Friday 4 September 2009

Worth the Watch - Died Young, Stayed Pretty



DIED YOUNG, STAYED PRETTY
ICA Cinema - Opens 9 October 2009
Director: Eileen Yaghoobian, 94 minutes
Featuring: Art Chantry, Rob Jones, Print Mafia, Uncle Charlie, Ames Bros, Brian Chippendale, Tyler Stout, American Poster Institute

From the psychedelic generation of the 60s and 70s, through to the hardcore renaissance of the past decade, Died Young, Stayed Pretty is a documentary which explores the strikingly obscene, brazenly blasphemous and often quite beautiful world of underground graphic artists. Eileen Yaghoobian journeys through North America to speak to the men and women who through gig-posters have created their own visual language on the outskirts of society for bands who would become the Melvins, Broken Social Scene, Marilyn Manson, Sonic Youth, Queens of the Stone Age and Bob Dylan.

In a film that is as raw and as curious as the posters and their artists, Died Young, Stayed Pretty asks whether making a poster can have a difference and whether counter culture still has any power. The artists explain their work and vent their theories on culture and life, whilst celebrating the music and musicians that they love in a defiant and darkly funny film.

For more info head to....http://www.diedyoungstayedpretty.com and then book your tickets! If your a ICA member then catch the advance screening on th 12th September.

Wild Palms



The wonderful Ex.Lion Tamers - (who fed up with Wire comparisons at every turn - are now called Wild Palms) are the latest hot property band to come out of Shoreditch. However with a distinctive style all of there own, Wild palms are offering up something that suggests these guys are much more than your endless indie one hit wonders...and are a band you can't help but fall in love with. With a touch of These New Puritans, and more dedication to their music and band than the bright lights of stardom...expect music that is refreshing, gripping and well crafted.

Having just played 1234 Festival the guys have got a busy line up ahead of them ...Linkplaying the Converse Music New Blood stage at Fistful of Fandango, The New Blood Tour in Manchester and supporting the Good Shoes....check out their myspace to hear more!www.myspace.com/wearewildpalms

"Wild Palms are a ridiculously talented, hyper-inventive, unsigned band from London armed with a sound like a brooding, anglophile White Denim and early Birthday Party... and a passionate love affair with creating music" - Dazed&Confused. "A powerful blend of spiky beats and squally guitars. in terms of the tunes themselves, this lot are as democratic a band you'll find; the creative process for Wild Palms is more organic than the veg rack at Waitrose.....A band entirely without pretension, with realistic aims, making great music and genuinely doing it for the love of it, that does genuinely seem to be Wild Palms' 'thing': this lot are fastly proving to be a class act" - Loud & Quiet

Thursday 3 September 2009

Around Clerkenwell - J&A Cafe


4 Sutton Lane, Clerkenwell, EC1M 5PU

Tel: 020 7490 2992

Times: 8am-6pm Mon-Fri; 10am-4pm Sat


Formerly a Victorian workhouse used for cutting diamonds...this latest farmhouse gastro cafe to pop up is not just another of your typical brick-walled, big windowed and slightly overpriced cafe trying to be something its not. The two lovely girls who run it greet everyone who enters with a smile and along with a great lunchtime menu(including soups and stews from grandma's cookbook and homemade soda bread) expect to find even more delicious beautiful cakes....Almost everything is cooked & made on site using only the freshest produce, best baked bread and organic meats!
Yum!
What J&A does so well were other 'home style' cafes have failed, is that they stick to what they know and love and don't try to be more, less or everything else it could be!

Alexander McQueen, Matthew Horne, Danny Dyer and ...Mr Paparazzi have all been known to frequent this quaint, friendly little cafe...(oh and did we mention they serve wine too!!!)What more could you want at lunch time???