No this isn't an MJ post - but it does involve similar sentiments to that song.

Do you believe in climate change? CAUSE IT DOES EXIST, Y'ALL.

Them peops at Oxfam have sorted out a masssssssive line-up to raise the awareness. YES THE GODDAMN POLAR ICE CAPS ARE MELTING, and it might seem as remote to you as that, but it DOES AFFECT US. And even more so in some of the poorest parts of the world. Damn, poverty and the apocalypse at your doorstep - not so cool, huh? So how's about getting informed through song and dance and other handy learning tools?

This year, Oxjam's aim is to help create awareness and raise funds for the fight against the devastating effects climate change is already having in other parts of the planet.

Here's the line-up so far for you with some wicked people to check out, including our friends over at 88 Days, Afrikan Boy, David E. Sugar, Isa GT, Joy Orbison, O. Children and Toddla T amongst many...

88 DAYS | AFRIKAN BOY | ALEX SHERIDAN | THE AWE KIDS | BESS CAVENDISH | BLABBERMOUTH | BLAISE BELLVILLE | DJ BLAKEY | BRACKLES | THE BROOKES BROTHERS | CHRIS AIDY | DAVID E. SUGAR (KITSUNE) | DEAD KIDS |DEADLY RHYTHM DJS | THE ELECTRIC FLOWERS | EXAMPLE (+ DJ WIRE) | MC GAFF E | GUY PRESTON | HERVÉ (THE COUNT) | ISA GT (LIVE PA) | IS TROPICAL | JACK BEATS | JESSE MONROE | JIMMY SCREECH | JONNY LAND | JOSH BRAY | JOY ORBISON | KAL LAVELLE | KAVS RAVE | KAY ELIZABETH LAZARUS CLAMP | MARLON ROUDETTE OF MATTAFIX | MARTELO | O. CHILDREN | ONEMAN | THE ORIGINAL AFRICAN INDIANZ | PASTE | RADIANT DRAGON | RAVE WITH NO NAME DJs | RUM SHEBEEN |SCRATCH PERVERTS | SCREAMING TEA PARTY | SEB GENOVESE | TAYO | TEK ONE | TODDLA T + LADY CHANN | TROJAN SOUNDSYSTEM | VIVIAN VOLTA | YINKA (SABATTA)

+Many more yet to be announced and extra special guests

Oxjam Brixton (Sunday October 25th 2009, midday – 4am)

Oxjam Brixton tickets, £12.50 (£10 concessions): http://www.wegottickets.com/event/59784

More information: www.oxfam.org.uk/oxjam | www.oxjamsouthlondon.org.uk

Devendra

Devendra Banhart turns Phoenix's 'Rome' into a softly pretty affair in comparison to the jangly, skippy and reverberating guitar lines (in that order) of the rather epic-in-the-vein-of Coldplay feeling original.

Whilst still retaining the atmosphere of the track, Banhart concentrates on the underlying sentiments of the song; using acousticky guitars, muted synths which sound sweetly hollow, and as if the wind is blowing through them somehow. A super lovely interpretation, I prefer it to the original! Cop it below the Phoenix boys:

Phoenix

Margiela's mask

FRANKEN-FASHWAN! What a delightfully dark and of course, inevitably beautiful-to-look-at concept. It's the theme of the latest issue of Dazed and Confused, where they roped in a bunch of designers like McQueen, Gareth Pugh, Margiela, Chalayan, Cavalli and Castelbajac to make masks for them (cue me seething with jealousy).

Anyway, as a part of this issue, director Alex Turvey made a short film that was screened at the British Film Institute, which included everyone's favourite hair artiste Charlie Le Mindu being commissioned to make wigs exclusively for the film. Menacingly beautiful, dark and not a little surreal, with contributions of props by MADE and clothes by Nathan Jenden, Rupert Sanderson, Hannah Marshall, Louise Goldin and Manjit Deu and a soundtrack by Benjamin John Power of Fuck Buttons, how could it NOT be amazing?

Check some pics of the mask project editorial below:

GALLERY

Too Young To Love (but not to drink on the bus)

photograph by yours truly

Somehow, by a weird twist of fate and some small degrees of separation, I found three of the foursome that is Too Young To Love camped out in the living room last week. As pictured above, left to right are Andrea, Luca and Yari (minus one member, Stefano, who couldn't make the London Fashion Week gig), on the bus in London (I introduced them to premixed double G&T's) as they were playing the Komakino runway show at Vauxhall Fashion Scout.

The boys and I dropped in on the husband and wife duo that is Komakino, Fe and Jin at their Shoreditch studio the night before the event and all seemed calm, despite the many last minute things to do. Joy Division aficionados, yes, Komakino is the title of a JD track. In other words though, it's also a German word meaning 'Cinema of Shadows', which is totally suited to the label, as their collections have always been made up mostly of my perpetual favourite non-colour; black. Check some runway pics of the very black, rather dark and utterly wearable collection below and cop the special mix Too Young To Love did for the event.

YES leather pants

GALLERY

Jean

Our latest background design was created by the super wonderful Brazilian, Jean Matos. I love the dark beauty of his work, the way he explores humanity and the magical, mystical details in his drawings.

We asked Jean our usual questions, and here's what he had to say....

How and when did you know you were going to be an illustrator?
I think it happened when I got in the university and realized the possibilities of working as graphic designer. Illustration was one of the ways I liked the most; and I was happy that it could be part of a graphic designer's job, and not soley for artists. I am almost about to graduate in graphic and product design and now I feel that I really wanted to study fine arts... but that's ok... I think I may study it later.

What have been are your biggest influences?
I think everything and everyone influences me in a way! From music to simple things I see everyday... I'm quite obsessed with observing things around me. I love to watch people. Talking about art, what really touches me is the Renaissance and Byzantine Art. Some modern artists that influence me the most are Schiele, Mucha and Bayros. I feel that I don't have a style yet. I'm still trying new techniques and styles. I still don't know which are my favorite ones. I think it's good in a way and I 'm not in a hurry to find myself if that's what it means.

 
Who would love to work for or collaborate with?
I would love to work for or collaborate with some fashion magazines. It's incredible what art and fashion can do together. I feel there's no limits to create 'fashion' images. This is what I really like to do so it's nice to work with people who have this interest.

Recently I did an illustration for Rolling Stone magazine (Brazil) that made me really happy. I felt really pleased with that job because it's one of my favorite magazines.

 
What did you dream about last night?
[Laughs] I dreamt I was shouting bad words to a woman who almost crashed her car into me whilst I was riding a bike ( I haven't ridden a bike since I was a kid). So, I was there shouting at her and she was shouting back, when suddenly out of nowhere a lot of  TV channels were there to cover the fight. There were lots of flashes, cameras and microphones. Than it turned into a movie scene with Rebel Rebel (David Bowie) in the background. It was funny because the whole scene was so tacky, with neck moves, fingers snapping and pointing at faces - so annoying!

 
Favourite medium?
I love Chinese ink, water color and acrylic. I wish I could work better with paper cuts and photography. I'm trying to work less with digital paint because sometimes it frustrates me when I can't undo something on a real painting.

Follow Jean's amazing work on his FLICKR

The Look Book

backstage photographs taken by the super fabulous Morgan O'Donovan

Yes yes, so last Friday, GHOST played host to Jean Charles de Castelbajac in launching his diffusion line, JCDC, this season entitled 'Punkahontas and the Ducks'. We told you about this when we broke the news that JCDC were holding a model casting for the new line.

Off the official schedule for London Fashion Week, the JCDC show was one of the super hot tickets. Doors were open at 9, and there was an epic queue outside at least half an hour before. Ja'Maie had tipped me off that the guest list was seriously oversubscribed, with only a 500 capacity venue and like, billions of people on the list. Moral of the story: get there EARLY.

Luckily for me, Designer Drugs were in town and had gotten there before I rolled up. I jumped in the queue with them, yelled above the throng of people (pretending they were too cool to throng) something about the list, my name and Designer Drugs at the door, to which the bouncers and PR all gave me total WTF face until it clicked that I wasn't shouting about law evading substances.

The catwalk that wound around the venue and the seating that lined it, resulted in a less than 500 capacity (I swear), cause so many people weren't able to come in - a lot of pissed off kids were left outside. But at the afterparty though, I did spot Yvan the Facehunter, Susie Style Bubble for Dazed and more interestingly, super sports fan and huuuge patron of the arts and fashion James Goldstein. Admittedly, I had no idea who he was. I simply noticed him rocking a black snakeskin cowboy hat and silver jeans. Michael Designer Drugs mentioned that he had read an article about him on the plane and told me that I should ask him if he likes basketball. So our conversation went like this:

Do you follow basketball?

Jim: Yeah, I do! Do you?

No, but I follow you following basketball. Can I have a photograph with you?

Jim: Sure!

Shameless (me that is)

photo by Liz

AAAnyhoo, the show was great, massive kudos to Anthony Stephinson who put the whole shindig on. The Regulators played a fitting soundtrack too. I'm really not a Peaches Geldoff fan much, but she closed the show, and had the honour of accompanying Monsieur in his final walk through.

The super Morgan O'Donovan was snapping shots backstage, so here's some of the awesome pics he kindly sent over:

Monsieur and his models

Peachy Peachy Poo tryna give us some couture poseur

Check the full gallery below. Long live JCDC!

GALLERY

Phoenix

Friendly Fires have taken their hot little hands to Phoenix's 'Fences', turning the original track's glowing synths and warm guitars into a swinging, housey remix complete with piano chords, token diva vocal, airy electronic drums and whistling highlights.

It seems the Friendly Fires boys were quite cautious with this one, as I found the remix to be a little bit dated in it's atmosephere; not bringing anything particularly new to the song - but it's a inoffensive effort nevertheless.

If you think you can do better, or just want to have a play, Phoenix are again giving away the multi-track for you to take a crack at remixing 'Fences' for yourself HERE. Check the Friendly Fires version below first though:

Jack

The xx's Jamie puts the swerve on Jack Penate's epic break up choon 'Pull My Heart Away', transforming it into a truly sexy and swaggeringly mellow rendition. Remember how sentimental and warm the video for the single was? So warm in fact, that it was actually filmed in a hot sandy desert.

The xx (ironically, Jamie is missing in this collection of polaroids)

Jamie puts Jack on ice; killing the instrumental of the original track, stripping it down to it's bare bones and resuscitating it with a dubby heartbeat. The result is an aloof, far less emotional and ever so nonchalant atmosphere for Jack's heartfelt vocals and lyrics. This remix is beyond cool in every sense, and is the musical embodiment of the kind of front I'd like to be able have when trying to leave someone (*internal cry*).