Do You Believe In Rock N Roll?


In the past two weeks I feel like I've taken a major trip down musical memory lane. I've been lucky enough to catch some of my favourite bands perform some of my all time favourite songs I would listen to on repeat as a teen. From hearing The Flaming Lips performing The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song, to weeping as The Killers go into the introduction of Glamorous Indie Rock N Roll, to just the other day when I chanted along to Arcade Fire, who ended their Castlefield Bowl set with Wake Up and Neon Bible. Hearing these songs has given me a serious twinge of guilt that maybe I'd forgotten just how much I loved them and just how important they were to me in times gone by. It's got me reflecting back on some of the most important, character building years of my life and so I thought I'd discuss how vital the music you listen to growing up can not only shape who you become, but led the way into how our personal style develops and evolves.





You see the thing is, as many of you who read my blog regularly will know, I go very heavy on the girl love albeit because it's close to me heart and with 90% of my followers being young women I think it's vastly important to continuously discuss the ideology of women supporting women HOWEVER, I feel it's time to show the boys a bit of adoration. There are after all hundreds of boys who have inevitably guided me through life and accompanied/comforted me through my adolescence, all of which some how group together to form some of my all time favourite bands. From Morrisey, to Alex Turner, George Harrison to Julian Casablancas and Bob Dylan and of course David Bowie, they are the heroes I so willingly place on a pedestal. Who's words continue to awe and inspire me and who's style has subsequently influenced my own.

It's no secret music is as important to me as fashion, with every one of my blog titles coming from some of my favourite song lyrics (yes, that's right this title is American Pie because that song should be everyone's guilty pleasure as far as I'm concerned) but I can't help but feel like as I grow older music has taken some what of a back seat in my life and as far as new music is concerned I just don't have the time like I did as a teen. Years ago I would hide myself away in my room and play my favourite songs on repeat for hours, now music is resigned mainly to my headphones whenever I'm on the move, whether that's my train journey into work, shopping, mooching around town or (and less frequently) aimless weekend walks. I used to wonder when I was younger why it seemed like "adults" sort of froze in time with their music taste. Never listening to anything new instead opting for whatever bands they loved growing up. I never understood it fully until now when I find certain songs transport me right back to a certain time, place or situation in my life and I filled with the overwhelming sense of nostalgia you just don't/can't experience as a teen. Those songs make me smile, like old friends you drift apart from but always keep close to your heart.

No one ever tells you this but the bands/artists you listen to growing up are solely responsible for moulding you into the person you become in later life. Maybe no one really tells you this because you'd overthink it and choose more wisely. Maybe if I'd narrowly avoided my love for Punk Pop I wouldn't be left with two giant scars on my face from lip rings but then I'd also have missed out on some of the best gigs of my life. Scars are just a small price to pay if you ask me. Or maybe if I hadn't become so obsessed with The Velvet Underground, I wouldn't have discovered The Factory and Edie Sedgwick, Then maybe I'd never have INSISTED I wanted a pixie cut only to spend the next two years of my life growing it out, but then I wouldn't have fallen in love with sixties styles and sometimes in life you have to just learn hair lessons the hard way. No one also ever tells you that the bands you listen to as a teenager will stay with you your entire life. Whether your music taste changes or you eventually loose interest, at some point in your life you will hear one of their songs, you'll adore it as much as you did when you were fifteen and wonder why you'd left it so long. The music I listen to when I feel sad is more often then not the music I've been repeatedly listening to for years, the music which is the most familiar and the most comforting. Arctic Monkey B-Sides, The Mystery Jets, MGMT, The Thrills, Hot Hot Heat, Phoenix, Band Of Horses and erm, well... Elton John are always high on my happy music playlist... Random mix I know). 

And if I could ever give you one good piece of music related advise it would be go and see as many bands as you possibly can. All those bands which you absolutely adore right now, go and get a ticket immediately! Before they sell out, before they start playing stadiums and tickets become gold dust or worse, before they break up. I'm telling you now, you know how they say nothing haunts you like the clothes you didn't buy? Well nothing haunts you like the bands you didn't see either. Albert Hammond Jr at The Night And Day Cafe... Why did I not go?! WHY?

Although new music has reluctantly taken a step back on my priority list, my all time favourite bands remain a constant in my life and a pivotal factor in my personal style. Lets get one thing straight now, if The Strokes hadn't happened would I still live in high top Converse? Probably not and isn't that a scary notion? To this day I will still google Julian Casablancas and draw inspiration from some of his quintessential early noughtie's "indie boy" outfits. Stone washed, frayed jeans, a slogan tee, a worn biker jacket and scruffy high tops... A class Strokes look which inevitably became my uniform. Another style hero for me (which I've mentioned on multiple occasions) is George Harrison, he's style forever bordered on effortlessly cool and painfully geeky. Pristine indigo denim flared jeans, dungarees, bright white sneakers and enviable mandarin collared shirts. George is an unknowing style genius. Completely unpretentious and everything my style aspires to be (he's cost me unthinkable amounts of money in vintage shopping). The only other man I feel is a serious contender with George for my number one style inspiration is Alex Turner. He's the complete opposite end of the spectrum from George Harrison with style that's completely thought out, staged and sometimes edging on a touch contrived (I winced as I said that). But is that not one of the joys of fashion, it's effectively dress up right? You can become whoever you want and completely transform peoples opinions of you based on an outfit. Alex Turner is the master of this... Plus he probably has THE most amazing collection of leather jackets owned by any one human being. And lets not even start talking about Bowie, I think I've bored you guys enough in the past with how much he's has and always will inspire me.

You really just don't realise it when you're  a teenager but those musical decisions you make subconsciously are some of the most important choices in your life. They will inadvertently make a huge impact on the friends you keep, the bars/clubs/venues you hang out in, the films you watch and the opinions you hold. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and looking back on my musical taste in hindsight is ever more amazing. It's made me feel to thankful to have had it around and appreciate as much today as I did ten years ago. So this post really does go out to and is solely for the wonderful, wonderful boys in the band...

Sophia x

Outfit- Bob Dylan Slogan Tee- Fan Club Clothing, Floral Midi Skirt- Vintage (see alternative options below), Sunglasses- Celine Preppy from The Sunglasses Shop, Shoes- All Star Converse, Lipstick- Nars Velvet Matte Pencil in Cruella.

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