THE NAKED AND FAMOUS - HEARTS LIKE OURS (VIDEO)

The Naked and Famous are back! Whey! Hearts Like Ours, the first single off their second studio album doesn't have the immediacy of Young Blood but still packs a punch in the euphoria department and will sound amazing at festivals. Their music works well enough alone in your bedroom but the real magic happens when you're stood outside in a crowd of thousands of people singing along desperately as night sets in and smoke swirls the stage. Haters gonna hate but The Naked and Famous specialise in crowd music - if you go to a festival refusing to enjoy anything that more than 300 people are at then you're denying yourself something special. 

I was so overwhelmed when I saw these guys at Melt in 2011 that I thought I was going to burst. I was the highest/lowest/emptiest I'd ever felt all at once and didn't know how to deal with it. So I bit my friend. Repeatedly. On the shoulder. (Don't stand near me at gigs.)

Hearts Like Ours is out 9th Sep.

Album In Rolling Waves is out 16th September.

DAN CROLL = BEST FIND OF SECRET GARDEN PARTY

Best find of Secret Garden Party (apart from discovering one of 2manydjs was husband hot) was Dan Croll. Worst find was realising my friend was a psycho about getting to stages early (LOVE YOU JERRY) but I'm glad she was militant about getting to the crazy beautiful Where The Wild Things Are stage to catch this electro-ey folky mix of loveliness. I felt too broken to stand up so I sat alone on a fence with some rum and let myself be soothed while my friends danced. (Always find it a bit suffocating that the only time you get to yourself at a festival is usually whilst avoiding other people's shit smears in the portaloos.)

Dan's Soundcloud has been stopping me from listening to London Grammar all day whilst weeping into my pillow (ain't post-festival apathy just divine?) and this is my favourite - The Very Best remix is also uh-mazing.



Find out more here. Oh and Londoners, he's playing The Lexington on 13th August. I'm off to hook myself up to an IV of Vita Coco and hope for the best.

FOR LOVE AND...WEDDINGS?

Despite looking pretty bedraggled most days (every time I go to the hairdresser, he asks whilst scalping me, 'Have you started brushing your hair yet?') I am a big lover of dressy dresses. Dressy dresses that I can dress the fuck down. Case in point is the white knitted deep-v (front and back) spaghetti strap maxi that I purchased from a blogger purely to ogle on a hanger. 'cos there ain't no place for that in the dive bars I frequent. 

It took all I had to wear my recently purchased multi-coloured Nasty Gal maxi to a wedding as I felt over-dressed (as over-dressed as you can feel in a backless, deep-v). But I did it and the results can be seen below. It was 100% silk yet on sale and I wore flats and everyday hair and I ended up climbing trees and breaking out guard dogs and sneaking mini quiches up to my room, so...

My point is that I love a dress that I'll only wear once (if at all). And this For Love and Lemons creation ticks all the right boxes. Such a dream. Come to mama.

 

Photos stolen from Purse n Boots.

PHOENIX - TRYING TO BE COOL (VIDEO)

My fondest memories of Phoenix are watching them at Field Day a few of years back - the sun was going down, they were on the main stage and I felt like life was amazing. (I thought my world was just beginning that night but I ended up eating a late dinner in a Mare Street kebab shop before spending many lost hours in a grotty flat in Hackney with temporary bezzies.) Anyway, Phoenix bring back fond memories of when I first moved to London, with big dreams and small pay cheques. And loads of foxes sunbathing in my Clapton garden. Love them. (Phoenix AND the fox cubs.)

This video is pretty uninspiring until you learn that it was shot live with full takes of the song. Only then does it become impressive. 

Trying To Be Cool is out now, off the album Bankrupt.

LONDON GRAMMAR - STRONG

Just today I did a little poop that London Grammar were on the Secret Garden Party bill (only found out yesterday I got accreditation so hadn't wanted to get excited before) and now they've dropped a new song. TIMING. 

This will sound amazing in the hazy, dusky magical world of SGP. I. Cannot. Wait.

Strong is out 1st September.

SPLASHH - FEELS LIKE YOU (VIDEO)

There's a skateboarding elephant and I don't know about you but that's a huge thumbs up in my eyes. As are karaoke-esque lyrics.

I saw Splashh live at Cargo in London a few weeks ago and enjoyed the trippy visuals, moshing kids (moshing to this, c'mooooooon!?) and lost/drunk/mid-life crisis laden businessmen jumping up onstage and looking waaaaay pleased with themselves. There are a lot of sad-eyed businessmen appearing at gigs who I want to pat on the head and tell them everything will be okay.

Feels Like You is out 8th July.

SWIM DEEP - KING CITY (VIDEO)

Swim Deep have made a brand spanking new video for the re-release of King City, sticking two fingers up to the grim Birmingham of the old vid and cruising into the desert Americana-style for the new, more polished promo. They're basically living the American road trip dream. I'm concerned they don't have enough snacks or water though. Their car should be full to the brim with sour Twizzlers, pickle flavoured potato chips and all the other amazing shit you can only get in America. 

Incidentally, I have the video girl's swimsuit from my stint at American Apparel, still with all the tags on. I was obsessed with it but it but the smaller size wasn't long enough so I had a permanent hunch and the larger size was too baggy. #firstworldproblems. Naturally I kept it to get out and look at every now and then. (Much like the majority of my 6 inch heels.) Might just post my swimmers to her. It would look better where she lives than doing laps in Clissold pool anyway.

p.s. is it me or is drummer Zach turning into the girl we all want to be?

King City is out 29th July.

Debut album Where The Heaven Are We (I've got it and it's got all the amazing summery vibes you'd expect it to) is out 5th August.

GO FORTH AND LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM.

AURIA X MARGOT BOWMAN: SWIMWEAR TO DIE FOR

An artist and a swimwear brand? Match made in Heaven. Alls I'm saying is that now this collection has been released, I need this arrow print set to replace my current lane-swimming attire. A one-piece just ain't me (I look like a flat-chested dork) and crop combos are where it's at when it comes to swimming for sport. Gotta look stylish when making a splash.

Shame this two piece will set me back £120. Think I'll stick to what I got. Even if Miss Margot does have the best surname... :(

Top, £75, Auria X Margot Bowman @ Urban Outfitters

Bottoms, £45, Auria X Margot Bowman @ Urban Outfitters

Check the rest of the collection in Margot's old blog post here.