Blog Page 1698
Worcester ease into Cuppers final again
In looking to reach the final and attempt to retain their title from last year, Worcester fielded a starting line-up that suggested the strength of squad which Lincoln were up against. Ten of the eleven Worcester players had featured on the University football scene, and while Lincoln couldn’t match those statistics on paper, the start of the match was a tense affair with a lack of quality football providing some equality between the teams. The game had added impetus as two years ago these sides had met in the Cuppers semi-final, where a tense penalty shoot-out ending in a Worcester miss led to Lincoln progressing. With this something of a grudge match, the lack of initial crowd for kick-off then was slightly baffling, perhaps due to the amusing European-style early kick-off time, but within ten minutes a solid hundred people had converged on University Parks. This spectator situation was typical of a game where rapid change was the dominating factor; a nervous, battling opening Worcester suddenly scored a salvo of goals from which Lincoln – and everyone watching – never recovered.
Lincoln had already lost one of their best players in Josh Thomas to a recurrent hamstring problem, and although Blue Alex Biggs looked dangerous attacking the full-backs, receiving the ball wide and running around the outside of the Worcester defence, the sudden Worcester goal rout killed off any competitive interest. Blues striker Adam Healy scored two in quick succession, finding himself on the end of Tom Phelan’s lobbed ball to the back post to tap in past the keeper and following up with a strong header in a similar position from a corner. The Worcester spectators celebrated this brace from the Blues striker with a double-performance of their favourite festive chant.
The fact remains, though, that Lincoln suffered heavily during this period due to their poor defence in and around the penalty area from Worcester set-pieces, but the third goal, with Liam Steward-George scoring direct from a corner for the second game in succession, could not be blamed upon that. Worcester centre-back Elliott Thomas then scored a sweetly-struck volley as the ball fell out to the edge of the box, before a Steward-George free-kick forced a Lincoln player to concede an own-goal, headed backwards over his goalkeeper from close range.
All of this carnage occurred within a twenty-minute period of the first half, and when play resumed after half-time the standard of football remained scrappy and frustrating. For Worcester though, this was a perfectly satisfactory outcome, with Phelan in particular providing a strong (and refreshingly sensible) midfield presence. Lincoln had a few chances, with an unmarked header going over the bar, but their several speculative efforts failed to trouble the Worcester goalkeeper. The Worcester captain made several substitutions, with one eye perhaps on their imminent run of games and the form finally developing in the league. The fresh energy levels made it more difficult for Lincoln to attempt a purple patch akin to Worcester’s in the first half, and the game finished with the scoreline an emphatic 5-0.
Asked about the game, Worcester winger Steward-George commented that ‘we came into the game wanting revenge and wanting it done in style’. He expressed excitement at the first floodlit Cuppers final at Iffley this coming Friday evening, and related his plan to ‘love the fans and smash the final’. Take from that what you will, St. Anne’s.
For Lincoln, they will rue a poor period of defensive play spectacularly exploited. Worcester will be confident at Iffley, but with memories of last year’s deadlocked final where they narrowly overcame New College still fresh in the memory, and so too the similarly stagnant second half at University Parks, they will be looking for a performance with more consistent quality. Or simply another quick five.
The MGA marches on
A scrappy and controversial game at the Uni Parks last Friday saw St Anne’s reach the final of Cuppers for only the second time in their history.
Their resolute display against Teddy Hall – which saw them emerge victorious from a penalty shootout after 120 goalless minutes – was marred by a horrific injury to influential central midfielder Callum Vibert however, who suffered a broken leg from a wild Hall tackle in the second half.
The M.G.A, in the eyes of Teddy Hall at least, entered the game as underdogs given their place in college football’s third tier compared to Hall’s Premier League status. Perhaps this actually helped Anne’s, who nullified the threat of Teddy Hall, Blues and all, throughout the first 45 minutes of the tie.
After pointlessly heated email exchanges over the rescheduling of the fixture and some critical comments in sections of the student media, this game had added spice, particularly given the vocal support for both teams, who were supported on the touchline by a giant novelty teddy and beaver respectively.
This passion took a sad turn midway through the second half though, as a wild (though not malicious) tackle ended Vibert’s season, but produced just a yellow card from the referee to the dismay of the men in Mint Green. It was a tackle worthy of a red in even the most brutal Sunday League game, and the ref, perhaps regretting this decision, later sent off the offending player after he petulantly kicked the ball away.
Justice had been served, you could say, and with Teddy Hall legs tiring Anne’s were ascendant. They could not find the creative spark to unlock the Hall defence, marshalled by Blue Anthony Beddows though, and were restricted to long range efforts and the dangerous set pieces of Xavier Navas. The game drifted on through extra-time.
And so came the inevitable penalties. Anne’s keeper Nick Gardner stepped up to smash home the first attempt, before performing his best Bruce Grobbelaar impersonation to psyche out the Hall takers. The first five penalties were buried before a weak Teddy Hall effort was saved.
Two penalties later Blues centre back Robert Price stepped up to take the potential winner. Normally a centre back of experience and finesse, the pressure of the occasion showed as his effort was kept out.
One more Anne’s miss and suddenly it was Teddy Hall with a chance to win it, but their player missed the target, as did their next taker as the pendulum swung back in Anne’s favour. It was a harsh ending for Hall who played their part in a tight game, but that this will not matter to the M.G.A who gleefully partook in a pitch invasion after the decisive penalty was missed.
It was the beaver and not the teddy bear that was left smiling in the end. Anne’s, in the words of Gardner ‘took the three points’ and will look forward to the final, where a victory would vindicate the sacrifice made by Vibert during this game.
We’re Kiehl-ing Over for Kiehl’s
Established as an old-world apothecary in New York over 150 years ago, cosmetics brand Kiehl’s focuses on creating effective, and high quality, skincare. Their primary concern is their use of ingredients, which continue to be inspired by their apothecary roots, and which are proudly displayed on the front of their packaging. Since its early New York days, the brand has gone global, with several stores already positioned around the UK, and plans for more to come. As a result of this expansion, Kiehl’s has gained a loyal following worldwide, as well as in New York, where it is viewed as something of an institution of the city, even having a day named after it (November 12th). Intrigued by its previous successes, and keen to learn more about this emerging brand in the UK, we set out to test some of their key products to see if we’d be converted….
Rachel tried:
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser (Now £15) – http://www.kiehls.co.uk/face/cleansers/ultra-facial-cleanser.aspx
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser makes some bold and enticing promises on its simple packaging, and I feel as though for my skin, it has really lived up to them. It is extremely gentle, and while it removes makeup, dirt and oil with great ease, it did not leave my skin feeling tight like some of the harsher cleansers I have used in the past. In fact, it actually left my face feeling softer and smoother than before I washed it! Although I would still recommend moisturising after using any cleanser, it is nice to feel as though you are not stripping your skin of its natural balance by using this product. Make sure you have plenty of water on your face and your hands to get a good lather going, and to wash the cleanser back off again, as residue can tend to build up on the sides of your face, as it does with most cleansers. A little extra rinsing is definitely worth it though, and overall, I am extremely impressed, and pleasantly surprised, by how gentle yet effective this cleanser seems to be. After testing the Original Ultra Facial Range, I can’t wait to try out Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Collection, which works to visibly reduce oil on skin.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer (£17) – http://www.kiehls.co.uk/face/moisturizers/ultra-facial-moisturizer-spf-15.aspx
As the names might suggest, this moisturiser is the perfect companion to the Facial Cleanser. It is suitable for all skin types, and feels extremely gentle on the skin, even when used straight after exfoliation, and luxurious yet natural ingredients such as Apricot Kernel Oil and Beeswax leave your skin feeling well nourished. The moisturiser is absorbed into the skin in a matter of seconds, and doesn’t feel heavy or greasy in the slightest, while still being SPF 15. This makes it especially good for use in the morning as a smooth base for your make up.
Helen tried:
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturizer (£20.50) – http://www.kiehls.co.uk/face/color/ultra-facial-tinted-moisturizer-spf-15.aspx
Like countless other make-up enthusiasts out there I have long dreamed of a miracle tinted moisturiser that actually provides a decent amount of coverage for problem skin, whilst looking and feeling much lighter than a foundation. All previous candidates for this complexion-saving holy grail have left me disappointed. Not this time. This stuff, to put it frankly, is amazing. By building it up in thin layers, the coverage you can achieve with Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturiser is astonishing. A light dusting of powder is still needed to stop skin becoming shiny, and I would use concealer to cover any large blemishes, but this tinted moisturiser more than holds its own on all but the very worst of skins and will stay put all day. With SPF 15 and ingredients including Chamomile and Royal Jelly, it’s no wonder my skin felt like it was being pampered. After a week of using this instead of my normal foundation my skin was in much better condition than before, since it was being nourished by my make-up every day instead of dried out! I got a lot of spontaneous compliments from friends on how good my skin looked. There is just one problem that’s stopping me from promoting this tinted moisturiser to the level of foundation replacement: even the lightest shade is too warm for me! More shades of this wonder product A.S.A.P, please, Kiehl’s!
Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 (£9.50) – http://www.kiehls.co.uk/face/lip-care/lip-balm-1.aspx
This might seem a bit expensive for a lip balm but if you want beautiful, soft lips overnight, this could be your go-to product. It felt lovely, and although it did take a while to sink in, once it did I could tell it was working hard to deeply moisturise. Apply last thing at night to chapped lips and wake up to be greeted with a smooth and supple pout. Considering how long the tube lasts, the high quality of this vitamin-infused lip balm makes it well worth the price. Added bonus: the mango-scented one smells really yummy!
Skins at Season Six
I watched my first episode of Skins last January. The series follows a set of teenagers throughout their two years of college, before replacing them after two seasons with a new ‘generation’ of characters. Typically there is much sex, drugs, and partying. Skins has been praised for painting a ‘realistic’ picture of teenagers’ lives, which is… debatable. Nevertheless, I latched on to Season 5, in a sort of unfounded, vicarious nostalgia for the wild adolescence I never had.
It wasn’t just the drugs, sex and rock n roll, though. Season 5 honestly contained some of the most affecting writing I’ve encountered on TV. The series began with the introduction of sexually ambiguous Franky, the new arrival at college, in a sensitive exploration of the bullying of LGBTQ teens, before turning to Mini, who at first seemed to function as a sort of walking amalgamation of every Mean Girl cliché ever, but then deepened into a suppressed portrait of sadness, insecurity and sexual anxiety; as well as Grace, who was everyone’s favourite. I know you’re supposed to disapprove of teen marriage, but the finale where she and her heavy-metal aficionado boyfriend Rich attempt to get married (by forging their parents’ signature on the permission slip you need for underage marriages – look, I never said this show wasn’t ridiculous) was adorable. I am very, very attached to Season 5 of Skins. I suppose there are worse things to be addicted to.
Riding on the waves of those high expectations, I tuned into the first episode of the new season and found that Season 6 is actually… kind of shit. It opens with them going on holiday in Morocco, where the locals function as some kind of vaguely offensive backdrop to the main show constituted by these crazy English kids. Franky is inexplicably femmed up and shouts things like, “Shut the fuck up, you fucking fucker!” at her new boyfriend. This causes Mini to observe cuttingly, “I liked it better when she may or may not have been a lesbian” (ughgh, really?). Mini also starts sleeping with Alo, who has been reduced to a cardboard cutout of his previously hilarious, almost-poignant, stoned cup-pisser persona. Worst of all, Grace dies, in the most supremely pointless of all fictional deaths. Everyone else shares a protracted hallucination that she’s actually woken up from her coma for days.
Whereas Season 5 was neatly drawn and soul-rending, the new series is reduced to a shambolic caricature of itself, although I am given to understand that this happens periodically. They’ve also just introduced a sociopathic gambler who cruises for sexual partners on a Grindr-clone app and seemingly conducts all his life choices by the toss of a dice. Oh, lord.
Review: The Muppets
Upon hearing that Disney had acquired the rights to the Muppets franchise, you could forgive me for expecting yet another reboot in which my childhood memories are blenderized into a consumable morsel of nostalgia ready for the frothing mouth of the Multiplex. Thankfully, there are exceptions to this tragic rule: here’s a film of unquestionable pedigree, reaffirming my conviction that the Muppets are and always will be, no matter the occasional misstep, a source of pure concentrated joy.
With a tone that borders precariously on fan worship, we follow the efforts of Gary (Jason Segel), his partner Mary (Amy Adams) and sentient puppet-brother Walter as they try to get the Muppets back together again. The cast are uniformly great, bringing a refreshing self-consciousness to a screenplay that breaks the fourth wall with such frequency that it forces Kaufman-esque postmodernism to take a long, hard look at itself in the mirror. Such meta-referencing is a perfect counterpoint to the slapstick antics, thus forming a sensible stream of continuity between Muppet properties and our real universe. Not to mention the impressively high hit-rate of gags that come from all directions. (In a surprising twist of fate, even a Jack Black subplot is made to seem funny! Will miracles never cease?)
While it may not have the same emotional texture as Up or Toy Story 3, the film still retains a similar style of whimsy and wonder that’s perfect for children and parents alike. Although some of the musical numbers feel rather forced (Call me a cynic, but I’m not sure there will ever be a context in which I need to hear Chris Cooper rap), there’s still plenty of beautifully irreverent songs to complement the witty dialogue throughout. I truly hope Amy Adams and Miss Piggy’s faux-empowerment duet, “Me Party,” becomes an ironic anthem for contented singles everywhere. It’s this universal spirit that’s just so unique; a world free of cynicism, where flesh and blood coexist alongside those of foam and felt, where abject amateurism shares the stage with consummate professionalism. Quite how a band of puppets with ping pong balls for eyes have captured my heart remains a mystery, but they deliver a bear-hug of deadly positivity that’s well worth the ticket price.
Just like Statler and Waldorf on their critical balcony, I may kvetch and quibble over minor details, but when it’s finally time to “play the music” and “light the lights,” I wouldn’t leave my seat come hell or high water.
A Bluffers’ Guide to: Ambient Female Vocals
Age? It’s routed in the kosmische sounds of 70s’ Germany, but there is a lot of great stuff coming out at the moment.
Where? I’ve never heard anything like this. Unfortunately demand far outstrips supply. Most of these songs are released on tape.
Tape? Like cassette tape? It’s not an obsolete format by any means. It’s easy and cheap to produce limited numbers of copies.
How limited? We’re talking anything from one to a hundred copies. The artists run the labels, and tapes are a cheap way of distributing the music all round the world.
Not as cheap as downloads though. True. But the artists all have a sense of love and respect for physical, tangible music – the complete package.
Check out our selection of five bona fide bangers:
‘Love Triangle’ – HTRK
‘Come Softly’ – Grouper
‘DZAI’ – Lovesliescrushing
‘California Scheming’ – Maria Minerva
‘Cruel When Complete’ – Dome
Hear all these tracks, and more, on the accompanying Spotify playlist.
Review: Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror
The album opens with the sound of Alexis Krauss whipping up a live crowd into a shape of energetic excitement; as the other half of Sleigh Bells, Derek Miller, has described it, it is ‘a brass, arrogant, tasteless way to start a record’. It’s also unexpected, much like large chunks of this album will be even to those acquainted with the band’s debut, Treats. The tempo on Reign of Terror is a little slower than said debut but the band are still managing to capture the raw spirit and energy of music in an innovative way.
Much of the beauty of this album is in the layers in the music that were less present in their debut although tracks such as opener ‘True Shred Guitar’ and ‘Demons’ still have the immediacy of earlier tracks of theirs such as ‘Riot Rhythm’.
There’s also a lot of quirkiness, with the almost cheerleader-esque chanting of ‘I’ll break you!’ on ‘Crush’ being an obvious example of this. That track epitomises the contrasts in Sleigh Bells’ music, combining lyrics about teenage crushes and chanting layered over a big distorted guitar sound. Another major influence on this album appears to be the increased input of Krauss, whose pop sensibilities can be seen throughout but particularly on the more ambient tracks such as ‘End Of The Line’. Her breathy, sugar-sweet vocals also lift the album and prevent it from being overly heavy.
This album is all about Sleigh Bells finding the substance to go with their bolshy, in-your-face swagger that they have naturally. Reign of Terror oozes confidence out of every pore but doesn’t ram it down your throat quite as forcefully as Treats.
Their unique brand of distorted pop-rock is going to outshine the other male/female band duos around at the moment with this effort. It won’t be for everyone – despite the increased variety and slightly slackened tempo the album still takes a couple of listens to properly appreciate. Outside of the big guitar sounds, the intricacies take time to pick up and appreciate. By doing this though, the band have ensured they’ll have staying power. The viscerality and rawness of their debut wouldn’t have sounded as fresh if they’d simply reproduced it here, but by tweaking their sound a little Sleigh Bells have avoided the ‘difficult second album’ pitfall nicely.
Review: The Shins – Port of Morrow
The Shins’ latest album has been five years in the simmering, and, in the manner of curries, bolognaise sauce and other slow-cooked concoctions, plenty of time has made it rich, tender and absolutely delicious. This is the best album I’ve heard in a really, really long while.
The group are, in some respects, not what they were – they’ve lost longtime members Marty Crandall and Jesse Sandoval, and opted for a new record label (Aural Apothecary, by way of Columbia) – but this should not be cause for concern. 2007’s Wincing the Night Away was characterised by Mercer’s own special brand of instrumentally dense, high-gloss pop anthems: Port of Morrow takes the formula and does much the same thing with even more panache.
If you didn’t like The Shins before, this album is unlikely to change your mind. But if you do, even a little bit, you can’t fail to appreciate that this album is doing what you liked before, but better.
Though first single ‘Simple Song’ (currently being played on BBC Radio Two about three times an hour) is an obvious stand-out track, the real corkers are to be found elsewhere in the album. ‘September’ is a pared back example of the band’s sound, with a gentleness and humility that is missing from some of the glitzier numbers, while ‘Bait and Switch’ is a high saturation, high gloss number with armfuls of oomph.
Much like the work of their New Mexico contemporaries Beirut, these are pretty, well thought-through songs made by ‘real musicians’ with an understanding of instrumentation that goes beyond the classic pop trope of boys with guitars. Mercer’s got the horn, and it shows.
I’m nowhere near as cute as Natalie Portman, but do believe me when I say (about almost all of the tracks on this release): ‘You gotta hear this one song. It’ll change your life, I swear.’