Festival season has well and truly arrived. To celebrate we’ve compiled two looks to ensure that festival goers stay ahead of the fash pack in those fields. Here’s some hot picks below. Women It’s all about toughening up the aesthetic. Get rocking with a studded biker jacket (Religion is your high street go-to) and team with a pair of patent leggings, perfect for wiping off ‘unwanted’ spills. Hunter Wellingtons are a festival staple and this season they’ve gone utilitarian with hard as nails lace up, boots. Team with a bright graphic tee and pair of statement sunglasses (found on eBay.ie) and you are good to go.
Men Menswear is the opposite to womenswear. Go laidback with vintage 501’s transformed into rolled up shorts, we also found these on eBay.ie. Denim on denim is huge once again, so channel your inner Bruce Springsteen and whack on a vintage sleeveless denim jacket and a graphic tank, such as this Religion one. Accessorise with a bomb pair of shades, like these Zanzan’s from farfetch.com and some Doc’s and you’ll be doing more than just dancing in those fields.
Please please can we have our Barclays Premier League coverage back …..sniff sniff
It seems like only yesterday that Leonard Ryan and Michael O’Rourke launched Setanta back in 1990. The story of the two wise guys charging £10 each to see the Ireland Holland world cup game in an Irish dance hall because UK broadcasters wouldn’t brings a patriotic tear to the eye.
Sadly our friends had to announce this week that the premiership coverage will go to those crazy yanks – ESPN. For Setanta Sports News, a nine-minute greatest hits compilation preceded the big turn-off. Viewers of Setanta Sports 1 got the same result, without the fanfare.
A minute's silence, please, for a departed friend.
This weeks selection is from the highly anticipated Gossip album which according to some in the office is as you would expect... not as good as the first. Seriously though, how can you follow up 'Standing in the way of control'? Well this is a start.
On the eve of tomorrows second test in South Africa we are delighted to get Rob Kearney latest diary entry- “Well it’s been worth waiting for as they say; I’m absolutely delighted to be starting on Saturday in my preferred position – 15!”
We’re sure there are many delighted fans too Rob….!
So tomorrow will surely be another bout of blood sweat and hopefully not tears in the hostile arena that is - Loftus Versfield, Petoria… Rob may fear not though as he will have six more of his Irish compadres on board to cool any nerves. You have to go back to the 1938 Lion tour for the last time there was so many Irish out in force on the tour.
This is a game that the Lions just can’t lose or the series is out the window and It’s fantastic to see so much faith placed with so many Irish grand slammers and this surely really underlines the strength of Irish rugby which has been tirelessly documented already. Irish eyes will have more of an incentive to watch tomorrow and there’s a feeling that Rob’s siege-gun left boot will flourish at high altitude and give us the edge… that we have no doubt!
Check out his latest Provon Revive diary entry to find out what went down behind the scenes this week…
Thinkhouse's Matt with his favourite audio interface
Techno God Richie Hawtin is quoted at a recent music conference as saying that music is no longer to be thought of as a CD or an MP3, but an experience. More and more artists and labels are getting their heads around this and coming up with other ways to enhance that experience, at live shows it's through interactivity or boundary pushing stage shows like Nine Inch Nail's interactive stage. In retail there is big business in DVDs with premium content and hidden extras. Online and on mobile is where there is some real magic going on, magic you can put in the palm of your hand, through the power of ever more exciting apps. We picked a few of our favorites and stuck em' below.
We talked about the iDaft earlier here but it is also available (and highly fun/annoying depending on who is in control!) for the iPhone. - The iDaft online and for iPhone
This first generation drum machine suffers from a bit of latency but looks the business. -Ron Winter's Drums
Taking it to the next level though is electronic music label Mobilee who have come up with a pretty nifty DJ app. This might not look like much to the non DJ but it basically lets you mix records just like a DJ would in a club, on your iPhone. Read about it here - get the app here.
So that last one lets you mix tracks together; breaking it down even further though, Diplo and Switch's Major Lazer have teamed up with iZoetope to create a special edition drum machine app featuring loops and beats from their singles allowing you to remix them how you like. Definitely a fun and creative way to kill time on those bus journeys, it's free too. Details are here - grab the app here.
Not to be outdone by the serious techno labels and hipster DJs, delicious meat alternative Quorn have their own music making software up on quornmix.com. It’s aimed at school kids so don’t expect too serious a setup but the prize of a mini-bus is pretty meaty.
We grabbed some footage of the recent Sparks N' Mind release gig down at Tower Live, Ham Sandwich performed a few tracks including their cover of Stay by Shakespeare's Sister which featured on the album. It's up on Tower's Muzu channel alongside a few other classic performances. Check it out below. For more info on Tower Records instores and special offers, visit www.facebook.com/towerrecords.
Following the dramatic change in weather patterns, Thinkhouse has decided on a change in company direction. It’s no secret that the organic vegetable trade is a lucrative one so with our sunny aspect and vast storage space we have decided to step into the market. So - as of today we are no longer Thinkhouse PR - but Thinkhouse Organics. Our computers have been hollowed out and turned into fetching post modern planters and the board room is now a home to rakes, hoes and a supply of compost.
Ok, so we are a little late for an April fool but we are pretty excited by our latest development in THHQ – a brand new herb garden! Here is the before and after. So far we have rosemary, basil, parsley, some cabbage!, thyme and chives, if anyone any any pointers for us please leave them in the comments below, we are new to this game.
Dracula is a thing of the past, a new breed of Vampires live among us and are accepted by the living. Such is the scenario in True Blood, the latest HBO series to generate buzz on this side of the pond. To publicise the second series in the US, Digital Kitchen came up with the interesting concept of creating ads on actual ad sites using real life brands… targeted to vampires. They also created a series of virals featuring vampire attacks and news stories. Irish viewers will have to wait a while to watch the show on TV but it looks like Channel 4 has already signed up for the rights. The hit show also features possibly the coolest opening credits ever seen.
Two of our Thinkers were lucky enough to make a trip to Sonar over the weekend. It wasn’t all dancing in the sunshine though (although that was a major part!) as there were some interesting talks taking place too as part of Digital Music 2.0 organised by Business Development Service (SDE) of the Catalan Institute of Cultural Industries (ICIC) in association with Sonar. The conference looked at alternative ways the music industry can survive given the slow rate of growth of digital music sales in comparison to the dramatic fall in traditional income from the sales of physical units. Andrea and Chewy listened to Jack Horner of Frukt Music and Ben Turner of Graphite Media speak on ‘the exploitation of music brands’, a very interesting look at the best practices when aligning musicians and music brands with consumer brands and how the merging of the two doesn’t have to mean a loss of artistic integrity if done in the right way.
Earlier in the day the very colorful (read pink) Mark Jones of Wall of Sound was joined by Niels Traedon of Live Nation to discuss ways on increasing income sources from live music. It’s evident that adding value to musical experiences is key and how new strategies are being taken by the mammoth Live Nation to add layers to the old school ticketing model previously adhered to by the brand. Mark Jones provided the artists perspective of the changes taking place in the live music model.
We love bowties in Thinkhouse, in fact we love anything with a bow. This week’s tune of the week comes from Janelle Monae a fellow bow enthusiast, we have in fact yet to find a snap of her without one. Janelle was a musical theatre song bird before she fell under the wing of a certain PDiddy and has been flying high ever since. This video for Sincerely Jane is a bit shoddy quality but you get the point. To hear the track sans background noise check out the track on Nialler9 he gave us the tip.
Following a week where 90million Euro’s worth of Ronaldo met Paris - and we all died a little inside, it’s a relief to find that there is still glimpses of depth and personality within the beautiful game…. One in particular is that cheeky little Gallic chappy – Frank Ribery.
The gifted Bayern Munich dribbler is one of a kind, seldom has there been a player who has taken to the European stage like Ribery. The player is admired universally for his behaviour on and off the pitch and the perfect personality for a brand to get creative with.
Nike and Adidas have been battling it out for some time now with their quirky football virals but this find has to be one of the best. To celebrate the controversial new, rather fetching PINK Mercurial Vapor Rosa kicks, Nike join hands with Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam to pay tribute to the iconic Pink Panther with a new video starring the mercurial Franky boy , check it out…. Maybe pink is the new black, hope not!
Fresh from a liitle trip to the White Isle, 2 of our Thinkers have been raving about this old Hed Kandi hit from Soulsearcher. Quite the anthem it seems, well we couldn't begrudge them their bliss so have instead embraced the happiness that is 'Feelin' Love.' Couldn't find a decent video though so this will have to make do.
It seems like every week a new technology comes out that makes us feel all 5th Element. Although in the latest case it actually makes us feel all Minority Report. Its' augmented reality and it's changing the way marketeers and advertisers think.
We aren't going to try and explain the technology here, you can learn about that elsewhere, but basically the technology allows computer graphics to be blended with real footage in real time. So by holding a tag in front of a webcam you can literally watch the tag come to life in an explosion of graphics in front of your very eyes. It has already been used on the LCD advertising screens found at London's tube stops and is set to start appearing a lot more over the next few months. Words really can't do this justice so check it out for yourself over here and keep an eye out for the latest edition of Popular Science magazine with its AR cover.
BBC Radio One has always been an innovator, its music policy ensures that all the smallest niches are catered for (even more so with 1extra) and its ability to have a laugh while still being a serious musical pioneer is truly laudable. Their latest jaunt into interactivity sees them producing a crowd sourced musical based (loosely) on the life of its drive time DJ, Scott Mills. It is currently under development by fans of the show submitting ideas via twitter, email and the purpose built blog (fans are being kept up to date via the same means). So far there are 13 songs submitted as well as some pretty impressive story lines. A truly great example of crowd sourcing and surly the ultimate in user generated content. Keep an eye on progress here.
We won’t mention any names but a few people in the office had written off any hope of a result for the boys in green in Sofia at the weekend.
Not a great game by all accounts but it was a draw (1-1) that strangely felt more like a victory, edging us closer to good times in South Africa. An awesome performance and a goal from Richie Dunne (pictured), gave us a well deserved point in the Vasilij Levski Stadium. The big man could well have been mistaken for a young Niall Quinn the way he rose like a salmon for the first goal…. such a shame Zinedine Kilbane was caught napping for the equalizer from the Bulgarians.
International rookie and purveyor of the finest London accent this side of the Irish Sea - Sean St Ledger was a rock in the defence whilst other stand out performers included Caleb Folan and that Waterford wise guy John O’Shea.
Italy visit Croke Park in October, could it be that we seal qualification for the world cup finals by defeating the Trap’s own countrymen, tickets can be found here , go on - do it!
Twitter has been forced to take action due to the barrage of complaints received about fake accounts in celebrities names. This has been a bit of a headache for the service provider and they plan to test a verification system this Summer according to the Daily Online Examiner yesterday. Faux stars on twitter include William Shatner, Megan Fox, Cheryl Cole and the Dalai Lama. Kanye West, ever outspoken, hit the caps lock and went let loose on his blog a couple of weeks ago about the problemo - see that rant right here.
The debate is whether twitter is liable for enabling the infringement of celebrities trademarks and they are potentially looking down the barrel of a number of big old libel and copyright infringement lawsuits. It's not to be forgotten however that Twitter is a great little tool and celebs like MC Hammer, Diddy and Ashton Kutcher have exploited it no end, so hopefully the law won't defeat the tweet and we can all live in twitter peace. Here at Thinkhouse HQ we just follow the celebs that are mates with Stephen Fry because as everybody knows, nothing gets past Stephen Fry. Ever.
Such was the drama in choosing our latest 'Tune of the week' that we are only getting round to posting it now. We had 3 big players in the running, two of which have been relegated to that 'another week' pile, no doubt to be forgotten about forever more.
On to the winner though, it's Passion Pit's Sleepy Head. Passion Pit released their first EP last year but are certainly seeing a little more action thanks to the current trend of cosmic sounding, trippy, dance floor friendly electronica (see also MGMT and Empire of the Sun)so currently in vogue. Interestingly enough this track contains a sample of an old traditional Irish song called 'Oro Mo Bhaidin', this version by Mary O'Hara.
Check out the interview with lead man Michael Angelakos over on state.iehere. Passion Pit play Oxegen on the 10th July.
The good people at Tower Records in Wicklow Street are serving up Ham Sandwich for lunch and Le Galaxie for afters (in musical form) on Thursday June 11th for the launch of the Sparks N’ Mind compilation album which is all in aid of Irish voluntary charity Aware. The album is crammed with some cracking cover versions of songs that have inspired the crème de la crème of our little island’s talent to begin their creative journey on that busy road of musical magic. Bands that feature on the album are Bell X1, Republic of Loose, Lisa Hannigan, Cowboy X, Damien Dempsey and The Flaws to name a few. The gig kicks off at 1pm with Ham Sandwich and Le Galaxie thrashing out the tunes later on at 5pm. Pop over to Tower Records and befriend Tower Records Ireland on facebook for further info and updates!
Now that marketeers have hi-jacked flash-mobs, it's great to see something as real as this video shot at the Sasquatch Festival recently. What starts out as a girl just filming a man's 'funny dancing', turns into a somehow slightly moving piece of footage of carefree human spirit... or maybe we are just reading too much into this.
This Friday Kormac takes over the Twisted Pepper for the second of his Bakesale gigs featuring the one and only DJ Yoda while the A$$QUAKE crew do their thing in the basement. DJ Yoda has been pushing the boundaries of traditional DJ-ing since his first ‘How to Cut & Paste’ compilation a few years ago. That series saw him splicing samples and tracks at a ferocious rate to create high octane and often funny mixtapes, the latest of which, the ‘Country & Western Edition', features the likes of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers … over breakbeats.
Yoda also pioneered his own style of VJ-ing, which sees him scratching and cutting up DVDs in much the same way he would a record in a DJ battle. Looks a lot better than it sounds in type, trust us. Just imagine a 24 foot screen with clips of The Muppets, Full Metal Jacket and Michael Jackson videos being scratched in time to a killer soundtrack.
A crumby video of Yoda in action
The night is hosted by local hero Kormac whose own show is quite the spectacle too, check out his recent Bodytonic podcast for a taster, it features some of his work recorded with full band. It’s 30s and forties swing influenced dance music for the 21st century. Sounds weird but it really works.
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Festival season has well and truly arrived. To celebrate we’ve compiled two looks to ensure that festival goers stay ahead of the fash pack in those fields. Here’s some hot picks below.
