Friday, May 27, 2011

Retro: Kimmer

Retro: Kimmer

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DICK WAGNER'S TOP 10 INFLUENCES

Posted: 27 May 2011 09:52 AM PDT


Dick Wagner

Kimmer" my sweet friend....You asked me to give you a list of my favorite recordings from my past...and so I shall attempt to compile a basic top ten records that thrilled me upon first listening. These songs kicked my ass as a teenager. Warning...I'm older than you and your readers, so some of these may be barely remembered....


1. LONG TALL SALLY, Little Richard

A seminal Rock record with Little Richard at his most compelling. Deeply influenced my pathway into music.



On first listen, I could not believe what I'd just heard. The power, the intensity, the sound. Major influence.

2. HEARTBREAK HOTEL Elvis Presley

On first listen, I could not believe what I'd just heard. The power, the intensity, the sound. Major influence.



3. STAGGER LEE, Lloyd Price

Man did this record rock! The story lyric was an example of humorous bloodletting blues. Too Cool.




4. ONLY YOU, The Platters

Made me recognize my own romantic heart. That voice felt like it was me seeking the always elusive love, just beyond reach. Young Love.



Made me recognize my own romantic heart. That voice felt like it was me seeking the always elusive love, just beyond reach. Young Love.


5 ONLY THE LONELY, Roy Orbison

Unrequited, the lonely heart breaks. Teenage angst. Loved it then, still do.



6. GONE, Ferlin Huskie

Another initiation into the broken romantic heart. Really a country record before I knew the difference.


8. SALLY GO 'ROUND THE ROSES, ??
Mysterious, haunting, delicious vocals




Classic distorted guitar classic tune. I couldn't stop listening and discovered the heart of Rock guitar. Totally Cool.


8. SALLY GO 'ROUND THE ROSES, The Jaynetts



Mysterious, haunting, delicious vocals

9. SCHOOL DAYS, Chuck Berry

My introduction to lyrical, genius Rock music with great guitar riffs. Founding father of Rock.




10. DROWN IN MY OWN TEARS, Ray Charles

A fantastic introduction to the blues, Ray was live and the band was phenomenal. 1956 genius of Ray Charles Album

[New post] The X-Men Return to the Age of Apocalypse!

The X-Men Return to the Age of Apocalypse!

The Dark Angel Saga

By Rick Remender and Billy Tan
Despite the moniker bringing back memories of Rob Liefeld, shoulder pads and cylindrical rifles, Uncanny X-Force is a thrilling series, perhaps the best of the mutant books after X-Men took a dive with its Spider-Man guest issues. A black ops assassination squad charged with doing the dirty work that must remain secret, X-Force was formed by Cyclops after the events of the Messiah CompleX. When this knowledge became public, he shut it down, only for Wolverine to start it up again, this time without the approval of Scott Summers.

The newest version of X-Force is a mixture of the old and the new; team leader Wolverine, Psylocke, Archangel and newcomers Deadpool and Fantomex. I was dubious about the series, to be honest as the Chris Yost series was a blood-filled over-the-top massacre a month that I thought could not be topped. The rebooted and renamed series under Remender doesn't attempt to replicate its predecessor, however, and instead concentrates on character development and plots that challenge the team in their level of danger. The first mission involved the rebirth of Apocalypse, the second was a duel with the Shadow King. This series does not mess around.

One of the continuing threads of the Uncanny X-Force has involved the confused and complicated state of Warren Worthington III, the high-flying Angel. One of the founding members of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (no matter what Matthew Vaughn says), Worthington was a pretty rich boy with nerves of steel. In the 90's, he was assaulted in the Morlock Tunnels, his wings clipped. Desperate and depressed, Apocalypse offered him a new life by giving him back his wings, sharp metallic blades that transformed him into the Angel of Death, Archangel. A blood-thirsty and deadly creature, Archangel was a totally different character from the Angel readers become familiar with. After betraying Apocalypse and rejoining the X-Men, he was still a changed man, both physically and mentally. A door had been opened in his mind revealing a savage killer.

The intervening years have been complicated for Warren to say the least, but most recently he has reverted back to his old feathered playboy form, seeming to finally be at peace. That image was shattered when he willingly reverted to Archangel and back again. Dipping into the darker recesses of his psyche, Warren was able to use his Archangel self as a member of X-Force without consequences, or so it seemed. In the Uncanny X-Force, Betsy Braddock (Psyclocke) has been helping him in therapy sessions to develop psychic blocks to restrict the power that his darker self has over him.

It appears that this has failed.

In the previous story, Archangel and Psyclocke were both taken over by the Shadow King, the evil psychic entity who had also taken over a soldier in charge of a nuclear missile aimed at the X-Men's island home of Utopia. Breaking control, Warren was able to free himself, Betsy and soldier from the Shadow King's hold, yet he still killed the soldier in a momentary fit of rage. The act remained secret from the rest of the team who assumed that Warren did what was necessary until video footage was leaked to the press, specifically a newspaper that Warren Worthington owns.

Wolverine launched onto the scene just as Archangel was about to murder the reporter, intent on revealing the truth about the X-Men's secret hit squad. The battle was fierce and revealed that Wolverine respected his teammate far too much to kill him, no matter what the threat. It fell to Betsy to use her psychic talents and pacify Archangel long enough to get him into a restraining cage.

With no other expert on Apocalypse' technology or methods, the team decide to spring the Dark Beast from captivity. A distorted version of the furry genius of the X-Men and Avengers, the Dark Beast is one of the soul survivors of an alternate reality known as the Age of Apocalypse, a twisted reality where Professor Xavier died before his school could be formed. The Dark Beast theorizes that the death of Apocalypse at the hands of X-Force has caused Warren to become the avatar of Apocalypse, a being placed on Earth by the Celestials to push forward the evolution of mankind. The only option to 'heal' Warren involves an expedition back to the alternate reality where the Celestial plan has succeeded and Apocalypse reigns supreme.

The X-Men have been struggling of late to find their identity in the Marvel Universe. It has been a relatively smooth process, but the main series has wavered in quality to be honest. Both New Mutants and X-Men Legacy have just finished their Age of X story line, but the main X-Men book is just getting started in gaining traction under new series writer Kieron Gillan. It's a solid start, but for my money the real action is happening here in X-Force.

One of the most fondly remembered events that brought in new readers (and creators) to the X-Men comics, a return to the Age of Apocalypse may be just the thing to get fans of the series reinvested in the merry mutants. With the upcoming X-Men First Class film (opening June 3rd), people will be looking for a comic to fill an X-shaped need. The Uncanny X-Force is a good place to start. It's not a traditional X-book and stars an unusual cast of characters, but Remender's scripts have been just fantastic so far, making it a critically hyped monthly series.

Recommended:

Uncanny X-Force: The Apocalypse Solution

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Latest articles from Retro To Go

Latest articles from Retro To Go


Sunny Side Smile Dress from Bettie Page Clothing

Posted: 26 May 2011 10:30 AM PDT

Sunnysidedress

For undeniably summery retro looks, the fifties is always a favourite decade in fashion inspiration. Thanks to their penchant for youthful and feminine frocks, Bettie Page Clothing often get it spot on, with items like this Sunny Side Smile Dress.

The structure is simple but effective, with a thick strapped top and full skirt to balance. The inclusion of a waist-cinching belt and the notched collar detail add some cute detailing, along with the almost kitschy sunflower print throughout.

It's now available online from ModCloth for $123.99.

Find out more from the website

Lilly Wallpaper

Posted: 26 May 2011 06:56 AM PDT

  Lillywallpaper


The Lilly Wallpaper by Sandberg is a design that will have equal appeal to children and their design-conscious parents.

The wallpaper features an imaginative landscape of hills, trees and trains in a Scandinavian folk art style, designed by Lotta Kvist. It is available in pink/turquoise, brown/green or green/yellow. Sandberg use old-fashioned processes to make their wallpapers, runing their own wallpaper machines at slower speeds than other wallpaper manufacturers and hand-painting the edges of their wallpaper. The paper costs just under £79 per roll. There is also a fabric in the same pattern available, priced £51.61 per metre.

Order online from the Scandinavian Design Center.

Hepburn Bed by Matthew Hilton

Posted: 26 May 2011 06:35 AM PDT

L_UT60312 
The Hepburn Bed by Matthew Hilton for De La Espada is a recent design with clear midcentury influences.

The bed is raised by solid wood legs in that splayed style so popular in midcentury design. The bed comes in sizes, English King or Super King, with a choice of either oak or walnut for the legs and a good choice of upholstery fabrics for the headboard. The English King size in Oak costs £2,890 and the Super King size costs £3,126. Add £48 to these prices for the Walnut option.

Order online from Utility Design.

eBay watch: 1980s Lotus Esprit 2.2

Posted: 26 May 2011 06:00 AM PDT

Lotus

Ok, it's not the James Bond variation - no option to go underwater and no firing of missiles here. But you can pick up this Lotus Esprit 2.2 for much less than the movie car thankfully.

This is a later 1988 model, but still with much of the look, perhaps with a few more rounded edges, but still unmistakably the Lotus Esprit. According to the seller, this two-seater has a 2,174cc engine, 65,000 miles on the clock, all the documents and MOT certificates, removable glass sunroof, alloy wheels, electric windows and mires plus modern additions like a 12-CD multichanger.

It's been in storage for two years, so you'll have to take that not account. But on the plus side, you get the personalised plate. £4,000 is the current asking price if you want to turn some heads.

Find out more at the eBay website

For sale: 1960s midcentury-style Man House by James Hunter in Woolton, Liverpool, Merseyside

Posted: 26 May 2011 03:30 AM PDT

Wool1

Midcentury in Liverpool? You'd better believe it. Even better, this this James Hunter-designed Man House in Woolton, Liverpool, Merseyside is on the market right now.

It's a midcentury-style bungalow, dating back to 1964 and the work of American architect James Hunter. It's a hoyse that boasts space, both with a large plot and an open plan design reminiscent of that era. Yes, it has been modernised, but the work undertaken has maintained the character of the original house.

Wool2

The accommodation comprises of an open planning kitchen/dining area which opens out into a spacious lounge, three good sized bedrooms and a separate bathroom and w.c. The overhanging flat roof is supported by 'maple' solid wood beams and is covered by a rubber membrane commonly used in commercial construction for its durability. Externally there are landscaped gardens to the front, back and sides of the property with the addition of off road parking.

Wool3

Plenty of images at the agent's site if you want to see more. The asking price is £539,995 if you see yourself living in Man House.

Find out more at the Move Residential website

Via WowHaus

Apple cushion by Too Much Too Young

Posted: 26 May 2011 02:08 AM PDT

Too much apple
We've featured some of their kids sets before but if you're grown-up and want to get a bit of Too Much Too Young's style, take a look at their apple cushion.

The design echos the naivety and 60s/70s style of their designs for children, showing the simple outline of an apple. It's printed onto white cotton with a suitably apple like cushion back. 

A stylish way to get one of your five a day, the cushion costs £25.

Buy it from Bouf

Ingela city prints from Lagom

Posted: 26 May 2011 02:07 AM PDT

Ingela Paris

Ingela Arrhenius has been a frequent visitor on this site recently, from her alphabet print to her dish cloths design. However, how can we resist showing you more when she keeps coming up with designs as attractive as these city prints, available from Lagom?

She's produced prints, illustrating the delights of three of our favourite European cities. Each shows some of the city's landmarks and unique charms, as seen through the eyes of a Swedish illustrator and executed in her retro style. The baguettes, macaroons and Mona Lisa of Paris is shown in the print above, while you can check out London's pubs, punks and city gents over the page. The third city? Some Swedish style courtesy of Stockholm. 

Each print is limited to 200 and cost £45. 

See them online

Ingela London

USA College Sweatshirt from ASOS

Posted: 25 May 2011 10:15 AM PDT

Usasweatshirt

Among the many retro brands and retailers turning out great vintage inspired fashion of late, there's still many looks which remain relatively unexplored. For a more casual retro look there's not much choice, which makes finds like this USA College Sweatshirt from ASOS all the more special.

Taking inspiration from US frat style, the sweater is adaptable to a great variety of retro looks from fifties right up to eighties styles. With a skinny fit to create a more feminine feel, the high neckline and cuffed hem create a classic silhouette, while a washed red colour adds some worn-in vintage appeal.

It's available from ASOS now for £25.

Find out more from the website

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