Army of Me

I'm about ready to explode! I seem to be having some sort of creative burst and I need to write (fine, type) it all up before I go nuts, so here goes.

So we've just had this years Winter Solstice, A.K.A the shortest day. This day comes on 21st December every year and it usually kick-starts a lot of complaining from the general British public - I guess we'd have nothing if not the weather to talk about. I actually find the Winter Solstice quite exciting though. The shortest day can only mean the days are about to start getting longer again, right? Although I think Winter is under-rated. So the trees are bare and it's a bit grey at times but there's some real beauty to be found too. Especially if you look up.

I've got some soul-searching to do, so I've taken some inspiration from the Winter skies and decided to go on a solo mission to Iceland for my birthday in March. Weirdly John Grant was on 6 Music this afternoon and did an hour long show called 'Songs from a Darkplace'. It was about how Iceland is a hot bed for creative talent. It was a wicked show with guests like Bjork and Damon Albarn talking about their experiences of this dark island of fire and ice that sits atop the world. Needless to say, it's cemented my decision to go.

I've always been fascinated by Bjork. My Dad used to have a few of her albums on tape back in the day, I'd never heard anything like it! She  was experimenting with unusual instruments and was never afraid to try something against the grain. Like any music that goes against the status quo, her first solo album 'Debut' wasn't well received at first - it came at a time when the music industry was swamped with men playing guitars. But today I think it has more relevance than ever. Instead of looking back to the 90s for inspiration, new artists should look to the innovative way that Bjork used disparate genres to a record without losing her sense of identity. I think this is something that Icelandic artists generally do very well.

I learnt today that John Grant actually lives in Iceland, and owes a lot of his creative abilities to his inspirational surroundings. Damon Albarn wrote 'Beetlebum' during his stay in Reykjavik (in my opinion, one of the finest Blur records) and Led Zeppelin wrote 'Immigrant Song' when they did part of a tour there in 1970 -

"We come from the land of the ice and snow

From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow" - Led Zeppelin.

It sounds as though the beautiful landscape coupled with long, dark Winters brings out your creative side. Get me there!

A close friend of mine went to see Bjork in concert in Reykjavik a few years ago and raved about it. He said he'd take me there to see the Northern Lights and do some partying in the city but sadly he died last year and we never got to do it. So Benji, I'm gonna live up to our promise.

He stole all hearts away. He stole my heart away.

The World discovered that Morrissey has cancer this week. Now I know it's not a dead cert (inappropriate pun, of course, intended) that he's gonna feel the soil falling over his head any time soon but I can't help but feel, in typical Morrissey style, very gloomy about this prognosis. I'd kind of always hoped Morrissey would live forever and this is a painful reminder that only vampires are immortal.

I've had the good fortune to see Morrissey live twice and they were the most emotive gigs I've ever been to. Like, I wept, for real. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why I love him so much, I'd like to say it's something to do with my own miserable upbringing but I didn't have it half bad as a kid! The first time I heard Morrissey's voice was when I was about 16, and he really did steal my heart away, keeping it locked in his impressive quiff ever since. He made me laugh, he made me cry. That was all it took.

From that moment on I indulged in standard fanatic behaviour - buying the back catalogue of CD's from The Smiths to his solo albums (OK haters, The Smiths also introduced me to Johnny Marr, but that's another story), seeking out posters, basically researching the shit out of him on dial-up internet. I even got "There is a light that never goes out" tattooed on my right shoulder when I was 18. My friends didn't really share the passion, not that it mattered. Then I went to University.  A wealth of indie discos and equally indie friends. We were dead cool obviously.

As the years have gone by I've drifted in and out of interest for other bands and musicians, and admittedly I've gone through phases of fighting Morrissey in the never-ending iPod shuffle war. I haven't even explored a lot of his new albums, although I'm impressed with his ability to stick to his ethical and artistic guns. But when all is said and done I'll never tire of him. We've come too far. My love for this handsome devil was reignited again late last year when he released his autobiography. This was a comprehensive chance to really get to know him. I laughed, I cringed. It cemented my opinion of him - that yes, he really is a prick.

So Moz, babes, please don't go. Everyday will be like Sunday. Every day will be silent and grey.

Feel better my love xx

90s Movie Babes that made me wanna be a 90s Movie Babe

I enjoy nothing more than a daily dose of 90s fashion inspiration - which usually leads me no further than these movie babes of yester-year.

These beauties contributed to my passion for grunge as they showed me how to wear the look. From Dionne's (Clueless) wacky take on tartan to the childhood nostalgia of Mathilda's (Leon) chokers I've taken inspiration from these 90s movie stars and applied them to my own style. So thanks ladies!

Starting with everybody's favourite miniature femme fatale we've got Mathilda (Leon). Her signature denim shorts, black bob and sun choker spawned many'a fancy dress costume for years to come. But if like me you're a fan of the grunge look this is a style that'll incite some memories of your youth but still work on you as a adult. Mathilda is wise beyond her years so it's quite a mature look for a kid anyway - minus the fluffy bunny!

So while I'd listened to a few Nirvana tapes and outgrown Ladybird clothing by the age of 10 (ok, ALMOST), I still didn't know what the next step was for me in the style stakes. Until a neighbour a few years older than me invited me over to watch her new video - Clueless. This coming of age teen film awakened my interest in fashion (THAT wardrobe!) and I went on to pester my Mum for clothes far too old for my age. I settled for a fluffy pen in the end. But while Cher gets the lion share of the style credit, don't overlook Dionne's courageous fashion efforts that make her a total Betty. From her braid accessories to that Dr Seuss hat Dionne can pull off even the most outrageous fashion statements. Which is why she like, totally made the list.

I couldn't make a movie babe list without including Bianca Stratford (10 Things I Hate About You). She may have been undateable in the movie - only because of those damn house rules though - but she had the boys flocking after her and I developed my own girl crush on her outfits. I still WANT WANT WANT her prom outfit! Those flashes of mid riff and super cute strappy 90s mini dresses made her a firm idol of mine.

Nobody does 90s trash like Alabama Worley (True Romance). Now while her style is more call girl than grunge, I have to give her credit for her animal print pieces! I'm a firm favourite of leopard print - faux of course - and her unconditional love for Clarence from the very first moment that she meets him makes it impossible not to adore her on the inside too. And you gotta love those electric blue sunglasses.

Light as a feather, stiff as a board - many a sleepover was spent repeating this incantation with the hope of levitating a friend (being the smallest, I was usually said friend) just like the girls from teen witch movie The Craft. But it wasn't just the appeal of having magical powers that made me love this film, it was the gothic schoolgirl outfits of Nancy, Sarah, Bonnie and Rochelle that have secured them on my movie babe list. I love a good crucifix and this powerful symbol usually finds it way in to my jewellery collection in some way, shape or form.

And last but not least (although this is in no way an exhaustive list of 90s movie babes!) I've chosen Janet (Singles). This is a movie about a bunch of twenty-somethings living in an apartment block during grunge-era Seattle. So how could the female lead NOT make it to the list? Janet's classic grunge-girl look of plaid, ditsy floral, 15 denier tights and leather jackets made her the icon to end all icons for me. I'm pretty sure that if this was real life, we'd be friends.

Who's your favourite 90s movie babe?