Easter Egg-Stravaganza

It's Easter! Which, in my books, equals mountains of guilt-free chocolate eating. Not that I ever feel that guilty for eating chocolate, but still. It also means lots of egg-related puns. So that's egg-sactly what you should egg-spect from this post. Let's not egg-saggerate, but Easter's one of the best times of year. Not only do you get a four day weekend, but it also heralds the end of Lent and the start of Spring (or, it would, if all the daffodils hadn't been killed by the snow last week). This year may indeed be one of the last Easters I spend with my family for a while, as I am planning to escape the cold and snow in egg-schange (are you getting egg-sasperated yet?!) for the balmier climate of Australia. So I thought it only fair to 'Kodak-moment' this occasion - and obviously share it with you guys. So here you are: this is our Easter Egg-Stravaganza (that's it, I promise). 

Easter Lamb Pie

Creme Eggs can suck it.

Malachite Egg: Not For Consumption

Quiche Soufflé

Happy Easter - I hope the Bunny was good to you too!

Love,
Belle x

Tune Tape Tuesdays #20

Once again, I'm having to apologise to you all for being late for Tune Tapes this week. As you will know if you read my previous post, I unhooked myself from the mainframe this week and went for a little gander in the countryside - sans signal, internet, or central heating. But now I'm back in the 21st century, and am compensating for my absence with what I believe is one of the best Tune Tapes...wait for it...EVER. This week I'm using Dropbox for sharing - here's THE LINK to download the huge selection of tracks. You're welcome.

This Tune Tape is all about the chill. Apart from the Top Track of this week, which is an exception: Higher, a collaboration between Just Blaze x Baauer. Featuring vocal samples from the fabulous Jay Z, this track matches Baauer's huge hit, Harlem Shake, from last year, and in many ways tops it. Guaranteed to get any party started with its huge drops and well-timed wobbles, stick it on and get High...er. Next up is Blood Orange's remix of Phoenix's newest single, Entertainment, which was featured on TTT a few weeks ago. Introducing new vocals and a slow and sexy down beat, it's a great rework of the band's newest offering. Atu is a new band offering some great tracks. This week, I'm featuring Can Do It, a multi-layered chillwave tune that is perfect for putting on at the end of a long day. Promise Me has been aptly described by Misun as 'aquawave'; somewhere between dubstep and chillwave, it's another relaxing offering with confident wobbles and well-timed synth. KRONO is up next, remixing Soul's newest prodigy: Aaron Smith's Dancin. It's sexy with soulful vocals, but funky enough to have you twirling down the street on the way to the bus. Great stuff. Clean Bandit is back this week, reworking one of Rudimental's newest tracks, Waiting All Night. Featuring vocals from Ella Eyre, CB has transformed the track into their typically minimal and experimental style really effectively. Best to listen to after a heavy night out. Jessie Ware is just about to release her album, 'Devotion' in the US - no doubt to much acclaim. The album features a couple of new tracks, of which Waiting All Night is one. Created with the input of House heavyweight, Julio Bashmore, this track is guaranteed to be one of the anthems of the summer. You heard it here first. Or on Radio 1 last week, when it was given an exclusive play. Either way, it's gonna be big. Phoria is unlike any band I've ever heard. Merging elements from DnB, Chillwave, Indie and Minimal to create a totally new sound, Red is an immersive listen - one to contemplate the world to. Speaking of Indie, Kodaline is back again, with their track High Hopes. With heartfelt lyrics and an uplifting chorus, this is the kind of Indie music I live for. Indulge yourself. Bonobo definitely deserve a feature this week. They've recently released their track, Jets, from their upcoming album 'The North Borders'. Although I was late lover of their first album, I've got really high expectations for this one, and can't wait to hear what they've got in store. Jets is typically laid back and ingeniously layered, building up to an incredible crescendo of sound before slipping back into easy listening. Gabriel was a song I clocked for greatness way back in 2011 when it was first released as a single. Since then, it's been reworked by Calibre, who has turned it into a great liquid DnB tune. Still maintaining the incredible vocals that attracted me to the track in the first place, Calibre does what he does best: creating a fresh and original take on the original which just makes you want to dance. Speaking of dancing, I've decided to throw in Viceroy's remix of The Knocks' tune, Magic. Yes, it's cheesy as hell, but as I've said before, anything which features steel drums automatically gains a place on TTT. Before I shut up and let you listen, I've dug up a couple of remixes of Rihanna's tune of the moment, Stay. While I would usually have an issue of including two remixes of the same song, Marius Hörsturz and NDMA have interpreted the original in such different ways that they're basically two different tracks. Marius plays with the vocals, turning it into an epic Chillwave tune, perfect for relaxing to at the end of a night; while NDMA cranks up the tempo and introduces some wobbles and glitches into the mix. Right, time for you to listen and enjoy - HAPPY EASTER, y'all!

Love,
Belle x

Going Off The Grid

Once in a blue moon, I get the opportunity to get away from it all. To escape to somewhere in the country that has no signal, terrible internet service, and a roaring fire.  For the past few days, I've been at such a retreat: my friend Iona's farm in Leicestershire. As a life-long urbanite, I'm one of those exasperating people who gets excited by fields of sheep, coos at cows, and hadn't - until Tuesday - ever picked up a live chicken. Yes, folks, while you've been waiting with baited breath for my weekly music instalment, I've been frolicking around on snowy hills with a couple of dogs - Milly and Teasel (and Iona..!) - and warming my frozen tootsies on an open fire. To make you slightly jealous (and to prove that I haven't just been holed up watching TV in my PJ's), I thought I'd do a little photo post of what we got up to on one of our walks...

Dr Zhivago in Leicestershire?

Dude, Where's My Car...

Milly Might Be Small, But She's Mighty...

Teasel's Ready For Her Close-Up...

Snow Drift!

Where Did This Come From?!

Walking On Air (/Snow)

Footsteps In The Snow...

Teasel Got Cold, So We Wrapped Her Up.

La Belle...

...et La Bête.

Icicles!

Atop The Water Tower

SIMBA!
(It's The Circle Of Life...)

It looks like Teasel has a human body. Lol.

Tomorrow I'm back with an EPIC Tune Tape to make up for my absence - just in time for Easter!

Love,

Belle x

Wish List Mondays #20

Welcome to the world of a student: it's nearly 11pm on a Monday night, and I'm at home with one of my best friends, watching trash TV and drinking cheap fizz. I'll let you in on a secret - we're drunk. But not for no reason, I might add: my friend just got back from a three-month stint in Austria, and I just finished a 3,000 word essay. I think we're well within reason. I don't know how good an idea we'll actually think this is in the morning (that's presuming we'll wake up before midday...), but we thought it'd be fun to do a Wish List Mondays - Drunk Special. Because alcohol is, like, life's Chanel No.5 - it never gets old. Did that make sense? I don't know. 

I'm not going to lie, picking fashion is a lot more fun after a couple of glasses of 'Mas Miralda Cava' - sounds fancy, dunnit. It's not. It's from ASDA and cost £5. Quite possibly I've been a lot more adventurous with my choices this week, but hey - YOLO. Please don't judge me for that last comment. Before typing becomes impossible, I'm going to launch straight in to this Wish List. So here it is, the highlight of your Mondays (maybe? please?) - the 20th edition...

1. Conscious Collection Dress, H&M, £20. Clear conscious, here.
2. 'Pari Pop' Jacket, French Connection, £140. Top of the Pops, here.
3. White Pineapple Print Cover Up, Topshop, £25. Pina Colada, here.
4. Navy Bag by Sophie Hulme, Coggles Fashion, £485. In the navy, here.
5. Round Preppy Sunglasses, Topshop, £16. Prep school, here.
6. Floral Bug Necklace, ASOS, £40. Bug out, here.
7. Rose Gold & Leather Watch by Marc by Marc Jacobs, Selfridges, £185. Pink to make the boys wink, here.
8. Pink iPhone Case, Mango, £7. Think Pink, here.
9. Yellow Scent Perspex Clutch by Charlotte Olympia, Net-a-Porter, £795. Heaven Scent, here.
10. Essie Nail Polish in Hip-anema, ASOS, £10. Girl from Hip-Anema, here.
11. Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles by Charbonnel et Walker, Selfridges, £17. I Heart You, here.
12. 3D Enamel Small Skull Bangle by Alexander McQueen, Selfridges, £160. Skull and Crossbones, here.
13. 'Surrender' Bow Platforms, Topshop, £68. Little Bow Peep, here.
14. Painted Suede Wingtip Brogues by Esquivel, Net-a-Porter, £484. Be your own Wingman, here.
15. 'Effervescence' Black Pearl Earrings by Links of London, Selfridges, £450. Reel in your Jack Sparrow, here.


See you next week - and remember kids: Drink Responsibly.

Love,
Belle x

La Belle et La Bête's Top Albums of the 21st Century

Ever since I can remember, I've been listening to music. Whether through a Sony Walkman, a portable CD player (the first thing I ever saved up for), or an 1st Gen iPod, music has been a huge part of my life. Every milestone has been accompanied by an artist or album. It's got me through the bad times, provided a soundtrack for the good times, and been a constant where friends and boyfriends have not. So, after trawling through my iTunes for the best part of a week, I have finally compiled my list of the best albums since the millennium. I'm not saying this is the definitive list, by any means, but all these albums have been a part of special moments in my life - and I thought it only fair to share them with you. In general, we've got a pretty strong Indie theme going on here, but I hope you'll all be able to look back at these and they'll strike some sort of chord (pun intended). Even though these are my memories, this post is all about getting involved, so please do comment - if you haven't already - about the albums you like to reminisce over. As my boy Shakespeare once said, "If music be the food of love, play on", so I give you: La Belle et La Bête's Top Albums of the 21st Century.

2000

Coldplay - 'Parachutes'

Far more raw than their later album 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head', this album came out around the time I moved to England from Australia. I'd never even heard of Coldplay, but I listened to the album in my friend's Dad's car just before we left, and she gave it to me as a parting present. I remember unpacking all my things from my room in Sydney in this strange environment, wondering if I'd ever manage to make this country my home. Although Yellow is arguably the most famous track from the album, I like Don't Panic and We Never Change.

2001

The Strokes - 'Is This It'

Now I know I featured a song from this album in a post back in January, but it's just too good to leave out. Although Last Night was the first song I remember dancing around to (not really understanding the words), every year I go back and revisit it and find something new and different to appreciate. I know it's a cliché, but it's true: this album is timeless. Here's my favourite track of the moment, Is This It:

2002

Christina Aguilera - 'Stripped'

Apart from being the biggest reinvention EVER, this album marked a new departure for pop. Granted, Christina might have taken her image of a 'bad girl' to a whole new, chlamydia-ridden level, but it signalled the death of the 'bubblegum' girls of pop. Xtina was the first of the 'independent women' (P!nk back in the 90's being a notable exception), who gave out the message that being a slag is A-Ok. And as impressionable 11-year olds, who read the Cosmopolitan sex pages with a flashlight under the duvets at night, we totally lapped it up. At this time, I was out at our sister school in France for a term. 'Stripped' was the soundtrack to the gruelling workouts many of the girls did at stupid-o'clock in the morning, before jumping in a cold shower (apparently they'd read in Glamour/Cosmo/Elle that it was good for muscle tone) and surreptitiously eyeing each other up afterwards. For many of us, this album heralded the start of womanhood, and what a great example Christina gave... Here she is, with the unforgettable video for Dirrty:

2003

Beyoncé - 'Dangerously in Love'

Dido - 'Life for Rent'

2004

Arcade Fire - 'Funeral'

2004 was the year I started to really take charge over what I listened to. I got given a 1st Gen iPod for Christmas, and, whenever I was home, I spent all my time on the iTunes store looking for new music (and chatting to people on MSN messenger, obviously...). Power Out was the first track I got off the album, but I later returned and bought the whole thing. It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Here's Rebellion (Lies):

Gavin DeGraw - 'Chariot'

It's 2004 and the battle between The OC and One Tree Hill is raging. Personally, I was always an OC girl, but I have to admit that Gavin DeGraw (who's song, I Don't Wanna Be was (is?) the opening track for each episode) just beat his OC equivalent, Phantom Planet, in the album stakes. Largely through the influence of these series, a lot of my friends started to take an interest in songs that weren't necessarily top of the charts. 'Chariot' was an album that did the rounds of the dormitories at boarding school, and soon nearly everyone in our year knew the words to every track. When I was compiling this list, I decided for quality's control, I should probably give it another listen after all these years. I was pleasantly surprised that it's stood the test of time - and I can confirm I still know all the words. 

Interpol - 'Antics'

I distinctly remember feeling pretty fucking cool when I bought this album. As a pent-up teenager, who was angry at the world/nothing in particular, Interpol provided the gritty emotion that I thought I was capable of feeling. Whatever I believed I was going through, there's no doubting that this album is REALLY GOOD. Although they followed with at least two more over the next 5 or so years, in my opinion, none were as rawly charged as the first. Here's what I'm talking about:

Keane - 'Hopes and Fears'

2005

Bloc Party - 'Silent Alarm'

Brendan Benson - 'Alternative to Love'

The Guillemots - 'Through the Windowpane'

2005 was the year I got what I'd been wishing for through listening to music: a real life boyfriend and relationship. After nearly a year of drama, teenage declarations of love, and mountainous phone bills for both parties' parents, we went on holiday to France (with the whole family, obviously, Easyjet don't do unaccompanied minors...). 'Through the Windowpane' was my then-boyfriend's choice of car listening material, and was the soundtrack to a Summer of inappropriate behaviour and acting as terrible influences on his little sister. We're Here was the sound of sunshine and freedom, and still puts a smile on my face nearly 8 years later.

Jack Johnson - 'In Between Dreams'

This summer was also the summer I discovered photography. With not much to do, I wondered around my area of London taking shots of church spires and gates before hurrying home and photoshopping them to death. I thought I was being pretty 'arty', but I've since come across them and they are utterly terrible. I remember I entitled one of my pretentious shots Sitting, Waiting, Wishing - a tribute to a track on Jack Johnson's album, which was on repeat during the tedious editing process. Although I cringe at the photos, I still listen to the album and remember how utterly naive I was but didn't want to admit it.

2006

Akala - 'It's Not A Rumour'

Welcome to 2006, where UK Hip Hop is beginning to take over music and fashion. Every boy I know (who, by the way, all attended prestigious public schools) dresses in adidas tracksuits, and the girls in Jack Wills 'trackie-bums' slung low across their hips. Everybody smoked, drank, and pretended that life at their Hampshire home was, like, so hard. It was also around this time that the film Kidulthood was released, and our generation - especially the down-trodden teenagers at public schools - totally related to it. Naturally, our soundtrack mirrored that of the film, full of British rappers spouting about AK-47's, running from the feds, and being black on white council estates. We were all over it.

Justin Timberlake - 'FutureSex/LoveSounds'

2006 was also the year we discovered fake ID's. Although not much better than a card with 'I am 18' written on it in felt tip, it seemed to be sufficient for most supermarkets, clubs and pubs. House parties became a thing of the past - it was all about hitting the off-licenses before going out in Soho. Us girls, who could pile on the makeup and age ourselves about 10 years, didn't have as much trouble as the pre-pubescent boys, whose "photocopied passports" didn't always cut it with the bouncers - even at the most seedy of establishments. If we managed to get in at all, all I can remember playing on the sweaty pit of a dancefloor was Justin Timberlake. I think this one deserves a video...

The Kooks - 'Inside In Inside Out'

2007

Timbaland - 'Shock Value'

Pendulum - 'Hold Your Colour'

Bored of the 'tame' music they were playing in the Soho clubs, we eventually branched out into Drum n Bass, which we listened to in public gardens while swigging from a £5 bottle of wine bought from the offie. Mainstream was so last year - Drum n Bass was where it was at. We were lucky to get away without an ASBO. I would have wanted to punch me in the face. Hold Your Colour represented a complete disregard for ourselves and each other, as we tried to figure out who we were and where we fitted in.

2008

Crystal Casltes - 'Crystal Castles'

2008 was a year of two halves for me; the first represented in the absolute anarchy that was the music of Crystal Castles. For the first 6 months of this year, I was a complete mess. I'd spent so many years being somebody else, that I couldn't remember who I really was. Queue endless weekends that I can't remember much of, bad decisions both academically and romantically, and parents who were pretty sure I was losing it. The music of Crystal Castles - disjointed, angry, jarring - reflected how I felt inside.

Fleet Foxes - 'Fleet Foxes'

Thankfully Summer came, and provided me the headspace to reevaluate myself and who I was. It was once I'd done that, that I met a guy at a festival who subsequently became my boyfriend of three years. Fleet Foxes was the album I gave to him that Christmas, and marked a whole new, much calmer chapter of my life - one away from the late nights and underage parties. Their voices - almost monastical in their sound - were like nothing I'd ever heard from a contemporary band. It totally blew my mind. If you haven't heard them, have a listen to this:

2009

White Lies - 'To Lose My Life'

Still one of my favourite albums of all time, White Lies managed to achieve what few bands can - amazing lyrics with incredible music. On top of that, Harry McVeigh, the lead vocalist, has one of the sexiest voices ever. I'm pretty sure this album remained on repeat throughout 2009. Here are two of favourite songs off the album (although I'd argue that the whole thing is worth a listen...):

Marina & The Diamonds - 'The Family Jewels'

Although the album wasn't technically released until 2010, I'm pretty sure I had at least an EP of Marina and her Diamonds in 2009. After years of all-male bands, it was amazing to hear someone as fresh as Marina wading into the mix. It might sound sad, but to me she embodied the strong woman I was dying to be, which school was preventing me from becoming. I remember listening to her after I'd just finished, not knowing what to do with myself after 7 years of boarding school came to an end. I have a feeling I'll be returning to Marina in a couple of months, when I finally graduate from university...

2010

Ellie Goulding - 'Lights'

After school had finished, I decided to take a year out. Trying to figure out what I was passionate about was a grueling mission, and so I decided to take a job in America for a while. Ellie Goulding’s album had just been released and not only accompanied my commute to work, but also allowed me to figure out how I was feeling about the relationship I’d taken a break from. I didn’t like America. I felt more lost and alone than ever. Wish I Stayed gave a voice to what I couldn’t say to my employers and family friends. Needless to say, I was happy to return home.

Fyfe Dangerfield - 'Fly Yellow Moon'

Coming back to the UK wasn’t much better than the USA. It seemed that everyone I’d ever known had fled the country to go party on a beach in Thailand, help orphans in Africa, or hike mountains in India (delete as appropriate). Having quite literally missed the boat on organizing an exotic Gap Year, I decided to make the most of a bad situation, and, within a matter of weeks, had mapped out a route around Italy and Greece that I would journey solo. Italy allowed me some headspace to reflect on myself and the people in my life; re-evaluate what was important to me, and reignite a passion for art that had long since dwindled. One of the most important developments was reconnecting with the boyfriend I’d taken a break from before America. I downloaded Fyfe Dangerfield's cover of Billy Joel's She’s Always a Woman on my way from Bologna to Florence. Walking to catch the train, dragging my suitcase behind me, I listened to the lyrics: “she only reveals what she wants you to see; she hides like a child, but she’s always a woman to me”. It was the first time I'd thought about my part in how the relationship had ended. Almost like magic, I stepped off the train in Florence, and saw that I had received a voicemail. On the walk to the hostel, I heard my ex's voice for the first time in months, ringing from an Indian payphone. For me, this song will always symbolize second chances and new beginnings.

The Jezabels - 'She's So Hard EP'

Unfortunately, our story wasn’t plucked from a Nicholas Sparks novel; there was no house building by Ryan Gosling, or broken-off engagements, not even a happy ending. University finally rolled round, and we found our ties being tested again. I baulked, calling it off a second time, and finally a third time. The Jezebels provided an outlet for my anguish, confusion, and disorientation, as I once again tried to re-establish myself as a whole person - when really, I felt like half of me was missing. Hurt Me and Mace Spray are the two songs that remind me of that first year of university: the ups and downs, the friends and the exes, the happiness at being accepted, and the sadness of losing what had, up until now, been everything. 

2011

Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX - 'We're New Here'

6 months later and I had finally settled into university life; which, predictably, included going out. But not the going out I remembered - no one wore heels, ‘makeup’ was what you slept in last night, and the look you were generally aiming for was an educated crackhead. I had gone to see a friend in Nottingham, and had been persuaded to buy a ticket to see Jamie XX. It was the first time I’d ever been to see a live DJ. I spent the next month listening to this album on repeat, mentally transporting myself back to that night, which also marked the beginning of my second serious relationship. NY Is Killing Me was the first song of his set.

Beirut - 'The Rip Tide'

Ben Howard - 'Every Kingdom'

2012

Keaton Henson - 'Dear'

2012 was, as you might have gathered from my 'Rant' posts, a year of devastating heartbreak. My relationship with my oldest friend ended as suddenly as it had begun the previous summer, and I was left totally bereft. Keaton Henson's album spoke to me because it was inspired by the deterioration and death of a relationship of his. The albums of this year, along with patient and understanding friends and family, got me through probably the lowest months of my life, and out the other side. Small Hands describes the little things you miss of a person that is gone, sung in Keaton's beautifully broken voice.

Ed Sheeran - '+'

Lana del Rey - 'Born to Die'

2013

Active Child - 'You Are All I See'

Last year, the songs that spoke to me were those with lyrics of heartache and pain. This year I'm pleased to say I'm much more upbeat and positive, which is reflected (I hope) in the music that I've been listening to. Recently, I've been really getting into unusual and powerful vocals - and these three artists definitely deliver on sound. Active Child is someone that I discovered at the beginning of this year, and his vocals absolutely floored me. I featured Johnny Belinda and Hanging On in previous Tune Tapes, so I thought I'd showcase another incredible song off the album, High Priestess...

Daughter - 'If You Leave'

Woodkid - 'The Golden Age'

Now, I'm happy to say, it is over to you guys: What has been your favourite album of this century?

Hannah, 22: Busted - 'Thunderbirds Are Go' (yep. seriously.)

Nat, 22: Blink 182 - 'Take Off Your Pants and Jacket'

Rosie, 22: Ellie Goulding - 'Lights'

(Rosie's Housemate): Bruno Mars - 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans'

Iona, 22: Cypress Hill - 'Black Sunday' (not technically this century, but I'll give it to her because it's an epic album)

Please do post a comment about your most-loved album of the 21st Century!

Love,

Belle x