F/I/M²/P · Issue 02 · October/November 2012

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OUR PEOPLE CREATIVE DIRECTORS / EDITORS IN CHIEF RUDY SHAHEEN & MOHAMAD ABDOUNI

N 02 DEATH AND LEGACIES

MANAGING PARTNER FATIMA M. EL MARINI RESPONSIBLE DIRECTOR AHMAD AYASH SENIOR EDITOR KARL HITTI FASHION EDITOR CARINE LEMARIN PROOFREADER AND LIFE SAVER MICHELLE WAZAN EXHIBITING PHOTOGRAPHERS KARIM ABOUZAKI MOHAMAD BADR EXHIBITING ILLUSTRATORS DINA ABOU KARAM KAREN KLINK CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS CLARA ABI NADER JINANE CHAAYA RAMI HAJJ CARL HALAL NISREEN KAJ LEA LAHOUD TAREK MOKADdEM CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS RAPHAELLE MACARON KRYSTEL KOUYOUMJIS MICHEL KARSOUNY FOUAD MEZHER RANA ZAHER CARL HALAL ADAM BOHEMOND JOY FAYAD HASSIB DERGHAM EXHIBITING FASHION DESIGNER KRIKOR JABOTIAN

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS RAPHAELLE MACARON SERGE KALDANY RASHA SHAHEEN LEA YAMMINE MELANIE DAGHER EMMA GATTEN ANTHONY SEMAAN & FRIENDS BEATRICE CANTE GUILLAUMIN PHILLIPE YAACOUB HELENE ABI ASSI STEPHANIE KOYESS ANDREW HRAIZ

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WHAT’S ON THE INSIDE THE HOUSE OF VERSACE

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DINA ABOU KARAM

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KAREN KLINK

A story of family, death and a legacy that lives on in an heiress and her mother.

KRIKOR JABOTIAN + TAREK MOUKADDEM 82

The fashion editorial.

MARILYN MONROE & JOHN F. KENNEDY 41

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Their legendary love affair and tragic deaths.

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GENERATION GAP

INTERVIEW

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Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves Of Destiny Idle Warship Porcelain Raft Charli XCX

Jessica Mansour

INTERVIEW 50 10 68

BLONDS Black Lips & Lazzy Lung Nadeah

FEATURES 26 66

Lana Del Rey Evangelion

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KARIM ABOU ZAKI

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MOHAMAD BADR

105 FOR THE MODERN DAY ARTIST AND CULTURALLY INTRIGUED INDIVIDUAL Album Reviews Live Reviews

Movie Reviews The Mixtape

The Swan Song The Apocalypse

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D

eath. Big word. Scary, huh? But have you ever stopped and thought about why it is so? Is it the fact that it’s something inevitable and it’s the only thing you’re sure of and have absolutely no control over? Or is it that you’re afraid no one will remember you ever existed? No matter what the reasons might be, this foreseeable happening is something that always scared us and even terrified some of us. We think about it for a few minutes. We start to imagine how it will happen: getting electrocuted by the toaster, being crushed during a zombie attack or even slipping on a banana. We then shake it out of our heads and get on to doing something that we think is useful or productive. Others delve into it further but we’re not even gonna go there.

“It”, death, can be a tragedy for some, bliss for others and a celebration for the rest.

We are the rest.

Today we pay our respects to the legends who have shaped our lives as we know them, to those who enhanced our sense of style, set rules and standards for anyone with a pencil (or a brush or whatever tool that can transfer ink or paint to a blank canvas). We revive the memory of Vinyl disks and disco balls, 8 mm films and extraordinary love stories. Today we envy the frames of those who had their heads under a black blanket, popping one light bulb at every snap. Today we celebrate them and pay them homage for giving us something to look up to, for making us want to do something worth being remembered for in hopes of one day joining them.

From a film that took hours to develop down to a single “print” click, we will forever be grateful for what they’ve given and taught us, how they make us smile whenever we think of them and make us die of envy at the same time.

This issue is a celebration of everything holy, beautiful and begrudging.

It’s a carnival of reality that brings us thrill, fear and a reason to get out of that stupid warm bed every morning after it keeps luring us to stay.

Get that bloody coffee heated up, put on your favorite pair of jeans/skirt/ dress on, match it with your oh-so-cool hipster shirt (please don’t), get the hell out the door and go be the new Marylin Monroe or the next Martin Lurther King or whoever you sang along to in the shower when you were seventeen.

We will all croak at some point, but if you’re reading this right now, you still haven’t expired. Move it!

ILLUSTRATION BY JOY FAYAD

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INTERVIEW: BLACK LIPS AND LAZZY LUNG - CONVERSE SUPER TOUR

AS PART OF THE CONVERSE SUPER TOUR 2012 PHOTOGRAPHS BY RAMI HAJJ

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INTERVIEW: BLACK LIPS

INTERVIEW BY BEATRICE CANTE GUILLAUMIN Hi guys! Can you please, in a few words, tell those who don’t know you and are reading this, the story of Black Lips?

The Black Lips are a collection of friends from Atlanta, GA who have spent the past 13 years travelling the world looking for and sharing great music. They had a strong passion for 50s-60s music as children and later discovered the beauty of Punk, Blues, Country, Psychedelic, and anything else they could get their hands on. Life is an adventure for them and will continue to be as long as people around the world still like Rock and Roll music.

Black Lips are currently Jared, Cole, Ian, and Joe. How did you guys cope with the death of your first guitarist Ben Eberbaugh and was it difficult to go on without him?

Our method of coping was to continue in the same spirit that Ben had embodied. We had a tour booked just before his death.

Two days after the funeral, we hit the road as a three-piece. It’s always difficult to lose a bandmate, even more difficult to lose a good friend. This was an early lesson for us, that death is very much part of life.

People often perceive you as a “Garage Rock Band”. However, when we listen to your music, it is very obvious to us that it’s influenced by different types of sonorities. What are your major sources of inspiration?

We do like to search out music created by people who had no ambitions other than to express themselves. There’s excitement in digging through a box of dusty records and finding a lost gem of music. There’s often something good to find in all genres of music, however, sometimes you need to search a bit longer in some areas. Garage Rock will always have a special place in our hearts and our music.

What is the story behind your song ‘I Saw God’ from the album 200 Million Thousand?

‘I Saw God’ is about having a religious experience while under the influence of medicine administered by a shaman.

Your last album Arabia Mountain was different from your other work, especially Good Bad Not Evil and 200 Million Thousand. It was somehow sweeter.

We never try to premeditate the music process. If you have to think about expression through music, then you have already

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lost your point. Because we like so many different types of music, the variations have always found their way into our albums.

You guys covered ‘Again and Again’ by Iggy Pop (in 200 Million Thousand) and ‘Hippie Hippie Hourrah’ by Jacques Dutronc. Why did you go for these two covers?

We first heard Jacques Dutronc in France and were amazed at how great it sounded. We had known about Gainsbourg, as the ‘everyday man’, but Dutronc represented what seemed to be an attitude not far removed from Punk. ‘Again and Again’ was the only song from the Iguanas(of which Iggy Pop was the drummer), that he wrote and sang. On the CD, the sound quality of that recording was much more raw than anything else and this inspired us.

Some people seem to believe that your music is influenced by bands such as The 13th Floor Elevators of Love. Are we to expect you to cover any of their tunes anytime soon?

Yes! We love The 13th Floor Elevators. You probably won’t hear us doing a cover though. Without Roky and a jug player, it just wouldn’t be the same.

You have released ‘Sick of You’ last April. Any new album in the making?

‘Sick of You’ was a b-side track that never made it to our last album. We are in the process of writing new songs and have done a little bit of time in a friend’s studio working on demos. There will be some very good tracks.

You will be touring in the Middle East soon and will hold a gig in Beirut on October 6. What made you choose Lebanon to be on the map and have you been here before?

Lebanon has always seemed like a more accessible location, both logistically and culturally. We expect to absorb so much from every new place we visit. We look forward to forming our own perspective of everything we see. We have never been to Lebanon before.

Lastly, and to feed my curiosity, why Black Lips?

We can’t remember! But it sounds cooler than ‘Baby Bunny Man’s Magical Experience’ doesn’t it?

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INTERVIEW BY EMMA GATTEN

Who is Lazzy Lung?

How do you describe your fans?

A group of four musically inclined whores who battle the bored and mundane across the Middle East Region and Beyond.....Aka an Indie Rock band. Lazzy Lung originated in Canada, inspired by most things that happen in daily life and then transcribed onto digital recordings. Allan Left Canada -Came to LebanonFormed a Band. It was all very new and different and this period of adaptation inspired what is known as Strange Places, our first album that was released in October 2010, telling a tale of the common Journey of 20-somethings put to music and lyrics.

Naturally, our definition as to “who we are” comes from our early works, but it’s tough because we are constantly changing in one way or another, growing with every year that goes by.

I think it’s safe to say that we’re a group of friends with different lives and tastes that were brought together by a common love for performing, Rock music and doing something different.

It’s ridiculous, our fans are crazy borderline crack heads fiends looking for a fix following us around and taking pictures with high tech devices, relentlessly and tirelessly posting things on Facebook. Just a fact of life for all of us in Lazzy Lung I guess... *laughs*. I guess you could say that our fans are anyone from the age of Late teens to Late Thirties...people who enjoy music, Rock music.

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How does the new album, Sailor’s Delight, differ from your first release, 2010’s Strange Places?

Strange Places was certainly an earlier stage in the band’s life. A lot of that album was material that Allan had already composed and compiled in his earlier days as a song writer. It’s safe to say

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MUSIC INTERVIEW: LAZZY LUNG

that things have matured more since then in terms of production and lyrical content and overall substance. Both albums have a concept or overall theme, but Strange Places was more of an emotional story. The first album was the chronological story of when Allan left home and his loved ones, losing his loved ones over time and getting lost with abusive substances most commonly known as “Love”. Sailor’s Delight is more aggressive, raw, sexy, punchy, dance-y, decadent and what we are most proud of so far.

We are still proud of our earlier works, it got us to where we are today....But Sailor’s Delight kicks the shit out of Strange Places.

What is Sailor’s Delight a reference to?

This is where the dispute begins... A sailor’s delight is a personal vice. Sailors and the working class and generally people from all walks of life share a common interest...”the weekend”. There is a period of time when ships dock at harbor and the captain’s crew kicks back a few, for a brew or two.

When did you start playing music, and how has your style evolved since then?

We all started playing music at an early age and have been part of different projects ranging from metal to punk and reggae.

As Lazzy Lung, we started rehearsing early in 2009 and later on performing a few shows at your staple venues around town.

In the earlier days, we did everything from recording our own demos, videos, posters and artwork, stickers and that whole punk rock attitude of D.I.Y. Things have certainly changed since then and we started to work alongside professionals ranging from graphic designers( Karma Hamady, Maria Kassab), photographers (Tanya Traboulsi, Richard John, Clint Lucas) and recording studios (Mix-down Studio to Capitol Records).

This was a pretty big part of our evolution in terms of “style”, apart from the music. From a musical and performance standpoint, the band has gone through several lineup changes, but this lead to us really improving our sound into what it is. Over time, as a collective, we invested more thought and energy into everything from composing songs to what kind of musical equipment or stage gear to use. It’s amazing how sometimes simply buying a new guitar or amp or whatever, can inspire so much creativity and add such a new feel. We sound heavier, tighter, with more hooks than a coat rack.

What are the best and worst things about being a band in Beirut?

Let’s save the best for last... It can be difficult being a band in Beirut (at least an English speaking Rock band) on a grand scale due to language barriers and lack of interest in the genre. But there are a considerable amount of concert goers who seem to like bands that are known, and/or famous abroad, being played on the radio. Most major radio stations aren’t very supportive of “local music” or “non-commercial” music, so that kind-of sucks....

What really sucks is that people show more love and support for cover bands than original artists... That really blows. On a more positive note, one thing that I have noticed, that is super awesome about being a band in Beirut is: the big fish in a small pond effect. Once the ball gets rolling for your band and people start to recognize you as a serious role player locally, people from abroad start to notice you much more easily.

Let’s compare how many Rock bands there are in Lebanon to their amount in the US and Europe. Pretty Neat, eh? You’ll see that Lazzy Lung is living proof of this phenomenon.

What’s been your favorite band moment?

This may seem strange but the smallest of things can hold significant sentimental value like the first time we had a song on the radio, getting our first decently paid gig or our first time on TV. But it’s a tossup between two competitions that we won.

First there’s the Rolling Stone Battle of the Bands ,which was amazing because we were the only band representing Lebanon and we basically set out to destroy anything and everyone in our path all the while documenting it via video logs start to finish.

This was our first major accomplishment as a band that opened a lot of new doors. Besides that, just the ecstasy of hearing our band name being announced, we will remember that forever.

The second moment was waiting to hear about yet another music competition by Triplew.me’s (Home-grown to Hollywood). This is pretty high up there in our favorite moments considering it was the first time that we got to travel as a band outside of the Middle East and start working with companies like Capitol Records & Ray-Ban. We are really pleased with our accomplishments and it’s moments like these where we feel relieved and reassured that we are onto something, that we’re doing something right.

Where do you want to see the band go?

Where do you see your place in Beirut’s music scene?

The music scene in Beirut is pretty diverse but in terms of the “Rock family” it’s only so big. We always like to say that we are the Olympians of our genre when it comes to Beirut.

I hope that when people think Rock band, they have us on their minds. Our place is on stage, no matter where we are.

I would love to see this band grow a larger fan base across the world, and certainly tour more. Our plan is to just keep working at our own pace, not really having to worry about outside pressure and keep doing this for us. We will still be making music, and collaborating with other artists and having our own personal outlets, but at the end of the day, we are Lazzy Lung. I have no idea how it will all work out, and it kind of takes the magic out of things when u plan too much. More shows, bigger shows!

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ARTICLE BY MELANIE DAGHER

Gianni Versace SpA, that’s the name of a company held behind a world of gold; the name of a genius visionary as title, as if he were still responsible for its actions and creations.

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et’s start from the beginning.

The Versaces are Gianni, his sister Donatella, his brother Santo and last but not least his heir and niece Allegra. The Versace family may have seen it all, but it has mostly encountered success. Founder of the Versace fashion house, Gianni Versace was born in 1946. After training as a stylist in Paris and London, he decided to open up his own business in Milan in the early 70’s. In 1978, with his brother Santo and sister Donatella, they decided to create the Versace fashion house. At the time, he would mainly use Andy Warhol and abstract art as inspiration for his creations.

The brand’s reputation grew due to the numerous celebrity acquaintances the Versaces had. Elton John, Princess Diana and Maurice Béjart are among those who were dressed by Versace or who called on the fashion house to help them with the making of costumes or sets. Glamorous colored dresses had become the brand’s signature look.

A big part of Versace’s success would be achieved through other means than couture as the fashion house was also making sunglasses, watches as well as furniture, linens and kitchenware. Gianni was renowned for his particular creative style, his heavy prints, colors and gold.

The Versace fashion house has been able to breakthrough in a very reserved and closed world thanks to the talent that runs in its family.Yes, it takes more than one person to establish an empire so quickly. You know it, Versace is a family business and each of its members occupies a specific position.

Gianni, 47, takes over creation; Santo, 49, acts as president of the company while

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Donatella, 41, acts as vice-president, but also as the feminine touch to the creations; as muse if you will.

From the start, it was Donatella that would take care of the Versace advertising campaigns and for their execution. The brand would always call on famous fashion photographers such as Patrick Demarchelier, Mario Testino and of course, Richard Avedon. Their collaboration would start in 1979, a year after the creation of Versace. All those years, fate had been kind to the Versaces, but things were about to take a turn for the worst. On the 15th of July1997, Gianni was shot in front of his Miami house by Andrew Cunanan. A legend was thus born; by leaving the fashion world, Gianni would leave an empire that is still far from its fall. The official ceremony took place in the cathedral of Milan with more than 2000 people present among whom, Giorgio Armani, Lady Di, Naomi Campbell, Madonna, Elton John and Courtney Love.Gianni’s death brought about changes to the house’s organization.

Donatella, who had, until now, been muse, had to transform into stylist and it took her a while to find her own style. She is still seen in high company, and the limelight-lover that she is, has made it so as to appear in different movies such as The Devil wears Prada and Zoolander. She is also president of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and runs the famous Palazzo Versace, their luxury hotel.

As for Santo, he’s one to remain in the shadows. He is behind the house’s finances and puts it all in the quality of the product. He was affected the most by rumors that followed Gianni’s death about his involvement with the mafia. In an interview, Santo declared that anyone

who talks about a relation his brother had with the mafia “doesn’t deserve to exist”.

He also warned about judicial pursuits he would engage against those who would taint his brother’s memory with false allegations.

In his lifetime, Gianni Versace was never the subject of mafia related investigations.

But in death, there’s inheritance. In comes Allegra Versace, daughter of Donatella, owner of 50 percent of the company until she turned 18; that’s when she got the whole thing. Allegra has been the center of conversations since news of her anorexia has been brought up by the media. The future will tell us if she’ll be able to carry the weight of responsibilities that come with the Versace name. Discreet by nature, the heiress, with each public appearance looks more and more emaciated. Allegra Versace works on some of the collections all the while trying to combat her disorder.

With regards to her private life, she remains extremely discreet and has never been seen in public accompanied by a potential suitor.

Today Versace still holds its position.

Singers like Rihanna and Lady Gaga as well as actress Chloe Sevigny have often been seen dressed in Versace clothing created back in the 90’s. As for other brands, Versace has collaborated with H&M. Versace vintage clothes is currently subject to growing interest, sales on e-bay by private owners at a higher value than current collections are a testament to that.

According to The Guardian, Donatella is pleased with this accrued interest. Gianni Versace used to say that he was the luckiest designer in the world for he had “them”, referring to his sister and brother who were associated to his sixteen years of success.

So if you’re not a big fan of your family, we recommend you try your hand at getting adopted by the Versace’s.

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FASION ARTICLE: THE VERSACE FAMILY

The one and only Anna Wintour has played a fundamental role in the brand’s popularity in the United States. When she became editor in chief of Vogue US in 1988, Versace items began to appear on the pages of the magazine as well as on its cover.

In 1997, Gucci and Versace were about to merge. Santo, in charge of the house’s finances believed that this alliance would enable them to compete with the French group LVMH; But as Gucci and Versace had equal capitals, Gianni feared he would lose control of his brand and thus refused the proposition.

FACTS ABOUT THE VERSACE FAMILY

Gianni Versace was not as close as we thought to Princess Diana. Well after she split with Prince Charles, Diana began to wear Versace clothing but she never had relations with their designer. However, she accepted to attend his funeral and he would’ve returned the favor seven days later had he not died.

Before the official declaration announcing the collaboration between Versace and H&M, Donatella had stated that Versace would never collaborate with mass producers.

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There’s a store, a wonderful store Full of goodies and candies galore Where fairies dance on a rainbow____And stars and glitter fall like snow____It’s a place for the young at heart____Where there are cameras that look like art____It’s magical, theatrical, and delightful____Crazy, funny, and wonderful____There’s tons of candy from yesteryears____And bags, toys, books and bunny ears____(Oh! There’s even a black box to make you blush!____But don’t tell anyone! It’s a secret! Hush!)

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Now in ABC Achrafieh Department Store L2 I Toys section and soon in ABC Dbayeh.

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INTERVIEW BY ANDREW HRAIZ

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JINANE CHAAYA

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INTERVIEW: JESSICA MANSOUR (FILMMAKER)

Your film Melody in the shadow talks about a group of characters TOGETHER in a piano bar during what seems to be its final days. Why did you choose this title?

The story somehow reminds us of the closing of Ahwet el E’zez in Gemmayzeh not so long ago. did that event have an impact on your inspiration?

At the end of the movie, while the pianist is playing a melody, a shadow starts covering him, the piano, then the rest of the characters. That is a way of understanding the title; the first layer of it that is. We can also go deeper and see that the melody represents the bar and the people that are in it. The music accompanies every situation, every state of mind and every emotion while the shadow embodies the slow demolition of the piano bar.

It did along with so many other places like cinemas, theaters, old restaurants and public gardens. They all helped. We’re sweeping away all of our charm, our tradition and our identity. You know something? When a place closes down for another to open, we never ask what was there. All we care about is what’s coming in its place. That’s why in my movie I showed the essence of what and who’s in the bar and not what’s going to replace it. At the end of the day, what remain are the souvenirs.

A feeling of Melancholy surrounds the whole film. What methods did you use to deliver that sentiment?

There’s a very long list starting with the story itslef. What thrills me is that you felt it.

This piano bar makes us think of a purgatory.

Is THIS REALLY the case?

In a purgatory you hope to go to a better place, which is not the case here. It’s actually the opposite.

Why this choice of characters? What brings them all together?

Each character comes from a different social background and a different age group. Every one of them has a void somewhere, and this place seems to fill it. Each one is a depiction of a true character I ran into throughout my life.

Alcohol seems to be a necessity for everyone in this bar. Why is that? Was it essential for you while writing this story?

The first thing you think of when you go to a bar is alcohol. It’s one of the things that all characters share together. I hung out a lot in bars observing and wondering about the stories behind some of the people that I saw, and yes, alcohol was always present.

Music has a big importance in this movie as well.

Tell us more about THAT. Music is the pianist’s way of expressing himself, as I previously mentioned. It follows every situation and state of mind of the characters. It was a hard task for the composer, Cedric Kayem, to compose a different piece for every small part in the movie while making them all sound just fine together. I was inspired by many artists such as Tom Waits, Ray Charles and many others.

Cedric blended an oriental touch with the occidental one to give it a Lebanese light Jazz kind of music.

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WHERE THE WILD THINGS DIE ARTICLE BY KARL HITTI

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ILLUSTRATION BY MOHAMAD ABDOUNI

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THE SWAN SONG: LANA DEL REY

The first time we came across Lana Del Rey was quite a while ago. Buzz was building on a constant uphill around this woman. Something about the merger she was able to conceive between imagery and music struck a UNANIMOUS chord between bloggers EVERYWHERE.

T

hey presumably discovered her on YouTube, thanks to a visual treatment she applied to ‘Video Games’. However, right before we listened to the tune, we were subjected to the single cover of ‘Blue Jeans’. What followed were jaws that fell to the ground; why the hell was one of the real housewives of some American city being taken seriously for her music?

The following day, while we sat in a café watching people walk about aimlessly, we decided to give the Nintendo song a try.

After all, “never judge a book by its cover” was one of the first lessons taught to us as kids. Almost instantly, things staggered into another dimension; a heavily steep melancholy filled our visual senses. People were walking in a slower motion with their auras slightly dimming. It was as if reality lost the grip it normally had on us. Our sun-drenched surroundings were stripped of their spark. We sat there for four minutes and forty-two seconds, with no resemblance of understanding.

Lana’s tumultuous relationship with the media can only be described as one thing: the classical Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale with a twist. A little girl looking after her aching grandmother, brings her food. On her way, she takes an unfamiliar road and encounters a wolf. After some small talk, the beast gives her some advice on how to put a smile on her nana’s face: “pick some flowers up, and make her a bouquet”, he says. While the girl is occupied, he takes over her task; eats her grandma whole and disguises himself as her. Being the resourceful girl that she is, Red discovers that everything isn’t as it seems. Her quest to keep her older self-alive swerved in another direction. However, right before the wolf is able to swallow her whole, the innocent damsel cuts his throat open with her trusty scythe.

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant was raised in Lake Placid, New York. She had what some would refer to as a “troubled youth”, constantly butting heads with her parents. She admittedly experimented with different drugs and nursed a love for alcohol that naturally evolved into dependence.

When this badly kept secret saw the light of day, alarms went howling in the Grant household. At the age of fourteen, they sent her on the express train to Kent School; a

boarding academy located in Connecticut.

While she was there, her existential crisis took her towards philosophy. The answers that the course gave her worked as a calming element. Things got even better when her English teacher introduced the troubled teen to the likes of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. These sorts of writings would, in some way, form her solace. The angry adolescent was feeling less lost; she finally had someone to relate to.

Grant’s chaos was poured into her first album that she recorded under the name May Jailer. Upon listening to Sirens, you can’t help but see the raw beginnings of Lana Del Rey. The folky acoustic tracks work as an outpour of negative emotions that narrate the story of an anxious girl, falling in and out of love, with the wrong man. Resembling guitar chords are easily spotted in every song. The production (or lack, thereof) reveals an amateur and obvious use of a home studio. She chronicles her irritation with the maternal figure in her life with ‘My Momma’, while a ‘Star For Nick’ is a testament to the hopes and dreams that might help her make the leap out of ‘Lake Placid’. The album opener, For ‘K Part 1’, portrays the life of a childhood friend that went astray. Ironically, Sirens was leaked online in May of this year.

At age nineteen, the aspiring musician was signed to an independent label for the sum of ten grand. Following this spark of hope, Lizzie moved out of her parent’s house and into a trailer on the outskirts of the city. She then took up community work after the failure of that venture.

Some time later, producer David Kahn, got his hands on the songstress and integrated her to his label 5 Point Records.

The new acquaintances immediately started working on the now polemical record Lana Del Ray A.K.A Lizzie Grant. Elizabeth, finally on solid ground, began sonically perfecting her craft. The production employed carelessly inspired hip-hop drums fused with moody electric riffs that land on a strings backdrop. Thematically, a nonchalantly tragic turn of events, takes place around the outskirts of New York: Cult references employed on Born To Die, find their beginnings here. Hope is nowhere to be seen on songs like ‘Pawn Shop Blues’ and ‘Kill Kill’, while ‘For K Part 2’ comes as a nod to May Jailer’s unfinished story.

Subsequently, diaries of a self-destructive romantic connection are made public on the numbing ‘Jump’. The girl formerly known as Lizzie Grant toured and landed several club gigs to promote the album on a national scale before it was removed from circulation in 2010.

Most people with a semblance of intelligence don’t relate to happiness, because they don’t consider themselves to be happy. Questions pour into each other and, at some point, answers become theories.

Following the failure of clarification, we generate our own. Elizabeth Woolridge Grant found her clarity through the medium of Lana Del Rey. She constructed a world based on her studies in metaphysics, the man that changed her life, and casualties of the limelight. Consequently, Interscope and Polydor stepped into this realm, and media circus history was made.

The circus turned into a bloodbath after Del Rey’s debut was released. Some critics jumped on the bandwagon and tore Born To Die to shreds; critiquing it for its manufactured gimmicks and overhyped vocalist. Others refuted claims of shallow labor, further praising the mix of unconventional pop appeal and subtle double-entendre that presented themselves to those who actually listened. The album’s aggregated score on Metacritic currently stands at a 61 over a 100 meaning, “generally favorable reviews based on 38 critics.”

It is a stiff task to pinpoint a person’s authenticity. But hell! We all love taking a go at it whenever the opportunity arises. Categorizing someone makes him or her controllable and nowhere near as unpredictable as they would be if they didn’t fit in a specific circle. We find it hard to believe that a pretty girl with a lip job is sad. Why? Because having long hair and perfectly manicured nails should be enough for you to be happy. If you want to pass as depressed, then at least have the decency to shave some side of your head.

It is unclear if record producers and managers have finally found the secret to recreating seemingly tortured music, or if this is all the opus of a gentle tormented soul.

Right now, we’re just happy to gaze into the big eyes of the showpiece that is lying before us. The Born To Die: Paradise Edition comes out in mid-November.

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PHOTOGRAPHER

Could you sum up in a few Where do you mostly draw words for us who you really your inspiration from? are and what it is that you do?

I am a Conceptual Artist. I create visual Everything is inspiring for me, though I am stories using my camera, my eyes and my mostly inspired by people’s faces. I tend to white notebook. I started organizing Art watch people in crowded places and imagine Projects and then decided to work more on their lives and struggles, their sadness and my personal art. And here I am, I exhibited their happiness. Books and poetry are also a in both Dubai and Beirut I got nominated great source of inspiration for me since they for Prix Pictet where my work will be ignite the creative part of my brain. featured in their new book.

What inspired the series you chose to exhibit with F/I/M²/P?

What is the first song that pops to YOUR mind right this second?

I was intrigued to know more about Sema and the Dervish life as well as the relationship between the dervish performing the dance and the orgasmic feeling in his soul.

I was just listening to Majida el Roumi’s new Album Ghazal. I’ve been addicted to it lately. It has a special place in my heart. It was a gift autographed by Sitt Majida.

If any deceased individual, famous or not, were to reincarnate themselves in your body, who would it be?

Professionally, what is the project you always wanted to engage in but haven’t gotten the chance to yet?

It’s a merge between Man Ray, Helmut Newton and my favorite poet Mohamad Al Maghout. In a way these 3 have inspired my photos, my writings and my imagination.

A documentation of the different traditions and practices of the various unpopular Religions and Cults in our region. I want to travel around exploring these hidden secrets and present them to the world.

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WRITTEN BY KARL HITTI

oldschool death metal the dead rockstars club elegant memorials

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OLD SCHOOL DEATH METAL (oldschool-deathmetal.tumblr.com)

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nna Nicole Smith and Death Metal have many things in common. For starters, none of these two subjects ever acquired any type of respect from the general public. Numero two: drugs, lots of drugs, drug injections, edible drugs, inhalable drugs and drugs that you place in a dead cousin’s stomach for two days before consuming them while laying upside down on your head in your parents’ bedroom. The most obvious reason of them all however, number three: let’s just say that both aren’t really alive and kicking. Even though Anna received a shitload of hate and name calling during her somewhat small time on this earth, the woman left behind a suitable amount of interesting work (from sultry modeling campaigns, to numerous sanctified Playboy magazine pictorials and covers before finishing it off with the awesome and most certainly entertaining Anna Nicole Show). Now death metal may not have left the best music but this genre came with very interesting and inspiring cover artwork, band names and visuals.

This tumblr is just about that. You will find the occasional music post but we will ask you to step away from those. Nothing says my mom raised me well better than a T-shirt with the words “the awakening of slumber zombiefication” plastered all over it!

the dead rockstars club (thedeadrockstarsclub.com)

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he problem with starting your own independent project is that you might end up with a product that looks like complete and utter bull. When you first log in to this portal, you might get the urge to close the page right away.

You will ask yourself “why would a blind raccoon be so interested in rock that they would launch their own website about the genre?” We urge you to be patient, because the amount of information this masked animal was able to put together with the help of his other wildly neighbors is properly ravaging. (get it?) This blog is an extensively detailed list of every dead rock star and individual that has worked in that scene. The list is filled with information about their work and the reason they passed away, all in good fun. You will also find links to other websites that were dedicated to them in memory of their passing. We can’t think of a more perfect way of acquiring superhuman powers than memorizing every single name that is present on this website. Of course, this gift wouldn’t actually help you with anything but just imagine yourself drunk and reciting the list to a nun! Who wouldn’t want to be part of an exorcism?

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THE BLOGGER

ELEGANT MEMORIALS (elegantmemorials.com)

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eing prepared is a very important thing. Men always leave the house with a condom, while women are extra cautious and add a pepper spray to the combination. One always checks if there is enough toilet paper before he uses the bathroom. You don’t want to end up with dirty undies or an STD. Kids, you wouldn’t want to burden your loved ones with organizing your funeral. You should give them the liberty to drink heavily for a couple of days before having to worry about a stone, a song or flowers. Planning your own funeral isn’t a happy event, it’s actually quite depressing. We suggest you sit in a café in the middle of the day, order a fruity drink with just the right amount of vodka in it and log into elegantmemorials.com. This website is ironically a lifesaver; it covers every single angle you could think of (the most important of which being the funeral programs that come with lovely layouts and include ocean and flower backgrounds!). You will find poem suggestions and a music guide to help you create your own playlist for when your time comes. The cherry on top (or flower in this case) is the plantable card that will turn into a beautiful flower when covered in soil.

You basically get to plan your memorial and reincarnation! Whoever said you can’t have your cake and eat it too clearly never visited elegantmemorials.com!

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Hollywood's dead THE STORY OF MARILYN MONROE AND HER NOT-SO-SECRET AFFAIR WITH THE UNITED STATES’ MOST BELOVED MAN

ARTICLE BY PAMELA KARAM

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MOHAMAD ABDOUNI & RUDY SHAHEEN

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COVER STORY: MARILYN - HER LIFE AND HER JFK

“Happy Birthday Mr. President”.

Miss Marilyn Monroe whispered With a sultry tone of voice, a dress sewn on her curvaceous silhouette right before coming on stage. hugging her in all the right places (she called it “skin and beads” and we couldn’t agree more). Presumably soaked with alcohol, she presented the president of the United States with one of the most memorable performances in history.

On May 19 1962, in front of a million people on Madison square garden, Marilyn Monroe left the audience speechless and John Kennedy, a helpless lonely little boy.

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e probably forgot for the matter of a minute the duties he had for his country. Filled with excitement and some kind of embarrassment (that she would be disciplined for later), he still managed to find the necessary composure to take the stage and thank the superstar for singing happy birthday to him “in such a sweet wholesome way”.

This would accelerate the downfall of a long mysterious relationship that ended tragically and still remains somewhat on the hush. Marilyn’s tingly serenade would be regarded as her last public appearance; she was going through an indelicate depression and a devastating breakup that she tried to hide from the world. The bombshell was very lonely as she couldn’t tell a single soul about the relationship that made her dream, and the fact that she allegedly got tangled sexually with Bobby Kennedy as well. She would have to find a way to soothe the pain without causing any unwanted drama. Sadly, that decision wasn’t up to her, nor to Kennedy for that matter. The two icons were victims of untimely twists of fate, as they both died tragically under mysterious circumstances. If this were to happen today, the tabloids would have had a field day over it (take a brief moment of silence in memory of the countless presidents and senators who had to beg for the public’s mercy for their numerous indiscretions). During that period, the media still gave public figures some semblance of privacy and respect; Mr President had a strict policy regarding photography on that celebratory evening (only a handful of photographs of the couple were ever retrieved), simply because integrity was the key to success and the president of the most powerful country couldn’t be a man deprived of these principles. He was a family man, had a sophisticated wife, and embodied the American dream.

Behind every president is a great woman… in Chanel. This first lady made the Kennedys the royal family of the United States. Jackie wasn’t present at Madison square garden that night. She knew about Marilyn’s performance and preferred to excuse herself from the national scandal. She spent a couple of days surrounded by horses in the country. Nevertheless, she watched that performance on TV the next day and was less than pleased with what the sexpot had presented her husband with and evidently the whole world. This time, John had taken it too far. Jackie had to stop that story from destroying both her family and her husband’s career. She ordered him to interrupt whatever was going on with the miss Monroe. He then sent a word to the press denying allegations that he was having an affair.

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When his father had hinted (by hinted we mean forced down his throat) that getting married was a good career move, John F. Kennedy had to cave in. In order not to completely wipe out his son’s morale, Joseph assured him that nothing was going to change: his bachelor lifestyle would remain the same. The man’s conscience must have remained clear during his several ‘sexcapades’. Jackie was aware of the whole arrangement and played her part well. She was reassured by the fact that no mistress could fill her shoes as first lady and ambassador. She was thrilled to leave such a huge mark on history. Little Johny couldn’t spend a night alone, as he used to suffer from severe headaches when he lacked daily intercourse (We have the same problem when it comes to a minimum intake of chocolate; we tend to make brochettes out of random people).

That’s the reason why he collected so many different mistresses.

He managed, with a lot of luck to keep his careless mistakes out of the cross-hairs of the press.

Still, Marilyn Monroe was silently suffering. Once again, she was a victim of lust and aroused men. This story took a toll on her already fragile mental state and led her to a serious depression.

This is a woman that was desired by most but genuinely loved by none. There was a void inside her that couldn’t be filled with fame, money or beauty. She was desperately trying to catch a man’s heart but never truly got what or whom she wanted. Up until the last day of her life, she felt like no one sincerely cared for her. Piling one marriage after the other, she struggled with a constant fear of abandonment that pushed her to leave all the men in her life to avoid being disappointed again.

When you’re hailed as the sex symbol of an entire generation, having men wrapped around your thighs isn’t a hard feat to accomplish. She was human after all, and people tend to forget that. Longing for unconditional love from a man, any man for that matter, who would be able to protect her. Ironically, this is what caused her demise.

Monroe got married three times and rumors suggest that she was getting back with one of her exes (Joe Dimaggio) at the time of her death. Because of her track record for disastrous relationships, researchers say that she was trying to fill a void, desperately looking for attention. Joe was one of the only men to truly care about Marilyn, even though their marriage was a complete disaster. He kept on sending red roses to her tomb three times a week for twenty years after she passed away.

Norma Jeane Mortenson was born on June 1, 1926, to Gladys Pearl Monroe Baker. The identity of her father is still a mystery.

With a mother suffering from what doctors diagnosed as genetically transmitted paranoid schizophrenia, Norma Jeane spent an unhappy WWW.FIMP-MAG.COM

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childhood filled with neglect and alleged sexual assaults. Travelling from foster homes to orphanages, she started to nurture a severe abandonment complex, which made her extremely demanding towards the men in her life.

Her childhood was plagued with several abusive molestations, which resulted in self-loathing and a struggle to leave a lasting impression on her surroundings. It is said that a certain male boarder who lived in one of Marilyn’s foster homes took advantage of her for a long period of time. He even paid her to keep it a secret.

During that era, spoliation was simply not discussed, no one believed her accusations, and her stand on the issue caused her to be criticized. This made matters worse for Miss Jeane. She was one of the first celebrities to raise awareness on the subject.

Marilyn’s escapism was to be a star. She longed to become an actress, in order to do that, she started to take acting, dancing and singing classes. But her portrayals weren’t memorable. Her teachers thought she wouldn’t make it too far in the business. She fought headstrong to become the woman everyone remembers today and worked hard on her interpretations until she reached her goal. It was not about being good; she wanted to be the best.

At the age of Fifteen, craving attention and dreading to go back to an orphanage, Norma Jeane got married for the first time to a Jimmy Dougherty in June of 1942. This modeled union came long before fame, drugs, and what turned out to be the beginning of Marilyn’s career. Since her husband worked in the marines, he was away most of the time (all of this happened before Hiroshima and Nagasaki). It was right around that time that she took a job at a radioplane plant and got discovered by a photographer who put her modeling career in motion. Jimmy wasn’t very pleased with that surprising turn of events and the couple parted ways. The shy housewife morphed into a free, exciting, sensual sex goddess. She subsequently changed her name, dyed her hair (platinum blonde while she was a brunette), and underwent a small number of plastic surgeries in order to complete her divine migration.

During the early years of her career, Marilyn was a model. She posed for several photographers, but still struggled to make ends meet. As the clock struck 1953, the stars glimmered with more audacity. A young man that goes by the name Hugh Hefner had a dream. He wanted to make a magazine that featured racy images of beautiful, voluptuous women. With US$10.000 in his pocket, he launched an undated issue of a publication named Playboy, unsure if there would ever be a second. Marilyn was the first to ever grace the cover. Hefner bought the rights to the pictures from a shoot that was done many years ago for a calendar, for the measly sum of US$500. Copies sold out in weeks, Jeane is the original centerfold.

This was exactly the kind of exposure miss Monroe needed to launch her career. She was already featured in a number of movies, but her performances were often criticized as too provocative.

She didn’t mind wearing sexy clothes and showing off a little ‘something something’. That same year, she starred in a musical, where she played the part of Lorelei Lee, a gold-digging showgirl with a knack for singing and dancing in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

It would be an understatement to say that she did the part justice: it fit her like a glove. ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’ became her signature song. The star revealed a tough dedication by rehearsing her dance routines every night. She left her costar Jane Russel impressed. Marilyn Monroe had finally arrived. All of the years of struggle were slowly becoming a distant memory. Men wanted her and women wanted to be her. Still, Marilyn wasn’t

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happy. Satisfaction wasn’t something that came to her with ease.

She confessed on multiple occasions that dreaming about becoming an actress was more exciting than being one. She wanted to get married and have kids, only then would she get that unconditional love that she so desperately seeked. She would fail to attain both, which pushed her towards a spiral of addiction to prescription pills and alcohol abuse.

After her second marriage to Bob Slatzer (that lasted three days), Marilyn married Joe Dimaggio. Joe would later turn out to be a jealous and violent man. Right around that time, Marilyn got caught up in yet another scandalous scene in which she stood on top of a sidewalk grate with her skirt blowing up.

Her husband, furious because of his wife’s behavior, beat her that night in their hotel room. In his opinion, Monroe was a source of embarrassment. Their union only lasted nine months. Even after the divorce, Dimaggio’s jealousy increased steadily. He couldn’t bear the thought of another man touching his former wife. Marilyn would testify in front of a court of law that her husband abused her mentally.

Over the course of her career, Marilyn had many disputes with 20th Century Fox. That didn’t stop her from having a flourishing career with many spectacular performances. However, in 1962, shebegan work on yet another movie called Something’s Got to Give but her mental state was starting to regress and consequently, her performance suffered. The last shot from the movie was of her naked in a swimming pool and we couldn’t have had a better closure to such a scorching career. Following her quick getaway on May 19th, she was dismissed from the set and was replaced by another actress.

During the last period of her life, things would steer towards the worst as her world started to crumble, piece by piece. Monroe suffered, became the victim of nervous breakdowns, failed pregnancies and another failed marriage (this time from Arthur Miller). Her career wasn’t impenetrable by these exterior demons.

She lacked focus on sets, and arrived obnoxiously late. For a year and a half, she became a commodity at psychiatric clinics as a result of serious dependencies to booze and barbiturates (highly addictive prescription drugs that act as central nervous system depressants). Doctors diagnosed her with borderline personality disorder. Marilyn developed a draining relationship built on reliance and unknown medical practices with a new psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson. She started seeing him regularly, and despite the treatments, her mental state grew weaker. On several occasions, she accidentally overdosed on sleeping pills and had to have her stomach pumped.

Taking care of the Marilyn became a full time job for the doctor. He even appointed her a life companion, Eunice Murray.

She lived with her until the day she died. Eunice drove her to and from Dr. Greenson’s home, reporting back to him whatever the Monroe did during the day. She took care of the house and greeted the occasional guests.

Eunice Murray discovered Marilyn Monroe’s body on August 5th, 1962. She was lying face down, naked on her bed with a phone in her hand. The cause of death was ruled as “probable suicide”.

That diagnosis is still disputed, as many theories prove contrary. A lot of evidence from the scene were conveniently destroyed or lost.

Maybe it wasn’t a suicide. Maybe the Kennedy brothers were a bit too involved with that lady.

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WE EACH PRAY FOR OUR OWN IDOLS here’s YOUR VERY OWN MARILYN PAPER-DOLL ICON 47

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FOR FASHION. LETTER NUMBER ONE. The SIXTH letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.

PRONOUNCED EFF. The origin of ‘f’ is the Semitic letter vâv (or waw) that represented a sound. It has been based on a comparable Egyptian hieroglyphy.

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A RUN WITH THE BAD ONES:

INTERVIEW BY KARL HITTI

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ILLUSTRATION BY DINA ABOU KARAM WWW.FIMP-MAG.COM

MUSIC INTERVIEW: BLONDS

Hello Blonds, how are you doing? Taking advantage of your summer so far?

We are splendid. Just got back from a tour in Sweden for the Brooklyn/Sweden Music Festival and we are soon heading out on a Northeast U.S. tour, so summer has been kind!

You both grew up in Florida, but moved to NYC after the release of Dark Roots to record The Bad Ones. Would you say that this change of scenery influenced your creative output, and your recording process?

Well, the demos for The Bad Ones were all recorded in our bedroom back in Florida before we moved. The recording process definitely changed once we got to NYC, but all in good ways. We do feel the creative process will be affected by the change of scenery for our next works, it’s definitely a different vibe..

Your musical style is a mix of Blues, Jazz, Dream pop and Alternative Rock. It is quite hard to categorize, really. How would you describe your harmonious treatment to the masses?

This is the hardest question to answer! We think you’re description is pretty close.

Jordy you obviously have a musical background, while you, Cari have said that your experience consists of singing in the shower and in your car. How did you decide to take on a musical venture together?

We were driving one day and Jordy suggested we should start a band, and that was essentially the extent of the conversation.

At first, we just wanted to do music together for fun and for our friends, but every time we would show people what we had done, they kept asking for more.

The bond that exists between you two is made quite obvious in the beginning of the album with ‘The Bad Ones’, ‘Amen’ and the gorgeous ‘Heartstrings’. Is this album in essence a reflection of your relationship? An autobiography that gives us a glimpse of how you envision your future together?

We’d say it’s more a reflection of how we inspire one another as individuals. The songs are very autobiographical, but in a lot of ways they are universal. We wanted to use our experiences to relate to anyone who wanted to listen. And we envision our future as limitless and unpredictable. which is your favorite track off the record?

Cari- ‘If Only’ Jordy- ‘Time’

The album is somewhat a bit darker than the EP in terms of theme; an obvious and natural evolution of your sound. How do you envision your music to change in the coming years? Any plans to push it even farther?

We certainly honed in on our sound more with the LP. Our music will evolve as we evolve, and we most definitely will be pushing the sound farther!

What would you say to the people that advise not to mix business with pleasure? (That is presuming you both see music as a business) Well, it comes with its positives and negatives. When it comes to this particular “business”, sometimes having a partner makes the whole process a lot easier, especially when it’s someone you really trust and admire. That being said, learning how to manage “work” and “personal time” is something we’re still figuring out.

The digital new age of music and media seems to be working to your benefit, with all the buzz that’s now cooking and spreading like wildfire. What are your thoughts on the industry today?

We’re really thankful that the industry is where it is and that so many people have been able to hear our music as a result, and we look forward to seeing where it will head in the future.

Any stand out musicians that have caught your attention this past year?

Frank Ocean is probably the musician that has our attention the most. His new album really has pushed the envelope, and he’s just amazingly talented. We are really excited about Tame Impala as well, their new single is regularly stuck in our heads.

How do you plan on taking over the world in the coming months? Any plans to honor us with your presence in the Middle East?

We’re not really big on “plans”, in general. We prefer to just take everything as it comes, and flow along like water. If the opportunity presents itself, we most certainly would love to come play for you! a final request: Could you, both of you combined, give us a list of the 5 best albums of all time that you could not live without listening to?

1.) The Beatles - White Album 2.) Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin - Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg 3.) Julie London - Julie is Her Name 4.) The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat 5.) Bright Eyes - Lifted or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

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ARTICLES BY KARL HITTI

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADAM BOHEMOND

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et’s face it, Folk music can sometimes be a little zestless. Listening to Angus and Julia Stone whine about how their lovers dumped their asses in order to pursue more interesting prospects can indeed be quite enjoyable. Auditing Bon Iver’s confessions about being a depressive drunk in Poland can also provide an apropriate soundtrack to your long drives up to the mountains.The problem is that at some point, you will feel like cutting your wrists wide open and draining the juices out of your body. If we were to cast blame on you for wanting to take your own life after being subjected to the same guitar riff for an hour, we would be properly ludicrous.

Fear not, there is still hope out there. It goes by the name of Beth Jeans Houghton. Her melodies may keep the funeral in folk but they don’t make group suicides sound any more appealing than they already do.

label. Free spirited Houghton wanted to finish recording her debut, Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose, on her own terms.The songstress takes her craft seriously. She quit school when she turned sixteen, and then taught herself how to play the guitar. By the following year she was already performing at festivals. Miss Houghton’s enchanting tunes draw a mystical painting, filled with big pink willow trees and nymphs running around, gathering ripe juicy fruits. Elves guide these shimmering creatures on the back of their glistening flying horses, while a misty purple haze fills the whole canvas. Freak folk would be a more concise expression, if you ever wanted to describe this style of music to your ignorant friends.

If Beth’s frail and pale demeanor is any indication of what’s about to come, then it’s safe to bet that the chanteuse is coming for Robbie Williams’ title. Why make your funeral a miserable occasion and have Robbie serenade your ice-cold corpse? Pack your final eth is like the middle child in a family of three. She is moments on this planet with a little zest. Let Beth Jeans and The struggling for attention and knows exactly how to get Hooves of Destiny put a smile on your families’ face. Funeral music it. After gathering a pretty hefty amount of hype from was never this much fun.The first fifteen callers get complimentary the release of her debut EP Hot Toast Vol 1 back in 2008, hallucinogens. she decided after several offers, not to sign with a any DOWNLOAD: THE BARELY SKINNY BONE TREE - LILIPUTT

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GENERATION GAP

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ost women are raised with the idea of a prince charming that will one day come and sweep them off their feet. He is said to be equipped with a chiseled physique and a whole lot of money. At a certain point, depending on the female’s level of maturity, she realizes that Disney and/or her mother were feeding her a load of bull. The desperate ones decide to deny this fact and run along pretending to be Carrie Bradshaw, while others of higher intellect decide to face life head on, full throttle and legs wide open.

Shareese Renée Ballard, known by her stage name Res, has been struggling to get her breakthrough in the music industry since 2001. A darling of the critics since her debut How I Do, the singer’s praises sadly didn’t translate into sales. For the following seven years, she went through several labels and worked with a whole lot of different artists, but never fully released a follow up.

Just as Res was contemplating the thought of bowing out of the limelight, in walks her knight in shining armor. Talib Kweli (seeker of the truth) is somewhat of a veteran in the rap game. He has been playing everyone for more than a decade, and just like his partner in crime, a fixture in critics’ eyes. His most notable collaborations

include The Roots, Commonand Mos Def to name a few. Praised as a “lyrical genius”, the rapper found a way to walk the thin line between being an underground and mainstream artist. When word got around that Res was about to quit her day job, he picked her up and together they formed Idle Warship.

After releasing a mixtape in 2008, their debut Habits of the Heart was made available for the public in 2011. It would be safe to presume that they did not lose their critical praise. By mixing Soul, Alternative Rock, Hip Hop and Electronica, both artists stepped out of their comfort zones and created an infectious and eclectic collection of songs. Subjects such as relationships gone wrong, politics and society are tackled with ease and frankness.

A feeling of paranoia and derangement will invade your state when you encounter Habits of the Heart.We recommend you listen to this album religiously when going out for a jog or when you’re running late. Nothing is more motivating than the feeling of having an angry forty-nine foot Spinosaurus hot on your heels.

DOWNLOAD: THE FLOOR - KATYA (FT. MICHELLE WILLIAMS)

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hen Mauro Remiddi thought he had finally found his stage name, he ran towards his flatmates’ room and asked him for his opinion.

His friend showed much love and interest but he picked up on a little sour pickle: rafts made out of porcelain can’t actually float.“This is perfect!” said Mr. Remiddi to himself. It wasn’t the sinking part that had gotten him excited, but the fact that it meant that he had to make his raft float on something other than water.

to Mauro. He is more of an indie adolescent boy (despite his age hanging about in the late 30’s), equipped with this unpolished innocence that we all lose before breaking into adulthood.

After releasing an EP in 2010, Porcelain Raft finally put out his debut album in January 2012. Strange Weekend is a collection of ten delicately eerie Chamber Pop tunes. It’s a constant swirl of heavy emotions that float around like spirits clinging to their human lives. An almost inhuman androgynous voice accompanies these songs by gently plunging through the hazy offbeat of drums and This Italian born drifter has been sailing through music’s vast guitars mashing.The ferryman Charon, in Greek mythology, was the oceans since about more than a decade now. Mauro has taken man that transported the souls of the recently deceased through the exact opposite route of his fellow veterans. His early stunts the Styx River, down towards Hell. We are willing to bet real good consisted of working with a Prince-inspired band, composing money on a fairly simple notion: if reincarnation were to truely scores for Italian short movies and investing his talents in two other exist, and if by any chance every single one of these Greek gods musical ventures (Three Blind Mice and Sunny Day Sets Fire). and figures were to be stitched to human bodies today, then Mauro The catch here is, unlike others artists, his music never turned into Remiddi would without any shred of a doubt be the direct, mortal polished studio work. It has always been slowly hovering towards reimagining of Charon. a bedroom-type recording, which is where it neatly resides at this moment. Porcelain Raft is a convergence of trembling fears and troubling thoughts. The typical rockstar blueprint does not apply DOWNLOAD: PUT ME TO SLEEP - SHAPELESS & GONE

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GENERATION GAP

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ould you ever miss out on a violent post-apocalyptic rave?The answer is obviously no,unless you were the poor undefiled maiden who was going to be offered as an appetizer to the gods below. *Condescending stare*. You may all be perplexed at this moment, pondering over who would ever throw such violent gatherings.Well,what would you expect from a girl who describes her music as“goth pop”?

Charli XCX is a twenty-year-old English native. She has had musical longings on her mind since the tender age of seven (apparently, she formed her first band back during recess). The seemingly gloomy Brit released her debut shortly after stepping into adolescence. She caught the attention of the right people in the industry and has been cultivating a name for herself in the rave scene ever since.

Now about that “goth pop” reference, no, Charlotte is not depressed nor does she have a cliché addiction to happy pills. She simply has a tender spot in her heart for dark lipstick and raven shades of hair. Her songs draw obvious influences from 80’s bands such as Shakespeare’s Sisters and T’Pau. Sonically, they make

use of reverb-heavy beats as a base while adding a slew of sinister synthy touches and catchy pop hooks. Think of a cross between a very dramatic yelping Robyn and Zola Jesus. Charli has released a considerable amount of free songs and mixtapes and they can all be streamed on her Soundcloud profile. She is currently on tour in the USA, supporting acts such as Coldplay and Santigold, prepping the terrain for the release of her currently untitled debut.

Her first official singles go by the names ‘You’re The One’ and ‘Nuclear Seasons’, both being nothing short of astonishing on the intergalactic superiority scale.

Last and certainly not least, the XCX stands for Xrated Cunt Xrated, which is simply exquisite since for an unknown reason, we express a somewhat strange penchant towards the word “Cunt”.

And for that reason, we urge you to call Charlotte by her full name, Charli Xrated Cunt Xrated, while emphasizing (by any means possible) on the third word.Take our word for it, the more you utter this one syllable term, the more you increase your chances of alien abduction (we never said it was logical).

DOWNLOAD: I’LL NEVER KNOW - YOU’RE THE ONE

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ILLUSTRATOR

Could you sum up in a few words for us who you really are and what it is that you do?

I’m a world-generator of sorts; I create my own worlds, populate them with characters, beliefs systems and mythologies. Then I sit back and watch stories unfold. Truth be told, I have always wanted to be a genetics engineer, until I found out that modifying the human genome to create mermaids and centaurs, is apparently illegal. So I became an artist instead. Specifically geared towards videogames. They quench my thirst for creating imaginary worlds quite well.

Where do you mostly draw your inspiration from?

I created my own version of Alice in Wonderland. The young woman pictured is a self-projected Alice. These three pieces in particular are about trying times I have been going through.

At the risk of sounding horribly conceited, I draw inspiration from my own insecurities first and foremost. Wait no, that’s a lie.

Alice in Wonderland is an obvious source of constant inspiration; other sources include Tim Schafer games, video game concept art, the pop-surrealist art movement (Mark Ryden, Audrey Kawasaki, ...) which I delude myself into thinking I belong to, and Suicide Girls. Tattooed and pierced alternative girls, you make my world go ‘round.

What is the first song that pops to YOUR mind right this second?

Tenacious D’s ‘Kickapoo’. I don’t have very sophisticated musical tastes. To be fair I’ve been belting it out all weekend with friends so it’s been all I think of for a while now. It’s never leaving, is it?

If any deceased individual, famous or not, were to reincarnate themselves in your body, who would it be?

If imaginary characters count, I’d love to host the bitter spirit of Donnie Darko! If not, I’d have to give it to my deceased aunt who gave me her name and artistic legacy.

Professionally, what is the project you always wanted to engage in but haven’t gotten the chance to yet?

As any one who’s ever met me or glanced at my wrist can tell you, my dream is to one day work for Nintendo, specifically on a Zelda game.

What inspired the series you chose to exhibit with F/I/M²/P?

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FOR ILLUSTRATION. LETTER NUMBER TWO. the ninth letterof the basic modern Latin alphabet. (pronounced ai, plural ies).

IT’S the fifth most common letter in the English language. It was also used in roman mathematics to denote the number one.

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ANIME: NEON GENESIS EVANGELION

ARTICLE BY KARL HITTI

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ILLUSTRATION BY TANIA KHAZZAKA

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y first encounter with the Evangelions took place when I was about 11. My grandparents had organized a sleepover at their summer house, in an effort to unite the cousins. When it was time to go to bed, I couldn’t sleep because of my always-feisty imagination that decided to kick into overdrive (in other words, as a kid, I had trouble sleeping in a big house). I remembered spotting during that day a series of DVDs that an older cousin had brought with him; the packaging was very entrancing. It had characters with reasonably appealing physiques... and robots! I would watch the intriguing series and fall asleep in front of the TV. I honestly can’t quite figure out what exactly happened that night, but what stayed with me was the different ideas that were suddenly implanted in my mind and the uneasiness that followed.

to pilot a huge robot in order to save the people he cares about.

But several early hints indicate that the direction it’ll be taking is anything but expected. For instance, the subdivisions of each episode aren’t like something out of an action movie. It’s actually quite the opposite; there is an enormous importance that is given to the characters’ actions and thoughts.A small part of the runtime depicts the actual battles that take place (these minutes make up for what they lack in duration in luscious, mindboggling and disturbing content), the rest is focused on the interactions between the characters and how they lead their lives in a post-apocalyptic Japan.

The series was presumably divided into three different parts.

The more the audience advanced through the storyline, the deeper they were engulfed in the characters. When they get to part three, the evolution of the plot almost solemnly depends on what is happening inside the heroes’ heads by employing a Freudian Neon Gensis Evangelion has become a fundamental blueprint Psychoanalysis. One would think that the spectators would be put in the world of Japanese anime. It is an archetype in the aback by this style of storytelling, but that would be a completely psychological sci-fi section and brought this genre to the wrong assumption.You see, when all this starts, you slowly get more forefront of the Japanese industry. The reason for that can be and more attached to each protagonist. It’s captivating when their summed up in two words: Hideaki Anno. Anno is a Japanese personalities gradually start getting hashed out, since they are animator and director, born on May 22, 1960. What makes this intriguing and easily relatable. But a switch up takes place as you man so special is his ability to transmit his experiences, feelings, begin to realize that each of these characters represents a part of hope, and fears on to a screen with perfect transposition. He our own personalities.The analysis sequences will go from“Oh hey! has an innate talent (if you can call it that) that consists of That’s interesting”to“Oh god! I ask myself that all the time”. having an exceptional understanding of character studies and emotional deconstruction. As Anno grew older, his views of his Hideaki Anno put his hands on his own basic human needs and surroundings became persistently darker. The animator went fears and tore heavily into them so heavily that he even lost his way through a severe depression that lasted four years. He would back. It was later on revealed that the animator suffered a mental document all of the tribulations that plagued his mind while he breakdown while working on this project. What’s puzzling is that bathed in the entrapping limbo. After all, might as well make the the story constantly gets darker and harder to figure out. Twists most of the demons that inflict themselves on your soul. and turns await at every revelation; the fight scenes start to steer away from the physical and take a more metaphysical shape. This This series saw its first broadcast on Japanese television in burst of macabre may have been a result of Anno’s mental issues, 1995. The timeslot that was assigned to it was initially aimed at or it may have simply been part of the general orchestration that he a young demographic. After it became obvious that it wouldn’t put together. conjure up the necessary amount of viewers from that audience, it was moved to a later time. To say that it found its footing in the When the series came to a halt, the fan base was divided into two adult crowd would be an understatement; the show would go on to polar groups.The two final episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion take garner a record-breaking number of spectators that hasn’t stopped place in Shinji Ikari’s subconscious; no concrete answers were given multiplying ever since. to the avid followers. Anno had created an almost conspicuous political scenery with a panoply of religious and philosophical On September 12, 2000, a meteorite flying at a pace almost references that he later destroyed without any warning, which equaling the speed of light crashed into Antarctica.The event would caused a big drift between the viewers. Disappointed ones made it be later referred to as “the second impact”.This collision caused the their mission to voice their (mostly) violent opinions. glaciers to melt, which resulted in an enormous tsunami that wiped out two billion people from the southern hemisphere.The aftermath After a couple of thousand threats, the man started working of these events took the situation from very bad to even worse: wars on The End Of Evangelion. Released in 1997, the movie is a between the ravaged countries followed, then cause an even bigger continuation of the story that has ambiguously ended. In 2007, decline in Earth’s population.

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, was released. This is part of Rebuild of Evangelion’s project that retells the story in a more Fifteen years later is where most of the plot takes place. Beings accessible manner with reworked graphics and an altered scenario. simply known as “Angels” start manifesting out of nowhere and Hideaki Anno intends to release the third installment on November attacking the planet. Mankind seemed to have prepared for this 17, 2012. time of reckoning. Moreover, an organization known as NERV had created giant robots known as Evangelions to fight off these A strange relationship exists between the two separate invaders. Fourteen-year-old Shinji Ikari is the offspring of NERV’s generations of this franchise.The survivors of “the second impact” leader Gendo Ikari. He is summoned by his parent, with whom he are so deeply rooted in their past that they have almost purposely was astranged for eleven years, to pilot these creations in order to discharged it into the younger generation’s future. No stronger save mankind. Two other pilots join him on his imposed mission metaphor exists for children fighting their parents’ wars than to defeat the twelve angels: the perplexing Rei Ayanami, and the literally putting adolescents in giant robots and making them German powerhouse Asuka Langley Soryu. At first glance, the battle with creatures of biblical proportions. My guess is that you story might seem like your classical, lost little boy who is asked aren’t supposed to realize that at such a young age.

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INTERVIEW: NADEAH

A KNOCKED DOWN ICED COFFEE WITH...

INTERVIEW BY KARL HITTI

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARL HALAL

A

sophomore slump usually occurs when a follow up doesn’t live up to its predecessor.

In order to avoid this type of name-calling, the organizers at Beirut Jam Sessions decided to steer clear from a squeaky clean act this time around. They instead opted for a hazardous follow up known for her stage antics and rough attitude. Nadeah has proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with from the songwriting department to the performance delivery. After working with the scrappy Nouvelle Vague and the critically acclaimed Lovegods, the songstress decided to make it on her own. Flashing her tits and making no excuses for it, the robust powerhouse gave one hell of a performance. We luckily had the chance to have a small chitchat with her.

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INTERVIEW: NADEAH

You’ve been touring your ass off for about 14 years now. Did you finally map out a way to stay balanced on the road?

Honestly, no. I lost my voice last week from screaming at somebody.

He was incompetent! I’ve never screamed in 14 years of touring.

Not once. But I lost it! After 12 hours of driving in stinking heat and arriving somewhere with no food, we find out that he forgot all the CDs for the concert. He basically failed at everything. And then on the next day, we had to catch a train to which we were late!

I spent all this money to get way from him. I’m usually balanced. I just didn’t meditate. *Bursts into laughter* You’ve moved from Australia to England then TO France. Where do you see yourself more at home?

Umm… Here! You have a great ocean and great food. It’s just great here. I feel better. I don’t know about living, but we arrive, we eat in this amazing restaurant and well, you know, Lebanese cuisine is one of the best cuisines in the world. And then we go swimming in the ocean towards the sunset. *Pauses* I can’t really call that work, you know…

More of a vacation zone then.

Definitely.

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Venus Gets Even is your first solo venture, would you call IT a coming of age record?

It was in fact an experiment. It’s not my true core. It was more of an experiment based on the fact that I was taken out of alternative Rock in England and put in a place with classical musicians. I made good use of that; I put Rock and edge into the lyrics and made a much more kind of orchestrated album. I had a film scorer as a producer, and I worked with musicians I ran into. They were the highest form of classical musicians that you can find.

Why the title Venus Gets Even then?

Venus is an alias. I hate using my name. And the French can’t pronounce *with a fake French accent* “Venus gets even” . They can’t really say it nor get it, so I had to make it a little bit more simple. And yes, it’s true this was the first time I wrote and composed everything alone after working with men for many years. The title is based on Venus being the planet of love. Love doesn’t get even. Love just mounts everything, everywhere, making beauty out of twisted situations. That was also one of the reasons.

So, what’s the real story behind ‘Odile’?

Actually, when I got to Paris... Because I got kicked out of England um… ’cause I’m a naughty girl, *bursts into laughter* I had to start my life again after ten years of living in the UK.I was hanging WWW.FIMP-MAG.COM

INTERVIEW: NADEAH

These people can pump you with anything they want without even notifying you or telling you what they’re injecting you with.

coats and the wife of the patron, who’s very classy, seemed very efficient and held it together. I idolized her. Her name is Odile.

I saw her as a picture of a modern woman who seems to think she could have it all. Being single and just coming out of a relationship, you sometimes can’t get it together. I believe that half of the time in songs, you don’t know where you’re going. You just channel something. I picked up the waiter’s paper and started writing right after I had met her.

In ‘At the Moment’, you sing about a man WHO saves your life in an ironic way. *laughs* It IS ironic! I met a man named J.C and I thought yeay!

A sign from God! He’s my messiah! Let’s go! It’s God! Did you ever see him again?

No!! He actually wrote to me through f***ing Facebook. J.C, which IS his real name, went “I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough”; but it took a pretty strong person to deal with me at that time. I don’t have a boyfriend who takes all my stuff anymore. He didn’t do anything wrong. He was just young and irresponsible, you know, and had a few debts. *giggles* The themes on your album vary from a depressed Nadeah reminiscing of a loss to an angry Nadeah hell bent on destroying everyone and everything.

Oh you make me sound like a nutcase!

Well, I relate to you so… *lauhgs* Spot on! which one of these two sides do you think represents you more?

It’s not about which represents me more; it’s more of exploring every side of myself with no censuring. You should do that. Well, to a certain extent because things might get f***ed up.

Everyone has their bone to pick with society. on ‘An Asylum on New Year’s Eve’ and In ‘Scary Carol’, you’re fighting with an external entity over controlling yourself.

I was just shocked because it is scary in an asylum! These people can pump you with anything they want without even notifying you or telling you what they’re injecting you with. Even if you don’t agree with them, you have to do what they ask in order for you to be considered “sane”. ‘Scary Carol’ was just about watching people run around during Christmas like sheep buying the exact same things.

Speaking of money and control, did you ever struggle with labels trying to make you into

something you’re not?

I used to write about that, but now I’ve started my own label. I license and finance my albums. Artist b**** and complain about the label they chose.

Do you plan on signing artists on your label?

No... Well, maybe at some point in terms of publishing and building up something. But right now I’m on tour all the time and it’s enough to just tour, think of videos and write songs.

High points and low points when working with Nouvelle Vague?

I really needed a break from being in charge. I was tired. It’s really easy; you just turn off and just sing, man. *At this point the waiter brought her a coffee in a weirdly shaped glass and she knocked it over* Oh s***! I broke it! I’m sorry, it’s such a delicate glass. Really, that thing isn’t made to balance. *Pauses* you know what I mean? The nature of physics says that that thing isn’t going to balance...

Back to Nouvelle Vague. It’s great you don’t have to write the songs, plan anything or worry if anyone is going to turn up at your concert. You don’t have to write Emails going “COME!” You don’t have to do anything! Its like whoops! Jump in! And I was lucky I had enough experience to play to 3000 people. I had done enough concerts; I toured with a band called Fun Loving Criminals years ago so I was used to these stages. I had the experience.

It’s weird to think of you being scared on stage.

I think it’s experience though. I used to cry before going on stage and smash my head on walls, literally, and people were like: “how are you going to do this?” I used to have a shot before that, but then I stopped drinking and I was just a ball of terror. But then, you realize that it’s just ego. I’m there to give all I have. Well, Nouvelle Vague’s high point was Royal Albert’s Hall just for one night. I don’t know why, but I guess because I was the singer who had done more gigs at that point. Yeah, to own London for one night was pretty good. After that, I quit *laughs*. I was like: “I’ve done what I needed to do here”.

LASTLY, TELL US, WHAT ARE YOUR Plans for the next six-month?

I’m currently writing a new album that is half finished. It approaches subjects that I didn’t really talk about on the last one.

It isn’t a love album, because I always thought that’s going to make me sick. It’s so pathetic and cliché but I decided I’m going to approach that subject and try to face it head and thought “Don’t be a snob! Go for it!”

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PHOTOGRAPHER

Could you sum up in a few Where do you mostly draw words for us who you really your inspiration from? are and what it is that you do?

I’m a huge promoter of self-expression. I With photography I like to focus on subjects think creativity through art has allowed that aren’t necessarily seen as conventionally me to develop my personality and grow as “pretty” and try to showcase a different side a person. I’m a recent Computer Science of them. I enjoy diversity and being open to graduate and currently working in the new things. Music, visual arts, culture, and I.T field. I’m trying to restore a balance experiences are all catalysts for inspiration. between both, and focus more on music and I like to absorb everything around me and photography. externalize my own interpretations of it.

What inspired the series you chose to exhibit with F/I/M²/P?

What is the first song that pops to YOUR mind right this second?

The underlying theme of the issue is death and celebration of people, events or feelings that have passed. I thought the black and white images fit it well. They bring a level of eeriness and melancholy but also showcase the beauty in what is dark.

PJ Harvey - ‘The Wind’.

If any deceased individual, famous or not, were to reincarnate themselves in your body, who would it be?

Professionally, what is the project you always wanted to engage in but haven’t gotten the chance to yet?

Amy Winehouse. The world needs more of her music!

I would like to record an album where I play most of the instruments and design the visuals and artwork.

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CLOTHES BY

KRIKOR JABOTIAN

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY

TAREK MOUKADDEM

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ILLUSTRATOR

Could you sum up in a few words for us who you really are and what it is that you do?

What I do is create imaginary worlds about nonsense or pure sense (the opposite is always true), using whatever medium (in this case ball point pen and black markers).

I also love playing with écoline and mix it with acrylics. I get obsessed with different things at different times. The most recent ones are tattooing and videos. Sometimes I get extremely excited about something but a moment later, I jump to a completely new interest. Something I´m always exited about though, is turning your ideology upside down and reinventing it.

Where do you mostly draw your inspiration from?

What inspired the series you chose to exhibit with F/I/M²/P?

What is the first song that pops to YOUR mind right this second?

The glorification of death in most cultures and mostly my fascination with death.

‘I´m so confused’ by Jonathan Richman´s.

It´s a brilliant one.

If any deceased individual, famous or not, were to reincarnate themselves in your body, who would it be?

Professionally, what is the project you always wanted to engage in but haven’t gotten the chance to yet?

Marc Bolan. Being a Rockstar is way more thrilling than being an Illustrator!

A Science fiction movie

Since I was a child, my main inspiration has been my interest in fiction. Besides that, most of my creative needs originate in the street, my surroundings, my friends and music.

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FOR MUSIC. LETTER NUMBER THREE. The thirteenth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.

PRONOUNCED EM. The ordinal number thirteenth derived from this letter of the English alphabet, called em and written in the Latin script.

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FOR THE MODERN DAY ARTIST & CULTURALLY INTRIGUED INDIVIDUAL 106 ALBUM REVIEWS 114 MOVIE REVIEWS 128 SOUNDTRACK REVIEW 130 LIVE REVIEWS 136 THE MIXTAPE

PHOTOGRAPH BY LEA LAHOUD

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ALBUM OF THE ISSUE: ARCADE FIRE - FUNERAL

ARTICLE BY KARL HITTI

ILLUSTRATION BY CARL HALAL

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he panned out steps a person follows when dealing with the death of a close individual are divided into five simple phases: denial, anger, bargain, depression and acceptance.

Truth is, there is no right or wrong way when it comes to dealing with an unexpected death.

Some lean on different substances and get their prescriptions filled at the first occasion.

The headstrong go on with their lives as if nothing had changed (routine could be the strongest medicine) while they await the impeding breakdown that may or may not suddenly combust.

However, most of the characters in movies we’ve seen, along with some non-fictionary humans decide to change the course of their lives in order to celebrate their lost ones.

Win Butler and future wife Régine Chassagne co-founded a band called Arcade Fire with some friends back in 2001. They resided in Canada, and performed at small gigs whenever they could. Nothing was exactly grandiose about them, even their name was based on an urban legend about (you guessed it) a fire that took place in an arcade and wiped everyone out.

Right before they signed their record deal, Win had a fight with one of the co-founders who quit in the middle of a sold out gig. But in a whimsical turn of events the group didn’t split up and it kept getting bigger and bigger until it became a troupe.

Soon they had signed a record deal with the indie label Merge Records and released their first EP. While recording their debut, several members of Arcade Fire experienced the loss of family members. The number is still debatable but what is certain is that these events created a draining environment that had to be endured during the recording process.

Funeral was the result of this perseverance: a theatrical, folky chamber pop debut soaked in romanticism. The strong bond that hold these people together is at the forefront of the record with the community-referencing neighborhood. ‘Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)’ opens up the album and illustrates the story of a boy who escapes the sadness of his parents to meet his girlfriend in the town’s square where they plan their future together. Follow up ‘tracks #2 Laïka’, ‘#3 Power Out’ and ‘#4 7 Kettles’, deal with subjects like suicide and coming of age while shifting through rock riffs and Pop beats.

Even when things get extremely dark, the band refuses to give up.

The simplest proof of that would be ‘Crown of Love’; a lovesick midtempo that continuously elevates you towards an almost dance coup de theatre while still gliding through nostalgia.

Walt Whitman once wrote “and now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves”. Death is the biggest instigator of life, and for an album that deals so closely with eradication, Funeral is surprisingly heavy with unapologetic and hopeful vitality.

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ALBUM REVIEW: NICOLE ATKINS

NEPTUNE CITY (2007):

There is a sad parallelism that ties Lebanon to Neptune City. Their golden days belong to eras that have passed many dawns ago. Filling someone else’s shoes is a hard feat to manage. What happens when you can’t fill your own shoes anymore? when you start crumbling slowly under the heavy glazed events of your own former times? The pillars that used to hold you together turn into frail skeletal stilts; stilts that will go to pieces if you try to take a step forward. You find yourself standing alone hoping that someone will step up, unshackle your heavy boots and help you make the next step forward.

where she found herself at home, she joined a big group of bands and played an enormous number of gigs which only helped her hone her skills and perfect her musical style even more.

Right before moving back to her parent’s house, Nicole recorded an EP entitled Bleeding Diamonds. It would later be known as a prelude to her debut.

Nicole Atkins grew up listening to stories about the glory days of Neptune City. The ironic part of it all is that even though she had never experienced them, she could never escape them. Growing up, the adolescent always felt a bit offbeat, not being able to relate to her entourage and surroundings. When you’re a child constantly holding your breath under the macabre and the hopeless, you tend to take the first chance you get to inhale an entirely different, less heavy consistency.

Neptune City is, simply put, a restoration project. Nicole collected the sad chronicles that were narrated by her friends and family over the years and used them as a base for her project.

She poured out the tragic souls that have clung to her since her simplest years into an opiate of cinematic pop noir extravaganza.

The eternal longing is delivered with weeping strings, bluesy guitars and crushing orchestral arrangements. All of the above isn’t nearly enough to distract you from the vocal mastery that is Miss Atkins. The album’s title track finds the singer transposing into her deceased uncle as he took his last glance. While the hazy Cool Enough embodies the hardships of an impossibly elusive love.

At age thirteen, the singer was already a multi-instrumentalist.

Her interest in music only grew when she moved to North Carolina to study illustration after High School. She kept the pace up by traveling to Australia and different parts of the United States the following years. Everywhere she went, the local music scenes were

A phoenix metaphor would be appropriate right about now but it still wouldn’t do this immaculate project justice. Mondo Amore is the name of Nicole’s sophomore album. Don’t forget to pick it up when you come to your senses and finally decide to pay Neptune City a visit.

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ALBUM REVIEW: MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

DANGER DAYS: THE TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS (2010): The thing with concept albums is that they

always drag the artist into a sticky situation. One of the hardest things to accomplish is putting out a coherent record, let alone adding a rigorous story to it. It’s all about finding the right balance: the right dose of concept and abstractionand a precise amount of volume so that the music doesn’t drown out the artist’s approach. If things don’t turn out as planned, you just might come out looking like a twat who over-estimated himself.

My Chemical Romance rose to prominence while something known as the Emo movement (or trend to be more accurate) was starting to take form. Now wait a damn moment! Do Emo bands usually flash their Jazz hands while performing? There ain’t nothing depressing about Jazz hands now, is there? (Unless your name is Kirsten Dunst or Elisa Dushku and you’re trying to win a cheerleading competition while pretending to be black).

As much as they tried to get rid of the label that was stamped on their foreheads, the media just wouldn’t let it go. With the release of their album The Black Parade in 2006, things took a harsh turn.

Just like Marilyn Manson before them, they were blamed for a death that quite obviously, was out of their hands (courtesy of the Daily Mail). A media storm of senseless backlash and bashing followed, hindering the success of their studio effort. Now kids,

what do you do when the media blames you for something you absolutely had nothing to do with? You make a concept album about the decay and ignorance of our society of course!

Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys is a snaky transfusion of guitar riffs, catchy hooks, thumping choruses and punk insubordination going astray. Set in a post-apocalyptic 2019 California, this venture divulges the adventures of a group of rebels, The Killjoys, as they try to take down the malefic corporation Better Living Industries (BL/ind), and save a young innocent teammate in the process. The four friends set out on their mission with the guidance of a pirate DJ that goes by the name Death Defying. With no support, this uprising ultimately fails since, as lead singer Gerard Way illustrates it in the album’s jittery first single ‘Na Na Na’, “everybody wants to change the world but no-one wants to die”. Despite the heavy theme, the music never slithers into the melodramatic. Songs like ‘S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W’ and ‘Sing’, although on the slower side, never lose grip of the album’s crude demeanor.

My Chemical Romance have it right, our failures as a societies have become so diversified that sweeping them under the rug would be ridiculous. Simply put on your dancing shoes, get hammered and dance the pain away! Wait that doesn’t sound right…

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ALBUM REVIEW: CORINNE BAILEY RAE

THE SEA (2010): Grief is an astoundingly possessive emotion.

It’s a feeling so strong that it slowly develops into a state of being.

It gradually and meticulously takes over its host’s body. Every extremity is filled with mourn that slowly shifts into pain. Every nerve ending, every hair that’s spread out across your face starts to ache. Before long, you encounter a hallowing retraction.

came time to start writing her sophomore record her material was darker, gloomier. What is peculiar about this project, that she later titled ‘The Sea’, is that it is almost impossible to make out the songs that were written before the incident and the ones that were written afterwards. It’s almost like the music she was making was an impending warning of what was about to happen.

Exorcising this emotion is quite possibly the hardest thing a human being has to be subjected to. Since getting over this state might mean forgetting and that can be a very frightening idea to fathom. And so, you lay sulking in your grief and you feed on it as it also feasts on you.

Miss Rae’s voice on ‘The Sea’ is nearly divergent from the notes she vocalized when she first burst onto the scene. It’s more soulful and filled with nuances. Her warm timbre is still recognizable but somewhat expanded. The album varies between the celebration of and the longing for life. On the opening track ‘Are You Here’, she is calling out her lover and admits that she still feels him around while the song gradually builds on itself towards an overwhelming denouement. The luscious Closer on the other hand, serves up some 70’s soul funk realness with pigments of Curtis Mayfield.

When soul songbird Corinne Bailey Rae found out that her husband of seven years had passed away, she was in a cab. Her cellphone rang and an unfamiliar voice was on the other line; it was the police, they needed to speak to her in person. The taxi had to make a U-Turn to go back to the city they had just left.

Even though she didn’t know what was happening at the time, she admits that at this exact moment she felt that her life was about to take a severe change of direction. Jason Rae was a jazz musician; Corinne and him eloped when she was only twenty-two years old.

Jason, age 31, died of an accidental overdose of methadone and alcohol. After the release of her self-titled debut back in 2006, the songstress resonated with hope and liveliness. But when it

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After the passing of her partner, Corinne spent a year in her kitchen, sitting, waiting for life to stray by, but something happened after a while. she carved lyrics into her grief. She whittled it into musical gems that will carry on her husband’s memory. ‘The Sea’, might as well represent time. Miss Rae is simply looking for someone that feels the same.

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ALBUM REVIEW: TOM WAITS

ALICE (2002): When your thirty-year-old friend decides to reveal that he started investing himself in a friendship with a seven year old, you should panic a tiny bit on the inside. Experiences past have taught us that fondness between an adult and a child isn’t something to cut a cake over. Why is that? Well it’s just quite eerie and it doesn’t usually end well. The adult in most part turns out to be a pedophile who takes the child’s innocence away too soon, followed by the obvious severing of the kid’s body into several different pieces and the always-popular burial in a random public park or forest. Another track such a story could en with would be to write a twisted book that would in turn be adapted into a lovely fairytale that children will fantasize about before going to sleep.

Tom Waits. The man can simply not be human. It is hard to imagine him as a struggling artist trying to make ends meet.

Influence and genius aren’t usually traits that a person could learn. You can be taught how to cook, or draw or play an instrument, but no one can actually come up to you and say “Oh hey, now I am going to teach you how you’re going to influence a whole f***ing generation and change the course of musical history!” One would expect a man of such wide grasp to make it big instantly (By “make it big” we don’t mean make money and sell shitloads of albums. We are simply talking of an assertion for his virtuoso). Things took a while before taking off, oh but when they did, it was all so splendid.

On the tenth of August, 1980, Tom married the love of his life, Kathleen Brennan. She is a woman of many talents, one of which revolves around being a playwright. In 1992 she worked with Robert Wilson on an opera titled Alice. Tom Waits’ was to do what he does best: creating the score. The plot revolves around author Lewis Carroll’s unhealthy fixation with the little girl who later inspired his most famous character that would go by the same name.

The musical orchestration of this play was never officially recorded until 2002, when Mr. Waits released Alice along with another playbased collection, Blood Money. The album’s opening title track is a grim ballad that quickly pans out the context of what’s to follow. Its head is immediately ripped off with the dark alley ruckus ‘Everything You Can Think’. Tom chants the story of a mind slowly losing its grip with reality, decaying and obsessing over death, with his guitar, purified violins and drum driven arrangements.

In ‘Flowers Grave’, his whiskey flooded voice recites a hymn for the passing of the unadulterated. You can’t help but feel like you’re sitting with him in a candlelit bar on an abandoned shore while he describes the events that followed,, pulls out a knife out of his pocket and gently cuts your throat open.

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ALBUM REVIEW: SPIRITUALIZED

SWEET HEART SWEET LIGHT (2012): Musicians have always had a complicated relationship with abuse. Well to be fair, most of the people on this planet have at some point had an affiliation with desecration. The uppermost difference is quite light: a musician can get away with doing drugs and can explicitly sing and talk about his experiences without fear of getting disgraced for it. On the other hand, mortal souls don’t usually get the unlimited “Get out jail” free card. It’s not about explaining or justifying this sort of action, it’s about pointing out an obvious realization: we, on the most part, like our musicians strung out because, well, they seem to make better music.

Jason “Spaceman” Pierce has always been a troubled fixture.

He used to be the joint leader of the alternative band Spacemen 3 (with Peter Kember). Following the band’s breakup, he created his own, Spiritualized. In 2005 Jason had to be resuscitated twice. He didn’t describe this ordeal as especially frightening since he wasn’t lucid while it all happened. Waking up with your kids and partner sitting by your bedside in a hospital is a scary occurrence but apparently, nothing to write home about. A couple of years later, the rockstar got tested with a couple of friends to see how much more abuse their bodies could take. He found out that his liver was almost gone. He didn’t have much longer to live. Enter experimental chemotherapy treatments to combat the degenerative liver disease.

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There is a certain irony about all this. This time around, the drugs he was using weren’t for recreational purposes, but to keep him alive, and he felt worse than he ever did. You see, he was vividly and painfully awake during the whole extended time frame.

The musician had started work on the pop orchestral extravaganza Sweet Heart Sweet Light before all of this had taken place, and he wasn’t about to let it go. Mr. Pierce has dabbled with bluesy space rock during his whole carrier. He has admitted that it is easier to hide behind experimental music, but when it comes to pop it’s the exact opposite. Spaceman writes about an exodus, a departure. He is looking for redemption, with his internal pain providing the necessary motivation. Eight minute long musical monuments like ‘Hey Jane’, ‘So Long You Pretty Thing’, ‘Headin’’ and ‘For the Top Now’ are specifically spread out like pillars. Just like their creator, they all die down and are brought back to life kicking and screaming. ‘Too Late’ and ‘Freedom’ are simpler and sweeter as they reminisce about Jason’s mother.

This masterpiece was originally called Huh? because of the effects all the medication had on the Spaceman’s lucidity while he was working on it. Well it seems that he now has finally found clarity. Too bad he had to almost pay the other side three visits to get there.

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FOR MOVIES. LETTER NUMBER FOUR. (FLIP BACK A FEW PAGES AND READ ‘M FOR MUSIC’.

COPYING AND THEN PASTING MAKES US ITCH).

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MOVIE TO WATCH BEFORE YOU DIE

OR IN A MOST COMMON LANGUAGE

ARTICLE BY SERGE KALDANY

ILLUSTRATION BY KRYSTEL KOUYOUMDJIS

H

emmingway once wrote: “All good books have one thing in common; they are truer than if they had really happened.” He didn’t know it at the time, but he was talking about movies as well as books, and La Stanza Del Figlio, or The Son’s Room, fits the quote to perfection. In 2001, Nanni Moretti decided to whip up a simple and yet multilayered masterpiece, a reel of film that needs no action, no head turning plot, no explosion, no special effects; just one of those rare movies with a story that needs to be told, and brilliantly at that. Indeed, this one is so moving that I feel like I’m going to write it and lay all the details down to make it almost insignificant to watch the movie. I’m just kidding: I can even tell the end of the story (and I’m gonna), nothing I can say could spoil it.

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MOVIE TO WATCH BEFORE YOU DIE

G

iovanni Sermonti (Nanni Moretti) is a calm and mild mannered psychologist who runs a successful little practice near the beach in Italy. Day in and day out, he listens carefully to his amusing patients with colorful personalities. When I say amusing, it’s amusing to the audience, and when I say colorful, it’s the colors blue, black, grey and beige. Aside from his professional career, he goes through his days operating on an easygoing and almost careless policy of existence.

All in all, Giovanni lives an uneventful boring life at work and a peaceful merry one with his family, as a caring patriarch. He breezes through with his loving wife Paola (Laura Morante) and tries to spend as much time with his son Andrea (Giuseppe Sanfelice) as his work allows him to. Giovanni has a lesser significant but nonetheless close relationship with his daughter Irene (Jasmine Trinca), who’s involved with Matteo and is a passionate basketball player. Mother and daughter are very much alike: poise and happy, even though not very showing of their emotions. The four Morettis are a happy healthy family, whose life is skipping by, showing the audience a very real setting. From the very beginning, you dive into this family going about their everyday routine, waiting for something to happen but it doesn’t. The son is full of secrets and surprises. He’s accused, along side his friend Luciano, of the theft of a petty fossilized rock, however the parents aren’t convinced that he’s guilty, they side along with the son against these claims.

The unforgettable scene is when the family is in the car singing along with the radio.

Well of course you keep in mind that at some point the son is going to die, but the further you go, and as much as the other members of the family (because you are one of them by now), are oblivious and unprepared for such an event that is going to split the movie into two halves: the before and the after. Closing into the middle of the movie, a scene with a hauling music prepares you for the fatality. As if that wasn’t enough, you get glimpses of near tragedies to accompany this sense of fright and anticipated anxiety. Giovanni leaves for a private house consult, Paola goes grocery shopping, Andrea joins his friends to scuba dive, and Irene has a basketball game. The family is out of reach and spaced out, introducing this new rift that’s going to disperse the family members further apart. And then the news hits… the son is dead and the story starts over.

Giovanni Sermonti is an unhappy, opinionated and explosive psychologist who ironically needs therapy himself. Some days, he listens carefully to his boring patients with annoying personalities; others, he just plain doesn’t care about their problems. Aside from his professional career, he battles through his days operating on a stressful and a stop-at-every-single-freaking-irritating-detailpossible policy of existence. All in all, Giovanni lives an uneventful hectic life at work and a shaken up depressed one with his family, as a self-absorbed patriarch. He struggles through with his distant wife Paola and tries everything to get closer to his dead son, or at least to hang on to his memory, emotionally and physically, sacrificing his family’s well-being and his work. Giovanni has an ever-growing remote far away relationship with his daughter Irene, who has left her boyfriend Matteo and is dissuaded from playing basketball.

Mother and daughter are very much alike: lost, angry and bitter, lashing out emotions of vengeful grief. The now three Morettis are a broken down family, whose life is spiraling down, showing the audience a very real setting. As the story unravels, you dive into this family going about their everyday routine, waiting for the smile on their faces to come back, but it doesn’t. Even dead, the son is full of secrets and surprises. Going through his stuff, the mother finds the letter of a former loved one of his, Arianna, who

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decides to pop up and visit the mourning family. The plot has no end, but an ending image of the family back in the car, they have found some sort of peace; they have recovered their smiles.

Nanni Moretti plays greatly on emotions through sound effects. He shows in detail the preparations needed for the funeral of the deceased boy, consequently disturbing the audience but also leaving them in awe. In the midst of this scene, you act like a substitute for the father’s ear, distinctively hearing the drilling of the coffin screws and the mother’s crying and shouting in agony, making you feeling sad, empty, weak and helpless.

There is no healthy or correct way to deal with the death of a loved one. The pure irony of it is that the main character, the therapist Giovanni, should be the one who helps people manage their emotions facing this situation. He quickly realizes that his job is pointless. Every human being goes through the fear of death at one point of his life; mine was when I was 7. Egoistically, we only think of our own death while neglecting the people we leave behind. This movie shows this very same aspect of death, the people left behind. Some of them introvert, some want to escape the experience, some hold on to memories and mementoes to cope with the loss... Even in this film, every single one, as dictated by their original personality, goes through it differently. Giovanni, the father of the deceased: he’s tirelessly looking for answers, why did his son die? How? What could’ve been done to avoid it? Whose fault is it? Down the line he starts having flashbacks of both of them jogging, replaying in his head plural possible outcomes of the fateful day that would’ve refrained his son from going towards his demise. He feels guilty; he’s beating himself up, blaming himself, coldly distancing himself from his wife and daughter and selfishly trying to grab any remains left of Andrea.

Paola, the mother of the deceased: not very surprisingly, is devastated. One of the worst pains in life is to lose a son or a daughter. She tries to hold the family together, renewing the bonds with her husband and daughter. She also tries to get to know Andrea’s former sweetheart so as to feel closer to her son. Irene, the sister of the deceased, breaks up with her boyfriend and starts picking fights with anyone who annoys her. She lost the joy of life, but still manages to help out her parents in this turmoil of events that followed the tragedy they went through. Arianna, the former love of the deceased is always keeping Andrea’s memory at heart; she stops over to see the family and comfort them by just being there. Sometimes you can’t do anything but just physically be there for someone. She succeeds in bringing them a small amount of joie de vivre back, revealing that they haven’t lost everything, and that life still goes on. And what of the room? The dad tries to stay as much as he can in it, and, at first, the mom avoids it.

The sister plays the medium between the outer and inner room.

Eventually, Mom steps into the room, and it is there that she uncovers the letter that will subsequently bring her smile back, the letter written by Arianna.

What’s more is that the lack of renowned actors gives the film a huge sense of reality. Don’t get me wrong though; the performances are sublime as well as Moretti’s screenwriting.

The film deservedly won the Cannes Film Festival’s mostz acclaimed prize, the Palm d’Or. Be part of the lucky bunch that was lucky enough to have watched the movie. So, throw away your ideals of Oscar-Winning idiotic pictures filled with fake techniques and lures to impress the audience and witness a true human experience in all its simplicity and beauty. Simply put, this is the movie of the issue, so do you really need further convincing?

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FOR PHOTOGRAPHY. LETTER NUMBER FIVE. the sixteenth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.

PONOUNCED pee.

Most English words beginning with P are of foreign origin, primarily French, Latin, Greek, and Slavic. Arabic speakers are unaccustomed to IT; they pronounce it as b.

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MOVIE REVIEWS

DIRECTED BY NORMAN JEWISON

LET’S GO AHEAD AND FAKE AN IMMACULATE CONCEPTION... AND THEN KILL THE BABY

ARTICLES BY SERGE KALDANY

A

gnes of God is quite possibly the love child of the Pope and Freud (not in the pornographic sense). This is a movie about nuns. Again, take your dirty pervert minds out of the gutter. Agnes is usually employed as a holy word for child of God; bringer of innocence, peace and sacred sanctification.

Now link that notion to sex and murder. Finally, we’re getting some action out of boring subjects!

In an all-female convent, a naïve and innocent sister Agnes (Meg Tilly) turns up with a dead newborn strangled in a waste basket. This is no accident: It’s a religion’s who’s done it and why. The court appoints a psychiatrist, Dr. Martha Livingston (Jane Fonda), to try and help the poor lost girl and investigate the case. The mother superior of the convent, Mother Miriam Ruth (Anne Bancroft) lays many obstacles in order to obstruct the young doctor from getting to her much-awaited conclusions.

In a timeless classical skirmish between religion and science, or as we like to call it, blind faith and factual logic, the spectator follows Dr. Livingston in uncovering the mystery of the minute-old baby’s death and, more importantly, the mystery of how a virgin nun, who has absolutely no clue about sex and reproduction, got pregnant in the first place.

Death and religion are not notions that have nothing to do with each other, they are quite familiar with one another; God killed packs full of populations, Jesus sacrificed himself, and, we still kill thousands over religious matters.

This Agnes persona has the face of an angel. She adores her father and, from what she believes, inseminator God. She has an unconditional love for him (well, it kinda comes with the job), and acts as an ignorant puppet that is oblivious to reality. Throughout the movie, all you want to do is grab her by the shoulders and shake her back down to earth yelling: “What the hell is wrong with you, woman?” Getting pregnant by the touch of an angel, is one of the many things she believes in; the meaning of life inside the white veils, and being able to be cured by prayer rather than medicine, are some of the rest.

Not as naïve as her younger “sister”, the mother superior used to be married before finding the path of sisterhood. She acts as a

ILLUSTRATIONS BY HASSIB DERGHAM

collaborator of the murder enquiry but, all the while, tries to kill the investigation, protecting Agnes. However, it seems like she might be protecting more than just her lost lamb of a sister. Mother Miriam is one nun with many surprises hidden underneath her black and white habit.

Dr. Livingston struggles to put some sense into a brainwashed character who always gives out the same answer, God’s will and all the predictable foolish thoughts of a religious mind. The psychiatrist acts like a medium between mother and sister helping the helpless innocent woman while making her face her reality, getting answers to her past pregnancy, and the murder. Jane Fonda is the elegant beauty who portrays and builds this impressive career oriented woman.

Norman Jewison is the director of this movie. He shot it in the 1985 streets of Montreal, which explains why some parts of the dialogue are in French. The dialogue in the movie is quite miraculous and serves as the guide and narrator of this suspenseful train of events and revelations. The movie’s Broadway sibling is just as a successful story, but since we’re not in the United States, not yet at least, we’ll settle for the moving and talking pictures on a television screen. The actors further the effect of realism brilliantly executing their respective roles, especially when all three main characters are united in the main scene of the movie.

The scene we’re talking about is the hypnotization of sister Agnes. Dr. Livingston goes deep into the mind of Agnes in order to recover her memories that are unblocked and uncensored by her religious complexes and faith complications. At one point the all-white room is soiled by the redness of gushing blood. We won’t spoil the surprises and twists of the movie more than that…

Nuns, murder, and sex are part of this unearthly combination that tilts our heads with fascination and intrigue. Agnes of God is not one of the greatest movies ever made, but it’s a movie that, unlike most, captures your attention. Even though you might not like it, you’ll drain it ‘till the last second. For that alone, it got nominated for 3 Oscars and won a Golden Globe award.

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MOVIE REVIEWS

DIRECTED BY ALFRED HITCHCOCK

I JUST CAN’T SHOWER ALONE ANYMORE

Y

ou know that famous shower scene with the woman knifed to the skin, crawling music, tearing up the shower curtain as she stumbles to her bloody death? You know, the one with the piercing recurring sound that we all imitated at some point when we were kids holding knives, not even knowing where it came from? Of course you do! Everybody does! Everybody! Well that legend of a scene went on to become a fruitfully parodied reference in the movie industry and all that, thanks to a director known by the name of Alfred J. Hitchcock. One of his most popular movies, and holder of this unforgettable scene, Psycho is the subject of this review.

The story begins in Phoenix, Arizona, at 2:43 pm on Friday, December 11th. Two young lovers dream of escaping their current life in order to live together, but they were only missing one thing, money. Problem quickly arises, problem quickly solved: the woman steals her client’s money, US$40.000 worth of larceny (Wait, that’s not enough! Yes it is, you idiot! It’s old dollar value). Fleeing from her old employer, she checks in at the Bates motel; a cute empty nice roadside motel, 12 cabins, 12 vacancies. Overhearing a heavily engaged conversation, she realizes that the owner of the motel has a suspiciously distorted relationship with his mother, and a weird bond with closed spaces. The girl is soon after swiftly murdered in this motel from which nobody seems to be able to escape with any breath left in their soul, and the investigation starts. Starring in the 1960’s Psycho are Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Janet Leigh and more actors that our great-grandparents used to know. However, their ancient stature doesn’t make them irrelevant to newer times, but timeless classics instead.

Now, more about that illustrious shower scene. Here are its credentials: It’s a 45 second pile of almost a hundred close ups that needed 7 days (in retrospect, the entire movie was shot in 30) and 70 different camera angles. If you’re not acquainted with its theme, it’s the stabbing and killing of a nude woman without actually showing any touching between the knife and the skin, or even womanly body parts, just knife stabbing motion, sounds and foggy images ending with a spill of chocolate syrup masquerading as blood running down the drain. If you’re not, inexplicably, motivated to watch the movie, just watch it for this scene; the most terrifying scene in the history of horror movies. It’s more than worth it, it’s a

work of art, pure genius and motion picture history.

Death often sneaks up on you, and that is why we fear it. That is the exact leverage Hitchcock uses in order to glue your eyes to the screen and scare you out of blinking them. Here, death sneaks up with a knife. Touching the thrilling psychological horror, Hitchcock, through his detective, examines the behind the scenes, the motives and reasons to a seemingly head-cased murderer after his random act.

A movie that is not all about the acting and screenwriting; it’s a whole environment involving sound effects, soundtrack, filming perspectives and attention to the littlest details. For instance, in Psycho, Bernard Herrmann’s almost continuous soundtrack keeps you on your toes the entire 109 minutes, determining the unfolding of incidents and settings. The mixing of voice-overs and intense music while the woman drives the car petrified, gives you a chilling sensation of approaching misadventure. The film is shot in black and white, on purpose, and is mostly made up of facial close ups and dialogue.

Let’s take a moment to talk about the director. Alfred ‘Hitch’ Hitchcock is the master of suspense; a craftsman of the frightening surprises. He unfortunately left the planet a few decades ago. I want to say “may he rest in peace”, but I don’t think that peace is what he’d look for in the afterlife. He was all about torment; he loved to play on people’s superstitions and fears. However, this was not some sick twisted mental pastime... Well, at least not just a pastime; it was fine art. When it comes right down to it, you don’t watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie because it’s good, you watch it because it’s a movie by Alfred Hitchcock. The father of horror movies had such an immense impression on the 7th art that this title, similarly to all his other movies, is known as Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho rather than just Psycho.

Psycho is somewhat powerful. Truth be told, since that movie, I never even considered staying at a motel anymore. I kinda like my blood to flow within my veins, and not squirt through countless holes made by a knife. No, thank you. Oh, and if you like to shower, beware… You might get shower-phobia after watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

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MOVIE REVIEWS

DIRECTED BY MICHEL GONDRY

WANT TO FORGET ALL ABOUT YOUR EX? NOW, YOU CAN!

T

o call it epic would be to heavily water down the sheer awesomeness that is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

There are no words that can possibly define or qualify this movie, so let’s make one up… Eternal Sunshine is simply xyabonctious (the “x” is silent, fuck you it’s my word and I’m gonna spell it the way I damn well please!).

On a strange morning, two lonely characters keep running into each other, they first get a glimpse on a sandy beach, then make eye contact in a café, and finally converse on a train. It’s the beginning of a textbook romance: it’s fate, destiny. However, because of course there is a big however, appearances can be deceiving, or they already have... You quickly understand that this is not the first time Joel and Clementine meet. Clementine erased her memory in order to forget about her relationship with Joel. Realizing this, Joel decides to undergo the same thing. In the middle of the procedure, he understands that what he’s doing is a huge mistake and struggles to stop it before it’s too late.

As you know, this issue is about death. What’s weird in this movie is that nobody actually dies. Instead, they suffer through something even more serious and intense than death. Pieces of you, or even traces of the people you cared about or those who cared about you, always remain scattered somewhere when you die. Here, the characters completely erase themselves, making them eternally non-existent, as if they were never alive to begin with. They say that when you die, your life and memories flash in front of you. In Eternal Sunshine, you can witness Joel enduring excruciating pain of his memories slipping away, fading, and obliterating the very same thing that defined him as a person. From minute 5, the movie unveils itself as completely non-linear. The director achieved this tough and risky task superbly in a manner that you could not miss. This maze of a movie is not about its structure, it’s about its emotional nucleus; he delivers a complete experience that, without discussion, leaves no eye-treat behind.

Most artists only have a unique masterpiece. Michel Gondry has Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Whatever movie he directs in the future, I am fairly certain that it will not take the first seat as it has been forever filled by this movie. Gondry is a French director. Yes, I said it. Well, rather wrote it. He’s French and

he’s good. So good, in fact, that he won an Oscar for best writing/ original screenplay in the year 2005. For this movie, he goes with a not-so-mundane style of surrealism. Within the series of dreams and flashbacks, he pours a whole bank of abstract mechanisms that keep reminding you of your whereabouts, focusing everything on Joel, making him the screen of all the TVs, flickering déjà-vus, blending several versions of him wanting to take over and control the dream from door to door, deep within his memories.

Eternal Sunshine is also a film filled with elite actors. First off, we have the couple: Joel Barrish, portrayed by the amazing Jim Carrey, and Clementine Krucsynski, embodied by the ravishing Kate Winslet. Their supporting actors aren’t too shabby either: Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst and Tom Wilkinson.

All of them flawlessly perform in this movie, rendering its every frame.

The movie has so many layers and can be filed into so many folders that it would need a whole storage room just for it, with life lessons like: Whatever you do, you can restart your life; you always get a second chance – Before doing something spontaneous, think about the things you might regret, the people you might hurt – Take control of your life, don’t leave it up to destiny – Love trumps all, overcoming any and every obstacle it can find in its path… I could go on for pages and pages, but I am going to stop at that in order to mention something else that is a substantial and revolutionary revelation: Jim Carrey. Most people know the silly brainless Jim Carrey from The Mask, Liar Liar, Dumb and Dumber, the Ace Ventura saga and other movies in which he doesn’t manifest even 5% of his acting potential. Eternal Sunshine is proof that, behind the legendary dumbass smile, lays one of the most underrated actors of our generation. If you want to see the true light and talents of Mr. Carrey, after Eternal Sunshine, go check out The Truman Show and Man on the Moon.

Okay, so I’m going to the Oxford committee to register “xyabonctious” as a word with the following definition: object or person with greater (if at all possible) or equal awesomeness as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

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MOVIE REVIEWS

DIRECTED BY DAVID FINCHER

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING CAN KILL YOU

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e7en is not a simple-minded movie, it’s a twisted ending mix of mindf***ery. Therefore, the following is not a review. It’s a recipe for an explosive movie-cocktail:

- First off, like almost every drink out there, start with half a glass of Russian vodka - 100mL of Absinth (not the cheap dirt you find anywhere, the 98% alcohol concentrated one you only find under the dark bridges of Amsterdam) - A couple spoonfuls of rat poison - 5 drops of cyanide - A shot of whiskey, to fake being distinguished - 3 drops of sulfuric acid - A dash of arsenic - Stir the mix with a stick of dynamite, serve it on the rocks, and degust this sinfully delicious film - Bon appétit!

Ladies and Gentlemen: brace yourselves; here are your se7en deadly sins: I’m hungry for Gluttony...

The movie opens up with the first victim, a “big-boned” one of course, who is killed by a weird modus operandi (you know when you watch an FBI or law series and they say “M.O.” at every single corner and you have no idea what the hell they’re talking about?

Well it stands for Modus Operandi, Latin for method of operation).

This time, it’s death by overeating. Gluttony equals food, because what other image can possibly pop up in our minds?

I want more Greed...

The death of a wealthy person, second in a series of se7en, quickly gives detective Somerset the vision of the inevitable upcoming killings that are going to follow. I can name some other rich people, for instance Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow, who so happen to be the stars of this movie.

I don’t feel like overcoming Sloth...

For the lazy ass couch potatoes out there, here’s a description to spare you the sweaty effort to reach for the mouse or track pad and strain yourselves and your muscles for a few clicks to get to a plot summary. Detective Somerset (Freeman) is on the verge of retiring. His replacement, detective Mills (Pitt), follows him around for a week to insure a quality takeover of his duties and

responsibilities. Over the course of these se7en days, se7en murders occur, reflecting the se7en sins. This case is not the best one to kick off a career, nor to conclude one. In the midst of the murders, sloth makes an appearance as the original one; the trigger that embarks us on the odyssey.

I wish for more Envy...

Greed’s smaller sister, but just as deadly. David Fincher is a fan of twisted ending thrillers, like Fight Club. In this one also, he keeps his viewers satisfied by bringing a denouement worth his reputation, with a surprise guest and a nerve-puncturing ending in an empty void of misleading ignorance and cluelessness. You’ll be dying of envy, nice prostitute name by the way, to know who and what.

I am pompous with Pride...

Pride’s victim has been robbed of what made her proud, and well, it’s not pretty. This movie has a pretty decent and respectable record, 24 wins and 19 nominations. That global addition of quality aspects positions Se7en in the top 50 movies of all times; something to be proud of. Well, maybe not to the extent of getting slaughtered.

I’m furious with Wrath The scenery is so outraging, morbid, and gory that the camera seems to be following the detectives as if it were the silent sidekick taking notes in one of those small flipbooks. It is indeed superbly filmed, forgetting about credentials and prizes and ratings. This is simply a pretty f***ing awesome movie. Peter Travers, from Rolling Stone Magazine, described it as “a nerve-jangling thriller with a gut-wrenching climax”.

And speaking of climax…

I’m horny with Lust...

Without any doubt, this one is our all-time favorite sin. And of course, it’s saved for last, gripping and teasing you to the last moment when the murderer actually pulls off one of the most nauseatingly incredible things I have ever seen when he takes the…

Thought I’d give it away, didn’t ya? You know what? I’m way too horny to write up an adequate ending for this one. Just go see the movie. Why? Because I just gave you se7en reasons to.

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MOVIE REVIEWS

DIRECTED BY SOFIA COPPOLA

LISTEN WELL CHILDREN, WHEN YOUR PARENTS PISS YOU OFF, THREATEN WITH SUICIDE

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veryone dated the demise of our neighborhood from the suicides of the Lisbon girls. People saw their clairvoyance in the wiped-out elms and harsh sunlight. Some thought the torture tearing the Lisbon girls pointed to a simple refusal to accept the world as it was handed down to them, so full of flaws. But the only thing we are certain of after all these years is the insufficiency of explanation. The Lisbon girls were 13, Cecilia (Hanna Hall), 14, Lux (Kirsten Dunst), 15, Bonnie (Chelse Swain), 16, Mary (A.J. Cook), and 17, Therese (Leslie Hayman). No one could understand how Mrs. Lisbon (Kathleen Turner) and Mr. Lisbon (James Woods), our math teacher, had produced such beautiful creatures.”

Here’s a movie about teenage girls narrated by teenage boys.

Sounds pretty simple, right? Peeping at their house, fantasizing about them… But it isn’t. Coppola successfully shows a display of undiluted adoration towards not girls, nor women, but misunderstood creatures. The boys attentively follow the girls’ everyday life and meticulously describe their every action and short-lived talks. To get you more into the aura of the story, the director bombards you with abstract and unsynchronized images.

From minute one of the movie, you get your insides turned by a salad of these fantasies and death-related images. You don’t know whether to laugh, cry, get aroused, disgusted, feel happy, sad… so you do it all, and at the same time.

Opening the scene with a tease of the soundtrack and a preview of things to come, you fall headfirst in a closed suburban community with a hidden time bomb. This tragedy is also scattered with comedy kicked off and aided by the addition of Danny DeVito to the cast as the amusing shrink.

Even with very different personalities, the Lisbon sisters’ fate is one and the same, the recurring protagonists of the story, the suicides. Death comes in plural forms and several reasons; accident, murder, disease, old age... Suicide however, is the murder of oneself, ‘deeper than death’. It’s an escape from life, but an escape to what exactly?

Sofia Coppola astonishingly pulled a second face off the original novel, this time focusing on the girls’ story rather than the narrators’. In a visually beautiful depicting of details, she

holds your hand and walks you through the life and despair of the Lisbon girls, from the clouded happiness to the lucid suicides. We say lucid suicides, but the motive is still very hazy, buried deep in the sisters’ minds. Those same mysterious behaviors that seized the narrators’ attention are the reasons that made this movie an immensely controversial one. This underrated multi-nominated movie is a must see, and in case you already saw it, a must re-see it, over and over again.

“Collecting everything we could of theirs, we couldn’t get the Lisbon girls out of our minds, but they were slipping away. The colors of their eyes were fading, along with exact locations of moles and dimples.

From five, they had become four, and they were all, the living and the dead, becoming shadows. We would have lost them completely if the girls hadn’t contacted us. Lux was the last to go. Fleeing from the house, we forgot to stop at the garage. After the suicide free-for-all, Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon gave up any attempt to lead a normal life. They had Mr. Henry pack up the house; selling what furniture he could at a garage sale. Everyone went just to look. Our parents did not buy used furniture, and they certainly didn’t buy furniture tainted by death.

We, of course, took the family photos that were put out with the trash.

Mr. Lisbon put the house on the market, and it was sold to a young couple from Boston.”

Only one thing was missing in her film: musical soundtrack.

Coppola turned to an electronica French band called Air. We don’t even want to imagine what the movie would have been like had they passed on this opportunity to be part of such a powerful collection of artistic genius. They nailed the ambiance to the last degree, and more than perfectly adapted their style in order to abide by the benchmark set by this masterpiece. If the story is the heart of a movie, then the sound track is its veins.

“It didn’t matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls. But only that we had loved them, and that they hadn’t heard us calling; still do not hear us. Calling them out of those rooms where they went to be alone for all time. Alone in suicide, which is deeper than death, and where we will never find the pieces to put them back together.”

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SOUNDTRACK REVIEW: DEATH PROOF

ARTICLE BY PHILLIPE YAACOUB

ILLUSTRATION BY FOUAD MEZHER

Foot fetishism, voyeurism, rednecks, strong black women and American muscle cars are the ingredients of Quentin Tarantino’s 70’s low budget B-Movie, Death Proof, as part of the Grindhouse series.

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f you mash up all of the above in a “pedal to the metal” scenario and long Tarantino-esque dialogues about music and loving women and the sex life of gearheads, you’re guaranteed a kick-ass, get off your fat bum, groovy soundtrack.

Probably one of the two best songs of this score, a masterpiece called ‘Hold Tight!’. As the name suggests, you urge the characters in this scene to hold tight as Stuntman Mike is up to no good with the front ground sound of this band that has a mellow Beach Boys-like sound and an extremely lovely high speed crash scene.

If you’re a fan of Quentin, you kinda know that he’s not gonna use your typical overused 80’s hairband tunes to give his movie that extra kick when it comes to sensuality or hardcore bloodthirsty action.

He’s actually gonna dig deep into vinyl land, swim against the mainstream classics and fetch you these songs that you think you know... But it’s probably never the case.

Fast forward to two hot asses across a town called Lebanon in Tennessee, and girls doing stunts till the end (that I won’t give away), comes ‘Chick Habit’ by April March. Now, April March is this all-French girl legend from the 60’s and 70’s who admirably sings this happy tune in English and French. To my surprise, it was Gainsbourg who wrote it for her!

To prove my point, take the soulful 1969 Smith’s (Not the new wave’s band The Smiths) tune‘Baby it’s you’ with a beautiful organ piano and a beautiful DJ in the movie flapping her hair around in front of the jukebox at a local Austin, Texas bar.

You’d think that it would be a sista, a la Shakka Khan, but turns out it’s a blond hippie singing her lungs out.That’s the band Smith.

Why am I surprised? Because If you know Gainsbourg, you know how much he uses organ pianos and distinctive sounding drums in his music. After listening to the score of this film, it is clear to me that Tarantino, or whoever chooses his music, is a big fan of Gainsbourg; all the songs have something that sounds like him. These are the basics of this soundtrack.

Another song that stands out is The Coasters’ ‘Down in Mexico’. A guaranteed favorite for anyone with a good musical antenna. It is perfectly interpreted in a scene where a scarred Kurt Russel, by the name of Stuntman Mike, receives a lap dance in open arms and... eurm... legs.

Now go to your local DVD store, buy a bootleg copy of it (or an original), watch it, get your laptop, download every song and then do an awkward dance while showering to imitate some of the dancing in the movie.

You and I know you’ll do it.

Oh, and if I ever buy a jukebox, I would want one with the exact same music that is On to Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich in Warren (Tarantino’s character)’s bar in (I kid you not, that is the name of one band). Death Proof.

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ARTICLE & PHOTO GR

APHS BY RAPHAE

LLE MACARON

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LIVE REVIEW: JACK WHITE - L’OLYMPIA, PARIS

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LIVE REVIEW: JACK WHITE - L’OLYMPIA, PARIS

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verybody repeat after me: “Jack’s back”. If y’all were wondering what the last man in Rock was up to after the White Stripes called it quits, well he sure as hell didn’t quit Rock ‘n’ Roll.

fans, and still manage to think how grateful to the heavens you are, for giving this man a guitar. The dirty riffs, the high-pitched trembling voice and the sensual lyrics, will make you believe you’re in a sanctuary in which Jack White is the preacher... And you wouldn’t be wrong, young one.

Picture this: A stage bathed in blue light, a white mark on the black background that paints 3 lines, black and white stripped pants and a roaring Telecaster. Everybody knows that when Jack White has an idea, it’s hard to stop him from going full throttle on it. So, no more red and peppermint swirls, nothing like that. This time he’s as blue as a midnight haze and, let me tell you, it goes pretty well with his ghostly allure.

He then drove into an exquisite set list that included the White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather and of course hits from his new solo album Blunderbuss. His blues-infused, Rock praising improvisations between songs, were as warmly welcomed as the unexpected songs he included in his gig. From the folky ‘Hotel Yorba’ to the ballad-like ‘Hypocritical Kiss’, while casually throwing Dead Weather’s heavy ‘I Cut like a Buffalo’, White was pulling the strings of our sanity like a puppet master. The trailblazing guitarist has obviously been digging deep into his catalogue (which is, by the way, known for being the biggest archive of Blues-Rock to be implanted in a human’s brain). Jack is from Detroit residing in Nashville, Tennessee, where his Third Man Records label and studio are based. That’s how he managed to cover Hank William’s ‘Tennessee Border’ and Dick Dale’s (born Richard Mansour in Beirut, Lebanon!) ‘Nitro’, and make mass chant songs that aren’t trending on insta-twitter-book. That’s how originals do it. That is why Jack White is the last man in Rock. (Dave Grohl, did you really think I’d forget? We’re not talking about BANDS here. If we were, God knows I have a few to mention.)

The crowd is going crazy waiting for “it” to happen. First Aid Kit opened up the show with lovely amber-tinged voices, softly calming down the raging hysteria that was taking over the audience. They’re Swedish, fresh, charming, lovely, and they’re the man’s protégés (In White’s judgment we blindly believe). They seemed to be as thrilled as we were to be in the same space with the Rock Lord.

And then, without warning, it happened. The savage riff of the White Stripes’ ‘Black Math’ filled the space with such inexplicable euphoria while his all-man band The Buzzards, were brutally harassing their instruments (Note to self: get that drummer’s name, and steal his beats). The audience, caught by surprise, goes completely insane whilst the man still nowhere to be seen, is only giving us the sound of his guitar as a sign of life. “For the love of your guitar Jacky, come out!”

He storms on stage greeted by the crowd roaring along with him: “DON’T YOU THINK THAT I’M BOUND TO REACT NOW?”.

As if the mass wasn’t wild enough, he proceeded to ‘Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground’, which successfully propelled us into a state of complete and utter astonishment. That’s exactly what makes Jack White such a charismatic front man. You’ll find yourself in the middle of a Rock ‘n’ Roll concert, struggling between sweaty

The encore was particularly unpredictable with ‘Catch Hell Blues’ (White Stripes), ‘Carolina Drama’ (The Raconteurs) and ‘We’re Going to be Friends’ (White Stripes), on which he invited First Aid Kit to sing along with him. It was obvious he’d play ‘Seven Nation Army’ as a grand finale. No wonder the venue would turn into a gigantic football stadium when the crowd chanted the oh so famous refrain. It was expected, but come on! Who doesn’t want to cheer to the genius of this melody?

With a concluding bow, Jack White left his crowd relieved to know that authentic Blues/Rock music is in good hands. If anyone tells you Rock ‘n’Roll is dead, he surely hasn’t gone to a Jack White show.

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hey say music transports you, that it inspires certain emotions or feelings in you. Beirut is one of the bands that do just that to me. It succeeds in putting a smile on my face and carrying me to a warmer place. Even their sadder songs have a nice bittersweet taste. Zach Condon’s music has a way of getting through to you and pulling you in, and there’s not much you can do besides enjoy it.

Before the show even started, just seeing the range of instruments on stage waiting to be played, could get anyone excited: there was the usual drum, bass and keys, but sharing the scene was a beautiful upright bass, a ukulele, trumpets, a trombone, and an accordion. During the show, an imposing French brass horn made several appearances, adding to the wide range of sounds involved.

The six-piece band, looking smart in blazers and vests, took to the stage opening with ‘Scenic World’ (I know for sure because I got the setlist at the end!!), setting the magical tone for the rest of the charming performance. Throughout the show, the dexterous, versatile musicians switched instruments accordingly, never missing a note with vocals mixing in perfectly.

They looked like troubadours communicating stories and feelings through their enchanting music. You would think that such music could fail miserably live, given the many instruments but I was honestly impressed by the whole performance. They were all masters of their trade and presented themselves as a coherent whole, revolving around Condon who was clearly leading; his presence commanding but Still, yesterday, for a couple of not over-imposing. The atmosphere was very hours, I forgot about the world and relaxed, the band was talking to the audience, cold outside, and I felt like I was Condon’s charisma even owed him a few “I basking in the sunlight. That’s how wanna have your babies” shouted out which Beirut can transport you. he seemed embarrassed by, but they kept on joking with the audience. At one point, a small pink balloon in the shape of a dolphin was thrown on stage, a random moment that the band did not seem unfazed by; instead, they embraced it in the act and tried to put it on their microphones, which goes to show how smiles were welcomed during the performance.

The songs played spanned Beirut’s older hits like ‘Postcards from Italy’ and ‘Elephant Gun’, in addition to a few gems off their newest album The Rip Tide. It’s amazing how the sound of such a band can evolve all the while retaining its distinctiveness and identity. For instance, while ‘Nantes’ set the crowd on a joyous whirl of singing and clapping, it was followed by the recent ‘Rip Tide’ which did not alter the atmosphere in any kind. They closed after that song, thanking the audience and leaving the scene empty, only to be called back on stage for three more songs from their older repertoire: ‘My Night with The Prostitute From Marseille’, ‘The Gulag Orkestar’ and ‘Carousels’. They disappeared (for good) afterwards; leaving us all wishing the performance lasted a bit longer.

Still, yesterday, for a couple of hours, I forgot about the world and cold outside (and about having a cold), and I felt like I was basking in the sunlight, gazing at the Mediterranean and drinking wine with some good friends. That’s how Beirut can transport you.

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LIVE REVIEW: BEIRUT - O2 ACADEMY, LEEDS

AT THE O2 ACADEMY, LEEDS ARTICLE BY LEA YAMMINE

PHOTOGRAPH BY NISREEN KAJ

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COMPILED BY THE PEOPLE BEHIND F/I/M²/P

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CAPTURES COURTESY OF THE LAST DAY AT THE BEACH

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01 ‘Yellow Sun’ The Raconteurs Jack White’s side project supplies us with the opening tune for this end-ofsummer mixtape. It sets the tone for a gloriously morbid (yet fun and hipmoving) tale of murder and death.

02 ‘Hold On’ Alabama Shakes The Brittany Howard fronted band from Athens, Alabama delivers a soulful dose of southern Rock that will have you swaying your sides and belting out every word.

03 ‘See The Sun’ The Kooks Luke Pritchard & co. are the perfect band to reminisce over summer to. His vocals and their melodies will remind you of those happy summer days while you welcome in the rain.

04 ‘One More Summer’ No Doubt Gwen Stefani finally returns to our favourite 90’s band on this New Wave inspired track: a plea for one more chance at love, and one more summer.

05 ‘Sun’ Two Door Cinema Club The Irish fellas follow No Doubt with this track off their sophomore record under the Kitsuné label. With just the right amount of beats, they ponder the thought of it being “a bit too late” for a second shot.

06 ‘In The Sun’ She & Him Underrated singer of the decade, miss Zooey Deschanel, is as forgiving as ever on this cut, comforting her other by reassuring him that “it’s alright, it’s ok”.

It just might not be too late after all.

07 ‘Cruel Summer’ Karen Elson White’s other half delivers a creepy folk tale of a woman wronged by her lover.

Her delivery of the song, dripping with revenge, was produced by Jack himself.

Summer’s over and Fall looks bleak.

08 ‘La Foret’ LesCOP The one-man-band describes his encounter and iminent murder by a woman scorned, set out for revenge, over an electro beat. If french is not your forte, we feel sorry for you, because the words are quite bone-chilling.

09 ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’ Dirty Pretty Things Carl Barât’s departure from The Libertines after a fallout with Pete Doherty did not make him any less of a post-Punk revivalist. As for the track, the title says it all, really.

10 ‘And Sleep Al Mar’ Au Revoir Simone The Dream Pop trio from Brooklyn concoct a post-mortem soundscape of whispered spanish lines and wailing sirens.

They might not succeed at luring you at first, but they prove to be persistent.

11 ‘Death By Diamonds And Pearls’ Band Of Skulls The guitar riff has all it takes to make it as iconic as the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” (but probably won’t ever be). Southampton rockers confirm the cause of death: diamonds & pearls.

12 ‘Dying’ Hole Leading lady Love comes to terms with death and accepts it, both hers and her lover’s. “And now I understand, you leave with everything”. Not the most cheerful track on the mixtape, but a must.

13 ‘Guiding Light’ (Television cover) Tennis Husband-and-wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley cover New York City Rock band Television and give it their signature sunny feel.

15 ‘On The Other Side’ The Strokes Julian Casablancas will forever have one of the most recognizable voices in recent music. This tune off their third LP rocks as hard as anything these guys have ever recorded.

16 ‘The Funeral’ (Band Of Horses cover) Serena Ryder & The Beauties Canadian songstress Serena Ryder strips off the ampitheater-ready dynamic climax, leaving just her voice to do the heavy lifting. Let the ceremony begin.

17 ‘Ceremony’ New Order Originally a Joy Division song, “Ceremony” was re-recorded under New Order after the suicide of Ian Curtis. This is the best of New Wave; it does not get any better than this.

18 ‘Amen’ Blonds They come from Florida and we love them. That’s about it. They have a very distinctive sound that we eagerly advise you to check out. The sermon’s over...

Amen.

19 ‘Paradise’ Lana Del Rey Miss Grant can fill an olympic-size pool’s worth of unreleased demos and they are all pure aural bliss. She’s offering to take you down to paradise, come on, get... Go!

20 ‘Come Up And See Me’ Rainy Milo We couldn’t have ended this playlist on a better note. British newcomer Rainy provides the perfect soundtrack for the cold, dark nights ahead as winter draws in.

14 ‘Dead And Gone’ the Black Keys Fresh off their latest album El Camino, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney offer yet another hook-heavy and soulful cut produced by Danger Mouse.

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IN LOVING MEMORY: MR. & MS. AKL AND MARGUERITE FARAH

WHEN DEATH CEASES TO EXIST

WHAT IS IT THAT REMAINS? REMAINS, AND THEN NOTHING. IN LOVING MEMORY OF MR. & MS. AKL AND MARGUERITE FARAH

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CLARA ABI NADER

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FINAL THOUGHT

ARTICLE BY MOHAMAD ABDOUNI

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ut aside The Velvet Underground’s version of ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ for a second and bask in Nico’s solo version recorded in Tokyo in 1986 (which appears on her All Tomorrow’s Parties LP - 2008). It is clear that the latter packs way more soul, punch and dons a catchier rendition of the melody with a beautiful emphasis on her trademark tambourine.

What follows is a series of random tidbits about a model, a singer, an actress, and most importantly, a legend.

Nico let go of her birth name, Christa Päffgen, along with her past and her native Germany, in order to pursue a modeling career at the age of 16 with the likes of Vogue and Elle. She starred in many movies at the time and had her fair share of TV advertisements; but it wasn’t until her encounter with Andy Warhol that she became an international figure, renowned for her good looks, deep voice, stage presence and ever-growing drug addiction.

ILLUSTRATION BY RUDY SHAHEEN

Underground. Andy heard Nico singing at an underground New York club called The Blue Angel and decided to make her the face of his new-found project. He couldn’t think of a better visual to complete its image.

Her run with The Velvet Underground did not last long, however, and they soon parted ways. Andy had made her into an icon by then and she had joined the league of Warhol Superstars alongside Edie Sedgewick and Jim Morrison.

She went on to record her first solo album with songs written for her by former band-mate Lou Reed and Bob Dylan (whom she was dating at the time). Chelsea Girl (her best album to date in our opinion) was named after the Warhol-directed film Chelsea Girls in 1965, in which she had starred. The record’s orchestral Folk-Rock matched her voice to perfection and won her an audience of devoted critics who hailed her as one of the most original sounds of the time.

She was part of the swinging 60’s, living them to their fullest, down to having a child with french actor Alain Delon, whom, to this day denies paternity of the child. She grew tired of the fashion world and hoped to venture into music. This is when she got signed to Immediate label and tried to make it as a singer (‘I’m Not Sayin’ - 1965).

She then recorded The Marbel Index in 1969 which she had written entirely on her own, and on which she made good use of the harmonium. The album did not do well with her fans who were alienated by the new gothic sonic soundscape of her material, but it did not stop her from delving even deeper into her new-found sound and leave her Rock and Folk ways behind.

In comes Pop artist Andy Warhol who, at the time, had taken on The Velvet

With the release of Desert Shore in 1970 and The End in 1974 (which featured

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a cover of The Doors), Nico’s drug abuse was getting worse, and no record label or manager would come near her.

Her live shows became a landmark inspiration for every post-Back-To-Black gig Amy Winehouse ever performed. She’d wander off aimlessly onstage, aggravating her crowd, while her band-mates try and figure out what was going on.

Nico put out two more albums in 1981 and 1985 (Drama Of Exile and Camera Obscura) but her star had stopped shining by then. Her overwhelming heroine addiction led her into a spiraling pit of self inflicted moral and physical pain. By the time she recovered from her ways, it was too late. Nico died in July of 1988 from a heart attack while vacationing in Ibiza with her son.

She did not have a string of charttopping albums nor movies for that matter.

She did not last long in the public eye and does not have legions of dedicated fans that could fit an entire continent. What makes her so important, however, in the world of music, so iconic and so legendary, is simply the fact that in so little time, she was able to influence so many of YOUR favourite artists today. Without Nico there would be no Stevie Nicks, no Patti Smith, no Morrissey, no Bjork and no Siouxsie And The Banshees.

Watch: Nico Icon (1995) - Directed by Susanne Ofteringer WWW.FIMP-MAG.COM

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THIS ISSUE WAS ABOUT DEATH...

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CHEERS TO HAVING A BREATH LEFT 151

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