Le Nice issue 1

December 2014 ~ Le Nice ~ editor: Victoria C. Roskams Title design credit to Jones B. Image credit Flickr throughout, unless stated.

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LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1 ~ Page 1

Contents FlashBack

let us take you back...

Quiz Review - Here Come The Warm Jets Style picks Playlist - Best of 1974

People

your compendium of your fellow earthlings.

Musical Makeup Inspiration A Minor (Source of Inspiration) Portraits

3-8 3 4-5 7 8

9-13

PC Music - who to look out for

9 10 11-12 13

Playlist Poetry and artwork Fashion & Inspiration Her Son

14 15 16-17 18-19

Places landscapes, exteriors, interiors, cities, towns - we pack all the places into

20-29

one...er...place.

Spotlight on...Interiors Nice songs for European travels Around the world - Travel photos Hull - the best of new music Our Travelogue

Artwork - In the style of...

21 22-23 24 25 26-28

29-30

Lost Albums Playlist - Songs For Others

31-32 33

Flashforward it’s all guesswork but let’s have a look at it anyway. 35-41 How will our era inspire future generations?

Collages Playlist - songs to inspire you for the future

37-38 39-40 41

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A note from the editor...

Hello, hello, and welcome, do come in. Welcome to the very first issue of Le Nice, most probably the coolest and nicest magazine you could possibly have chosen to read. Therefore I must first congratulate you, the reader, on your choice.

There are of course other congratulations in order, though. So onwards and upwards.

I thought up this magazine as primarily a test to myself, of whether I’d be able to do it. Produce a magazine myself. As I got closer to reaching that goal, I realised what I should’ve seen it as first and foremost - and what I see it as now - a compendium of the brilliant talents of my friends. A little narrowing down, and thematic categorisation, allowed me to give everyone free rein to express what they want to express, what they’re best at expressing, whilst still

making a readable, engaging magazine (that’s how it is for me. For you, I imagine its enjoyment remains to be seen. Unless you’re reading the magazine backwards, you wily little Benjamin Button, you.)

What I meant to get around to saying at some point there was that I must thank everyone who’s contributed, all the art, writing, playlists, ideas, photos, everything.

The interest in what was, frankly, a small and flippant idea, has been very flattering and I’m grateful that so many talented and creative people have been involved.

I’m getting weepy about this now, so I’ll reel through the other thank-yous quickly: a special thank-you to Annie for getting me started with InDesign, a program without which there would be no magazine, just lots of misplaced content. Also, my mother, my father, various

NO ADVERT ZONE Le Nice is proud to present to you zero adverts whatsoever. No tiresome glossy pictures of products you’re pretty unconcerned by. No sir. Here at Le Nice the only things we like to advertise are ourselves. So on that note, look out for some shameless self-promotion at some point as you trawl the magazine.

inspirational celebrity figures who inspire for all the wrong reasons, Shakespeare, the boy next door, the girl next door, the milkman, the postman, the various stray cats I encounter daily, and of course the cast and crew of Coronation Street. Without any of these people, this magazine may still exist but I’d have fewer people to write in this bit, so, you know.

And now for a wise word or two on this month’s topic of inspo, cannily shown as a wind, from our good friend Will...

No not Shakespeare..

The other one.

Enjoy the magazine. I’ve clicked lots of buttons and strained my eyesight for it, so enjoy that thought if nothing else. Here’s to another issue somewheere down the line.

OH there is blessing in this gentle breeze, A visitant that while it fans my cheek Doth seem half-conscious of the joy it brings From the green fields, and from yon azure sky.

Whate’er its mission, the soft breeze can come To none more grateful than to me; escaped From the vast city, where I long had pined A discontented sojourner: now free, Free as a bird to settle where I will.

----------------------------------Victoria C. Roskams

­——————————

Cheers Wordsworth, thanks for that.

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QUIZ

Because who doesn’t like to test their knowledge of a year they didn’t even live through eh? Answers revealed in the FlashForward section.

1. The year began with a number 1 Christmas single by a Wolverhampton band – what song and what band?

2. March 1974 saw the opening of a new airport in Paris, named after a significant French political and military leader of the 20th century – what was his (and the airport’s) name?

3. In April, Swedish pop group ABBA won the Eurovision song contest, but with which song?

4. In which country was the Rubik’s cube invented in this year?

5. This year saw the birth of Kate Moss, who in 2010 appeared on the cover of Bryan Ferry’s album Olympia. Two other Ferry cover girls hit the headlines in, as it happens, 1974, for the risqué cover for Roxy Music’s Country Life. What country were Constanze Karoli and Eveline Grunwald from?

6. Two of the Spice Girls were also born in this year – Posh and Sporty. Of the others – Scary, Baby, and Ginger – which are older, and which are younger?

7. Captain Pugwash was first broadcast in 1974. What was the name of the captain’s ship?

8. The film The Great Gatsby came out in this year, starring an actress who also featured on the cover of the first issue of People magazine in March 1974. Which actress?

9. David Bowie released Diamond Dogs in May of this year, spawning the hit ‘Rebel Rebel’, which was notable for being the first Bowie hit since 1969 not to include the guitar mastery of Mick Ronson. So, who did play guitar on the track?

10. The BBC’s longest-running soap opera began in 1974; originally broadcast on BBC Wales, it is still shown today on S4C. Its name in English is People of the Valley – what is it called in Welsh?

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REVIEW: HERE COME THE WARM JETS Victoria C. Roskams takes a look at one of 1974’s best...

It’s 40

since the release of Brian Eno’s first album as a solo artist. The music world is now vastly different, fashions are different, instruments have evolved, Eno himself is different and has differed differently for years, no longer the glam icon he once was (but which of the seventies’ stars have forsaken a graceful ageing process in favour of glitter, make-up, print jumpsuits and foot-high platforms? Not many). He’s since become known for his production work with bands as admittedly un-glamorous as Coldplay, his ambient installation music (including 1978’s brilliant Music For Airports) and his composition of the Windows 95 startup sound which played on computers across the globe – a second-long composition for which he worked meticulously on creating a piece within the tiniest, shortest sounds. His earlier work is almost mainstream-sounding by comparison, using guitars, bass, drums, with verses and choruses, and can get overlooked in years

favour of mentioning his significant achievements early on in the creation of ambient music. Why, then, should we care about Here Come The Warm Jets?

Mainstream and ordinary it may seem, in comparison to works like Music For Airports, and in some ways it slotted nicely into the zeitgeist of 1974 with its hints of glam rock, brushing alongside T. Rex, Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust years, New York Dolls, Slade, Mott the Hoople, and of course Roxy Music – the band through which Eno came to music. The two Roxy Music albums featuring Eno (Roxy Music and For Your Pleasure) remain to this day classic, defining albums among not just Roxy’s own collection but among all the albums of the seventies, and indeed of all time. In terms of songwriting, the presence of Eno can be felt just as clearly as that of Bryan Ferry and guitarist Phil Manzanera, a remarkable feat considering Eno was for some time a ‘background’ member of the band, generally hidden at the back of the

stage, and he joined the band practically by accident – the happy accident of happening to be there when Ferry and co were playing together, happening to mess around a little with the synths and thus creating a signature sound for Roxy Music, for their first two albums at least. He had had no ‘classical’ musical training, he was in fact studying art at university at the time – both he and Ferry’s interest in art contributed to the image of the band and, to an extent, the sound too.

Perhaps, then, his approach to music was different to many others of the day, being involved in music mostly by accident and still having a deep interest in art, and this is what set

apart his solo music (having “the whole song... after the split so a backlash was inevitable, and Ferry broken off from Roxy over disputes with Ferry, tiring of feels quietly composed being very vocally idiosyntouring and the general hub- and calm, only sneakily cratic and distinctive himself, this pastiche seems all bub of the music business) from other music of largely poking fun...all rather too easy. Eno’s morphed the same genre and era – like a single raised eye- vocals croon ironically over an incessant, military beat, Here Come The Warm Jets is brow.” and the whole song (all until a glam rock album by virtue the ending, on which more of being released in 1974 admiration to follow) feels and by Eno’s image at the quietly composed and calm, time, but musically it sounds heard his singing voice, exonly sneakily poking fun (‘Oh unlike anything else of its day. cepting a cheeky backing cheeky cheeky, oh naughty

The album is not strict- vocal or two regarding ‘too sneaky’ go the vocals), all rathmuch cheesecake’ in Roxy’s er like a single raised eyebrow. ly solely Eno’s own work, Editions of You. It’s an idio containing splendid collabosyncratic voice, shaping the The vocals always match the rations with guitarists Robert album with vocals that could tone and character, and Eno Fripp and Phil Manzanera, but only have been his own, with shows a great talent for makfor the most part, Eno’s voice a naturally sneering, leering every instrument work in is the one that really comes ing tone, but which sounds tune – not necessarily literally out here. Literally – this was faintly distinct on each track, in tune, but all in agreement t h e adapting specifically to the with one single idea; a knack first character of the track. That’s for creating an atmosphere time a trademark of this album – or musical landscape which peothe character of the tracks. can be observed throughout p l e Far from the more concephis work. Often the character tual work later in his career, of songs on this album can this album is a mishmash of only be described as frantic mostly synth-rock-oriented – opener ‘Needles In The songs but each with a distinct Camel’s Eye’, ‘The Paw Paw theme and tone. The best exNegro Blowtorch’, ‘Driving ample of this is ‘Dead Finks Me Backwards’, and ‘Blank Don’t Talk’, in which the Frank’. All are marked by song isn’t the only one with an incessant, driving beat a distinct character; Eno himand the use of lots of inself also takes on a character struments and sounds. Each – ex-bandmate Bryan Ferry. new listen reveals something This album came just a year different – a little melody or

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LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 5

rhythm you hadn’t noticed before within the wall of sound. Frantic in a different way is ‘Baby’s On Fire’, a song which really stops you in your tracks. It’s flanked by ‘The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch’ and ‘Cindy Tells Me’, both tracks making use of lots of sounds and washes of synths, whereas ‘Baby’s On Fire’ hangs in the balance between chaotic and calm.

The first half of the song glories in Eno’s singular vocals, calmly crooning despite the subject matter of a girl seemingly aflame, before Fripp’s guitar tears its way in and takes centre stage for a good few minutes, screeching and shaky. The instrumental backing, meanwhile, chugs on, seemingly unaware. Thus the chaos set against the calm backdrop.

Contrastingly,

Eno

shows

himself just as capable of creating an atmosphere of complete blissful

‘On Some Faraway Beach’ and ‘Some Of Them Are Old’. The former seems like a forerunner of the cool, paradisal vibe on certain tracks on Gorillaz’s Plastic Beach and I’m sure it’s not just the beach theme which prompts this comparison. The latter track, coming just before the end of the album, transports the listener somewhere they haven’t been before for the duration of the rest of the album, with the slide guitar breezing in mid-track, an element which is just as completely transforming after several listens calm on tracks such as

Right: rocking and revolutionary in the Roxy days. as on the first. You just don’t expect it.

As distinct as each track is, you can, until this track, guarantee the use of synthesisers and either Fripp or Manzanera’s biting guitar, as well as Eno’s vocals, whereas this song features heavily layered vocals at the beginning and then drifts off with the slide guitar, unheard elsewhere on the album. It sets us up nicely for the final track, the title track, which feels like we’ve reached the apex. Not only have we reached the song for which the album is named, but finally the song which sounds like how the album is named. The multiple layers of distorted guitar actually sound like jets, like different layers of sound shooting at you from various taps in a jacuzzi. All the jets swoop up and down in a wave that might well be credited as one of the first shoegaze songs, nearly twenty years before shoegaze became a recognised and popular genre.

A quirk of this album is that Eno, amazingly in his first solo effort, treads ground completely unique for

the time – not just the aforementioned hints of shoegaze. He was not, of course, the first to utilise guitars to a great extent and credit for the guitar wizardry on this album must of course go to Fripp and Manzanera (what a shame they only alternate, and never play on one track together). But considering it took another ten years or so for synthpop music to come into its own, it’s laudable that electronic and synth sounds feature so heavily here. Plus the little touches; a zwoop zwoop here and there (a sound I can only define in onomatopoeic terms), the ingenious use of his own vocals as percussion in ‘Dead Finks Don’t Talk’, in which his yelping ‘OH NO!’ beats on again and again in the background. And we can turn to that song again for one of the standout moments of the album – the ending. After such a composed,

subtly mocking song (however cheeky and tongue-in-cheek it may seem, the tone of the music itself is undeniably understated), a sudden bleeping, coming from multiple directions, like hundreds of error messages (only, remember, this is 1974, before the error message and its incessant bleeping ever blessed us with its arrival). It’s completely futuristic, as if Eno is being beamed up into space having completed his earthly work by successfully caricaturing Ferry.

I

ndeed the idea of something alien is quite apt in describing this album. Many have described Eno, at this time, as looking rather otherworldly. In sound, he was of this world, but he pushed it to limits no one had thought of yet, and thus may have seemed alien-like. Before this album and Eno’s other albums to follow, synthesisers were strange, not quite adapted for use in pop music.

Now, they’re ubiquitous, crucial to myriad styles of music, so that ‘synth’ is no longer a sufficient tag for a style of music – the genre has opened out

and mixed with various other genres.

It would be stretching it to say that this album was a milestone and hugely influential in every area of music, but its influences can assuredly be heard in many artists’ work and, naturally, it set up Eno for a departure from glam rock towards ambient music. Aside from its influence, it is simply a hugely enjoyable listen, owing to the distinct character of each track, often playful, often transporting you to another place, always inventive and therefore worthy of delight. A highlight of the glam era for its ability to simultaneously embrace the shiny, wacky brilliance of that genre and also distance itself from it, and exist as a seminal work in its own right.

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Huston, glimmering at the 1974 Golden Globes.

getty images

RIGHT: Jack Nicholson and Anjelica

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Style

picks

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Take inspiration from 1974...whack on some glitter...get grooving...

Right: David delfin S/S15.

...from then AND now

Below: Tommy

Hilfiger Spring 2015.

Left: Model in Knip Magazine, 1973. (one year off!)

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Here at Le Nice we like to challenge fine young minds. We also like to provide head-scratchers for those spare moments while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil. Nothing beats the classic wordsearch - so...

DECODE

THIS!

Best of 1974 Now you too can get down like those cats back in the day. Here’s what they were all dancing to.

1.

Elton John - Bennie and the Jets

2.

ABBA - Waterloo

3.

Paul McCartney and Wings - Jet

4.

Cat Stevens - Oh Very Young

5.

Kool and the Gang - Jungle Boogie

6.

Jackson 5 - Dancing Machine

7.

Stevie Wonder - Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing

8.

Brian Eno - Needles in the Camel’s Eye

9.

Queen - Nevermore

10. Kraftwerk - Autobahn 11. Roxy Music - The Thrill of It All Julianne DeLisi Listen to this playlist at http://8tracks.com/lenicemagazine/best-of-1974 or browse all the playlists from this issue at http://8tracks.com/lenicemagazine/collections/le-nice-issue-1-inspiration

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PEOPLE Ode To Acoustic (Poem For Elliott Smith) “The way of the future� the phrase, strangling every trend.

The way each movement does a figure eight within the head.

The softness of your madness, its melody wakes the dead.

What everyone follows will lead to dead-ends, but for those whom these chords run in their blood, you hark backwards in time; drawing, calling upon ghosts that never kept a straight line.

And sadness swims in the veins of us all.

Every feeling is coloured, and held, by your sound walls.

Left: Artwork by Jones B.

Jasmine Wilkins

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LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 10

A Minor (Source of inspiration) A bedroom beating with music in 1984,

maybe a poster of Bowie or Kate Bush on the wall (I’m going by my dad’s examples there, but they’re no less relevant). A guitar propped up in the corner, out of tune and a little dusty. A bedroom beating with music in 2014, a poster of Bowie on the wall, a guitar propped up in the corner, out of tune and a little dusty. Both dwellers listening to The Smiths, tentatively toe-tapping along and trying to reconcile a classical music education with the arpeggio-laden riffs bouncing off the walls.

The latter room is of course mine; the former is, I conjecture, the teenage abode of guitarist Bernard Butler – but there’s one marked distinction, and that’s the addition of a poster, in my room, of Bernard himself (I might as well admit it at this early point). A quick little spot-the-difference game, then, shows you what I’m getting at in this article, how we can trace back our inspirations.

Inspiration gets channelled through generations in a nice little chain like a musical scale, and every diligent music listener would do well to keep tabs on the musicians who were the gateway drugs for the musicians who were gateway drugs for us. Still with me? I did say it was like scales...

You could drink a shot for every interview in which Bernard mentions Johnny or The Smiths, although I’d advise eating a good meal to line your stomach first. His interview with Guitar magazine back in 1992 is superb fodder for this ill-advised shots game, though let it be known, he did defensively say “I’ve never listened to just Johnny Marr”. It’s almost like he knew.

Anyway, the really good stuff there is his description of that ‘click’ moment when you’re sitting there

“I’d

this is good, and this is me: “I’d never been interested in guitarists as guitarists until I heard Johnny Marr”.

Guitarists as guitarists. Something you’d expect to resonate with the man who, after seeing the light on the Smiths-lined road to Damascus around age 14, went on to write ‘Animal Nitrate’.

Not something you’d expect to resonate with me. The whole notion of the guitarist as a creature unto themselves, with their own language and entire canon of meaningful works, may seem a strange inspiration for someone who, self-admittedly, reads books about the history of words for fun, is an avid fan of Wilde and Keats, is studying literature as a degree. Musically I’m primarily a singer, then a bassist, then a guitarist. I’m writing this article, not playing it on an

never been interested in

guitarists as guitarists until

I

heard Johnny

Marr” ————————

nodding your head along and you suddenly realise, hold on,

instrument somehow.

Words are the flowers populating my sad lit-

tle field of knowledge, so why should it be that my most major, hard-hitting musical change came with the realisation that guitars are instruments? We’ll get to that answer eventually.

A distinctive guitar sound is a language – an accent, idiom, lexicon, whatever.

It communicates.

You hear Johnny Marr play, and he’s expressing himself in a way that only he can. Likewise with Bernard, and I think that’s why he was able to draw inspiration from Johnny. In a way, inspiration comes not from the artist but from ourselves, because it resonates with us.

Our greater appreciation of art comes from our interpretation of it, our plundering of it and our ability to impress our own ideas on it and make it meaningful for us.

So we’re inspired if that piece of art immediately brings forth some idea we already had. It unlocks us.

Influence is what we call it when an artist’s skill and style washes

over the multitudes and leaves its marks, however imperceptible.

Inspiration is what we call it when it’s channelled straight into the mind of another artist and the marks are clear

to see. It’s a minor distinction, but I think if we’re talking about really personal moments of change, we’re talking about inspiration.

We all take these di-

rect hits to the imagination – we’d be nowhere without them – and such is the explanation for all sorts of teen cults, be it goths, punks, teddy boys, aesthetes.

Whatever the era, we youths have always had someone or something to aspire to in our more tender,

susceptible, identity-forming years. Inspiration took on a new level with the rise of the pop star – literally, a star to follow, to look up to the sky and see, and bask in its glow, maybe even take in some of that glow to

yourself. And I’m not just talking about mimicking pop stars’ looks; witness the rise in popularity of the Scouse accent in the Beatles’ heyday, with many posh toffs taking inspiration and trying the accent on for size. If they could copy their inspirations in every single way, right down to the way of talking, they would be just that bit cooler, that bit closer to achieving perfection. But we’re getting too close to idolisation here. As permanent or impermanent as a change of accent may be (leave off your Scouse imitations, now), it’s a change in the course of your life, and that’s what inspiration does – it changes us, our choices, our presentation of ourselves, our ways of doing things. And read any interview with Bernard and you’ll know these things aren’t just significant when you’re a teen (this would be that life-changing shabang people talk about).

Influence, inspiration, idols, individuality, even ‘I’ – all these I-words relate to our selves and our presentation, and I think individuality is a par-

ticularly important thing about those who inspire us. Why would anyone pick out ‘How Soon Is Now?’ as an inspiring track if it sounded exactly like what every other guitarist was playing at the time? If something resonates with us, it’s because it feels personal and just our own.

That’s why I’m inspired by this use of the guitar as an individual, distinctive voice, because so many bands don’t use it that way. Not that I have no time for songs where the guitar chugs away, chock full of simple chords, obviously not, there’s much to be said for the old three-chord boogie. Of course.

But since every guitarist has their own voice, as I’ve suggested, how nice to actually hear it for once. It even gives you a strange sense of pleasure to hear an unknown song and recognise the guitar work as that of one of your favourites. And with Bernard’s playing in Suede, the voice is so prevalent – tracks like ‘Heroine’ and ‘Where The Pigs Don’t Fly’ (a personal favourite I couldn’t go without mentioning) are duets, really, in every sense of the word.

There are two voices

here, two salient voices fighting to be the most heard. Although the fighting thing might just spring to mind because of the band’s history (Bernard left the group somewhat bitterly in 1994) and of course the same could apply to the equally mardy Morrissey and Marr, creating for some a poetic backdrop to explain the battling that comes through in the music. Sure, it’s difficult to know whether to pay more attention to the vocals or the guitar in songs such as ‘What Difference Does It Make’, but I’d suggest it’s not as petty or basic as a battle for the spotlight, it’s musicians employing their instruments in the best way they can.

There is the crux of my inspiration by both guitarists, one through to the other and then to me. You don’t need to be a dedicated guitarist to appreciate what they do – you can be interested in words and flowery metaphors all you like – you can have no ear for music whatsoever, really. I mentioned being inspired by their use of the guitar as a voice, which adds duality to their songs, but what this really is, is them using the instrument

to its fullest potential, and using their talents to their fullest potential. I think what inspires me most about them is that they’ve managed to put their fret-weary fingers on exactly what it is they do best.

There’s something very genuine and organic about that; after all, to play the guitar like a voice, you have to have a pretty keen idea of how that voice sounds. Distinctive vocalists generally struggle to sound like someone else. And inspiration isn’t something that makes you want to sound like anyone else – it should make you want to sound like yourself.

————————— Victoria C. Roskams

KEY TRACKS

• Suede – Animal Nitrate •The Smiths – How Soon Is Now? •Suede – Heroine •Suede – Where The Pigs Don’t Fly •The Smiths – What Difference Does It Make?

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“Dried Flowers (1964)” by Syd Barrett (of Pink Floyd); a study (mine below).

P o r t r a i t s

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Both pieces by Jasmine Wilkins.

Double PJ Harvey Portrait, acrylic.

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LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1 ~ Page 12

Noni Vatish People photography

See more of Noni’s photos at https:// www.flickr.com/photos/rvatish

I’ve included some photos of Alecz. I take weekly photos of her for her fashion blog (https://forsevenseasons.wordpress.com/) and I found her through my university. She inspires me because she puts herself out there even though she’s really shy. There are not a lot of people that I know who are willing to confidently wear clothing. But Alecz is fearless and bold. That’s what makes her unique. I’ve only known her about four months now but she has proven to be my best client so far. We like to keep our shoots really short, 1 hour max for 3-6 outfits. She works with the college affiliated with my university as a recruiter and her job is very fitting. She’s the only person that I’ve met whose job seems tailor-made for her. That’s another thing about her that inspires me; she makes me look forward to someday finding a job that engages me. Alecz is incredibly witty and kind. It seems like she clicks with everyone she meets. She is an inspirational person because she is true to herself and the values that she holds.

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PC Music - who to look out for

At the time of writing, it’s an exciting and important time for PC Music. They’ve just

released their first paid single on iTunes which is a step forwards towards “legitimacy” seeing as all their previous singles have been released for free on the internet, how nice of them.

PC Music has been active since mid-2013, with a steady slew of releases from a number of artists, I’ll be talking about some of these artists later on, but first I need to actually explain what PC Music is. It’s an internet record label operating from London. They mainly deal in subversive pop music, christened ‘bubblegum bass’, but their roster of artists draw influence from genres such as gabber, trance, and late 90’s/early 00’s pop music: think Spice Girls and S Club 7. Obviously these are not the only genres that are referenced by the label’s artists.

Right about now you’ll be wondering, “what the hell is a bubblegum bass?” Well, it’s basically an offshoot of UK Bass pioneered by the PC Music crew and affiliated acts, reminiscent of bands like Aqua and Vengaboys, except a lot more sonically challenging, a lot lot more. Honestly, when I first listened to Sophie (my first taste of the genre) the sounds I was hearing evoked Aphex Twin more than Aqua, although the references are clear definitely from an aesthetic angle. So I hope you understand what I mean by ‘sonically challenging’.

I’ll

start the overview of the

label with the label boss, A.G. Cook. Like most of the artists there’s not much in the way of a biography or discography (PC Music was officially founded in summer 2013), but he has one EP and a couple of singles out, which are all of an equally brilliant standard.

I’d recommend them all as they’re all of an equally good quality. A.G. Cook’s music is primarily instrumental, a characteristic that a few of PC Music’s signees share, although he has a song with Hannah Diamond vocals that is, of course, spectacular.

Moving on to another of the label’s most popular members, known by the awkward to pronounce acronym GFOTY (Girlfriend Of The Year for long and Ghoulfriend Of The Year on Halloween). She has been active since 2012 and was a member of the predecessor to PC Music, gamsonite (more info at a tumblr of the same name). She has a few singles out and you can really see the progression to her sound over her career so far, there is a real sonic contrast to singles like “Friday Night” and “Bobby” compared to her latest single “Don’t Wanna / Let’s Do It” although it’s still recognisably GFOTY thanks to her ever present vocals.

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Sam Alos

Speaking of images, I’d like to talk about QT who is one of the newest PC Music associates with only one single out right now (it’s brilliant though).

She’s backed by two producers I might have mentioned once or twice before in this article, A.G. Cook and Sophie. I personally didn’t think that she was a real person before her first gig and the emergence of her social media presence: I just assumed that she was a creation of A.G (he’s known for it). QT, along with Hannah Diamond, has real potential to cross over into the mainstream and really bring bubblegum bass to the forefront.

Focusing on another member of the PC Music old guard and one of if not the most popular members of the label, Hannah Diamond who is the aforementioned artist behind PC Music’s first paid release “Every Night” which is her Now, I realise I keep mentionthird single, her two previous releases are ing him in almost every single of an equal standard (recurring theme paragraph I’ve write so I should with these PC Music folk, I think they’re actually tell you about him, pretty good at this music thing!)

I’m talking about Sophie, who What’s interesting about Hannah Diburst onto the scene in Febamond is that she is always visually ruary of 2013 with the single present, and she has total control over “Nothing More To Say”; but I her image (thanks to image makers Didon’t think he was really known amond Wright). Usually internet musicians in the vein of Hannah Useful links: Diamond are a little bit more http://www.pcmusic.info/ camera-shy, with Sophie refus- https://soundcloud.com/pcmus ing to show his face until re- https://www.youtube.com/user/pcmusicinfo cently, despite being active for http://msmsmsm.com/ well over a year.

until his proceeding single, “Bipp/Elle” (artwork below) which made its way onto a number of end-of-year lists by prominent music publications.

Sophie isn’t actually signed to PC Music but is heavily affiliated with them, working with A.G. Cook, and the ‘image makers’ DiamondWright, a duo composed of Hannah Diamond and William Wright who are also ‘image makers’ for Hannah Diamond, PC Music, and QT. Sophie is steadily gaining popularity within the indie music scene, even collaborating with the J-Pop sensation Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.

I’ve only barely touched upon PC Music and their acts, they have loads more acts that are just as good as the aforementioned musicians and I encourage you to really check them out. I think 2015 is going to be an exciting year for PC Music & friends.

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 14

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 14

Inspiration comes to me often through memory, and memory comes to me often through music. I say ‘to me’ because in the end I can only speak for myself, but I believe it happens to most people. This is a playlist of songs written or sung by women, that have evoked memory and that have made me feel powerful with inspiration / powerless with admiration. They have made me hope I will someday be as strong and beautiful as them.

Julia Scrive-Loyer 1. “No Eres Mi Perro” · Nena Daconte 2. “Periphery” · Fiona Apple 3. “Duerme Negrito” · Mercedes Sosa 4. “Lucy” · Jac Beth 5. “Nadie Como Tú” · Christina Rosenvinge 6. “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” · Nina Simone 7. “Sawdust & Diamonds” · Joanna Newsom 8. “Never Wanted Your Love” · She & Him 9. “Strawberry Sun” · e. a. sprague 10. “Talkin’ Like You (Two Tall Mountains)” · Connie Converse 11. “California” · Joni Mitchell 12. “Landslide” · Fleetwood Mac 13. “Until It’s Time For You To Go” · Buffy Sainte-Marie 14. “Captain Saint Lucifer” · Laura Nyro 15. “There They Go” · The Exciters 16. “Free” · Angel Olsen 17. “Let X=X / It Tango” · Laurie Anderson 18. “Water Music: Air” · Wendy Carlos 19. “Rainbow River” · Vashti Bunyan 20. “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” · Billie Holiday 21. “Ooo” · Karen O

Download the playlist in full at http://www.4shared.com/zip/okk4reM2ba/inspiring_entities.html or browse all the playlists from this issue at http://8tracks.com/lenicemagazine/collections/le-nice-issue-1-inspiration

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 15

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 15

Nick Drake to Patrick Duff

Above: Pink moon (for Nick Drake).

Below: Sixer (abstract portrait of Patrick Duff [Strangelove]).

Poetry and artwork both by Jasmine Wilkins.

Is it any wonder how the delicate are always dealt a soft-black pearl, and nagging winds; To breathe, underwater to chase what the soul sings?

We are someones, trying to transcribe the melody of the heart.

Trying to make sense of good intentions dancing far, in a green sea.

I was a broken bird, before a kind translation, too late.

Beaten by unrelenting wind.

Who ever thought my frail language could be spoken?

And, later, I had flown, and dropped pearls, like lead shined, and shone, into the likes of you.

I dealt you a sea-filled hand.

And hoped you would understand.

You have the ghosts of transcribed hearts to extend.

It’s why a dark bird sits by your end.

It is my only wave, and greeting.

And the poem, to this warm meeting.

You drank half the sea, and all the rivers, to bleed purity; to bleed me.

The air is soft, tonight for the chords in your veins, the language I once whispered, for we are spoken the same.

I hope you understand.

I dealt you the uneasiest hand.

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 16

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 16

Inspiration & Fashion E

had been given a taste of deconstruction in

one though, there are amazing collections out

tively) new kid on the block, Nasir Mazhar. It’s

to directly inspire designers such as Ann Demeulemeester, Martin Margiela and the rest of the Antwerp Six, to name a few names.

they seek to portray. Another designer who is clear in his source of inspiration is Jun Takahashi of Undercover, who draws heavy influence from the punk subculture and post-punk, with past collections themed around Joy Division, Can, The Sex Pistols, and Talking Heads.

It’s not the Above: Undercover Mens SS15, inspired only thing

by Television’s Marquee Moon.

Jun has an interest in, but it is a huge part of the Undercoverism brand.

So many designers reference music, why? It’s just always there in almost everybody's lives as a constant soundtrack, certain songs evoking specific events, time periods, or people. It’s a very accessible medium and it’s not hard to really dig deep into specific genres, especially in the internet age. Aforementioned designers such as Hedi Slimane, Raf Simons, Jun Takahashi and others like Nasir Mazhar, Riccardo Tisci, and Tom Ford, have all referenced and been inspired by music at some point in their careers.

I’ll begin this section by writing about the (rela-

not going to bother as all previous attempts by journalists have been met with a heavy dose of mocking and extreme derision by the designer who first trained as a milliner (or to use the term he prefers, hat maker) before charging headfirst into the wider world of fashion design some time around the turn of this decade.

Nasir is most known for two things specifically his bully hat (The ZX300 Cap) which is a mad take on the ever-beloved cap. The other thing that’s a Nasir signature is well, his name; it’s plastered all over his garments from his sweatshirts down to his sports bras (see below).

Circling back to the original point I was trying to expand upon, Nasir likes music, particularly the stuff that came out in the early aughts (noughties 00s etc) in London, think garage, grime,

verybody is inspired. From a fashion context, with Rei’s work going on there that are fairly literal takes on the themes quite difficult to describe his aesthetic, so I’m

your Christian Diors to your Martin Margielas. Is it even possible to create if you are not inspired? Fashion designers are inspired by so many things, from the feeling you get before and during a free-fall parachute jump (Iris Van Herpen), to New England Summers (Thom Browne). Every designer has their own preferred way of referencing and manifesting their inspiration, some literal, some abstract.

Designers who I feel are more abstract in their interpretations of inspirations are Rei Kawakubo of Comme Des Garcons and Rick Owens, amongst others.

Rei refuses to reveal her inspirations for collections; sometimes she will offer a single word as a clue. She categorically denies interview requests nowadays and is notoriously shy.

She first burst onto the western scene in 1981, although did not draw attention to herself until the following year with “Destroy”, which featured deconstructed knitwear referencing the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-sabi (no, I don’t mean wasabi!), a philosophy that is extremely conspicuous throughout Kawakubo’s work. The western press tastelessly coined the term “Hiroshima-chic” to refer to the collection, due to its distressed nature. This was one of the first times, if not the first time, the west

Recent sources of inspiration for Rick Owens have been, amongst others, a ballet entitled “Afternoon of a Faun" (see below) choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, which was based on the poem “L'après-midi d'un faune” by Stéphane Mallarmé. This ballet was the central theme of his SS15 Men’s collection entitled Faun. Rick was centrally enamoured with the idea of the faun masturbating over the nymph’s shroud; one of his goals for the collection was to create an urban faun with various aspects of his garments referencing details found in the ballet.

So far I’ve just been dealing with the fairly abstract inter pretations of inspiration.

There are designers who I feel are notably literal in their manifestations of inspirations and themes for their collections, such as Hedi Slimane or John Galliano Don’t mistake a more literal interpretation as “worse”, or not as “original” as a more abstract

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 17

dubstep and all the other wonderful genres of UK dance music.

Grime legend Skepta has a fairly close relationship with Nasir and can often be seen sporting one of his bully hats or box peaks, amongst various other Nasir pieces. He actually soundtracked the SS15 menswear show as well as walking in it wearing a tracksuit he designed in collaboration with Nasir.

Nasir has a distaste for the majority of the fashion press, something I mentioned earlier (they don’t seem to get him) - the fact that they keep trying to pin down his aesthetic and label it, something that Nasir is really actively resisting as evidenced by his SS15 Women’s collection. The fabrics, theme, silhouettes didn’t really scream health goth/sportswear/’chivster” chic but it was still Nasir Mazhar. Nasir is garnering inspiration and making references to things from all over the cultural shop; from 90’s hip hop to futuristic cybergoth aesthetics, it seems like there’s nothing he won’t touch.

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 17

Shifting focus towards somebody slightly more established, and Belgian. Yes, that’s right, I’m talking about Raf Simons, who has been at the helm of his own name label since 1995 and between 2005 and 2012 was the creative director of Jil Sander. He is currently the creative director of a small, little known French brand called Christian Dior. The impact Raf had in his first 10 years as a designer is so massive, so huge. Contemporary menswear would not be the same at all if it weren’t for him. From 1995 to 2005 it seemed like Raf was incapable of making a collection that wasn’t hugely groundbreaking, and influential in of itself.

In 2003, when Raf was becoming known in the menswear world, around his third or fourth year showing in Paris, it really becomes apparent how big of an impact music had on young Raf in his sleepy village of Neerpelt, with collections like Closer (AW03) (see above left) in which he was granted access to the archives of Peter Saville, who has designed album covers for bands such as Joy Division

and New Order, two of Raf ’s favourite bands.

Eyeing the present, his latest winter collection (at time of writing, FW14): a very special one, the first of its kind, insanely collectible from the get-go, iconic from the moment it showed. Yes, Raf Simons x Sterling Ruby.

Sterling Ruby is a contemporary artist from America (born in Germany) who has collaborated with Raf many times in the past, from designing the interior of his now shut-down stores in Japan, to bleaching denim for Raf to use for jackets.

This collection was very unprecedented and very unique because usually when an artist “collaborates” with a designer, they just print the artworks onto garments (this happened in SS13 with Raf x Brian Calvin). This collection (see right) was different, Raf and Sterling really worked with one another, with Sterling bleaching and splattering paint on fabrics by hand. It was a true collaboration, the first of its kind between artist and designer. Usually fashion is influenced by art as if it’s some lesser form of creation being drip-fed innovation.

In terms of influences the collection to me really stunk

of the space age, from the shoes to the colours and actual graphics that were printed onto sweatshirts, coats, and t-shirts. For a bit of context the collection was basically one part Sterling Ruby paintings/collages transferred onto garments by appliqué and printed graphics, one part bleach-splattered uniforms (referencing Sterling’s own uniform,) one more part insanely good coats, and the rest a mixture of knits and skinny jeans.

When I say space age I mean the 60s and 70s, when space was like, really cool. There’s a shade of orange that’s repeated throughout, a nod towards those bright orange jumpsuits that astronauts used to wear. I mentioned printed graphics also, those of planets amongst other things. There’s a lot more going on in this collection and I haven’t talked about it because then we’d just have a whole article talking about how great Raf is, and nobody wants that (except for me).

Fashion garners inspiration from everywhere, everyone, and everything it possibly can.

I hope I’ve done an acceptable job of showing you just how far-reaching the scope of influence is for fashion and providing examples of some interesting interpretations of things that have influenced designers. I’m really excited to see what inspires designers in the future.

-------------------------------Sam Alos

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1 ~ Page 18

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1 ~ Page 18

And now for a touching little ditty from Lynn Zhang...

Her

S on 1

He is a quiet boy. Being the youngest of the three children, he could have been forgiven for anything, but he prefers to plunge into silence and inactivity. She’s worried. She never said it out loud, but he is her favourite, her dearest little boy. She considers herself an adequate mother, if not great, yet she is never able to truly get close to him. Maybe he just doesn’t have anything to tell her. He is different.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Gerard!”

“Congratulations! Gerard! You’re 13 now! A big boy, you are!”

“Thank you. Mum and Dad. Thank you, John and David.” He gave everyone a sheepish smile in the candle light, murmured something inaudible, and blew out the candles.

He always feels awkward at occasions like this. Even though they’re his family, the people he love the most.

He doesn’t really get the point of birthdays. It’s just a number which grows year by year, but he has always appreciated what his family has done for his birthdays.

Weird-looking birthday cakes - his mother is not exactly an expert at baking; mix-tapes from John and David they give him mixtapes for everything; Irish handicrafts

- his Dad never gets tired of reminding him of his Irish origin.

John and David went out again, for some gigs. They go to gigs and record bootlegs, then exchange these awfully made tapes for money. He has the room to himself now.

That’s nice. He starts to unwrap the gift his two brothers gave him. ‘For Gerard, hope you enjoy this tape. Love, John and David.’

This is something he’s never heard of. The singer has got a unique voice, and the lyrics are quite interesting. But he never really cares about the vocal. What hits him, is the guitar. He loves the sound of electric guitar, and he knows what makes a great guitarist. Although he doesn’t play the guitar at the moment, he is confident that he knows everything about the sound of electric guitar, and he will definitely have his own electric guitar one day.

He is jealous of this guitarist he’s listening to. He knows instantly that if he ever plays the guitar, he wants to sound like that.

John and David bought a second-hand electric guitar a few months ago, he tried to play it a couple of times, but the sound was never right, mostly because this guitar is dirt cheap, and it doesn’t sound anything like guitar.

He has no choice but to make do with it. His parents came from Ireland years ago. His father Bryan works at a battery factory, the pay is not good, to be honest.

His mother Victoria teaches English at a primary school, not exactly a lucrative job, either. He gets laughed at all the time. For being bony, for his Irish origin, for always wearing those Christmas jumpers previously worn by his elder brothers, and most of all, for his quietness. He doesn’t intend to change anything about himself. He knows better than anyone else that it wouldn’t make any difference even if he tried to become someone else. He knows that his mother is worried about him. He wants to tell her not to worry, but he can’t find the right words.

He’s not quiet at all, he has a lot to say, he just doesn’t know how, and he doesn’t know if people would be interested to hear what he has to say.

He’d been listening to his brothers’ records and mixtapes for quite some time now, and, every now and then, music would pop up in his head. At first, he did not pay any attention to it, because it was just music he had listened to before. Gradually, things started to change. He started to get music that he had never heard of, and he wanted to play it out, but he only played a bit of violin, yet the music he likes, and the music in his head, is nothing like the sound of the violin. A few years ago, his father gave him a violin, plus violin lessons for his birthday. He kept going to the violin lessons, but he never liked them, he simply didn’t want to disappoint his parents, especially his mother.

He rewinds the tape, planning to listen to this song again. The guitarist must be a genius to be able to play the guitar in such a way. He decides to take out the tape, and checks the track listing. ‘The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?’. The Smiths are now officially his favourite band in the entire world, although he’s only listened to one song by them.

2

John and David decided to form a band. Gerard had no say in this, and automatically became the guitarist in this band called Slow Motion. In Gerard’s opinion, they could have called themselves ‘The Bailey Brothers’, just like ‘The Walker Brothers’, because he loves Scott Walker. Gerard has now saved a little over 40 pounds. It’s been two years since he made up his mind to buy a nice electric guitar for himself, yet he still can’t afford to get one. He thinks he’s got the hang of playing the guitar now. He knows every Smiths song, even though he’s only been to two Smiths gigs. He managed to work out the tabs on his own, simply by listening to those songs again and again. However, John and David thought they should start covering something simple at the beginning. They settled on Boys Don’t Cry by The Cure. Gerard had to rehearse the song with them for a couple of times, and then, the first ever Slow Motion ‘song’ was born - a terrible cover of Boys Don’t Cry. It was so terrible that John and David forgot about the band completely.

Gerard hasn’t changed much from 13 to 15. Still bony, pale, and quiet. Still the one who gets bullied at school.

His mother is still trying to get closer to him. She even listened to his records and tapes, but she didn’t really get them. He knows about this, but he thinks he’d better remain quiet about this. He can feel those worrying looks she gives him at times. She can’t really find an excuse to have a serious talk with him. She knows that he is having a hard time at school, but that has always been the case, and he never cared much about it, because he’s got a world of his own. He does a fairly good job in school as well. There’s a good chance that he’ll get into a decent university, and make something of himself. He’s just obsessed with music, and unlike his brothers who just treat music as a sort of leisure, he takes it seriously. After years of learning to play the violin, he is still not very good at it, and he always refuses to play it at home. She knows that he spends a lot of time toying with that guitar, but she can’t just walk in and tell him to stop doing it. She still has no idea how to deal with him.

3

The 18-year-old Gerard has a guitar of his own, and he is working at a chain stationery store where he has worked for the last 2 years - earning the minimum wage, and struggling to save every penny he is paid.

His father finally allowed him to quit violin lessons once and for all. He fought very hard for this, and he knew all along that he could get what he wanted. The battery factory hasn’t been doing very well in recent years, and his parents have been trying very hard to make ends meet.

After several nights of tossing and turning, she decided to have a talk with Gerard. Gerard took on a second part-time job a couple of weeks ago. His teacher called in the other day, telling her Gerard had been in low spirits lately - constantly falling asleep in class.

“Gerard, are you in there? Can I come in for a moment?”

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1 ~ Page 19 “The door’s not locked.”

She takes this as a permission to come in.

It’s become impossible to clean this room since John and David have left home for university. Gerard stacks all his stuff in the cramped room along with the things John and David have left behind. Photos, magazine cuttings and posters of those weird looking musicians have covered every corner of the walls; music magazines are piling up every week; vinyls and CDs have taken every inch of the desks and bookshelves; Gerard’s most precious belonging, the guitar, lies on the bed, right beside his legs.

“Your teacher Mr. Feld called in the other day.” Silence.

“He said you were sleeping in class all the time.” Still silence.

“Gerard. I’ve always known that you’re different, and that’s why I never bothered to talk to you about your issues. Because I love you for being who you are. And I want you to remain this way for the rest of your life.”

“What issues?” He frowns a bit.

“Quit your part-time jobs. Your dad and I are making enough money to support you and the family. You need to focus on A-levels now, we don’t want you to get distracted. It’s OK if you’re obsessed with music and you want to become a guitarist rather than anything else, but, please, go to university first and we’ll let you do whatever you want after that.”

He falls into silence again. He obviously knows what his mother meant by ‘issues’. Being bullied, being quiet, being too into music, etc..

“I’ll go to university.”

It seems unlikely that he will utter another word. She exits the room, shaking her head and sighing.

4

He’s now a history student at KCL. He moved out a couple of months ago, telling his parents he wanted to get closer to his peers by sharing a house with five other students. His parents bought into this, but he simply wants to get away from home and focus on exploring his musical potential more than anything else. He hardly comes out of his room. He eats cereal and milk three times

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1 ~ Page 19 a day. He plays the guitar when the others are out for lectures and parties, and when the others are at home, he would go out to buy records and music magazines.

The best thing about university is that it’s now OK to be weird and quiet, other students are too busy trying to get laid or get stoned.

He’s written a few songs now. Though he wouldn’t call these songs good. He only attends lectures when he’s depressed by the fact that he’s unable to produce anything decent at the moment. He NEEDS to be in a band. He’s been going through all the music magazines and newspapers he can get hold of, none of the ‘Guitarist Wanted’ ads got him.

The professor is rambling about something he completely doesn’t understand, as usual. He takes out the latest NME magazine. Something caught his attention.

‘YOUNG GUITAR player needed by London based band. Smiths, Lloyd Cole, PSB, Bowie. No Musos please.

Some things are more important than ability. Phone Andy on 01-938 4307.’

Smiths, I’d better be in a band with fellow Smiths fans.

He thinks to himself.

“Hi, my name’s Gerard, and I saw your ad in NME, I play the guitar, and I love The Smiths, can I come for an audition?”

“You’re quite straight forward, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Brilliant. See you tomorrow afternoon then. Can you write down my address?”

“Sure.”

“No.23, Fawley Road. See you.”

That was easy. He’s still a bit nervous. He’s never auditioned before. He wants to talk to his mum.

“Hi, mum.” He awkwardly hugs his mum before coming in.

“How’s Uni?” “It’s fine. I get by.”

“You never called.”

“I have an audition tomorrow.”

“Oh? For what? A band?”

“Yes. Thought you’d like to know.”

“Well, good luck with it. You will be spending Christmas at home, right?”

“Sure.”

47 (Poem for Jeff Buckley)

5

“Mum, it’s me, Gerard.”

“How was the audition?”

“I did it. I’m in a band now.”

She can feel his excitement over the phone.

“I love the people in our band, they seem cool and nice.”

“That sounds great. I’m glad you made it.”

“We will become the best band in the world.”

“You will. I’m sure.” This is the first time he’s been so talkative to her. This is her son, and she is very proud of him.

O, a voice to hold in the dark A voice to grasp in my night I feel your day inching closer in me Come to my dreams again Your ghost in my bed

6 He quit university three years ago. He’s been in this band for three years. She doesn’t see him very often, because he’s busy writing songs and touring. Even though she knows better than anyone else that no one really cares about her son’s band.

There isn’t much food left in the house; she decides to go and do some grocery shopping.

That’s her son. That’s HER SON. Posing with his band mate Andy, awkwardly, on the front cover of a magazine called Melody Maker.

S

He did it. He really did it. And he is her son. ­

Jasmine Wilkins

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 20

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 20

Places

tumblr

helmutnewtonphoto.tumblr.com

Where would you rather be?.... (Left) Brigitte Ariel taking a stroll in Oscar Wilde’s hotel room in L’Hotel, Paris, 1974....or (Above) Are you a cool lounge lizard en-

joying a tipple or two in the glittery watering-holes of 2074?

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 21

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 21

tumblr

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Above: House and Garden’s Complete Guide to interior Decoration, 1970. Top Right: Ray and Sarah Faulkner, Inside Today’s Home, 1975. Bottom Right: 1960s Interior.

Interiors

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- the weird, the wonderful, and the primarily pink feature heavily in this issue. The order of the day, plants-wise, is palms. Big leafy things that fan out nicely in the corner of the room. Sofas and any other place to park your posterior must be patterned. Coffee tables lie low but essential.

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 22

Nice Songs for European Travels

all know that the most important thing when going on holiday is the music you’re going to listen to whilst you’re there. Whether you’re going on a short break to some hip European city, or planning to spend 10 days on the beach, the sounds you listen to can form wonderful memories, and what better way to enrich your cultural understanding of the country you’re in than by listening to some of its music? It may be in a language you don’t entirely understand, but don’t let that stop you from experiencing some wonderful things.

Naturally, some countries have a better music scene than others, but there truly are some great artists out there that are unknown to many people just because they haven’t investigated the Spanish new wave or Russian disco scenes. To help you on this fantastic journey (metaphorically as well as the actual journey to your chosen destination) I’ve compiled a list of some of my favourite artists from several different countries across Europe.

Whether you choose to include them in your holiday playlists or not is your choice, and if you’re not going on holiday, they’re just nice things to listen to anyway.

First up is somewhere I’d consider to be one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe – France. Typically seen as a country of fantastic food, cinema, and style, France has also produced some great music over the years. Of course there’s the obvious artists Serge Gainsbourg, Charles Trenet et al., but

what about for when you want something a bit newer? Or with more guitar? For those of you who want something ultra-modern, perhaps a bit more poppy, with a dash of psychedelia, yet still with a sound that could be described as being reminiscent of old surf-rock albums, try La Femme. Their début album Psycho Tropical Berlin, was released in 2013 and features such fabulous tracks as ‘Sur la planche’, ‘Si un jour’ and ‘Le Blues de Françoise’. It’s an album that can be listened to whenever and wherever.

There’s wonderful variety between the songs, and yet the transition between them remains incredibly smooth. Understanding French isn’t necessary to enjoy it, and it would probably make you appreciate the instrumentation even more. Another wonderful and contemporary French band is Housse de Racket. They’re more electronic than La Femme yet still have the similar dreamy qualities that can be heard in songs such as ‘Pacific Sunset’ from their 2008 album Forty Love. Even though it’s electronic music, there’s still a kind of warmth to it which can sometimes be hard to find, and the kind of thing you want when you’re on your summer holidays. Two artists whose careers started back in the 80s and yet are still producing music to this day are Indochine and Mylène Farmer. Both have such large discographies that you’re bound to find something you like no matter what you usually listen to. I highly recommend listening to both

Dave Echo - The River Sea

In some circles, December only means one thing – it’s time to book your 2015 summer holiday. It’s not unknown that the earlier you book the better chance of a fantastic deal you have, and more choices in terms of hotels/ villas/whatever; but it seems that the holiday agencies start advertising earlier and earlier every year. As soon as you’re done scraping the remnants of your Christmas dinner into the bin you’re bombarded with questions from every angle. Spain or Bulgaria? All-inclusive or self-catered? One week or two? It’s time to stop, slow down, and take it easy. We

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 22

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 23

LE NICE ~ ISSUE 1~ Page 23

of them, after all there is a reason they’re two of the most popular French artists. The Indochine albums L’Aventurier, 3, and 7000 Danses are especially good.

Coincidentally, ‘3eme Sexe’ was the inspiration behind the Mylène Farmer song ‘Sans contrefaçon’ from her second studio album Ainsi soit je…. Another fabulous group from the 80s are Les Rita Mitsouko, and if you like the other artists I’ve mentioned here you’ll probably like them too.

he’s done before. ‘Seven’ is beautifully dreamy, fuzzy, and melodic, and if the rest of the album’s the same it’ll make the perfect holiday soundtrack for those warm summer nights when you’re sat on a veranda with a glass of wine. It’s a stark contrast to the upbeat dance-y pop songs of his first two albums, which of course are equally as fantastic.

When you think of music from the Scandinavian countries, ABBA is usually the first thing to come to mind.

However, the indie music scene of Denmark is just as great, partly due to the wonderful Tambourhinoceros record label founded by two members of the great band Oh No Ono, who much to my disappointment split in 2011. Two of my favourite bands signed to the label would have to be 4 Guys From The Future and Treefight for Sunlight, the latter making such summery sounding, psychedelic music it’d be daft to leave them out of this article. Their second album Pizza was released earlier this year and has a slightly different sound to their début, yet still with the beautiful sounds that make you feel as if you’re about to float away on a cloud right there and then. I don’t know how they do it but they seem to radiate sunlight.

4 Guys From The Future manage to sound uplifting yet melancholic at the same time in a strange and wonderful combination of sounds, and ‘Under the New Morning Sun’, the first and title track from their début album is just that. Vinnie Who is an artist who a last month released the first single of his upcoming third album and it’s completely different to anything

looking for music, but some of the bands that were formed there are truly great. FILM are (or rather, were) a group from Croatia, and also one of the most popular of the Yugoslav new wave scene in the 70s and 80s. Their second album, Zona Sumraka, features such great songs as ‘Zagreb je hladan grad’, and if Zagreb really is as cool a town as this song sounds, get me on the next flight immediately. The title track isn’t half bad either, although it is annoyingly catchy.

Another band hailing from Croatia is Dorian Gray.

With influences from Japan, Roxy Music, and David Bowie, it’s not hard to see why they’re great. Their 1985 album Za tvoje oči features the wonderfully cinematic song ‘Ti si tu’ that I really can imagine being used in the opening credits of a very 80s film, along with ‘Sjaj u tami’. They somehow manage to have a very John Hughes feel to them.

The Former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia isn’t the first place you think of when

If you’re looking for something a bit more upbeat, something that could be played in a disco perhaps, look no further than Bosnia and Hergezovinia’s Zdravko Colic and his 1980 hit ‘Pusti, pusti modu’. Električni Orgazam from Serbia were

also one of the most successful bands in Yugoslavia.

Their début self-titled album combines elements of new wave and punk and would be perfect for anyone who enjoys either. For other bands, delve into the archives of the now-defunct record label Jugoton who released some of the most notable Yugoslav pop and rock records during the time of the SFR Yugoslavia, and ZKP RTLJ who in 1980 released the punk rock compilation album Novi Punk Val. The wonderful thing about music, and especially music from a country other than your own, is that different countries often have different ways of doing things, different instruments and different influences, which can all be exciting and interesting to listen to.

Listening to music from other countries also gives you the opportunity to spend your whole holiday in record shops, hunting high and low for that album that’d cost an arm and a leg if you bought it in your home country but may only be a few Euros here. Bands you’ve never heard of, different artwork, unreleased tracks…. visiting record shops in other countries is a wonderful experience, and one that I highly recommend if you happen to be in a town or city where there are some.

Of course, baggage and money limitations mean you may not be able to bring back as much stuff as you’d like, but at least you’ll know more about music from other places.

Sophie Ganesh

Listen to this playlist at http://8tracks.com/lenicemagazine/ nice-songs-for-european-travels or browse all the playlists from this issue at http://8tracks.com/ lenicemagazine/collections/le-nice-issue-1-inspiration

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Above: Dubai, UAE. Below: Brighton, UK.

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Around the world photos by Lynn Zhang

Above: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Below: Cats in Stone Town, Zanzibar.

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Though

recently crowned

thinking of music,

Hull

City

of

Culture,

when

doesn’t exactly always

spring to the fore of everyone’s mind right away.

Hull: Best of

Though its past moments have been undoubtedly strong with those such as The Housemartins, Everything But The Girl and (possibly) The Beautiful South, most of its musical feats have been few and far between, but over the past few months a fresh-faced gang of musically-armed recruits emerging from the city walls seem set to change this and have gradually regained the word ‘scene’ to fit Hull too, here’s a few not to miss out on.

ence from intensely good places (The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Small Faces, The Sonics), so far have a handful of EPs to their name, but the blend of fuzz-fuelled guitars, cruising rhythms and frontman Matt Burr’s commanding vocals have already earnt them live slots amongst the likes of The View, Drenge and Temples, and with October’s recent single proving mighty, only more good things came come from this outfit. Key Track: The Trip

Though based in East London in the present day, despite all hailing from Humberside, Night Flowers are undeniably still a Hull band in spirit, and one far too good to leave out anyway. Bringing a distinct and surprisingly unique blend of 80s British indie types (think The Cure, the occasional Smiths & maybe some Cocteau Twins too) and 90s shoegaze (Ride, at points My Bloody Valentine and unignorably Slowdive) in all of their music and fronted by the lush vocals of Hester Ullyart (occasionally sided by the equally dulcet tones of her brother/guitarist Greg too), their tracks provide a healthy dose of alternative pop to lose yourself in and emerge all the better for it. Their début EP is out now, and more than worth your few quid. Key Track: Embers.

The Talks bring a new dimension

The Black Delta Movement are a collec-

tive from Hull bringing their self-proclaimed ‘neo psychedelia garage rock ‘n’ roll’ to the airwaves in somewhat impressive style. The quartet, citing influ-

into the mix with their storming combinations of ska, two-tone and reggae with a punk flair (if The Specials and The King Blues birthed a hybrid child, The Talks would more or less be the result). The outfit are comprised of a quartet core alongside an extra five musicians providing duties from Hammond organs to trombones, and once crammed into a room with nine musicians onstage - the result can’t be much less than fun. With their first album released last month and a pocketful of hits including one with Neville Staple himself, The Talks are on their way up. Key Track: Can Stand The Rain

LIFE are the current pride and joy

of the city, they love Hull and Hull deserves to love them too. With their brash nature and devious style, the quartet have been stirring up a craze in the indie underworld, and with their recent singles and raucous live shows alongside everyone from Twin Peaks to Trash, it

Daisy Edwards

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doesn’t seem set to stop any time soon. With their music channelling the back streets of punk and menacingly upbeat hooks sparkled with wit, it doesn’t take much to enjoy LIFE’s output, and it won’t be long before everyone catches on. Key Track: Money

Babies go arm-in-arm with

LIFE, as younger but equally reckless tunesmiths, it’s hardly a surprise the two have been tearing about the country together.

Wielding a couple of guitars and a similarly punky attitude, the trio create unignorable bass-driven scuzzy surf rock in the vein of JAWS and Drowners with a little more flair, and it’s somewhat likely they’re set to be the next in the line to rise to indie royalty. Key Track: Makeout/Breakout

Ellie Pollard is an acoustic folk artist producing music way beyond her 15 years on earth. With her tracks to date a mix of ingeniously reworked covers - including making Outkast’s Hey Ya! seem a beautiful heartfelt track complete with lush harmonies - and original hilariously witty observations on life that Jarvis Cocker would envy to the tune of sweetly minimal guitar melodies, Pollard’s musical achievements are seemingly brilliant already, and once you pay attention to the lyrics, it’s virtually impossible to not be enchanted by her tracks. Key Track: Things That Piss Me Off

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Over

the course of this summer and up until this month, I have been keeping a travelogue with my friends during all of our trips together, which include a trip to Berlin and one to Madrid, among others.

Participants: Anna Celda Beut Álvaro Cócera Sofía Palomar María Sanz Alejandro Rodríguez

our travelogue 1

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our travelogue 2

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our travelogue 3

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Dulcie Ghost

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shares with us artwork inspired by the greats...

Karl Blossfeldt

Georgia O’Keefe

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Edvard Munch

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Angus McBean

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ARTIST: The Walkmen ALBUM: ‘You & Me’ GENRE: Alternative/Indie Rock YEAR: 2008 along ten years previously, they would have had no need to feature in an article such as this; they would have been immortalised as classic idols of the New York music scene.

When The Walkmen broke into the underground New York music scene of the early 2000s, they should have been a dominant force. Their rapturous live performances grabbed onlookers by the collar and said, “Watch and fucking listen”. Unfortunately, they were greeted by a multitude of similar bands of the same ilk, with comparable intentions and (arguably) larger budgets (e.g. The Strokes, Inter- As it stands, The Walkmen remain pol, et. al). Had The Walkmen come more of a cult band with a dedicated

following rather than potential festival headliners. Whilst left awash in the sudden outburst of crashing indie bands of the early ‘00s, The Walkmen had a style which was entirely theirs. Distancing themselves from their fellow New York brethren who took to almost garage-rock tendencies, The Walkmen were not ones to shy away from implementing classical elements, such as pianos, strings, and other non-fundamental indie-rock instruments, into their music.

Many influences can be seen in The Walkmen’s work, from indie poster boys U2 and Joy Division, to classic crooners like Frank Sinatra and Roy Orbison.

Their first three albums prior to ‘You & Me’ were received well by most critics (most notably 2004’s ‘Bows + Arrows’, which included hit songs The Rat and Little House of Savages), meaning The Walkmen were no strangers to

brooding Dónde Está la Playa, tells the tale of a doomed infatuation (“Know that you’re married, ring’s on your hand/ So I didn’t stay ‘til the end”) through its almost subliminal bass line and spiralling, jangling guitar lines. From this point oncritical adoration. However, they were a band that never wards, you know what you’re broke into the classification in for; sad lyric matter with a of ‘household name’. Essen- backdrop of music to tiredly tially, if anyone in your town waltz to at 3 AM. On the Walistened to The Walkmen, you ter follows in the same vein; knew them, and were, in all portraying an undying devolikelihood, friends with them. tion to another (“You know I’d never leave you, no matter how hard I’d try”) through an The opening track on the almost nautical sway which album, the mournful and ends with a roaring climax,

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“This is what Walkmen fans sing in the small hours together as they walk from their last drink to their taxi home.” combining music as tremulous as a stormy sea with an accompanying chorus of whistling reminiscent of a sea shanty.

Personal relationships and the emotional dependence on another are notable recurring themes throughout many of the album’s songs (it is worth noting that at the time, frontman Hamilton Leithauser had recently been married, perhaps leading him to explore the question, “Can this really last forever?”) In In the New Year, Leithauser paints us a picture of one such relationship: described initially as “..a point of pride/And it’s louder than lightning”, though we eventually see this disintegrate into something inherently doomed that is plain for all to see (“So it’s all over…You took your sweet time/ Finally, I opened my eyes”).

While the opening tracks to the album are indeed fantastic, and should be respected as such, it is when you hit the

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double-backing of Red Moon and Canadian Girl that you really see The Walkmen at their pure and utter finest. The first of the two, Red Moon (which featured in an episode of Breaking Bad), is simply poetry. Backed by a band of horns and a stuttering acoustic guitar, Leithauser leads us through the themes of desperate devotion already mentioned (“I miss you, I miss you/There’s no one else”), with a fresh sense of poignancy gained from the more strippedback (though not at all lighter) sound of this track compared to the earlier ones.

Canadian Girl follows, which evokes an immensely ineffable sensation straight from the off.

Paul Maroon begins proceedings by creating a sound which, frankly, a guitar should not be able to make. The opening lyric is what The Walkmen are all about: “You are the morning/I am the night”.

This is one of Leithauser’s finest lyrical works, and the lyric sheet reads like a poem. This is what Walkmen fans sing in the small hours together as they walk from their last drink to their taxi home. The fact that the lines “So take my hand, the players in the band/They can always find, always find some number that we know” would not appear out of place on a Sinatra ballad is a testament to Leithauser’s lyrical prowess, and the singer’s husky, smoke-ridden calls make the song entirely his.

Upon its release in 2008, the album was celebrated among critics. Betty Clarke of The Guardian gave the album five stars out of five, stating that “‘You & Me’ demands repeat plays and The Walkmen deserve a new respect”. ‘Respect’ is the key word there. People finally realised who The Walkmen were and what they were all about. ‘You & Me’ may not have launched them to global success and instant recognition, though it provided a fantastic example of what they were capable of. It’s safe to assume that they didn’t lose any sleep over a chart position or album sales.

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Songs for Others “My Sex” - Justine Frischmann to Damon Albarn “Possibly Maybe” - BjÖrk to Stéphane Sednaoui “(I Know) A Girl Called Jonny” - Rowland S. Howard to Jonny Standish “Billie Holiday” - Warpaint to Billie Holiday “#1432” - Patrick Duff to ex-girlfriend, Elin “Into My Arms” - Nick Cave to either Viviane Carneiro or PJ Harvey “His Song” - Stina Nordenstam on unrequited love “The Next Life” - Brett Anderson to his mother

“Just Like Anyone” - Aimme Mann to Jeff Buckley “Suzanne” Leonard Cohen to Suzanne “Hey Hey, My My” - Neil Young to John Lydon “Landslide” - Stevie Nicks to Lindsey Buckingham “Spider Woman” - Patrick Duff, to his ex-girlfriend who was an alcoholic “Killing Me Softly With His Song” - Lori Lieberman to Don McLean Listen to the playlist in full at http://8tracks.com/pabulum/songs-for-others-le-nice-zine or browse all the playlists from this issue at http://8tracks.com/lenicemagazine/collections/le-nice-issue-1-inspiration

Jasmine Wilkins

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If you were wondering... emanation from the stars that acts upon one’s character and destiny

influence

“a flow of water,” from Medieval Latin influentia “a flowing in”

the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behaviour, opinions, etc., of others

a mere image or semblance of something, a figment of the mind; fantasy

from Greek eidolon “appearance, reflection in water or a mirror,” later “mental image, apparition, phantom,” also “material image, statue”

idol an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed

from Latin inspirare “inflame; blow into; “to fill (the mind, heart, etc., with grace)”; “the immediate influence of God or a god”

to communicate or suggest by a divine or supernatural influence

inspire

to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence; to produce or arouse a feeling or thought

Now you know.

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Where will we be in 40 years? In 400 years? Why all these questions? Well - is there anything about the future we can be sure of? Other than death, taxes, and memes?

Here at FlashForward we’re going to answer precisely zero of your questions. Enjoy.

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How will our era inspire future generations?

So

we’re in the future

and let’s assume our present-day limits of time and space still apply. That’s not to say they might not change, and people will be born aged 100 and slowly regress, and teleportation might be invented and the whole notion of the ‘person’ will utterly change because we can simply come and go as we choose so who needs geographical identity anyway? Northerners? Southerners?

Pfft. Anyway, I digress. What I was saying is that we can safely assume the future will hold young people much like ourselves, looking wistfully to the past in search of inspiration. Looking to our vintage years as the guiding hands to mold them. The kids of the future are, if you like, putty in our hands. We’ve all looked back to an era before we were even born, and thought, man, it must have been cool to live through that. So, how about 2014? Do we live in a golden era?

The big quiz reveal Remember that quiz you all eagerly completed way back when in the FlashBack section? We’ve let the tension build far too much. Time for some answers.

1. Slade – ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ 2. Charles de Gaulle 3. ‘Waterloo’ 4. Hungary 5. Germany 6. Ginger is older; Scary and Baby are younger 7. The Black Pig 8. Mia Farrow 9. Bowie himself 10. Pobol y Cwm

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E.L. Ince conjectures wildly in this article which was really meant to celebrate the best of 2014, but came out rather more disparaging than hoped.

1. Subcultures

We are blessed to live in an age which is both scornful and accepting of the subculture, and this is, I’d say, immensely freeing. We’ve come a long way since the Mods vs Rockers of the 60s, passing through cults of the 70s and 80s such as punk and goth, and brushing aside the fairly meagre attempts at subculture in the 90s (give me an actual, convincing, non-flimsy, defining feature of Britpop or rave culture). All this has been taken under culture’s wing, so that adhering to a certain style needn’t be prescriptive, needn’t make you the same as every other young goth or punk. Subcultures now rub shoulders with one another, and sure, you might raise a few eyebrows attending a punk night in your ornate New Romantic gear, but I’d say we’re in an age of individualism, with personal aesthetics taking charge. Makes it difficult for those kids of the future to pick out a defining style to mimic from 2014 though. If they go for hipster I’ll be rolling in my grave.

2. Students

Not to talk to you like your highschool teachers, but there are, these Right: I’m informed this is an example of ‘steampunk’, a somewhat slippery and dubious subculture.

days, more young people going to university than ever before. Great! Our descendants are going to be intelligent as hell. Maybe. Potentially they’ll look at our age as the peak of student life (you may be reading this in your cold flat, eating beans on toast, in which case I accept this may be difficult to stomach – much like those value beans).

But I’d venture that the future may be bleaker, what with concerns about excess drinking among today’s youth.

In 50 years freshers events could be super-conservative, like, everyone drinking orange juice from little white plastic cups and standing around awkwardly in a village hall-style room. It’s possible. That way no one gets liver disease. And those kids, those kids, will think ‘Ah, if only we lived in 2014, that golden age when all British teenagers flocked to sunny islands of a summer, and thoroughly embarrassed themselves in a mess of sun, sea, sweat, sand, and sex.’ They’ll pin those headlines from The Sun about ‘Shagaluf ’ up inside their lockers. They’ll long for banter and lads, concepts which will slip away as the Carlsberg runs dry.

3. Subtweets

Ok, I only went for that subtitle because of the alliteration, admittedly, but who knows if the delicate, tactful, masterly art of subtweeting will survive into the future? I absolutely cannot predict what surprises technology will throw up at any point – literally, a new development could change the technological world tomorrow – but let’s just say our future equivalents are restricted to communicating solely via emoji (standard keyboards having been ditched entirely in favour of such ever-useful things as the aubergine symbol).

How does one express one’s frustration at the betrayal of a best friend or boyfriend simply using emoji?

Thumbs down? Frustrated face? A man and a woman and a ‘No Entry’ symbol? Who knows. In those dark, dark times, people will look up 2014 in the vast internet archives, and stumble upon a frankly more poetic mode of conveying this feeling – ‘ffs ha t e it when p eop le a r nt who u t hink t hey r’. Oh, for the days of yore, when expression was so free and so beautiful.

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by Piper

Moreau ...questioning the decision to include these pages in the FlashForward section? Sometimes the past can tell us about the future...here we have compendia of things that have happened before - all sorts of things. Who’s to say they won’t happen again?

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Three songs

that never fail to cheer me up after a horrid day

First off, it has to be Simple Song by The Shins. Honestly, I got this song from the TV show How I Met Your Mother, but I’ve always played it in the most important moments of my life, and now I associate it more with those happy moments than Ted Mosby.

Promise. This song always makes me feel hopeful for my life, and with lines full of happiness and pure love, you could listen to this song on a rainy day when you’re full of the flu and you look and feel like crap and still feel that the future is going to be amazing.

Guiding Light by Television is another song that instantly goes

on my happy playlist. There’s nothing explicitly happy about this song, and a quick look at the lyrics seems to show it’s about being really, really sad, but the music sounds like you’re in a movie looking out of the train window sadly waiting for your love to return. And I love that, and it definitely perks me up, even at 8am.

Suede’s Darkest Days is my final offering. I first listened to the Here’s that little advert of our own we mentioned...

Want to contribute to Le Nice? It’s really nice.

Get in touch via twitter: @vicroskams, for details of the next issue. All sorts welcome. Honestly.

song after a long train ride and I realized that even though I knew that things might be hard in the future, that I knew I could handle it. This song reminds me of how hopeful and happy I felt on that train, knowing that the song will always remind me of being happy at one point- and that memory is enough to make anyone cheer up.

Pippa Lowthorpe