English Summer!

Bonus post today! I know, we're biased but we absolutely love The Moons new video for upcoming single, English Summer, filmed at Bekonscot Model Village. Enjoy!

For more lunar news, videos and gig info, take a look at their facebook page.

Much love, 

L&R xx

After Dinner Dance Party // Andy Crofts' Rope Mix

Roll up, roll up... we have some wondrous musical marvels to share with you today, with a selection of numbers chosen by Andy Crofts of UK band The Moons. The Rope mixes are, a host of playlists inspired by a love of the Hitchcock film of the same name, loaded with an unhinged array of dark delights to excite the minds of a listener with a penchant for the weird & wonderful.


Notably, the concept of the playlist itself, eerily mirrors the prolonged, suspenseful shots used by Hitchcock to draw the audience into an abyss of double meanings and a vortex of timbre.


With each individual mix devoted to exploring a different musical point of view, from the R&B driven Worlds of Wonder, to the blissful echoes of Late Night Smoke Rings, begging the listener to turn off their mind, relax and float down stream. A lovely modern day homage to the wonders of mid-century pirate radio... without the adverts!


It's seldom that we get to hear music choices from a plethora of our favourite artists, all under one roof. However, in his Circus on Mars, Andy has rounded up tracks from musical friends to bring you the ultimate, guest playlist!

★ROPE SPECIAL★ "Circus On Mars" by Andy Crofts (Rope) on Mixcloud

As well as choices from Andy Crofts, this playlist features additional great guest choices from the likes of James Buckley, The Horrors, Paul Weller, The Coral, Richard Hawley, Miles Kane, The Charlatans, The Stone Roses, Ocean Colour Scene and The Sundowners! Click on the playlist for the full track listing.

To keep up to date with The Moons, click here.

Enjoy!
Much Love,
L&R xx

Guest Post // James' Vintage Tips - Part 1: Charity Shops

Vintage clothing and paraphernalia has been a love of many people over the years, though in recent years the adoration for it is not only cross generation but cross gender too!
This overwhelming demand for old goods has made now made it widely available within chain-stores, hence raising the price of what is merely second hand goods.

Generally there is more vintage clothing available to women, whereby hoards of attire usually inundates the modest male selection in shops. Let this not deter the males searching for exquisite clobber, there are a few good tips i'm going to share...

Charity Shops:
An obvious one, but if you don the metaphorical monocle while meandering around you may find something of high caliber. Patience is of importance, you cant expect to find something good every time but if you persist you often do. Also, try to ignore any clothing labeling ie: Men/Women, although you may feel a little odd looking through the female racks, you always have an excuse... 'Im looking for a top for my mum, honest!' or something along those lines.

I have realized recently that clothing in a many cases is unisex, high street fashion stores that retail vintage have a labeling system, though I've seen many jackets in males sections what were obviously women's.

So, ignore the system, just go with your instinct, watch out for stitching round the breast area, thats usually a good sign. Even if you buy fashion faux pas, at least it only cost you a couple of pound, or less!

Hints and tips to getting your vintage collection of odds and sods:
1. Strike up a friendship with a worker whom you see regularly (don't get pally with the guy/girl who is on work experience who isn't a permanent member of staff)
2. Once you are on first name terms try to drop a hint of what kind of clothing/item you are generally after.
3. Give them a form of contact, email, phone or telegram (depending on how old fashioned you are)
4. Voila, If something comes in, you will be notified! Hopefully even before they put it/them out on the shop floor!

I've got a good couple of friends who work in one of the charity shops on town, and they are always on the lookout for me, kindly enough. Here are some of my finds from local charity shops...



A burgundy blazer & candy striped short sleeved button down shirt in an unusual colour combination of yellow, orange and baby blue, destined for the beach! Both purchased for under £6.00!


Nautical, fish eye mirror with a brass frame - a wonderful, vintage find at only £4.00!


Vintage peacock coloured 60s coat, dashing with curved lapels and gold buttons (which I might get round to changing for dark blue, velvet buttons!) Bought for £7.00.


A beautiful, almost indian paisley with intricate detailing and unusual colour combinations - well worth taking the time to search out!
Thanks to the girls at She Dressed in Black for letting me share part 1 of my vintage tips, keep a look out for part deux where i'll be sharing another useful insight into expanding your vintage collection on a shoe string.
Cheers, James Fables of History

The Moons // Double Vision Love video exclusive

She Dressed in Black are delighted to exclusively unveil The Moons video for the brilliant 'Double Vision Love', the first single from the eagerly awaited new album, entitled 'Fables of History'.



To hear this live, join The Moons at their London Christmas show at Bush Hall on Friday 2nd December! It's set to be a great night with support from The Sundowners and Flamingo Drive, so don't miss out and get your tickets here.
For more lunar exclusives and to keep up to date with what The Moons are up to take a look at www.themoons.co.uk or check out their Facebook and Twitter pages.
Much love, She Dressed in Black & The Moons x

He Dressed in Black // Dandy Snaps

As we were so excited to launch yesterday - we just had to share all the lovely photos we took of James wearing our 'He Dressed in Black' collection!! (Double exclamation marks there, we mean business!) Dragging the darling Mr Bagshaw out to pose for us in the middle of the countryside, it was so much fun to see the collars come to life, complementing J's own style as well as hinting towards the slightly ostentatious air of the Victorian gentry... just as we envisaged, parfait!

Thanks so much J!


If you missed the launch click here or take a look at our inspirations and concepts behind the creation by clicking here!


Much love,
L&R xx

He Dressed in Black // The Official Launch

At long last, we are pleased to finally reveal our very first collection of bespoke men's accessories! We hope you like...




Green & plum paisley bow trimmed with black velvet.




Green paisley dog ear collar. Silk taffeta lining in mint green. Antique button.




Green & plum paisley dog ear collar. Suede lining in plum. Antique button.




Black velvet dog ear collar trimmed with moss green braid. Green vintage checked cotton lining. Antique button.




Green and black velvet bow neck tie

What do you think? :) - To learn more about the ideas and inspirations behind the collection click here.
We won't be selling these items just yet as the samples are on exclusive loan to The Moons on the Beady Eye tour, eee! They'll soon be available for custom order, if you have any enquiries please contact us via info[at]shedressedinblack.co.uk.
Back to work on the girl's line now...
Much love, L&R xx

News from The Lunar Rooms

Some incredibly exciting news has just landed from The Lunar Rooms... The Moons are off to Europe!
You may have heard us harking on about them from time to time, Lola's boy J and his band The Moons have been working incredibly hard over the past few months, touring around the UK & recording their second album. Now they get to enjoy a little play time, heading off to Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Berlin, Copenhagen & Amsterdam for a couple of weeks this month to be main support for Beady Eye on their European tour. So exciting!
It's not everyday that you get to go to Amsterdam with Liam Gallagher!


With their own UK November tour featured in NME this week, it's tremendously exciting times for The Moons and we predict that it's only going to get better!

Sending you loads of luck and love boys, we are immensely proud and we'll look forward to hearing your tales upon your return :)

To keep up to date with what they're up to on their travels, check our their Twitter or Facebook pages.

Much love,

L&R xx

Guest Post // Sticky Labels: The Nature of Pirate Vinyl

Hey, this week we are treating you to another wonderful guest post courtesy of The Moons' bassist, the lovely Thomas Edison Warmsley. Unveiling the paradoxical nature of piracy within music and a little insight into Thundertree, a 1970s psychedelic band/album released on a pirate label!

Disclaimer: She Dressed in Black does not condone piracy in any way, shape or form and would definitely not encourage you to scout out some rare but incredibly brilliant piracy gems ;)

Sticky Labels - The Nature of Pirate Vinyl
God save EMI, why? because gutless, beatles-refusing, money-grabbing corporations create a thriving revolt of musical crime. While bludgeoning their chief executive Roger Faxon with a sharp orchestral instrument may seem like an obvious favourite, something potentially just as painful has happened to the major labels. Long before all music went digital, and popular torrent website Piratebay dwarfed HMVs advertising revenue, it's comforting to know that music piracy was as rife as it is today. Not only because it continues to make label giants look utterly stupid, but it has also kept afloat many lesser known and obscure releases from rock and roll past, earning many bands cult figure status.

Thundertree isn't a name most are familiar with, but their dayglo-painted masterpiece of an album cover is enough to make anyone snatch their hand and interrupt scouring the reliable 'rare psych' rack in a record store. Suspiciously wrapped in fresh film the record was branded with an odd looking label: Radioactive. Having never heard of this record label and remaining complacent about its peculiar 90s logo, research into Radioactive Records began.

“Radioactive is responsible for more than 200 unauthorized reissues of rare and collectable psychedelic records” was a common response from countless internet sources. The label ran by James Plummer is renowned for releasing obscure and unreleased bootlegs of artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Silver Apples, Fifty Foot Hose and then disappearing without trace. It turns out that this elusive Thundertree LP dating an original release from 1970, has since been hijacked and distributed by the pirate label, although you’ll be lucky to find a copy now, an original pressing on Roulette will cost you around £250. The process of stumbling across this grubby nugget of a record in an independent music shop is proof that, at least qualitatively, piracy works.

Thundertree - Thundertree



Minnesota probably isn’t renowned for being a native state of musical talent, although it is the birthplace of both Bob Dylan and the Andrews Sisters, but by the looks of it neither of them stuck around for long. But one band who may well have fallen into the crevice between 1969-1970 is this sole album release by Minneapolis collective Thundertree, a psych outfit marooned in the dull Midwest of the early 1970s.

While not much seems to be known about Thundertree, their founder and organist John Meisen appears to be the group's muso, and has an active history in the Minnesota music scene. When his previous band The Good Idea spilt in late 1968, Meisen recruited the writing skills of guitarist Bill Hallquist and on the back of a couple of promising demos Meisen signed his new project Thundertree to Roulette Records in 1969. It really was that simple to get a record deal in 1960s Minnesota.

Their self-titled debut features 12 tracks of psychedelic late-bloomers, where each could pass as an unearthed garage classic, which leaves you wondering what exactly the quintet were up to in the summer of 1966. But as a collective Thundertree achieves more than this, released in 1970 the album documents one of the more promising experimentations with psychedelia and progressive rock. Before you recoil with harrowing thoughts of tales about wizards and hammond organ episodes, the results are surprisingly good, making it a more sophisticated affair than some of their West coast peers.

Album opener Head Embers presents a stripped likeness to 13th Floor Elevators chordal stomp before eluding to a celestial coda, its refreshing to hear the fundamentals of progressive rock in such a primitive form. Followed by the tuneful At The Top of the Stairs, a convincing stab at psychedelic-pop and easily the album’s most radio-friendly track. Tinged with bristly organ and Meisen’s soulful English styled vocals, it is baffling how it managed to avoid the mainstream billboard in 1970. Meisen ponders “hanging on to a corner of a smile, I wonder why as the world goes by”, a critique of the mundane in the Midwest. Ballad Summertime Children and Dusty Road both appeal with originality, revealing a more progressive slant to their songwriting and a keen embellishment for ‘innovative’ studio techniques. With Meisen put in charge at the controls, the over-produced stereo organ on certain tracks quickly becomes an annoying gimmick, persistently darting from left to right - psychedelic quickly becomes psychotic.

Side B quickly redeems any lost credibility, with the majority of it taken up by 1225 a 16-minute medley that explores abstract themes over six tracks. While it indicates the hatchings of a progressive pomp nightmare, the six themes are strong enough to be songs in their own right. Things really begin to improve when the side B suite reaches Softly... a fantastical track brimming with originality, glistening orchestration and a nasty brass section that sounds like Miles Davis with a dreadful cold. The LP finale is a gleeful gospel soul rendition of The Sun Shines For Me, climaxing in an acapella round, leaving no stone of 1960s genre unturned, a fairly impressive album feat in just under 32 minutes.

Hope you enjoyed the little musical detour today!
Much love, L&R xx

After Dinner Dance Party // The New Music Edition Volume 1

A new week and thus a new After Dinner Dance Party is taking place at Twee Towers. We thought you might like to hear some of the wondrous new bands that we've been listening to lately in our humble abode...

Some of you may have joined us for James Edward Bagshaw's journey through the The Moons' musical lunar-verse in his guest post a few weeks ago, when we danced to the songs that are influencing them as they mix their forthcoming album, 'Tales of the Unexpected'. Written by Andy Crofts, this demo perfectly evokes the wishful expectations and consequential disillusionment of an English summertime - topped with wonderful Brian Wilson esque harmonies to sweeten the inevitable rainy days! Incredible quintessential English footage too... love!

Southampton's mod-pop band The Lost Boys charmed us with their witty, tongue in cheek lyrics and playful nature that shines throughout this catchy tune. Britpoppy goodness from great, fresh British talent, can't wait to hear more!

Intrinsically cool; (like a Ramone in a leather jacket) the Dum Dum Girls are an all female outfit hailing from California. Splattering sweetness with punchy Siouxsie style punk, 'Bhang Bhang, I'm a burnout' has had us dancing around (angstily) for days.

By three dreamy girls based in London, Novella's single 'The Things You Do' combines the nonchalant intensity of Velvet Underground in their Nico era with seraphic vocals, whilst at the same time harking back to early nineties grunge and riot grrrl movements. Lush! We're hoping to catch Novella supporting the Dum Dum Girls at their upcoming tour.
Happy dancing lovelies!
Much love, L&R xx

Lauren Likes // Berlin!

...Berlin!
As today has mostly been a medley of Berlin lusting and nostalgia after flicking through some old holiday snaps, I thought it'd be the perfect time to share one of my best-loved holidays with you!
I first fell in love with Berlin in May last year. Mr Bagshaw and I had been dating for just a couple of weeks, when upon discovering that we both yearned to visit, thought what the hell - let's go! (..."Oh the romance of it all!" cried the overly sentimental narrator). We spent five amazing days meandering through this beautiful city, exploring the sights, rummaging through its delightful collection of vintage paraphernalia and sought out some incredible finds. We spent the eves, relaxing with a good German beer or two, listening to good music & laughing lots.
We went back again earlier this year and as we stayed Central West in the stunning Wilmersdorf area of the city, we made it our mission to explore the East this time around. I adore how effortlessly cool the place is - like London but without the hustle and bustle and completely all-embracing of its art, culture and heritage. I had an utterly magical time and here's a few snapshots of my personal highlights...

By far the BEST vintage shop I've been in - with two adjacent shops one selling predominately men's attire and the other women's, it's a temporary home to the most amazing collection of authentic 60s dresses. A little on the expensive side but the cuts and fabrics are absolutely divine and well worth splashing out on. As well as original homeware from the 60s and 70s, the shop also boasts of the biggest vintage magazine collection that I've ever seen! When I spotted a 1966 copy of Playboy, the front cover adorned with an illustration of a beautiful bunny wearing a full length ball gown, I was in love and J very kindly bought me it as a treat :)

Absolute heaven. Could have easily overdosed on my vintage suitcase addiction in this shop - almost wished that I'd brought more luggage so I had an excuse to come home with four suitcases!



I LOVE this pic - the colours are dreamy. On our first trip we borrowed an Olympus OM1 camera from J's dad and got some lovely photos (will put some up on our Flickr soon) but out of convenience the second time, we mostly used Instagram to capture charming fragments of the city. Each corner has something wonderful to offer whether it'd be impressive street art, incredible architectural design or just a cute little kitsch set up on the street.




Give Peace A Chance! Checking out the Reichstag. 'Scuse the scowl - it was just a mixture of the wind and my naturally miserable looking face - I was actually stupidly happy!


Absolute highlight - coinciding our first trip with a She & Him gig at Lido! Zooey & M. Ward were on top form at this lovely, intimate venue, playing a selection of songs from Volumes 1 & 2. One of the most admirable and alluring aspects of their live set was the sincerity and conviction with which Zooey delivers vocally. Rather than exhibiting the artificial self-assurance and nonchalent attitude of an actress turned singer, Zooey ensured that her audience's full focus was on the heartbreaking, bluesy tones of her voice and her lyrics, firmly rooted in the Phil Spektor era of Sixties soul.
That said, she was also even more enchanting than you'd expect... I think Mr Bagshaw was in his element! Supporting them was the perfectly haunting sound of the Chapin Sisters, an ethereal folk band (and also She & Him's backing singers), check them out!

Pre-drinks for the gig were had in this delightful little pub parallel to Lido.

One of our favourite spots for an evening was 8mm. A very small but extremely delectable little club, showcasing live music against a backdrop of original 8mm footage from the 50s, 60s & 70s projected on to the walls! Yum.

New favourite thing... old school black & white photobooths found in the middle of the street! The perfect way to re-discover a love of antiquated methods of photography. Only 2 euros a pop - was fun messing around in there for a little while and we now have the cutest (silliest) collection of photostrips to show for it!


The 'Musikinstrumenten Museum' - abundant with musical artifacts from as far back as the Renaissance period. Including oddities of instruments that we'd never seen before and didn't even know existed, it's a real eye opener on the history of music's most well known instruments. Provided with an audio tour handset, you are guided through the musical canon - touching these astounding antiques is sadly prohibited, however, knowing how clumsy I am, I probably wouldn't trust myself to touch a harpischord or lute from the 1500s, so it's probably for the best!

Despite the fact that J appears to be dozing here for a second, whilst riffling through one of Berlin's mutlitude of record stores we were excited to find J's band, The Moons' first album and a collection of their singles! Yeaaah!


Everyone knows I'm a sucker for a fine fellow with an exquisite mustache... add 'artist extraordinaire' to the mix and I'm well and truely bowled over! So when we heard that Dali was in town, it was a must on our agenda! Famous for his Surrealist impressions of Modernist society and explosive use of colour, I was pleasantly surpised to find that Dali also created a whole plethora of work using much more refined techniques, intricate line drawings in black ink as well as illustrating for numerable novels - beaut!

In addition to all that, we also made time for lovely afternoons drifting amongst the crowds checking out all of the tourist spots and making ourselves laugh by participating in a little interpretive dance outside the Reichstag - though we probably should have synchronised our moves a little before unveiling them at the epicentre of Berlin.
Here's a little video we made, I present to you...
'Un Film Silencieux by L.Park & J.E Bagshaw'


I hope you enjoyed taking a little trip down memory lane with us!

Much love,
L xx