the amazing vocals of the lead singer and makes you overlook the slightly flawed songs. The few average songs in the middle of the album are completely forgotten about with the killers at the beginning and end.

Although it is perhaps a little less than what I was hoping for, it is still one to be enjoyed turned up on full volume with plenty of room to dance.  Fans of Fall Out Boy will undoubtedly enjoy this album as it sounds similar, without being identical, to their latest sound.

Favourite track on the album: This Is Gospel
Rating: 4/5
Available on amazon.co.uk and iTunes