Category Archives: Hedonism

Guccis third high jewellery collection takes a world tour

The third high jewellery collection from Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele takes inspiration from cultural movements around the world

Creative director Alessandro Michele goes on a fantastical Grand Tour for Guccis third high jewellery collection, Hortus Deliciarum. Beginning in the mid-19th century and tracing a route through to the 1970s, the collection begins with Roman landscapes and the brilliance of Indias architecture before travelling through to ancient Eastern and Western traditions, finally arriving in the New World with its nods to the beginning of the modernist movement.

The collection is divided into five themes, each of which takes its cue from a different era. The first part looks to the Grand Tour, the rite of passage for Europeans in the 19th century, whose bid for culture and beauty is reflected in jewels that depict cultural landmarks from Rome in miniature form. The Colosseum, Piazza San Pietro, Pantheon, waterfalls at Tivoli and the Pyramid of Cestius are all drawn in cameos that sit in necklaces, bracelets, earrings and brooches set off by a rainbow of precious gems, including peridot, yellow beryl, red and pink spinel and fire opal.

Colour also defines the second part of the collection, which is inspired by those who travel to India, their experience of the architecture and verdant gardens married with the bold silks of traditional Mogul garments, creating joyful and vivid high jewellery. Gold threaded with diamonds and enamel make for textured bracelets, while a necklace in a rainbow of coloured stones is a brilliant centrepiece.

The third theme interprets ancient Greek myths in its celebration of the pearl, with white, cream and black pearls a milky foil for vivid topaz in earrings, brooches and pendants. It is an arresting juxtaposition that sets the tone for the fourth theme, nodding to the modernist codes of the 1930s and 1940s in a play with geometry and sharp architectural forms. Pop culture is the defining reference of the final theme, with pieces bringing the hedonism of the 1970s to life in a psychedelic explosion of emerald, green tourmalines and aquamarine.

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Guccis third high jewellery collection takes a world tour - Wallpaper*

The Glastonbury Festival 2022: Bringing Back Live Music Audience Together After 3 Long Years

Uniting musicians, music lovers & audiophiles globally, through baritones and harmonies after a hiatus of 3 long years.

Glastonbury Festival, 2022 a musical fiesta returned after 3 years hiatus to the delight of musical aficionados. A perfect treat for the music lovers with back-to-back performances by legends like Diana Ross and young pop artists like Billie Eilish.

Held between 22 June to 26 June in Worthy Farm, was attended by over 200 thousand audiences. Being suspended for 3 years due to the pandemic, it has received a rave reception amongst music lovers.

A song for every generation as Paul McCartneys Ive Got A Feeling brings back the retro memories of The Beatles and Kendrick Lamars Saviour keep the hopes high for the youth.

Glastonbury Festival, 2022 being held in one of the largest avenues means a great background performance too, by the event coordinators.

In an interview with Betway, Sally Howell, the organizer of the Croissant Neuf field, states that she considers it a year-round job, to organize the events.

With 100+ stages during the Glastonbury Festival, it stands out to be the one with one of the highest attendances. Catching up with the live performances is always a heart-wrenching moment and 3 years after the pandemic, makes it all the more special.

The target audience of the festival is the youth music lover whose taste in music varies across genres like pop music and ranges to folk and poetry. This in no way means that a walk down the memory lane is no longer appreciated by the audiophiles.

Let us find out the highlights for the festival in 2022 that made it stand out.

What makes the Glastonbury festival so special?

There were quite a few awesome milestones that the Glastonbury Festival 2022 saw. As the stage was set on fire with Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish she became the youngest to perform on The Pyramid Stage. Saturday night was taken back to memory lane with The Beatles band member, Paul McCartney which makes him the oldest solo performer to take the pyramid stage.

The fans were up for a surprise as he was joined by Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl the Foo Fighters band lead to perform the guitar shred-showdown lighting up the entire night with musical melody.

One of the highlights of the event was Kendrick Lamars performance which was targeted towards his support for womens rights and it was even seconded by the performance of Lily Allen and Olivia Rodrigo a mesmerizing night to remember.

Sam Fenders performance on the piano for the track The Dying Light was another catching point which won the heart of the fans. The heartfelt version, after the sip from New Castle Brown Ale was a heart-touching ode to the track on fighting back against suicide.

What is the importance of the pyramid stage at the Glastonbury festival?

The pyramid stage is the centerpiece of the festival. It reflects the aura and sets the ambiance of ecstasy, hedonism, and reverberation amongst the music lovers. It has been inspired by the historical pyramids of Egypt the Giza Pyramid thus making 1971, the year for inaugurating it.

Broadcasted by the BBC network, they have claimed to earn roof towering figures across numerous digital platforms for the Glastonbury festival 2022.

If you have missed out on the music fiesta, catch up with it next year!

(Disclaimer: The above content is a press release. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.)

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The Glastonbury Festival 2022: Bringing Back Live Music Audience Together After 3 Long Years - Press Trust of India - Press Trust of India

Following a two-year hiatus from the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Yasmin Arrigo, global brand and editorial director at Amplify, considers whether it lived up to the hype.

After a two-year hiatus for the International Festival of Creativity, it was a return to the Croisette for a week of awards, talks, networking, big business and, in some cases, big-budget entertainment.

Amplify reviews the changing nature of Cannes Lions and considers this years festival

But while the past few years have introduced us all to hybrid formats, promising a democratization of experience, a lowering of barriers to entry and heightened audience numbers, how did the Cannes Lions experience fare upon its eagerly-anticipated return? Here are some of the discussions that recurred during the week...

No, not literally who made it through the BA and easyJet cancellations although, lets be honest, there was plenty of that discussion. The whole who gets to go to Cannes conversation dominates adland gatherings prior to the event and this year continued out there, with much discourse around the talent crisis and inability to fill post-pandemic vacancies. This was coupled with rising commentary around business travel against the backdrop of a climate crisis.

Get the best of The Drum by choosing from a series of great email briefings, whether thats daily news, weekly recaps or deep dives into media or creativity.

But agencies and individuals are making strides at switching up who gets to experience the Lions, from Elvis sending its social media manager and senior account director following an internal competition through to Cephas Williamss initiative, which funded and brought a group of Black creatives to Cannes.

The Palais de Congres, with its various stages, continues to offer a wealth of inspiring content, with everything from the future of gaming to e-commerce algorithms through to the biggest queues of the week for storytelling chief Ryan Reynolds.

But with a strong showing from the Cabana content shoutout to Meta in particular the content beyond the Palais is increasingly rich, albeit in some cases invite-only or highly restricted numbers. A Cabana pass, enabling access to the best content beyond the Palais, could be an interesting proposition in the future.

The Lions allure is still evident in the sheer number of entries from across the globe 25.4k this year from 87 countries a respectable volume against 2021 levels, which covered two years due to the 2020 festival cancellation. But to maintain that allure, the ceremony itself could do with a revamp.

The activations along the beach showcased emerging tech and exciting formats that the nightly ceremonies could certainly adopt to position the shows as a must-attend experience for all those shortlisted, and an aspirational moment for those coveting the Lions.

From activist and former Lions winner Gustav Martners impassioned theres no awards on a dead planet protest during the opening ceremony to Greenpeaces demonstrations on the beach and outside the Palais calling for a ban on fossil fuel advertising, the climate emergency was never far from attendees minds. Meanwhile, back in the Palais, secret speakers used their platform to highlight the escalating crisis. Yet this was the perfect forum to add in the actionable something each attendee could do and lobby for rather than leaving them in a state of heightened climate anxiety.

While some found joy in the early hours at the Gutter bar, or in the sheer volume of expense-account ros, the social media brands were out in full force along the Croisette also delivering some inspiring moments. From Pinterest choosing to do things differently, with a trend-inspired experience offering everything from micro tatts to bejeweled updos, through to Snaps augmented reality (AR) exhibition in partnership with Vogue, curated by Edward Enninful, there was much to smile about.

Hammered home loud and clear through the winning work at Cannes, purpose-driven campaigns were the most awarded and celebrated. But exit the Palais and what do you see? The juxtaposition of what were collectively delivering and celebrating as award-winning work v the hedonism and opulence of the Croisette.

When youve assembled some of the worlds leading brands and agencies and created a global gathering of some of the best creative minds that influence culture and can instill change, surely we should harness the opportunity to collaborate, unify and back a single cause? That would really be a cause worth celebrating.

Goodbye Cannes, a la prochaine.

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The Cannes Lions Experience: Did This Year's Festival Live Up To Expectations? - The Drum

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Warning: The article contains spoilers for Westworld Season 4, Episode 2.

Westworld started off with a focus on its titular park but as the show progressed, things have strayed far away from this facility. This being the case, fans got what theyve all been waiting for in season four, episode two as things went back to where they all began with a twist.

In the latest episode, Westworld is back open, however, the wild west has been scrapped in favor of the roaring 20s. Speaking to Metacritic, co-creator Lisa Joy elaborated on the decision to take things into this new park.

The park has always drawn its guests with the promise of sin and decadence and a boundary-pushing environment, and in the Wild West, of course, there were no rules everybody was making rules on their own as they chased their manifest destiny.

Similarly, the Roaring 20s were a pretty crazy time: There was a lot of sin, there was a lot of decadence, sexuality, a lot of experimentation, and it felt like the kind of environment that would be really beguiling for guests in its hedonism and also really telling about who the guests are when presented with such a cornucopia of options for behavior.

While the park might be in a different era, things still look very familiar to the original Westworld park. For Maeve this new venture into the park may be a return home, but for Caleb it will be the very first time entering one of the park facilities

Fans will likely get a lot more information about this new park and its secrets as we progress four in season four of Westworld.

New episodes of Westworld air on HBO each Sunday. If youre looking to catch up you can stream all of the first three seasons and episodes 1 & 2 of season four on HBO Max.

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'Westworld' Co-Creator Shares More About the New Park Setting - We Got This Covered

Today Ive given myself the task of picking out the ten best albums of the 1970s, with only one selection allowed for each year. The task was in equal measure pleasurable and gruelling; I found myself having to ruthlessly omit some of my favourite artists and albums as I very quickly remembered what a deliciously brilliant decade the 1970s were for music.

After waving goodbye to the Beatles and the hippie dream, the 70s brought on an age of darker and dirtier music as we welcomed heavier forms of rock such as metal and punk. Meanwhile, the abstract creative ideas of the 60s seemed to propagate into a wider variety of musical styles as genres were blended amid the burgeoning technological advancement in production and synthesised sound.

In my selections, I wanted to display the evolution of popular music across the decade and disallowed myself from picking any one artist twice. Otherwise, you would have a list chock full of David Bowie and Rolling Stones albums. Rather than crudely allowing my subjective taste to rain on the parade, Ive left my mind ajar to albums that must take pride of place because of their dominating contemporary impact and ongoing influence.

That said, there are some selections below that dont follow the usual grain and will likely stick in many a craw. If you find yourself simmering over some of the selections, just remember, its only a bit of fun and I found it immensely difficult, especially for 1972.

So, without further ado, please read on and see how many you agree with. Better still, have a go at coming up with your own list using the same limitations. You may discover, as I did, that its a little like tackling the advanced sudoku in the Sunday paper.

As we kicked off the decade, we said goodbye to the Beatles, the most important rock group in history. For this selection, I was close to picking their farewell album, Let it Be; however, despite containing some great hits, the album is tarnished by the lack of cohesion within the group at the time of recording and was nothing on the bands previous four albums.

Elsewhere in 1970, The Velvet Underground earned a shoutout with Loaded, their most commercial yet least adventurous album, but for me, the battle came to a head between the three post-Beatles solo albums released in the year. In the end, George Harrisons All Things Must Pass took home the prize for its creative scope and the way it seems to embody so passionately everything the Quiet Beatle stood for a true, epic masterpiece.

Funkadelic were the true pioneers of funk-rock music, and they hit the gold mine with their seminal third studio album, Maggot Brain, in 1971. Best known for its ten-minute title track, the George Clinton-produced masterpiece seems to embody the dark and dingy miasma of urban decay and hedonism that cloaked many US cities in the 1970s.

The experimental sound blended the psychedelic rock sound of Jimi Hendrix with funk along with folk-blues and flecks of gospel music. While 1971 was host to a few other serious contenders, nothing before or after Maggot Brain sounds quite like it. Its one of the few experimental albums I can keep coming back to without skipping any of the tracks.

The Rolling Stones were churning out increasingly impressive albums over the late 1960s, and as they entered the 70s, they were undoubtedly the biggest thing in rock music. For me and most others, as I understand The Stones reached their absolute peak between 1971-72 with Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St.

Deciding between the two was as easy as flipping a coin, if the coin was solid lead and the size of a car. The two albums are difficult to compare as they are so sonically and thematically disparate. Ultimately, I landed on Exile on Main Street because it seems more permeated with the bands DNA thanks to the enveloped history of their tax exile in France.

As they departed the early psychedelic rock sound of their early years in the 1960s helmed by Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd grew toward the more spacious and atmospheric prog-rock sound that would ultimately define their peak success in the 1970s. The 1971 album Meddle threw a few ideas together but was undeniably highlighted by its 23-minute side two epic, Echoes. It was the sound of Echoes that Pink Floyd ran with as they looked to record The Dark Side of the Moon.

The 1973 album is seen by many as Pink Floyds greatest achievement as it marries the maturation of Roger Waters conceptual songwriting with the bands blossoming instrumental chemistry. While containing elements of jazz, gospel and blues music, the album runs from start to finish seamlessly as a deeply absorbing journey through the cheery themes of greed, death, mental illness and the relentless attrition of time.

Joni Mitchell released this sixth studio album to a chorus of critical and commercial acclaim, having established herself as a mainstay of the early 70s singer-songwriter wave with Ladies of the Canyon (1970) and Blue (1971) earlier in the decade. The 1974 release showed a distinct shift in style to a highly accessible folk sound infused with jazz.

The album was highly influential on subsequent pop acts of the 1970s, especially Fleetwood Macs Stevie Nicks, who once recalled taking LSD to listen to the album: I was with my producer, at his house, with a set of speakers that were taller than that fireplace, and I was in a safe place. And I sat there on the floor and listened to that record That was a pretty dynamic experience. Meanwhile, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Mitchell recalled Bob Dylan falling asleep when she first played it to him I suppose you cant please everyone.

Bob Dylans form waned toward the late 1960s, following his heyday between 1963s The Freewheelin Bob Dylan and 1966s Blonde on Blonde. Over the early 1970s, Dylans commercial and critical peak looked to be sinking on the horizon following 1970s New Morning. He hadnt released much to entice his fans apart from a few uneven Self Portrait outtakes and his soundtrack for Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid (1973).

Fortunately, the tides changed in 1974 with the release of Planet Waves, which somehow became Dylans first-ever number one album. Though 1974s moderate return to form has since withered into the background, save for Forever Young, Dylan took this momentum into Blood on the Tracks. The 1975 album came like a bolt from the blue and is now considered Dylans greatest album outside of the 60s.

David Bowie undoubtedly hit a fruitful peak in the 1970s following the release of Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust in 71 and 72, respectively. For many, and myself, on another day, this list would have featured Ziggy Stardust or Low (1977), but today, I want to show my undying love for this mid-decade masterpiece.

Station to Station saw the genesis of a new alter ego for the Starman, The Thin White Duke, who is stylishly introduced in the albums eponymous ten-minute opener. The remainder of the record is near faultless with a great balance between the upbeat (Golden Years/Stay) and the slower and introspective (Wild is the Wind/Word on a Wing).

Fleetwood Mac created one of the decades most popular albums in Rumours. The album is a masterclass from start to finish, with the endlessly talented, feuding bunch of musicians pouring pure emotion into the cauldron. What resulted was a finely balanced selection of candid pop-rock classics.

1977 was another particularly challenging year to choose from. It was home to some cracking albums, including four from the co-habiting David Bowie and Iggy Pop, Steely Dans Aja, The Clash, and Sex Pistols iconic debut. But Im hoping you will agree that Rumours is just one of those flawless releases that touched far too many among us to be ignored.

This gem from the Manchester post-punk pioneers is probably among the more obscure picks on this list. In 1978 punk music was transitioning into its more round-cut and erudite phase, post-punk. Magazine were a band that so distinctly embodied this transition, as Buzzcocks founding member Howard Devoto split off in search of a new sound.

Real Life was a bold and brilliant debut venture for the band that incorporated more complex arrangements and textures to the classic sound of punk. Devoto shows the true depth of his lyrical capabilities with a diverse range of absorbing themes and memorable, often chilling lines.

Released in 1979 on the famous Factory records, Unknown Pleasures was the seminal debut album for Ian Curtis and co. The album was produced by Martin Hannett, who incorporated a number of unconventional production techniques into the industrial and gritty sound of the bands earlier singles.

1979 was home to a vast array of brilliant albums, most of which fall within the then-booming post-punk genre. But for me, none were quite so iconic and influential as this belter, boasting hits like Shadowplay, Shes Lost Control Again, Disorder and New Dawn Fades.

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The 10 best albums of the 1970s year by year - Far Out Magazine

Debuts that were worth the wait, intensely personal records about grief, deliberately impersonal exercises in craft, latter-day career classics its difficult to draw sweeping conclusions about the releases that have made NMEs mid-year report of the best Australian records of the year to date.

We have six more months left in the year and many more incredible releases left to come, but lets celebrate what we have right now. Here are the 15 best Aussie albums of 2022 so far.

Stank face moments abound in Foreign Language, the debut mixtape by Korean Australian hip-hop mavericks 1300. Nerdie and pokari.sweats production is bassy, bold and bright but never predictable witness the deep groove and AutoTuned melodies of UMUM, or the chiming callback to Biggie on Rocksta.

Hopscotching all over these chaotic confections are rappers rako, goyo and DALI HART, who have swag in spades and gleefully shit-talk their haters in both English and Korean. Fuelling their motor-mouthed flows are the thrill of landing an audacious bar and the sheer joy of rapping circles around others no wonder Foreign Language is such an infectious listen. Karen Gwee

1300s Foreign Language is out now.

Few bands make it to LP7 with the same energy or passion they had in the good ol days, but sporting their stickiest hooks, tightest playing and sharpest songwriting, Weirder & Weirder is Ball Park Musics best record yet.

The band wrote it at their lowest point, yet its inescapably upbeat, and although it landed at the start of a brutal winter, it feels tailor-made for summer festivals, road trips and beaches. Even its subtlest flourishes like the grit spiking the otherwise beautiful pop melodies, or the twinkly atmospherics that add an extra dash of magic to the soundscape make Weirder & Weirder a home run for Ball Park Music. Ellie Robinson

Ball Park Musics Weirder & Weirder is out now via Prawn Records.

Of all 2022s debut albums, Body Types had the most scenic route. A half-decade of gigging and EPs had already established the band as a compelling force of Sydney indie music, meaning that Everything Is Dangerous But Nothings Surprising wasnt the proving ground most debuts are.

Perhaps whats most interesting, then, is just how big the band are swinging here. The Charm is career-best throat-shredding fury, Sex & Rage lives up to its title and the six-minute slow-burn of An Animal is completely mesmerising. They may have taken their time, but one thing is perfectly clear: Body Type arent fucking around. David James Young

Body Types Everything Is Dangerous But Nothings Surprising is out now via Poison City Records.

Its been four years since Camp Cope taught us How To Socialise & Make Friends and now theyre back, older, wiser and more mellow than before. Running With The Hurricane is a glorious example of a band stripping back their hard exterior and welcoming us into their new sound.

The trio havent discarded their power emo roots entirely, but the guitars are softer and the drums less commanding. Georgia Maqs lyricism has also become more poignant and introspective, giving the singer space to showcase her stunning vocals on The Screaming Planet and One Wink At A Time. Greta Brereton

Camp Copes Running With The Hurricane is out now via Poison City Records.

Self-aware lyricism meets sick EDM production on Tilt, an album of pure unhinged and untethered hedonism delivered with the unique charm that has become synonymous with Confidence Man and Confidence Man only.

To make an album sound like it doesnt care at all is a tricky task that requires a sharp ear for sound and aesthetic. Luckily, Confidence Man are a band whose drawcard is their ability to revel in the gleefully raucous facets of dance pop and not take things too seriously. They prove across its 12 tracks that theyre sharper than ever and more importantly, their vision for their output is unshakeable. Sosefina Fuamoli

Confidence Mans Tilt is out now via I OH YOU.

The DJ/producers artist album can be predictable, even boring: cut banging beats, bring in big-name vocalists, boom. But, with Palaces, Flume switches things up. Harley Streten conceptualised Palaces while staying in New South Wales riverlands and its a sonic retreat thats alternately ravey and ambient.

Led by a celestial Caroline Polachek, the hyper-glitch Sirens surreally manifests the pandemics dystopian dread, while MAY-A shines on the baile funk hit Say Nothing. Flume also collaborates with Damon Albarn on the meditative title track, which single-handedly gives Gorillazs comeback Humanz a run for its money. Palaces shows Flumes uncanny ability to read a crowd and the culture. Cyclone Wehner

Flumes Palaces is out now via Future Classic.

Gang of Youths have made their Achtung Baby. Their third album Angel In Realtime. presents a matured and refined version of the band and their sound, fusing influences from time spent in the UK Britpop, UK garage and drumnbass with sounds of Oceania that frontman David Leaupepe collected on his journey to reconnect with his Samoan heritage in the wake of his fathers death.

This album is about grief, but also rediscovery and celebration, matching the bands stadium-sized rock to Leaupepes own personal evolution. Sosefina Fuamoli

Gang of Youths Angel In Realtime. is out now via Sony Music Australia.

Hatchie is purposeful and assured on Giving The World Away. In her previous material, including 2019 debut album, Keepsake, she chronicled ill-fated romanic liaisons. But this new record is about self-knowledge, Harriette Pilbeam reliving mental health struggles in the resounding single Quicksand.

For the album cover, Hatchie cosplays as Claire Danes angelic Juliet from Baz Luhrmanns Romeo + Juliet. The cult 90s soundtrack could well have been a sonic touchstone. Embracing heavier guitar, synths and percussion, Hatchie sheds shoegaze nostalgia, instead hybridising industrial, grunge and electronica. Imaginative and regenerative, Giving The World Away finds Hatchie spreading her wings. Cyclone Wehner

Hatchies Giving The World Away is out now via Secretly Canadian & Ivy League Records.

Jaguar Jonzes Bunny Mode is the sound of trauma being exorcised on the dancefloor. You couldve destroyed me, but then I got loud, Deena Lynch declares over staccato synths that owe as much to Alison Goldfrapp as Trent Reznor.

From incandescent rockers (see Punchline) to stadium-ready ballads (Little Fires), Jaguar Jonze has crafted an unpredictable electro-pop album that shows off her versatility as a songwriter, her voice snapping easily from a snarl to a whisper. Bunny Mode is a call to arms and a defiant refusal to be cowed into silence. Chris Lewis

Jaguar Jonzes Bunny Mode is out now via Nettwerk.

Playing together since the members not-so-distant early teens, The Lazy Eyes flex that longstanding rapport all over their confident and self-produced debut album. The four Sydneysiders settle into a pillowy groove while exploring the competing hues of psychedelias sonic rainbow. Theyre not in any rush either, as heard on six-plus-minute voyages like The Seaside and Wheres My Brain???.

Tempering King Gizz-esque jams with the dreamy depth of Tame Impala, The Lazy Eyes dish up intense freakouts naturally alongside the sweetest and most optimistic of melodies. This psych-pop isnt confined to past glories rather, it has infinite room to grow. Doug Wallen

The Lazy Eyes Songbook is out now.

Mallrat and earnest songwriting go hand in hand. Grace Shaw has long had the ability to take the ups and downs of adolescence and weave them into relatable, bright and catchy pop numbers that soundtrack the Australian teenage experience.

We get the same lyrical honesty on Butterfly Blue, but Mallrat is older now, and its reflected in the maturity of her music. Though some songs still bottle that childlike innocence (Wish On An Eyelash and Butterfly Blue), she exudes a newfound vulnerability and contemplative edge, baring it all in Arms Length and Im Not My Body, Its Mine. Greta Brereton

Mallrats Butterfly Blue is out now via Dew Process.

Jake Webbs ghosts are far more than mere spectres. On the Perth art-pop polymaths fourth album a former lover played by Stella Donnelly demands recognition on Proof, the planets plight intrudes on Something to Worry About, while Neon Cheap suggests the seductively sharp edge of social media.

With an eclectic palette of jagged synths and jinking rhythms, these songs are invocations that pivot between clarity and confusion so that they form their own reality. Dispensing with boundaries, Webb makes the unknown tactile. Hes called the album his least personal record yet, but these spirits bear his distinct fingerprints at every turn. Craig Mathieson

Methyl Ethels Are You Haunted? is out now via Future Classic.

Purely on premise, Partner Look could have been dismissed as too cutesy: two musician couples combining to create a band named after identical dressing. But their debut album is a perfect storm of indie-rock pedigree (the band sport members from Cool Sounds and The Ocean Party) and the exciting premise of a blank slate to work with.

With a sonic spectrum that ranges from steadily-building jangle-pop (Partner Look) to Play School whimsy (Grasshopper), By The Book revels in its charm and doesnt hide its dorkiness in order to score cred points. And really, why should it? David James Young

Partner Looks By The Book is out now via Spunk Records.

The world is run by people who show up, and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are as consistent as a grandfather clock. The Melbourne quintets third album Endless Rooms arrives bang on time with a healthy advancement of their jangly guitar sound courtesy of more overt political themes (Tidal River) and winding, cinematic touches (My Echo).

Somehow, the triple threat vocals of Fran Keaney, Tom Russo and Joe White never crowd each other. On The Way It Shatters, White steps forward and scathingly asks If you were on the boat, would you turn the other way? in a neat extension on the forward-thinking lines from previous cuts (Mainland). Mikey Cahill

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fevers Endless Rooms is out now via Sub Pop Records.

Romero arrive fully formed on this head rush of a debut album. Bolstering anxious proto-punk momentum with Alanna Olivers soul-trained vocal swagger she once sang in a Blues Brothers tribute act the Melbourne five-piece joyfully split the difference between The Strokes and Sheer Mag.

For a band that rarely slows down to catch its breath (especially live), its surprising that the best song here might just be Halfway Out the Door, a hook-riddled ballad halfway through the tracklist. Its also the clearest showcase of Olivers casually passionate delivery, which promises a crossover appeal well beyond even those gloriously scuffed guitar runs. Doug Wallen

Romeros Turn It On! is out now via Cool Death Records & Feel It Records.

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The 15 best Australian albums of 2022 so far - NME

Lets get one thing clear: Versace isnt just a brand its a whole damn lifestyle! Its a fact that you soon realise on attending one of the houses shows, staged in the sprawling garden of the Milanese palazzo that it calls home. While the usual coterie of press, buyers and co. turned out for what was its first mens runway show in three years, the most notable attendees were the die-hard fans who showed up in full force, decked head to toe in decadent silks printed with Versaces signature brazen Greco-Roman-inspired prints.

Its a testament to the cultish appeal that Donatella has managed to cultivate those that buy into brand buy into it. And were not just talking clothes the truly obsessed out eat off Versace plates, sleep in Versace bed linens, stay in Versace hotels, and, after last night, will be drinking rhinestoned reusable Versace drinking coffee cups the moment they hit stores, too! Yes, in what almost felt like a nod to the creative ingenuity born of having spent so much time in our goddamn houses over the past few years, homeware pieces were translated into keystone accessories - think: cup-and-saucer belt clip-ons, the aforementioned glitzy refillables, and even gigantic, ornately decorated ceramic urns, tucked under the arm like clutches.

The clothes toed a similar line between familiarity and zany eccentricity, with easily palatable louche suiting in muted stripes and cerulean blue and cargo-pocketed coats offset by the zing of acid python-effet outerwear and highlighter-hued zippered hobo bags and Pompeiian death-mask prints on inky satin polos and trousers that billowed with every step. A flair for logomania proudly declared itself in allover Versace prints on silky separates and roomy structured totes if youre a Versace boy, youre gonna wanna let the world know it! as well as the houses instantly recognisable glinting gold leaf Medusa motifs.

The only thing thats more distinctly Versace than that is, of course, the shameless sex appeal it exudes. Here, that came through with gusto, from pieces that could just about be worn in chaste daytime context like interpretations of the seasons boxy shirting in glossy leather, slashed to create a grid of lozenges that offered peaks of flesh beneath through to gasp-inducingly slinky tanks tops with naked backs and oblique cut-outs and subtly seedy latex coats clothes you (well, probably) wouldnt wear to visit your granny in.

That bubbling hedonism spilled over into the after-show, with Donatellas bow swiftly followed by the emergence of a slick army of champagne-tray-toting waiters, an exponential jump in the volume. As revellers bobbed along, drinks in hand, to the thumping bass, it was immediately clear why so many people buy so heavily into the fantasy that the Milanese house sells: as we said, Versaces not just a brand, its a whole lifestyle and a bloody fun one at that.

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All images via Gorunway.com

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Versace Mens SS23 was all about brazen sexiness and homeware? - i-D

Review of Dsquared2 Spring 2023 Mens Fashion Show

Is this (the Summer of) Love?

By Angela Baidoo

Dean and Dan of DSquared2 took us on a world tour for their Spring Summer 2023 presentation, merging influences from countries and cultural icons. This season, the DSquared2 man came down from the mountains and hit the waves, as Californias surf culture (not a new concept admittedly, but one that is being refreshed by new voices, such as South Africas Mami Wata Surf) was given new life with the heritage of Bob Marley, Honda-backed biker fits, and Balinese culture.

Believing in the power of collaboration, DSquared2 looked to Honda for their expertise in developing authentic biker gear, which gave the collections hybrid jackets a credibility that cant be bought

Presenting the collection in a sun-drenched space, matched only by the sweltering Milanese streets outside, the brothers Caten gave us a laidback mash-up of Cali-surf (a popular theme of late, see Kim Jones Resort 2023 for Dior Men, shown in and inspired by Venice beach for reference) by way of Jamaica, as an unexpected yet expertly executed collaboration with the Bob Marley foundation, saw the reggae icons image being harnessed literally, in the form of T-shirts emblazoned with the musicians likeness, worn by the Directors to take their bow. Items that are sure to be clamoured after by the brands fans, yet it was unclear whether they were part of the show and would go into production. While Marleys personal brand of laidback cool played into the red, gold, and green stripe track jacket (a nod to his Rastafarian culture and love of football), as well as a suede trucker and flared jean combination.

Fully embracing the return to hedonism as a viable way-of-life, the designers played with inspiration from the coastlines of LA and brought us a luxe version of thrift. Encouraging the wearer to get dressed, and then keep on going, the layering of textures, lengths, and prints is key to what makes this collection work, as each expertly styled item will work perfectly well individually, but combined they created a new narrative for the brand.

Not explicitly alluded to, but the entire vibe and construction of the collection could very easily lend itself to the brands sustainability efforts. Patch-worked denim could be made from up-cycled jeans, andnatural dyes used for the ombre shirts, not to mention the achingly obvious cannabis motif jeans, which we can only hope will be redeemed by the fact they will be revealed as made from hemp.

As an extension of its One Life, One Planet capsule, it wouldnt be a stretch to incorporate elements of this collection into the range and re-brand it as One Love, One Life, One Planet.

Having fallen off-the-radar, we could see the return of David Beckham as muse, with the number of looks reminiscent of the former footballers days as a style icon, when he donned a sarong and soft knitted beanie hat in the late 90s

It wouldnt be a DSquared2 outing without a tailoring call-out, but these bold blazers in emerald green, wavey checks, or hybridised with wet-suits were made for the guy who wants to be in the boardroom at 9 and boogie boarding by lunch.

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Dsquared2 Spring 2023 Men's Fashion Show Review - The Impression

My boyfriend sent me this message last week: You are killing me. And he meant it, literally.

For context, he has a new fitness gadget a bracelet thingy that measures body stress and recovery. Its called a Whoop but I, for one, am not cheering because its incessant updates on his physical wellbeing are coming between us.

It tells him how healthy or not his actions are. He loves it a little too much for my liking. He sends me screen grabs of his data. Look at the night you stayed over, he will message. You are putting me in the red zone. Indeed, the graphs generated do show that me being around does have a detrimental effect on his health.

When I slept over at his house his average overnight resting heart rate was 71 bpm. The nights he slept solo either side of my stay it was 57 and 58 respectively.

Surely its a good thing I make his heart beat faster? Apparently not.

Next, it pings his recovery score. For the uninitiated (and if this is you, I suggest you stay that way) this reveals how well his nights sleep worked to repair his body. During my sleepover his percentage was woefully low and his average hours of sleep also plummeted (no comment).

I feel the Whoop might have to go missing or have a freak accident whereby it somehow meets a blunt object with force.

Because its only a matter of time before the Whoop starts detecting my presence and sending out flares.

This makes me consider the balance between health and fun in relationships. For all my complaints about the Whoop, my lifestyle is also fairly controlled. On the whole, I eat healthily. I exercise, get my recommended hours of sleep and dont drink much on school nights. But romance and relationships, while mainly flourishing under healthy mental and physical habits, do sometimes benefit from taking your foot off the brake.

To test my theory I allowed the wheels to come off rather spectacularly last week. I had a craving for the kind of night where you lose a shoe and some decorum.

It was Friday evening and the boyfriend and I went to a party. I had worked hard all week and wanted a shot of hedonism. Or at the very least a shot of gin.

Reader, I drank my weekly allowance in three hours and ate only beige things with a high saturated fat content. I had to be helped out of my jumpsuit at bedtime. I did not take off my make-up.

The next morning I woke up with crippling hangxiety. As I stared at myself in the mirror (oh hello, Alice Cooper) I tried to remember what I had said to whom.

When the boyfriend awoke I was nervous I may have done irreparable harm to my reputation. But he was overjoyed.

I need to see Four Gins Green more often, he said.

And I realised that, for me, and for him, sometimes cutting loose shows you are in it together. That you can be vulnerable enough to drop your guard.

And its FUN.

I have friends who go on dates, dont drink then leave early to get enough sleep. Which, while understandable, isnt that sexy.

David Beckham says whatever restaurant he and Victoria go to she orders steamed fish and vegetables. Again, not sexy. I guess you dont look like Victoria Beckham on vats of white wine and bar snacks. But still, sometimes letting go is essential.

And as for the Whoop? Well, it cant measure happiness. Theres no graph for the oxytocin/dopamine/serotonin hit that comes from a kiss. No chart that measures contentment or a performance index for pleasure.

Maybe I need to create one. The Love-o-meter.

See you on Dragons Den.

@lifesrosie

Read more of Rosie Greens columnshere

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Rosie Green: There's nothing sexier than having fun - YOU Magazine

For the first time in nearly three years, British rockers Foals are back with new music. Titled Life Is Yours, even with the world in the tumultuous state its in, the group tries to be optimistic about their outlook. This is reflected by the strength of its lyrics and the experimental nature of the bands sound.

With the album out now, we asked Foals singer Yannis Philippakis to give us the stories behind the songs on Life Is Yours. Heres what he had to say.

Life Is Yours contains the sentiment of the album at large, which is about an optimistic spirit, and being in rapture at the possibilities of life. With the shadow of the pandemic and climate change, and the feeling of jeopardy thats out there, I think that was an important sentiment to tap into. The song is set in the Pacific Northwest where Ive spent quite a lot of time. Theres something really fresh about the boreal forests on the coast. It felt fresh, and sonically its fresh for us too. Weve not touched upon that aesthetic before, or that way of putting a song together.

Theres a journey that the band has gone on experimenting with different palettes of sound. This time there was a desire to take it back to more of the initial idea of the band, where the rhythm, the grooves and the guitars are interlocking architecturally. We wanted to tap into the physicality of music. And we wanted it to feel good. Lyrically, I just wanted to write a song about transporting yourself to a better, idyllic situation.

Musically 2am is one of the poppiest songs weve ever written. Its about repetitive cycles of destructive behavior, which I think lots of people can relate to, and certainly its an expression of something that I struggle with. Theres something cathartic about expressing that feeling to this upbeat music thats got a sense of release and the hope ofresolution.

2001 feels like a postcard from the past. Its a very summery, disco-sounding track, and I felt the visual landscape for it should be Brighton. We moved there around that time, we were a young band, and there was the feeling of the first taste of independence. The moment you get those freedoms, youre surrounded by temptation. The references to beachside candy and Brighton rock are symbols for drugs and hedonism. This was written in the depths of the pandemic winter, and theres an escapist desire to break out from the feeling of being cooped up, both in terms of the pandemic and adolescence.

Flutter is one of my favourite songs on the record. Ive always been a fan of Malian and Senegelese guitar players, and this song evolved very naturally out of a jam that came from that kind of groove. We wanted this song to just chug, we didnt want to take it into a huge dynamic range. Its one of the more narrative songs on the album. Its essentially about someone fleeing and you never see them again. Theres no closure, and no neat tying up of the emotion that comes from someone departing so suddenly.

Lyrically this is looking back to a more hedonistic time in my life, and a more innocent time in society in general, pre-pandemic and before the existential threat of climate change. It takes place in an alley in Oxford with two clubs-The Cellar and The Wheatsheaf-that all of the citys nightlife gravitated towards. It was before clubs started to close down and before our cities started to change into more corporate, arid places. Theres an element of being haunted by nightlife thats no longer there. Jimmy wrote the demo for this, and it was originally a kind of a slower, Prince-ier creature. When we took it into the live room, the tempo accelerated. We were reveling playing live together again and feeding off each others energy.

This is one of the most new wave songs weve ever written. It felt like a forgotten Pixies song to me, like a view of the future from the 1950s with a surreal, slightly sci-fi element to it. Its talking about isolation and loneliness in the modern age and wanting to be transported to anywhere else other than where you are at that time. But I wanted it to keep it very playful rather than being heavy-handed, with fractured images and a collage of images in its emotions and words.

A portion of it existed in 2011, and we had demoed it in Australia and just left it for years. But it was one of those songs which had always been at the back of our minds, like there was some unfinished business there. As we wereplaying around with it with some of the themes on this record, we cracked it open and really revelled in adding lots of layers to it in the studio. Its another transportive song. Its set in St. Lucia, which has always struck me as being very powerful visually, with the mountain plummeting into the sea.

The Sound couldve been played at one of the nights I was talking about in Looking High. Musically its interesting in how it takes from UK dance, house and garage, but then the guitar top line comes from a different world. Somehow the combination of all of those facets makes something really fresh and fun. Its going to be a really great one to play live. Aesthetically I wanted it to be surreal and industrial, and contrast the precision of the tune with the freedom of its words.

We recorded this in Real World Studios, where we looked out at this verdant British summer scene, with dragonflies and kingfishers flying around. Its a song that feels alive in the same way that the summer time feels alive with pollen and creatures; this tapestry of life thats reemerging. Hopefully it mirrors the reemergence of our world coming back together out of the pandemic. Its optimistic, but theres a melancholy to it. However long a summer is, we know its ephemeral So, the second half turns into a farewell, an elegy. We knew right from the beginning that this was going to be the album closer and its one of my favorite songs on the record.

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Foals' Yannis Philippakis Breaks Down Every Song on Life Is Yours - Spin