thinking is the new black

Music and politics have  a long interesting relationship and it’s pretty normative to argue that there is a political element to subculture and style. When one drills down it is usually a little more complex than politics with a big P. More like music and socio-cultural, political economy, or music and hegemony.  I guess it’s because music is ideological, and genres are discourses.

This year in May I went to The Specials gig in Leeds town square, which was awesome. Not least of which was because there was a great crowd of diverse people and all age groups on a beautiful sunny warm evening, jumping up and down, dancing and singing along. (And I met Terry Hall at Leeds trains station the next day btw). The band have  amazing on stage energy and Terry Halls’ voice is still fantastic. What got me thinking recently is the relationship between the current economic climate and the music. There’s been quite a bit of press about the band reforming, but it is interesting that The Specials are being so well received by new fans and just as their music captured a political mood the first time round it is culturally, socially, so relevant at the moment.  As a Sunday Times review said

 …how fresh and joyful their music sounds — and how vital and relevant their songs’ sociopolitical sentiments, chronicling life amid the racial, economic and class divisions of late-1970s Britain, remain in 2009.Formed in Coventry during the last economic recession to drive a failed Labour government out of power, they blended ska, punk and politics, proving an instant hit with a generation fired up by the Sex Pistols and the Clash

 

Interesting, more in depth discussion here

i’ve been a fan of Ska and TwoTone pretty much since I could hear. As a kid in the late seventies and early eighties it was a sound that was played round the house by my older siblings and parents. Also I was lucky enough to spend a little bit of time in The Caribbean during the eighties so I had a context to some of the rocksteady and reggae influence. I kinda rediscovered the music in my late teens and went to a lot of gigs in pubs. Although I was very much into techno, dance music and free parties and campaigned against the criminal justice bill, I think at the time with Ska I read a lot of antiestablishment sentiment into the lyrics that had escaped 1st time and for me it tied in to my take on life as a young adult in the 90s recession. As a kid I simply loved the upbeat sound but didn’t think much about what it all meant. The sound is so happy, uplifting and energetic, it’s perfect for doing that special kiddie uncoordinated jigging about dance, where you can hear the music but to adult observers you are dancing to a completely different rhythm. Oh and just brilliant memories of moonstomping at house parties and cockney knees ups in East London and seeing some of The Specials perform at an Anti-Nazi gig in Viccy Park. But it is curious to me that the sound raises it’s head again during such times. The cultural effects of the recession are paradoxically rich.

It is very important if you blog to mention the credit crunch. Content is king and these two little words in combination are grande buzz wordos en el blogospheros. Credit crunch, credit crunch, credit crunch. That said, I would like to introduce the fashion practice of chiconomics and to tell you I’m on cardi-watch. In November last year my life changed forever when I was shopping with my big sis in Selfridges, and I tried on the Missoni Avorio wool cardigan coat. For a short while I was enveloped is soft, warm, designer loveliness beyond anything I can really describe. Sadly the coat was priced around £800 which is beyond the budget of a lowly symbolic analyst in waiting (sob). However, it matched my wooly raspberry Uggs so exquisitely that in lieu of actually buying it I thought I’d simply keep it on for a time, whilst I window shopped in the Dries Van Noten concession. Oh it was heaven for 10 long minutes – the cardi was mine. That is, until I had to put the shop assistant who was nervously trailing me around Selfridges 2nd floor out of her misery, and explain that I had no intension of buying the cardigan and not to worry I was neither a loon nor a shop lifter. She responded so graciously as I took it off and handed it over, by telling me that it really suited me. Bless her.

The next best thing to buying, is wearing a garment just for a bit. Much more satisfying than window shopping and cheaper than actually purchasing. I highly recommend it, and it’s my top tip for the credit crunch. I was in Harvey Nichols in Leeds on Saturday, and I did the same thing with one of this seasons Roberto Cavelli knock out dresses. There is no point buying such a thing unless you have a yatch in Portafino, which is the only accessory that will do for that sort of dress. Why waste £875? 

Back to cardi watch. I still really want it & I think about it all the time. It’s reached 30% off on net-a-porter, but I remain firm that I will not purchase it until the price drops a bit more, Missoni or not. It must reach a price that it still cheaper than going on a knitting course at Central St Martins and buying my own flock of sheep to make the wool.

But seriously, no seriously. WTF is going on with the shopping frenzy??!! Yes there are some amazing discounts to be had out there at the mo ( I found £600 off a Prada dress on Saturday) but aren’t we supposed to be in a recession? Burberry were almost giving away clothes on Regent street before Xmas and I heard Superdrug announce an online sale of 99% on Xmas day. That’s not a typo btw. I do mean ninety nine. As I bagan to trawl the retailers of Missoni last week, I can only describe scenes of utter madness something along the lines of a shoal of piranhas stripping the flesh off a plump calf having a paddle.