My latest iTunes download was the 2007 album What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf? by The NOISEttes. Fronted by the astonishingly fashionable Shingai Shoniwa, The NOISEttes have a sound that’s an amalgamation of punk, soul, blues, and good ol’ rock and roll. Their music is dark, heavy, sexy sexy sexy and I just had to have it!
Shingai Shoniwa sings like a songbird raised by Billie Holiday and Siouxsie Sioux and godmothered by Beth Gibbons of Portishead. She patrols the stage like a Runaway (Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Sandy West) and the way she rips on the bass would make Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart proud.
They’ve been likened to the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and the White Stripes but the dynamic collaboration of guitarist Dan Smith and drummer Jamie Morrison, who complete the trio, has the Noisettes in a category that teeters on Afro-Punk and indie-rock at it’s finest.
But let’s get back to Shingai’s eye for fashion. This girl is hot. The fiery frontwoman flaunts feather-and-war-paint stage attire mixed with elements of the London punk scene, all while pulling from her Zimbabwan roots, where tribes express themselves in the way they dress.
Music, outfits, and big earrings—all the makings of a fashion icon.
Check the shots of Shingai’s style below:
More on Shingai Shoniwa, The Noisettes and the Afro-Punk movement after the jump!
I had the pleasure of meeting Ruby Veridiano Ching earlier this year and I was instantly impressed by her. She’s a co-founder, and only female member or spoken word collective ill-Literacy and she just published her first book of collected poems called Miss Universe. Her book is out of this world (pun intended) and you can read the review here and get the book here. She also released an “intergalactic soundtrack” to go with the release of Miss Universe that you can listen to here. We took some time to chat with Ruby about her writing and inspiration and this lady just does not stop! Check out the full interview after the jump.
1. When did you start writing?
I started writing at 12, writing “nursery rhyme” type poems for my boy crushes- I remember writing one for the guy that played Rocky in “3 Ninjas.” Does anyone else remember that movie? Oh, and the Green Ranger too.
Then I took it a little more seriously during my senior year in high school, when I discovered Langston Hughes. I didn’t know until then the power of language, and the art of crafting words to look and sound beautiful; creating legacy in prose. Special thanks to my English teacher, Ms. Londahl! She’s my hero. She let me explore Langston Hughes in the back of the classroom while everyone else was doing their vocab exercises.
“We’re gonna take it week by week. If she wins, I’m done. I can’t do that for four years. And by ‘I’m done,’ I mean I’m leaving Earth.”
Tina Fey can do pretty much anything. So I totally believe her when she says she’ll do a Stephen Hawking and hop a Virgin Galactic rocket to space…Okay, she didn’t say that exactly…but you get what I’m trying to say—VOTE OBAMA!
When I received the manuscript for Miss Universe, I was excited to read it because it’s been quite some time since I’ve read some poetry. I found Ruby Veridiano-Ching’s collected writings inspiring and healing, with Ms. Veridiano-Ching showing a wisdom beyond her years. She’s mother-figure, sister, best friend - all wrapped into one. Ms. Veridiano-Ching speaks to all women, gives voice to their innermost thoughts, insecurities and vulnerabilities, and in sharing, she makes us realize we are not alone in our self-defeating thoughts.
Ruby Veridiano-Ching’s poems and writings cover a period of her life where she explores what it means to be a young, independent woman. She writes about everything from love lost to racism, but in a casual approachable way. Just because she writes poetry doesn’t mean that you won’t find a “hella” thrown in or references to pop culture. I ran through her writings so quickly, completely absorbed in her words, at one moment near tears and the next letting out a big laugh. Ruby has so much to say and so much to share and I think Miss Universe is definitely something you should treat your mind to. Miss Universe releases later this month on October 26th, complete with a launch party at Milk in San Francisco. Miss Universe is a multi-faceted project that includes it’s own “soundtrack” and Ruby even designed a pair of earrings with the ladies of Made Jewelry. Stay tuned with more news on the release and for pictures of the earrings!
This upcoming election may be the most important one in our lifetime, with issues such as equal pay and Roe vs. Wade at the forefront of national discussion. And with Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin running for office, women are beginning to confuse her as an icon of feminism, which is defined as “”the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.” Contradictory, no?
Well the real icon of feminism, Gloria Steinem, sits down with writer Suheir Hammad and talks about the misconceptions of feminism, not being a breeder, women in the workplace, and of course, Sarah “the Flintstones were real” Palin.
“Having someone who looks like you and behaves like them — who looks like a friend but behaves like an adversary—is worse than having no one.”
Make sure you read up an all the issues that are being discussed this election that can affect our rights as women, as well as our daughters and granddaughters!
Last night I tuned in to Lifetime’s Coco Chanel, the story of the rise of one of the greatest fashion designer’s ever. Not only a fashion icon, Gabrielle Chanel is an inspiration to women and is the embodiment of the “modern woman,” a woman fiercely independent with a strong will and desire to achieve her dreams. I had expressed some doubt as to the casting, Ms. MacLaine as the grand dame of fashion was a bit of a stretch for me, but I tuned in nonetheless. If it’s about Chanel, I’m there! The film was about Mademoiselle’s youth and her rise from orphan to successful, independent designer. Barbora Bobulova played the “young chanel” and I think she did an amazing job. She had a believable French accent, resembled the young Gabrielle and gave life to Chanel’s struggles and emotions. I wish they aged Ms. Bobulova with make-up (as they did her cousin Adrienne) rather than cast Shirley MacLaine as Chanel. In a word, she was awful. Somehow, with age, Chanel lost her French accent. MacLaine didn’t even attempt a French accent - if she did it was barely noticeable. She sounded like a “hat check girl” in a Chanel costume and her lines were Chanel quotes strung together as “dialogue.” Thankfully, the film actually starred Barbora Bobulova and not Shirley MacLaine as the film was promoted. The film concentrated on Chanel’s youth with bits of older Chanel (MacClaine) telling her story. Though I detested the parts with MacLaine in it (I swear, it was really that bad), I actually did enjoy the film and it was wonderful to see Chanel’s early rise brought to life. I would definitely recommend viewing this, though you may want to plug your ears for the MacLaine lines, and if you missed it last night, tune in tonight to Lifetime at 7 pm.
P.S. - It seems like a lot of ladies are wondering who played the handsome Boy Capel - we’ve investigated for you and it’s Olivier Sitruk.
Our girl TOOFLY just got back from Berlin where she took part in a We B*Girlz event, Hip-Hop Ladies with Attitude “So Fresh and So Defâ€? exhibit and much more and she’s got some amazing flicks to share!
Ladies, I thought I’d do something a little different and take you on a trip to the early ’70s with this one…
Third Wave was a pop jazz vocal group consisting of 5 teenage Filipino sisters from Stockton, Californiathat was discovered by funky keybordist and long time Frank Zappa collaborator George Duke. Duke brought the sisters over to Germany in 1970, where he produced and recorded the album ,Here and Now for German label MPS. The album is a beautiful collection of bossanova-sunshine-psych-pop-jazz numbers with vocal harmonies that will knock your socks off and infectious and catchy melodies that will send you California Dreamin’ ala The Mamas and The Papas.
