blogslungdenim

Loslungdenim's online scrapbook of
photos, clips, telly, music, films, books, politics, fashion, culture & parenting. So in short, cool stuff, general gubbins & funny bits and bobs.

“It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world”  In Praise of Dolly Parton
There’s not a great deal left to say about Dolly Parton, who celebrates her birthday today.         The exquisite voice, cartoon-like physique, sweet natured down-home persona belying a shrewd business acumen and a bad-ass sense of humour, not to mention the titanic peroxide wigs, are all well-documented.
I’ll admit I am a total fan-girl when it comes to Dolly, so I would add that she is also probably one of our greatest living song-writers and a truly inspirational woman who has really taken her fellow country queen June Carter-Cash’s mantra of ‘just trying to matter’ to a new level. 
Every year, her ‘Imagination Library’ sends 2.5 million free books to children in the US, Canada and the UK, many of whom may not otherwise have books in their home environment or who are in local authority care. The scheme aims to send every child who enrols, a new book every month, until they are at school.
You can read about it here http://imaginationlibrary.com/
She once famously joked ‘It takes a lot of money to look this cheap” but only a fool would underestimate her. Dolly Parton is pure class.

Y’all listen up, Dolly Parton is 66 today so what better excuse than to waste half the day looking up amazing clips of her on YouTube, right?

This is a clip of her performing ‘We Got Tonight’ with Kenny Rogers, it’s not one of her songs, but I’m a sucker for a goose-bump inducing mid-song entrance (see also George Michael / Elton John ‘Don’t Let the Sun’) and the way she instructs the drummer to ‘hit ‘em’ just before the middle eight. Plus, note how she gently takes the piss out of Kenny, upstaging him at his own gig, it’s really funny and the kind of ‘twixt-song banter you can only get away with when you’re a bona fide mega-star. Happy Birthday Dolly!

Apparently indie music is on it’s last legs, but at the eleventh hour, to the rescue, it’s Bon Iver with …. their new fitness video! No word of a lie. It’s out any day now, although they really missed a trick not getting it out in time for Christmas, no? Perhaps they wanted to avoid too many people actually buying it and making it a commercial success. Fair do’s. Still, if there’s a slightly paunchy, bearded plaid-botherer in your life, this would make a lovely gift. It actually looks pretty good and it will probably sell millions. We need to see more of this kind of diversification in the music industry. Well done chaps.

Charlie Brooker's TV Go Home

I can’t believe TV Go Home is over a decade old. This is where I half-inched my moniker from, ‘Lo-slung Denim’ is Nathan Barley’s long-suffering producer. I must’ve identified with her at the time, plus ten years ago I used to wear my jeans hanging off my arse, prison-style, like all the other cool kidz. Lately though, I am increasingly tempted to relaunch myself as ‘Mimsy Ffoyble’ the woman behind ‘Utterly Irrelevant 8 Hour Ballet,’ so watch this space.

Pina Bausch and Sylvie Guillem looking super casual

I love this, surely the most insanely glamorous photo ever taken? Margot and the girls, just hangin’ out backstage, yo

I love this, surely the most insanely glamorous photo ever taken? Margot and the girls, just hangin’ out backstage, yo

I’m currently researching a TV project on ballet and got a bit distracted looking at gorgeous photos of dancers, so thought I would share them. This is Rudolph Nureyev and Lynn Seymour down the pub. Looks like Lynn is a Benson & Hedges kinda gal, fact fans

I’m currently researching a TV project on ballet and got a bit distracted looking at gorgeous photos of dancers, so thought I would share them. This is Rudolph Nureyev and Lynn Seymour down the pub. Looks like Lynn is a Benson & Hedges kinda gal, fact fans