Lost At E Minor: Music, fashion, design, illustration

Ah, the weekend. A murky, troubled montage of loud music, boisterous conversation, the occasional argument, a series of overzealous yet well-meaning attempts at rearranging the furniture, the pungent aromas of spicy Indian food, and the 2am rattle and hum of a bed being worked overtime. But enough about my neighbours. Mine was comparatively tame, though I did make three significant discoveries: that Ugali is the staple dish of Kenya; that Malcolm McLaren was Adam Ant’s first manager (and probably bled him dry too); and that no matter how hard you try, you just cannot defeat gravity. And, yes, I have the bruises to prove it. Incidentally, I’m working on a screenplay at the moment. The storyline’s all mapped out. It’s just a question of filling in the gaps. The premise is simple (insert long pause for effect); a man has an illicit and passionate affair with a small chicken but dumps her when she starts getting clucky. That’s right. He’s a bastard and she’s a prize piece of meat. I figure if Chicken Run can make a killing at the box office with its subdued content, then my plot, with its racy dialogue and steamy love scenes (she eventually gives birth to a strange looking thing called Henry. HENry … getit?!) should be a winner. And if it’s not, well, we’ll always have Manhattan. Speaking of which, check this out. America’s finest - as real life characters. D’oh!

Richard Ashcroft’s third solo album – Keys To the World – is a subtle collection of music, full of all the earthy realism that the former Verve frontman has become synonymous with. Ashcroft weaves rich lyrical narratives around winding arrangements which never quite settle. Says Ashcroft: ‘I think I was born to be a songwriter. I’m not driven by fame or success. I’m quite a shy, introverted person and I could easily melt away into the background. But I am driven to write tunes. Creativity for me is almost like therapy, my songs take you into the underbelly of my mind and there’s some dark stuff in there. If I lived in LA, I’d be seeing someone three times a day, every day. But I’m a northern Englishman dealing with his shit in his own way’. Many of these songs soar in parts, streaking away from their maudlin intros to their wonderfully dramatic conclusions. Thanks to EMI we have five limited edition CD/DVD packs to give away to random emailers

Some stunning creations from Australian artisan designer, Anastasia La Fey. Her clothes are moody and sensual, allowing the character of the models to shine through the light and dark dynamics of their surrounds. Till next time, Zolton