Subscription info and issue one release

Printing for issue one is completed so they will sent out to our two stockists on Monday. We will then put up a limited amount on eBay. We are also considering running a subscription service, but would need to find out numbers and how many would be interested if we did this. Drop us an email at northern-aficionado@hotmail.co.uk and we'll get back to you with pricing and payment information etc. When we have put them on eBay you can find out about it here and we'll also let you know when our two stockists have put them up for sale. One final thing, good luck to all our Northern teams in action over the weekend!

Issue one - information

We've got some more information to tell you about issue one. It will be available to purchase from distant echo (www.distantecho.co.uk) and also Trickett England (www.trickett-england.co.uk) some time next week hopefully, we will keep you updated throughout next week. We will also be selling them from our ebay store, again further details will be announced next week. If you do require any information or want to get in contact with us here at Northern Aficionado, email us at northern-aficionado@hotmail.co.uk and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Keep checking back for more information.

Mm Food.

Us lot here at Northern Aficionado like to think we have an eclectic music taste, from Burial to Bob Dylan we like loads of different tunes. Though one genre I especially love is hip-hop.

So now that we’re on that subject, I think it is time to introduce you to MF Doom and in particular his album Mm Food. The reasons I love this album are endless, firstly Doom wears a metal mask like the marvel villain Doctor Doom and every track is named after a type of food. You have to love that. Secondly, there honestly isn’t a bad song on the album. My personal highlights though are ‘Hoe Cakes’, ‘One Beer’ and ‘Rapp Snitch Knishes’. You should definitely give it a listen.

Farah vintage competition

We have been informed of a competition which is been run by one of our favourite brands, Farah vintage. They are offering one lucky person the chance to be the star of their next ad campaign, as well as the opportunity to assist photographer Gavin Watson whilst he shoots it and the best bit, they get to win a stack of free clothes.

To enter all you have to do is go to the farah vintage facebook page, on the tab called 'Citizens of Farah' https://www.facebook.com/farahvintage?sk=app_192827600818031 and upload a photo.

So what are you waiting for? Get entering and good luck!

K-way "Leon" half zip cagoule

At Northern Aficionado we like clothes that are pratical. For example, if it rains we want it to keep us dry. That is where a K-way would come in. According to the tag on the jacket "Paris, 1965. A rainy day. Leon-Claude Duhamel observes attentively as people rush by in soaking wet clothes. It is on this day that K-way is born: a light weight completely waterproof jacket folded in a small hip bag." The tag later states that in it's first year more than 250,000 were sold. Today the K-way is still as good as ever and having just received the "Leon" cagoule half zip cagoule in navy can confirm just how good it is. The quality, the finsihing and the relaibility of the "Leon" no doubt make it one of our favourite jackets of all time.

Here it is in navy, but it's available in various other colours such as the Forest Green colourway. An online store with a great selection of K-way cagoules and hats is www.identity-menswear.com where I ordered my K-way from. With very good prices and a service second to none I'd reccomend anyone to order from the store. Also stocks Peaceful Hooligan and CP company amongst other brands we like.

YMC Striped Pocket T-Shirt.

With the ace weather we’ve been having today, us lot at Northern Aficionado have been getting in the summer mood, and nothing says summer like a pair of shorts, some decent trainers, a good quality t-shirt and a cold beer. YMC have got the t-shirt covered with this vibrant number, so we’ll leave you to get the beers in.

Fjall Raven Kånken Backpack

We love a good backpack here at Northern Aficionado. Whether with a t-shirt and shorts in summer, or with a mountain parka and cords in winter, something on the back just seems to complete an outfit. There are plenty of options out there, but our favourite has to be the Kånken by Fjall Raven.

The main reason we love the Kånken is the fact that it is a cool as fuck bag and has never been beaten. Available in a wide range of colours and worn the world over by school children and adults alike, no backpack has ever and will ever come close.

Northern team of the week - Fleetwood Town

A new blog feature we're starting today is the Northern team of the week and the winner of the first one is Fleetwood Town of the Blue Square Premier. Fleetwood secured an impressive victory over Mansfield yesterday to go nine points clear at the top of the league. Roared on by a crowd of over three thousand they smashed two goals against a Mansfield team which had been in good form prior to the game.With Fleetwood looking favourites to now win the Blue Square Premier it looks as if we'll have another Northern team in the league next season. A special mention to their league rivals Southport who have defied the odds and could be featuring in the end of season play-offs to gain promotion into the league. We'd like to wish both clubs the very best of luck for the rest of the season.


Jamie Vardy has helped fire Fleetwood to the top with his impressive 28 league goals.



New feature

A new feature that we are going to include in our fanzine and on our blog is a feature on you. We want you to get into contact with us if you'd like to be featured. We'll ask you some questions, who do you follow?, favourite item of clobber? etc and you reply. We then write about you and put the questions into an issue of the fanzine or onto the blog. It's the lad on the terrace and the chap at the gig that are ultimately the reason we are writing this fanzine so why not focus on them a bit.

If you fancy getting involved, then drop us an email at northern-aficionado@hotmail.co.uk and we'll get back to you.

Issue 1 - Preview #5

A Guy Called Minty has established quite a name for himself in recent years with his quality casual sketches. His passion for sketching these fantastic pictures are evident in the high quality of them and he has even designed a t-shirt for Casualco. In issue one we have an interview with him and a couple of excellent sketches to share with you by the man himself.

Gitman Bros. Aloha Print Shirt

Short sleeved shirts are perfect for summer. A mad print fits the bill even better and this Gitman Bros. shirt definitely ticks both of those boxes. 

Coming from a classic American brand, this shirt features aeroplanes, pineapples and whole lot more. Everyone from Hunter S. Thompson to Will Smith has been seen in the Hawaiian shirt, so if it is good enough for them, it is good enough for us lot here at Northern Aficionado. A definite must have for those warm months.

Peaceful Hooligan

A brand we like here is Peaceful Hooligan. The high quality tee's, shirts, sweaters and jackets make it a firm favourite here at Northern Aficionado. They're latest releases are looking really special and we love their recent sweatshirt release.

A fine sweater with great detailing, and well their logo is just so cool. That's something that they've played on for their latest tee collection, "The Summer of Dove". Cool tee's with quality designs, not to mention as with all of their products excellent quality.

And guess what. We've managed to secure an interview with the guys at the brand which will be in issue one. They'll be letting us know more about the brand including their inspirations behind Peaceful Hooligan and their favourite pieces.

Two Artists To Look Out For

Last year wasn’t the best year for music, the only new artists that really excited Northern Aficionado were Odd Future and SBTRKT. This year seems to be shaping up a lot better though, there are a few musicians we believe are worth shouting about. Here are two of them.

King Krule

Archy Marshall was born in 1994 and originally went under the name of Zoo Kid, although this changed last year and now he plays under the moniker of King Krule. Even though Marshall went to the Brit School, he isn’t your average pop sensation, and his debut single ‘Out Getting Ribs’ isn’t your average pop song. Plus, he manages to rock a Burberry shirt.

Listen to:  King Krule EP

Lecs Luther

Obviously with a name like Lecs Luther and many villainous references in his songs, comparisons to MF Doom will be made, and quite rightly so. Sounding like a cross between the aforementioned metal face and, I hate to say this, but Earl Sweatshirt, Lecs Luther is definitely a rapper to look out for. Oh, did I mention he was Irish as well?

Listen to: Dia Dhuit

Issue 1 - Preview #4

We like good quality well made goods in this establishment. If they are made by a company that is made in the North of the England thats the equivalent of hitting the jackpot. Trickett do just that. Not only do they have a website and blog that is mint as, they sell some of the coolest things you'll find on the internet. From baseball trading cards with gum to socks, and t-shirts to hot fudge they've got a bit of something for every Northern Aficionado (Heck, they'll even have our fanzine soon!). So, we've got a special feature of the brand lined up for you in issue one. Check out their website. http://trickett-england.co.uk/

Keep checking the blog for more previews over the next couple of days...

Two Watches We Have Our Eyes On At The Moment.

Us lot here at Northern Aficionado love a good wristwatch. I’m currently wearing the classic Casio F-91W, it does the job perfectly, but here are a couple of watches we wouldn’t mind getting our hands on right now.

Firstly, the all black Braun BN0032. Simple and understated, this analog watch would look great on any lads wrist on a night out, and at £125 it isn’t the most expensive investment.

Finally, the Silas x G-Shock DW-5600. Since 1996 brands have been applying their stamp to the Casio G-Shock, some making it better, others killing it completely. With their recent efforts we are glad Silas had a crack at it. The camouflage face and black strap work perfectly together and still manage to retain some dignity.

MKI Store - Leeds

Leeds is one of Northern Aficionado’s favourite cities. The variety of shops is wide ranging, from HIP Leeds to Welcome Skatestore there is something for everyone. One shop that really stands out though is MKI - Miyuki - Zoku. 

Situated in the old Corn Exchange, MKI draws its name from the Miyuki - Zoku, the first group of people to take on the Ivy league look in Japan. This inspiration can clearly be seen in MKI’s own label. From Oxford shirts to a wonderfully simple Coach Jacket, MKI have something for everyone. We think it’s time you checked it out.

Kes

We love films here at Northern Aficionado especially those set in the North. One film that fits the bill is the late sixties classic Kes. Set in Barnsley the film follows the life of a young Barnsley lad named Billy who is bullied at both home, by his brother Jud, and at school. His one dear friend is his much loved Kestrel who is brutally killed by Jud. This sad yet fantastic tale of Billy's life is up there with our favourite films and who can forget the superb football scene where we have some comic genius in the form of the PE teacher who believes that he is Bobby Charlton and Billy spends the duration of the game swinging on the crossbar. Kes was given recognition by Casual Connoisseur last year who made a wonderful t-shirt honouring the film. Note Billy's excellent dress sense in the bottom picture, sporting a charming shirt and cagoule combination.

Stockists - will be revealed soon!

We have been busy over the past week searching out the best places to stock our fanzine. Well, we are very close to announcing a full stockist list. Just one or two more things are needed to sort out and then we can reveal to you, the stockists. Keep checking back for more information about the stockists and also more details about issue one. We'll be making several more big announcements over the weekend and the beginning of next week.

Farah Vintage - Howe Jacket

We love Farah Vintage here at Northern Aficionado and their recent release hasn't gone unnoticed. The Howe Jacket has a lovely waxed finish to it and in ways is very similar to the Buxton jacket that they released last year. Its discrete branding and intricate detailing have made it a firm favourite here. It can be compared to the look of a Norse Projects Elka jacket but without the waterproof finish and at a fraction of the price. It's available in a range of colours such as navy, green, red and even a yellow variation. Priced at around £95 this jacket won't break the bank but is finished to a high standard and is perfect for the Spring months.

Puma X UNDFTD Clyde Snakeskin Pack.

Puma seem to be enjoying a bit of a revival at the moment, us lot here at Northern Aficionado can’t help but think that this must have been helped by the previous collaborations on the Clyde shoe with UNDFTD. The ripstop ones released last year were a great collection and sold like hotcakes. This season Puma and UNDFTD come straight back at us with a new collection. Is it any good though?

So, as said earlier, last season saw the release of a ripstop Clyde. This season we are offered a premium leather trainer with snakeskin accents. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I think of snakeskin, I either see images of women’s handbags or interesting belts from T.K Maxx. The Clyde’s, first worn by Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier, aren’t a handbag and they definitely aren’t an interesting belt. What they are though, is a cool as fuck trainer recognised the world over and UNDFTD’s current interpretation is no let down. Coming in red and black colourways but looking best in white, these trainers are a must for summer. 

So come on, whack a pair of these on and at least pretend you’re as good as Frazier was at basketball for the sunny months.

Brand Profile - Y'OH

Northern Aficionado have long been a believer that the best clothes are made by people who are taking influence from what they are seeing on the street. This is exactly what Y’OH are doing. Kara Messina, the founder of Y’OH, says her brand and clothing is, “an homage to all the people I hang out with, really.” Basically, she’s looking at what her peers are wearing and emulating it. This is probably the reason Y’OH has had such a great reception in recent months. 

Messina is creating down to earth streetwear for once. None of that street art fakery. No flavour of the month celebrity endorsements. Just, down to earth, well made, good looking clothes. Who can argue with that? 

With a strong winter collection, Northern Aficionado can’t wait to see what Y’OH have to offer in 2012.

Issue 1 - Preview #3

Footwear. It's crucial to us Northern Aficionado's that we have the right footwear and it would be fair to say that we probably do have too many pairs. We like a number of brands but one of our favourites has to be Clarks Originals. They are so well made and designed so well that it's impossible not to fall in love with nearly all of their pieces. To show our appreciation of one of our favourite brands in issue one of the fanzine we will be revealing our five favourite pairs of Clarks.

The Tale Of The Liquid Swords.

There is a tendency amongst a lot of people to generalise when it comes to music, and there’s an even bigger tendency amongst a lot of people to generalise when it comes to hip hop. A lot of lads who are normally open-minded about films, books and rock music seem to see hip hop as a childish genre that hasn’t produced any good albums. In part, this is down to artists like 50 Cent and Pitbull and I’m gonna be honest, if that was my only experience of hip hop, I’d have written it off a long time ago. I want you to forget all that though. Forget Pitbull. Forget 50 Cent. Forget all that crap and listen to GZA.


Put on ‘GZA’ - ‘Liquid Swords’ and the first words coming out of your speakers definitely won’t remind you of hip hop. What you’re hearing is a sample from the banned martial arts film, ‘The Shogun Assassin’. A young boy is telling the story of how his mother was killed by ninjas. The story starts to come to its climax and one of the catchiest choruses in modern music starts to attack your eardrums. Listen to this song, and I promise you will be humming it all day. 

The opening track definitely isn’t the highlight though, as the album plays out and the tracks go on, you start to realise that there is no other album like this. 4th Chamber is a mind fuck that will leave you wondering what just happened, Gold is another catchy as hell chorus that will make you keep coming back for more and the whole album climaxes with the wonderful B.I.B.L.E (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) in which GZA takes a backseat and lets Killah Priest do the talking. And how glad you’ll be that he did. B.I.B.L.E, just like the rest of the album, is a truly wonderful listen that will never be beaten or bettered. Especially not by the likes of Pitbull and 50 Cent.

Casual Connoisseur beer mats

The Northern Aficionado was pleased to find that their beer mats had arrived today. Ordered from The Casual Connoisseur for the price of just £1.90. We can say that they are quality beer mats and will be the perfect place for us to place our pints as we are writing the fanzine! You can purchase the beer mats from www.casualco.com/beermat. Casualco today released their Naess hat, which took inspiration from the Norweigan ecologist Arne Naess. This looks like a great versatile hat which is suitable for all weather, and was produced in collaboration with Our Culture. Another brand which we like here, 80s casuals, also had a new release out today. The Treviso rugby shirt was released tonight, taking inspiration from the casual favourite which was the Benetton rugby shirt. It'll be perfect for the upcoming months and is priced at £44.95 and you get a choice of colours. The said shirt can be purchased here http://www.80scasuals.co.uk/. Bravo 80s casuals and Casualco for your latest additions to your great collections.

Issue 1 - Preview #2

A regular feature in our fanzine will be a "City gig guide" where we will feature a City and then preview the gigs we are most excited about. For issue one we are going to feature a City at the heart of the North, Leeds. With a number of great venues Leeds is up there as one of the best live music destinations in the country and we'll be previewing the best upcoming gigs and telling you where and when the gigs are on along with ticket information and also some information about where to shop in Leeds whilst you are there for the gig.

Issue 1 - Preview #1

As promised its the first of our issue one previews. Clothing, we said it's an important part of what we're about here at Northern Aficionado so we want to bring you interviews from the best designers, the best shops and the best brands. Well what if we said we were going have an interview with one of the best brands in the business, you'd be excited right? Yeah, of course you would but we're going to do better than that because for our premiere issue we have got an interview with not only the guys at Casual Connoisseur but those at 80s Casuals too. These are two of our favourite brands here at Northern Aficionado and we love their quality ranges of t-shirts, shirts and accesories. We aim to please and we certainly think we've delivered the goods by arranging these fantastic interviews.

Keep checking back for more exciting news about issue one. All will announced over the next week along with some exciting exclusive blog articles and we might even decide to share another playlist or two with you. Yes, we're that kind.

Wood Wood - Atlantic Jacket

Every now and again you come across certain brands that don’t get shouted about much, yet they produce a core of really well crafted garments. Wood Wood is a perfect example of one of these brands. Northern Aficionado first heard of the Danish based brand a couple of seasons ago when the Stockholm Parka caught our eye. This winter one of us decided to invest in the Wood Wood War Jacket, and what an investment that has turned out to be. A warm, well made, all round good quality jacket that looks great with any outfit, all for 80 quid. Granted, it was in the sale. 

Time moves fast, that was last season. This season Wood Wood have raised the bar even further. Many items stick out in their current outerwear collection, but my personal favourite   has to be the Atlantic Jacket. Wood Wood take the classic mountain parka, perfected by brands such as REI and Sierra Designs and put their own Danish twist on it. 

You have the choice of two colour-ways. The all black version is great and would look brilliant on a spring night, but my personal favourite is the khaki and black 60/40 split. In this colour-way the Atlantic Jacket can’t help but remind me of something that Beams+ would release, but at a fraction of the price. With the additional details of drawstring cords on the hood, waist and hem Wood Wood prove that technical and stylish is possible. Maybe it’s time that Wood Wood get the shouting they deserve.

*Visit the Wood Wood store here.*

Transmission.

One thing we are mad on here at Northern Aficionado is music. Now and again we even like to chuck the odd playlist together. When we are feeling extra nice we might even put said playlist up on here for all you Aficionado’s to listen to. Whether it be The Rolling Stones or Wu Tang Clan, you can be sure to find a few tunes to get you through the week. 

In our first playlist we open with a classic song from Bobby Caldwell and finish with Joy Division. Along the way there is a bit of everything from A Tribe Called Quest to a relatively new group making massive waves in the blogosphere called Bad Bad Not Good. We hope you like it. 

Find the playlist here.

Tracklist: 

Bobby Caldwell - Open Your Eyes

Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine?

A Tribe Called Quest - Verses From The Abstract 

Jesse James and Crave - Trashy

Bad Bad Not Good - Mass Appeal/Transmission 

Joy Division - Disorder

The Northern Aficionado Fanzine

Hello and welcome to The Northern Aficionado Fanzine blog. The blog is the place to come for all the latest news and views from us here at the fanzine. Over the next week or so we shall be making a number of exciting announcements about issue 1 of the fanzine and we will also be telling you more about what The Northern Aficionado Fanzine is about.

Keep checking back for further information...