Glitter, gin and guitars | let's talk festivals

With those tell tale signs of autumn starting to set in (who else can't wait for coats and scarves?), you'd have thought that the time to frolic in a field at a festival with a cider in your hand is well and truly over.

Well, you'd be wrong.

Bestival unofficially marks the end of the summer festival season, and in my opinion, the best is totally saved for last.

This year is my third year running at the festival, and to say I love the place would be an absolute understatement.

I like how it's not too big so you can still manage to get around the whole festival site in the one weekend if you tried, yet it somehow manages to draw some of the biggest crowds I've ever seen for bands and artists. Stevie Wonder in 2012 was a particular highlight and one that I'm very proud to cross off my bucket list.

If you're clued up on all things Bestival, you'll know that Saturday is the day for fancy dress. For those not so au fait, fancy dress doesn't mean you don a pair of cat ears and draw whiskers on your face; it means you create an outfit that's made out of a feather boa, a leotard and a snapback, it takes you weeks to make, and it creates a certain amount of difficulty trying to take it into the festival.

This year, the theme is 'Desert Island Disco', and I've put together a little mood board of inspiration and festival basics if you're headed to the Isle of Wight this year.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

I've included everything from dry shampoo and wet wipes, for those mornings of greasy hair and trekking to the toilets, to fresh kicks and trendy round sunglasses so you can look your very best when you have a little dance under the stars.

Keep your fingers crossed that the rain stays off this year - memories of a flooded Reading festival in 2009 still haunt me!

What are your festival must haves?

- Jess xo

Get Ready With Me | Saturday night edition

We've all seen the 'Get Ready With Me' blogs and YouTube videos, but what happens if you want a soundtrack to go with getting ready?

That's where my slight twist on the classic comes in handy - here's a couple of songs you can listen to whilst getting ready for a big Saturday night.

I'm actually going to a wedding this evening, so I'll definitely be listening to these whilst I'm getting my makeup done and I'm putting on a fancy dress to get me in the mood of dancing the night away.

1 | Redlight - 9TS (90s baby)

Redlight has enjoyed enormous success over the past few years and he's one of the best live DJs I've seen. This latest track is guaranteed to get you bouncing around your bedroom.

2 | Duke Dumont - Won't Look Back

Ah, Duke Dumont. I'm such a fan of everything that he does. Every one of his releases is different from the last, and every one is an absolute corker. 'Won't Look Back' is definitely one of my favourite late summer anthems.

3 | Ten Walls - Walking With Elephants

Ibiza has never appealed to me all that much, but with Ten Walls releasing this just before the summer it's made me yearn for the White Isle just for the possibility of listening to this while that all too famous Ibiza sun goes down in the background.

Those are my top three tunes to get ready to at the moment - what are yours?

- Jess xox

California dreamin'

As I watch movies, read books, and listen to music that uses the city as inspiration, my feet have recently started to itch. The bright lights, the diversity and the 'city that never sleeps' mentality is a world away from the sleepy little island where I live.

Image by Cuba Gallery

I travelled to New York in March and it made me realise that these huge cities hold so many little treasures (and, of course, these huge cities are also home to the biggest treasure of all - Sephora).

But ever since coming back, I've yearned to go on another adventure further afield where I can stretch my wings yet be safe in the knowledge that I have a roof over my head and a job to come home to.

And so, that leads me onto my next adventure - California.

Source unknown

The thing that probably attracts me to Cali (see how I'm already in with the lingo) is the fact that one city or town under the state umbrella is completely different to the next one.

Take San Francisco and Los Angeles, for example. One is home to a thriving arts and culture scene, where you can find as many bearded men on bikes as you could a Starbucks, and the other is home to Hollywood, which is probably the only place on earth where Botox is so commonplace that it's just like brushing your teeth.

Image by pixelmama

Victoria from Victoria's Vanity Case and I have decided to check out pre-planned tours - like Contiki, for example, where LLYMLRS is currently on one of their Asia tours - as I think it'll take the stress out of trying to organise day to day activities, it'll save wandering around an unfamiliar city with a map as a new best friend, and it'll be a great way to meet and be around new people in case spending hours on a coach with your best friend takes its toll.

I'm also just a huge fan of organised fun.

The only thing I'm a bit apprehensive of is if I like a place more than another or vice versa. What happens if I want to stay in San Francisco more than I do Santa Barbara? I guess it's just a risk you have to take with a tour like this and it'll be great to tick off so many places within one trip. 

Even though the trip probably won't take place until late next year, I'm already super excited. The travel nerves, anticipation of new experiences, and the memories will all make it worth it.

Have you been on a planned tour of any type or know of anyone that has? What are your experiences?

- Jess xox

Jessie Ware releases video for upcoming single, 'Tough Love'

The self-proclaimed princess, Jessie Ware, has released the video to her upcoming single, 'Tough Love'.

We are *so* happy to see Jessie Ware back in our news feeds. We've missed her.

Her new single, 'Tough Love', is due to be released on 3 August and is reminiscent of her 2012 album, 'Devotion'. There's nothing new or surprising about this new track, but that isn't a bad thing. We love her 80s style synths and breathy vocals - 'Tough Love' has all of that and more.

The video goes also goes perfectly hand in hand with the song. It's a record that's almost best listened to after dark, and the black and white shots of Jessie mixed with the club interiors of a young relationship creates a perfect imagery.

There's no news of an album to follow up the single just yet, but if 'Tough Love' is anything to go by, it's sure to be a corker.

Watch the video below. What do you think of it?

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alt-J release latest single off new album, entitled 'Left Hand Free'

What could brighten up a grey Monday evening more than some new alt-J music?

The boys have today (7 July) released a second track from their forthcoming album, 'This Is All Yours', named 'Left Hand Free'.

'Left Hand Free' is slightly different to their usual tone. It's distinctly rockier than any of their past material, and on first listen you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a slightly softer Black Keys or Beck track. It features a decidedly catchy riff and chorus, a honky-tonk piano, and a definite head nod to 1970s progressive rock.

It sounds completely different to the other single released from their forthcoming album, 'Hunger Of The Pine', which could be an indicator that the album, released on 22 September, will feature a wide range of styles and influences from across the board.

Have a listen below. What do you think?



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