BEST FESTIVAL AD EVER

Dogs dressed as Justice. I think they just made my day. 

HARD Summer Music Festival 2013
AUG 3+4 | 12PM-12AM | Los Angeles, CA
Tickets here.

PREACH

By Mitch Ablom.

CAT + PIZZA + LASERS = GIF OF THE YEAR

Stumbled across this. BEST DAY EVER.

MY FOOD FAME IN LAZY OAF'S SS13 MAGAZINE

When my BFF Jerry aka PR gal for Lazy Oaf told me that a photo of a sandwich I had made was featuring in the new SS13 Lazy Oaf magazine I thought she was joking. Until she thrust a copy under my nose and showed me the proof. And there it was, my gherkin sandwich, in all its pickled glory. 

Not only was it in there, but it had its own page! My little heart swelled with pride.

To this day, I still don't understand why Jerry found my lunch creation so fascinating. We were holidaying at her friend's house in Austin, Texas and making sandwiches to take down the lake one sweltering day. I decided to have pickles, spinach and houmous as my fillings and Jerry took a photo as she found the amount of pickles on my bread hi-larious. I just found them de-licious. Then 9 months later, I find them in a magazine! FOOD FAME!

Pick up your very own copy (there's more to see than my amazing sandwich, like their beautifully shot new collection, cowabungaaaaaa) from Lazy Oaf. 

SWISS LIPS - U GOT THE POWER (BASTILLE REMIX)

Everything Bastille touch turns to gold, not that Swiss Lips don't make precious metal to start with, but Dan Smith's additional vocals really transform this mellowed out rework of the Manchester boys' U Got The Power.

I spoke to Swiss Lips frontman Sam for my day job last week and he was a right hoot, which makes sense seeing as he's in a band which whisks up what can only be described as jolly-guitar-dance-pop-magic (personal favourite Danz right here). Catch the chat in next month's BLISS (what do you mean you're too old?) but for now, enjoy U Got The Power. I certainly don't have any power 'cos I'm about to nod off. Already excited about me breakfast. Crumpeeeeeeeeets!

U Got The Power is out 29th April.

DAUGHTER - HUMAN

"And despite everything I'm still human."

Have wanted to blog this since Zane Lowe played it a month ago as his fave track off Daughter's album but it was nowhere to be found on the world wide web. Until now as they've announced they're releasing it as a single - hooooooooo-rah!

I first heard this song when I was cooking my dinner, listening to Zane Lowe, as I so often do. (He provides the best soundtrack to throwing vegetables in a pan, I tell ya.) I remember this song got me dancing around the kitchen doing some sort of faux ballet, and when I finished my housemate commented that if I was a singer this would be the sort of music I'd write. I wish I had the talent to do so.



Their album is all sorts of beautiful. Touch and Amsterdam are two other standout tracks. Well worth your pennies.

Human and the album If You Leave are out now.

STEPHEN FRIES: THE REAL BURGER KING

A couple of weeks ago, myself and my good friend (I think my parents think she's my only friend) Jerry went for our semi-regular Sunday swim/hungover mushroom float at Clissold Leisure Centre, then wandered over to 3 Compasses all soggy-haired, hungry and ready to try their burgers which we'd heard very good things about.

Being a vegetarian (GOD JESUS NO I'M ONE OF THEM) I was crossing my fingers, toes and hair that the only veggie option (aptly called Meat Is Murder) was at least half decent. So often are veggie burgers, well, a little bit shit. Actually, that's being kind - this side of the Atlantic, they're usually a heaping crock of shit unless you make them yourself. But this one? Oh holy mother of chickpea, it was so delicious I didn't stop talking about it for three whole days. 

My friend at work must have heard the story of 'the brioche bun', 'dreamy creamy dill sauce' and 'insanely amazing garlic and parsley fries' about 50 times as I recounted their deliciousness to my boss, the boys the other side of the office and the old lady who comes once a week to water the plants. People in this country really don't understand the importance of dill. Which is why our gherkins are so lacklustre. It's allllll about the dill. But Stephen Fries (GEDDIT?!), new leader of the burger pack is so aware of this fact and so in tune with the herb that it almost makes me weep. Dill is dill-icious. Get to know it.

So we went back to the 3 Compasses this Bank Holiday Monday for round two. I'd been wrestling with myself for a few days - do I get the garlic and parsley fries again or do I try the parmesan and rosemary? My mama brought me up to try new things so I went for the parmesan, which turned out to be like posh cheesy chips. Obviously a great thing but I'll be sticking to the garlic next time. Mostly 'cos I'm an anti-social garlic hound and the wee little chunks of odour were like flecks of heaven in my mouth.

Suffice to say, I'm a little bit obsessed with these burgers and meat-eater/murderer Jerry assures me the meaty ones are 'bloody great'. (She didn't actually say that but forgive me for not whopping my dictaphone out during a casual dinner.) This burger shot way up there into my top three burgers of all time, hanging out with the big shots like Magnolia in Austin, TX and P Terry's in er, Austin (I left my heart in Austin, okay?) I think P mainly got in there for having a drive-thru that served veggie fast food when I needed it most but whevs. A friend in need and all that.

3 Compasses, 99 Dalston Lane, E8 1NH

Follow them.

Follow the man with the punny name.

WEDDING DOGS: A CELEBRATION OF HOLY MUTTRIMONY

Know a couple getting married who love dogs? I do. (Guffaw.) So when I got a press release offering a  book that was '142 pages of dogs and their owners sharing the Big Day' I replied instantly demanding (asking politely for) a copy. Do you know what, I'm lying, I actually didn't read that bit - it was the 'Holy Muttrimony' pun in the title that got me. I'm a sucker for a pun.

I'm also a sucker for a dog - they're better than people aren't they? You know what you're getting. They don't turn up late ('cos they're always glued to your side), they don't say one thing and do another and they don't shit on your carpet. Oh wait, they do. And they make you pick up their poop with only a thin plastic bag as protection ON A DAILY BASIS. But aside from that, they're still bloody great. 

Each couple and their hound get a double page each, with a lovely (sometimes slightly sickening, but I'm all about that) photo on one side and a brief story of their day on the other. Expect dogs in tuxedos, dogs with floral head accessories and a few dogs looking wistfully out of windows. It's enough to make you grab a dog and go meet a husband down the park, 101 Dalmations style. 

  

p.s. the bride and groom I threw the book at loved it. Their dog will probably tear it to shreds.

Wedding Dogs by Kate Preston Topefer and Sam Stall 

Available in hardback through Quirk Books from 16th April 2013.

RRP £13.99