LADYHAWKE REVIEW ON JC REPORT

http://www.jcreport.com/intelligence/wellington/201108/put-record-ladyhawke-soars-above-rest

Put A Record On: Ladyhawke Soars Above The Rest
November 20th, 2008 | Wellington

New Zealand's Ladyhawke is the latest popstrel in what has become a welcome onslaught of talented, chart-topping, impossibly cool musicians from Down Under. The blonde Kiwi's self-titled album draws heavily from her '80s childhood, evoking a youth spent listening to music and getting lost in dreamy reverie.

Born Philippa Brown, Ladyhawke's first band, Two Lane Blacktop, took her to Australia where she eventually became the lead singer of Sydney band Teenager. Brown later created the Ladyhawke persona to gain full creative control of her work, but, as a sufferer of Asperger's syndrome, the name also provides a shield against our fame-obsessed world.

Ladyhawke's biggest single to date, "Paris is Burning," was put together while taking a train from the French capital to London. Other tunes such as "Manipulating Women" and "My Delirium," draw more on rock and indie influences, but Ladyhawke maintains the '80s sound with strong synth melodies under her catchy choruses.

This electropop sound has led to comparisons with fellow blonde popstar Annie, but Ladyhawke goes far beyond shallow party stompers. Accompanied by a well-produced soundtrack that's more Cyndi Lauper than Kylie Minogue, this debut album leaves the distinct impression of a woman who has something to say.

Ladyhawke is out now. For more information, see www.myspace.com/ladyhawkerock

—David Hellqvist

ALBUM REVIEWS IN THE BEAT HAPPENING #4

BOOJI BOOTS ON JC REPORT

http://www.jcreport.com/intelligence/regal-one/071108/booji-kicks-booty

Booji Kicks Booty
November 7th, 2008 | Los Angeles

Fed up with the male-oriented sneaker market, Miss Mdot—the attention shy designer behind the JB Classics Lab range—launched Booji, a not-so-shy urban shoe label dedicated to sneaker-loving ladies. Given Booji's potential to rule the streets, homeboys may soon try to squeeze their way into a pair as well.

Los Angeles-based Mdot (the M allegedly stands for "Mysterious") came up with the idea for an exclusive all-girl trainer line while on a train in Germany. Flipping through catalogue page upon catalogue page of lackluster designs from big-time competitors, she noticed the apparent gap in the market. "It was kind of like the straw that broke the camel's back", she says.

Miss Mdot, true identity still unknown, joined up with Jason Bass and his JB Classic Lab in 2004, while still studying interior architecture and furniture design. Her promise to "think outside the box" is well applied to the Booji range and some models take the motto quite literally. High-top sneaker Regal-One comes with a detachable ankle tote, making it practical as well as street smart, while Hi-Jacker, the other Booji style to be launched this holiday season, is a slip-in boot that comes in different colors and several fabrics (leather, denim, etc).

Booji was initially launched in Paris, Amsterdam, Moscow and Geneva, but as the label grows geographically the range will also expand—Miss Mdot already plans to include more sneaker styles and a collection of accessories down the line.

For more information, see www.boojihouse.com.

—David Hellqvist

Beyoncé Pugh/Gareth Knowles

This week's obsession with Beyonce Knowles (see JC Report review underneath) continues as we smile at arguably the most ill-matched fashion combination of the year: Beyonce and Gareth Pugh.

BEYONCÉ KNOWLES REVIEW ON JC REPORT

http://www.jcreport.com/intelligence/obsessed/101108/put-record-beyonce-returns-oh-so-fierce

Put A Record On: Beyonce Returns Oh So Fierce
November 10th, 2008 | New York

Beyoncé Knowles is on her way to world domination. The über-star, multi-Grammy winner is about to release her third album, I Am...Sasha Fierce, and is set to star as Etta James in the new film Cadillac Records. Knowles spent more than a year putting together the new, two-disc album, which, as usual, was made in tight collaboration with her father/producer/manager. I Am...Sasha Fierce shows the Beyoncé we know today: a radiant, sophisticated newlywed, beautifully matured since her early days with Destiny's Child.

Knowles co-wrote many of the songs and the two sides of her album are perfectly illustrated by the first singles: "Ladies Put A Ring On It" is an upbeat party song where Beyoncé invites her unmarried friends to join her for a night out, while "If I Were A Boy" is a calmer, more reflective track, which sees her examining the world from a male perspective.

Beyoncé not only stars in the upcoming Cadillac Records, but is also due to appear in 2009's thriller Obsessed. Her marriage to rapper Jay-Z was widely publicized, but the couple maintains a low profile and avoids excessive press coverage, giving Beyoncé the reputation of a talented and hard working performer who deserves her success and happiness. I Am...Sasha Fierce might be more about "Single Ladies" than "Independent Women," but that is just what Beyoncé Knowles is.

I Am...Sasha Fierce comes out Nov 18. For more information, see www.myspace.com/beyonce.

—David Hellqvist

The PIX November cover

It looks like The PIX has finally got their cover to look just right. Wink, Wink...

Well done Hanna Hanra and Princess Julia

Grace Jones Review on JC Report

http://www.jcreport.com/intelligence/williams-blood/031108/put-album-grace-jones-returns-hurricane

Put An Album On: Grace Jones Returns Like A Hurricane
November 3rd, 2008 | Global

Hurricane's dark and monotone disco beat signals the return of Grace Jones. Her first album in 19 years is a replica of the disco diva herself—slick, hard and infectious. And on opener "This Is Life," Grace makes it clear she won't be taking any prisoners, singing: "This is my voice, my weapon of choice."

Jones' temperament is legendary—if she's not hitting music journalists on live television, she's trying to kiss them, as one unwitting British writer recently found out. And yet, her music's hypnotic beat ultimately lulls you into Jones' world, and you sort of want to stay. Soundtrack composer Ivor Guest produced the Jamaica-born star, but Hurricane has a long list of contributors, including Brian Eno and Tricky as well as reggae producers Sly and Robbie. The album is a diverse collection of songs—some up to ten-years-old—but it maintains a focused sound. 

Jones also manages to get personal, especially on tracks such as "Williams' Blood," which sees her dealing with her father's religious and disciplinarian background, and "I'm Crying (My Mother's Tears)," where Jones dissects memories from her mother's youth.

She may have had an almost two decade-long album absence, but with Hurricane the now 60-years-old Jones manages to keep her own myth alive.

For more information, see www.myspace.com/gracejonesofficial.

—David Hellqvist

Coco Chanel in EastEnders?

There are currently two, or maybe even three,films about Coco Chanel in different stages of completion and earlier this year Douglas Kirkland published his book Coco Chanel: Three Weeks/1962, where these pictures are from. Doesn't she look lovely in her suit, hat and ciggie - bit like Dot from EastEnders...

Dot?

Coco?