Swinton: 'Just call me a film fan'

Never mind her Oscar-winning performance in 2007's Michael Clayton, British actress Tilda Swinton told a TIFF Mavericks panel on Sunday she's never called herself an actress.
"There's a number of words that make me heave, not because they're heave-worthy in themselves but because I don't feel like they really apply to me," said Swinton, decked out in a tailored black top, pants, and black shoes, at TIFF with yet another buzzworthy performance in the chilling British indie film We Need to Talk About Kevin from director Lynne Ramsay.
"There are two descriptions that I would feel happy with. One of them is 'film fan,' straight up, not a problem, I would take it, and the other one is 'artist's model.' But I never wanted to be an actor and I feel incredibly embarrassed and shifty if I get described as one 'cause if feels like it's fraudulent and I'm waiting for real actors to stand up and say, 'Guilty!' "
Swinton, 50, says she originally went to Cambridge University as a writer, before her agent introduced her to experimental filmmaker Derek Jarman who she would go on to make her early seven films in the mid-'80s with before his AIDS-related death in 1994.
"I was in London on the verge of becoming a gambler full-time, and I'm not joking," said Swinton who liked to play the ponies.
"Friendship is really what got me into the cinema in the first place. I think if I hadn't met him there's no way I would be a performer."
When asked if the modern day equivalent exists today she said: "This way of working is very clearly out there. It will never end. Generations will look to this model and will look to working this way and know it's an incredibly valuable way of working, particularly if you don't have any money."
American independent filmmakers discovered Swinton after she made a big splash in Sally Potter's gender-exploring 1992 film Orlando, casting her in such films as 1996's Female Perversions before Hollywood came calling with 2005's Constantine, The Chronicles of Narnia and Michael Clayton.
"Winning an Oscar, I still don't quite know what it means," said Swinton. "I wasn't brought up on this planet. I never wanted to win anything. The only thing I ever wanted to win was the Cheltenhem Gold Cup and I'm not a race horse!"
At the panel, many clips of her seminal films were shown by TIFF artistic director Noah Cowan, and she said of the process: "I'm very happy to be here with you all but it's real torture. It's like looking through that family album of photographs of yourself as a teenager that you hope nobody kept." 

Toronto 2011: Francis Ford Coppola unveils 3-D film 'Twixt'

Francis Ford Coppola's 3-D vampire movie "Twixt" made its world premiere Sunday afternoon at the Toronto International Film Festival, giving audiences a look at how the celebrated director of "Apocalypse Now" and "The Godfather" transformed a booze-soaked dream into a very dream-like film.

The film stars Val Kilmer as a washed-up writer of books about witches and Elle Fanning as a young female vampire; its conceit came to Coppola in a vivid sleep he had while in Istanbul, after a night of imbibing the strong Turkish liquor known as raki.

Filmed close to Coppola's wine country stamping grounds in Northern California, in towns such as  Guerneville and in Clear Lake County, "Twixt" is set in a place that is likely to please fans of "Twin Peaks."  

Kilmer's Hall Baltimore is a "bargain-basement Stephen King" who's on a self-run book tour, with a box of novels and a case of whisky in the back of his station wagon. He comes to the town of Swann Valley, a strange little place inhabited by off-kilter characters, including Sheriff Bobby LaGrange (Bruce Dern).

The town has a seven-faced belltower with seven clocks that never tell the same time, and seems to be spooked by a long-ago murder case involving a dozen children. Then there's the odd, slightly scary goth kids who have a campsite across the lake, and there's a dead body in the town morgue -- a teen girl with a stake driven through her torso.

There's no bookstore in town, so Baltimore is signing copies of his novel at the local hardware store, where he runs into LaGrange. LaGrange wants to team up with Baltimore to write a new book, a proposal that Baltimore is not super-enthused about until he hears LaGrange's idea and decides it just might work. Baltimore is down on his luck, hectored by his wife because they're broke and tormented by the death of his teenage daughter in a boating accident. (A detail that mirrors an event in Coppola's own life; his eldest son perished in a boating accident in the 1980s.)

Baltimore looks for further inspiration in his sleep, and encounters none other than Edgar Allan Poe in his dreams (a development that oddly echoes Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris," which also featured a tortured modern writer chatting with literary characters of the past). The scenes with Baltimore and Poe are ethereal, with an almost animated feel and a mostly black-and-white palette, with a few splashes of color -- the vampire's lips, Poe's yellow lantern.

Baltimore's attempts to get started on the outline of his novel are unexpectedly comedic, with Kilmer channeling various voices and characters (including a black basketball player) as he tries to write his opening lines.

There are two 3-D sequences in the film, one in the middle and one at the end. Coppola cleverly signals to audience members when to don their spectacles, with a sweep of a pair of 3-D glasses coming across the screen at the appropriate moment.

In an extended question-and-answer session prior to the screening, Coppola said the idea for "Twixt" came to him in "the wackiest of ways" after a night of drinking raki. Awakened by the Islamic call to prayer, he dictated the germ of the story into his iPhone and then developed the idea from there.

In explaining his influences for the film, Coppola said that he had always liked Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Young Goodman Brown" and that he had just read a collection of Poe's short works before coming upon the idea for "Twixt." "So I guess [Poe] was lurking there for me," he said.

Coppola said that "Twixt" was "a lot of fun to make" and that he hoped  it would be enjoyed in the same spirit. Just how soon audiences beyond Toronto will get a look at "Twixt," though, is unclear -- the film is still seeking a distributor.

The Man Replies: It 's Birthday Belleville Mature Big?

Q. And in 200 Belleville '2014 birthday? There are no plans yet to celebrate? Perhaps another big red shoes, so we have a similar pair?

- New Brunswick, Belleville

A. The only "shoes", you will see that time is one of Ed Sullivan "really big show" - a funny observation, which might even surpass Fest 175th city, Mayor Mark Eckert enjoyed in 1989.

In fact, you're jumping the gun a little, but next year, you can expect Eckert recommend that the City Council appoints a committee to start planning the party.

"It's a little early," he said. "But once we enter the first part of 2012, then we'll really start to make plans and have a group of people to start riding an idea of ​​what we do."

After all, I do not think we forget to say hello, George Blair, 10 March 1814, has asked the county seat moved to Cahokia a new, more centrally located in the solution in the middle of harvest? He shows his determination, Blair donated acres of land in the town square, cross the "Belleville" and "a beautiful city."

Now, Eckert is hoping to establish at least one wingding quartoseptcentennial compete with the city held a parade in 1989, and the ball at an auction, all culminating in a period of three days at the end of summer block party .

"What I would do and have not yet done is go back and pull the file to the 175th," said Eckert. "So we use it as a bit of a model, then we will begin to make plans and preparations, but if I have something to do with it. - If I have nothing to say - let's make this a very special celebration."

Q. Why is it called the Purple Finch, Purple Finch, when the breast is red? There is no purple dress Purple Finch, and I can say.

- Stephen Krause, of Collinsville

A. Trust me - your astute observation has not gone unnoticed by some of the best brains of the bird-of our time.

"(The name" Purple Finch ") may be misleading for a beginner, it is not purple, because we understand the term today, as is blue, or yellow," wrote Arthur Cleveland Bent in his 21-volume "Life of historic North American Birds. " "Crimson Finch would be a better name.

"However," he said Bent, "" purple "biblical and classical writers were very different from the Finch purple red man."

In other words, once you learn the history of color, the name of the bird may be less confusing. Long before the birth of Christ, seeking to recover from The Color Purple, that people saw in nature was an extremely difficult task.

Tyrian purple, for example, is a native of Tyre as early as 1600 BC It was produced by mucus gland hypobrachial of marine molluscs. Sound exotic? Well, get this: It would have been 12 000 shells to extract only 1 / 20 of a gram of pure color.

You can imagine how expensive it was. As a result, purple became the color of royalty because only the kings and queens can afford. Even the Roman emperor Aurelia reportedly rejected his wife's dyed purple silk dress, because you pay their weight in gold, according to a printing expert Dr. Richard Podhajny.

But as the Roman Empire fell, so did the use of Tyrian purple. In fact, the large scale production apparently stopped with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. He was replaced by expensive colors like a madman, a group of plants that produces a bright red dye.

Ten years later Pope Paul II introduced the "purple cardinal," which was a red dye extracted from the insect Kermes, according Podhajny. This tissue bright red, the color first luxury in the medieval period - and perhaps led to what you feel is inaccurate name of "purple" Well, because it was the color that people had come to associate with violet .

And just to show you that history is not all birds, Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, in 1917, the purple cardinal (Scarlet) and purple as the colors of the school.

Today, trivia

Just for fun: How many were only four letters of their names? (Think of a question, and not be too hasty in your answer.)

Answer to Thursday's trivia: To visit the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, you have to fly to Copenhagen, Denmark. There, about 20 kilometers north of Copenhagen, Denmark is the most visited art museum, with its famous collection of postwar art. Its unusual name comes from Alexander Brown, the owner of the property first, he called home after his three wives, all of whom were named Louise. The museum itself, which is included in Patricia Schultz's book "1000 Places To See Before You Die", was released in 1958 by Knud W. Jensen.

Breath Of Life Gala Promises An Evening Of Elegant Rights

Breath of Life Gala - a masked ball - the night promises to be a wonderful and elegant Royal entertainment, food, alcohol, and the company, while supporting the American Lung Association.

The gala will be held Friday, November 4, 2011 at 18:30 in the unique and majestic CastlePost in Versailles, Kentucky. Nicole Pence (Lex18 Morning News anchor) will host the event, which will include a buffet dinner, live music in Madison Avenue, a silent auction and the presentation of our Champion Award 2011 on lung health.

This prize will be awarded to Dr. Sibu Saha, a professor of surgery at the University of Kentucky, for their continued contribution to the fight against lung disease by a long career in thoracic surgery and research.

Breath of Life Gala is the UK Health Asthma, Allergy and Clinical breast. Other sponsors are Dr. Byron Wester Field, John Vanmeter, Castle Rock Central Hospital and Baptist Hospital. LEX18 is the media sponsor of the event.

Tables of eight are $ 1200 Individual tickets are $ 150 A limited number of tickets for young professionals $ 100. For reservations or more information contact the American Lung Association of Kentucky at 502-363-2652 or visit the event www.breathoflifegala.org.

This annual event benefits the American Lung Association in Kentucky, and his job is to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. The money was raised to Breath of Life Gala will help fund important medical research, campaigns and educational programs.

"Love Crime"

The Gallic "Crime of Love" is a psychological thriller film in two parts, in a battle as sharp as a knife, as the title of the event. Neither half of the story is compelling, but Shivers first sequences at least offer a flirt love-hate relationship between two powerful women executives.

They played with Kristin Scott Thomas, Ludivine Sagnier change the degree of intrigue and basic needs, and less subtlety. The latest film by Alain Corneau ("Tous Les Matins du Monde"), who died in 2010, is a bit 'dark fun until it turns ridiculous and unsatisfying, nonsense, dressed in a steely cold blood in September.

An intriguingly ambiguous after-hours work session between Christine (Scott Thomas, effortlessly monstrous) and Isabelle (Sagnier, straining) kicks off the drama. Its undertow of seduction courses through succeeding scenes, as the women take the roles of mentor and protégée to outrageous lows. Master manipulator Christine bores in on Isabelle's insecurity, all but delivering her into the arms of her own sometime lover (Patrick Mille, convincing as a man out of his depth). When Christine takes credit for one of Isabelle's great ideas, the younger woman is willing to chalk it up to the law of the jungle, until her assistant (Guillaume Marquet) goads her to stand up for herself.

Switching its focus from the too-vague-to-be-believed depiction of multinational finance, the film turns into a reverse-engineered police procedural of a perfect crime. But however finely jigsawed the puzzle, the calibration is off.

"Love Crime." No MPAA rating. Running time: 1 hours, 46 minutes. At the Laemmle Royal, Beverly Hills.

Music: Checking in with Ry Cooder

Ry Cooder's career has spanned five decades, with the only stylistic constant being exploration and change.
He came to prominence as a session guitarist in the '60s working with the Rolling Stones, Captain Beefheart, Taj Mahal and many others.
Since then, he's been best known as a visionary world music pioneer and an advocate for American roots music as an indigenous form. His new album is "Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down."
An interview:
Q: The title of the album is "Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down." What does it mean?
A: It's an invitation to have a conversation. Hang up the cellphone and let's talk for a minute, so I can tell you what I'm thinking. I like the line. It's a funny line.
Q: "Pull Up Some Dust" paints a grim picture of the state of affairs in this country. Is it a call to action, or more a therapeutic release for you on a personal level?
A: At this point in life, I'm 64, I guess I look back and say that all the music I've done was therapeutic in one way or another, or at least cathartic. It's what I do and all I ever wanted to do, but now we're confronted with these terrible tendencies in this country and I began to think that I want to do what Woody Guthrie or Charlie Poole did or what some old blues singer might have done, which is to talk about their life through song. It's one of the great things that American music is, or was.
You could say it's a call to action, which Pete Seeger used to say it was. He would sing a song to an audience, and this instantaneous transformation would occur into a mood and emotional tone of solidarity and unity and kinship. It's a tremendous thing.
Q: You're critical of the current state of the music industry. What are you listening to right now?
A: What I do to soothe my shattered nerves is listen to classical most of the time because it's very spacious, it isn't demanding, and it contains all the good stuff that I like -- mostly the French impressionists like Ravel and Debussy and cats like that. It's visual and depicts nature in a healthy way that I find comforting. I also listen to Mexican music a lot of the time -- boleros and the romantic stuff because I really love the melodies. It's very charming, and it suits my fondness for the period sound.
Q: Have you reached a point as a guitarist where you feel satisfied with your own playing?
A: Right now I am, as of making this particular record. It's not because of the record, but more the timing -- where I am along my path. I'm playing what I like. Instead of saying there's a certain amount of frustration or that something's missing, I'm playing good stuff and I can hear it, and I'm not struggling with anything anymore.
Q: Every time I advance musically, I feel progress but I also become aware of a larger universe of possibilities.
A: Luckily it doesn't have to stop. You can just keep going, and it sounds better all the time. As people get older they get better, or more interesting anyway. The emphasis becomes more about expression and awareness than speed and technique. I'm a big fan of (Hawaiian guitarist) Gabby Pahinui. The older he got, the more meaningful everything was -- the more that was being said with each note.
Q: Do you still practice? What are you working on right now?
A: Every day. As much as I can stand to sit around and play. I got this great mandolin from a guy up in Canada who makes these incredible f-hole mandolins, and it's so magnificent that I've been playing it all the time.
Q: What's next?
A: I don't know what comes next. ... I also have a paperback book of my L.A. stories that is coming out in a couple of weeks. That's not so much a career move as something I like to do, so what the heck? Projectwise, I couldn't say. You never know. I don't need to be all scoped out. I don't plan well, so I just wait and see.

Heritage Review Hove Girl

The family of a 16-year-old girl who died hours before she was due to receive her GCSE results have found out she passed them all.

Tragic Mia Knight was walking into the sea during a family holiday in the Algarve when she suddenly lost consciousness.

Lifeguards pulled her out of the water shortly after 2pm on Wednesday, and spent more than an hour trying to resuscitate her.

Despite the work of paramedics, Mia was declared dead on Carvoeiro beach close to the resort of Portimão at 3.30pm local time.

Family members described her as a “wonderful and beautiful child”.

Her stepfather, John Hall, said: “Mia had a lifejacket on and was wading out into the water where she intended to go on an inflatable ride when she became ill. She did not drown and we suspect she suffered a massive heart attack.”

Speaking from his home in Brighton yesterday, Mia’s father Nicholas, a builder, said: “I am completely destroyed by the news. I am still trying to find out exactly what happened to Mia.”

Hundreds of Mia’s friends at Hove Park School excitedly picked up their exam results on Thursday unaware of the tragedy.

As news of her death spread, more than 1,200 people joined a Facebook group and organised a gathering at the school last night to set off lanterns in her memory.

Headteacher, Derek Trimmer, said: “Our thoughts are with the family at this most difficult time.

The news has devastated the whole school community.”

Friends Saffron Franklin, 16, and Chelsea McCormick, 16, said: “We all went to collect our results just thinking Mia was having fun on holiday. When we realised what had happened, no one wanted to believe it was true.

“She was really bubbly and happy, always had a smile on her face. No matter what she was going through herself, she would sit there and listen to you. You couldn’t be sad around her.

“She was planning on becoming a hairdresser and did a part-time course at City College while also studying for her GCSEs. She already had a job at a salon.”

Mia’s family are still in Portugal arranging for her body to be flown home. The Foreign Office confirmed the death of a British national in the Algarve and said they were offering the family consular assistance.

Britney Spears And Bon Jovi Plans To Record A Duet

What do you get when you put two artists in pop history the best record in a room? It seems we're about to find out. Reports claim that Britney Spears and Lady Gaga is in the midst of planning a musical collaboration. The two queens of pop has been developed to hit after hit after hit individually, so you can imagine what kind of music that could create, if they put their artistic minds together? Not to mention a music video that can be developed ... but before I get.

Maybe we should have seen the next cooperation. GaGa was closed in Atlantic City Britney Femme Fatale Show earlier this month, and apparently met Spears backstage to throw ideas around possible duet. Sources told The Sun: "They sat for about an hour to gossip and talk of cooperation with the runway. GaGa already have two pieces in mind." Both artists have never been afraid boundaries of pop culture, whether it's the paparazzi or bitching at their unique sense of fashion (and hair) styles (shaved head and wear meat has never been). But, above all, are artists, and always knows how to give their fans a gift. Just recently, Spears approached the Jersey Shore DJ Pauly D on your right lap dance on stage during the presentation of lace and leather, and we all know Eyed Peas can be just as brave, if not more. I seriously hope this ends up happening because my iPod needs some new club music.

10 Tips To Keep Your Dog Cool

1. Always keep your dog a lot of water in the car and the hunting vest, no matter what the apparent temperature. Beam in a liter of water jugs, five gallon cans on the street, and a smaller, portable tanks on the field. Also carry several pounds of ice chest type cooler to cool the emergency dog.

2. Never assume that the natural power of water (livestock dugouts, ponds or streams) is the field (in hot weather, these sources can dry out), or that the water found in these places is a good ( and periods of drought, toxic agricultural chemicals can concentrate on them, or toxic algae can grow there).

3. Take the water and over the gun at the dog at all times. Pour all the dogs before, during and after a workout or training session. And, of course, follow the same procedure is hunting.

4. When the cool breeze on your face looks, suppose the area where your dog is the air temperature can be much warmer circulating shortly. So keep your gun hot dog hydrated inside and out all day.

5. When the weather is hot, game, exercise and train your hunting dog, sooner or later in the morning to avoid high temperatures. Generally, hunting is better than no matter what your dog will always perform better in cooler conditions.

6. Recognize the signs of canine heat stress, such as excessive panting, glazed eyes, ignoring orders, stumbling and falling, unable to rise.

7. Managing all the heat stress of such a serious disease that can be removed and can kill a dog no matter what race, general health status, or age. Assume that the heat-stressed dog may need medical attention, including an examination of travel and immediate veterinary treatment.

8. Heat Stress dog should be immediately cooled with water in the mouth (not force a dog to drink if you do not want or can not), ears, neck, abdomen, back and groin. Wring the hair and skin down to ensure that the cooling contact occurs.

9. When the transport of heat stressed dog cage or dog trailer, do a lot of ventilation is available to keep the tank dog becomes a deadly bath. Best of all, put the hot dogs in front of the vehicle air conditioning.

10. Put ice cubes in a crate for your dog as a guarantee that fresh water is always available when traveling on the road or sitting on a hot day. Consider the use of commercial products manufactured specifically designed to replenish lost fluids, minerals and vitamins such Gatorade, like dogs.

How to: Enhance with Color

Everyone knows by now how color can affect your living space. Though it’s been said a time or two before, it bears repeating. After all, we can all use a reminder every now and then! This is a guest post that was submitted giving us a nice round-up of color info:
Color is one of the most important elements in designing a room. Color can create a beautiful backdrop, or be the main focal point of a room. Color gives a room character and mood. Choosing a color is important because every color affects the mind differently. Warm tones are welcoming, while cool colors tend to make a room feel calm and tranquil. Although it isn’t simply enough to know how individual colors work in a room. Knowing how to bring those colors together is also an essential part of designing a room.
Knowing Your Colors
First let’s touch on a few of the more popular colors and what each does in a room. It is important to have a good understanding of what mood you want to set in a room so you can choose the colors that will help you create it. Understanding your color choices is essential before you start selecting furniture and accents.
Neutral Shades: Black, White & Brown
• White is often associated with innocence or purity, but on a wall it can be very cold and is often used as a background to go with another color. There are many shades of white from cool whites to warm whites depending ontheshade you use.
• Some people see black as a magical and masculine color with a lot of depth and drama, while others find it somber or uncomfortable. If used in small doses, it can add elegance to a room and set off colors close to it.
• Lighter browns give an earthy feeling to a room, but darker shades can feel overpowering. You can mix brown with shades of reds to absorb glare, so it’s extremely effective in rooms with harsh light.
Bright and Bold
• Red is very powerful. It is smart to use power colors like red as an accent and not as a main color in your decoration. Red creates a lot of drama, and compliments dark woods in formal rooms very well.
• Purple is great for a bedroom, den or library. The darker shades are regal and dignified while light shades are feminine and can make a subtle addition to many rooms.
• Yellow is a fashionable color that invokes energy. Bright shades of yellow can make a nice accent in a room, and paler shades make for an inviting space.
• Orange is a color that is associated with health and wellness. It is a stimulating color that can brighten a space. When paired with dark blues, greens and earth tones, orange can work very well for people that are not afraid of color.
Cool Colors
• Green is well used for bringing feelings of harmony and peace to a room. It makes a great background color, neutral color, or color for making balance in a room. The darker shades of green are also used to absorb glare.
• Blue is a favorite shade in bedrooms because it is known to create a feeling of serenity. Blue brings the spirit of energy and water to a space, and is commonly used in spaces where a tranquil feel is needed.
What do you think about these color “rules”? Do you believe any of them? Follow any of them? What have you discovered about color as it relates to your own personality and own home?!
This post comes courtesy of our “make a guest post” page. Got a great lead, product find or idea? Share yours and it could make it on the 2Modern blog! This guest post is from Brandon Cross, a regular contributor at Your Local Security. 

Colourful characters

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The sun is shining and the sky is blue as you step out in your shocking pink short-sleeved shirt and vivid green trousers by Jil Sander, a bright orange Gant sweater over your shoulders and vivid blue Fins shoes on your feet.
“Yeah, right,” you might say. “Tell me another.” Traditionally men have embraced colour in only the most discreet, veiled manner: against the background of a navy blue or dark grey suit, a flash of colour might appear in the form of a tie, a pair of socks or the lining of a jacket. Big, bold tints have been limited to polo shirts – and even then they tend to be faded by wearing and washing (or some similar pre-created effect).
Well, not this summer. This summer, risk has moved from the financial world to the fashion world courtesy of “colour-blocking” for men. Play it safe with your investments but take a chance on your wardrobe.
“Recent seasons have seen a trend towards austerity in the luxury market because of the economic crisis,” says Elisabetta Canali, communications director at Canali, which is offering mustard yellow trousers and a baby blue suit. “It seems that it was only a matter of time before brands began to experiment more freely with colour and break away from this.”
Charles Tyrwhitt, known for its serious office wear and classic casual clothes, has brought out chinos in shocking pink and bright red. “We’re also experiencing strong sales of our red and yellow chinos, royal blue loafers, bright pink socks and our blazers in bright colours,” says Nick Reed, the company’s head of buying. Similarly, Hackett has bright poppy shorts; Gant bright orange pullovers, rugby shirts in lime green, and pink jeans; and Kenzo safari jackets and suits in a brilliant pinky red, fluorescent green and cobalt blue.
“Men have always been quite good at incorporating splashes of colour into an outfit but colour-blocking takes the concept to an extreme,” says Julia Rebaudo, blogger at website Style Compare. “Colour-blocking in 2011 is about teaming up garments in bright solid blocks of colour ... That means no patterns or prints and minimal detailing.”
And, adds Tony Glenville, creative director at the London College of Fashion: “Men don’t have to worry about changing their lip colour or eye shadow because of shifting to a new colour, so actually they can be more daring. I think, especially for summer 2011, the City-style sharp tailored short offers a great colour option, as does the coloured shoe: flip-flop, espadrille or loafer.”
This season, alongside its signature brightly coloured moccasins, Fins has collaborated with London-based bespoke shoemaker T&F Slack to produce a collection of more formal leather footwear in bright colours with a contrasting rubber sole.
And when even Gieves & Hawkes, the epitome of understated Savile Row elegance, is injecting bolder colours into its ready-to-wear collection, a trend has clearly reached a tipping point. “David Hockney provides inspiration for our summer 2011 basics,” says Gieves brand director Will Forrester, referring to a palette of swimming pool blue, sea green, pop yellow and vibrant red.
Colourful clothes are associated with high status and “early adopters”, says Dr Colin Gill, a psychologist who has studied colour in clothing. During the 1960s, colour schemes were bright. “Then,” says Gill, “the 1970s was a time of great turbulence and so browns were more fashionable; by the 1980s you had blues and silvers, and then, in the recession of the early 1990s, black was very popular.”
Let’s hope there’s more to the trend for bright colours than meets the eye.

Punk-rock pioneer and painter, Langford is the medium

Mekons member to grace the Garibaldi with the Silos' Walter Salas-Humara

By Jon M. Gilbertson, Special to the Journal Sentinel

July 21, 2011 |(0) Comments

Jon Langford

Jon Langford is a talented painter and a talented musician, so when he decided to revisit his first solo album, 1998's "Skull Orchard," he thought it would be an opportunity to combine the two skills.

"It's more fun playing music than sitting on your own and painting," Langford said during a recent phone interview in advance of his show Friday night at Club Garibaldi with his longtime pal, Walter Salas-Humara of the Silos. "So I always try to nail the two things together. They come from the same part of my brain and address the concerns I have."

With "Skull Orchard Revisited," the main concern is South Wales, where Langford grew up. He added a book filled with paintings, photographs and reminiscences of his homeland, and also added a handful of songs.

In the book, he has the assistance of his brother and father. On the album, his revamping and expanding of the music features the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus, a large Canadian ensemble that carries on Welsh musical traditions.

"Having the choir on it suddenly gave me all this vocal power, and it was awe-inspiring," Langford said. "I realized that with 40 guys singing the songs, it reminded me of all the singing in Wales, from going to rugby and to church, and it was an element that really benefited the songs."

It also adds depth to an album that was essentially Langford's first attempt to take full control of a musical project. Until "Skull Orchard," his music came out through groups, including the pioneering art-damaged punk rockers of the Mekons and the barroom-country outfit Waco Brothers.

"I didn't really know what I was doing when I was solely in charge," Langford said. "It was a stripped-down rock album. The main crux of expanding it was to sculpt the stuff in a slightly different way."

Between that first try and the second one, Langford has added to his solo catalog with sharply observed and gently conceptual albums like 2006's "Gold Brick" and 2010's "Old Devils."

He's also continued to collaborate with other musicians on projects such as the three-volume compilation "The Executioner's Last Songs" and "Ancient & Modern," a new Mekons album due out in late September. The disc plants another signpost along the road of a band that has been recording and touring since 1979.

"It's been a factor constantly in my life since I was 19," he said of Mekons. "We wouldn't do it if we didn't think it was worth something - I don't mean financially. Sometimes it's really hard to get everything going, but when we're not doing it, we're thinking about when we're going to do it next."

His very next thing is his annual tour with Salas-Humara. "Every year we take a little trek around the country," Langford said. It's yet another entry on Langford's busy artistic schedule.

"I don't think it's restlessness," he said. "I just think I work a lot of different ways. Music is a very collaborative art form, and I'm a common link between a lot of these projects. I'm really privileged with a healthy situation. Just trying to get through modern life to have some time to work is my problem."